Super Mario Bros. 2 is a game that gets more flack than it deserves. It has an incredibly interesting story of starting as this very bare bones potential Mario 2, only for Fuji TV to ask Nintendo to help promote their "Dream Factory" festival thing in the 80's, where Nintendo used their base Mario game but now with the mascots given by Fuji for the festival.
The festival was focused around children of the future, as the children of the 80's would be adults when the new millennium came, and hence, our future. Fuji decided it would be best to represent this all with a multi-cultural dream factory theme thing (I don't know either, guess you had to be there to really get it). The mascots to best represent this worldly theme was settled with an "Arabian Nights" inspired family. This festival was apparently a really big deal as Fuji was advertising this EVERY WHERE !!! (Can't really blame them... I mean they do own a massive TV station.)
But! After all this, they still needed a Mario 2 in Japan. I mean, he's the most popular game character since... well, since Mario! So Nintendo did the good honest thing and slapped together something more similar to the original game with some extra challenge and sent it out. That should keep 'em busy.
Though for Western fans this wasn't a problem. What the hell is Dream Factory? No one in the West could give less of a shit about some festival they can't participate in. But you know what the West loved? You won't believe it, but it's that same guy in Japan. All the kids will not shut. up. about Mario. So what did Nintendo do? They just finished their base game, with now added elements inspired by the Dream Factory, as hey, why not? The levels are already finished, aren't they? Mario is already in this crazy world fighting with turtles and saving princesses. Putting him in a dream environment with some desert themes and elements shouldn't be THAT out of place. Anyways, that other Mario game we made too hardcore for Western audiences.
And now we have the beautiful creature that is Super Mario Bros. 2 - or as they call it in Japan: Super Mario USA. Cause believe it or not, people in Japan were upset they didn't get the Mario version of Doki Doki Panic. Friends in Japan told me that most people (or maybe my friend circle is a little funny, wouldn't be the first time) actually prefer Super Mario USA to what they got as Super Mario Bros. 2. I mean, it's not too hard to envision. There must have been a big enough rumble within the Japanese fanbase for Nintendo to put an effort into having the Western game on the Famicom.
And now this is where I argue my main thesis to you. What is that? My thesis? Yes, this whole time my argument I want to make to you is how Super Mario Bros. 2 is one of the best Mario games EVER made and why it deserves that title. Yes, the so called "re-skin" of Doki Doki Panic that people in the West received. Oh, woe is us. We're so dumb that instead of getting the insane not-fun Mario 1 on crack sequel to Mario Bros. we got a game much closer to Miyamoto's original vision of Mario Bros. 2, with crazy fun bosses, new action techniques, and beautiful graphics, boo hoo.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is an amazing follow-up to the first Mario Bros, a game that often came packaged with your new Nintendo Entertainment System. Three years later, we get its sequel, and Holy. Crap.
This shit rocks.
First thing you probably notice is ~graphics~, because holy shit that screen gives ya some color now. Not only are the environments insanely more varied and fun to figure out, but they were challenging. Like honest to God challenging. Something you want in an NES game. Something that frustrates you at first, but once learning its patterns, is easily now wrapped around your finger. Just compare these two maps. Partial to just me, I also enjoy the art style change they go with in SMB2 and how it's a bit more chibi, with a dark indigo color to outline the characters now too (oh my, how Osomatsu ).
I guess you can say there's controversy on the change from jumping on enemies to throwing them, which at the time I can imagine wasn't the biggest deal. Sequels to old video games experimented with the formula all the time. Just look at Zelda II and hell, even the original Super Mario Bros. and how much it differs from its original arcade game. I personally liked the change, but in the end, I guess most people didn't as moving forward it became secured as a staple for Mario to stomp. Don't get me wrong though, the game was definitely still influential with us continuing to see Birdo, Shy Guys, and Luigi's famous high jump in future Mario series games.
If you're still on the edge of what to think about Super Mario Bros. 2, I like to note that Miyamoto states it is his favorite Mario game. Not his favorite Nintendo game, but his favorite Mario game, further settling on if we should even see Super Mario Bros. 2 as a true Mario game, when it's "just a re-skin". Clearly, you can see the love that was put into it. Mario or not. 真実は、嘘偽りのないこと、本当のことを意味する。
Nighty night, Mario
Other sources not already linked
The festival was focused around children of the future, as the children of the 80's would be adults when the new millennium came, and hence, our future. Fuji decided it would be best to represent this all with a multi-cultural dream factory theme thing (I don't know either, guess you had to be there to really get it). The mascots to best represent this worldly theme was settled with an "Arabian Nights" inspired family. This festival was apparently a really big deal as Fuji was advertising this EVERY WHERE !!! (Can't really blame them... I mean they do own a massive TV station.)
But! After all this, they still needed a Mario 2 in Japan. I mean, he's the most popular game character since... well, since Mario! So Nintendo did the good honest thing and slapped together something more similar to the original game with some extra challenge and sent it out. That should keep 'em busy.
Though for Western fans this wasn't a problem. What the hell is Dream Factory? No one in the West could give less of a shit about some festival they can't participate in. But you know what the West loved? You won't believe it, but it's that same guy in Japan. All the kids will not shut. up. about Mario. So what did Nintendo do? They just finished their base game, with now added elements inspired by the Dream Factory, as hey, why not? The levels are already finished, aren't they? Mario is already in this crazy world fighting with turtles and saving princesses. Putting him in a dream environment with some desert themes and elements shouldn't be THAT out of place. Anyways, that other Mario game we made too hardcore for Western audiences.
And now we have the beautiful creature that is Super Mario Bros. 2 - or as they call it in Japan: Super Mario USA. Cause believe it or not, people in Japan were upset they didn't get the Mario version of Doki Doki Panic. Friends in Japan told me that most people (or maybe my friend circle is a little funny, wouldn't be the first time) actually prefer Super Mario USA to what they got as Super Mario Bros. 2. I mean, it's not too hard to envision. There must have been a big enough rumble within the Japanese fanbase for Nintendo to put an effort into having the Western game on the Famicom.
And now this is where I argue my main thesis to you. What is that? My thesis? Yes, this whole time my argument I want to make to you is how Super Mario Bros. 2 is one of the best Mario games EVER made and why it deserves that title. Yes, the so called "re-skin" of Doki Doki Panic that people in the West received. Oh, woe is us. We're so dumb that instead of getting the insane not-fun Mario 1 on crack sequel to Mario Bros. we got a game much closer to Miyamoto's original vision of Mario Bros. 2, with crazy fun bosses, new action techniques, and beautiful graphics, boo hoo.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is an amazing follow-up to the first Mario Bros, a game that often came packaged with your new Nintendo Entertainment System. Three years later, we get its sequel, and Holy. Crap.
This shit rocks.
First thing you probably notice is ~graphics~, because holy shit that screen gives ya some color now. Not only are the environments insanely more varied and fun to figure out, but they were challenging. Like honest to God challenging. Something you want in an NES game. Something that frustrates you at first, but once learning its patterns, is easily now wrapped around your finger. Just compare these two maps. Partial to just me, I also enjoy the art style change they go with in SMB2 and how it's a bit more chibi, with a dark indigo color to outline the characters now too (oh my, how Osomatsu ).
I guess you can say there's controversy on the change from jumping on enemies to throwing them, which at the time I can imagine wasn't the biggest deal. Sequels to old video games experimented with the formula all the time. Just look at Zelda II and hell, even the original Super Mario Bros. and how much it differs from its original arcade game. I personally liked the change, but in the end, I guess most people didn't as moving forward it became secured as a staple for Mario to stomp. Don't get me wrong though, the game was definitely still influential with us continuing to see Birdo, Shy Guys, and Luigi's famous high jump in future Mario series games.
If you're still on the edge of what to think about Super Mario Bros. 2, I like to note that Miyamoto states it is his favorite Mario game. Not his favorite Nintendo game, but his favorite Mario game, further settling on if we should even see Super Mario Bros. 2 as a true Mario game, when it's "just a re-skin". Clearly, you can see the love that was put into it. Mario or not. 真実は、嘘偽りのないこと、本当のことを意味する。
Nighty night, Mario
Other sources not already linked
Reviewed on Jan 23, 2023
2 Comments
best mario 2 best mario 2 review
RedHotHead
1 year ago
Can't wait for next review :D