In “New Super Mario Bros. 2,” you play as Mario, platforming plumber extraordinaire, as you jump, spin, throw fireballs and fly your way to (wait for it) saving Princess Peach from Bowser. One of the big new additions in this Nintendo 3DS title is Coin Rush, the side game where players go as fast as they can to grab gold coins as a score to prove their might against other Mario players around the world.

Our favorite mustachioed plumber’s coin obsession is platforming 101, and its use of the 3D features of the console are more to bring out the graphical quality than as a gimmicky gameplay aspect. Some of the new parts of gameplay are good for a quick jolt of fun. Golden Flowers allow the player to fire golden fireballs turning all they destroy into extra coins and Roulette Blocks have the player time their jump to maximize how many coins they receive.

The game is overall pretty short, Also, with Super Mario 3D Land, it goes easy on the gamer, leaving the game overall unfulfilling for gamers looking for even the slightest challenge. As fun as the Coin Rush, Coin Blocks and Golden Flowers can be, there’s no doubting that this is the same core 2D gameplay Nintendo has been doing for decades. While it’s not bad, nor even mediocre, it’s hard not to yawn at times.

If you love everything Mario, you’ve already picked this up and can’t take your eyes off your 3DS. If you’re anyone else, however, you’ve probably seen a lot of this before. That said, the fun is still there, collecting coins is a fun way to waste an afternoon or a bus ride, and Mario in 3D does have its charm. If you have a 3DS and need some way to spend a bus ride across town, there are worse ways to do so.

Rating: 3.5 stars