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When the original Super Mario Bros. hit Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment Systems, gaming changed forever. Its intuitive gameplay, large scope, and tucked away secrets unlocked the potential of home video game consoles, which were once primarily viewed as a way of playing arcade games at home. But since the entire medium was in still its early stages, the concept of a video game sequel wasn’t clearly defined.
The history of the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 is well documented, so I’ll try to make it quick. But just in case you were absent the first day of Retro Gaming 101, I’ll quickly go over the backstory. With the immediate popularity of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo decided they needed to make a sequel…fast! So they quickly followed up the landmark title with Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan, a game using the same engine and visual style. Meant to appeal to players who had mastered the original game, it picks up right after the fight with King Koopa. And since they assumed these players already refined their platforming skills with the first entry, the difficulty is ramped up to the extreme, which is apparent as soon as one starts the game.
However, when Howard Phillips – Nintendo’s warehouse manager turned game consultant – received the game for feedback, he suggested its difficulty would not go over well with Western audiences. As a result, Nintendo sent him a game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, a Japanese exclusive platformer made by the same development team behind the original Mario, a team that included the character’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. Phillips agreed the game would be a more suitable sequel, and after some character swaps and minor changes, the Super Mario Bros. 2 that North America knows and loves was born.
Released to audiences in 1988 for the NES, the result of these unusual circumstances was a highly unique Super Mario entry with Arabic overtones, a mystical atmosphere, and some key gameplay differences. At the game’s start, a selection screen lets players choose a character within the Mario universe to play as (Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Princess Toadstool), each with varying strengths and weaknesses. While there is still a heavy focus on side-scrolling and jumping, the game also introduces a new digging mechanic, allowing player to pull up items such as vegetables and throw them as a projectile weapon. 1-ups, and other goodies are also occasionally pulled up, effectively replacing question mark blocks found in the original. Enemies can also be picked up and thrown, providing a new way to eliminate them. And to further shake up the traditional 2D Super Mario formula, some levels focus on verticality rather than side-scrolling, requiring players to climb and platform their way to the top.
Whether or not the regional difference was the right call is completely subjective, but I would recommend playing a bit of the Japanese version before making up your mind, which was later brought to North America as Super Mario Bros.: Lost Levels. Regardless, the marked gameplay changes, vastly different visual style, and injection of new characters has made a lasting impact on the franchise that can be seen to this day. Do you think Super Mario Bros. 2 is a worthy follow-up?
