Game Art Styles

New Super Mario Bros. U

Nintendo EAD · 2012

Side-scrolling · Platformer · Console

Dimension
2.5D
Rendering
Stylized 3D
Colors
TealYellowBlueBlackBrownGrayOrangeWhite
Linework
No outlines
Shading
Soft gradient
Palette
Vibrant
Proportions
Exaggerated, Cute
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About

A side-scrolling platform game in which Mario and his friends cross the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Peach after Bowser takes over her castle. It features cooperative multiplayer and was the first Super Mario game with high-definition graphics.

Art style

New Super Mario Bros. U (2012, Nintendo EAD) is a 2.5D stylized 3D game played from a side-scrolling view. Its look is built from shapes without outlines and soft gradient shading. The palette is vibrant.

Details

Release
Original release · Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 / Wii U
Developer
Nintendo EAD
Publisher
Nintendo
Released
2012-11-18 North America, Wii U
2012-11-30 Europe, Wii U
2012-11-30 Australia, Wii U
2012-12-08 Japan, Wii U
Platforms
Wii U
Also known as
New スーパーマリオブラザーズ U (Japan)
Nyū Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Yū (Japan)
New 超级马力欧兄弟 U
New 超級瑪利歐兄弟U
뉴 슈퍼 마리오브라더스 U (South Korea)
Credits
Masanobu Sato Lead Design
Hirohito Shinoda Character Design
Keisuke Umeda Character Design
Yuki Hamada Character Design
Yasutomo Nishibe Field Design
Masanao Arimoto Field Design
Yasuyo Iwawaki Field Design
Yuka Sawano Field Design
Shunichi Shirai Field Design
Mayako Sugimoto Field Design
Tadashi Tanaka Field Design
Takeshi Koike World Map Design
Saki Kaneko World Map Design
Satoko Okada UI Design
Mariko Tachibana UI Design
Haruyasu Ito Visual Effect Design
Atsushi Miyagi Design Adviser
Masataka Takemoto Director
Takashi Tezuka Producer
Hiroyuki Kimura Coproducer
Links
official · wikipedia · mobygames · mariowiki.com

Screenshots 6

Versions of New Super Mario Bros. U 2

New Super Mario Bros. U screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)2012 · Original releaseNew Super Mario Bros. U Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 / Wii UNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe screenshot: stylized 3d, painterly, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2019 · Enhanced portNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Modern (PC / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Series / Switch)

Related

Mario series 23 games

Super Mario Bros. screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1985Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, combat)1986Super Mario Bros.: The Lost LevelsSuper Mario Bros. 2 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1988Super Mario Bros. 2Super Mario Bros. 3 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, combat)1988Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Land screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1989Super Mario LandSuper Mario World screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, three-quarter, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1990Super Mario WorldSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1992Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden CoinsSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island screenshot: pixel art, hand-drawn, side-scrolling, black outlines, hatching (environment)1995Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's IslandSuper Mario 64 screenshot: low-poly, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)1996Super Mario 64Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, three-quarter, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, character)2001Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2Super Mario Sunshine screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2002Super Mario SunshineSuper Mario Galaxy screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2007Super Mario GalaxyNew Super Mario Bros. Wii screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)2009New Super Mario Bros. WiiSuper Mario Galaxy 2 screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character, combat)2010Super Mario Galaxy 2New Super Mario Bros. 2 screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2012New Super Mario Bros. 2New Super Mario Bros. U screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)2012New Super Mario Bros. USuper Mario 3D World screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)2013Super Mario 3D WorldSuper Mario Odyssey screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2017Super Mario OdysseyNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe screenshot: stylized 3d, painterly, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2019New Super Mario Bros. U DeluxeSuper Mario Maker 2 screenshot: pixel art, stylized 3d, side-scrolling, flat / unlit (environment)2019Super Mario Maker 2Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2021Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's FurySuper Mario Bros. Wonder screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2023Super Mario Bros. WonderSuper Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Switch) screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2025Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Switch)

How the Mario art style changed over time →

Similar art style

New Super Mario Bros. 2 screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Stylized 3D · 2.5D · 2012
New Super Mario Bros. Wii screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Stylized 3D · 2.5D · 2009
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe screenshot: stylized 3d, painterly, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Stylized 3D · 2.5D · 2019
Super Mario Bros. Wonder screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Stylized 3D · 2.5D · 2023
Super Mario 3D World screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)
Super Mario 3D World
Stylized 3D · 3D · 2013
Super Mario Galaxy 2 screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character, combat)
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Stylized 3D · 3D · 2010
Firewatch screenshot: stylized 3d, first-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)
Firewatch
Stylized 3D · 3D · 2016
Super Mario Galaxy screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)
Super Mario Galaxy
Stylized 3D · 3D · 2007