New Super Mario Bros.
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New Super Mario Bros. is a side scrolling 2-D 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 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.
Basics
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:
- D-pad:
- Left: Move left, enter pipe to the left of Mario.
- Right: Move right, enter pipe to the right of Mario.
- Up: Enter pipe above Mario.
- Down: Crouch, Ground Pound (In the air), enter pipe below Mario.
- A: Jump, confirm menu selection.
- B: Jump, exit menu.
- X/Y: Dash (Hold), launch fireball (Fire Mario only).
- L: Scrolls camera to the left. (Camera resets with any movement.)
- R: Scrolls camera to the right. (Camera resets with any movement.)
- Start: Enter start menu.
- Touch screen: Uses item. (Tap item to use)
- D-pad:
- Controls on world map:
- D-pad:
- Left - Move left, bring up menu for sign to the left of Mario.
- Right - Move right, bring up menu for sign to the right of Mario.
- Up - Move up, bring up menu for sign above Mario.
- Down - Move down, bring up menu for sign below Mario.
- A: Enter course, Warp Pipe or Toad House, use cannon, confirm menu selection.
- B: Exit menu.
- L: Scrolls camera to the left. (Camera resets with any movement.)
- R: Scrolls camera to the right. (Camera resets with any movement.)
- Start: Enter start menu.
- Touch screen: Travel to different world.
- D-pad:
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, narrow, vertical shafts can be ascended quickly.
- 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), 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).
Course Elements
Power-Ups
- Super Mushroom: The Super Mushroom turns normal Mario to Super Mario. If hit as Super Mario, you turn back into regular Mario.
- Fire Flower: The Fire Flower turns Mario into Fire Mario enabling him to shoot fireballs. If you're hit as Fire Mario, you turn into Super Mario.
- Mega Mushroom: The Mega Mushroom turns Mario into "Mega Mario" for a limited amount of time. While Mega Mario, everything/anything you hit will die or break. The more stuff you destroy, the more 1-ups you get when you shrink back to normal size.
- Mini Mushroom: 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- Note that, although immune to most forms of damage while using a starman Mario can still be killed by falling down a bottomless pit, touching lava (or something similar) and being squished by moving walls
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. Once found they can be used to open up paths to other courses and Toad Houses, and, once you've finished the game, can also be used to buy wallpapers for the touch screen. There are 3 Star Coins in every course without execption, and once found they will be transparent and dark blue instead of gold.
Objects & Hazards
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.
- 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 don't 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 in the direction of the pipe. This can either help or harm Mario, depending on the circumstances.
- 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 Normal 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 will break most of the blocks on hit, although some blocks contain coins.
- ? 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.
- Hidden Block: Like a ? Block, only you can't see them or stand on the until you hit them from beneath.
Hazards
- Moving Walls: Just as the name implies, some walls move. Be careful, as being squished can kill ANYTHING.
- Spikes: Spikes will damage you on contact, stay away from them.
- Lava & Toxic Sludge: Touching either one of these will kill you instantly. Keep off!
Enemies
Though there are too many to list here, two 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.
- 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 like mad, hoping to hit Mario in a fel swoop.
World Map Elements
Toad Houses
There are 4 different kinds of Toad Houses in the game: Red, Green, Mega, and Blue. Blue houses don't appear until you beat the game.
After entering a house (except for the blue houses) they disappear.
- Red house: Lets you randomly get either a Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Blue Shell, or a Mini Mushroom.
- 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.
- Green houses appear as 1-up Mushrooms on the world map.
- Mega house: This house gives you a Mega Mushroom.
- 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.
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.
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. Hitting them in the course will give you a powerup, sometimes needed 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. If defeated, they will give out a powerup or 1-up Mushroom.
Secrets
- When selecting a file, you can press
L+R+Ato play as Luigi.
- Unlimited Toad Houses-Beat every single level in the game.
- Get to World 4-Defeat the boss in world 2 as mini Mario
- Get to World 7-Defeat the boss of world 5 as mini Mario
- To do the above tips, you can start fighting the boss of the world as fire Mario and switching to mini Mario for the last hit (Note: to damage the boss as mini Mario you need to ground pound, jump then press 'down.')
- To enable chalenge mode, which prevents the screen from scrolling left or down, depending on the level, press start on the map screen. From there, press L R L R X X Y Y. Enter the same code to disable challenge mode.
