New Super Mario Bros.

New Super Mario Bros. is a side-scrolling platformer game exclusive to the Nintendo DS, starring Mario and Luigi. The game features a solo story mode with Mario or Luigi, a two-player wireless game Mario vs. Luigi, as well as a mini-game mode for up to four players. And players can access Luigi as a story mode (1 player) character if they press L and R and select a file at the same time. The multiplayer games support both single-card and multi-card play. The mini-games are mostly the same as those featured in Super Mario 64 DS, with the difference that they do not need to be unlocked here. The game received a sequel, which is New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Story
Mario and Princess Peach were walking together around Peach's Castle, when a mysterious thundercloud (possibly Lakithunder) appeared, and struck the castle with lightning. Mario went to investigate, and while he was there, Bowser Jr. snuck up behind a bush and kidnapped Peach! Mario followed, and Bowser Jr. dragged her behind him through eight different worlds.

The end of the first world has Bowser as its boss, unusually. Even more surprising, after Mario presses a switch that destroys the floor and Bowser falls into the pit of lava, the king's flesh is burned off and he becomes a Dry Bones-like version of himself (Known as Dry Bowser). Later, at World 8, Mario has to face this undead version of Bowser as the penultimate boss in the game. Dry Bowser falls into a pit, but Bowser Jr. somehow finds his father's bones, and he revives him by tossing his remains into a bubbling cauldron of some magic potion, which results in not only Bowser returning from the dead, but growing roughly three times his size.

At the end, Bowser and his son fight Mario together, but Mario defeats them (again), sending the two into yet another pit. After the ending sequence, Bowser Jr. is shown dragging his unconscious father across the castle floor. When he notices the player watching him, he shouts something and then continues on with his task.

Controls
New Super Mario Bros. is very much like Super Mario Bros. in terms of gameplay, but new features have been added. One of two control options can be selected in the Options menu: Jumping with A/B and Running with X/Y, or Jumping with A/Y and Running with B/X. Mario is controlled with the D-Pad, and the Touch Screen is only required to activate the stored item, which is used in the same style as in Super Mario World. When Mario enters a pipe to a secret area, the top screen and the touch screen are switched, and gameplay continues on the touch screen as long as Mario is in that area. In that case, the stored item cannot be activated.

Moves and Items
The Wall Jump makes its first appearance in a 2D game since being introduced to 3D Mario games with Super Mario 64. In contrast to the 3D games, Mario has to slide down a wall for a considerable amount of time before being able to jump. This technique lets Mario or Luigi reach new areas by bouncing off the side of any wall or vertical object, and is useful for escaping from a fall down a hole. Mario has the ability to Ground Pound by pressing down when in the air, allowing him to smash blocks downward. There are different power-ups, like the Blue Koopa Shell that lets Mario travel like a kicked Koopa Troopa shell, the Mega Mushroom that makes the player grow about three to five times Mario's size (also seen in Super Mario 64 DS), and the Mini Mushroom which causes Mario to grow about half of Small Mario's size. However, some items remain unchanged, such as the Super Mushroom, and the Fire Flower.

Levels
The game also features a world map, with different and secret paths (like Super Mario World). Alternate paths can be unlocked with Star Coins. There are three in each level, usually adding an extra challenge for the player apart from just reaching the goal. Some are in clear sight while others are hidden in warp pipes, up Beanstalks, and other inconspicuous places. On the world map, signs block paths that require five Star Coins to open. After a player defeats Bowser and Bowser Jr. in Bowser's Castle, a new, mysterious blue Toad House will appear just above World 1. It is a market, and for 20 Star Coins, the player can buy a wallpaper for the bottom screen. The fifth and final background is only available after all of the 40 Star Coin Gates have been opened. Mario or Luigi only has to go through six of the eight worlds &mdash; after World 2, the player gets to either of World 3 or World 4, and the world following both of those is World 5. After World 5, the player can get to either World 6 or 7 in the same fashion. Mario or Luigi must defeat the World 2 or World 5 bosses in Mini mode to instead reach World 4 and World 7, respectively.

Another secret is Challenge Mode. This means the player cannot scroll the screen to the left or downward. To unlock it, the player should go to the map screen (any world) and press START, L, R, L, R, X, X, Y, Y. It will also show an arrow pointing right on the world maps and levels touch screen. This means that the player cannot turn back in all the courses (including castles), which adds the feeling of the original game even more.

It is also possible to play as Luigi in single player mode by holding down L+R when selecting a file. There are no gameplay differences between the brothers. The character does not get locked in - players can choose a different character every time they load the game. After the final boss has been beaten, a star appears next to the savegame. When the player has completed all levels, there are two stars next to it. When the player collects all the Star Coins in the game, there will be three stars on the save file.

Worlds

 * World 1
 * World 2
 * World 3
 * World 4
 * World 5
 * World 6
 * World 7
 * World 8

Story Mode

 * Mario - The main playable character.
 * Luigi - Luigi can be unlocked by holding in L + R on the file selection screen. Also appears in multiplayer.
 * Peach - The damsel in distress.
 * Bowser Jr. - The main antagonist.
 * Toadsworth - An ally who appears in Toad Houses.
 * Bowser/Dry Bowser - The other main antagonist.

Mini-games

 * Yoshi - Yoshi appears in some Mini-Games.
 * Wario - Wario also appears in some Mini-Games.
 * Several Toads - Toads appear in the background in some Mini-Games.
 * Bob-omb Buddy - Bob-omb Buddy appears in some Mini-Games.

Mario vs. Luigi
In this two-player mode, Mario and Luigi compete for a number of stars. Those stars will appear at random in the side-scrolling stages. The end of each of those stages is their beginning (basically, the stages are never-ending). When Mario or Luigi are hit by enemies, fall down or hit each other, they lose a star, which can then be again collected by any of the brothers. The first brother to reach the previously set amount of stars wins the game. When a brother has a certain amount of victories, he wins the match. The following stages can be played:


 * Grass Stage - A stage that is much like World 1-1 of the single-player game, a meadow near Peach's Castle. It uses also many elements of World 1-1 form the Classic Super Mario Bros. This stage is a relatively simple stage with only Goombas and not many other enemies to worry about.
 * Underground Stage - an underground stage much like World 1-2 of the single-player game, it has covered with many walls of blocks, and has several holes which may be fallen into. Mario/Luigi should be very careful if they get a Mega Mushroom in this stage, as they can easily crush through the bricks that most of the course is made of.
 * Ice Stage - a slippery stage located in World 5. Bullet Bills are hazards in this stage. There is also a Blue Koopa Troopas in this level; jumping on it will reduce it to being a Blue Shell which can be used.
 * Pipe Stage - a pipe world located in World 7, it contains many Warp Pipes and Piranha Plants.
 * Castle Stage - the most hazardous level, located in World 8. It contains Bob-ombs, and moving walls which can crush a brother to death, among other dangers.

Action

 * Snowball Slalom
 * Lakitu Launch
 * Danger, Bob-omb! Danger!
 * Whack-a-Monty
 * Balloon Racing

Puzzle

 * Wanted!
 * Which Wiggler?
 * Hide and Boo Seek
 * Puzzle Panel
 * Coincentration

Table

 * Memory Match
 * Picture Poker
 * Pair-a-Gone

Variety

 * Mario's Slides
 * Sort or 'Splode
 * Bounce and Trounce
 * Bob-omb Squad
 * Trampoline Time

Trivia

 * Whenever music is played that has a vocal riff "bah", some enemies and power-ups move to the beat. This includes the Overworld, Athletic, Underground, Desert themes. This also happens in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
 * The seven original Koopalings were said to appear in this game, however it was later said it was a mistake. The people conducting the interview may have simply confused Bowser Jr. with the Koopalings. Despite this, they appeared in the sequel, New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
 * If the player defeats the final boss after collecting and spending all the Star Coins, none of the pictures shown in the end credits will say NEW.
 * In New Super Mario Bros., if the player finishes a level with the last 2 numbers of the time limit the same, the player gets the level complete soundtrack from the original Super Mario Bros..
 * During the ending, if the player taps the letters in the credits, they will make sounds from the game, with each letter of the alphabet making a different sound.
 * During Mario World in Dream Figure Skating in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, 3 Backgrounds from this game appear. They are World 1, Bowser's Castle and Peach's Castle. Also, in the Wii version of the game, the same Star-theme plays as from New Super Mario Bros.
 * In previous 2D Mario games, Small Mario couldn't crouch. However in this game, as well as Super Mario World, Small Mario could. Small Mario can also crouch in the sequel.

References to Other Games

 * Super Mario Bros.- There are two unlockable skins for the bottom screen that resemble something of that game. One shows an 8-bit Mario from that game, close-up. The other one is a secret unlockable skin and it features Mario, Luigi and some Goombas all as they appear in this game, they are even in an area similar to the areas in this game. The overworld Multiplayer stage is based on World 1-1. Bowser and Dry Bowser are defeated the exact same way as in the SMB castles - by hitting the Ax/Skull Switch which makes the bridge he's standing on fall into the lava or a bottomless pit, respectively. The latter also applies to the final battle against Bowser and Bowser Jr.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3 - One of the hazards of the Castle multiplayer stage is the moving roof that will crush players upon contact. This seems to be based on the fact that there were moving roofs in some of the SMB3 fortresses/castles. Also, in Boss Battles, the Super Mario Bros. 3 boss music lintens. Also, the Bowser theme from here is heavily remixed into this game. The two games worlds are relatively similar.
 * Super Mario 64- There are several characters from this game reappearing here, such as Dorrie and Sushi.
 * Super Mario 64 DS- The characters reappearing from Super Mario 64 are as they appear in this game.
 * Super Mario World- One of the games in which the final boss theme is heavily remixed into this final boss theme. Grinders don't appear in New Super Mario Bros., but spiked balls appear in the game, having the same function. Items can be held in a level, just like in the aforementioned game. Also, Small Mario can crouch.

References to Later Games

 * Mario Kart Wii - The Mega Mushroom appears as an item. Also, Dry Bowser is a playable character.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl - The Mega Mushroom appears as a sticker. Plus, the main theme is one of the many songs in this game.