New Super Mario Bros. U

New Super Mario Bros. U is an upcoming side-scrolling 2.5D platform game for the Wii U. It will be the fourteenth title in the main Super Mario series, the ninth installment in the Super Mario Bros. series, and the fourth installment in the New Super Mario Bros. series. It is based off the New Super Mario Bros. Mii tech demo shown at E3 2011. It will be the first Mario platformer game since Super Mario 64 (as well as the first 2D platformer since Super Mario World), to be released as a launch title for the home console. The game uses new, more detailed background styles, many of them resembling paintings, and its theme is most likely flying squirrels. The game introduces the Flying Squirrel power-up, acquired by Mario and his friends by an mushroom-like acorn called the Super Acorn.

Story
Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad and Yellow Toad are in Princess Peach's Castle having lunch together. Bowser suddenly arrives in his Airship, now with a giant mechanical fist, that smashes and launches the brothers and the Toads towards the Acorn Plains. Mario and his friends crash into the Acorn Tree, launching Super Acorns through the area. Bowser then takes over Princess Peach's Castle again, setting the Mario Bros. and the Toads to go on a new adventure and save Princess Peach once more.

Gameplay Features
The gameplay of New Super Mario Bros. U is very similar to that of past New Super Mario Bros. games, mostly similar to Super Mario World, with similar features and designs, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, with the return of the 4-player multiplayer. Though this time, players can play as their Miis, including the first player, who can also choose whoever to play as, which was a opinion that New Super Mario Bros. Wii lacked. A fifth player can join as well, though he/she will use the Wii U Gamepad to assist the players, in a mode known as Boost Mode. This mode allows the fifth player to create temporarily blocks to either assist or annoy the other players, simply by touching the Gamepad screen. He/she can also stun enemies when using Boost Mode.

Power-ups, like the Fire Flower, Ice Flower and the Mini Mushroom, are returning. The game also features a new power-up, the Super Acorn, which gives Mario and co a Flying Squirrel Suit, which lets them glide and grab on to walls.

World Map Sections
Unlike previous New Super Mario Bros. titles, where the worlds were separated like in Super Mario Bros. 3, New Super Mario Bros. U has a seamless world map, similar to Super Mario World. Though, like the previous games, there are different themes for each section of the map:
 * World 1 - Acorn Plains: A grassland setting with lots of shrubs, slanted mountains, like in Super Mario World, and the game's main feature, the Acorn Tree.
 * World 2 - Layer Cake Desert: A desert world with varoius desserts, such as melting ice creams, and sea of sand with Moai statues.
 * World 3 - Frosted Glacier: A snowy world that takes place at night filled with constellations.
 * Sparkling Waters: A tropical world with multiple islands and bubbling water geysers. This world is possibly the 4th in the game.
 * A rainforest-esque world similar to the Forest of Illusion, with giant enemies and blocks, similar to Big Island.
 * A mountainous world with tall, pillar like mountains.
 * A possible Sky world surrounded by tornado.

Yoshis
Green Yoshis make a return, acting much the same as in New Super Mario Bros Wii. Baby Yoshis also return, which haven't been seen in a Mario platformer since their Super Mario World debut.

Baby Yoshis

 * Bubble Baby Yoshi: Blue Baby Yoshis that release bubbles from their mouths. Enemies caught in these bubbles will turn into 3 Coins. They appear on the Frosted Glacier map area.
 * Balloon Baby Yoshi: Magneta Baby Yoshis that expand like a balloon and gently float in the air. These Baby Yoshis are similar to the Blimp Yoshi power-up, found in Super Mario Galaxy 2. They appear on the Acorn Plains map area.
 * Bulb Baby Yoshi: Yellow Baby Yoshis that light up dark areas and can stun emenies. These Baby Yoshis act similar to the Glow Blocks, found in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

As well as the main adventure, their are other opinions to choose from. There is Challenge Mode, where players have to complete a objective, with some having a time limit. Another mode is Boost Rush Mode, where players have to reach the end of two to three selected stages, much like the Coin Rush feature in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Unlike Coin Rush, the stages are auto-scrolling, meaning the player has to keep up with the stage, which speedens up every time the player collects coins. Coin Battle from New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be returning.

Playable Characters

 * Mario
 * Luigi
 * Yellow Toad
 * Blue Toad
 * Mii

Transformations

 * Small Mario
 * Super Mario
 * Fire Mario
 * Ice Mario
 * Flying Squirrel Mario
 * Mini Mario
 * Invincible Mario

Other Characters

 * Yoshis (Green)
 * Baby Yoshis
 * Balloon Baby Yoshis
 * Bubble Baby Yoshis
 * Bulb Baby Yoshis
 * Princess Peach
 * Toad

Enemies

 * Goombas
 * Paragoombas
 * Grand Goombas
 * Mega Goombas
 * Goombas that resemble acorns.
 * Koopa Troopas
 * Koopa Paratroopas
 * Gargantua Koopa Troopas
 * Dry Bones
 * Piranha Plants
 * Super Piranha Plants
 * Venus Fire Traps
 * Hammer Bros.
 * Fire Bros.
 * Boos
 * Circling Boo Buddies
 * Fire Snakes
 * Munchers
 * Flying Squirrels
 * White eel enemies
 * Urchins
 * Mega Urchins
 * Chain Chomps
 * Huckit Crabs
 * Pokeys
 * Bill Blasters
 * Bullet Bills
 * Monty Moles
 * Rocket Engines
 * Torpedo Teds
 * Skull Boxes
 * Buzzy Beetles
 * Cheep-Cheeps
 * Bloopers
 * Cooligans
 * Bony Beetles
 * Stone Spikes
 * Fishbones
 * Fuzzies
 * Golden Cheep-Cheeps
 * Thwomps
 * Thwimps

Bosses

 * Boom Boom (Fortress)
 * Koopalings
 * Lemmy Koopa (Acorn Plains)
 * Morton Koopa Jr. (Layer Cake Desert)
 * Wendy O. Koopa (Frosted Glacier)
 * Larry Koopa (Sparkling Waters)
 * Iggy Koopa
 * Roy Koopa (Mountain World)
 * Ludwig von Koopa
 * Bowser Jr.
 * Bowser

Items

 * Super Mushrooms
 * Mini Mushrooms
 * Fire Flowers
 * Ice Flowers
 * Super Acorns
 * 1-Up Mushrooms
 * 3-Up Moons
 * 3-Up Moon Blocks
 * Question Blocks
 * Giant Question Blocks
 * Brick Blocks
 * Coin Blocks
 * Giant Brick Blocks
 * Note Blocks
 * POW Blocks
 * Coins
 * Star Coins
 * Red Coins
 * Red Rings
 * Flying Question Blocks
 * Warp Pipe
 * Yoshi Egg
 * Beanstalk
 * Checkpoint Flag
 * Starman
 * Boost Blocks (Boost Mode only)
 * Green Rings
 * Spinning Green Coins
 * P-Switches
 * Blue Coins
 * Goal Flagpole
 * Water Geysers
 * Berries

Levels

 * Acorn Plains-1/World 1-1: A simple grassy level with squirrel enemies, Goombas, Koopa Troopas and Piranha Plants. The Acorn Tree, slanted mountains, and Princess Peach's Castle can be seen in the background. It is the first stage of the Easy Pack.
 * An underground sub-level with coins and the first Star Coin.
 * A sub-level with colored wooden blocks and many flying squirrel enemies.
 * Course 2: A level in the sky with Mushroom platforms, acorn-like Goombas and magenta coloured Baby Yoshis. It is the first stage in the Acrobat Pack.
 * A sub-level with a large mountain the the background, mushroom platforms and blue-colored Baby Yoshis.
 * Course 3: A nightime snowy level with star platforms, Munchers, with mountains and trees in the background. It is the first stage of the Flying Squirrel Pack.
 * Acorn Plains Castle: A castle level with rocking platforms hung by chains and suspended over lava. The boss is Lemmy Koopa. It is the last stage of the Flying Squirrel Pack.
 * A snow level with Bubble Baby Yoshi, presumably the first course of Frosted Glacier.
 * Frosted Glacier Castle: A castle with moving girders and many Thwomps. The level includes Thwimps and the boss is Wendy O. Koopa. It is the last stage in the Acrobat Pack.
 * Sparkling Waters Castle: A castle with Larry Koopa as the boss.
 * A rainforest level with Mega Goombas, Goombas, a Gargantua Koopa Troopa and large Brick Blocks.
 * An underwater level with a white eel.
 * A haunted level with Poisonous Water, slanted Warp Pipes, Boos and Circling Boo Buddies. Its background resembles Vincent van Gogh's painting style (most especially "The Starry Night"), and a picture of Bowser in this art style can be seen in the background.
 * An underground desert level with Fire Bros. and Fire Snakes and yellow shiny Baby Yoshis.
 * A level with a waterfall in the background and an enourmous vine.
 * A level with Pokeys and shifting sand.
 * An ocean stage with water geysers and Huckit Crabs.
 * A Fortress.
 * An underground stage with crystal platforms.
 * A castle level with fences.
 * An underground level with tilted Pipes.
 * A mountain level with a Chain Chomp and tilted platforms.
 * A snow level with ice floors and starry background.
 * A Ghost House level that resemble a Sunken Ship.
 * A desert level with Moai Heads and large cakes in the background. It is the last stage of the Easy Pack.
 * A castle with bolt platforms and Bony Beetles.
 * A sky level with moving platforms, mushrooms and Stone Spikes. It is the second stage of the Acrobat Pack.
 * Princess Peach's Castle

Other

 * Toad Houses
 * Enemy Courses

Trivia

 * When the player's character is not moving, the character looks at the screen.
 * If the Miis are selected as P1, they will be colored like Mario. If P2, they will be colored like Luigi. If P3, they will be colored like Wario. If P4, they will be colored like Luigi's light-blue palette swap in the Super Smash Bros. series and Player 4 in the remakes of Mario Bros..