You've Been Playing Super Mario Bros 35 All Wrong

It's the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and Nintendo has gone all out to celebrate its cherished mascot. From a new Mario All-Stars to a Super Mario battle royale, fans have plenty to be excited about throughout the celebration of this beloved plumber.

While Switch owners can revisit some of the most difficult shine sprites in Super Mario Sunshine or rediscover secrets in Super Mario Galaxy, many are obsessed with the new Super Mario Bros. 35 battle royale. Offering fans a new way to experience a game that's been played by countless gamers over the course of 35 years, Super Mario Bros. 35 allows you to challenge 34 other competitors to see who can play Super Mario Bros. the best. Like Tetris 99, your success can throw more obstacles at your opponents, leading to an intense battle to rank number one.

Super Mario Bros. 35 has been out since Oct. 1, 2020, but that doesn't mean everyone has quite mastered it yet. Here's how you've been playing Super Mario Bros 35 all wrong.

For the most seasoned Super Mario Bros. players, it's tempting to ride that B button, blasting your way through levels as if you were Sonic the Hedgehog. While this may work in the original game, it's not necessarily going to help you gain a lead in Super Mario Bros. 35. Instead, you want to take your time through each level.

Nintendo Life confirmed this strategy, emphasizing the importance of survival over speed. In the original game, zipping through levels is a lot of fun, with multiple lives giving you a bit more room for error. In a battle royale, there are no second chances. Even if you're tremendously skilled at Super Mario Bros., one tiny slip-up will put you out of the match. 

There's really no need to rush in Super Mario Bros. 35. Your time limit may appear intimidatingly short, but the more enemies you attack, the more time you earn. With this in mind, you should be even more motivated to hang back and pick off as many enemies as possible.

In Super Mario Bros. 35, you can target the type of players who will receive your fallen enemies. Moving the right stick (or hitting "R" on the NES Switch controller) will change your targeting from "Random" to either "Lowest Time," "Most Coins," or "Attackers." When playing Super Mario Bros. 35, you might think it's better to have fewer enemies, but in this case, your enemies are your friends.

The more downed bad guys are sent your way, the greater your opportunity to increase the time on your clock. As such, selecting a targeting system that attracts more enemies is a great way to come out on top.

Targeting fellow attackers not only allows you to give them a taste of their own medicine, but it lets you attack multiple competitors at once. This creates a net of enemies that bounce back and forth between you and other attackers, often multiplying the outbound baddies and sending them right back to you. In addition to attracting more enemies, your KO odds increase. Hitting an opponent with a KO earns you their coin stash, and a higher collection of coins will improve your overall rank in the community.