Challenge Mode (New Super Mario Bros. U)

This article is about the mode from New Super Mario Bros. U. For other uses, see Challenge Mode.

A Time Attack stage in Challenge Mode

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.

The screen upon completing all Challenges

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

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	タイムアタック Taimu Atakku	Time Attack
Spanish	Contrarreloj	Time Trial
French	Contre-la-montre	Against the clock
Dutch	Tijd	Time
German	Zeit-Attacke	Time Attack
Italian	Contro il tempo	Against the clock
Portuguese	Contrarrelógio	Time trial
Russian	На время Na vremya	For a while
Korean	타임 어택 Taim Eotaek	Time Attack
Chinese	计时赛 (Simplified) 計時賽 (Traditional) Jìshí Sài	Time Attack

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.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	コイン Koin	Coin
Spanish	Monedas	Coins
French	Pièces	Coins
Dutch	Munten	Coins
German	Münzsammlung	Coin collection
Italian	Monete	Coins
Portuguese	Corrida às Moedas	Race to the coins
Russian	Монетки Monetki	(Small) coins
Korean	코인 Koin	Coin
Chinese	金币 (Simplified) 金幣 (Traditional) Jīnbì	Coin

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

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	れんぞく1UP Renzoku 1UP	Continuous 1UP
Spanish	1UP	1UP
French	1UP	1UP
Dutch	1UPs	1UPs
German	1-Up-Rallye	1-UP Rally
Italian	1-Up Mania	1-Up Mania
Portuguese	Corrida aos 1Up	Race for the 1-Up
Russian	Жизни Zhizni	Lives
Korean	연속 1UP Yeonsok 1UP	Continuous 1UP
Chinese	连续1UP (Simplified) 連續1UP (Traditional) Liánxù 1UP	Continuous 1UP

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

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	その他 Sonota	Others
Spanish	Otros	Others
French	Divers	Miscellaneous
Dutch	Speciaal	Special
German	Diverse	Miscellaneous
Italian	Varie	Various
Portuguese	Diversos	Miscellaneous
Russian	Особые Osobyye	Special
Korean	기타 Gita	Others
Chinese	其他 Qítā	Others

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

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	バディプレイ Badi Purei	Buddy Play

Profiles

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."

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	おだいモード Odai Mōdo	Question/Problem mode
Spanish	Modo Desafíos	Challenges Mode
French	Mode Défis	Challenge Mode
Dutch	Missiestand	Mission mode
German	Herausforderungsmodus	Challenge Mode
Italian	Modalità Sfida	Challenge Mode
Portuguese	Modo Desafio	Challenge Mode
Russian	Режим Испытания Rezhim Ispytaniya	Challenge Mode
Korean	과제 모드 Gwaje Modeu	Task Mode
Chinese	課題模式 (Traditional) 课题模式 (Simplified) Kètí Móshì	Question Mode