New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is heading to the Switch

The Switch has been good for giving gems on the somewhat unloved Wii U a second chance at life.  In today’s Nintendo Direct, it has been announced that New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe will be coming to the Nintendo Switch next January. In addition to including all of the content from the Wii U release, it contains many new features exclusive to the Switch version.

Initially released on the Wii U in 2012, New Super Mario Bros. U was a continuation in Nintendo’s revival of the 2D Mario platforming series, which began with New Super Mario Bros. on the DS. In it, players controlled Mario across 8 themed worlds to defeat Bowser and save Princess Peach. New Super Mario Bros. U also contained local multiplayer for up to three other players, who could control Luigi and two Toad characters. The Deluxe edition brings the bonus downloadable levels from the New Super Luigi U expansion.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe on the Switch brings many new updates to the gameplay. The main additions are two new playable characters, Toadette and Nabbit. Nabbit is unique for being totally immune to enemy attacks. This makes him ideal for younger gamers or those who don’t want to worry about getting attacked. Toadette plays similarly to the Mario brothers, but transforms into her Peachette form when she grabs a Super Crown. In this form, she gains a double jump, falls more slowly, and can jump out of otherwise fatal bottomless pits.

These additions are in line with many of the other additions to remastered Switch ports of Wii U games. These include the Smart Steering mode in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and “Funky Mode” in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.  These changes are useful for introducing these games to less experienced players and customising the game’s difficulty. So long as they are optional, all types of gamers are able to get something out of Nintendo’s games.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe will release for the Nintendo Switch January 11 2019.