New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a 2.5D side-scrolling platformer released for the Nintendo Switch on 11 January 2019. It is an enhanced port of New Super Mario Bros. U, originally a Wii U launch title from November 2012, and arrives recognised on Mario Portal as the 22nd mainline entry in the Super Mario series.

The Deluxe edition is much more than a re-release. It bundles in the full New Super Luigi U expansion (a paid DLC pack on Wii U) for a two-games-in-one package totalling over 160 levels, and adds two new playable characters — Toadette (who can transform into the floaty Peachette via the brand-new Super Crown) and Nabbit, the cheerful rabbit thief who takes no damage at all.

It runs at 1080p in TV mode and 720p in handheld (and up to 4K on Switch 2), adds HD rumble support, removes the now-defunct Miiverse and Boost Mode features from the Wii U original, and sharpens the UI for the Switch. The result is the most generous, accessible, and definitive way to experience the entire “New Super Mario Bros.” line’s final entry.

The premise gives the series an inventive twist: this time, Bowser takes over Peach’s Castle, and the heroes must fight their way back to it across the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario, Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad are dining with Princess Peach at her castle when Bowser and the Koopalings arrive in their airships. Bowser deploys a giant Mecha Hand that smashes through the castle, launching the brothers and Toads clean across the kingdom — all the way to the Acorn Tree, where they tumble out among Super Acorns and Baby Yoshis.

From the horizon, the heroes can see Bowser flying his flags over Peach’s Castle. Their adventure unfolds as a long journey home: traversing nine themed worlds, defeating the seven Koopalings and Bowser Jr., and reaching the captured castle for the climactic battle with Bowser himself.

Deluxe is a classic-feel 2D Mario — running, jumping, and stomping through stages built on the formula refined since the original NSMB on the DS, with strong design cues from Super Mario World.

Core Mechanics

• 4-player simultaneous co-op — the trademark of the New series, with characters bumping into one another, throwing each other onto enemies, and the Bubble function to rejoin if defeated
• Star Coins — three hidden in every level, used to unlock paths, Star World levels, and the punishing Superstar Road bonus world
• Goal Pole & secret exits — hitting the top earns max points; many levels have hidden alternate exits leading to optional courses
• Acorn Tree world map — a single seamless, scenic overworld stitches the worlds together, with shortcuts via Warp Pipes, Toad Houses, and Boost-Mode-free paths

Extra Modes

• Challenge Mode — a suite of bite-sized challenges (1-Up rallies, Coin chases, time trials) for solo or competitive play
• Coin Battle — a competitive multiplayer mode focused on grabbing the most coins in a level
• Boost Rush — auto-scrolling speedruns where collecting coins accelerates the screen
• Mii support — in Challenge Mode, Boost Rush, and Coin Battle, players can play as their Miis

Deluxe expands the original game’s four-character roster with two new additions exclusive to the Switch version — Toadette (and her Peachette form) and a fully selectable Nabbit — making it the most flexible 2D Mario for mixed-skill groups.

Standard Characters

Mario

The hero, balanced handling. Available from the start in both campaigns.

Luigi

Higher jumps and longer hang-time, but slippery. The headliner of New Super Luigi U.

Yellow & Blue Toad

Both Toads return as standard characters, with Yellow Toad as P3 and the Toad role.

Toadette

New to Deluxe. Replaces Blue Toad in cutscenes and is the only character who can use the Super Crown to become Peachette.

Nabbit

Now fully selectable in both campaigns. Takes no damage from enemies (phases through them) but can’t use power-ups — perfect for beginners.

Special Forms & Miis

Peachette

Toadette’s Super Crown form. Floats after a jump, falls slowly, and can self-rescue from a single pit fall — the easiest character to play.

Miis

Playable in Challenge Mode, Boost Rush, and Coin Battle (carried over from the Wii U original).

NSMBU Deluxe carries every power-up from the Wii U original, plus the Switch-exclusive Super Crown. The signature new addition is the Super Acorn.

Headline Power-Ups

• Super Acorn → Flying Squirrel Mario — the headline new power-up. Grants a flying-squirrel suit that lets the character glide, perform a brief mid-air “wing flap” boost, and cling to walls. Brilliantly suited to vertical exploration.
• P-Acorn — a rarer variant that grants endless flight for the duration of one level.
• Super Crown → Peachette — Toadette-only. Grants float-jumps and an automatic save from one fatal fall — the most generous power-up in 2D Mario history.

Returning Power-Ups

The familiar arsenal returns in full: Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Ice Flower, Super Star, Mini Mushroom, Propeller Mushroom, and the Penguin Suit (with belly-slide on ice).

Baby Yoshis

A NSMBU signature: Baby Yoshis can be carried through levels, each colour offering a different power.

NSMBU adopts a single, seamless world map stretching from the Acorn Tree all the way to Peach’s Castle — a Super Mario World-style layout where each region flows into the next, dotted with shortcuts, Toad Houses, and hidden paths. There are seven main worlds, the Peach’s Castle finale, and the punishing post-game Superstar Road.

Acorn Plains

World 1

The grassy starter world where Mario and friends land after being launched from Peach’s Castle. Themed around the Super Acorn / Flying Squirrel power-up, with rolling green hills, Acorn Trees, and Lemmy Koopa’s Tower & Castle.

Layer-Cake Desert

World 2

A confectionery-and-desert hybrid — sandy plains topped with frosting and cake layers, hosting Morton Koopa Jr.’s castle. Tricky sand-and-sun stages.

Sparkling Waters

World 3

A sun-drenched tropical archipelago of beaches, underwater stages, and ship-deck levels. Larry Koopa runs the castle and ghost-ship corridors.

Frosted Glacier

World 4

An icy world of frozen ponds, snowy peaks, and slippery platforms — ideal for the returning Penguin Suit. Wendy Koopa’s domain.

Soda Jungle

World 5

A dense, fizzy purple jungle of Wigglers and poisonous swamps, with a Ghost House cluster. Iggy Koopa rules here, and the Painted Swampland conceals secret paths.

Rock-Candy Mines

World 6

A surreal candy-cane mining region of crystal caverns, gummy platforms, and sweet-themed enemies. Roy Koopa’s castle hides at the end.

Meringue Clouds

World 7

A high-altitude sky world of fluffy meringue clouds, dirigible airships, and Boomboxes. Ludwig von Koopa guards the path to the final showdown.

Peach’s Castle

World 8 — Finale

The captured castle itself — a fortress of lava chambers, Bowser Jr.’s mecha gauntlets, and the climactic multi-phase confrontation with Bowser. Beating it triggers the game’s finale and credits.

Superstar Road

Post-Game

A nine-stage bonus world unlocked by collecting Star Coins. Each level is a fiendish remix of an existing world’s mechanics, culminating in the brutal “Pendulum Castle” finale.

NSMBU rolls out the full series rogues’ gallery, with both classic foes and a slew of newcomers, many tied to specific worlds.

Notable Enemies

• Classic foes — Goombas (and Mini/Big/Prickly variants), Koopa Troopas, Koopa Paratroopas, Piranha Plants (incl. Stalking and Fire variants), Bullet Bills, Spinies, Buzzy Beetles, Lakitus, Boos, Cheep Cheeps
• New for NSMBU — the gliding Waddlewing (which drops Super Acorns), Bramballs, Snow Pokeys, Crowbers, Huckit Crabs, and the giant fish boss Porcupuffer
• Boost Block hazards — disappearing & reappearing blocks, swinging meat platforms, snake blocks, and rotating spike-block towers add level-mechanic variety

NSMBU brings back the full Koopaling roster as the main boss line-up — one per world — with Bowser Jr. and Bowser closing out the campaign in style.

The Koopalings

Each world is guarded by a tower-castle pair, with a Koopaling in the castle:

Other Bosses

• Boom Boom — the recurring tower boss, with Magikoopa-granted abilities (spin jump, larger size, wings) in later worlds
• Boss Sumo Bro — a giant Sumo Bro encountered in Meringue Clouds
• Kamek & Magikoopas — buff Boom Boom and appear throughout
• Bowser Jr. — the penultimate boss, piloting a series of mecha in Peach’s Castle
• Bowser — the multi-phase finale, including a massive “Bowser Jr.-piloted giant Bowser” sequence inspired by Super Mario World’s climax

New Super Luigi U originally launched in 2013 as a paid DLC pack (and standalone retail release) for the Wii U, celebrating the Year of Luigi. In Deluxe, it’s fully included with no extra purchase — a major value add.

NSLU rebuilds every level in NSMBU as a focused, time-attack-style challenge. The key differences:

• 100-second timer — every level is dramatically shortened (typically 30–60 seconds of actual platforming), making each course a bite-sized, intense burst
• Luigi-focused physics — Luigi has higher jumps, longer hang-time, and his trademark slippery traction — levels are redesigned around his unique handling
• Tighter, harder design — levels are denser, more vertical, and significantly more punishing than the base game
• Nabbit replaces Mario — in NSLU, Nabbit takes over Mario’s slot as the easy-mode character, just as he did in the original release
• 9 hidden Luigis — a green Luigi figurine is hidden in every level, an extra collectible challenge

NSMBU Deluxe adds and changes a number of things versus the original Wii U release:

Headline Switch Additions

• New Super Luigi U bundled in — no separate purchase, available from the start menu
• Two new playable characters — Toadette (with the new Super Crown / Peachette form) and a fully selectable Nabbit in both campaigns
• The Super Crown — a brand-new Switch-only power-up
• 1080p TV / 720p handheld rendering (up from 720p on Wii U). On Switch 2, 4K in TV mode and native 1080p in handheld
• HD Rumble support replaces the simpler Wii U rumble
• In Toad Houses, Toad now gives the player every item from his blocks at once — a quality-of-life improvement

What’s Removed

• Miiverse compatibility — the service was discontinued before Deluxe launched
• Boost Mode — the Wii U GamePad-specific mode where one player drew platforms on the touchscreen is gone, along with its dedicated challenges
• GamePad off-TV play / second-screen features — replaced by handheld mode

Notable Control Change

The jump button now also performs the mid-air spin, similar to Super Mario Run — a change criticised by some who prefer the original spin-on-its-own-button mapping. A hidden title-screen toggle disables this for the X/Y buttons, but it has to be set each session.

Official Nintendo trailers for New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.

NSMBU Deluxe received generally positive reviews, hailed as the definitive version of both NSMBU and NSLU — although critics noted that it added little to the underlying decade-old design.

Acclaim

• Definitive version — widely praised as the best way to play both NSMBU and NSLU, particularly for its generous content offering in a single package
• Excellent level design — reviewers praised the tight, varied platforming, especially the verticality unlocked by the Super Acorn
• Accessibility additions — Toadette/Peachette and the now-selectable Nabbit drew praise for opening the game to younger and less experienced players without compromising difficulty
• Strong sales — became a long-running Switch evergreen, moving over 14 million copies and making it one of the best-selling Switch games (it sold more on Switch than the original ever did on Wii U)

Criticisms

• Lack of major new content — beyond the two new characters and Super Crown, the core game is unchanged from 2012/2013, and the levels show their age compared to newer 2D Marios
• Similarities to past 2D Marios — the trademark New series house style — visuals, music, level archetypes — was beginning to feel formulaic by 2019
• Forced jump/spin button-share — the Switch-mapped controls drew complaints from veterans, particularly without a persistent toggle

• Released 11 January 2019 on Nintendo Switch — 6+ years after NSMBU’s original Wii U launch (18 November 2012).
• Recognised on Mario Portal as the 22nd mainline entry in the Super Mario series.
• NSLU bundled in — originally a $19.99 DLC pack or standalone retail title, included free here for the first time.
• Toadette’s Peachette form sparked the viral 2018 internet meme “Bowsette” months before the game launched.
• The Super Crown is the only Switch-exclusive power-up added to Deluxe.
• Nabbit is now fully selectable in both campaigns — in NSMBU on Wii U, he was a story character; in NSLU he was only selectable as an easy-mode option.
• 4-player simultaneous co-op is the trademark feature of the New series, continuing the legacy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
• Super Mario World homage — the single seamless world map, dramatic giant-Bowser finale, and overall art direction all directly nod to the SNES classic.
• Boost Mode is removed — the Wii U GamePad-only mode that let one player draw platforms on the touchscreen had no Switch equivalent.
• 1080p TV / 720p handheld on Switch; 4K TV / 1080p handheld on Switch 2 via a free update.
• The base NSMBU on Wii U was a launch title; Deluxe outsold it many times over on Switch (14M+ copies).
• 9 hidden Luigi figurines are tucked into NSLU’s levels — the Year-of-Luigi Easter egg.

Box art and logos for the package.

More on Super Luigi Bros.

Screenshots and artwork appear throughout the sections above. Additional footage is in the Videos section.