There are two wolves inside of me. One says "A ROCKET. A ROCKET???! WHAT DID WE SAY ABOUT AESTHETIC CONSISTENCY TIMMY!!" and the other says "it actually brought almost as many series staples as Super Mario Bros. while the elements that did not return really sully the game" and both wolves are right actually I'm not picking any political wing today.
Atleast the ending is accurate. I wish this game was a dream too! Alas... Birdo (which was supposed to be the ostrich enemy's name apparently) turned out to be mad annoying before she transed her gender and i never got used to dealing with the eggs. Or the fireworks coming out that mouth.... yo wtf Birdo eat lmao
Atleast the ending is accurate. I wish this game was a dream too! Alas... Birdo (which was supposed to be the ostrich enemy's name apparently) turned out to be mad annoying before she transed her gender and i never got used to dealing with the eggs. Or the fireworks coming out that mouth.... yo wtf Birdo eat lmao
world 7 made me go goddamn doki doki (very niche joke, not many will understand)
Super Mario Bros. 2 is a bizarre sequel to one of the most iconic video game mascots, but it’s a good game nonetheless. Instead of Goombas, Koopas, or Bowser himself, we have Shy Guys, birds with magic carpets, and Birdo. I think you all know the history surrounding this game, so I don't think I need to go over that.
It has aged in a few areas, and a few bosses can be quite a nuisance to beat when you're playing this for the first time (looking at you Fryguy), but it’s still a fun experience with solid gameplay and a variety of characters.
It's not my favorite 2D Mario game by a long shot, but I say this ranks above the first game for me and is miles better than The Lost Levels. I'm glad I got the chance to fully experience this game.
It has aged in a few areas, and a few bosses can be quite a nuisance to beat when you're playing this for the first time (looking at you Fryguy), but it’s still a fun experience with solid gameplay and a variety of characters.
It's not my favorite 2D Mario game by a long shot, but I say this ranks above the first game for me and is miles better than The Lost Levels. I'm glad I got the chance to fully experience this game.
game of the year every year
has wart in it
replaying mario games because i never understood the appeal i still don’t but that’s okay
I know that nowadays the fact that this is a reskin of Doki Doki Panic is common knowledge in the gaming community, but that wasn't always the case so I wonder what people back in the day thought about this game. 🤔
It's interesting that the main mechanic in this game is picking up and throwing things. You do it quite a bit, probably about as much as you do platforming.
Having four playable characters instead of just Mario and Green Mario is a nice change of pace. It's funny that I never played as Mario in this Mario game, but I played as every other character. Peach makes platforming a lot easier, even the harder segments.
The bosses are pretty lackluster, especially Birdo. The normal enemies all have pretty neat designs, I like Shy Guy.
It's interesting that the main mechanic in this game is picking up and throwing things. You do it quite a bit, probably about as much as you do platforming.
Having four playable characters instead of just Mario and Green Mario is a nice change of pace. It's funny that I never played as Mario in this Mario game, but I played as every other character. Peach makes platforming a lot easier, even the harder segments.
The bosses are pretty lackluster, especially Birdo. The normal enemies all have pretty neat designs, I like Shy Guy.
I like this game, it still has fun obstacles, the challenge is interesting, it's more fair than the previous games. My favorite part is using the mechanics to find secrets and shortcuts, that was awesome.
If you hate this game for not being "the real Mario 2", you are genuinely a moron.
There's some really neat and strange ideas here and it's wild to see just how drastically Nintendo was willing to pivot a sequel's direction to the game that put them and the video game industry as a whole onto the map. I just don't think the level design holds up whatsoever, very little of it feels memorable with how many dickish enemy spawns and traps there are mixed with bland climbs or stretches of areas that just don't always mix well together with a cast of 4 very different playable characters that had to be accounted for. Never would have finished this if it wasn't for save states and I don't really feel ashamed to admit that.
Fica claro pra qualquer um que olha meu perfil que tô zerando várias franquias em ordem paralelamente, e quem me conhece sabe que tô numa longa jornada de tirar o atraso de uma vida inteira de acesso limitado a videogames. A franquia Mario é uma das principais, mas quando reparei que zerei Super Mario Bros. 1 em OUTUBRO DE 2022 percebi o quanto me enrolo nisso tudo. Ano passado só não ficou sem Mario por causa do Wonder, e esses jogos são tão curtos, porque que eu tenho que ser assim? AFF
Esquisitice é uma característica marcante desse jogo. Todo mundo sabe a história do Doki Doki Panic e tal, e muitos não o consideram como um verdadeiro Mario, o que ao meu ver, é burrice.
Esse é um bom jogo que não se encaixa muito bem entre seu antecessor e sucessor, trazendo ideias bem diferentes, mas não necessariamente ruins. A verticalidade é muito bem explorada e há níveis bem criativos, que tem um salto visual impressionante, mas acabam sendo repetitivos. A mecânica principal de segurar e arremessar objetos acaba deixando a desejar, pois nunca é satisfatório e raramente exige alguma solução criativa. Os objetos são pouco variados em efeito, e os inimigos, apesar de visualmente variados, não tem habilidades muito marcantes.
Apesar de não se encaixar dentre os primeiros, vemos seu enorme legado espalhado pelo resto da franquia, com inimigos, músicas, as habilidades dos personagens, os temas dos mundos, e por aí vai.
Essa é uma peça estranha da jornada do encanador, mas indispensável pra sua história.
E sobre o original, "Lost Levels", eu acho aquilo ali um kaizo mario oficial de mal gosto e não pretendo rejogar.
Esquisitice é uma característica marcante desse jogo. Todo mundo sabe a história do Doki Doki Panic e tal, e muitos não o consideram como um verdadeiro Mario, o que ao meu ver, é burrice.
Esse é um bom jogo que não se encaixa muito bem entre seu antecessor e sucessor, trazendo ideias bem diferentes, mas não necessariamente ruins. A verticalidade é muito bem explorada e há níveis bem criativos, que tem um salto visual impressionante, mas acabam sendo repetitivos. A mecânica principal de segurar e arremessar objetos acaba deixando a desejar, pois nunca é satisfatório e raramente exige alguma solução criativa. Os objetos são pouco variados em efeito, e os inimigos, apesar de visualmente variados, não tem habilidades muito marcantes.
Apesar de não se encaixar dentre os primeiros, vemos seu enorme legado espalhado pelo resto da franquia, com inimigos, músicas, as habilidades dos personagens, os temas dos mundos, e por aí vai.
Essa é uma peça estranha da jornada do encanador, mas indispensável pra sua história.
E sobre o original, "Lost Levels", eu acho aquilo ali um kaizo mario oficial de mal gosto e não pretendo rejogar.
Did y'all know this game wasn't actually meant to be a Mario game?! It was originally a japanese game called Doki Doki Panic! Crazy Right?!
Over used videogame trivia aside, this is no doubt the black sheep of the Super Mario series. However, I feel that people use that label as an insult, and maybe that's what "Black Sheep" is supposed to be, but I say it in the way it's just so much more different and "Unique" than any other Mario experience, at least in the main-line Mario's. I found this to be very good, and though it was challenging, it deserves to be remembered and talked about.
Mario games have the best level design in any game in any gaming franchises. Nintendo has done this since the very first Mario, making incredible creative levels that tell stories, not from words but from environments and adventure. Mario Bros. 2 continues on from the first Mario for the most part. I felt the story and exploration was better in this game, but the first Mario and SMB 3 had the more consistently great level design. Some mechanics, not may just a few, didn't always mesh well with the characters movements, but again, for the most part everything was fun.
The thing I loved the most about SMB 2, was that it was kinda like a puzzle. I say that, because some levels are better with certain characters, so you have to map out who to use. Levels also have those potion door things, and the player has to get every advantage with those, whether it's Mushrooms, warps, or coins. Coins were vital, at least for me. The more you got the more chances you had to get an extra life. This game is hard as shit, so the player needs to make sure they get as many as they can get. The gambling mini game to get the 1-Ups is actually pretty good, though it's pretty hard to get it right because of how fast it was. My strategy was to just spam the button and try and get a 1-Up, the most I ever had at one time was 14.
I've already touched on the gameplay a bit, but It's good as usual. I do feel it can be slippery, as do a lot of 2D Mario's. This killed me a few times, but it wasn't that bad. I did feel the hit detection could be complete bullshit, but that doesn't hurt the game that much. The main mechanic of throwing stuff is actually a lot of fun, and I love how they use it throughout every aspect of the game. The platforming is good, though it isn't the primary focus of the game like the other Mario's. It's more focused on being more of an adventure game, solving a few puzzles along the way. Like I said, not like the other Mario's at all, still very fun though.
I will say that the enemies and bosses could be pretty annoying at times. Like everyone else, I also hate the flying creepy face guy. He killed me so many times, and if I had a gun with 3 bullets, and Hitler, Stalin, and that flying face guy were in a room, I'd shoot the flying face guy 3 times. Besides him, I actually loved the design and mechanics of all the other enemies, and even though the Bosses were usually just Birdo getting stronger, I actually really liked those fights, and as I said the throwing mechanic is a lot of fun to use against them. The main bosses had cool designs, though it would be cool if you did something a little more than just waiting for the right time to throw stuff. I felt the crab one, even though it was at time BS, I felt it was the most creative. Picking up his attacks and throwing them back is really cool, at least to me. Wart was a good final boss, though I would've like him to have a little more to him in terms of how to defeat him.
The OST is honestly pretty great. There isn't a bad or even mediocre tune in this game. The main theme is one of my favorites. The Music usually sets the tone of the area pretty well, and this game continues the Mario games reputation of having the very best Music.
The Pixel art was a big step up from the previous game, not just in design but also in color. I think the game looks great and has it's own "unique" style that hasn't really been replicated in any other Mario game. Great stuff.
The biggest complaints with the game are, sometimes difficulty is bs, hit detection a little weird, some things being a little cryptic, and of course, not being able to continue after dying. Though I do feel like that not being able to continue kinda helps the game in a way, making it more like a puzzle as I previously stated. This stuff can kill you and be damn annoying at times, but you push forward and keep playing anyway.
I do feel like this is pretty underrated. I love Nintendo's ability to tell a story of adventure just by you playing through the environments, as well as there level design, platforming, Art, Music, Enemies/Bosses, and the "Unique" experiences no one has been able to replicate. Though this is one of the lower rated Mario's for me, the fact that I still find this game to be very good says a lot about the quality of this Franchise. SMB2 has it's flaws, but it's a very good experience that everyone should play at least once. If you want a hard Mario game unlike any in the main line series, or just a challenging platformer in general, I'd recommend SMB2.
Score: 3.8/5
Letter Grade: B+
Over used videogame trivia aside, this is no doubt the black sheep of the Super Mario series. However, I feel that people use that label as an insult, and maybe that's what "Black Sheep" is supposed to be, but I say it in the way it's just so much more different and "Unique" than any other Mario experience, at least in the main-line Mario's. I found this to be very good, and though it was challenging, it deserves to be remembered and talked about.
Mario games have the best level design in any game in any gaming franchises. Nintendo has done this since the very first Mario, making incredible creative levels that tell stories, not from words but from environments and adventure. Mario Bros. 2 continues on from the first Mario for the most part. I felt the story and exploration was better in this game, but the first Mario and SMB 3 had the more consistently great level design. Some mechanics, not may just a few, didn't always mesh well with the characters movements, but again, for the most part everything was fun.
The thing I loved the most about SMB 2, was that it was kinda like a puzzle. I say that, because some levels are better with certain characters, so you have to map out who to use. Levels also have those potion door things, and the player has to get every advantage with those, whether it's Mushrooms, warps, or coins. Coins were vital, at least for me. The more you got the more chances you had to get an extra life. This game is hard as shit, so the player needs to make sure they get as many as they can get. The gambling mini game to get the 1-Ups is actually pretty good, though it's pretty hard to get it right because of how fast it was. My strategy was to just spam the button and try and get a 1-Up, the most I ever had at one time was 14.
I've already touched on the gameplay a bit, but It's good as usual. I do feel it can be slippery, as do a lot of 2D Mario's. This killed me a few times, but it wasn't that bad. I did feel the hit detection could be complete bullshit, but that doesn't hurt the game that much. The main mechanic of throwing stuff is actually a lot of fun, and I love how they use it throughout every aspect of the game. The platforming is good, though it isn't the primary focus of the game like the other Mario's. It's more focused on being more of an adventure game, solving a few puzzles along the way. Like I said, not like the other Mario's at all, still very fun though.
I will say that the enemies and bosses could be pretty annoying at times. Like everyone else, I also hate the flying creepy face guy. He killed me so many times, and if I had a gun with 3 bullets, and Hitler, Stalin, and that flying face guy were in a room, I'd shoot the flying face guy 3 times. Besides him, I actually loved the design and mechanics of all the other enemies, and even though the Bosses were usually just Birdo getting stronger, I actually really liked those fights, and as I said the throwing mechanic is a lot of fun to use against them. The main bosses had cool designs, though it would be cool if you did something a little more than just waiting for the right time to throw stuff. I felt the crab one, even though it was at time BS, I felt it was the most creative. Picking up his attacks and throwing them back is really cool, at least to me. Wart was a good final boss, though I would've like him to have a little more to him in terms of how to defeat him.
The OST is honestly pretty great. There isn't a bad or even mediocre tune in this game. The main theme is one of my favorites. The Music usually sets the tone of the area pretty well, and this game continues the Mario games reputation of having the very best Music.
The Pixel art was a big step up from the previous game, not just in design but also in color. I think the game looks great and has it's own "unique" style that hasn't really been replicated in any other Mario game. Great stuff.
The biggest complaints with the game are, sometimes difficulty is bs, hit detection a little weird, some things being a little cryptic, and of course, not being able to continue after dying. Though I do feel like that not being able to continue kinda helps the game in a way, making it more like a puzzle as I previously stated. This stuff can kill you and be damn annoying at times, but you push forward and keep playing anyway.
I do feel like this is pretty underrated. I love Nintendo's ability to tell a story of adventure just by you playing through the environments, as well as there level design, platforming, Art, Music, Enemies/Bosses, and the "Unique" experiences no one has been able to replicate. Though this is one of the lower rated Mario's for me, the fact that I still find this game to be very good says a lot about the quality of this Franchise. SMB2 has it's flaws, but it's a very good experience that everyone should play at least once. If you want a hard Mario game unlike any in the main line series, or just a challenging platformer in general, I'd recommend SMB2.
Score: 3.8/5
Letter Grade: B+
best mario game on NES (crowd gasp sfx)
So slow, so slippery, so tedious. The picking up and throwing items gameplay loop is just so boring. kind of interesting to play though considering you could fall asleep at any moment
Pretty nice classic. It kinda makes wanna try the original deal, but I know this is a better version for sound and no seizures at all.
The story of this game has been documented by a lot of people, starting originally as a prototype for a new Mario game with vertical levels and simultaneous multiplayer, to becoming Doki-Doki Panic in Japan, to becoming an actual Mario game in the West, because The Lost Levels was bullshit hard.
In hindsight, it's weird that Nintendo of America didn't allow Lost Levels to come over because of its difficulty, but allowed stuff like Zelda 2, but I digress.
Super Mario Bros. 2 plays very differently to the 1st game.
Instead of jumping on enemies, you pick up vegetables and throw them at the enemies.
Instead of saving Peach from Bowser, she's a playable character alongside Mario, Luigi & Toad, and you fight against a new villain called Wart.
Instead of defeating Goombas, Koopas and Lakitus, you defeat Shy Guys, Ostros, and Pokeys.
Of course, a lot of these changes come from its Doki-Doki Panic origin, but what I find so interesting is not only does this game expand the Mario universe ten-fold (even if this game is a dream, some of these elements carried over for future games), this game is a joy-ride from beginning to end!
I may be a bit alone on this, but I actually prefer this game over the original.
I have fun with both, and I do have some criticisms with this installment, but I just really like a lot of the stuff that Mario 2 offers.
While it may be a bit overdone nowadays, this title introduced the level themes we would see in future Mario games, like the Desert World, the Water World, the Ice World, you get it.
The characters all have their own unique attributes, and are really fun to play around with, and also add some extra replay value, and offer playstyles for either beginner players or more hardcore ones.
Yes, always fighting Birdo at the end of most levels can get tiring, and yes, some of the levels can get a bit long, but I had a lot of fun with this entry, and I'm really glad that it became a Mario game, even with many of its changes to the Mario formula.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is a good game, and I had a lot of fun with it! :D
In hindsight, it's weird that Nintendo of America didn't allow Lost Levels to come over because of its difficulty, but allowed stuff like Zelda 2, but I digress.
Super Mario Bros. 2 plays very differently to the 1st game.
Instead of jumping on enemies, you pick up vegetables and throw them at the enemies.
Instead of saving Peach from Bowser, she's a playable character alongside Mario, Luigi & Toad, and you fight against a new villain called Wart.
Instead of defeating Goombas, Koopas and Lakitus, you defeat Shy Guys, Ostros, and Pokeys.
Of course, a lot of these changes come from its Doki-Doki Panic origin, but what I find so interesting is not only does this game expand the Mario universe ten-fold (even if this game is a dream, some of these elements carried over for future games), this game is a joy-ride from beginning to end!
I may be a bit alone on this, but I actually prefer this game over the original.
I have fun with both, and I do have some criticisms with this installment, but I just really like a lot of the stuff that Mario 2 offers.
While it may be a bit overdone nowadays, this title introduced the level themes we would see in future Mario games, like the Desert World, the Water World, the Ice World, you get it.
The characters all have their own unique attributes, and are really fun to play around with, and also add some extra replay value, and offer playstyles for either beginner players or more hardcore ones.
Yes, always fighting Birdo at the end of most levels can get tiring, and yes, some of the levels can get a bit long, but I had a lot of fun with this entry, and I'm really glad that it became a Mario game, even with many of its changes to the Mario formula.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is a good game, and I had a lot of fun with it! :D
Its-a me, Mario! I run and jump and throw things around with my friends, wahoo!
O melhor: Todos os conceitos e personagens criados que foram levados adiante pela série
O pior: Uns picos bizarros de dificuldade da metade pro final
Ainda assim: Melhor do que Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels)
Super Mario Bros. 2: Doki Doki Panic Edition é responsável por vários elementos que compõem toda a série Mario até hoje, trazendo inimigos como Shy Guy e Birdo, e a possibilidade de escolher entre 4 personagens com habilidades próprias antes de cada fase. Como sequência do Super Mario Bros original, é sem dúvidas uma das mais inovadoras já feitas, e, olhando em retrospecto, foi uma decisão muito acertada da Nintendo americana, que acabou tornando todos os jogos da trilogia Mario do NES bem diferentes entre si.
Dito isso, esse com certeza é o jogo que menos gosto dessa trilogia. Os diferentes personagens jogáveis e jeito que alguns warps são distribuídos nas fases são pontos positivos, mas o level design é muito simples e os cenário são pouco variados, a ausência de power ups além da estrela de invencibilidade também é triste. A mecânica de atirar objetos e inimigos é meio desengonçada, e sinto que as fases finais tem uns picos de dificuldade com uns desafios de plataforma um tanto esquisitos (cavar areia por exemplo, bem chato).
Não que o jogo seja de todo ruim, o visual e as boss battles são bacanas. Mas sinto que esse é o Mario que eu mais aprecio por "valor histórico" do que qualquer outra coisa (tirando obviamente o Mario Bros original de Arcade), além da sempre curiosa história de sua origem.
O pior: Uns picos bizarros de dificuldade da metade pro final
Ainda assim: Melhor do que Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels)
Super Mario Bros. 2: Doki Doki Panic Edition é responsável por vários elementos que compõem toda a série Mario até hoje, trazendo inimigos como Shy Guy e Birdo, e a possibilidade de escolher entre 4 personagens com habilidades próprias antes de cada fase. Como sequência do Super Mario Bros original, é sem dúvidas uma das mais inovadoras já feitas, e, olhando em retrospecto, foi uma decisão muito acertada da Nintendo americana, que acabou tornando todos os jogos da trilogia Mario do NES bem diferentes entre si.
Dito isso, esse com certeza é o jogo que menos gosto dessa trilogia. Os diferentes personagens jogáveis e jeito que alguns warps são distribuídos nas fases são pontos positivos, mas o level design é muito simples e os cenário são pouco variados, a ausência de power ups além da estrela de invencibilidade também é triste. A mecânica de atirar objetos e inimigos é meio desengonçada, e sinto que as fases finais tem uns picos de dificuldade com uns desafios de plataforma um tanto esquisitos (cavar areia por exemplo, bem chato).
Não que o jogo seja de todo ruim, o visual e as boss battles são bacanas. Mas sinto que esse é o Mario que eu mais aprecio por "valor histórico" do que qualquer outra coisa (tirando obviamente o Mario Bros original de Arcade), além da sempre curiosa história de sua origem.
This game confirmed what we already knew but couldn't prove: All women can float in midair, they simply choose not to
Here's the thing, the game is fine, but it doesn't feel like a Mario game which is my biggest issue. I know the game is a reskin of Doki Doki Panic, but they tried to make it feel like Mario right? It just doesn't seem like that worked at all. Yeah the iconic enemies like Shy Guy and Birdo (named Ostro in this game) exist, but they also originated from Doki Doki Panic. It just feels like there's nothing to really identify this game as a Mario game except for the fact that Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach are playable. Besides that, the game isn't bad. Some of the levels feel kind of tricky, but the game isn't cheap like how Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels were (those stupid levels that looped until you took the right path are what I'm referring to). The only levels I didn't really like were the desert levels since you had to dig into the ground and it felt awkward. There's no variety with the bosses as it's either Ostro (Birdo) or the boss at the end of the world which you would beat in the same way. I don't like how you can't jump on enemies to kill them in this game since it, again, doesn't make the game feel like a Mario game. The plus side is the different characters because Luigi and Princess Toadstool are fun to play (I didn't figure out what Toad did prior to the review, oops). Those make beating levels more unique since you can use different characters to solve the same problems. Overall, the game isn't bad by itself, but as a Mario game, it doesn't really fill the quota.
So like are turnips like a thing? I have never seen a turnip in real life.
Honestly this is my personal favorite out of the first 3 Super Marios.
Gets way too much flack for being "different" (which yes I understand the history that literally everybody knows now) and instead people ignore just how rock solid of a platformer Super Mario Bros 2 actually is. Sure, it's not as tight as the first game nor as varied and charming as later installments, but in it's place are four distinct characters, each with their own unique playstyles, and level design that actually rewards replay and exploration.
It just feels really good to go through to boot. I love the throwing mechanic, and how it allows you to use enemies as their own platforms. I love the different kinds of enemies in this and how each one is completely unique from each other. I love the improved sprite work from the first game. It's just a great, fantastic time, if a little clunky sometimes. Still worth a check out if you haven't played it, and worth a second look if you dismissed it at first.
It just feels really good to go through to boot. I love the throwing mechanic, and how it allows you to use enemies as their own platforms. I love the different kinds of enemies in this and how each one is completely unique from each other. I love the improved sprite work from the first game. It's just a great, fantastic time, if a little clunky sometimes. Still worth a check out if you haven't played it, and worth a second look if you dismissed it at first.
Did you know this game was originally called Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Literature Club? I know, shocking
SMB2 is quite the most unique 2D Mario game (because it is literally a reskin of a different game), but still a good game nonetheless. The game kinda feel like a fever dream in the Mario universe, which makes sense as the story is branded as Mario's dream. The biggest difference about this Mario game compared to the others is the ability to pick up objects and enemies and throw them. While I really like this mechanic and wish it was in other Mario games, it is something to this game's detriment. One of the most satisfying things about playing a Mario game is stomping on enemies head's as you platform. You can no longer kill enemies by stomping on their heads due to the fact that the designers want you to pick them up and throw them. Again, while I do like this mechanic, it does bring the whole game down by 1 point for the fact that it won't also let me stomp on enemies. Nonetheless, if you can adjust your expectations of how Mario works for this one game, it is still enjoyable.
OH SO WHEN NINTENDO PLAGIARIZES ANOTHER GAME IT'S A GOOD THING, BUT WHEN I PLAGIARIZE AN ARTICLE FOR MY COLLEGE ESSAY I GET EXPELLED?
Did you know that this game is a reskin of Doki Doki Panic????
SUPER MARIO BROS 2 BABYYY
“It was all a dream”
-Biggie Smalls
-Biggie Smalls
The black sheep of the 2D super Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros 2 does a lot right, and some that I don’t mind falling to the wayside forever. For one thing, you now have four different characters to choose from for every level. There’s Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool, each with a trait that sets them apart. Mario is your standard fair with no special ability, Luigi is a fluttery fellow with a high jump, Toad is quick as picking things up but has a low jump, and the princess can float horizontally across short distances at the cost of a slow item pickup time. I really like this character selection idea, and question why it took them so long to see a return of this mechanic much later. Naturally, some characters are better suited for certain tasks than others. As a general rule Toadstool and Toad are probably your best bet in most instances, but I love the ability to switch things up, and you’re never screwed by accidentally picking a certain character for any level. Which is good because you don’t really know who’s the best for the level until you play it.
The boss fights are a huge step up from the first game. Each world’s first and penultimate level has a Birdo boss fight that’s actually quite similar to the Bowser fights in the original, just more interesting. Instead of reaching an ax at the back you’re made to catch her eggs and throw them back at her. Like the Bowser fights they can get repetitive, but every fight adds some new modifier to slightly change the encounter, like added fireballs, platforms, or limited items.
The last level of each world has unique boss fights with timeless classics like Mouser, Fryguy, and Clawglip (that can’t possibly be the intended spelling), all never to be seen again. All the fights are throwing based and pretty simple, but a measurable step up from the first game in flavor and strategy. And I’ll forgive them for reusing Mouser for two fights, as he is quite the charismatic mouse and a relic of the game’s original roots, which we’ll talk about soon. The final boss is Wart, a fat frog and the villain of Subcon, the dream-world that the game takes place in. He’s also the only boss I had real trouble with. Having to time the vegetable catching and hitting him 6 times required more than a couple restarts on my part.
To speak more broadly, the source of Super Mario Bros 2’s wild divergence from the first game and the reason many of its mechanics didn’t stick is because of it being a port of another game, Doki Doki Panic. Besides the main characters matching our beautiful Mario world, nearly every other aspect was lifted from the original Japanese game, including our beloved Mouser. The largest change in my opinion is the swap from defeating enemies by stomping on them to having to lift them and throw them at other enemies to kill them, or throw vegetables at them. It was a nice change of pace and once again something I think should have been polished in future titles. Having to pick up every enemy isn’t ideal, but a fusion of the mainline Mario stomp and throw would actually be the best scenario. Having certain enemies be felled by singular stomps while others require throwing either at them or with them would make for some nice variety in such a basic formula.
You also have a health meter instead of a single hitpoint when not powered up by a mushroom in the first game, yet another change I like. The health doesn’t carry over from level to level, but finding health upgrades is so much more rewarding when you do. Of course I miss the iconic upgrades like the fireball and mushroom. For just a single game we can survive without them though. On the gamecrafting side again, I think retaining the powerups system and having health be tied to your reduced size form would be the best combination of the classic style with this new style. Contrarily, one thing I didn’t like was the infinitely respawning enemies. It made some sections downright annoying to get through. For the parts where it was necessary, like when you had to fly on a albatoss to get across gaps that’s fine. When you’re trying to take a breather and the shyguys continue popping out like popcorn it can get a little obnoxious. Not the end of the world but it made it apparent why having an actual health bar can be so clutch at times.
As a last note an underdog blessing for this game was the removal of the awful timer. I forgot to mention it in my review of the first game, but the timer they used in that one was NOT based on seconds, making you feel like you had more time than you really did. Not usually a problem, however certain levels had to be played pretty briskly to not die from running out of time. I’m super glad a timer was nowhere to be seen for this one, even if they added it right back in the next title. To be clear though my problem isn’t with having a timer, it’s just the fact that the timer usually feels unclear in how it’s ticking. If you assume it’s counting in seconds, which who doesn’t, you’re bound to go a lot slower then you could really get away with.
I can understand why Super Mario Bros 2 doesn’t appeal to everyone. The underlying cause for the game’s mechanic changes may not be original or important in retrospect, but I really believe that there was a lot to be learned from it. If anything, with how well the drastic differences from the mainline franchise actually work, this game shows that some tinkering with the template isn’t always sacrilege. Do I think this is the best 2D Mario? Definitely not. What I do think is that it’s a game unfairly maligned that should have been refined.
The boss fights are a huge step up from the first game. Each world’s first and penultimate level has a Birdo boss fight that’s actually quite similar to the Bowser fights in the original, just more interesting. Instead of reaching an ax at the back you’re made to catch her eggs and throw them back at her. Like the Bowser fights they can get repetitive, but every fight adds some new modifier to slightly change the encounter, like added fireballs, platforms, or limited items.
The last level of each world has unique boss fights with timeless classics like Mouser, Fryguy, and Clawglip (that can’t possibly be the intended spelling), all never to be seen again. All the fights are throwing based and pretty simple, but a measurable step up from the first game in flavor and strategy. And I’ll forgive them for reusing Mouser for two fights, as he is quite the charismatic mouse and a relic of the game’s original roots, which we’ll talk about soon. The final boss is Wart, a fat frog and the villain of Subcon, the dream-world that the game takes place in. He’s also the only boss I had real trouble with. Having to time the vegetable catching and hitting him 6 times required more than a couple restarts on my part.
To speak more broadly, the source of Super Mario Bros 2’s wild divergence from the first game and the reason many of its mechanics didn’t stick is because of it being a port of another game, Doki Doki Panic. Besides the main characters matching our beautiful Mario world, nearly every other aspect was lifted from the original Japanese game, including our beloved Mouser. The largest change in my opinion is the swap from defeating enemies by stomping on them to having to lift them and throw them at other enemies to kill them, or throw vegetables at them. It was a nice change of pace and once again something I think should have been polished in future titles. Having to pick up every enemy isn’t ideal, but a fusion of the mainline Mario stomp and throw would actually be the best scenario. Having certain enemies be felled by singular stomps while others require throwing either at them or with them would make for some nice variety in such a basic formula.
You also have a health meter instead of a single hitpoint when not powered up by a mushroom in the first game, yet another change I like. The health doesn’t carry over from level to level, but finding health upgrades is so much more rewarding when you do. Of course I miss the iconic upgrades like the fireball and mushroom. For just a single game we can survive without them though. On the gamecrafting side again, I think retaining the powerups system and having health be tied to your reduced size form would be the best combination of the classic style with this new style. Contrarily, one thing I didn’t like was the infinitely respawning enemies. It made some sections downright annoying to get through. For the parts where it was necessary, like when you had to fly on a albatoss to get across gaps that’s fine. When you’re trying to take a breather and the shyguys continue popping out like popcorn it can get a little obnoxious. Not the end of the world but it made it apparent why having an actual health bar can be so clutch at times.
As a last note an underdog blessing for this game was the removal of the awful timer. I forgot to mention it in my review of the first game, but the timer they used in that one was NOT based on seconds, making you feel like you had more time than you really did. Not usually a problem, however certain levels had to be played pretty briskly to not die from running out of time. I’m super glad a timer was nowhere to be seen for this one, even if they added it right back in the next title. To be clear though my problem isn’t with having a timer, it’s just the fact that the timer usually feels unclear in how it’s ticking. If you assume it’s counting in seconds, which who doesn’t, you’re bound to go a lot slower then you could really get away with.
I can understand why Super Mario Bros 2 doesn’t appeal to everyone. The underlying cause for the game’s mechanic changes may not be original or important in retrospect, but I really believe that there was a lot to be learned from it. If anything, with how well the drastic differences from the mainline franchise actually work, this game shows that some tinkering with the template isn’t always sacrilege. Do I think this is the best 2D Mario? Definitely not. What I do think is that it’s a game unfairly maligned that should have been refined.