New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)- How Many? One Mirrion Coins.

[---]

As others have said, that article is win and I wholeheartedly agree with it. I think I stated earlier how I thought the NSMB series was bland and boring, and this repetitiveness is probably apart of the reason. I really do miss the artistic progression of the original games, from the original Super Mario Bros. to Supr Mario World, it was awesome. Modern Nintendo is really leaving a bad taste in my mouth, they need to flipping LISTEN TO THEIR CORE FANS, they DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING, they ARE NOT TOO GOOD TO TAKE ADVICE. Gosh it's snooty stuff like that that pisses me off, has Nintendo gotten too big for their britches? Are they above putting effort into everything they do? They NEED to shape up, because people who aren't a fanboy aren't going to be putting up with the crap forever.

[Conando]

It's not hard to see why people would say that, considering listening to their core fans is shit like "WHY DOESN'T MARIO HAVE A STORY". That doesn't excuse NSMB for being a lazy series, though.

It almost seems like a necessary evil because the series drags in so much cash. Cash that they can use to make the 3D Mario platformers and other titles like KIU and Pikmin 3.

[Kuzu]

Completely agreed with the article. You'd think that Nintendo would put just as much effort into their 2D games as their 3D ones. It's such a shame.

[Salamander]

I didn't read the full article, but I agree with the key quotes here. Getting the gameplay right is a good thing, but the visuals need to be something other than pure nostalgia, especially if you've already exploited practically the same visuals for the same purpose very recently in the past few years. Just in terms of nostalgia, there's plenty of old material out there that they aren't using at all - the enemies of Super Mario World, for example. What I felt with NSMB was that it was far too formulaic - you had a basically linear map with no real original features, based on level tropes that have been pretty rigidly-defined for about a decade. There was no real attempt at interconnectedness, or any attempt to vary the form of the levels or level progression. They're too retro for their own good; the graphical quality has evolved, but not what the graphics represent, or indeed anything else. The NSMB2 screenshots at present, mysterious gold effect aside, scream "playing it safe." Been there, done that! I respect the idea behind having a simple and accessible premise, but they've done that several times in the past few years now. I'd really like to see them start interrogating their own formula a bit, beyond just "oh look, World 8 was only half of World 8 again."

[Marcello]

I don't get why NSMB 2 has worse graphics than Wii. The 3DS had proved it can do graphics just as good as the Wii and NSMB Wii wasn't exactly great looking, so it really makes no sense.

[Conando]

Like I mentioned, the New Super Mario Brothers seems to be something like Nintendo's Madden, Call of Duty, whatever. Something Nintendo rolls out to get a lot of money at once, in order to put into other projects. It's sad but, I can see WHY they do it.

[Salamander]

Still, it's not as if it would cost them any more money to do, say, a graveyard world instead of another desert world (or, in other words, an uncommon trope rather than one that's completely exhausted). I mean, I'll probably still buy the game and enjoy it, but I won't enjoy it as much as I could have. Maybe I've been spoiled by Super Mario World hacks (granted I haven't seen many which have any idea how to tailor plot to a platformer, which I'm not sure is better than not making the effort to have a story at all).

[JezMM]

I don't get why NSMB 2 has worse graphics than Wii. The 3DS had proved it can do graphics just as good as the Wii and NSMB Wii wasn't exactly great looking, so it really makes no sense.

They're probably keeping things bare-bones because it'll be a downloadable title too.

I'll be okay with all this as long as NSMB2 is a budget title, but even then, while I'll have a satisfying new Mario game to play, it'll always suck that it could have and should have been so much more.

[Salamander]

They're probably keeping things bare-bones because it'll be a downloadable title too.

I'm not sure that adds up - didn't they say all Nintendo 3DS titles would be downloadable from NSMB2 onwards? They can't all be bare-bones budget titles.

Again, though, worth remembering that we're judging this on four screenshots. They aren't promising screenshots, but I am fully prepared to believe that they might have something more interesting in store.

Edited May 29, 2012 by FFWF

[JezMM]

I'm not sure that adds up - didn't they say all Nintendo 3DS titles would be downloadable from NSMB2 onwards? They can't all be bare-bones budget titles.

Did they? I don't remember that being said whatsoever.

[-Robin-]

Now that Nintendoga piqued my curiosity concerning the first scan, I wonder if that actually depicts the first part of the stage. Maybe World 1-1 starts at another Mushroom Kingdom/Toad Town locale - maybe Mario's house? - and actually ends just after the castle. It would explain the coin count and the timer.

And that's just assuming that scan actualy shows World 1-1. Could be in another part of World 1, or in another seperate World. it's unlikely, but it would shake thngs up a bit, and possibly invite a deeper sense of story.

And on a minor personal note, the SMB3's "colored giant blocks with nails on each corner" is my favorite Mario aesthetic. So I'm happy to see them returning once again. <3

Edited May 29, 2012 by Joshua

[Tails spin]

Now that Doga piqued my curiosity concerning the first scan, I wonder if that actually depicts the first part of the stage. Maybe World 1-1 starts at another Mushroom Kingdom/Toad Town locale - maybe Mario's house? - and actually ends just after the castle. It would explain the coin count and the timer.

And that's just assuming that scan actualy shows World 1-1. Could be in another part of World 1, or in another seperate World. it's unlikely, but it would shake thngs up a bit, and possibly invite a deeper sense of story.

All those things can be explained easily. the coin collection is simple returning to the state with those coins along with the raccon tail. The other point that as made which was why was is Mario flying at the begining. It could be the P-wing OR Mario charged the p meter from right to left then recharged the bit that was lost from turning then vuala flying human/raccon.

[Solkia]

That's pretty bad when we're agreeing with destructoid.

[Tails spin]

That's pretty bad when we're agreeing with destructoid.

[Conando]

Did they? I don't remember that being said whatsoever.

[JezMM]

I will agree with destructoid on the visuals but I have to question the level trope. This same thing can apply to Sonic since alot of the tropes are repeated.

[Tails spin]

While that's true, at least they put effort into the aesthetics with Sonic.

Compare the World 1s of the New Super Mario Bros. series to say, Neo Green Hill/Leaf Forest/Sunset Hill of the Sonic Advance series.

I can also see where stuff like this is coming from. I mean how many different paths does Peach's Castle have (Looks at New Super Mario Bros DS, Galaxy 1 and 2, NSMBWii, 3DLand, NSMB2). But like I've said before I can probably overlook that if the level design is platformy and interesting.

[Nintendoga]

Why are we comparing this to Sonic?

[Tails spin]

Why are we comparing this to Sonic?

Not to sound like a prick but have you read what JezMM and I have been discussing to understand why sonic is in this.

[Nintendoga]

I have, Sonic came out of nowhere, my question still remains.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

They are both platformers? They both use certain tropes more frequently then others? Some people still compare the two because in some peoples' minds, they are still rivals?...

I truthfuly dunno, I'm just scattershotting ideas.

[JezMM]

I have, Sonic came out of nowhere, my question still remains.

[Tails spin]

I was simply suggesting an example of a franchise that manages to reuse the same level tropes over and over while still giving each usage a unique visual flair (unlike the NSMB series which more or less seems like every game had the exact same concept art but handed to different art teams who each just put their own little vague spin on it).

And of course it'd make the most sense to compare it to the platformer franchise that I can probably assume everyone on this board has played at some point.

[Marcello]

What Sonic does is completely different, though. the NSMB series takes the same levels in the same order and repeats them. Sonic takes the same tropes is all.

[JezMM]

What Sonic does is completely different, though. the NSMB series takes the same levels in the same order and repeats them. Sonic takes the same tropes is all.

Well indeed it does. I was simply saying unique new visuals is something the Mario series could benefit from. Thankfully Mario games have such strong unique level designs they get away with it but that's no reason to not celebrate that creativity by making the visuals just as unique and striking with each new game.