Originally written September 7, 2015

The story of how Super Mario Bros. 2 came to be is a pretty famous one by now. Basically, after the success of the original Super Mario Bros., a sequel (that we now know in America as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels) was released in Japan, but Japan thought the game would be too difficult and similar to the original game for American audiences. So, what they did was take another game from Japan called Doki Doki Panic, re-design it to put Mario characters in it, and then released it in America as Super Mario Bros. 2. Because the game wasn’t originally designed to be a Mario game, it’s very different from other games in the series, and for that it’s definitely the black sheep of the franchise.

This game gives you the choice of four players: Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach, which can be switched between levels at any time. Each character has their own different play style to them (for example, Peach can float in the air for short distances), and these advantages can be utilized during the game to get through a level easier. You can use any character on any of the stages though, so you get to pick who you like as you work your way through the levels to save a dreamland known as Subcon from an evil frog named Wart.

While the game is different in style from other Mario games, it does still retain the basic nature of a 2D Mario game by being a sidescroller. There’s only seven worlds compared to the usual eight, but much like other Mario games each world does have its own theme, such as a desert world or ice world. Also, some of the same basic Mario items are still present, such as a mushroom, star, or 1-Up.

Still, the differences are definitely there. Rather than jumping on the heads of enemies to defeat them, instead you pick up objects (such as turnips) and throw them at enemies, or pick up the enemy and throw that. Another big difference is that you have a health bar (similar to the hearts system in a Zelda game) where you die if you get hit twice, although collecting mushrooms will increase the number of hits you can take. The biggest thing that sets this game apart is the way it utilizes its “subspace” world though. Basically, one item you find is a potion, which when thrown makes a door appear, which you can enter to go into a “subspace” version of the screen you’re on. The way the game uses this, as well as its various doors and other things to reach different places, is what makes it different from the other Mario games, and a cool idea. It gives the game a much more exploratory vibe than other 2D Mario games.

Technically, it’s a fine game. The graphics look good for NES era. The enemies are diverse, as are the levels. The music and the sound effects are also pretty memorable all around. The game functions really well, and I never really had any technical problems with it.

However, I’ll admit, I don’t think the gameplay is all that fun. I always feel the same way when I play Super Mario Bros. 2. Basically, I always feel that it’s not a bad game by any means, but that I’d still simply rather be playing a different game. It’s fun in its own way, but if I feel like popping in a Mario game, this one is rarely ever my choice. I think it’s just because I like the traditional style of a Mario game. It’s the reason I play Mario games. And this game just doesn’t feel like a Mario game.

This isn’t the type of game where I can say how much any individual person will get out of it. If you’re looking to just play through it and beat it once, the amount of time you’ll put into it is largely dependent on your skill. It’s actually a pretty difficult game to get through without using warp zones and things like that. It’s only about 20 levels, but the levels are longer than levels in other 2D Mario games are (there’s no time limit), so it takes a little while and it’s challenging. Some people will want to come back and replay the game a lot, but I usually prefer to take a different Mario game over this one any day.

3/5