Nintendo News | New Super Mario Bros. Launches Today

Prepare yourself for an all-new adventure, which will have the waves of nostalgia flowing. Mario makes a welcome return to the Nintendo DS in his first 2D Scrolling game in more than ten years. New Super Mario Bros. launches across Europe exclusively on the Nintendo DS today.

New Super Mario Bros. is the latest in one of Nintendo's most successful franchises to date. The game that first shot Mario to international stardom, Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System, was the most successful game on the console selling over 40.2 million copies worldwide. Already, launched on the 15th May 2006 in the USA, New Super Mario Bros. has also become an overnight success flying off the shelves at a staggering speed. Over the launch period the game sold a breath taking 20 copies every minute in North America alone, with over 500,000 copies sold within 35 days. In addition to this, over 1.25 million copies of NEW Super Mario Bros. were sold in Japan within the first two weeks of launch.

This game features eight huge vivid 2D worlds inspired by those from the classic Mario adventures, but combined with beautifully rendered 3D characters which almost seem to jump out of the screen. Each world has a different theme and features multiple levels, which must be completed before progressing to the next one. In total this game features over 80 levels. Players must master each world's mini fortress and beat a boss character before they can progress onto the next world. Only after defeating all of the bosses will a character be ready to defeat Bowser and save the Princess.

The game also features a host of multiplayer options players can enjoy with up to three friends. Two players can battle it out wirelessly as they compete to collect stars on specially designed stages. In this mode the game continues until one Mario brother reaches the star limit for the stage. Up to four players can also take part in a selection of touch-screen mini-games with only one game cartridge thanks to DS Download Play.

Whether you are an old Mario fan or a newcomer to the series, New Super Mario Bros. will let you experience fun and addictive gaming on the go. New Super Mario Bros. launches across Europe today for the estimated retail price of around