Challenge Mode (New Super Mario Bros. U)

Challenge Mode is a new mode introduced in New Super Mario Bros. U. It is a collection of various challenges of varied difficulty divided into specific categories, including Special and 1-Up Rally. While some challenges take place in a specific part of a course from the main game, there are some challenges that take place in a course exclusive to Challenge Mode, such as Penguin Bowling and Bubble Up. Each challenge has a specific objective and will award the player with medals (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) depending on how they completed the challenge. For example, the Time Attack challenges have three medals, the Gold being achieved by completing the challenge in a set amount of time. However, some Special challenges will award the player with only a Gold Medal for completing the challenge.

Every challenge has a difficulty rating, with one star being the easiest, and five stars being the most difficult.

There are five categories of challenges: Time Attack (denoted by a clock), where the player must complete the course in the allotted time; Coin Collection (denoted by a Coin), where the player must collect a specific amount of coins or collect as few coins as possible; 1-Up Rally (denoted by a 1-Up Mushroom), where the player must finish the course while collecting a certain amount of 1-Ups; Special (denoted by a ? Block), a category with challenges whose objectives vary; and a category denoted by the, which has challenges where the player must use Boost Mode.

In the Nintendo Switch version, Boost Mode challenges are not included due to control limitations on the Nintendo Switch system. Toadette and Nabbit cannot be selected within the mode, due to having different control attributes from Mario, Luigi, and the Toads. The menu screen has a slightly different UI from the Wii U version, with the icons for each category receiving simple, gray-colored designs that change color when selected. The ? Block icon for the Special category is also changed to a three-dimensional one.

Time Attack

 * Time Attack Trial
 * Acorn Plains Speed Run
 * Full Speed Ahead
 * Stone-Eye Desert Dash
 * The Boo Ballet
 * The Boo-Ballet Encore
 * Icicle Skating
 * Huckit Hustle
 * Mini Mountaineer
 * Lurchin' Urchins
 * Penguin vs. Torpedo
 * Slick Slopes and Bullet Bills
 * The Haunted Propeller
 * Fliprus Crossing
 * Rickety Sprint
 * No-Cash Dash
 * Poison-Swamp Scramble
 * Swing Into Action
 * Stoneslide Tower Climb
 * Screwtop It Up

Coin Collection

 * Triple Jump for Coins
 * Hot Hidden-Coin Hunt
 * Stingy Big Piranha Plants
 * Lakitu's Cloud Heist
 * Hot-Air Yoshi Ride
 * Ghost House Coin Curse
 * Perilous Coin Dodge
 * Waddlewing Wipeout
 * Prickly Goomba's Coinless Run
 * 200 Clifftop Coins
 * Dark Dark Coaster
 * Cloud-Top Coin Evasion
 * Attack of the Bob-ombs
 * Spine Coaster Coin Cruise
 * Castle Coin Bypass
 * Don't. Touch. Anything.

1-Up Rally

 * The Goombrat Stomp
 * Stone-Eye Koopas
 * Goomba Bounce Bash
 * Penguin Bowling
 * Three Dry Bones
 * Bullet Bill 1-Up Bounce
 * Star Connection
 * Big Goomba Bounce Bash
 * Airship 1-Up Rally
 * Paratroopa Panic

Special

 * Fire, Bro!
 * Graceful Glide
 * Mole to Goal
 * Marathon Glide
 * Bubble Up
 * Nonstop Flight
 * Be Gentle to Giants
 * Big Air at Sundown
 * Balancing Act
 * Bowser's Airship Sneak
 * Larry's Groundless Battle
 * No Climbing Allowed
 * The Trial of Bullet Bill Hill
 * Spin Jump, Get Dizzy
 * Mole to Goal Returns
 * Wobble and Rock
 * Seriously! Fire, Bro!
 * Elevator Out of Service
 * Castle Crawl
 * Express Elevator
 * Cashless Castle Crawl

Boost Mode Challenges

 * Piranha Plant Hideaway
 * Coins in the Forecast
 * When Waddlewings Attack
 * The Perpetual Shell
 * Boost Block Coin Stalk
 * Icicle Falls
 * Fuzzy Alert!
 * The High Road
 * Three-Legged Lava Race
 * Fuzzy Cliff Climb
 * Thwomp Castle Cash Flow
 * Cloudy with a Chance of Fire
 * Ultimate Boost Blast

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

 * North American website bio: "Test your skills with several themed challenges, some of which are played in courses not found in the main game."