Before we begin, there’s something you should know about me - my dirty, little gamer secret, if you will. You see… I’m obsessed with game money. Rupees, Gil, Zenny, Bells, Munny - whatever the currency, and no matter how full my digital wallet is, if I run across a bit of game cash, I’ll happily risk life and limb to nab it. So when I discovered the concept behind New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS - to collect as many coins as humanly possible - suffice to say my interest was immediately piqued.
Still, despite the alluring nature of this new Mushroom Kingdom romp, something about the impending release of two “New Super” games in the same year had me rather skeptical. It wasn’t until the other day, when I had a chance to spend some quality time with the game, that I realized New Super 2’s true potential. Now my skepticism has shifted to full-out fear, as I’m somewhat worried that Mario’s latest adventure could turn into a dark, life-consuming obsession… and that I just might love every minute of it.
Mario's new adventure soars.
I began my demo by sampling levels from New Super 2's first three worlds. Ghost houses, castles, Toad Houses - while I've seen some wildly innovative areas in trailers and such, the ones I sampled were all pretty standard New Super fare - and that's not a bad thing. The levels I played were as fun and creative as I've come to expect from the series, and the addition of tons of secrets (more on that in a bit) and some new Power-Ups (the return of the traditional Raccoon Suit is glorious) only add to the enjoyment. But in truth, all that was somewhat to be expected, especially since I'd already played a few early levels at this year's E3. What I was most interested in were the game's two new modes - co-op and Coin Rush.
New Super 2's co-op mode, which I got to play a few levels in, was similar to what we saw in New Super Mario Bros. Wii - in other words, it brings out the absolute worst in people. Rather than working together, the other player and I found ourselves constantly trying to stomp each other to gain control of the screen, stealing power-ups and refusing to let each other out of the the respawn bubble that appears when you die. Much like in New Super Wii, co-op makes the game absolutely insane, especially if you don't communicate and work together (which was definitely the case this time around). Still, despite how frustrating it can be when the other person races ahead, hogs a platform or nabs all the coins, we couldn't help but laugh and smile at the silly antics this mode fostered. While I'm generally not a huge fan of co-op, the fact that it's optional - and that it offers a different, yet still enjoyable way to experience the game - showed me that once again the New Super team has done co-op right.
A friend in need... is a sitting duck.
But as fun as it was, co-op was not the highlight of my play session - not by a long shot. That distinction goes to the brand new Coin Rush mode this game is introducing. One of the most innovative and compelling parts of New Super Mario Bros. 2, Coin Rush tasks you with completing three randomly selected levels with only one life, all the while grabbing as many coins as you can. The fact that your time is severely limited in this mode ups the ante considerably, as it forces you to find the delicate balance between speed running, collecting and seeking out potentially coin-yielding secrets.
This new offering provides ample difficulty for seasoned gamers, pushing your skills to the test in the constant struggle to increase your coin count on any given challenge. It’s thrilling, and manages to capture the heart of old school Super Mario glory with its renewed sense of challenge and exploration. It also forces you to learn and memorize every secret of every level - and trust me, there are plenty. Even just in my limited time playing the game, I ran across a Golden Mushroom that scores you 50 coins, golden enemies that earn you increasingly more coins if you pull off consecutive kills before they return to normal, hidden blocks with vines that take you to coin-filled rooms, secret warp pipes, a Golden Block hat that gives Mario more coins the faster he runs, and much more. Not too shabby, considering I only sampled levels from the game’s first three worlds.
Secrets galore.
Further lending to the frenetic nature of Coin Rush mode is its StreetPass functionality. If enabled, StreetPass allows you to acquire Coin Rush challenges from other New Super players. If you accept a challenge, you’ll be tasked with completing the same set of levels they ran through to see if you can nab more coins than they did. As a devilish twist, you can’t see your friend’s coin count until after you’ve accepted and completed the challenge - only adding to the angst of trying to beat their score. Of course, you can always retry the challenge later, or even favorite it if you like, but that initial mystery of not knowing how well you need to do somehow adds a whole new layer to the Coin Rush excitement.
My journey with New Super Mario Bros. 2 has been a fascinating one so far, ranging from surprising disappointment when it was first announced to mild interest once more was shown off following E3, to where I am now - absolutely dying to jump back into this new Mushroom Kingdom adventure. The coins, the secrets, the challenge, that patented Mario fun - it's all here, and as compelling as ever. Only time will tell if the full game lives up to my now lofty expectations, but for now, I simply can't wait to see what happens when you complete Nintendo's challenge by collecting a million coins. Perhaps I should locate my local chapter of Money Grubbers Anonymous first, though.
Source : feeds.ign.com
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