New Super Mario Bros. 2

Japan Nintendo EAD (Development)
Japan SRD (programming)

Yusuke Amano (Director)
Hiroyuki Kimura, Takashi Tezuka ( producer )
Shigeru Miyamoto (general producer)

Japan July 28, 2012
Europe August 17, 2012
Australia August 18, 2012
United States August 19, 2012
Hong Kong June 21, 2013

New Super Mario Bros. 2 (short NSMB2; jap Newスーパーマリオブラザーズ2, NYU Supa Mario Burazāzu TSU ) is a jump 'n' run game in side view, derived from the Japanese game consoles manufacturer Nintendo. In Japan it was released on 28 July 2012 for the 3DS handheld; little later started selling in Europe and North America, where the game was the first in Nintendo's history is also available as a download. Another new feature in Nintendo's games repertoire is the ability to download additional content free of charge and so expand the game. For the development of the title, the internal studio Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development, headed by Yusuke Amano responsible.

As in the previous games of the Super Mario series the player takes New Super Mario Bros. 2 in the role of the plumber Mario who wants to save the kidnapped princess Peach from the clutches of a villain and has thereby made all sorts of adventures. The gameplay is based heavily on that of the predecessor New Super Mario Bros.

The gameplay, the design of the game sections, the control and the technical implementation met with reviewers worldwide mostly a positive reception. Negative criticism, however, the lack of new, more strongly contrasting from the previous game content was. With nearly 6.5 million by March 2013 sold copies is one of the most successful games for the 3DS handheld. Just three months after the game's release the successor to New Super Mario Bros. U ( Wii U, 2012) came on the market.

3.1 Start of project
3.2 conception
3.3 Ton

4.1 Announcements
4.2 release
4.3 Additional content
4.4 Sales figures

5.1 reviews
5.2 Münzthematik
5.3 rating levels
5.4 Awards
5.5 Comparison with the predecessors
5.6 statements on publication policy

Classification in the Super Mario series

The first games of the Super Mario Bros. by (NES, 1985) justified Super Mario series were side-scrolling 2D jump 'n' runs, after the release of Super Mario 64 ( N64, 1996) by three-dimensional, polygonal based games were displaced. New branch of the Super Mario series were henceforth exclusively 3D Jump 'n' runs.

It was not until ten years later returned with Nintendo New Super Mario Bros. (DS, 2006) back to the originating number. Due to the commercial success established in the following years, the 2D Super Mario games as a by- row parallel to the 3D games. So the successor to New Super Mario Bros. Wii ( Wii, 2009) came on the market. Three years later, brought out Nintendo New Super Mario Bros. 2, which sees itself as a direct successor to the DS offshoot. In terms of the chronology of the Super Mario series, the 3D game Super Mario 3D Land is ( 3DS, 2011) to be regarded as a direct ancestor. About three months after the launch of NSMB2 Nintendo released the successor to New Super Mario Bros. U ( Wii U, 2012).

Game Description

Back story

Shortly after the plumber brothers Mario and Luigi have adopted from Princess Peach in her castle, they are surprised by the well-known as " Koopalinge " seven children of the evil Bowser. As it turns out, that they have kidnapped Peach and make her up and away, Mario and Luigi take on the pursuit of Koopalinge through six worlds. In each world to defeat each one of them. Since each of the next Koopaling further delay the princess, they do not succeed at first, to free Peach. In the last world, the brothers embark on Bowser's Castle. After a long battle with Bowser, they manage to defeat the lizard- like creatures and save the princess and bring home to the castle.

Gameplay

The basic gameplay of New Super Mario Bros. 2 is identical to that of its predecessor: the game character Mario is shown from the third-person perspective from the side and, optionally, maneuvered with the Control Pad or Circle Pad 3DS through a level full of enemies and obstacles. The action buttons on the player Mario can jump, run, or run other actions. A major difference to the predecessor is the level design, which allows the player time to collect many coins especially. The main objective of the game is indeed in it, unlock the level up to the final boss to defeat this and so complete the action, but mainly emphasized in the marketing game secondary objective foresees to collect one million coins. In order to achieve this sum, the manufacturer introduced new beneficial objects ( " power-ups " ) a such as the Gold Flower, which allows the character to transform enemies into coins, or gold mushrooms, corresponding to the value of 50 coins.

The level in New Super Mario Bros. 2 are linear and pass mostly horizontally from left to right; some level, however, are vertically oriented and extend from bottom to top. Level will be selected on a world map, which way also has a few of derogation. Reached the end of a level, the game character, which is marked by either a flag or a target boss fight, the player turns the following on the world map level free. In each of the more than 80 levels of game three big star coins are hidden, which you can collect to unlock alternate routes on the map or more levels.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 also offers a two-player mode where a second player with their own 3DS system and game module in the local co-op mode can play in the role of Mario's brother Luigi. Are unlike the predecessor, there are no separate level for this mode, instead, the same as played from the single player mode. It is up to the players whether they help each other or play against each other. The screen detail oriented in this mode, the player who is ahead.

There are also in the game the " Münzrausch " mode, need to be addressed in the three randomly selected, already unlocked levels with only one attempt on time. The goal of the " Münzrausch " mode is to collect as many coins as possible and expose the character as possible any danger. The personal high score can be exchanged via StreetPass with other game owners.

Graphics and technology

The Graphic Design of New Super Mario Bros. 2 corresponds to the predecessor and offers a colorful, cartoon -like style. A characteristic feature is the use of primary colors. A special feature of the graphics of the game is that the game content is two-dimensional and viewed from the side. From a technical perspective, there are three-dimensional, modeled using polygons elements. This representation of three-dimensional objects based on a rigid side view is called a 2 ½ D perspective. The camera follows the character at a specified distance and scroll down further if the character moves, so always as centrally as possible is this in the picture. The backgrounds are represented in different depth planes that create a spatial effect by slowly with increasing distance from the character scroll ( cf. motion parallax ).

On the upper of the two screens of the 3DS Super Mario Bros. 2, the level inclusive of all backgrounds, objects, characters and UI elements appear as coin number and remaining time in New, while the bottom screen displays information such as the number of points and coins. The top screen also allows an optional auto-stereoscopic depth effect with which the game is compatible. If the 3D effect is turned on, the characters and objects in the foreground appear slightly spatially, while the backgrounds seem to wander into the depths and be soft. The bottom screen is a touchscreen, whose functionality is used for menu and item choices in New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Development

New Super Mario Bros. 2 was the Software Development Department no. 4 of the studios Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development ( EAD) developed. The album was produced to the department head Hiroyuki Kimura and the EAD Manager Takashi Tezuka. The previous NSMB games had already been developed by EAD 4. As a general producer Shigeru Miyamoto was used, which has established together with Tezuka the Mario series and the EEAS manages. Yusuke Amano served as development manager for New Super Mario Bros. 2 and were thus made his debut as director of a video game. The programming brought about the external, cooperating with the EAD Company Systems Research & Development (SRD ).

On the game development and Nintendo employees outside the EEAS were involved, who were trained for this purpose to level designers. The design of the Level began before the game underlying concept was clear. This approach is the opposite of the conventional development method of video games.

Start of project

Since Tezuka looks at the level design as a core element of the Super Mario series and wanted to train Nintendo employees outside of the development team in it, he formed an internally as " Mario crammer " designated initiative. This was attended by a " student " employees of other EAD Group and the Department Nintendo Software Planning & Development (SPD). Except Tezuka also the longtime Mario programmers Toshihiko Nakago was involved.

A participant of the " Mario - crammer " was Yusuke Amano. He worked as coordinator of Star Fox 64 3D ( 3DS, 2011) and could be one of the game designers of New Super Mario Bros. Wii already have experience with developing a Super Mario game. Tezuka offered him the director post for a new 2D Super Mario for the 3DS handheld.

The level designers that have been assigned Amano's project were the development of the series so far not been or had been only barely involved. The series experienced developers were working at that time within the same department at New Super Mario Bros. U. This allowed the studio, two new NSMB games simultaneously, but to produce independently. Besides Amano as Director and other participants at the " Mario - crammer " the development team of New Super Mario Bros. 2 and initially comprised only Tezuka and Nakago who were involved in an advisory capacity. Only in the second half of 2011 came to the team with Masaaki Ishikawa to a graphic designer. Ishikawa was thanks to his participation in Mario Kart 7 ( 3DS, 2011) already have experience with developing for the 3DS handheld and held in the new project the position of the graphics controller. Later, the project met with more previous designer of Mario Kart 7. Furthermore, two graphic designers were added from the Tokyo branch of the EEAS, the Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS have been involved previously and who were instrumental in the 3D effect of the new project.

Conception

Amano plans foresaw a video game that should motivate the players to play in the long term and prepare him while having fun. Looking for a game element that should make this possible, was an early concept of " Münzrausch " mode, in which three levels should be completed in sequence without error. However, this early idea made not for the desired motivation in the eyes of the development team.

Towards the end of 2011 took Amano an item from Super Mario 3D Land, automatically the more coins obtained by the Mario, the faster it runs. This concept has received a positive response, so that the team devised more ideas with coins at the center. Thus the Münzthematik of the new game emerged. To let collect one million coins the player and motivate its long-term, was a proposal Tezuka. Thus, the player could actually achieve this goal, a reorganization of the level was needed. At that time, as the title of the game New Super Mario Bros. Gold in conversation.

Since the player would have been still far away even after multiple play through all levels of a million of collected coins, the team transferred the coin collecting idea on the previously devised new game mode and so extended the early concept of " Münzrausch " mode to the possibility of extremely collect many coins. Thus, the player would be able to actually reach the million coins goal and would build motivation for the " Münzrausch " mode.

The two-player mode was a further proposal of Tezuka. Since the required for planning, programming and design of such a mode more effort would have meant a delay in the completion date, the team's idea was initially hostile towards. There were feared technical problems, but could out of the way a prototype. Therefore, the team decided finally for the two-player mode. For this purpose, Luigi was included as the second character in the project and that the level designers the game sections to such that they lend themselves well for a cooperative game between two players.

Sound

The music of the game that started the Japanese video game composer Yuki Tsuji and Natsuko Yokoyama under the supervision of Mario Kart composer Kenta Nagata via sound synthesis, consists largely of remixes of tracks from New Super Mario Bros. As with the previous games dance opponents and items in sync with certain musical elements and if the time available for completing a level threatens to expire, the tempo of music is increased.

The voice of New Super Mario Bros. 2 is limited to exclamations and interjections, because in the game there is no dialogue between characters. Charles Martinet Mario and Luigi lent his voice. Princess Peach and Toad were synchronized by Samantha Kelly, while Kenny James Bowser lent his voice.

Announcements and publication

Announcements

In November 2010, Shigeru Miyamoto announced in an interview that both a 3D and a 2D spin-off of the Super Mario series for the 3DS in the development befänden. The 2D game Miyamoto mentioned again in February 2011: " [G ] anz in the sense of tradition, new technologies, Super Mario Bros. ' to use, we make one now, Super Mario Bros. " game for the Nintendo 3DS. [ ... ] I want the whole world as soon as possible to show how the new Super Mario Bros. 'on Nintendo DS [ sic] will look like. " In an investor conference on 26 January 2012, the Group President Satoru Iwata gave known that Nintendo is working on a new 2D Mario spin-off for 3DS, set to the 2012 financial year ( March 2012-March 2013 ) and appear to be one of the most important 3DS games for this period.

During an edition of the webshow "Nintendo Direct" Iwata unveiled the game on April 20, 2012 under the title New Super Mario Bros. 2 and placed first screenshots before. As a rough global publication period August 2012 was called. A week later confirmed Iwata that the game will be available both commercially and as a download from the Nintendo eShop.

On the E ³ on 5 June 2012 Nintendo introduced before the first trailer for New Super Mario Bros. 2 and announced the release date for America. Visitors had the opportunity to test a demo of the game.

Publication

Nintendo released New Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan on July 28, 2012; on the same day came the 3DS XL on the market, a hardware revision of the 3DS. On August 17, the game in Europe, brought out by the branch Nintendo of Europe, and the following day in Australia appeared. In North America, Nintendo of America brought the game on August 19 on the market. In all these regions the game from the first day of sales was acquirable to both the trade and in the eShop. It was the first full price game from Nintendo with this distribution method. In Japan, the rush to the download version of the game on the first day of sales was so great that the server of the e-shops collapsed briefly. In South Korea, New Super Mario Bros. 2 came on 6 December 2012, and in Hong Kong out on 21 June 2013.

Nintendo marketed New Super Mario Bros. 2, among other things through commercials with the Spanish actresses Penélope and Mónica Cruz. On 15 November 2012, a bundle was released in Japan consisting of a 3DS XL Mario in special design and a download copy of New Super Mario Bros. 2

Additional content

Since the game director Yusuke Amano 4 already purchasable additional level for the new edition of Super Mario Advance: had Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA, 2003) designed, the team decided, chargeable additional content for download ( " Downloadable Content " DLC for short ) in New Super Mario Bros. take 2. In June 2012, the manufacturer announced similar plans officially. It was one of the first Nintendo games with DLC. Since some manufacturers to maximize profits already in the final game contents contained only unlock an additional cash payments, DLC is considered controversial. The production manager of New Super Mario Bros. 2, however reaffirmed to start with the development of the DLC after the game's release, taking into account feedback from customers.

From October to December 2012, Nintendo released a total of ten per DLC available the in-game store level packs, each of which comprises three levels and can be played in " Münzrausch " mode.

Sales

According to the market research firm Enterbrain New Super Mario Bros. has sold 430,185 times in its first week on sale in Japan 2. Here, the digital sales are not included. Already after four weeks in Japanese trading the game could crack the million mark. With a total of 1.8 million units in Japan, it was the third best-selling of 2012.

In North America, New Super Mario Bros. 2 was sold 240,000 times within the first five days on the market according to the manufacturer. It became the second best-selling game in North America in August 2012. By September 2013, the sales increased to around 1.85 million copies.

In the video game charts published by Media Control Germany for New Super Mario Bros. 2 occupied after its launch five weeks the first place. The game proved to be evergreen Title: Still the end of February, 2013, ie half a year after its release, it was in the fourth position of the German national charts. In the UK, the game New Super Mario Bros. sold in the first week of sales in comparison to the market introduction of the precursor over 30 % more often. In Ireland, the game debuted at # 1 on the charts games, as well as in the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Finland. In Denmark, however, the game finished in the first week of the second chart area. In the first half of 2013, New Super Mario Bros. 2 sold throughout Europe about 434,000 times. In a statement issued by GamesMarkt List of best-selling games in this period it was in 18th place and generated an estimated revenue of € 18 million.

In North America, New Super Mario Bros. 2 was usually purchased as a download than in Japan, where only five percent of the customers bought the game in the eShop. Even lower was the digital sales quota in Europe and Australia.

The following table provides an overview of global delivery figures, divided in Japan and overseas (North America, Europe and other markets). The data was derived from official Nintendo financial reports. Digital sales are included.

Reception

Reviews

The editor Keza MacDonald referred to in her review for the video game website IGN, the gameplay and the level design of New Super Mario Bros. 2 as perfect. " Pleasant and effortless " ( ' pleasurable and effortless ') could not play a 2D Jump 'n' Run. Therefore, if it were the best 3DS game of this genre. MacDonald considered disappointing the short playing time and the fact that the game hardly offer innovations. They also criticized the 3D effect, because it does not 3D Land affecting productive as in Super Mario on the gameplay, but instead verundeutliche the background artwork. This circumstance producing the impression that the game was not well matched to the 3DS handheld. Control of the game lifted MacDonald, however, positive out: " It is such a pleasure to control Mario, that he sometimes like the extension of the idea [ of the player ] feels '(' Mario is seeking a joy to control did he sometimes feels like to extension of your thoughts. '). The difficulty downgraded the journalist as something too low and assessed the two-player mode as not optimal. The " Münzrausch " mode increases the replay value of the game.

Oli Welsh from the website Euro Gamer dubbed New Super Mario Bros. 2 in his review as " old dog, showing off old tricks " ( ' an old dog old tricks doing '). Nevertheless, the game was of high quality; especially the level design lifted Welsh emerged as challenging and less repetitive. Although the difficulty level was lower than in previous series spin-offs, but there are more and more hidden secrets that contributed greatly to the motivation. He complained that high scores can not be compared online.

Even reviewers from publications such as The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Forbes Magazine and Der Spiegel called the game very funny and praised the precise technical implementation. Nevertheless, the publications complained that the game contains hardly any new features. Carsten Görig from the mirror also recognized a contradiction in the title of the game: Although the " New " (German: "New" ) suggests a new game, the " 2 " indicates that there is indeed a successor. Accepted David M. Ewalt of Forbes that the game Concerning operative over a few innovation - crucial for him was the game, which offers the game. Steve Boxer from the Guardian praised the attention to detail, the graphics and level design.

Münzthematik

Jeremy Parish from the online portal 1UP wrote that New Super Mario Bros. 2 in a state between " mindless Nintendo, which perceive a lot of people " ( 'the insipid Nintendo many people perceive ') and " the self-confident Nintendo" ( 'the self- aware Nintendo ') located. Thus Parish characterizes the design of the game both as a predictable and little experiment, on the other hand " as an act of self-irony ." The latter show in the Münzthematik: still a rare goods in the early Super Mario games coins, this dive in newer copies on so frequently that they hardly are for the more experienced players are still of value. New Super Mario Bros. 2 perceive this, but do not try to fix the problem. Instead, lift up the coin collecting to the final destination and implying in consequence of an even larger number of coins. Nevertheless assumed Parish, the coins that the player will not consider in this game as meaningless - even though these are not of direct relevance to it, the player is striving to collect as many coins as possible. This was reflected in the level design resists: Coins are often hidden in hard to reach places in the game and enticed the player to take on additional risks upon themselves to collect them.

Euro gamers complained that Münzkonzept was only a partially successful attempt to reestablish Super Mario as a power of scores, game. The concept was indeed fun, but offers only vague rewards.

Rating levels

The website Metacritic calculated the average rating of movies and video games. For New Super Mario Bros. 2 is read, the so-called Metascore, 78 out of 100 points based on 70 reviews registered. In the GameRankings website based on 46 ratings Rating worldwide average is 78.40 % (as of January 2014). The following table provides an overview of assessments which have given various publications of the game:

Awards

A selection of awards for New Super Mario Bros. 2 was nominated, and placements in top lists:

Spike Video Game Awards 2012: Best Handheld / Mobile Game ( nominated )
IGN Best of 2012: Best 3DS/DS Multiplayer Game ( nominated )
Children's software Price TOMMI 2012: 2nd place
Place 10 of the Best Nintendo 3DS games of IGN (2012 )
# 7 on the top 25 3DS games of IGN (2013 )
Place 267 of the best Nintendo games of all time by Nintendo Power

Compared with its predecessors,

In the reception to New Super Mario Bros. 2, the similarity of the game to its predecessors, was a central theme in terms of gameplay, graphics and music style.

Shortly after the unveiling of the first screenshots for the game wrote Tony Ponce from the website Destructoid an article entitled ' Why does New Super Mario Bros. 2 look so bland? ' ( " Why does New Super Mario Bros. 2 as fade out ?") in which he summarized the aesthetics of the 2D Super Mario games. Ihmzufolge bordered originally almost every new 2D Super Mario optically strongly of his predecessor from. The graphic style of New Super Mario Bros., which was based on the old 2D offshoot, had been at the time of its publication as a nostalgic homage to the old games justifiable. However, the identical aesthetics also have New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and finally New Super Mario Bros. 2. This indicated Ponce as a sign that Nintendo have lost the ambition in the development of the 2D Super Mario games.

The Edge magazine criticized following the publication of NSMB2 that the main game apart from the Münzthematik and the 3D effect from tried and true game elements together set. The game take over the elements of its predecessor, which contributed greatly to their success - Level Design, the 2 ½ D graphics style and the game concept. In addition, the world sequence in all New Super Mario Bros. titles is identical. The problem was exacerbated by the game concept, the less set different from the 3D Super Mario games on exploration, while the varied and individual in every game design of the game sections should be assessed positively. New Super Mario Bros. had to thank for its success mainly of nostalgia, and the successor to now make the mistake of wanting to do this again. The Super Mario series is in itself marked by steady progress; the sub- series New Super Mario Bros. on the other hand stride on the spot.

Chris Kohler, video game journalist and founder of the portal Wired Game Life, wrote, Nintendo has introduced the " Münzrausch " mode to offer fans of the series something new. The great similarity to the game predecessors Kohler holds for a deliberate strategy on the part of Nintendo, which is founded in the great commercial success - the first two parts of New Super Mario Bros. made each more than twice as many units sold as Super Mario Galaxy ( Wii, 2007 ). Therefore Kohler sees the reason for the development and release of New Super Mario Bros. 2 does not bring out another so-called system -sellers for the 3DS about the will of the developers, but in Nintendo's urge.

Represented Phil Kollar from the website polygon a moderate position:

" Ultimately did failure to feel as fresh as Super Mario 3D Land is going to define New Super Mario Bros. 2 for many people, but it hides deeper treasures For Those willing to look past the familiarity. Even if it does not pay off in the end, Mario's gold rush Erlend's the level design a unified focus. It Allows Nintendo to experiment and develop tricks we have not seen before, tweaks did expand on the language of a 2D Mario game in worthwhile ways. "

" New Super Mario Bros. 2 will define for many people the fact that it is not as fresh as Super Mario 3D Land feels. It includes, however, hidden treasures for those who are willing to overlook these similarities [ to the predecessors ]. Even if it ultimately does not pay off, gives Mario Gold Rush the level design a unified focus. It allows Nintendo to experiment and develop tricks that did not exist before; Adaptations that enhance the way a 2D Mario in rewarding ways. "

In an interview with Gamespot, the producer Takashi Tezuka replied to the question whether the similarity to its predecessors was a design decision:

"It's intentional. That similarity in the visual style and the control style is all intentional. The things we feel like we've already promised the gamer is did Peach wants to be kidnapped by Bowser, and Mario will move from left to right. We know that's what people are expecting! [ ... ] We know thatthere are all types of Mario games [ ... ]. So for us, with the New Super Mario Bros. series, we do not really need to mess with it. This is what people want. "

" This is intentional. This similarity in the visual and in the control style is intentional. We believe that we have the players already promised things, for example, that Peach is kidnapped by Bowser and always that Mario always moves from left to right. We know that people expect that! [ ... ] We know that there are all kinds of Mario games [ ... ]. For us, that is to say that we do not really need to mess up the New Super Mario Bros. series. That is what the people want. "

Statements for publication policy

Audrey Drake from IGN noted that between late 2011 and the end of 2012 six different Mario games are published. Because it included titles such as Mario Tennis Open ( 3DS, 2012) and Paper Mario: Sticker Star ( 3DS, 2012) belong to other game franchises and therefore offer different gaming experiences, but this was not a big problem, Drake wrote. In New Super Mario Bros. 2, however, this was not true, because it plays just like its predecessor. 'll Boosts the problem at Nintendo's publishing strategy by the fact that already came out three months after the release of the successor to New Super Mario Bros. U, which is also based on the same formula.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata justified the publication strategy of the New Super Mario Bros. games so that you can have only developed one part for each console and so also wanted to continue:

" We only create a New Super Mario Bros. title one [ sic] by platform. I think we'll probably go ahead and continue at pace did. That being said, that's probably Miyamoto 's choice, so I can not give you a 100 per cent guarantee did that's the pace we'll continue AT. "

"We bring out only one New Super Mario Bros. derivative per platform. I think that we will probably continue with this pace. However, this is probably [ Shigeru ] Miyamoto's decision, therefore I can not give a hundred percent guarantee that we will continue with this pace. "

In game franchises who claim to be particularly successful, the manufacturer often decide to publish new titles on an annual basis, wrote the Euro Gamer editor Oli Welsh. This one "of his most talented studios ' ( 'one of Their most talented studios ') develop, for example, every two years a " big " series offshoot. The gaps between these publications fill a B- studio whose games rather similar and thus lay claim to lower production costs. This looks Welsh given at the Super Mario series. The former type studio was in this case Nintendo EAD Tokyo with its 3D Super Mario games (Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario 3D Land ), the B- Team EAD Kyoto with New Super Mario Bros.

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