New Super Mario Bros.

New Super Mario Bros. is a side-scrolling game of the Super Mario Bros. series, for the Nintendo DS. It was released in 2006. The game features a solo story mode with Mario and Luigi (who is unlockable when the player presses L and R and selects a file at the same time), a two-player wireless game Mario vs. Luigi, as well as a mini-game mode for up to four players. The multiplayer games support both single-card and multi-card play. The mini-games are mostly the same as those featured in Super Mario 64 DS, with the difference that they do not need to be unlocked here. The game received a sequel called New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Story
Mario or Luigi and Princess Peach were walking together around Peach's Castle, when a mysterious thundercloud (possibly Lakithunder) appeared, and struck the castle with lightning. Mario or Luigi went to investigate, and while he was there, Bowser Jr. snuck up and kidnapped Peach. Mario or Luigi followed, and Bowser Jr. dragged her behind him through eight different worlds.

The end of the first world has Bowser as its boss, unusually. Even more surprising, after Mario presses a switch that destroys the bridge and Bowser falls into the pit of lava, his flesh is burnt off and he becomes a Dry Bones-like version of himself (known as Dry Bowser). Later, at World 8, Mario has to face this undead version of Bowser as the penultimate boss in the game. Dry Bowser falls into a pit, but later at Bowser's Castle, Bowser Jr. somehow finds his father's bones, and he revives him by tossing his remains into a bubbling cauldron of some magic potion, which results in not only Bowser returning from the dead, but growing roughly three times his size.

At the end, Bowser and his son fight Mario together, but Mario defeats them (again), sending the two into yet another pit. After the ending sequence, Bowser Jr. is shown dragging his unconscious father across the castle floor. When he notices the player watching him, he shouts something and then continues on with his task.

Gameplay
New Super Mario Bros. is very much like Super Mario Bros. in terms of gameplay, but new features have been added. One of two control options can be selected in the Options menu: Jumping with A/B and Running with X/Y, or Jumping with A/Y and Running with B/X. Mario or Luigi is controlled with the D-Pad, and the Touch Screen is only required to active the stored item, which is used in the same style as in Super Mario World. When Mario enters a pipe to a secret area, the top screen and the touch screen are switched, and gameplay continues on the touch screen as long as Mario is in that area. In that case, the stored item cannot be activated.

The Wall Jump makes its first appearance in a 2D game since being introduced to 3D Mario games with Super Mario 64. In contrast to the 3D games, Mario has to slide down a wall for a considerable amount of time before being able to jump. This technique lets Mario or Luigi reach new areas by bouncing off the side of any wall or vertical object, and is useful for escaping from a fall down a hole. Mario has the ability to Ground Pound by pressing down when in the air, allowing him to smash blocks downward. There are different power-ups, like the Blue Koopa Shell that lets Mario travel like a kicked Koopa Troopa shell, the Mega Mushroom that makes Mario grow and smash anything in his path (also seen in Super Mario 64 DS), and the Mini Mushroom which causes Mario to shrink to a tiny size. However, some items remain unchanged, such as the Super Mushroom, and the Fire Flower.

The game also features a world map, with different and secret paths (like Super Mario World). Levels are arranged in 8 worlds, which each contain at least one tower and a castle as well as the normal levels. The game's major enemy is Bowser Jr., who appears periodically in battles throughout the game, always in the mid-world towers; the castles harbor different bosses. Alternate paths can be unlocked with Star Coins. There are three coins in each level, usually adding an extra challenge for the player apart from just reaching the goal. Some are in clear sight while others are hidden in pipes, up Beanstalks, and other inconspicuous places. On the world map, signs block paths that require five Star Coins to open. After a player defeats Bowser and Bowser Jr. in Bowser's Castle, a new blue Toad House will appear in World 1. It is a market, and for 20 Star Coins, the player can buy a wallpaper for the bottom screen. The fifth and final background is only available after all of the 40 Star Coin Gates have been opened.

Mario or Luigi only has to go through six of the eight worlds &mdash; the game jumps the player from World 3 to World 5 or World 6 to World 8 automatically. Mario or Luigi must defeat the World 2 and/or World 5 bosses using the Mini Mushroom to instead reach World 4 and World 7, respectively. It is possible to only travel across three worlds if the player uses the large cannons hidden in World 1 and World 5.

Another secret is Challenge Mode. This means the player cannot scroll the screen to the left or downward. To unlock it, go to the map screen (any world) and press START, L, R, L, R, X, X, Y, Y.

Mini-Boss
Bowser Jr.

Bosses
The bosses in this game are:
 * Bowser
 * Mummipokey
 * Cheepskipper
 * Mega Goomba
 * Petey Piranha
 * Monty Tank
 * Lakithunder
 * Dry Bowser
 * Bowser and Bowser Jr (final battle)

Levels=Secrets

 * 1-2= Mushroom House
 * 1st Tower= Cannon
 * 2-3= 2-A=Cannon
 * 2-4= Mushroom House
 * 3-2= 3-B to C
 * 3rd Ghost House=Cannon
 * 4-1= Mushroom House
 * 4th Ghost House= Cannon
 * 5-2= Pipe
 * 5th Ghost House= Cannon
 * 7th Ghost House= Mushroom House
 * 7-4= Mushroom House
 * 7-5= 7-A
 * 7-6= 7-7

(Bold means necessary)

Trivia

 * In the Game Informer Magazine issue #193, in the article labeled The Hardcore Gamer's Guide to the DS, New Super Mario Bros. was featured along with Mario Kart DS and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. However, the picture shown did not show an actual place inside the game! Along with that, the Touch Screen picture depicted three item places and a completely redesigned screen. The screen shot was probably a beta version of the game.

New Super Mario Bros. New Super Mario Bros.