New Super Mario Bros 2

3 cert, Nintendo, Nintendo

3DS Mario is one of those franchises that has stood the test of time. Okay, there may be one or two titles that don’t quite hit the mark, but as long as you have Mario, some mushrooms and Princess Peach, you’ll usually get a decent game.

The new version to hit the Nintendo DS is no exception, a side-scrolling platformer that we’ve come to know and love from our favourite Italian plumbers. Although the main aim is to rescue Princess Peach (again) from Bowser and the Koopalings, the emphasis is clearly on the gold.

The are new power ups. A gold flower turns Mario golden and gives him the ability to shoot fireballs that turn enemies and blocks into coins. There’s an ability to turn the coin blocks into a gold block that Mario can “wear” and generate coins as he runs. And the gold ring that, if you navigate it correctly, will turn all the enemies onscreen into gold- spewing versions. There’s also the challenge of collecting one million gold coins, and coin-rush mode that tasks you with collecting as many coins on a single life as you can.

The Tanooki suit makes a comeback as well, as much of a reward for failing repeatedly on a level as it is a helping hand.

If you’re looking to criticise New Super Mario Bros 2, there aren’t any big surprise for longtime players. Sure, the new power-ups are great, but otherwise there’s nothing ground-breaking here.

It’s also a bit short (you can play through in about six hours), but for replay value you can go back to try to find all the collectibles dotted through the levels.

All in all, the game certainly sticks to the tried and tested Mario formula: fun, fast and entertaining.