I too didn't think to highly of the game based on its trailers. I mean it looked like a step above New Super Mario Brothers Wii, but still not an entry that would make much progress at being different. New Super Mario Brothers 2 shocked me in that regard as its coin theme has made a difference in how I go about the levels and has made each very rewarding. I don't recall the last time I enjoyed a new Mario game this much early on. It's a very fun experience, and one that I am glad I invested into.

Oh gawd, you know I hate this music...but...ITS GETTING STUCK IN MY HEAD! xD

This game has absolutely no new music. Wow.

Main reason I hate it, but...its freakin' catchy.

^IKR its my first NSMB game so its rather new for me, my favorite songs so far:

(really like this remix)
anyway, hope some of the DLC maps will be challenging because there was like only 2 levels that was a bit hard for me in the game.

Although I don't have the game, I recently restored my iPod and now the only music I have on it is the NSMB2 soundtrack. Last night I fell asleep to Reznor's theme and I woke up outside laying in a puddle in the street. Needless to say, I'll be sleeping to World 2-3 tonight.

OMG did world 3 suck. Usually I dont mind swimming levels in Mario games but for some reason it felt like I was swimming in molasses. Man did I miss the frog suit in that world. Definitely going to have to go back and do that world again I missed so many coins and so many star coins but I just wanted to get outta of that world. I must have lost about 20 lives in that world. Now it onto World 4 not sure if I should be afraid of that one yet.

Oh and I have to ask when I beat one of the levels the original Mario Bros end level music played and fireworks went off just like in the original. Afterwards a bonus level with a rainbow appeared on the map at the starting point of the world. Is that some random thing or is there a way to trigger it to happen?

Wow, this game was a really pleasant surprise, definetly my favorite in the series and that's saying something since I played the snot out of the first two (including maxing out my score on NSMB)

@Tasuki Minor Spoilers- That's a bonus level you can play, would definetly recommend doing it as you can get a lot of Coins there and maybe even a Gold Flower. You have to trigger them by getting certain numbers twice in a row at the end of your time- for example, 1*66* or 0*11*. I'm not sure which numbers work but I know 1 and 6 so far. It may even be all of them.

The double numbers you need correspond to the world you're playing.
World 1 needs you to finish with 11, World 2 needs 22, and so on.
World Mushroom, Flower and Star are worlds 7, 8 and 9 respectively so they need 77, 88 or 99 seconds on the clock.

I've wondered that too. I was expecting him to come out in the open toward the end of the game, but it didn't happen. It's a strange twist because he was technically the main villain of NSMB and the leader of the Koopalings in NSMBW.

Whatever, I like the Koopalings more.

@Nibelilt: Ah ok thank for the explanation.

I agree I always thought the Koopalings had more personality than Bowser Jr. But maybe thats the retro SMB3 loving part of me talking. I was kinda disappointed that we didnt see them since SMW and was excited to see them return in NSMBW in fact that was one reason I bought it. And as I said before I am really enjoying the Koopalings fights in this game.

Shiny 5 star profile! And I forgot there was a pocket function the entire game, because I had a gold flower since world 1... Now for the million...

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I thought it had to do with your current coin count...
Like, you had 53 coins so the timer has to be like 133 or something.

@Tasuki I hear you about the water levels. Is it just me, or do they seem waaaaay slower in this game? I also feel like there's a ton of them, and they're just terribly boring. They are a bit more fun with a gold flower, but you can't guarantee that this will happen, so they just end up being a chore. While I think this game is better than the original (but not Wii), I think the water levels of the original were a lot better.

After New Super Mario Brothers Wii, knowing the Koopalings were returning for this game did make me feel disappointed before release, but actually experiencing how the Koopalings have been handled in New Super Mario Brothers 2 I love that they are present. I especially enjoy their handling in the World 6 and World Star castles, and during the credit sequence.

I may be in the minority, but I also really enjoy the game's water levels.

I usually hate water levels in Mario, in this game they felt alright. I got jipped on my favorite Forest Levels though... more water.

I really wish the ghost houses would die. There were some really good ones in SMW, but the NSMB games (even 3D Land) have done a terrible job with them and they always end up being more annoying than fun. Also hate the auto-moving-screen levels. Let me go at my own pace, dammit.

It makes the game challenging, lol. Ghost houses were fun and confusing...we need some difficulty here and there sheesh. xD

Agreed, I actually thought the ghost houses in this game were rather easy until the one in World 6.

So agree with you there. And yes that how I pretty much feel about those auto moving levels too. God I hate them.