SUPER MARIOTHON 2

Super Mario Bros 2 is the black sheep to the NES trilogy. It's an experimental game with a bit of a weird history, as it didn't start as a Mario game and was originally a different game called "Doki-Doki Panic" with much to appreciate about it. Although the style is very fun and we get the introduction of Shy Guy and the theme about dreams, the game has a lot of flaws that stem from it not being a Mario game.

What I like: Super Mario Bros 2 pioneers Toad and Peach as playable characters, and also Luigi as a primary character you could play as. The movement of the characters varying depending on your play-style is a nice part of the game; if you take it more slow then there's Toadstool, if you like speed there's Toad, etc. The game is also fantastic stylistically, which feels wrong to say considering this is more of an official Mario romhack.

What I don't like: The enemies can be frustrating, it's hard to determine the timings in order to beat them. I really missed the traditional Mario power-ups like the fire flower and the ability to just jump on enemies. Birdo was also a frustrating boss to fight because of how quick her eggs are shot at the player, and also the occasional fireball.

Other: Unlike SMB1 and SMB2: TLL, I never had a connection to this game when I was a kid. It's forgotten about and it's just kinda there. I was able to beat all the Mario games so far in one day, but this was just really frustrating as it removed the features that made the games iconic and enjoyable. Maybe I just don't understand it and would need to come back, as that happens with a lot of art I enjoy. I don't feel a need to replay this, but I'm willing to come back to it at a later point that isn't a Mariothon.

Reviewed on Feb 04, 2024


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