Indeed, as ever, Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser (this time in cahoots with his funny-looking mates the Koopalings who, disappointingly, only feature fleetingly) and as Mario, you must work your way through six main worlds (there are two bonus worlds and another you open when you finish the game) to rescue her. Unsurprisingly, it resists the urge to tinker with the format. The clue is in the name: it's the second iteration of Nintendo's modern take on its classic side-scrolling platform games from the 16-bit era which unleashed the moustachioed plumber on an unsuspecting world. If you're a lover of all things Nintendo – and it's a company that inspires fierce, almost tribal loyalty – then you just might have an inkling of what New Super Mario Bros 2 is like.

Yet it can officially be acclaimed a success now, having sold more than 19m units worldwide, and New Super Mario Bros 2, which seems to have crept into existence completely under the radar, is exactly the sort of game that its myriad owners crave. N intendo's 3DS didn't have the most comfortable start to life: it sold slowly until it was treated to a price-drop, and remains dogged by the perception that it lacks killer games, at least in comparison with its predecessors.

New super mario bros 2 3ds