Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 24: Can't Stop this Battle Train

The Kameks appear. Kamek says no more dirty tricks. Paper Kamek says they'll give the bros an honest fight. Kamek then uses magic, wondering if the bros really believed them. They fly off to set up another dirty trick. Walk forward and they'll attack. They'll do an attack where they form a line of magic and move around with it. The bros have to jump over the line, like in the Border Jump challenge in Superstar Saga. They'll also move through portals, even going back through portals.  Jump to dodge or counter. Kamek will inactivate some Action Commands. They'll return after a turn. Paper Kamek will copy himself and form a moving wall to shield Kamek while he readies his magic. Use the Boomerang Dodge to hit Kamek as much as possible. They can also summon other enemies. Leave at least one Paper Dry Bone on the field so they don't summon more. As with before, you may want to just battle with Paper Mario. The Kameks won't heal each other, but Kamek will revive Paper Kamek if he falls. If the one is down, the other will shoot magic at the bros. Counter with the hammer. Keep healed and they'll eventually be defeated.

Kamek had a good time with Paper Kamek. Paper Kamek agrees that they weren't a terrible team. Kamek thinks Paper Kamek was like a hideously ugly brother to him. Paper Kamek reminds him they're identical. They start arguing. The Marios stomp them to defeat them. Go north. The area is crawling with Mechakoopas. An eerie glow comes through the windows. Go to the southeast and southwest for more items and coins. Use the warp pipe if you need better gear or more items. Save and go north through the ominous doorway. At the end of the long path, Bowser and Paper Bowser await.

Head down the path and minions will attack. They're easy to defeat, especially with a Trio Attack, but you may want to save your BP. After each battle, you'll automatically move forward. Bowser notes this plan isn't working. His answer is more minions. After the next wave, Paper Bowser calls the bros stubborn. The enemies start getting more challenging when you deal with the Shy Guys. The Bowsers try to outdo each other with their hatred for the bros.

After the Broozers, Bowser calls in the Koopalings. You'll battle them two at a time. Wendy and Roy are first. The attacks are the same. After you defeat them, Ludwig appoints himself as leader, but the other Koopalings are upset because there wasn't a vote. They then focus on the task at hand. Ludwig and Larry are next. They have new Battle Cards this time, including one that can shrink the bros. Take one out to keep them from using the Battle Cards.  Make sure you're fully healed at the end of this fight. After the battle, Ludwig says he's been dethroned. Larry doesn't like that Ludwig thinks of himself as a king. Iggy, Lemmy, and Morton are last. They think the bros are tired after all these battles. Morton uses magic to mess with the bros' battle cards. The bros are okay with this. Lemmy dances off to do something. He rolls in a giant ball. Use the Boomerang Dodge to hit Lemmy before he can throw bombs. If your dodge is successful, he'll be dizzy. Iggy will bring in a giant Chain Chomp. Use the Airplane Dodge when Iggy gets close and tries to hit a bro. He'll be dizzy after the attack. Morton tries to avenge them and picks up the Chomp. Use the Trampoline Dodge. They'll all be stunned after the battle, so hit them with your best attacks. They may be knocked down, but unless all are down, they can revive each other. If your dodges are strong enough, they'll only attack twice before they're defeated. Morton asks for Bowser's forgiveness. Iggy asks the same, but for him also to destroy the bros. Lemmy asks the same.

Paper Bowser is annoyed that they must do everything. Their section flies off. Starlow congratulates them on defeating all of Bowser's minions. The bros are ready to fight. Heal, change your gear if necessary, and check out the Battle Cards you've earned, then save. Head out to deal with the Bowsers.

New Super Luigi U: Peach's Castle- Castle 2 -- The Final Battle

Bowser Jr. will chase you through the first part of the castle in his Clown Copter. He'll slam into the yellow platforms, which will make them drop into the lava. Grab the Red Coins if you like. The first Star Coin is surrounded by brick blocks. Lure Bowser Jr. to the area and let him slam the bricks so you can reach the Star Coin. The second Star Coin is under some item blocks that all contain 1-ups. Let Bowser Jr. pound the item blocks, then drop down to get the Star Coin. The third Star Coin is on a yellow platform. The door at the end takes you to the Bowser door, which adds 250 seconds to your time.

Past the Bowser door, you have to dodge Bowser's fireballs. At the end of the hallway is Bowser. Dodge his flames and run past him when he jumps so you can hit the switch. The floor will give out and he'll fall. Bowser Jr. has Kamek use his magic. Luigi goes to the top of the castle and finds Peach trapped in a tower. She calls to him before the window closes and a giant Bowser appears, along with Bowser Jr. in the Clown Copter. Stomp Bowser Jr. to kick him out of the Clown Copter and steal it. Use (B) to gain altitude, then [ZR] to ground pound Bowser. He'll go into a shell cycle and bounce around. Once he's done with that, he'll breathe fire that rains down. Use the opportunity to steal the Clown Copter again. Three hits will defeat Bowser. He falls and Bowser Jr. jumps off the castle.

Luigi goes to where Peach is. She kisses his hat. The tornado around the castle clears. The Koopalings and Bowser Jr. pack up and leave in an Airship, which Bowser drags down. They all trail from the Clown Copter until it crashes. Peach, Luigi, and the Toads cheer. The credits roll. You can collect coins in the bubbles.

For completing the game, you get a star on your file. You also get a star for clearing all of the courses through Peach's Castle, and another one for all of the Star Coins through Peach's Castle. You now have access to the Secret Island and Superstar Road.

New Super Luigi U -- Save the Princess. Save the Kingdom. Without Mario.

Princess Peach, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad are sitting at a table eating cake and drinking tea in the castle. Mario's cap is on the table Eight Airships fly to the castle, seven bearing the faces of the Koopalings, and the largest bearing the face of Bowser. Bowser's Airship extends a mechanical hand into the castle, pulls Peach's chair away from the table, then pounds Luigi and the Toads. The hand picks them up, winds up for the pitch, and throws them as far from the castle as possible. The four are thrown into an acorn tree and slung out, releases some acorns in the process. They land near some baby Yoshis, pick themselves up, and start running. Nabbit appears from behind a rock and follows. The Koopalings' Airships take off in all directions. Lemmy's goes to Acorn Plains, with Lemmy laughing all the way.

Once again, Bowser hasn't kidnapped Peach this time, but he's holding her hostage in her own castle. It's going to be a long journey there, and Luigi only gets 100 seconds for each level. He also jumps higher and slides to a stop. Luigi gets to fly solo, out of the shadow of his brother. Let's get started!

New Super Mario Bros. U: Peach's Castle- Castle 2 -- The Final Battle

At last, it is time to face Bowser. It's a long way to reach him, and we have to deal with Bowser Jr. on the way. He'll follow you around in his Clown Copter, trying to pound you into the ground. You can't beat him, so try to ignore him and lead him to parts of the level you don't mind him crashing into. The first type of floor you come across will ripple in shockwaves when he slams it. This won't hurt you, but it will push you around. The first Star Coin is in a gap. Wall jump to get it. Next are some yellow platforms. If he slams a platform, it will drop into the lava, and regenerate a while later. Lead him to the platforms you don't mind him destroying and get out of the way. The second Star Coin is surrounded by brick blocks with coins, so ground pounding won't work. Lure Bowser Jr. over the blocks and have him destroy them so you can get the Star Coin. Keep going and you'll see the third Star Coin. Run an wall jump to get it. There's a door at the end that leads to the midpoint and the boss door.

We have to dodge fireballs until we reach Bowser. Bowser will breathe fire at you. Be ready for when he jumps so you can run under him and hit the ! Switch with the ax to make the floor disappear. He'll fall and crash. A door will rise and Mario will run outside. Bowser Jr. drags Kamek in and he uses his magic on where Bowser fell. We can see Peach in the center tower. She calls to Mario and the windows are barred and shut. Bowser Jr. brings up a giant Bowser and round two begins, with Bowser Jr. also in the fight. Bowser breathes giant fireballs and Bowser Jr. throws out Bob-ombs. When you get the chance, hit Bowser Jr. when he's low to the ground to kick him out of the Clown Copter. Hop in the Clown Copter to steal it and press (B) repeatedly to rise. Fly over Bowser and ground pound him for a hit. Bowser will go into a shell cycle in his giant shell, bouncing around. Bowser Jr. will reclaim the Clown Copter at this time, so go steal it again. Once Bowser gets out of the shell cycle, meteors will rain down. Pound him two more times for victory. Bowser roars and falls off the castle. Bowser Jr. watches, gets scared, and jumps off as well. A fanfare plays.

Mario runs to Peach, who thanks him and kisses him on the hat. Mario says, "Oh, boy, yeah!" The purple tornado surrounding Peach's Castle clears and the Koopalings retreat in an Airship. Bowser jumps aboard and the Airship crashes. All of them end up flying off dangling from the tiny Clown Copter. Peach, Mario, Luigi, and the Toads watch from the castle as fireworks light up the sky. Roll credits!

The credits are interactive. There are two Baby Blue Yoshis, one on each side, that blow bubbles with coins, some of which have three coins. Collect as many as you can during the credits. I got 292.

After all that, we get a lot of messages:
"Congratulations on completing the game! A star has been added to your save file! You can now save anytime from the menu!"
"You can now use the pipes to get to a secret island! Hop in a pipe and check it out!"
"You can now use the pipes to get to Superstar Road. By the way, have you found all the Star Coins yet?"
"You've collected all the Star Coins in Peach's Castle! That's gotta mean something good, right?"
"You've cleared all courses through Peach's Castle! Congratulations! A second star has been added to your file!"
"You've collected all the Star Coins up through Peach's Castle! A third star has been added to your file!"

And with that, we have defeated Bowser and saved the princess yet again. But, wait, there's more! A new challenge for super players.

New Super Mario Bros. U - Save the Princess. Save the Kingdom. With Singing Yoshis.

Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad are sitting at a table eating cake and drinking tea in the castle. Eight Airships fly to the castle, seven bearing the faces of the Koopalings, and the largest bearing the face of Bowser. Bowser's Airship extends a mechanical hand into the castle, pulls Peach's chair away from the table, then pounds the Mario Bros. and the Toads. The hand picks them up, winds up for the pitch, and throws them as far from the castle as possible. The four are thrown into an acorn tree and slung out, releases some acorns in the process. They land near some baby Yoshis, pick themselves up, and start running. The Koopalings' Airships take off in all directions. Lemmy's goes to Acorn Plains, with Lemmy laughing all the way.

Well, Bowser hasn't kidnapped Peach this time, but he's holding her hostage in her own castle. It's going to be a long journey there, and there's no telling if we have to make our way to both her castle and Bowser's. Let's get started!

New Super Mario Bros. 2: Star-Castle

It's time for the final level! We've defeated Bowser and the Koopalings, so who could be in this castle? It's not Bowser Jr. We start the level and the Koopalings appear in the Clown Copter. We know what to do here: hide when the eyes start flashing to avoid being turned into stone. We have to climb tightropes and avoid the saws. Climb on the grates quickly from cover to cover. The first Moon Coin is on a low grate over the lava. The second Moon Coin is over donut lifts over the lava. Your cover is above the Moon Coin, on the tightrope over the spikes. Drop down carefully when the coast is clear, then quickly move to cover. Eventually, you'll reach the door to the midpoint. Dodge the saws appearing from below. The door at the end leads to a snake platform. The Koopalings reappear, so now you have to seek cover while the floor's moving. Sometimes, you'll have to jump for cover. The third Moon Coin is over a saw and grate and appears while you're moving past it. Move quickly to reach the tightrope to get it and return to the snake platform. The snake will dive into the lava, so stay towards the middle so you see it coming. It will reappear a short distance away. The snake platform will eventually loop under the boss door, so get off. The door will lead to the midpoint, which looks similar to the one in Bowser's Castle. Get the items you need; I recommend two Super Leaves. Go up the stairs and dodge blue flames this time. Once you reach the end, you come face to face with the boss: Dry Bowser. Peach isn't here. The battle is almost the same as Bowser's, but with differently-colored flames and he throws bones instead of hammers. Run when he jumps so you can hit the switch and make him disappear. The platforms from Bowser's battle reappear. The Koopalings revive Dry Bowser and get knocked away. From this point forward, almost everything is the same as in the Bowser battle: his eyes will glow and he'll knock away the platforms in the area you're in. Once you reach the top, hit the ? Switch and he'll fall. A victory fanfare plays. We're done!

Coin Total: 68,771
We get a couple of messages: "There is a new world available in the Star Pack in Coin Rush" and "You've collected every Moon Coin in the game!" We now have three sparkling stars on our file. It's over, right? There's just one thing I never found in my first run through.

New Super Mario Bros. 2: Bowser's Castle

It's finally time to deal with Bowser. Be aware of the jet engines and Podoboos that are below the platforms you stand on. Use your Raccoon Tail to fly up over the lone jet engine in its own alcove for the first Star Coin. Go past the giant Dry Bones and avoid the jet engines moving vertically as you platform up. Drop down with the Donut Lift and avoid the jet engines until you reach a door. This will take you to a room with a snake platform and more jet engines. Once the snake platform starts moving, the lava starts rising. Stay towards the front of the platform and jump off to get the second Star Coin. Jump back on quickly. This will take you to a door and the midpoint. You'll see the Koopalings in the background on the clown copter. The copter's eyes will change shape and start flashing. This is your cue to get behind a wall (where you can't see them) immediately. The flash will turn Mario into stone. If this happens, jump quickly several times to get out of it. If Mario is caught on a conveyor belt, grate, or donut lift, he's a goner. Some of the walls are near conveyor belts, so run to stay on the other side of them. Drop down from a donut lift to the third Star Coin and retreat to the wall for safety. The P-Switch makes a line of Silver Coins to follow to the boss door. The Koopalings will go away once you reach the wall of the boss door. There is another midpoint here. The first two item blocks have Fire Flowers and the last one has a Super Leaf. I recommend having two Super Leaves for the upcoming fight. Go up the stairs and you'll see fireballs approaching from the right. Drop down into the alcove until they pass, like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. There are three alcoves and one lone fireball afterward.

Next is the room with Bowser and Peach. She calls to Mario from a cage. Bowser roars and the battle starts. Bowser will breathe fire, throw hammers, and jump. When he jumps, run under him and hit the switch. Fireballs will also work. Hitting the switch will make the floor fall. A fanfare will play. Peach's cage is then taken away. Platforms appear from below and Mario hops up them. They start to fall when he lands on them. Peach is taken away and the Koopalings appear, using their magic to make a giant Bowser appear and knock them away, just like Kamek did. Bowser roars, similar platforms appear, and the lava rises. It will continue to rise. Bowser will track your movements, and when his eyes turn orange, he will swipe away the platforms in your vecinity, be it left, right, or center. Keep moving. The Raccoon Tail will help control your decent. I tend to stay in one area until Bowser is poised to strike. Once you see arches on the right and left sides, jump up as high as you can. The is a wall-to-wall platform here, with some coins. Bowser will catch up to you and breathe fire on the floor from one side to the other. Jump over the flames. He'll roar again and you'll start platforming again. The Bowser heads on the walls will periodically breathe fire, so be aware. The second set of arches signals another platform overhead. This time, Bowser will breathe fire in both directions. Once he roars, you're on the path to the top. The Bowser heads breathe purple fire, which can move at angles. Stay near the walls. You'll see a small arch on either side. This marks the small platforms on the left and right sides. Jump up to reach the large ! Switch. Peach, above the switch, will call out to Mario. Bowser looks around and falls. A victory fanfare plays. Peach floats down from the cage. Mario spins, then jumps for joy. Roll credits!

During the credits, Mario carries Peach as they run back to the castle. Periodically, coins will appear from above and below, and in shapes. Collect them to add to your total. I got 279. As the credits roll, you'll see the Koopalings dragging Bowser from the clown copter and crashing. Once the credits finish, you'll get a couple of messages. There is a new world available in the Star Pack for Coin Rush. Gold Flowers can now be stored in Coin Rush. Star World has appeared. We can now save anywhere. There is now one Star on our file.

Coin Total: 47,750
Not bad for a first run. But there's more to explore. Let's see where those cannons lead.

New Super Mario Bros. 2: Get Rich or Save the Princess Trying

Intro
Raccoon Mario and Kitsune Luigi are on the roof of Peach's castle. They wave goodbye to the Princess and fly off collecting coins. They drop to the ground and the Koopalings drop in on both of them in the Clown Copter. Roy Koopa Jr. has Peach. She calls out to both of them before the Clown Copter flies away. The Mario Bros. run after them. Roy takes Peach to the Fort of World 1.

This is the latest Mario game with a new twist: collecting as many coins as possible. This leads to an abundance of lives, so getting a Game Over takes some effort. The ultimate goal is to collect one million coins. I will be posting my coin counter for each level in my attempt at this goal. I will also get all of the Star Coins. Let's go!