The world of Mario is stirring up quite a bit, lately. Today, Nintendo announced New Super Mario Bros. 2, which surprisingly, has me really excited. I think we can all agree that the New Super Mario Bros. series lacks some of the magic or charm or something you can't just quite put your finger on that other Mario games are known for. So at last E3, when Nintendo showed New Super Mario Bros. Mii and earlier in the year when they announced that a new 2D Mario adventure was coming to 3DS, I wasn't actually very excited. New Super Mario Bros. Mii looked like New Super Mario Bros. Wii HD and the existence of a 2D Mario game on 3DS (likely in the "New" series) was brought up around when Super Mario 3D Land came out. Super Mario 3D Land already feels like a 2D Mario more than a 3D one and that made me feel a little "Mario'd out" at the time. The only other time I was feeling like this was when Super Mario Galaxy 2 was announced and I had just been playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii! Before I go on, don't get me wrong, I love all of these games (especially the Galaxy series and 3D Land) and that's what I'm here to say right now, I'm not feeling all Mario'd out! I say, bring it on!
I have a Nintendo Power poster like this...
Nintendo seems to be kicking their main mascot into high gear, lately. Sure, over the years each Nintendo system sees a smorgasbord of Mario Sports, Party, and other spinoff titles, but lately, they've been making more main series platformers again. Let's break it down.

The home console Mario started on, the NES, had Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3. Three Mario games would prove to be a lot as Nintendo went onward.

The portable Mario started on, The Game Boy, saw Super Mario Land, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, and technically Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, but that's really a Wario game. That leaves the GB with just two Mario games.

The SNES had Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars, and (let's not count) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. That's also two for SNES, if you don't count Yoshi's Island, which isn't a Mario game.

The Game Boy Color had just Super Mario Bros. Deluxe.

The Nintendo 64 launched with Super Mario 64 and wouldn't see another Mario platformer ever again.

The Game Boy Advance had a few remakes, Super Mario Advance (Super Mario Bros. 2), Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World, and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. We'll count them as three main series games.

The Game Cube had just one in it's entire life span as well, Super Mario Sunshine.

The Nintendo DS saw two games, Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros.

And finally, the Wii had an unprecedented (since NES) three all original Mario platformers in the forms of Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Super Mario Galaxy.
So, moving forward, it looks like Nintendo's putting a stronger emphasis on the plumber's main adventures and while at times it seems overwhelming, right now I'm embracing it.

Within the first year of it's release, the Nintendo 3DS has already seen it's first entry in the form of Super Mario 3D Land. This game is great, in fact, I swapped my copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D out for it so I could continue trying to 100% it yesterday and plan on playing more today. It's an incredibly fun game (and I wonder if it will ever be a part of Nintendo's DLC program...). That said, it does feel more like a 2D Mario game than a 3D one to me. Now they've announced New Super Mario Bros. 2 and I actually can't wait, despite thinking I wouldn't be very excited... but I'm not entirely sure Nintendo will handle it perfectly...

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Now, I'm not saying this could end up being a bad game... that's damn near impossible. Nintendo makes good games. They've proven they can make great Mario games (New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are proof alone of this) but that's what I'm afraid of. It's the "New" series especially where I feel like Nintendo tends to rest on it's (admittedly good) laurels. This could end up being just a sequel to New Super Mario Bros. It could feel like it's missing that something like every other game in the "New" series. Worse yet, though, it could drop innovations like co-op from the Wii version and fail to innovate in it's own right.
Co-op
I have to admit, I didn't play New Super Mario Bros. Wii's co-op all that much and I don't believe I've ever played more than 2-player (I only have two remotes) and a lot of this is to do with the omission of online play. Nintendo wanted to bring people together to play in the same house, on the same TV, and I get that and all. It's just that it wouldn't hurt to give us the option. If someone else in my house wants to play, great, we'll play on the same console. If I want to play with a friend that doesn't live with me or maybe even doesn't live anywhere near me, we can't do that without being in the same house. It's all about options, and I don't know why that option wasn't included.
Now, not only do I really hope New Super Mario Bros. 2 includes the multiplayer feature from Wii (maybe only the console entries in the "New" series will do this, who knows) but it had better have online. All multiplayer is wireless on 3DS anyway, so why make people sit in the same room with their 3DS' playing multiplayer. 3DS can handle this and definitely should have it, I'd play as much of co-op as I could if it did!
Other innovations...
This, I don't know. I just want it to feel like so much more than the past entries in the "New" series! I want them to add in a lot more, a bunch of power ups, some really cool worlds (maybe a Galaxy themed one, that could be like a 2D Mario Galaxy, those levels would be CRAZY)! I just don't want this one to have that slightly stale feeling (especially when looked back upon) like the past "New" games do.
And hopefully this second Mario won't be the last we see on this amazing handheld - I'm still holding out for an eventual full 3D Mario game prefferably in the style of Super Mario 64 (direct sequel, please!) or Sunshine, or the Galaxy series!

During the big reveal of WiiU last year, one of the game demos that was shown off was New Super Mario Bros. Mii. Granted, we've seen very little, but it doesn't look to be very interesting. Visually it looks like the Wii version in HD. Premise-wise, all we know is that you can play as your Mii. That's a fun little idea, but doesn't change very much about the game at all. Again, I want this game to have online co-op and to broaden the scope more than previous titles. Recently, it was revealed that this game will be shown again at this E3, let's hope it has some new tricks up it's sleeve since we saw it last year.
Super Mario 4
And of course, what's all this about Super Mario 4? Nintendo registered the website domain for SuperMario4.com. This could just be them protecting their IP but... what if it's more?
What's weird is that there's no numbered "Super Mario" series; it's odd that it's not Super Mario Bros. 4! Number wise, it only makes sense that it would be continuing from Super Mario Bros. 3, though. I'm hoping for a classic 2D sidescrolling Mario but with new hand drawn, HD graphics on Wii U. Think of the sprites and artwork from Wario Land: Shake It!! but in a Mario game. This would looks amazing.
Otherwise, games with "Super Mario ____" are the traditional 3D games in the series. "Super Mario" 64. "Super Mario" Sunshine. "Super Mario" Galaxy (one and 2). So perhaps it's a game more like this and the four means something different than a numbered sequel; highly doubtful, but possible.
New Super Mario Bros. Mii
This is the game that I'm least excited for. It could be a fun launch title, and will undoubtedly be a good game all around but it just looks plain. The multiplayer needs to be online this time, that's all I'm going to say. New Super Mario Bros. 2 definitely has me more excited so far, though, as it seems more interesting from what we've seen and I think this type of Mario game lends itself well to a portable.
I'm sure I'll buy and love this game, too, it's just they're going to need to show us more at this E3 for me to really be excited for it.
Honestly, I don't like the idea of two New Super Mario Bros. games coming out in the same year, but once again, I will get them and enjoy them. I'm much more excited for New Super Mario Bros. 2 but it's a proven fact; it's a safe bet that these games will both be good. And while I'd much rather wait and get a full 3D Mario on WiiU (or 3DS for that matter), that's kind of irrelevant, because we will get at least one full 3D Mario on that system. Without a doubt that game will blow our socks off, but I'm giving New Super Mario Bros. Mii a chance, too. I'm hoping 3DS gets its real 3D Mario game, too, but you can guarantee it on WiiU and that game will excite me more than either of these. Those games are just magical, while these are mostly just fun.
As far as whether or not this is a good decision on Nintendo's part, I think with little doubt that it is. The "New" series sells ridiculously well and is a great way to jump start both systems before they launch other, more technically impressive WiiU titles to garner the hardcore excitement. Sales-wise, launching a console with a New Super Mario Bros. game would be one of the best decisions they've made from a business stand point in a while!

Currently playing: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PS3), Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
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