Jaquette DS de New Super Mario Bros., Mario et Luigi en plein saut

New Super Mario Bros.: The Grand Return of 2D

1550 words | Reading time : 7 minute(s)

GameNew Super Mario Bros.Nintendo DS

Fifteen years without a side-scrolling 2D Mario — then this smash hit on DS. Released on May 15, 2006 in North America and on June 30 in Europe, New Super Mario Bros. brought the formula back to life in 2.5D. This profile covers its brand-new power-ups — Mega Mushroom, Mini Mushroom, Blue Koopa Shell —, the arrival of Bowser Jr. and Dry Bowser, and its commercial tidal wave.

New Super Mario Bros. — the title is identical in French and in English — is the platformer released in 2006 on Nintendo DS that brought side-scrolling 2D Mario back to life after some fifteen years away. Not to be confused with its sequels on Wii, 3DS or Wii U: this one really is the original, the one that started it all.

Now the best-selling game on the entire Nintendo DS, it ranks among the best-selling video games in history and gave birth to an entire sub-series. Here is the story of the plumber's great comeback.

Contents

The game that revived side-scrolling 2D Mario

Before 2006, the last truly original side-scrolling 2D Super Mario platformer in the main series dated back to Super Mario World (1990). For some fifteen years, Nintendo had shifted its mascot into 3D with Super Mario 64 then Super Mario Sunshine, leaving the side-scrolling format dormant (re-releases aside).

With this entry, Nintendo goes back to classic side-scrolling: run to the right, stomp Goombas, smash blocks and aim for the flagpole at the end of the level. The word "New" in the title states the intent plainly — modernize the original formula with 2.5D visuals, characters modelled in 3D set against scrolling scenery.

The result won players over instantly, with the DS and its two screens making the perfect showcase for a Mario that is both nostalgic and brand new. It is this game, and not its sequels, that reopened the door for 2D platforming.

Release dates and a commercial tidal wave

New Super Mario Bros. launched first in North America on May 15, 2006, then in Japan on May 25, 2006, before reaching Europe on June 30, 2006. The game was developed and published by Nintendo.

On the sales side, the numbers are dizzying: roughly 30.8 million copies sold, making it the best-selling game on the entire Nintendo DS — a console hardly short of hits.

That figure places it among the best-selling video games of all time, across every platform. For Nintendo, it was proof that players still wanted 2D Mario — a signal that would shape the strategy of the years that followed.

Mega Mushroom, Mini Mushroom and Blue Shell

Beyond the great classics such as the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower and the Star, the game introduces brand-new power-ups that would become icons in their own right:

  • The Mega Mushroom turns Mario into a giant who destroys everything in his path — enemies, blocks, Warp Pipes and even the flagpole at the end of the level.
  • The Mini Mushroom shrinks Mario down to a tiny size: he slips into secret passages, jumps higher and can even run on water.
  • The Blue Koopa Shell, which he can carry around, lets Mario duck inside and slide along like a shell to sweep enemies away.

These three additions bring a gust of fresh air to the mechanics and make brilliant use of levels riddled with secrets, since several hidden exits open only when you have the right power-up in hand.

A giant Mega Mushroom, red with white spots, on a light background
The Mega Mushroom turns Mario into a colossus who plows through the scenery without slowing down.

Bowser Jr., Dry Bowser and the rescue of Peach

The story wastes no time: Bowser Jr. takes advantage of an attack on the castle to kidnap Princess Peach. Mario sets off after him at once, across eight worlds.

The first showdown with Bowser holds a surprise: plunged into the lava, the king of the Koopas sees his flesh burn away and rises again in the form of Dry Bowser ("Bowser Skelet" in French), a rack of bones every bit as menacing as the original.

For the final battle, Bowser Jr. brings his father back to life by gathering up his bones, delivering a closing duel against a fully restored Bowser. A simple plot, but a devastatingly effective one, true to the spirit of the series.

Mario vs. Luigi and the touch-screen minigames

New Super Mario Bros. is not just a solo adventure. Its competitive multiplayer mode "Mario vs. Luigi" pits two players against each other, racing to collect as many Big Stars as possible on dedicated stages.

The game also inherits the touch-screen minigames from Super Mario 64 DS, reworked graphically and rounded out with new challenges built around the console's touch screen. Plenty to keep the experience going long after the main mode is over.

Finally, the adventure is built around eight worlds, an oddity, since it is the only "New" entry that does not have nine. Every world hides alternate exits and Star Coins waiting to be found.

Icy minigame screen pitting Mario against Luigi
The Mario vs. Luigi minigames built the DS entry's multiplayer reputation.

The launch of the whole 'New' sub-series

The 2006 triumph had offspring. This game officially launched an entire sub-series, carried on by New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009), New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS, 2012) and New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U, 2012).

Every sequel reused the recipe — 2.5D, inventive power-ups and multiplayer — while adding simultaneous play for several people. But it all really starts with the DS entry, the true cornerstone.

A word on the lore: here it is Bowser Jr. alone who backs up his father, not the Koopalings. The identity of the mother of Bowser's children remains an unsettled mystery — Shigeru Miyamoto has denied that the Koopalings are Bowser's children, and while Bowser Jr. certainly is his son, Nintendo has never revealed who his mother is. A debate fans keep alive to this day.

New Super Mario Bros. at a glance

Full title New Super Mario Bros.
Console Nintendo DS
Release (North America) May 15, 2006
Release (Europe) June 30, 2006
Developer / Publisher Nintendo
Genre Side-scrolling 2D platformer (2.5D)
Number of worlds 8
Sales ~30.8 million (best-selling DS game)

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FAQ

  • Which console was New Super Mario Bros. released on?
    On Nintendo DS, in 2006. It arrived on May 15 in North America, May 25 in Japan and June 30 in Europe. It is the original entry in the sub-series, separate from the Wii, 3DS and Wii U versions.
  • What are the game's new power-ups?
    The Mega Mushroom, which makes Mario giant and destructive, and the Mini Mushroom, which makes him tiny and lets him run on water. The carryable Blue Koopa Shell also shows up, alongside the classic Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and Star.
  • Who kidnaps Princess Peach?
    It is Bowser Jr. who kidnaps Princess Peach at the start of the adventure. Mario chases him across eight worlds. Bowser, beaten a first time, comes back as Dry Bowser before being revived for the final fight.
  • How many copies did the game sell?
    Around 30.8 million copies, making it the best-selling game on the entire Nintendo DS and one of the best-selling video games of all time, across every platform.
  • Is New Super Mario Bros. on DS the same as the Wii or U versions?
    No. The 2006 Nintendo DS game is the original that relaunched 2D Mario. The Wii (2009), 2 (3DS, 2012) and U (Wii U, 2012) entries are sequels, released after it and offering simultaneous multiplayer.

The whole saga

From Donkey Kong in 1981 to the Switch episodes: our guide retraces the whole Mario saga, console by console.

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