NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. MINI-GAME FAQ By Robert Johnson (Rej72380@aol.com) 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: Rej72380@aol.com 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.