NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.
MINI-GAME FAQ
By Robert Johnson (
[email protected])
For the Nintendo DS
Created on November 10th, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) INTRODUCTION
2) WHAT IS A MINI-GAME?
3) THE FOUR MINI-GAME TYPES
4) ACTON MINI-GAMES
4.1) SNOWBALL SLALOM
4.2) LAKITU LAUNCH
4.3) DANGER, BOB-OM! DANGER!
4.4) WHACK-A-MONTY
4.5) BALLOON RACING
5) PUZZLE MINI-GAMES
5.1) WANTED!
5.2) WHICH WIGGLER?
5.3) HIDE AND BOO SEEK
5.4) PUZZLE PANEL
5.5) COINCENTRATION
6) TABLE MINI-GAMES
6.1) MEMORY MATCH
6.2) PICTURE POKER
6.3) PAIR-A-GONE
7) MINI-GAMES OF VARIETY
7.1) MARIO'S SLIDES
7.2) SORT OR 'SPLODE
7.3) BOUNCE AND TROUNCE
7.4) BOB-OM SQUAD
7.5) TRAMPOLINE TIME
8) IN CLOSING
9) CONTACT INFORMATION
10) LEGAL INFORMATION
1) INTRODUCTION
Welcome, folks, to my newest guide on GameFAQs. The subject matter in this
one is a guide on the various mini-games that are available in the Nintendo
DS platformer "New Super Mario Bros." Keep in mind that some of
the mini-games involved were originally in Super Mario 64 DS, which
was release at the DS's launch of November 2004. Also note that every
mini-game in this game, with the lone exception of "Balloon
Racing", use the touch screen in some way or form. Without further ado,
here's the guide.
2) WHAT IS A MINI-GAME?
For thoses who have only been playing video games since the PSOne era,
a mini-game is a small, simple game that is inside a much bigger game.
Mini-games usually last about 2-3 minutes at the very most.
The first example of a mini-game was the famous "Money Game" in the 1986
NES hit "The Legend of Zelda". Mini-games would not become a hit until
the 1997 PSOne RPG "Final Fantasy VII" and the subsequent N64 title
"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time".
Nowadays, a video game that doesn't have at least one mini-game
is considered, usually in the eyes of biased fanboys, terrible.
With that said, the mini-games in New Super Mario Bros. will
provide you with hours upon hours of addictive fun.
3) THE FOUR MINI-GAME TYPES
In NSMB, there are four types of mini games it has to offer:
Action--As it's name suggests, it is a set of fast-paced action
mini-games.
Puzzle--Mini-games that requires that you use your brain instead of
your button-mashing skills.
Table--Min-games that usually use a deck of cards. In all games of this
type, you'll wager coins in hope of winning big. Keep in mind that
those coins are not redeemable for real cash, so don't go
thinking you've found a gold mine.
Variety--Mini-game of different genres.
4) ACTION MINI-GAMES
With the following list of games and strategies, expect to put
some real good use in your stylus, or in the case of Balloon
Racing, your DS microphone and your pair of lungs.
4.1) SNOWBALL SLALOM
In this mini, you are given the task of rolling a small snowball down
the snow-covered hill and across the finish line. This one is a real
doozy, given the fact you only got 20 seconds to work with. Just simply
repeatedly slide the stylus across the snowball to make it roll down the
hill. If your snowball crashes into either a tree or a giant
penguin, the snowball's momentum will come to a screeching
halt.
Overall, this is a very tough mini-game to play, so you better
get some practice.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Remember to keep a steady momentum going in hopes of crossing the
finish line within the allotted time.
2) As the snowball rolls down the hill, it becomes bigger from
the snowpack that is on the hill. The best way to avoid the trees
and penguins is to slide the stylus slightly to either the left or the
right to ensure you'll avoid that particullar hazard.
4.2) LAKITU LAUNCH
This is a mini-game involving the use of dragging your stylus
to lob Spinies into giant Koopa shells that are being carried
by Lakitus, via a Gigantor-sized slingshot. You have a limited
amount of time to get as many Spinies into the shells
as possible.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Focus on only one giant shell for the entire game. That way,
you can accuratly get a lot of Spinies inside of it
early on.
2) Fire off as many Spinies as possible to try and pad your
score total.
4.3) DANGER, BOB-OM! DANGER!
Here's a mini-game of pure survival. You use your stylus to drag a
Bob-Om around a fire pit in Bowser's castle. Be sure to avoid not
only the fireballs that come from every direction, including
the ever-elusive Area 51, but also avoid the firey breath of
a Bowser Statue as well. The game is over when the Bob-Om
get's hit by either a fireball or the fire breath.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Because this is a fast-action mini-game that uses the stylus,
you'll have a blind spot blocking the path of the fireballs, usually
in the form of your writing hand. Keep that in mind.
2) If the Bowser Statue has moved to the side of the screen, now is
your chance for some easy points, because you'll have plenty of room
to avoid a ton of fireballs while the fire breath is on the other
side.
4.4) WHACK-A-MONTY
This is a new take on the classic arcade game, in which
moles come out of their hole and you'll have to whack them
with the hammer the game provides you with.
In this version, you use your stylus to whach Monty Mole.
The goal is to whack as many Monty Moles as possible within
the time limit, without accidentally whacking Luigi.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) It is best to keep your stylus as close to the touch screen
as possible, because the Monty Moles will come and go real
quickly.
2) Whatever you do, do not whack poor ol' Luigi, as you'll be
penalized 3 Monty Moles for doing this terrible deed.
4.5) BALLOON RACE
This one is a new take on the classic NES game "Balloon Fight", with
two major differences--first you have to reach the top of the airship
in less than 20 seconds and second, you have to blow into the DS
microphone in order to propel Yoshi up into the air.
This mini-game is not without it's hazards--There'll be FlyGuys up in the
air trying to pop your balloons. You get a DNF (Did not finsh) if
you either get hit by flyGuy two times or you run out of time.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) For starters, this is a mini-game that requires equal amounts of
air being blown into the mic. Try to vary your blowing intervals
to ensure you'll avoid the FlyGuys and get to the top in
the quickest time possible.
2) A very important tip, especially to those who live in the
rarified air of Colorado--Take an occasional break every ten
minutes, otherwise you could wind up dead due to hyper-
ventilation (This is not a joke, folks!).
5) PUZZLE MINI-GAMES
With the following mini-games, you'll have to use your mental
abilities to reach your goals. With the Puzzle Panel and Coincentration
mini-games, you'll have all of the time in the world to decide
which is the best move to make.
5.1) WANTED!
Basically, this mini-game goes like this--You'll see a wanted poster
of a character from the Mario series. This doesn't mean that he/she
is accused of commiting any crimes such as murder, but anyhow?
Your job is to touch the character portrait of the one in the
wanted poster. Keep in mind that you're on a time limit. Also
making matters worse is the fact that you'll be penalized 10
seconds for choosing the wrong portrait, so pick charefully.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Try to pick the right portrait as quickly as possible, as
it'll give you an extra 5 seconds on the clock.
2) In the really hard stages of this mini-game, there'll be
a ton of portraits, with one of them on the wanted poster.
Try to distinguish that character from the others by
the way his/her chin and/or eyes are shaped.
5.2) WHICH WIGGLER?
This is basically the same mini-game as Wanted!, but uses Wigglers
instead of portraits. Each Wiggler will have different shapes on it's
segments, Same rules of Wanted! apply to this mini-game.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Just like Wanted!, you'll earn an extra five seconds if you
pick the right Wiggler, so pick it quickly and carefully.
2) In harder levels, there'll be a ton of Wigglers running around.
Try comparing the shapes of the rear two segments of the
Wiggler on the top screen with the Wigglers on the bottom
screen.
5.3) HIDE AND BOO SEEK
This mini-game involves using the stylus as a scratching device,
scratching off the darkness to uncover the hidden Boos.
Keep in mind that you have only three seconds to find them all,
otherwise the game is over. The worst part of it--You do
not get any bonus time for finding them all.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) The only tip I can offer for this mini-game is to scratch off
the entire darkness as quickly as possible to find all the Boos.
5.4) PUZZLE PANEL
This is a mini-game similar to that of the electronic
game known as "Lights Out!". You are given three chances to
correctly solve the puzzle. If you get it wrong three
consecutive times, the game is over. Some levels
will have you complete the puzzle in two moves.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Take your time in deciding which is the best panel to flip over
to solve the puzzle. There's no need to get into a rush in this one.
2) Pick your panel carefully, as you will not only flip the
panel you touched, but also the panels surrounding it, up
to a 3X3 block.
5.5) COINCENTRATION
At the beginning of this mini-game, Wario will throw an enemy
up the air, causing coins to all into the brick on the bottom
screen. The game is over when you touch a brick that has no coins
or if you've gotten all of the coins out of their respective
blocks.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) When the coins start falling, keep a close eye on which bricks
they fall into. This will give you a general idea of where some of
them are.
2) Keep in mind that there are a total of 30 coins in this mini-game.
It'll take a ton of luck and some skill to find them all.
6) TABLE MINI-GAMES
These are you ordinary casino games, all of them use cards to play.
Also, you'll be wagering coins to see if you're a winner. Each game
starts you off with 10 coins.
6.1) MEMORY MATCH
This your run-of-the-mill game of memory. You have to pick two cards
to see if they match. If they match, they'll clear off the board.
If they don't, that is a strike on you.
If you get three strikes in this one, you'll lose your coins. If
you managed to clear off the entire board, you'll win your bet.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) If you get one card in one of your strikes, but get another of the same
type, remember where the first one is to clear it off in a quick fashion.
2) Remember, you're only allowed to have two strikes on you before
you finally clear off the entire board, so don't miss too
often.
6.2) PICTURE POKER
This is the old-style gambling game, with an unique Mario twist--
Insteads of numbers, such as Ace, King and 7, there are pictures
of various Mario characters.
Your job is to get a better hand than the dealer, so bet high if
you're confident that you have an excellent chance to win.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) The first thing to learn about this poker game is the order of rank
of the six differnt card types, with the one on top being the
highest-ranking card type and the one on bottom being the lowest:
Starman
Mario
Luigi
Fire Flower
Super Mushroom
Lakitu Cloud
2) If get a really good hand, keep those good cards and
throw away the cards that are hindering your efforts to
beat the dealer.
3) Should you get junk on the first go around, but managed to get a Starman,
throw away all of the cards except for the Starman in hopes of getting
a better hand out of the mix.
6.3) PAIR-A-GONE
The object is simple--Tap on two of the same card that are next
to each other, whether they be vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
You lose your wager if you run out of moves.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Think of which cards you want to tap, since the cards on the bottom-
right will move upward when you clear a pair.
7) MINI-GAMES OF VARIETY
These mini-games are of various genres. You'll never know what comes up with
these games.
7.1) MARIO'S SLIDES
In this mini-game, you'll be drawing a path for Mario to slide down
to the coin, while avoiding the pirhana plants. If Mario falls into
the mouth of a pirhana plant, it is game over for you..
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Plan ahead of where you want to draw your line at. Once you're able
to anticipate of where Mario is going, you should be able
to the coin in a breeze.
2) If you're fortunate enough to have Mario land on the coin without
you drawing any lines, that is an added bonus to your efforts.
7.2) SORT OR 'SPLODE
In this mini-game, there will be two different colors of Bob-Oms--
red ones and black ones. Try to get them in their specific carpets--
red ones on the red carpet and black ones on the black carpet.
As you progress throught the game, Bob-Oms will come out of the woodwork.
The game is over if one of the Bob-Oms eventually explodes or
if you accidentally get a Bob-Om on the wrong carpet (i.e.,
red Bob-Oms on the black carpet and vice-versa.).
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Take the time to get used to the sorting process of this
mini-game. It is the difference between a really high score and
a complete shutout.
2) Remember to keep your cool and not hit the panic button if there are
too many Bob-Oms on screen at once.
7.3) BOUND AND TROUNCE
In this mini-game, your job is to get Mario in the air and bouncing on
Flyguys. To keep Mario in the air, you have to tap on him to make him
jump. You can also just to the left or the right.
The game is over if Mario falls off the bottom screen three times.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Remember that you can control where Mario can jump to, so
plan your strategy carefully.
2) Be careful not to have Mario jump and bump his head on a Flyguy, as
he'll fall right back down, which means you have to deal with him
quicker than expected.
7.4) BOB-OM SQUAD
This is a throwback to the classic arcade game "Missile Command", where
the object is to destroy as many falling Bob-Oms before they
land on the flowerbed and destroy the flowers. This mini-game
uses the same controls as Lakitu Launch.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) lob off the Koopa shells as quickly as possible from the slingshot,
as there'll be Bob-Oms coming from everywhere.
2) On occasion, there'll be a Paratroopa in the air. If you successfully
hit him, he'll disappear and all of the Bob-Oms on screen will
be destroyed at once, giving you a ton of bonus points.
7.5) TRAMPOLINE TIME
In this mini-game, your job is to get Mario up to the open door.
In order to do that, you have to draw lines to create
trampolines in which he can bounce off of. The game is over
if Mario falls off the bottom screen three times.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
1) Depending on where the open door is, draw your lines at different angles.
this will all but ensure that Mario reaches that door.
2) You better be quick on the draw, as there'll be a ton of Marios
jumping off at anytime of the game.
8) IN CLOSING
I hope you've enjoyed this guide on mini-games for New Super Mario
Bros. I owuld like to point out that if you find a tactic in any
of the mini-games that are very helpful, e-mail them at my
e-mail address in the next section. I'll definatlly give
credit where credit is due.
9) CONTACT INFORMATION
If you got any questions (or tips) about this guide or any of my
other guides on GameFAQs, drop me a line at the following
E-mail address:
[email protected]
10) LEGAL INFORMATION
This document is the copyright (c) 2007 of Robert Johnson. You are free
to post this document on your website, as long as the original
author's name is included with the copy.
New Super Mario Bros. and DS are trademarks of Nintendo of America.
This document was not endorsed, licensed nor approved by
Nintendo of America.
