| New Super Luigi U | |
|---|---|
 Packaging artwork | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Masataka Takemoto |
| Producer(s) | Takashi Tezuka Hiroyuki Kimura |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Artist(s) | Masanobu Sato |
| Composer(s) | Shiho Fujii Mahito Yokota |
| Series | Luigi, Super Mario |
| Platform(s) | Wii U Nintendo Switch |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
New Super Luigi U[a] (stylized as New Super Luigi Bros. U) is a 2013 platform game developed by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is an expansion pack for New Super Mario Bros. U (2012), part of the Super Mario series. The plot and game mechanics remain identical to New Super Mario Bros. U, but Luigi replaces Mario as the protagonist. Luigi jumps higher and has less ground friction than Mario, and every level is redesigned to increase the difficulty level. The expansion adds Nabbit, a non-player character from New Super Mario Bros. U, as an invincible playable character.
Nintendo's goal was to challenge preconceived notions of downloadable content (DLC) and make New Super Luigi U a game large enough to stand on its own. The developers sought to differentiate it from New Super Mario Bros. 2's (2012) DLC. The increased difficulty served to challenge series veterans, but levels were shortened to encourage less experienced players. Luigi was made the primary focus due to the Year of Luigi marketing campaign; New Super Luigi U was branded to coincide with it. It was purchasable as DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U, as a standalone game, and as a bundle with the main game. It was also included with the Nintendo Switch port, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, in 2019.
New Super Luigi U was announced in a February 2013 Nintendo Direct; digital and retail versions were released between June and August. Nintendo took multiple routes to promote the expansion and Year of Luigi, including a partnership with the Chicago Transit Authority and a parkour-themed mockumentary. New Super Luigi U received positive reviews; critics praised the difficulty and level design, but criticized Luigi's control scheme as unbalanced with the difficulty change. The multiplayer and addition of Nabbit received mixed opinions. Debut sales were overshadowed by Pikmin 3, but the expansion sold 3.07 million copies by 2020, making it the eighth-best-selling Wii U game.
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