You remember the summer of 2012? Nintendo was in a weird spot. The 3DS had a rocky start, and they needed a win. Enter New Super Mario Bros. 2. It wasn't just another platformer; it was a literal fever dream of greed. Everywhere you looked, there were coins. Thousands of them. It felt less like a quest to save Princess Peach and more like an episode of Extreme Hoarders: Mushroom Kingdom Edition.
Most people dismissed it at the time. "It's just a rehash," they said. "It's too easy," others complained. But looking back from 2026, there is a certain charm to its sheer, unapologetic excess. Honestly, it’s probably the most misunderstood entry in the entire "New" series. It didn't want to redefine platforming. It wanted to make you feel rich.
The One Million Coin Goal: Gimmick or Genius?
Nintendo did something bold—or maybe just desperate—with this one. They set a global goal. Collect one million coins. That sounds like a lot. It is a lot. In any other Mario game, a million coins would take decades of play. Here? You could hit it in a few weeks if you were dedicated.
Basically, the game was built around this number. Every mechanic fed into the hoard.
- The Gold Flower: This transformed Mario into a literal Midas. You’d throw fireballs, and they wouldn't just kill enemies; they’d turn everything into gold. Blocks exploded into a shower of coins.
- Gold Rings: Jump through one, and every enemy on screen turns gold. Koopas leave trails of coins behind them like they’ve got a hole in their pockets.
- The Gold Block: Sometimes, if you hit a block enough, you can wear it on your head. As you run, it just spits out coins. It’s ridiculous. It’s loud. It’s bright.
People hated the reward for getting a million, though. No spoilers, but let’s just say it’s a very... statuesque disappointment. But the journey? That was the point. It changed how you played. You weren't just rushing to the flagpole. You were scouring every corner like a treasure hunter.
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The Secret "Mario Cram School"
Here is a bit of trivia that most fans actually miss. New Super Mario Bros. 2 wasn't made by the "A-team." At the time, Nintendo’s veterans were busy working on the Wii U version. To get the 3DS game done, Takashi Tezuka (a legend who’s worked on Mario since the NES days) set up what he called a "Mario Cram School."
He took developers from other departments—people who had never made a Mario level before—and taught them the ropes. This is why the levels feel a bit different. They have a certain "new blood" energy. You’ve got more "Dash Mario" stages and weird vertical layouts that didn't appear as often in previous games.
The director and art director were the only ones with deep 2D Mario experience. Everyone else was learning on the fly. When you play it now, you can almost feel that experimentation. Some levels are masterpieces of flow; others feel like a collection of ideas thrown at a wall. It’s messy in a way Nintendo games rarely are.
Coin Rush: The Game's Secret Weapon
If you find the main game too easy (and let’s be real, it is), Coin Rush is where the actual game lives. It's a "one life" mode. You play three random levels back-to-back. You have a ticking clock. Every second matters.
This mode used StreetPass, which was the 3DS's best feature. You’d walk past someone at a mall, exchange records, and then try to beat their coin count. It turned a casual platformer into a high-stakes arcade game.
The DLC Controversy
Nintendo also used this game to test the waters for paid DLC. It was a big deal back then. They released "Course Packs" for Coin Rush. Some were specifically designed to be "Nerve-Wrack" difficult.
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- Gold Rush Pack: For those who just wanted to see the counter go up.
- Coin Challenge Pack: For the competitive crowd.
- Nerve-Wrack Pack: Pure platforming hell.
- Classic Pack: Remakes of levels from the original NES game and Mario 3.
It’s easy to forget how controversial this was. People were worried Nintendo was going the way of other "greedy" publishers. But in reality, the packs were cheap and actually added real value for the hardcore players who felt the base game was a cakewalk.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
We're currently living in the era of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and the upcoming Switch 2 upgrades, but New Super Mario Bros. 2 still holds a unique space. It was the peak of the "New" aesthetic before it started to feel truly stale.
The 3D effect on the 3DS was also interestingly used. It didn't do much for gameplay, but it made the backgrounds look like a gorgeous, blurry diorama. It felt like playing inside a shoebox.
Honestly, the game is sort of a satire of itself. Mario is usually the hero, but here, he's a gold-obsessed maniac. Even the title screen changes as you collect more coins. The pile of gold grows. The music is catchy, if a bit recycled. It’s "fast food" gaming. It’s not a five-course meal like Super Mario World, but sometimes you just want a burger.
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How to Get the Most Out of It Today
If you’re digging out your old 3DS or looking to pick this up, don't play it like a normal Mario game. If you just run to the end, you’ll be done in three hours and feel bored.
Try these steps instead:
- Focus on the Gold Flower: Don't just use it to clear the level. Try to see how many "multicoins" you can trigger by hitting multiple enemies at once.
- Unlock the Secret Worlds: There are two entire hidden worlds (Mushroom and Flower). You access them through Warp Cannons. These levels are much better than the standard grass-desert-ice rotation.
- Play Co-op: If you have a friend with a copy, the two-player mode is chaotic. The screen is smaller than a TV, so you’ll constantly be bumping into each other. It’s frustratingly fun.
- Master the Raccoon Leaf: This game brought back the flight mechanic from Mario 3. Use it to find the Star Coins hidden at the very top of levels.
Ultimately, this game wasn't trying to be the best Mario game ever made. It was trying to be a celebration of the most basic Mario mechanic: the coin. It’s loud, it’s yellow, and it’s a lot of fun if you stop taking it so seriously. Grab your 3DS, ignore the princess for a bit, and go get paid.
To see the "true" ending, you'll need to hit that million-coin mark. It’s a grind, but using the "Gold Mushroom Pack" DLC makes it significantly faster if you still have access to the eShop content. Focus on World 6-Castle for the best late-game coin farming without relying on Coin Rush.