New Super Mario Bros 2: The Plumber's New Job?
Will the game's coin lust strike gold for Nintendo?
Nintendo's upcoming New Super Mario Bros 2 is the thirteenth game in the Super Mario series but will the infamous association of that particular number cause the sequel to be unlucky? As in in response, some gamers already have doubts concerning the quality of the game, and the fact that this is the second Mario 3DS adventure in under a year. Could this just be Nintendo trying to squeeze as much money out of Mario fans as possible? Presumably, we will see confirmation in the quality of the game when it is released, but what we know for certain is that it will signal some very noticeable changes of direction for Nintendo's famous, flagship property. Firstly, New Super Mario Bros 2 might actually feature a new and odd career path for the plumber. Because Mario has now become a coin collector like his famous rival Wario. Speaking to developers at the GDC this year, Super Mario 3D Land director Koichi Hayashida said that his son believed the aim of 3D Land was to collect coins. It appears Nintendo have taken these words to heart and this new game has a distinctly golden flavour, and the main objective is to collect a million coins to facilitate "something special" happening. The levels are now gleaming with coins (wish fulfilment in these recessionary times), and our coin-grabbing goomba-stomping hero also has a number of new gold related power-ups, including a variant on the Super Leaf (or Tanooki Feather), a block mask ported from 3D Land, which has you bobbing along with a block dropping coins on your head and the ultra cool Gold Flower, which you use to turn blocks, piranhas and koopas into cash. There is also a brand new financially minded feature: Coin Rush sees you playing special versions of levels from the main game in order to get the most coins and better your StreetPass score, which can then be shared with other players. It wont just be levels from the main game that are utilised in Coin Rush: despite their previous public misgivings, it seems that Nintendo have eaten their caps and made room for downloadable content. Indeed, during a recent Nintendo Direct video conference, it was revealed that you will eventually be able to pay for extra Coin Rush stages. This is just one of the interesting advancements that New Super Mario Bros 2 brings to Nintendos virtual experience. The game will also be the first retail game that can be alternatively downloaded through the eShop, the importance of which can not be overstated and it seems like Nintendo are gearing their upcoming console, the Wii U, to have users downloading the majority of titles. . Finally Nintendo, appear to have now stepped into the internet era. 
But all concerns of new occupations aside, as well as the coin collecting it seems that Mario will stick to his day job. Although Nintendo havent spent much time discussing what is sure to be a highly original plot, it is known that Bowser and Peach will make a return. Bowser, Peach and Mario? What could the plot be?! Bowsers Koopalings - his tortured kids - will also make a comeback as well as the lesser known Reznars - dinosaurs first seen in Super Mario World. And if youre feeling lonely the adventure mode also supports local two player action, which itself of course, begs the age old question: friend or foe? Like in New Super Mario Bros Wii, the second player will have to remain within a certain distance of the first to avoid being encased by a bubble. And who can resist trying to bubble a friend every now and then? As we've already established, New Super Mario Bros 2 focuses mainly on the coins, but will this twist in Marios Tanooki tail be enough to strike gold? Find out on August 17th in Europe, 18th in Australia and 19th in the States, when the game is released.