[Played on Retron 5 with original cartridge]
Super Mario Bros. 2 is strange to compare against the original Super Mario Bros. and the other following Super Mario titles considering its origin. As far as I know, that Doki Doki Panic game wasn't supposed to ever be a Mario game, so that can make it hard to view this game as an "evolution". However, this is a platformer, and pretty much every platformer released after Super Mario Bros. should be considered against it, as it was essentially the best and most advanced platformer to be released at its time.
I will say, the origins of this game have always been intriguing. Compared to 1 and 3, Super Mario Bros. 2 always had that unique and wacky flair to it that made it stand out. The gameplay of picking things up and throwing them was also rather entertaining, but it was never so different that it made the game NOT feel like Mario. Despite the differences, the core running and jumping felt Mario-esque enough for this game to not feel too far off. And about those controls, they're a lot lighter than the previous title. In Super Mario Bros., there was more of weight to jumps and your acceleration. It took longer for you to reach top speed and you had less control over your jump arch (though you had far more control than in previous titles, you would have more control over correcting jumps in later titles). None of this was bad, but it was something you really had to get used to. Here, everything feels much cleaner and easier to control. You generally have more control over the moves you make.
On the controls, there's also the consideration of the many different characters you can play as. You have your basic, all-rounder Mario, but you also have characters like Luigi who have much higher jumps, Peach with her floaty jump, and Toad with his smaller jump but faster top speed. And that's just a brief recollection from me of what made each character different. I assure you there's more to them then that. So, you have this really solid general control which can be altered and played with by selecting different characters for different missions. I really love this addition to the game (though I usually just go with toad for all 20 levels). My only issue is that you're locked in for that stage after your first selection. If you die, you can't change characters again.
Another welcome addition is limited continues. The lack of continues never bothered me in Super Mario Bros. considering you had a continue code and the various warp zones to get you back where you were, but adding continues nevertheless is a good choice.
There's definitely much much more worth talking about, but I'd rather just level it at that for now. There's just so much her that makes this game unique and interesting compared to Super Mario Bros. However, I still end up feeling like I prefer Super Mario Bros. despite that. It's not really something I can explain with words, it's just how I feel. I don't think it's nostalgia, because I grew up with both of these games (I had the original carts and a Retro Duo growing up). I just kinda like it more because I do.
7/10 - Good
Super Mario Bros. 2 is strange to compare against the original Super Mario Bros. and the other following Super Mario titles considering its origin. As far as I know, that Doki Doki Panic game wasn't supposed to ever be a Mario game, so that can make it hard to view this game as an "evolution". However, this is a platformer, and pretty much every platformer released after Super Mario Bros. should be considered against it, as it was essentially the best and most advanced platformer to be released at its time.
I will say, the origins of this game have always been intriguing. Compared to 1 and 3, Super Mario Bros. 2 always had that unique and wacky flair to it that made it stand out. The gameplay of picking things up and throwing them was also rather entertaining, but it was never so different that it made the game NOT feel like Mario. Despite the differences, the core running and jumping felt Mario-esque enough for this game to not feel too far off. And about those controls, they're a lot lighter than the previous title. In Super Mario Bros., there was more of weight to jumps and your acceleration. It took longer for you to reach top speed and you had less control over your jump arch (though you had far more control than in previous titles, you would have more control over correcting jumps in later titles). None of this was bad, but it was something you really had to get used to. Here, everything feels much cleaner and easier to control. You generally have more control over the moves you make.
On the controls, there's also the consideration of the many different characters you can play as. You have your basic, all-rounder Mario, but you also have characters like Luigi who have much higher jumps, Peach with her floaty jump, and Toad with his smaller jump but faster top speed. And that's just a brief recollection from me of what made each character different. I assure you there's more to them then that. So, you have this really solid general control which can be altered and played with by selecting different characters for different missions. I really love this addition to the game (though I usually just go with toad for all 20 levels). My only issue is that you're locked in for that stage after your first selection. If you die, you can't change characters again.
Another welcome addition is limited continues. The lack of continues never bothered me in Super Mario Bros. considering you had a continue code and the various warp zones to get you back where you were, but adding continues nevertheless is a good choice.
There's definitely much much more worth talking about, but I'd rather just level it at that for now. There's just so much her that makes this game unique and interesting compared to Super Mario Bros. However, I still end up feeling like I prefer Super Mario Bros. despite that. It's not really something I can explain with words, it's just how I feel. I don't think it's nostalgia, because I grew up with both of these games (I had the original carts and a Retro Duo growing up). I just kinda like it more because I do.
7/10 - Good