* AntiClimaxBoss: Compared to his innovative fights in ''Wii'' and ''U'' and the DualBoss in the original game, Bowser is not that difficult here. The first phase is similar to other games where you have to get past him to hit the switch. The second phase basically boils down to dodging his slow claws for about two minutes while occasionally stopping to jump over his [[BreathWeapon fire breath]] similar to ''Wii'' but in a simpler fashion without destructible terrain and going upwards. This extends to the TrueFinalBoss, Dry Bowser, who shares the same attack patterns.
* BrokenBase:
** This is the first Nintendo game to feature paid DownloadableContent. Whether this is a sign of Nintendo's modernization or its descent into greedy corporate hell is still hotly debated. Is the coin rush mode itself a good addition for the game, or is it just a half-assed work to grab money from the fans for extra levels?
** The excessive quantity of coins is one of the most heated topics in the discussions around the internet. You will never see the game over screen, since it's pretty easy to earn multiple lives in a level. Some fans think it's understandable since the coins are the main theme of the game, but others think this breaks the game, making it too easy.
** The game's reuse of assets from ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', such as the graphics, music, and engine, has been a major point of contention. Some don't mind it, as allowed the developers to focus on designing unique levels without starting from scratch and release the game quickly, while others feel it comes across as lazy and gives the game a lack of identity.
** Should the game have been named ''New Super Mario Bros. 2''? Does it deserve that name or should the developers have gone with the originally intended ''New Super Mario Bros. Gold'' name instead? While the developers changed the name based on the logic that it has more levels than ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii''[[note]]''NSMBW'' has 76 levels, ''NSMB'' has 80, and ''[=NSMB2=]'' has 81. And for the record, ''NSMBU'' has 82.[[/note]] and some fans agree with it or don't mind, other fans feel like it's a weak justification considering its nature as a bonafide MissionPackSequel, it's a truly NonIndicativeName, and that in a similar way to ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'' believe that if the game had been a harmless spin-off instead of an important mainline sequel the game's reusage of content would have been much more tolerated, its coin collection defining gimmick would have been better accepted, and the game would have been better received overall.
** The game's quality in general. Is it a fun --if [[ItsEasySoItSucks easy]] and very similar-- platformer with a fun gimmick, or a soulless [[StealthPun cash-grab]] with [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks little to no creativity]] and various [[UnderusedGameMechanic missed opportunities]].
* ContestedSequel: Although it's not really considered an outright terrible or even ''bad'' game, many found it to be a ''significant'' step down from the DS and Wii installments. Some fans didn't mind and still thought it was a fun and solid game on its own, while others were angered and accused Nintendo of getting less creative in its ''Mario'' titles, [[TakeAThirdOption a third subset of fans]] thought the game was tremendously unoriginal but still [[SoOkayItsAverage decent and could be fun]]; just inferior to all other 2D ''Mario'' games, with various [[UnderusedGameMechanic missed opportunities]], and ultimately forgettable and disappointing due its [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks severe unoriginality]] that undermines everything good about the game, including its throwbacks to ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and ''Super Mario World'' in bringing back the Raccoon Leaf and the Reznors, alongside a complete lack of significant changes or improvements. How this game started reusing the [[RecycledSoundtrack same soundtrack]] from its predecessor doesn't help matters either and remains a major point of contention for many players that thought that was going too far in the reusage of content, especially considering the same thing happened to a lesser extent on the next game.
* FanNickname: ''New Super Mario Bros. 2: [[VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins Six Million Golden Coins]]'' [[labelnote:Explanation]]It's really, REALLY easy to get a bunch of coins in this game...[[/labelnote]]
* FridgeBrilliance: Bowser Jr.'s absence in this game is probably because he's grounded for unauthorized access of Bowser's Clown Car in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii''.
* GameBreaker: Raccoon Mario in the cannon levels. You can skip most of the obstacles and you only need to touch the ground to refill your meter.
* HarsherInHindsight: As the game ended up being by far the biggest example in the ''NSMB''/2D ''Mario'' series and ''Mario'' games as a whole of a MissionPackSequel alongside ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'' (and was criticized for mostly the same reasons), the name ''New'' ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' ended up being ironically fitting.
* ItsEasySoItSucks: The lack of challenge has been heavily criticized by a lot of fans. Getting to Bowser is pretty much a cakewalk. The game doesn't get noticeably difficult until you get to the bonus worlds, and even those are not as brutal as we've come to expect from this series. And of course, the sheer number of coins you can collect means that you will have an abundance of extra lives.
* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The biggest criticism about the game. For many fans, it's a rehash of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' with [[RecycledSoundtrack the same soundtrack]] and VideoGameSettings, without Yoshi, the Spin Jump/[[FanNickname Twirl]], and some power ups. It has a few features that distinguish it from the other sequels in reintroducing the Raccoon Leaf from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', bringing back the Reznors from ''Super Mario World'', and introducing a few enemies in the Bone Goombas, the Boohemoth, Bone Piranha Plants and Big Bone Piranha Plants, but the rest of the game is very much the prior game with a gold coat of paint and Coin Rushes lacking the elements mentioned above as well as a brand new final boss fight gimmick compared to ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and even ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU'', instead opting for a simpler reinterpretation of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'''s as described in [[AntiClimaxBoss Anti-Climax Boss]].
* MemeticMutation:
** The Game Over screen is the rarest screen in the game. [[labelnote:Explanation]]With all the coins you'll collect, you'll probably ''never'' run out of lives in this game.[[/labelnote]]
** Bowser is weaker than the Koopalings. [[labelnote:Explanation]]Fans have not ignored the fact that the Koopalings can take three hits from a [[OneHitKill golden ball]], but Bowser goes down in one.[[/labelnote]]
* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: The twinkle sound effects from the Gold Rings.
* NightmareFuel: There is nothing okay about the giant Boo ([[PunnyName Boohemoth]]) that follows you through most of the Ghost House in World 2. It's huge, it has a [[NightmareFace terrifying face,]] it doesn't follow typical Boo rules (it will inch forward if you look directly at it for too long), and if you touch it? [[CriticalExistenceFailure Instant death.]]
* SequelDifficultyDrop: Considerably easier than its Wii predecessor, thanks to a more simplistic level design, shorter length, abundance of lives and overpowered power-ups for Mario to collect.
* SoOkayItsAverage: There is nothing outright ''awful'' about the game, and even the game's detractors will agree that it is a well-designed, polished, and perfectly playable 2D ''Mario'' platformer at its core, while also featuring a few saving graces in its throwbacks to ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and ''Super Mario World'' (such as the return of the Raccoon Leaf and the Reznors), and the coin collection gimmick being well implemented in levels. However, the [[NewWorkRecycledGraphics reuse of almost all assets]], all VideoGameSettings, and [[RecycledSoundtrack soundtrack]] from ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', the [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks complete lack of new and original ideas and improvements to the core gameplay]], the [[ItsEasySoItSucks overly easy difficulty]], and the coin gimmick [[UnderusedGameMechanic not adding much to the formula alongside other significant missed opportunities]] cause it to be this for several fans and critics alike and ultimately make it forgettable, unlike its [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros1 DS]] and Wii predecessors and even its [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU Wii U successor]], being vastly considered the weakest and most unoriginal game in the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' sub-series by far and one of the weakest mainline ''Mario'' games, falling short of fulfilling expectations and being considered just plain mediocre by many fans.
* SpiritualAdaptation: Given the game's focus on grabbing coins and the excessive amount there is in the game, this is the closest the 3DS got to a new ''VideoGame/WarioLand'' title.
* ThatOneLevel:
** A few of the warp cannon levels can be nightmares, especially [[spoiler: World Flower-Cannon]].
** World 6-Ghost House is infamous for its very confusing gimmick of the mirror rooms, that can be difficult to wrap your head around. There's also the fact that the Secret Exit is arguably ''[[GuideDangIt easier to find]]'' [[GuideDangIt than the Normal Exit.]]
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: There's CoOpMultiplayer in this game, but: 1) it's local only, 2) both 3DS users must have the game, and 3) it's only Mario and Luigi and they're both stuck on the same screen. While it's still pretty solid, many see this as a major step down from ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii''.
* UnderusedGameMechanic:
** The Mega Mushroom from the original ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros1'' returns in this game...but is totally ''wasted'' here. It only appears in ''three'' levels: 1-2, 5-6, and Mushroom-3; and none of them are built around using it-- only appearing in brief sections of the levels. On top of that, unlike the original game, it is not found in ''any'' of the Toad Houses and cannot be put in the reserve box either.
** This game's gimmick -- the sudden abundance of coins. It's [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment never explained where all these coins came from]], nor do they have any real use besides [[AndYourRewardIsClothes two title screens]] featuring [[BraggingRightsAward golden statues of Mario]]. What if the game had a shop to spend the coins in, like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' or ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder''? [[SequelDifficultySpike What if the games' levels were harder]] and just so happened to have loads of coins that were an actual challenge to collect? What if you needed these coins to unlock the Coin Rush modes instead of actual money? Needless to say, this game could have done so much more with the sudden abundance of coins.
** One of the things that contributed the most to this game's unoriginality was its RecycledSoundtrack lifted almost completely from ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' ([[DamnedByFaintPraise with added BAHs]]), which many players thought was going too far in the reusage of content ([[TheyChangedItNowItSucks with a subset of them feeling that the original unaltered music from NSMBW was better due to them overusing the BAHs]]). The game only has '''three''' brand new pieces of music (the World Mushroom, Flower, and Star themes)...however, all of them are actually pretty good. Especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWq4uHCPEe4 the World Star theme]] has an energetic but calm glittering sound that fits the Star Special World even better than the World 9 theme from ''NSMBW''. One can only imagine how much this game would have benefited if it had brand new music fitting its theme, though its similarity to ''NSMBW'' and subsequent significant unoriginality would remain in the unchanged VideoGameSettings, it still would have been a significant improvement to its originality, which is the [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks main complaint]] against this game that significantly damaged it and the whole subseries.
* UnexpectedCharacter: Who expected [[VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld the Reznors]] to be this game's fortress bosses?
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