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+