You remember the sound. That specific, slightly compressed ding when Luigi deals the cards. If you owned a Nintendo DS in 2006, you weren’t just playing a platformer; you were probably losing your mind trying to find Yoshi in a crowd or accidentally gambling away your virtual coins in a pixelated basement. New Super Mario Bros mini games weren't just filler content. They were a bizarre, touch-screen-heavy fever dream that bridged the gap between the N64 era and the modern "New Soup" style we see today.
Honestly, it’s kinda weird how Nintendo just stopped doing this. Most of these games were actually ports from Super Mario 64 DS, but they felt so much more "at home" on the dual screens of the original DS. You’ve got categories like Action, Puzzle, Table, and Variety. It was basically a mini Mario Party tucked inside a mainline Mario game for free. No extra DLC. No microtransactions. Just you, a stylus, and a very suspicious-looking Luigi in a tuxedo.
The Legendary Luigi Casino: Table Games That Hit Different
If we’re being real, the "Table" section is what everyone actually remembers. Specifically, Picture Poker. This wasn't just a game; it was an obsession for a lot of kids. You bet your coins—which you earned by playing other mini games—against Luigi. The goal was simple: get a better hand of Five-of-a-Kind, Full House, or Flushes using Mario-themed cards like Super Mushrooms, Stars, and Luigis.
Luigi was a menace. He’d smile, adjust his hat, and then absolutely wreck your hand with a Four-of-a-Kind. It felt like real gambling, mostly because it was a simplified version of it.
💡 You might also like: How Orc Names in Skyrim Actually Work: It's All About the Bloodline
Why Picture Poker Worked
The mechanics were tactile. You’d tap the cards you wanted to hold and pray the replacement cards weren't duds. There were other table games too, like Memory Match, which was exactly what it sounds like, and Pair-a-Gone, where you cleared cards to reveal a background. But nothing touched the tension of Luigi’s poker table. It’s actually one of the big reasons some parents back then were a little skeptical about the "gambling" aspects, though it was all just for fun and virtual coins.
Wanted! and The Puzzle Games That Melted Brains
Then you had the "Puzzle" category. Wanted! is basically the "Where’s Waldo" of the Mushroom Kingdom. You’re looking at a sea of Yoshis, Luigis, and Warios on the bottom screen, and you have to find the specific character shown on the top screen before the timer runs out.
It starts easy. Then the characters start moving. Then they start zooming in and out. By the time you’re thirty levels in, your eyes are vibrating.
📖 Related: God of War Saga Games: Why the Greek Era is Still the Best Part of Kratos’ Story
- Which Wiggler?: You have to identify the exact Wiggler shown on the top screen from a group of sleeping ones below. Touch the wrong one? It wakes up angry, and you lose time.
- Hide and Boo Seek: You rub the touch screen to find Boos in the dark. It’s simple, but man, it really showed off what that resistive touch screen could do (even if we were all scratching our screens to death with those plastic styluses).
- Puzzle Panel: This was a 3x3 or 4x4 grid where you had to flip tiles to match a pattern. It was the kind of game that felt like a logic test you didn't study for.
Action and Variety: Testing Your DS Screen Durability
The "Action" and "Variety" sections were where things got sweaty. Snowball Slalom had you rubbing the screen horizontally as fast as possible to push a giant snowball. I’m pretty sure this single mini game is responsible for 50% of the scratched-up DS screens in existence.
Lakitu Launch was another classic. You’d flick the stylus to launch Spiny eggs into baskets. It was all about the physics. If you didn't have the "flick" down, you were toast.
Then there’s Sort or 'Splode. This one felt like a high-stress job at a bomb factory. You had to drag Bob-ombs to their respective colored zones (red or black). If one stayed in the middle too long, it turned red, hissed, and eventually blew up your entire progress. The music would speed up, your hands would start shaking—it was genuinely intense for a "mini" game.
👉 See also: Florida Pick 5 Midday: Why Most Players Chase the Wrong Patterns
The Multiplayer Mystery
A lot of people forget that New Super Mario Bros mini games actually supported wireless multiplayer. You could play with up to four people using DS Download Play. This meant only one person needed the cartridge. You could compete in Mario’s Slides (drawing lines to guide Mario to a star) or VS Lakitu Launch. It was the perfect "bus ride to school" activity.
Why Did Nintendo Kill the Mini Game Mode?
When New Super Mario Bros. Wii came out, the mini games changed. They moved toward more "Mario Party" style coin-collecting challenges and eventually phased out the touch-centric games entirely. By the time we got to New Super Mario Bros. 2 on 3DS and U on Wii U, the focus shifted to "Coin Rush" modes or "Boost Mode" challenges.
The loss of the "Luigi Casino" felt like the end of an era. The DS version had a specific charm because it felt like a collection of experimental tech demos for the touch screen that just happened to be incredibly fun.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're feeling nostalgic, there are actually a few ways to relive this without digging your old DS out of the attic (though that's still the best way).
- Check your 3DS library: If you have the original DS cartridge, it plays perfectly on the 3DS. The circle pad makes some of the "Action" games a bit easier, but you still need the stylus for the Table games.
- Look for Fan Remakes: There are actually fan-made versions of Picture Poker available on browsers and mobile. People loved that specific mini game so much they literally rebuilt it from scratch in Unity so they could play it on their phones.
- High Score Hunting: If you do go back to the original, try to break 100 in Wanted!. It’s a rite of passage for any Mario fan.
- Emulation Nuance: If you're using an emulator, make sure you have a setup that supports "mouse as stylus." Playing Snowball Slalom with a mouse is actually a workout for your wrist.
The New Super Mario Bros mini games represent a time when Nintendo was still figuring out what "dual-screen gaming" meant. They were weird, occasionally stressful, and surprisingly deep. Whether you were trying to beat your high score in Sort or 'Splode or just hoping Luigi didn't have another Ace up his sleeve, these games were a core part of the DS experience that we probably won't see in a mainline Mario game ever again.