Buying guide
New Super Mario Bros. — buying the DS, Wii or 3DS version
With New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS, 2006) Mario returned to classic side-on jumping after years of 3D — and it became one of the best-selling DS games ever. The Wii version (2009) added four players in the same levels; New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS, 2012) turned it into a coin hunt. Three games, one name — and the question which one to buy.
The short answer
Playing alone: the DS original. Playing together: the Wii version, up to four at once. Collecting on the go: NSMB 2 on 3DS. Mind the region on two of them — the Wii and the 3DS are region-locked, so a European console takes a PAL copy. Every listing of ours states the region.
The return of 2D Mario
By the mid-2000s a brand-new 2D Mario had been absent for a whole console generation. New Super Mario Bros. brought it back with the Mega Mushroom, the blue shell suit and physics that feel a touch heavier and smoother than the classics — approachable for anyone who never played a Mario, familiar to anyone who grew up with one.
DS, Wii or 3DS?
The DS original is the purest solo experience, with a separate two-player mode — Mario against Luigi — over a wireless link. The Wii version is the party: four players, Yoshis to ride, and the infamous moments where you knock each other into the abyss by accident (or not). NSMB 2 on 3DS is the coin hunt for the road, with a million coins as the goal.
The series closed on the Wii U and Switch with New Super Mario Bros. U and U Deluxe. Whichever you pick, this is the most accessible way into 2D Mario there is — for young and old.
What to check on a used copy
- The region. The Wii and the 3DS are region-locked: the Wii version and NSMB 2 need a PAL copy for a European console. We state the region in every listing.
- The save. DS and 3DS cartridges save to flash memory — no battery to run empty. Save, power off, restart: a genuine cartridge keeps the progress, and we run that test on every copy.
- Which console. A DS cartridge plays on every DS, DSi, 3DS and 2DS; the NSMB 2 cartridge only on a 3DS or 2DS; the Wii version on a Wii.
More for each system: Nintendo DS games, Wii games and 3DS games.
Buy one already tested
Every New Super Mario Bros. we sell — DS, Wii or 3DS — has been play-tested on real hardware, with the region stated and the condition described honestly. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked from the Netherlands to all 27 EU countries — no customs inside the EU.
See New Super Mario Bros. in stockQuestions we get asked
Which New Super Mario Bros. is the best one to start with?
Playing alone, the DS original is the classic. For playing together the Wii version is the winner: up to four players at once in the same levels, dropping in and out whenever you like. NSMB 2 on 3DS is the calmest of the three and is built around collecting coins.
Can you play New Super Mario Bros. on the DS with more than one player?
The DS game has a separate two-player mode (Mario against Luigi) over a wireless link. Real co-op through the levels only arrived with the Wii version, which handles up to four players at once.
Does a DS copy work on a 3DS or 2DS?
Yes. DS cartridges play on the whole DS, DSi, 3DS and 2DS family. The 3DS cartridge of NSMB 2 works only on a 3DS or 2DS.
Will an American copy work on my European console?
It depends on the version. The Wii and the 3DS are region-locked, so the Wii version and NSMB 2 need a PAL copy for a European console. We state the region in every listing so you know it plays.
Is there a battery inside that can run empty?
No. DS and 3DS cartridges save to flash memory, so your progress keeps without a battery — unlike the Game Boy and GBA generations. The save test we run on every cartridge doubles as an authenticity check.
What came after New Super Mario Bros. 2?
The series closed with New Super Mario Bros. U on the Wii U and its Switch re-release, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. The three games on this page are the DS, Wii and 3DS entries — the ones that made the series one of the most accessible ways into 2D Mario, for young and old.
Where it fits in the series: all Mario games in order — the 3D beginning, Super Mario 64, has its own guide, and all Mario games are on the shelf.
Dutch reader? New Super Mario Bros kopen — dezelfde gids in het Nederlands.
