New Super Mario Bros.

New Super Mario Bros. is a 2006 handheld platformer developed by Nintendo EAD for the Nintendo DS. It revived the classic side-scrolling Mario formula after years of 3D entries, blending traditional 2D gameplay with polished 3D-rendered visuals as Mario races across eight worlds to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser Jr.

The game reintroduced familiar running, jumping and stomping across themed worlds while adding new power-ups like the enormous Mega Mushroom, which let Mario smash through everything, and the shrinking Mini Mushroom for reaching secret areas. A wall-jump move, hidden exits leading to a secret world, minigames and a competitive versus multiplayer mode rounded out the package with fresh ideas.

New Super Mario Bros. was a huge commercial success that launched a sub-series bringing side-scrolling Mario back to consoles and handhelds, later adding simultaneous multiplayer. It remains a defining DS title and a key moment in the mainstream revival of classic-style platformers.