New Super Mario Bros. U

New Super Mario Bros. U is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game for the Wii U system. It is the fourteenth installment in the Super Mario series, the ninth installment in the Super Mario Bros. series, and the fourth and latest installment in the New Super Mario Bros. series. Released on November 18, 2012 in North America, November 30th in Europe and Australia, and in Japan on December 8th, it is 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 a home console. Based off the New Super Mario Bros. Mii tech demo shown at E3 2011, the game uses new, more detailed background styles and introduces the Flying Squirrel power-up, acquired by Mario and his friends by an acorn called the Super Acorn.

Story
Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad and Yellow Toad are with Princess Peach in Princess Peach's Castle having dinner together. Bowser suddenly arrives in his Airship, 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. Mario and co. then tumble out of the tree, passing a Bubble Baby Yoshi and Balloon Baby Yoshi, while they're at it, and look into the horizon to see Bowser beginning a seige on Princess Peach's Castle, setting the Mario Bros. and the Toads to go on a new adventure and save Princess Peach.

After reaching Peach's Castle, Mario defeats Bowser and sees Peach in a tower. Before he can save her, she is locked inside. Then Bowser returns, and Mario must use Bowser Jr.'s Koopa Clown Car (stolen by stomping the rider) to trounce him. Bowser eventually is defeated and Bowser Jr. runs away in fright. Mario (or whoever delivered the final blow to Bowser) gets to Peach and bows down to her, he is then kissed on the forehead by her, to Mario's shock but delight. The Koopa Troop leaves and their airship crashes, and Mario and Co. rejoice.

Gameplay Features
The gameplay of New Super Mario Bros. U is very similar to that of past New Super Mario Bros. games, specially New Super Mario Bros. Wii, with the return of the 4-player multiplayer, while most of the elements and design found in the game make a heavy reference to Super Mario World. The new of the game are that players can play as their Miis, including the first player, who can also choose whoever to play as. 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. The player operating Boost Mode can also stun enemies.

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

Worlds
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 with areas named after different foods and drinks, similar to Super Mario World. Like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Worlds include Toad Houses and Enemy Courses that players will encounter in the game. The music changes instruments throughout the world map similar to Yoshi's Island. Though, like the previous games, there are Fortresses, Castles and Ghost House-related levels within each part of the world:


 * World 1: Acorn Plains: A grassy world with plenty of shrubs, slanted mountains, and the Acorn Tree.
 * World 2: Layer-Cake Desert: A desert world with various desserts, such as melting ice creams, giant cakes, and a sea of sand with Moai-like statues.
 * World 3: Sparkling Waters: A tropical world with multiple islands, bubbling water geysers, and a sunken ship. This world can be entirely skipped for Frosted Glacier.
 * World 4: Frosted Glacier: A snowy world that takes place at night filled with stars and constellations. This world can be entirely skipped for Sparkling Waters.
 * World 5: Soda Jungle: A rainforest-esque world similar to the Forest of Illusion, with giant enemies and blocks, similar to Big Island.
 * World 6: Rock-Candy Mines: A mountainous world with tall, pillar like mountains. A cloud train seems to separate this world from the next world.
 * World 7: Meringue Clouds: A sky world resembling the foreground of levels in World 7 from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
 * World 8: Peach's Castle: A grassland area, similar to World 1 from the previous New Super Mario Bros. games, containing mushroom hills and the castle of the princess. It has been taken over by the Koopa Troop and is slowly transformed into Bowser's image until eventually being surrounded by a tornado. By the time the player reaches the castle grounds, it has been transformed into a lava-based area. Princess Peach's castle remains mostly unchanged on the outside (the flags now have Bowser's symbol on them) but on the inside it is similar to Bowser's Castle from previous installments.
 * World 9: Superstar Road: A secret world unlocked after beating Bowser's final battle. Its levels must be unlocked with the Star Coins collected from all the levels of previous worlds.
 * Secret Island: A small area between Acorn Plains and Sparkling Waters that houses a Records Toad House.
 * Coin Courses: A multiplayer exclusive world found in Coin Battle.

Yoshis
Green Yoshis make a return, acting like 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. Green is the only color available for Yoshis that the players ride on, unlike New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Yoshi now has a meter that tracks how many berries he eats. As usual, eating 5 makes him lay an egg containing an item. As it happens in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Green Yoshi is not able to leave the courses he appears in.

New Super Mario Bros. U has differently-coloured Baby Yoshis, each one with a special ability. They differ from the adult Green Yoshi in terms of gameplay. Being babies, they cannot be ridden, so characters must carry them throughout the levels. Baby Yoshis also instantly eat almost any enemy that is in front of them. Unlike in Super Mario World, Baby Yoshis don't grow into adults after eating several enemies. Two types of Baby Yoshis found on the overworld can be taken into any course, with the exception for the Fortresses, Airships and Castles.

Baby Yoshis

 * Bubble Baby Yoshi: Blue Baby Yoshis that blow bubbles from their mouths. Enemies caught in these bubbles will turn into 3 Coins, a Super Acorn or an 1-Up Mushroom. They first appear on the Frosted Glacier map area.
 * Balloon Baby Yoshi: Magenta Baby Yoshis that expand like balloons and gently float in the air. These Baby Yoshis are similar to the Blimp Yoshi power-up, found in Super Mario Galaxy 2. They first appear on the Acorn Plains map area.
 * Glowing Baby Yoshi: Yellow Baby Yoshis that light up dark areas and can stun enemies with their light attack. These Baby Yoshis act similar to the Glow Blocks, found in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and also Bulb Yoshi from Super Mario Galaxy 2. Unlike the other two Baby Yoshis, the Glowing Baby Yoshis are not found on the world map, and are only found in courses such as Perilous Pokey Cave. Instead of following the characters throughout the courses, they give an extra life when reach the end of the levels they appear in.

Inventory
The world map inventory, seen in Super Mario Bros. 3 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, returns in New Super Mario Bros. U. Unlike the other inventories, however, this one is limited to ten items only. Players can gain items into their inventory by playing red Toad House minigames, collecting items on the world map itself, completing an Enemy Course or catching a Nabbit.

Options
As well as the main adventure, there are other options 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 or three selected stages, in a similar way to the Coin Rush feature in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Unlike Coin Rush, the stages scroll automatically, meaning the player has to keep up with the stage, which speeds up every time the player collects coins. Coin Battle from New Super Mario Bros. Wii is also available.

Controls

 * /: Move, Ground Pound (with + or +)
 * //: Jump, glide (hold)
 * //: Run, shoot fireballs/iceballs carry items, run up and down walls (Mini Mario)
 * Shaking the /: Baby Yoshi abilities, Spin Jump.
 * Crouch
 * Create Boost Platforms (in Boost Mode and Boost Rush)

Playable

 * Mario
 * Luigi
 * Yellow Toad
 * Blue Toad
 * Mii (Boost Rush, Challenge, and Coin Battle Modes only)

Bosses

 * Boom Boom (Tower)
 * Boss Sumo Bro. (Tower)
 * Kamek (Tower)
 * Koopalings
 * Lemmy Koopa (Acorn Plains)
 * Morton Koopa Jr. (Layer Cake Desert)
 * Larry Koopa (Sparkling Waters)
 * Wendy O. Koopa (Frosted Glacier)
 * Iggy Koopa (Soda Jungle)
 * Roy Koopa (Rock-Candy Mines)
 * Ludwig von Koopa (Meringue Clouds)
 * Bowser Jr. (Airships)
 * Bowser (Peach's Castle)

Supporting

 * Yoshis
 * Green Yoshis
 * Baby Yoshis
 * Balloon Baby Yoshis
 * Bubble Baby Yoshis
 * Glowing Baby Yoshis
 * Princess Peach
 * Toad

Reception
New Super Mario Bros. U has received mostly positive reviews. GameXplain gave the single-player and multi-player modes 4 stars out of 5, IGN gave it a score of 9.1 out of 10 , EGM gave a score of 9/10, Joystiq gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 , Polygon and Destructoid gave the same score of 8.5/10, VentureBeat gave it a score of 83/100 (83%), Games Radar gave it 4 stars out of 5 , and Gamespot gave a score of 8.5.

The game has been praised for its balanced gameplay and challenge mode, with IGN's Rich George describing it as "The best thing to come to Mario's world since 3D", while criticizing it as not pushing the Wii U's visuals and audio potential.

References to Other Games

 * Super Mario Bros.: In the final battle with Bowser, when Mario hits the switch, it causes an axe to fall and break the bridge.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2 Players can pick up things and move around with them similar to how you can move and carry vegetables in this game.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Piranhacus Gigantici return in Soda Jungle, which is based off World 4 in this game. Also, enemies like Fire Snakes, Parabeetles, and Spiny Cheep-Cheeps are from this game. Morton and Ludwig are fought in the same number world again (and in the case of Morton, the same world environment), as well as Boom-Booms being fought as the mid-boss of each world. The Super Acorn is comparable to the Super Leaf because it has a P-variation. The airship levels originated from this game, as well as Note Blocks. The Koopalings, which originated from this game, have airships once again.
 * Super Mario World: Sumo Bros., Thwimps, Torpedo Teds, and Bony Beetles return. When Mario reaches the haunted part of Soda Jungle, the screen fades into the submap similar to how it fades in and out in this game. Also, the Baby Yoshis return. Also, the world map is connected again and a ghost ship, similar to the Sunken Ghost Ship level, appears in this game. Also, most of the worlds are named after food again. Some of the world's features are similar to those found in Dinosaur Land (e.g. Acorn Plains having jagged mountains or Soda Jungle being one-third based on the Forest of Illusion).
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: Magmaws, although they originated from Super Mario Galaxy 2, behave just the same as the Blarggs in this game, movement-wise and speed-wise. Yoshi's flutter jump returns too. Red Coins originated from this game, although they were a beta element from Super Mario World.
 * Super Mario 64: Amps originated from this game.
 * Paper Mario: Mega Grrrols resembles Spiny Tromps. Peach is also a prisoner in her own castle.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: Bowser Jr. originated from this game.
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Grrrols and Mega Grrrols have similar faces to Bristles.
 * Mario Party 5: The Big Amps first appeared in this game
 * New Super Mario Bros.: Flipruses behave similarly to Snow Spikes, Broozers return.
 * Super Paper Mario: Grrrols Resembles Spiky Tromps.
 * Super Mario Galaxy: Missile Torpedo Teds behave similarly to the Torpedo Teds in this game.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: A direct sequel to this game. Many enemies and gimmicks return. Also, most of the music and sounds are ported. Soda Jungle is one-third based on World 5 from this game.
 * Super Mario Galaxy 2: Magmaarghs and Magmaws return.
 * Super Mario 3D Land: Boom Boom's voices are reused, as well as the motion patterns of some of the enemies. Also, the Acorn Tree is similar to the Tail Tree because both items produce similar power-ups. Also, Ball 'n' Chains swing in a pendulum-like manner again.
 * New Super Mario Bros. 2: The Note Block makes the same sound in this game, except the sound's pitch only changes once the music changes. P-Acorn Mario, while flying, also makes the same sound as when the P-Meter (when Mario is Raccoon Mario) is full.
 * Paper Mario: Sticker Star: The Ghost House doors use the design from The Enigmansion in this game rather than the one from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The Bony Beetle's design is reused. Also, Bowser Jr. uses the same glass dome in his clown copter as in this game. The Big Buzzy Beetles originated from this game, although they were a beta element from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Trivia

 * 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 have yellow shirts and purple overalls, similar to Wario. If P4, they wear blue shirts and dark blue overalls, similar to Luigi's light blue alternate costume from the Super Smash Bros. series.
 * When the player grabs a Baby Yoshi, an additional choir is added to the music. Additionally, the Baby Yoshi will mouth to the choir.
 * When the Mario Bros., Toads, or Miis are not moving, they stop and stare at the screen until the player starts moving them again.
 * It is the first New Super Mario Bros. game where playable characters start out the first level far away of Princess Peach's Castle.
 * If one counts Secret Island and Coin Courses, New Super Mario Bros. U has the most areas/worlds in the New Super Mario Bros. series, at eleven worlds, and the most courses, at ninety-one courses..