New Super Mario Bros. U looks set to really shake the 2D Mario series with its many new features but one thing that seemingly hasn't changed is the character roster.

Just like with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Wii U version will give you the option to play as Mario, Luigi or a different coloured Toad.

It seems that there were several options, and the likes of Peach and Wario were considered as extra playable characters, but in the end what we have instead is Mii support.

Speaking recently to Game Informer magazine, Nintendo EAD's Takashi Tezuka explained that perhaps in future Mario titles we will see such a character selection but he's sure that in New Super Mario Bros. U, players will be happy with the choice of Mii's thanks to HD technology.

"We did consider that when we looked at which characters we would use. We really came down on the side of using Mii characters rather than some of the characters you had mentioned. Through the technology of HD, you're going to see more expression and emotion on the Mii character faces. Of course, we're going to continue making Mario games, so you can maybe look forward to some of the things you were asking about in the future."

Are HD Mii's good enough as side characters? It certainly does seem slightly bizarre that the New Super Mario Bros. series has such a limited character selection given the amount of playable characters available in the Mario Party and Mario Kart series.