New Super Mario Bros. U

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. U

Today, let's cover the . . . technical last of the "New" series, depending on how you want to count the 3D series. I am including them in the same section, though one could make an argument they are a different series. Please note: I will not be including content from New Super Luigi U or New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. All remakes, re-releases, and special editions will be covered in their own section. Sadly, this probably means I won't be able to include a character I was hoping would be added this time, as I still don't have enough to build a character on. (Said character is Nabbit).

New Super Mario Bros. U follows after the trend of its prequel successor with Mario, Luigi, Buckenberry, and Alagold acting as our four playable characters, and with a who's who of Bowser's forces all coming out to play, including Bowser, Bowser Jr., Kamek, the Koopalings, and even Boom Boom get in on the action this time. Mario, Luigi, and the Toads play much the same as always, with fireballs and invincibility returning, alongside the propeller hat, mini mushroom, ice flower, and with a brand new flying squirrel suit as the game's resident fursuit. They can also carry around Baby Yoshis, who don't seem to move around much on their own, but can glow, inflate like a balloon, swallow enemies, and catch enemies in bubbles.

Princess Peach is mostly just held captive as per usual this time around, while Yoshi does his standard flutter jump and eating enemies. Another supporting character, Nabbit, appears, stealing Toads or treasure and running off with them, making the heroes chase him around various stages. He doesn't seem to do much but run so far, so I'm going to have to wait and see him in action in other games before I decide to include him in the roster.

As for our baddies, Bowser has an airship with a giant extendable arm this time around, while his battle features him teaming up with Bowser Jr., while breathing fire, jumping around, charging, spinning around in his giant shell, and breathing meteors. Bowser Jr. fights Mario in several boss battles, almost all in his Klown Kar and supplying much of his current Smash moveset. The Klown Kar has a submarine mode, his famous punching gloves, it can launch Torpedo Teds, he can throw bob-ombs, and it can be used by Mario to slam down. Kamek frequently casts spells to enhance the various boss fights, flies around his broom, and casts the spell that transforms Peach's castle. His own battle features him teleporting around, casting spells, unleashing enemies encased in ice, and sending out a wave of magic.

The Koopalings act as the end of world bosses for each world. Lemmy rolls around on his ball as always, throwing bombs this time. Morton has a giant hammer with which he whacks around Pokey pieces. Larry jumps around casting spells while water jets upward. Wendy skates around on ice, using her magic ring to fight. Iggy walks around on the ceiling and summons a Magmaargh to fight for him. Roy has a bullet bill cannon and will stomp around. And finally, Ludwig creates duplicates of himself while he hops around and casts spells. Just to finish off our bosses, Boom Boom appears a few times, waving his fists around as he runs across the stage, spinning like a tornado, and growing wings to fly.

Returning enemies include: Goombas and their cousins Goombrats, Koopas, Piranha Plants (who use Ptooie, extend their necks, and walk around), Bloopers, Dry Bones, Monty Moles, Hammer Bros (with Fire Bros, Ice Bros, Boomerang Bros, and a Sumo Bro as a boss, slamming with electricity, rather than fire this time), Pokeys, Swoops, Spikes (with Stone variants), Huckit Crabs, Cheep Cheeps, Urchins, Boos, Fishbones, Torpedo Teds, Munchers, Cooligans, Bullet Bills, Buzzy Beetles, Thwomps and Thwimps, Mechakoopas (with new Mechacheeps), Bramballs, Amps, Broozers, Scaredy Rats, Para-Beetles, Jellybeams, Bulbers, Wigglers, Fuzzies, Porcupuffers, Bony Beetles, Chain Chomps, Spike Tops, Lakitus and Spinies, Foos, Rocky Wrenches, Magmaarghs, and Flame Chomps.

The only truly new enemies include Waddlewings, little flying squirrels who seem only to exist to justify the Flying Squirrel suit (though fursuits never needed to be justified before?), with Dragoneels (another set of ginormous eels inhabiting the waters of the Mushroom Kingdom), and Flipruses, walruses who throw large snowballs.

New Super Mario Bros. U is in many ways very similar to its predecessors, though it does introduce a distinct new aesthetic that is all its own, everything having a slight tilt to it. Our worlds are made up of: Acorn Plains, a grassland that also features a giant tree from which came the acorns that supply the fursuits; Layer Cake Desert, a desert seemingly made of cake; Sparkling Waters, a beach level; Frosted Glacier, a snowland level; Soda Jungle, a rather toxic-seeming jungle; Rock Candy Mine, a mountainous level; Meringue Clouds, a sky level; and Peach's Castle, which has been transformed by Kamek into more of a Bowser's Castle type level. A special world, Superstar Road, is also included, featuring several random types of stages.

The Super Acorn, and I suppose Baby Yoshis, join all previously included items.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Mario: run, jump, fireballs, invincibility, get mini, grow gigantic, Koopa shell armor, ice balls, penguin suit, propeller hat, raccoon tail, gold flower, gold box, flying squirrel suit, Baby Yoshi
Luigi: run, jump, fireballs, invincibility, get mini, grow gigantic, Koopa shell armor, ice balls, penguin suit, propeller hat, fox tail, gold flower, gold box, flying squirrel suit, Baby Yoshi
Toad: run, jump, fireballs, invincibility, get mini, ice balls, penguin suit, propeller hat, give items, flying squirrel suit, Baby Yoshi
Princess Peach: not much
Yoshi: run, flutter jump, eat enemies and fruit, breathe fire
Baby Yoshi: eat enemies, bubbles, inflate, glow
Toadsworth: give items, cast spells
Bowser: jump, breathe fire, charge, blue fireball, fan of fire, grow gigantic, destroy platforms, spin in shell, breathe meteors, airship, extendable arm
Dry Bowser: jump, breathe fire, charge, throw bones, grow gigantic, destroy platforms
Bowser Jr.: grab, charge, tuck in shell, jump, throw Koopa shells, ride Klown Kar, Airship, breathe fire, fire cannonbombs, submarine, punching gloves, Torpedo Ted, throw bob-ombs, slam down
Larry: tuck in shell, jump, cast spell, moving platforms, Klown Kar, flash, water jets
Roy: cast spells, tuck in shell, pipes, charge, Klown Kar, flash, bullet bill cannon, slam
Lemmy: ride ball, create balls, Klown Kar, flash, bombs
Wendy: create ring, jump, tuck in shell, raise water, summon Cheep Cheeps, Klown Kar, flash, ice skate
Iggy: cast spells, pulled by Chain Chomp, Klown Kar, flash, walk on ceiling, Magmaargh
Morton: slam down, spike balls, tuck in shell, create spike balls, Klown Kar, flash, hammer, Pokey pieces
Ludwig: float, jump, cast spells, dangle, Klown Kar, flash, doubles
Kamek: cast magic, broomstick, teleport, cast transformation spells, frozen enemies, dark cloud
Petey Piranha: fly, hop, divebomb
Boom Boom: swing fists, run around, spin, fly with wings
Goomba: walk forward, fly, stack up, skeleton
Koopa: walk, tuck in shell, fly
Piranha Plant: rise, chomp, breathe fire, extend neck, walk around, ptooie, skeleton
Dry Bones: walk, fall apart
Lakitu: float around, throw Spinies, lightning
Hammer Bro: throw hammers, boomerangs, fire, jump around, slam down, ice, stomp, electricity
Blooper: dart up
Boo: hide face, float around, puff up, Obake candlesticks, Obake blocks
Monty Mole: drive tank, fire bullet bills, throw Bob-Ombs, pop from ground
Tentative - Spike: cough up spikeballs, snowballs, rocks; Nabbit: run, steal things

Bosses:
Mummipokey
Cheepskipper
Mega Goomba
Monty Tank
Lakithunder
Reznor?

Stages:
World 1 - Grassland
World 2 - Desert
World 3 - Beach
World 4 - Jungle
World 5 - Snowland
World 6 - Mountains
World 7 - Sky
World 8 - Lava Land
Ghost House
Bowser's Castle
World 1 - Grassland
World 2 - Desert
World 3 - Snowland
World 4 - Beach
World 5 - Jungle
World 6 - Mountains
World 7 - Sky
World 8 - Lava Land
World 1 - Grassland
World 2 - Desert
World 3 - Beach
World 4 - Snowland
World 5 - Sky
World 6 - Lava Land
Acorn Plains
Layer Cake Desert
Sparkling Waters
Frosted Glacier
Soda Jungle
Rock Candy Mine
Meringue Clouds
Peach's Castle
Superstar Road

Items:
Fire Flower
Super Mushroom
Starman
Blue Shell
Mini Mushroom
Mega Mushroom
Life Mushroom
Ice Flower
Propeller Hat
Penguin Suit
Raccoon Leaf
Gold Flower
Gold Block
Coins
Super Acorn

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll be covering New Super Mario Bros. 2!