New Mario DS details, screens

Jeux France has picked up some new
Famitsu scans of the upcoming Mario platformer for the Nintendo DS, and the details are tantalizing and exciting. The scans show Mario in a typical side scrolling adventure, albeit with a few quirky additions. First off is the size issue: some images show Mario the size of the entire screen, while others show a tiny Mario facing off against the likes of giant lava worms and colossal goombas. The other tidbit to pick up from the scans is a new power up – in some pictures you can see Mario wearing a blue turtle shell on his back, with each color giving Mario a different power (sounds reminiscent of
Super Mario World and the shells Yoshi could swallow).

There is also an interview with producer and level designer Takashi and Tezuka. According to a
translation at 4 color rebellion, the two-player mode will be mostly competitive, but with just a touch of cooperation: "It's not just about getting to the goal first – there are...other factors." Very intriguing; hopefully, we will get some more information in the weeks to come.