Review: Super Mario Brothers 2
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Like most early NES titles, this game didn't have the ability to save your progress. However, you can pause the game during any level by pressing START on your controller. Time needed per session:This game was designed to be played in one sitting. It takes between an hour and a half to two hours to complete this game without using warps.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians This is an extremely family friendly game with no serious concerns. |
Screenshots
These screenshots were captured using video from an actual console.
Game Overview
Super Mario 2 has always been the odd duck out of the Mario franchise, and just about everyone knows why it feels so out of place - it started out as a promotional tie-in game called Doki Doki Panic. But what you might not know is that Doki Doki Panic was, in turn, built from an experimental engine that Nintendo was planning on using for a new Mario game [source
]. In particular, the ability to warp and scroll in different directions was a big technical leap forward.
Back then, Nintendo preferred to keep each installment in a franchise unique rather than stick with a formula. You can see this at work in the Donkey Kong franchise: each of the first three games follow their own unique rules. Unfortunately for Mario, there turned out to be limits to how much you can deviate from an established formula before people start complaining.
But enough about history. Let's talk about what makes Super Mario 2 interesting. To begin with, this game doesn't take place in the Mushroom Kingdom. It does start there, as Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool go on a picnic together. During the picnic, Mario tells them about this weird dream he had the other night about a strange door and a world beyond. Naturally, when they go exploring later, they stumble upon the door he'd been dreaming about, leading them to the world of Subcon. Discovering that Subcon has been taken over by the evil Wart and his minions, the group decides to work together to save the day.
And that's where things start to get weird. Unlike your usual Mario games, you can't stomp on enemies this time. If you do jump on an enemy, you'll just end up riding them (which is an important mechanic in later levels). To actually defeat an enemy, you'll need to pull up a vegetable (or pick up another enemy) and toss it into them.
Another big change is that there aren't any question blocks floating around, so the traditional way to get powerups doesn't work. Instead, you'll need to create a door to a "subspace" dimension using a magic potion. If you put the door in the right place, then you'll find a hidden mushroom that you can collect to increase your hit points for the rest of that level.
Speaking of which, each level ends when the player collects a crystal ball, which are often guarded by a miniboss, usually a dinosaur named Birdo. Once the crystal ball has been collected, a giant bird mask opens its beak, creating the door to the next level or the world's boss.
Ultimately, this is a fun romp, even if it doesn't follow what we now consider to be the standard Mario game logic. Give it a try if you're interested in something a little different.
]. In particular, the ability to warp and scroll in different directions was a big technical leap forward.Back then, Nintendo preferred to keep each installment in a franchise unique rather than stick with a formula. You can see this at work in the Donkey Kong franchise: each of the first three games follow their own unique rules. Unfortunately for Mario, there turned out to be limits to how much you can deviate from an established formula before people start complaining.
But enough about history. Let's talk about what makes Super Mario 2 interesting. To begin with, this game doesn't take place in the Mushroom Kingdom. It does start there, as Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool go on a picnic together. During the picnic, Mario tells them about this weird dream he had the other night about a strange door and a world beyond. Naturally, when they go exploring later, they stumble upon the door he'd been dreaming about, leading them to the world of Subcon. Discovering that Subcon has been taken over by the evil Wart and his minions, the group decides to work together to save the day.
And that's where things start to get weird. Unlike your usual Mario games, you can't stomp on enemies this time. If you do jump on an enemy, you'll just end up riding them (which is an important mechanic in later levels). To actually defeat an enemy, you'll need to pull up a vegetable (or pick up another enemy) and toss it into them.
Another big change is that there aren't any question blocks floating around, so the traditional way to get powerups doesn't work. Instead, you'll need to create a door to a "subspace" dimension using a magic potion. If you put the door in the right place, then you'll find a hidden mushroom that you can collect to increase your hit points for the rest of that level.
Speaking of which, each level ends when the player collects a crystal ball, which are often guarded by a miniboss, usually a dinosaur named Birdo. Once the crystal ball has been collected, a giant bird mask opens its beak, creating the door to the next level or the world's boss.
Ultimately, this is a fun romp, even if it doesn't follow what we now consider to be the standard Mario game logic. Give it a try if you're interested in something a little different.
Points of Interest
21 Levels
There are seven worlds with three levels each. Most of the worlds feature their own theme, though as a general rule the level design gets weirder as you go along. The last level of each world always ends in a boss fight, with Wart himself appearing in the final level.
Character selection
At the start of each world, you're given the ability to choose which character to play as next. Each character has their own strengths and weakness, and these can be utilized to clear certain levels easier. Mario is the average character, with no special abilities. Luigi is harder to steer, but makes up for it by having the highest jump. Princess Toadstool can float for a while after jumping, and Toad is the fastest (but weakest jumper).
Mushrooms create a scavenger hunt
In the early levels, the hidden mushrooms are located relatively close to where you'll find the magic potions. However, as you get further into the game, they begin to be hidden in increasingly obscure locations. This not only makes them harder to find, but it makes it difficult to keep your character's health up enough to survive the level's dangers.
More puzzle based then usual
Mario games aren't really known for their puzzles - you mainly just head towards the exit, and any puzzles that are present are optional challenges for player to try after they've grown comfortable with the main game. By contrast, simple puzzles are everywhere in Super Mario 2, and while most of them revolve around the new ability to ride enemies or use items, you'll need to figure them out in order to progress.
Lots of new faces
Many of the enemies from this game would eventually become staples of the franchise in one way or another, though it would take a while for that to happen, as the next few Super Mario games would return to the earlier cast of Koopas and Goombas.
As an aside, the Super Mario Brothers Super Show filled out the cast of its cartoon segments by mixing this game's cast and items with various elements from the first game, creating a sort of hybrid of the two.
As an aside, the Super Mario Brothers Super Show filled out the cast of its cartoon segments by mixing this game's cast and items with various elements from the first game, creating a sort of hybrid of the two.
Concerns and Issues
Mild violence
Defeating enemies by any means (explosions, hitting them with a vegetable or another enemy, or touching them with a star powerup active) just knocks them offscreen. It's hardly violent at all.
That said, it's amusing that you defeat the fat slob of a final boss by forcing him to eat healthy vegetables.
That said, it's amusing that you defeat the fat slob of a final boss by forcing him to eat healthy vegetables.
Small amount of gross content
Wart's main attack (or well, only attack) is to belch green frothy bubbles across the stage. These don't just hurt your character if they get hit, but they also destroy any vegetables that they touch.
Birdo
For some reason, Nintendo decided it was important to point out that they are transgender in the game's manual. This has exactly zero relevance to the gameplay or story, so it seems like a very odd detail to include. It does, however, make Birdo one of the first transgender characters in video game history.