Introduction
New Super Mario Bros. launched for the Nintendo DS in North America on May 15, 2006, developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo.
The title marked a major return to side-scrolling Mario platforming for a mainstream audience and established a new sub-series that would later expand to the Wii, 3DS and Wii U.
Two decades on, the DS release is remembered for blending classic 2D platforming with modern touches borrowed from 3D Mario games.
Why it mattered in 2006
At release, New Super Mario Bros. provided what many players described as a genuinely fresh return to classic Mario gameplay.
It was the first original side-scrolling Mario entry in over a decade, following Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995).
That gap made New Super Mario Bros. a notable event for longtime Nintendo fans and newcomers discovering Mario on the DS.
Gameplay innovations and features
New Super Mario Bros. combined familiar power-ups with new mechanics.
Classic items returned alongside the then-new Mega Mushroom, a standout novelty that dramatically enlarged Mario and cleared enemies in a single swipe.
Movement options such as double and triple jumps, plus abilities like rope swinging and wire tiptoeing, allowed designers to craft more varied stages that echoed both 2D and 3D Mario sensibilities.
The game was frequently described as 2.5D for its mix of traditional platforming and modern movement.
Multiplayer and portability
The DS release supported local wireless co-op and competitive play, including minigames for up to four players.
Notably, New Super Mario Bros. featured single-cartridge download play, allowing multiple players to access portions of the game without each owning a copy.
That feature reinforced the DS’s social strengths and broadened the title's appeal among friends and families.
Commercial performance and legacy
New Super Mario Bros. became the Nintendo DS's best-selling title.
By March 31, 2016, the game had sold 30.8 million units worldwide, a figure that placed it ahead of other top DS sellers such as Nintendogs.
The game's success spawned follow-ups including New Super Mario Bros.
Wii (2009), New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS (2012) and New Super Mario Bros.
U (2012), cementing the 'New' series as an enduring strand of Mario platforming.
Rewritten perspective
A contemporary reflection might say: at the time of release, New Super Mario Bros. truly felt like a new direction for Mario platforming—refreshing the core 2D formula while laying groundwork for a sub-series that carried those ideas across Nintendo platforms.
New Super Mario Bros. launched for the Nintendo DS in North America on May 15, 2006, developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo.
The title marked a major return to side-scrolling Mario platforming for a mainstream audience and established a new sub-series that would later expand to the Wii, 3DS and Wii U.
Two decades on, the DS release is remembered for blending classic 2D platforming with modern touches borrowed from 3D Mario games.
Why it mattered in 2006
At release, New Super Mario Bros. provided what many players described as a genuinely fresh return to classic Mario gameplay.
It was the first original side-scrolling Mario entry in over a decade, following Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995).
That gap made New Super Mario Bros. a notable event for longtime Nintendo fans and newcomers discovering Mario on the DS.
Gameplay innovations and features
New Super Mario Bros. combined familiar power-ups with new mechanics.
Classic items returned alongside the then-new Mega Mushroom, a standout novelty that dramatically enlarged Mario and cleared enemies in a single swipe.
Movement options such as double and triple jumps, plus abilities like rope swinging and wire tiptoeing, allowed designers to craft more varied stages that echoed both 2D and 3D Mario sensibilities.
The game was frequently described as 2.5D for its mix of traditional platforming and modern movement.
Multiplayer and portability
The DS release supported local wireless co-op and competitive play, including minigames for up to four players.
Notably, New Super Mario Bros. featured single-cartridge download play, allowing multiple players to access portions of the game without each owning a copy.
That feature reinforced the DS’s social strengths and broadened the title's appeal among friends and families.
Commercial performance and legacy
New Super Mario Bros. became the Nintendo DS's best-selling title.
By March 31, 2016, the game had sold 30.8 million units worldwide, a figure that placed it ahead of other top DS sellers such as Nintendogs.
The game's success spawned follow-ups including New Super Mario Bros.
Wii (2009), New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS (2012) and New Super Mario Bros.
U (2012), cementing the 'New' series as an enduring strand of Mario platforming.
Rewritten perspective
A contemporary reflection might say: at the time of release, New Super Mario Bros. truly felt like a new direction for Mario platforming—refreshing the core 2D formula while laying groundwork for a sub-series that carried those ideas across Nintendo platforms.
