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 have 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 have specific difficulties, 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 little 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 Question Block), a category with challenges whose objectives vary, and a category denoted by the Wii U GamePad, which has challenges where the player must use Boost Mode.

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
 * 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
 * Waddlewing Wipeout
 * 200 Clifftop Coins
 * Attack of Bob-ombs
 * Castle Coin Bypass

1-Up Rally

 * The Goombrat Stomp: ★☆☆☆☆
 * Stone-Eye Koopas: ★☆☆☆☆
 * Goomba Bounce Bash: ★★☆☆☆
 * Penguin Bowling: ★★☆☆☆
 * Three Dry Bones: ★★★☆☆
 * Bullet Bill 1-Up Bounce: ★★★☆☆

Special

 * Fire, Bro!: ★☆☆☆☆
 * Graceful Glide: ★☆☆☆☆
 * Mole to Goal: ★★☆☆☆
 * Marathon Glide: ★★☆☆☆
 * Nonstop Flight: ★★★☆☆
 * Be Gentle to Giants: ★★★☆☆
 * Balancing Act: ★★★☆☆
 * Bowser Airship Sneak: ★★★☆☆
 * Larry's Groundless Battle: ★★★☆☆
 * Bubble Up: ★★★☆☆
 * Mole To Goal Returns
 * The Trial of Bullet Bill Hill
 * Spin Jump, Get Dizzy
 * Seriously! Fire, Bro!

Boost Mode Challenges

 * Piranha Plant Hideaway: ★☆☆☆☆
 * Coins in the Forecast: ★☆☆☆☆
 * When Waddlewing Attack: ★★☆☆☆
 * The Perpetual Shell: ★★☆☆☆
 * Icicle Fall: ★★★☆☆
 * Fuzzy Alert!: ★★★☆☆
 * Three Legged Lava Race: ★★★★☆
 * Fuzzy Cliff Climb: ★★★★☆
 * Thwomp Castle Cash Flow: ★★★★★
 * Cloudy with a Chance of Fire: ★★★★★
 * Ultimate Boost Blast: ★★★★★