Celebrating a Decade of Platforming Magic

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe arrived on Nintendo Switch on January 11, 2019. Notably, this was exactly ten years after the original New Super Mario Bros. Wii debuted in 2009, and it released just days after Nintendo’s Winter 2019 Direct, where fans got their first glimpse of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Moreover, its launch coincided with the 34th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise, thereby marking another milestone in Mario’s storied history.

Storyline

At its core, NSMBU Deluxe follows a classic rescue narrative. Bowser Jr. has kidnapped Princess Peach once more, scattering the Mushroom Kingdom’s denizens across eight worlds. In this edition, Nabbit and Toadette become playable heroes, each offering unique bounce mechanics and power‑up interactions. While the plot offers little in the way of twists, the charm lies in revisiting iconic level themes—grasslands, deserts, ice worlds, and dragon‑infested castles—with refined level design.

Gameplay Mechanics

  • Core Platforming
    • You’ll notice tight controls, precision jumps, wall‑kicks, and spin attacks return seamlessly, laying a solid foundation for every run.
  • Character Abilities
    • Additionally, Nabbit is immune to enemy damage, making him ideal for newcomers, whereas Toadette, after claiming the Super Crown, transforms into Peachette with a handy double jump and brief glide.
  • Multiplayer Chaos
    • Meanwhile, up to four players can drop in at any time, fostering both cooperative pushes and occasional friendly fire; conversely, veteran groups often employ turn‑based tactics to optimize coin collection and power‑up usage.
  • Challenge Modes
    • Furthermore, Boost Rush (a time‑attack coin frenzy) and a revamped Luigi mode add substantial replay value for hardcore gamers aiming for leaderboard glory.

Visuals & Audio

  • Graphics: HD polish on classic sprite work, with vibrant color palettes and dynamic background animations. Importantly, the frame rate remains locked at 60 FPS in handheld and docked modes.
  • Soundtrack: Orchestrated remixes of Koji Kondo’s themes, interspersed with upbeat 8‑bit callbacks. While the sound effects are crisp and nostalgic, some audiophiles note slight compression on handheld speakers.

Community Feedback & Rating

On aggregate, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe holds an overall rating of 4.2/5. Specifically, user reviews highlight:

  • Strengths: “Superb level design,” “Polished jump physics,” “Family-friendly multiplayer.”
  • Weaknesses: “Lacks bold innovations compared to earlier titles,” “Short single-player campaign,” “Minimal use of Switch hardware features (no HD Rumble or gyro aiming).”

Overall, many veteran players praise the game’s approachability and perfected mechanics, while competitive speed-runners have already charted every inch of level geometry in search of frame-perfect tricks.

Industry Impact

Releasing a Wii U game on Switch, Nintendo not only expanded Mario’s audience. It also showed how useful it is to bring top games to its growing hybrid console. Because of this, NSMBU Deluxe created a clear path for future remakes, proving that a few small updates and new characters can give old games new life and boost sales.

Conclusion

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe really shines as an almost‑perfect platform game that mixes old charm with modern polish. It may not introduce totally new ideas, but its smooth controls, well‑designed levels, and the community’s speed‑run focus make it a must‑own for families and serious gamers seeking precise platforming at its best.

Add New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe to your Nintendo Switch collection!