The New Super Mario Bros games get a lot of guff from series fans. In some ways, that makes sense. Each entry in the original franchise was wildly different, changing up its gameplay and visual style as time went on. The New games had some interesting ideas from game to game, but they kept the visuals and style of levels pretty much the same. Some might see that as stagnant, but games don’t need to rewrite the book to earn that New moniker.
Sure, Mario and friends look the same in each entry and those dancing turtles still sing along with the music. But there are still plenty of great additions to the Mario universe that got their start in the New Super Mario Bros. series. From a slew of new mushrooms to different types of enemies and even a new form of Bowser, we’ve gathered them all in an easily digestible image gallery.
Sometimes, you just want a traditional Mario game, and that’s what the New series provides. Besides what it adds to the series, these games also give Nintendo a chance to revisit things that came in the past. Thanks to their status as throwbacks, you can put the Koopalings and Boom Boom back in the spotlight without much trouble. This has led to a lot of once forgotten elements of the Mario games making a resurgence, even outside this franchise.
As for new games in the series, things are looking bleak. With Super Mario Odyssey also bringing back a lot of the old Mario elements, what made New Super Mario Bros novel is slowly eroding away. Still, Nintendo saw fit to re-release the Wii U iteration of the series on Switch, so we might see another in the future. Either way, it’s good to know that there’s a home for Mario platforming no matter what dimension he’s running in.
The New of New Super Mario Bros
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The NEW of New Super Mario Bros.
After its debut on the Nintendo DS, the New Super Mario Bros. series became derided for its samey gameplay. People tired of its copy and paste gameplay over four entries, but it wasn't all unoriginal. Each game added more new elements to the 2D Mario formula than you might think. -
Blue Shell
A spiny blue shell may be known to cause trouble for winning cart racers, but this shell is a bit more friendly. Shell Mario can swim more accurately and duck into his shell to slide down hills. It's almost as if the plumber has joined the Koopa Troop. -
Dry Bowser
The original New Super Mario Bros asked a question. Why do you beat Bowser eight times? Their answer was that you didn't, and that lava hurts. Dry Bowser is the zombied skeletal version of King Koopa, and you face him just once in your adventure. Bowser Jr. is glad it isn't permanent. -
Gold Flower
New Super Mario Bros. 2 was all about coins, so of course one of the original power-ups would get a golden upgrade. While this flower only lasts one level, it turns any enemies hit with a fireball into coins, including Bowser himself. Upon clearing the flagpole, you convert back to Fire Mario. -
King Bill
The largest of the Bullet Bill family, King Bill is just one of a host of new enemy types introduced by the series. If you've seen an enemy you don't recognize in the last decade in a Mario spinoff, it's likely that they made their debut in a New Super Mario Bros. game. -
Mega Mushroom
The Mega Mushroom does one thing well, and that's making Mario big. Bigger than the Super Mushroom and pretty much any other mushroom. Mega Mario can break apart any brick in a level and squash any foe, but the power doesn't last past the end of a single stage. -
Mini Mushroom
As you'd expect, the Mini Mushroom does the opposite to its Mega counterpart. Shrinking Mario down to a tiny size, this lets the plumber get through secret passages that would be otherwise inaccessible. Just watch out, as this form doesn't provide the type of protections that other power-ups do. -
Nabbit
Named in the grand tradition of on the nose Mario characters, Nabbit is a rabbit who steals things. Unaffected by Gombas and other enemies, playing as this bunny makes things a whole lot easier. He's the perfect candidate for a smaller child playing a platformer for the first time. -
Penguin Suit
A combination of the Blue Shell and the Frog Suit, the Penguin Suit lets you slide around and swim freely in the games it appears in. It also allows Mario to skim on the top of a huge body of water, letting him access secret areas. -
Propeller Mushroom
Giving Mario some mechanical height and a spiffy jumpsuit, the Propeller Mushroom may also make him dizzy if he's not careful. Even so, this little power-up goes on to appear in Super Mario Maker, becoming the Leaf/Feather equivalent of the New Super Mario Bros. series. -
Super Acorn
The newest of the new on this list, the Super Acorn gives Mario a flying squirrel suit that lets him glide on the wind. He can also cling to walls and other surfaces in this form, giving him equal footing with a certain super meat man and his platforming prowess.
