New Super Luigi U

Did You Know?

• The game was bundled with New Super Mario Bros. U in a November 2013 Wii U bundle.
• Japanese retail sales for the first week totaled 24,881 copies.

Gameplay

New Super Luigi U is selectable from the New Super Mario Bros. U main menu after purchase. The player controls Luigi through levels from left to right to reach a flag pole, avoiding enemies and hazards. Power-ups such as the Fire Flower and Flying Squirrel Suit grant new abilities. Each level contains three Star Coins, and levels are grouped into eight worlds with Koopaling bosses. Levels are shorter than in the base game, with a 100-second time limit and no checkpoints. The Wii U GamePad touchscreen can place temporary platforms. Luigi has less ground friction, higher jumps, and slower midair movement; these physics can be turned off after completing the game. Nabbit replaces Mario as an invincible playable character immune to enemy damage but unable to use power-ups. Yellow and blue Toads retain their original physics and are also playable in up to four-player multiplayer.

Development

Nintendo EAD developed New Super Luigi U, emphasizing Luigi due to the Year of Luigi campaign marking his 30th anniversary. Producer Takashi Tezuka conceived the concept, aiming to change perceptions of DLC. Developers from the New Super Mario Bros. 2 team were brought in to design gimmicks distinct from the base game. Initial ideas for smaller DLC were abandoned when Tezuka felt they too closely resembled New Super Mario Bros. 2 DLC. Director Masataka Takemoto agreed to start over, creating a larger DLC than New Super Mario Bros. 2. The team waited for that game's DLC to release; fan disappointment with its basic content confirmed their direction.

Marketing and release

New Super Luigi U was announced in a February 2013 Nintendo Direct alongside Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. At E3 2013, Nintendo revealed Mario would be omitted and replaced by Nabbit, and that the game would release as both eShop DLC and a standalone physical copy with a green box. The eShop version launched June 19 in Japan and June 20 worldwide; retail versions followed July 13 in Europe, July 26 in Japan, and August 25 in North America. A Wii U bundle containing both New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U released in November. The game was included in the 2019 Nintendo Switch port New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Nintendo partnered with the Chicago Transit Authority to rebrand a Brown Line train as the "Luigi Line" from August 12 to September 8, featuring green decor and demo kiosks. The Nintendo of America Twitter account was styled as Luigi's during the promotion. A mockumentary, Finding Luigi – Legend of Parkour, was released on Nintendo's YouTube channel.

Reception

New Super Luigi U received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 77/100. Critics praised the difficulty, with some comparing it to Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. The limited time and intense platforming were highlighted positively, though some found the flutter jump initially awkward. It was called the most difficult Mario content in decades by one reviewer, and a unique twist on the formula by another. However, some critics noted a lack of attention to new players and frustration with the time between dying and restarting a level. Others felt the experience was too similar to New Super Mario Bros. U.