New Super Mario Bros.

New Super Mario Bros. is a side-scrolling 2D platformer game published by Nintendo and is the latest in the Super Mario Bros. series, with the previous game having been released over 16 years ago. Despite the graphics overhaul, the gameplay holds true to the traditional Mario Bros. formula, with players running, jumping and fireballing their way through 8 worlds, each with its own boss and courses.

Controls
Controls are semi-customizable, with the (somewhat limited) choice of which buttons are used to dash and jump. However, default controls are:

Controls in a course

 * - Move left, enter pipe to the left of Mario.
 * Move right, enter pipe to the right of Mario.
 * Enter pipe above Mario.
 * Crouch, Ground Pound (In the air), enter pipe below Mario.
 * - Jump, confirm menu selection.
 * - Jump, exit menu.
 * / - Dash (Hold), launch fireball (Fire Mario only).
 * - Scrolls camera to the left. (Camera resets with any movement.)
 * - Scrolls camera to the right. (Camera resets with any movement.)
 * - Enter start menu.
 * - Uses item. (Tap item to use)

Controls on world map

 * - Move left, bring up menu for sign to the left of Mario.
 * - Move right, bring up menu for sign to the right of Mario.
 * - Move up, bring up menu for sign above Mario.
 * - Move down, bring up menu for sign below Mario.
 * - Enter course, Warp Pipe or Toad House, use cannon, confirm menu selection.
 * - Exit menu.
 * - Scrolls camera to the left. (Camera resets with any movement.)
 * - Scrolls camera to the right. (Camera resets with any movement.)
 * - Enter start menu.
 * - Travel to different world.

Basic Moves

 * Wall Jump:
 * Allows Mario to jump off a wall, allowing him to climb up narrow shafts and reach places unreachable without this often needed move.
 * To perform:
 * Jump towards a wall. When touching the wall, hold the D-pad in the direction of the wall and press jump. If done correctly, Mario will bounce off the wall, gaining height travelling a considerable distance (If he doesn't hit another wall). By repeating this over and over, Mario can quickly ascend narrow, vertical shafts..


 * Ground Pound:
 * Allows Mario to bash blocks from above. Mini Mario can use this to hurt some enemies instead of bouncing from them.
 * To perform: In midair, press down on the D-pad. If you continue to hold the D-pad down, then Mario will break multiple rows of blocks if possible. Release the D-pad before hitting the last row of blocks that you want to break, otherwise Mario might fall through!


 * Crounch 'n' Slide
 * Allows Mario's larger forms to slide under 1 block high gaps.
 * To perform:
 * Move a fair bit away from the gap you are trying to get through. Dash towards the gap and, just before you hit the gap, crouch. If performed correctly, Mario will slide under straight the gap. If you don't make it to the end of the gap, keep crounching, hold the D-pad in the direction you want to go and mash the jump button. You will emerge out the other side after bumping your head several times.


 * Swimming:
 * Basic movement under water.
 * To perform:
 * Press jump to rise up. You will automatically sink slowly. Take note that there is no way to accelerate your descent, nor is there a way to attack blocks below you. There is no way to defend yourself underwater (Other than launching fireballs or a Starman), so you will normally have to avoid enemies rather than killing them.


 * Swinging:
 * Allows Mario to swing from vines and ropes.
 * To perform:
 * Jump towards the rope/vine. Mario will automatically grab it. When on the rope/vine, D-pad left and D-pad right will swing Mario from side to side. Up and down move Mario up and down on the rope/vine. Pressing jump will make Mario let go of the vine, flinging him in the direction he was swinging.
 * Note that you will not be able to grab a vine if you are holding an object (see below).


 * Hold
 * Allows Mario to grab and throw Koopa shells and springs.
 * To perform:
 * Hold down dash and run into the object. Mario will grab it. When you let go of dash, Mario will either: A - Put the object down (if Mario is standing still) or B - throw the object away (if Mario is moving).


 * Spin Slam:
 * Allows Mario to break a great sum of blocks in a row.
 * To perform:
 * In some courses there will be spinning springs in the air. when you jump on one, you will be launched in the air. While in the air, press D-pad down and you will spin to the ground

Power-Ups

 * Super Mushroom: This common red mushroom turns regular (Small) Mario to Super Mario. If something hits you as Super Mario, then he turns back into Small Mario.
 * Fire Flower: The Fire Flower turns Mario into Fire Mario enabling him to shoot fireballs. If you are hit as Fire Mario, you turn into Super Mario, as you would in Super Mario Bros. 3.
 * You can use fireballs to turn most enemies into coins (like in Super Mario World) and to attack most bosses. Fireballs make the game much easier, much as they did in other Mario games.
 * Mega Mushroom: This giant orange mushroom turns Mario into "Mega Mario" for a limited amount of time. While Mega Mario, any blocks, enemies, and pipes that you hit will die or break. The more stuff you destroy, the more 1-ups you get when you shrink back to normal size. Mega Mario will always shrink to Super Mario, regardless of what form he had before.
 * If you have a Mega Mushroom in reserve, avoid using it in towers and castles where the moving walls will quickly force Mario to shrink back to Super Mario. Do use a Mega Mushroom at the bosses at the end of towers and castles; this will make it very easy to beat the boss.
 * When using a Mega Mushroom, you are not invincible to everything. If you hit lava, spikes, or a bottomless pit, you will shrink down in size or instantly die.
 * Mini Mushroom: This tiny blue bushroom turns Mario into Mini Mario. As Mini Mario, one hit from anything will kill you, but you also can get into areas a non-Mini Mario can not. Mini Mario can squeeze through spaces that are a half-block tall. Mini Mario also jumps higher and falls slower; he can sometimes wall-kick up shafts that are normally too wide to ascend.
 * Blue Shell: The Blue Shell turns Mario into Shell Mario, which is Mario with a shell on his back, like a Koopa. If you're hit as Shell Mario, you turn into Super Mario. Mario can duck into his shell (and defend against some hazards) if you press down on the D-pad. The special attack as Shell Mario is if you run at a certain speed, you duck into the shell and roll around, destroying nearly everything in your path. If you need to brake, just release the dash button (holding the D-pad down if you need to stay in the shell).
 * Some players make good use of the Blue Shell in the multiplayer Mario vs Luigi. However, in the one-player game, you might choose to avoid Blue Shells, if you prefer Fire Flowers.
 * Starman: Makes Mario invlulnerable for a short period of time, allowing him to kill enemies by touch. Mario will be immune to enemies and most hazards and will also run faster and jump higher.
 * While using starman, Mario is immune to most forms of damage, but note that starman Mario can still experience the following instant deaths: falling down a bottomless pit, touching lava (or something similar) and being squished by moving walls.

Reserve Items
If Mario grabs a powerup that he does not need, then he will put it in reserve, but only if the current reserve does not already outrank it. Touch the reserve and the item will drop on Mario; be careful not to let it fall on a higher platform out of reach. In some underground areas, the action moves to the bottom screen and you cannot touch your reserve.

From least to most, the rank is Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Blue Shell, Mini Mushroom, Mega Mushroom. So if you already have a Mega Mushroom in reserve, you cannot lose it, and if you already have a Fire Flower, a Super Mushroom will not displace it.

Super Mario will never put anything into reserve except for other Super Mushrooms. Fire Mario will put Super Mushrooms and Fire Flowers into reserve. Shell Mario will put Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, and Blue Shells into reserve. Mini Mario can only put other Mini Mushrooms into reserve, because he needs the other items to grow big again. Mega Mario can put anything into reserve if he manages to touch the item instead of destroying the block that contains it!

Mario cannot put an item into reserve if he was already using it. In this respect, the game is unlike Super Mario World. For example, if you are Super Mario and you grab a Fire Flower, thus becoming Fire Mario, then you do not obtain a Super Mushroom in reserve unless you already had one there. So the reserve should not be used for switching between a pair of items; instead you should use it to save a powerup for when you need it.

Use the reserve spot to store a Fire Flower or Blue Shell to powerup Mario again if he is hurt. Or carry around a Mini Mushroom or Mega Mushroom in case you find a situation that requires it. If you become Small Mario, you might want to take your Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, or Blue Shell out of reserve so that the next block will contain a Fire Flower, not a Super Mushroom.

Other Items

 * Coins: The most common item in the game, collecting 100 of these earns you an extra life.
 * Red Coins are a subgroup of coins that appear when Mario passes through a ring (see next heading for further information). Other than their special qualities, they are worth the same amount as a normal coin.
 * 1-up Mushroom: A fairly rare item and hard to get item, this green mushroom gives Mario an extra life (1-up).
 * Star Coin:  A special kind of item which, when collected, has no immediate effect. There are 3 Star Coins in every course without exception. Once you find one, if you die before finishing the course, then you will lose it (unless you found it before a checkpoint, in which case you can restart from the checkpoint and try to finish the course). If you find and keep a Star Coin and replay the same course, the coin will be transparent and dark blue instead of gold. You can spend Star Coins on the map to open up paths to other courses and Toad Houses and save your game.
 * You can grab some Star Coins by throwing Koopa shells at them. The game does not let you throw shells upward though, so for those high coins you will need to jump up there yourself.

Objects

 * Pipe: A common sight throughout all the courses, these pipes can do many things:
 * Normal Pipes: These pipes do nothing. Nothing at all. In fact, the only difference between these and normal terrain is that these can be destroyed by a rampaging Mega Mario.
 * Warp Pipes: These pipes are much more useful. They can warp Mario from one end of the pipe to the other (though not always back). Mario, after going through one of these can end up anywhere from underground with a giant man-eating plant to up in the sky with a moving platform. Because Warp Pipes look exactly like other pipes, sometimes you can benefit from trying to enter every pipe you encounter, in case you discover one that warps you to a bonus, Star Coin, or alternate exit.
 * Mini Warp Pipes are exactly like normal Warp Pipes, only they are small. In fact, they are so small that only Mini Mario can fit through them. Usually, on the other side there is a place talior-made for Mini Mario. Some Mine Warp Pipes do not warp.
 * Cannon Pipes: These pipes act like Warp Pipes only instead of going to somewhere else, they shoot you out with a direction and speed that depends on the pipe.
 * Waterjet Pipes: Only found underwater, these pipes jet out a constant stream of water, signified by bubbles pouring out of the pipe. This jetstream will push Mario away from the pipe. This can either help or harm Mario, depending on the circumstances.
 * You cannot enter Waterjet Pipes, but do look for pipes without waterjets; they might be Warp Pipes.
 * Red Coin Ring: This "object" disappears when moved through and spawns 8 red coins for a limited amount of time. If all 8 are collected then you will recieve an item. Which item? Well......
 * If you are Small Mario then you will recieve a Super Mushroom.
 * If you are Super Mario then you will recieve a Fire Flower.
 * And finally, if you are Fire Mario the you will recieve a 1-up mushroom.
 * Spring: This small object bounces Mario when he bounces on it. Press the jump button as you land to bounce much higher. Press and hold the dash button to pick this thing up.
 * Block: The most common object in the game. You WILL see a lot of these. Super Mario or higher (but not normal Mario nor Mini Mario) will break most of the blocks on hit, although some blocks contain coins.
 * Some blocks contain multiple coins. To take the most coins, try to hit the block as rapidly as possible. If you hit such a block very rapidly, a Super Mushroom will come out after the coins. If you have room above such a block, have Mario ground pound on the block and hold the D-pad down to always obtain the most coins and get the Super Mushroom!
 * ? Block: Almost exactly the same as normal blocks, the only difference is these have either a coin, a 1-up mushroom or a powerup inside. Some of these blocks have Fire Flowers inside, except that if you hit it while you are Small or Mini Mario, the block will only contain a Super Mushroom. A few levels have a ? Block that always contains a Mini Mushroom or Mega Mushroom.
 * Hidden Block: Like a ? Block, only you can't see them or stand on them until you hit them from beneath.

Hazards

 * Moving Walls: Just as the name implies, some walls move. Be careful, as being squished can instantly kill ANYTHING.
 * Yes, it can kill ANYTHING. Even if Mario grabbed a Starman or is flashing after hitting an enemy, a moving wall can kill him instantly.
 * Moving walls can even destroy powerups such as mushrooms and fire flowers. This can annoy if you are in a tower, you touch your reserve item, but it lands on a higher platform and then a moving wall destroys it.
 * Spikes: Spikes will damage you on contact, stay away from them.
 * Lava and Toxic Sludge:  Touching either one of these will kill you instantly. Keep off!

Enemies
Enemies will hurt Mario when they hit him. The standard way to attack enemies is to stomp on them, but do not jump on anything with spikes! You can also throw shells at them or become Fire Mario and throw fireballs, though fireballs will not hurt some enemies.

Though there are too many to list here, some common enemies are:


 * Goomba: One of the most common enemies in the game, the Goomba is also the eaisiest enemy to defeat. One bounce will dispatch this foe, in fact, one of just about anthing will dispatch it. The Goomba attack plan is simple: Walk foward, and hope you hit someone. Goombas are completly unaware of cliffs and will normally walk to their doom.
 * Paragoombas are an offshoot from normal Goombas and are only found in one course. These special Goombas have wings, although they don't work very well, and will hop everywhere instead of walking. They are also more durable than the average Goomba, with the first bounce removing their wings and the second bounce actually killing them.
 * Koopa: The most common enemy in the game, these shelled warriors can be found just about everywhere. When stomped on they will retreat into their shell, in which they will be immune to any further stomping. When the Koopas are in their shells, Mario is free to kick and chuck them around as much as he wants. There are 3 colors of Koopa, which are:
 * Green: These Koopas are the standard lot, with and attack pattern identical to a Goomba: Walk foward no matter what the cost.
 * Red: These Koopas are almost as common as the green ones. They behave identically to the Green Koopas with one difference; they don't walk off cliffs, they turn around, just like the Red Koopas in the original Super Mario Bros. game.
 * Blue: This special Koopa is only found in the ice stage in Mario vs. Luigi, and it behaves exactly like a Red Koopa. When stomped, however, this Koopa drops a Blue Shell powerup to help the players navigate the vast icelands.
 * Paratroopas are an offshoot from normal Koopas and are almost as common. They will typicaly fly in a fixed pattern and turn into normal Koopas when stomped. Red Paratroopers always fly in a fixed pattern but some Green Paratroopas instead choose to hop around on the ground like mad, hoping to hit Mario.
 * Pirahna Plant: Most of these live in pipes and will come in and go out at regular intervals, exactly as they did in older Mario games. They have sharp teeth; do not jump on them, but Fire Mario can kill them with fireballs. If you are aside or on the pipe, the Pirahna Plant will not come out, and you can even enter safely if it is a Warp Pipe.
 * Some of these will spit fireballs at you; the fireball will move slowly in a straight line (and can travel through obstacles) so just dodge it. This type of Pirahna Plant is rarer than in Super Mario Bros. 3, and also easier because in New Super Mario Bros. it only spits on fireball in a line, not two or three.
 * A few of these plants live outside of pipes; there are even a few giant ones! They will not move anywhere unless they are on moving platforms. The giant one makes a pile of coins if Fire Mario fireballs it.
 * Boos: They mostly appear in ghost houses, and exactly like their counterparts in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, they will stay still if you face them (left or right) but chase you if you face the other way. Do not jump on or touch them. Fireballs will not harm them, and they can pass through walls and other objects. The only way to kill them is by picking up a Starman and jumping at them.
 * Hammer Brothers: See the Moving Elements section.
 * Money Bags: These return from Super Mario 64 and only appear in a few courses. A Money Bag initially appears as a coin. As you approach it, it will become a bag and hop away from you. Chase it, then repeatedly jump on or fireball it to shake some coins loose, then kill it, at which point it will drop a 1-Up Mushroom.

Both Goomba's and Koopa's change their walking pattern based on the change in the beat of the music, at every beat a Goomba will jump slightly in the air, while a Koopa will turn around for a brief second. (Some powerups will also bounce.)

Bosses
The easiest way to fight most bosses is for Fire Mario to shoot fireballs at them. You could also have a Mega Mushroom in reserve and let Mega Mario charge the boss. Otherwise, you may need to wait for opportunities to jump on the boss. Do not jump on Bowser Jr. while he his hiding under his spikes!


 * Bowser Jr.: The boss of all towers. If you lack fireballs, then you can jump on them, but in the more difficult towers he will not let you. In those cases, you might need to attack him another way, for example by jumping on shells that he tosses and throwing them back.
 * Bowser: The boss of the castle of World 1; Bowser returns from the original Super Mario Bros.. Easy; simply step on the floating platform, then either fireball him to death or jump over him and hit the switch that dumps him into the lava.
 * Dry Pokey: The boss of castle of World 3. He'll pop up from the ground then start attacking by shooting at you. He'll go under the ground after you avoid his attacks. When he pops up, he'll pop up at various hieghts. It's best to attack him with a flower flower or ground-pound on him when you can.
 * Petey Pirahna: The boss of the castle of World 5. Run away from him so that he does not land on you. When he crashes into the ground, jump on him. If he is bouncing up and down, then run under him.
 * Monty Mole: The boss of World 7. He doesn't sound tough, put him in a bullet bill shooting tank, then he does. He'll first start by shooting only one out. When he pops out ground-pound on him. After this, he'll start going on a rampage, spinning and shooting wildly, just duck. Then two more cannons will appear, then another rampage, just duck again. Now when he pops out, he'll be too high up to just jump on him. You have to use a Bullet Bill to bounce on, best if you use the middle one. You have to be quick, or he'll just pop back into his tank.

World Map Elements
Remember, you can use and  to scroll around maps. Use to preview maps. You will be able to see all paths, courses, Toad Houses, and Star Signs except for secret paths.

You can also replay any course; do this to find Star Coins, or replay easy courses to collect lives and powerups.

Star Signs
Star Signs are things that look like a sign with a Star Coin and the number 5 on them. Before passing through, you must pay 5 Star Coins. After spending them, you can save your game and pass through. The path beyond a Star Sign typically leads to a Toad House or an alternate course.

Toad Houses
There are 4 different kinds of Toad Houses in the game: Red, Green, Mega, and Blue. Most of the houses are behind Star Signs. Blue houses do not appear until you beat the game.

After entering a house (except for the blue houses) they disappear. If you accidentally enter a red or mega house, you can choose to walk out of the door instead of grabbing the item, in which case the house will not disappear. If you have beaten the game and you go to a Toad House, it will not disappear


 * Red house: Lets you randomly get either a Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Blue Shell, or a Mini Mushroom in reserve. If you time your jump carefully, you might be able to receive what you want.
 * Red houses appear as Super Mushrooms on the world map.
 * Green house:  This house has 6 "?" blocks in it. 3 contain 1-ups, 1 contains three 1-ups, 1 contains a card that doubles all the 1-ups you have currently found, and the last contains a Bowser card, which ends the game, giving you all the 1-Ups you have revealed. Some players stay out of these houses unless they are low on lives, but other players do not bother to save these houses, since they can just replay 1-1 if they need more lives.
 * Green houses appear as 1-up Mushrooms on the world map.
 * Mega house: This house gives you a Mega Mushroom in reserve.
 * Mega houses appear as Mega Mushrooms on the world map.
 * Blue house:  Lets you buy backgrounds for the touch screen for 20 star coins a piece. Only appears when you beat the game.

Note that your strategy for clearing Toad Houses can be different from the strategy that you would use in Super Mario Bros. 3. Players of that NES game would often clear any Toad House that they could reach. New Super Mario Bros. allows Mario to revisit older worlds, so players will often keep most of the Toad Houses and Star Signs intact. (They may have to if they are saving Star Coins.) You can visit older worlds and go to their Toad Houses when Mario needs them.

However, if you need them then you can make additional Toad Houses. You need to clear a course by touching the flagpole when the last two digits are a certain value. (You can also do this in towers and castles if you kill the boss at the correct time, but this is more difficult.) You can do this in any level, even 1-1. If the timer ends in:
 * 11, 22, or 33: A red house appears.
 * 44, 55, or 66: A green house appears.
 * 77, 88, or 99: A mega house appears.

The house will appear at the beginning of the world. (You do not need any Star Coins to reach it!) If there is already a house there, then you need to clear it before you can make another one. If you want, you could make a house in each world and then save the game.

If you have trouble with the timer, then go stand next to the flag pole, and make a small hop onto the bottom of the flagpole at the correct time.

Moving Elements
Moving world map elements affect the course they are standing on/flying over.


 * Flying Item Block:  These look like, as the name implies, flying item blocks. If you enter a course with one, you will find the block soon after the start of the course (or the checkpoint). The exact location varies with the course. Hit this block to obtain a powerup. The block typically contains a Fire Flower (even if you are Small Mario) or a Blue Shell or Mini Mushroom. You might need it to unlock a secret path or get a Star Coin.
 * Hammer Bro.: Hammer Bros. are one of Mario's toughest enemies, and can be very hard to defeat if they aren't standing on blocks in the course. You may have to dodge the hammers or boomerangs that it throws, then jump on it. If you a Fire Mario then you can just fireball it. If defeated, it will give out a powerup or 1-up Mushroom.
 * You may on occasion find other Hammer Brothers within a course; those will not drop an item.

World 1-1
The first level of the game. There is a Mega Mushrooms in the first ? Block after the first pipe. To make best use of it, kill the Goomba to its right, then hit the block and follow the Mega Mushroom rightward. Shortly before when the shroom would fall into the pit, grab it! Now run to the right as fast as possible. You will need to jump once onto a hill. Doing so, you should be able to reach the flagpole as Mega Mario and take the maximum possible five 1-Ups!

Stand under the ? block with the Mega Mushroom, then hit it at the timer 362. Follow the shroom to the pit and run right as before; you should smash the flagpole at time 333 and make a red Toad House. Hit the block at time 328 to smash the flagpole at time 299 and make a mega Toad House, which allows you to take a Mega Mushroom to another course!

The first Star coin is just after the second pipe. Jump on to the pipe, then jump on the bricks to get it. For the next Star Coin, jump down the third pipe (Stand on the pipe and press down). This will lead you to an underground area. The Star Coin is at the end of this. Jump on the pipe to get it. The last Star Coin is under some bricks. If you went through the underground area for the second coin you'll have to go back to get it. Stand on the bricks, jump and when you are in the air press down to Ground Pound for the Coin.

World 1-2
This level takes place in underground. Near the start of the level you'll see coins under some bricks. You can get these by Ground Pounding the bricks. The third one when Ground Pounded all the way down will lead you to a room with 31 coins. Continue right and you will see the first Star Coin for the level. Jump on the bricks to get up to it. The next star coin is under some bricks later in the level. Ground Pound them to get it. The first pipe after the half way mark leads to a hidden room. Inside this room is a Koopa. If you jump on the Koopa and get him to break all the bricks under the pipe, it is possible to run along this passageway. This is easier to do if you are regular Mario, but can be done if you are big by running towards the passageway and pressing down to slide under. This passage leads to another hidden room full of Gumbas. At the far end of the room is a ? block which contains a Mega Mushroom. Just before the end of the level, use the sea-saw to jump up to the ceiling and run along it pastry the pipe. This will lead to a hidden room where the last Star Coin. The pipe leads to an alternative exit which opens up a hidden path past World 1-3.

World 1-3
Go right until you get to the first Spin Block. Use it to jump up to the platform above. There you'll see another spin block, use it to jump up to yet another platform where the first Star Coin is located. You should be able to see a trail of coins to the right. Follow this trail down and it will lead you to the second Star Coin. The third Star Coin is just after the half way point.

World 7-1
The secret to the second Star Coin is to ride a certain flying ? block to the right instead of taking the 1-Up Mushroom from that block. The block will take you to an area with the Star Coin, many coins, and another 1-Up Mushroom! The bad thing is that when you exit the area, you will have missed the checkpoint, thus to keep your Star Coin you will need to clear the course without dieing.

Multiplayer
The New Super Mario Bros.'s multiplayer is either single or multicard play, meaning it can play with 1 or more cards. There are 2 types of multiplayer; Mario vs. Luigi and Minigames. Some minigames can also be played with 1 player, though the gameplay is somewhat different.

Mario vs. Luigi
Mario vs. Luigi is the main competetive form of multiplayer and has 2 players compete with each other in a battle for stars.

Set up
1: Upon selecting the option from the main menu, you will be asked if you wish to compete with someone who owns the New Super Mario Bros., or someone who does not. Choose whichever is appropriate. 1A: If you are playing with someone who does not own a copy of the game, you will be asked which Mario brother you wish to play as; Mario or Luigi. The differences are cosmetic only, choose whichever you want. 1B:  After choosing your Bro., you will need to have whoever you are playing with select "DS Download Play" from the DS bootup menu. After a brief period you will see this message: "(Username of other player+Bro. you did not choose) has appeared! Play a game?". If you want to play with the person, select yes. If not, press no. 2: You will be confronted by an options screen. The options are:
 * Wins: How many wins are needed are needed to finish the match. Ranges from 1 to 3. Default 2, a best out of 3 game.
 * Big Star: How many big stars are needed to win the game. Possible settings are 3, 5 (default) and 10. For longer games, select more stars.
 * Mario/Luigi's Lives: How many lives the Bros. have. Possible settings are 3, 5 and Endless (default). Changing the lives from Endless can change the game from a star collecting race to a race to collect coins in the hope of getting a Starman, Mega Mushroom or Blue Shell to kill the enemy. For a truly deathmatch centered game, set Big Stars to 10 and lives to 3.
 * Course: Determines the selection method for stages. Possible settings are Choose Each Time (default) and Random. Choose Each Time will make you choose the stage each time, Random will choose it for you.

2A: If you chose Choose Each Time you will have to choose a stage (see below for info). If you set it to Random, you will be plunged into one of the stages listed below.

Stages

 * Grass Land: Modeled off the World 1-1 of the original Super Mario Bros., this stage is fairly basic, the only thing notable with this stage is that it has more enemies than any other. Player 1 should move off to the left, get the powerup, coins and Big Star (if it's there). Afterwards, stomp the Green Koopa, carry it's shell and fling it in the general direction of the opponent. Player 2, on the other hand, should move to the right, getting the powerup, Big Star (once again, if it's there) and take advantage of the greater number of coins. From there, anything can happen. Stage size: Medium.
 * Block World: Modeled after the many underground courses, this stage is highly erratic. Gameplay consists mostly of frantic collection of coins and beating the Big Stars out of your foe. Consider yourself lucky if you get a Starman, extremly so if you get a Mega Mushroom. Although, if you do get a Mega Mushroom, heres a tip: Don't jump unless you want to die. A stray Koopa shell can deal a lot of damage to the stage and Mini Mushrooms should be avoided. Stage size: Tiny.
 * Icy Waste: Modeled after World 5 in general, this stage involes traversing large distances while avoiding the Bullet Bills. Both players should head for the Blue Koopa (to the right) as quickly as possible as the Blue Shell it drops is crucial to winning the game. If you get the first shell you should focus on getting Big Stars and preventing your opponent from getting a shell. If you did not get the first shell, get only Big Stars that are close to you and focus on getting a Blue Shell of your own. Once both players have a shell, the winner will mostly be determined by where the Big Star spawns, however, one thing that can help a lot is the knowledge of how to fly (using the spring pad) at high speed. It is easiest to to with a Blue Shell (and how to is based on the Blue Shell) but it is possible in all forms other than Mega. Stage size: Huge.
 * How to: Distance yourself from the spring pad and begin dashing. Once you are in your shell, let go of the D-pad (but not the dash button). Jump to land on the spring pad and then bounce off it. If performed correctly you will be travelling through the air at roughly twice the normal speed.
 * Pipe World: Modeled after a stage in World 7, this course is strange due to the fact that wall-jumping gives a huge advantage and dying is common. Despite the large number of pipes only 2 can be warped through. Stage size: Small.
 * Splat World: Modeled after several towers/castles, the stage probably has the highest fatality rate of them all. Gameplay is slow and semi-strategic, with players having plenty of time to plot their next move while they are trapped in one of the small alcoves. Consider yourself extremly lucky if you get a Mini Mushroom, but if you do, stay away from fireballs.

Basic Gameplay
Controls are exactly the same as Mario Game. The basic premise is to collect the defined number of Big Stars as quickly as possible while preventing your opponent from doing the same. Getting damaged will cause you to lose a Big Star, and, depending on what you get damaged by, can power you down/kill you.

Mini Games
Engage in a set of stylus driven mini-games with 1-4 people. The games you can play depend on the number of players. There are 5 catagories of minigames, each representing a different style of play. The catagories are: Action (Games based on skill with the stylus), Puzzle (Games based on intelligent though), Table (Games based mostly on luck), Variety (Games that do not fit in other genres, not a genre in 2-player) and 1-on-1 (Games where you actions affect the other player, and vice-versa. 2-player only).

Some of the 1-player games are exactly the same as those in Super Mario 64 DS.

The mini-games themselves, grouped by genre, are:

Action
Snowball Slalom
 * Get Snowman's head through an icy course, avoiding rocks and giant penguins along the way.
 * Rub the touch screen to make Snowman's head move. Do not touch his head, as this will slow you down. As you move, the head will get bigger, making it harder to avoid obstactles and increasing your speed.
 * Moving is more effecient if you stroke the touch screen like you might do to a cat rather than rubbing it like you might do to a dog. Either way, do it quickly for best results.
 * Hitting a rock or penguin will make you smaller (good) and stop you in your tracks (bad). Avoid them!
 * You can rebound off the wall of the course with no ill effects, this can be handy in some situations.
 * You only have 20 seconds to finsh this game.

Lakitu Launch
 * Shoot as many Spinies as you can into the baskets.
 * Once a certain number of Spinies have been shot in a basket, the basket will stop moving and fall a bit, doing this again will make it plummet to the ground.
 * This can be both good and bad.
 * There is no countdown to the start of this game.
 * You have 30 seconds to fling Spinies into the bucket.
 * In two player mode, each of the baskets is a different colour, fling the Spinies only in your basket, or they will give your opponent score.

Danger, Bomb-omb, Danger!
 * Avoid fireballs and Bowser's breath for as long as possible.
 * Move your Bomb-omb using the stylus.
 * While it is possible to achieve a decent score simply by tapping where you want to go, it is much easier to simply hold your stylus on the
 * The statue of Bowser will periodically move and breath fire, beware, the flame itself is not hard to avoid but it can pin you to one side.
 * Fireballs move slowly, but can be hard to see and they are very numerous.
 * In multiplayer, bumping your foe will not affect him, but it will affect you.
 * Use this to your advantage by blocking your opponent.

Whac-a-Mole
 * Whack moles as they come out of their holes using the stylus. Don't hit Luigi though.
 * While hitting a mole gives 1 point, whacking Luigi will take 3 away. Be careful.
 * In multiplayer, there are 3 levels of difficulty. The higher the difficulty, the less moles there will be, and, as a result, more Luigis.

Balloon Race
 * Blow into the microphone to make Yoshi rise. Get to the top before time runs out!
 * You have 20 seconds to finish this game.
 * Running into a Fly Guy will cause you lose a balloon.
 * You only have 2 balloons, so if you get hit twice you lose.

Snowball Fight
 * Hurl snowballs at each other! Highest scorer wins!
 * Tapping the top of the will throw a snowball, while tapping the bottom will cause you to move to that point.
 * Around the playing field are snowmen, ducking behind one of these will provide temporary cover.
 * You have 10 snowballs, fling these rapidly for best results.
 * If you run out of snowballs, tap a snowman (or the remains of one) to get a new batch.
 * Hitting your opponent will yield 5 points, while hitting a snowman gives 1.
 * Not available in single player.

Secrets

 * When selecting a file, you can press  + +  to play as Luigi.
 * Unlimited Toad Houses- Beat every single level in the game.
 * Get to World 4- Defeat the boss in the castle of world 2 as Mini Mario.
 * Get to World 7- Defeat the boss in the castle of world 5 as Mini Mario.
 * For the above tips, you can take a Mini Mushroom in reserve. One strategy is to switch to Mini Mario in the boss room before fighting the boss. Another strategy is to fight the boss as Fire Mario but switch to Mini Mario for the last hit. (To damage the boss as Mini Mario, you need to ground pound; jump then press .) Having defeated the boss, Mini Mario will fall through a small gap and flip a sign indicating the next world. There is no way to summon a reserve item after the boss is dead.

Don't use the fireballs at the green turtle or else it won't come back unless you die or re-do the level. Jump on top when it lands on the 3rd step from the bottom.
 * To enable chalenge mode, which prevents the screen from scrolling left or down, depending on the level, press on the map screen. From there, press        . Enter the same code to disable challenge mode.
 * Get 99-lives in seconds- Go to world 2-4 and go to the part where you need to jump on top of the "?" button (near the end of the level). Kill everything except the green turtle that is coming down the stairs.



If you did it correctly then all you got to do is wait until you get 99 lives. If it didn't then try again. It's better if you have the fire power and a extra one just in case you die (or else you need to start all over again). This is good if you are low on life and hate re-doing the level.

Here is a video showing how to do the trick : NEW Super Mario Bros. life glitch