And now by special request, here's Super Mario Bros. 2! I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to play through this one yet, but I'm glad I did. This is one of those popular games that will ensure me many page views. I like to spread those out, but I'm doing this one right after Super Mario Bros. 3. The two most popular NES games right in a row. What was I thinking? I bet I get twice as many for this one as I'm going to get when I play through something like Widget or Wurm. At least I've still got Super Nintendo.
And now for the disclaimer. I know that this games was originally Doki Doki Panic and not SMB2. It was converted for the US after the Japanese SMB2 was deemed too difficult and too much like the first game. It was later released as the lost levels on Mario All-Stars and several other carts. I don't want to dwell on this too much though. As a kid playing this game it was nothing but the next Mario game. I think it deserves to be treated that way too. It's certainly earned it.
I love the early days of the NES. The developers really seemed fearless, and everything was new. I mean, they turned Legend of Zelda into a pseudo side-scroller, and they weren't afraid to do the same for their most important character. Japan can keep their sequel, we want a game that is completely different.
Actually the game couldn't be much more different than the first one without completely switching genres. It has none of the same enemies, radically different levels, and completely different play mechanics. It's a little shocking when you think about it. The first game was all about what was above you. All the items were hidden in blocks over you heads. To kill enemies you had to jump on them. In the second game, it's all about what's under you. You don't break up blocks but pull up plants and mushrooms. Jumping on enemies does no good unless there's something hidden above their heads. Probably the most famous difference, however, is the ability to change characters from level to level. Each one has their own pros and cons. I'm a Luigi man, but when I play through this game I use everyone but Mario. This has got to be the only Mario game where you can play through it without even seeing him. You have to admit, that is pretty shocking.
All of these changes could've made the game playing public angry, but all I remember from the time is love. This game had something that the first one didn't have. It had much better advertising. When I was real little Mario was everywhere. He had that great cover picture that got pasted on just about everything. I wish I still had my Mario belt and lunch box, but they've been lost. The first game came out and Mario was the game to play, but by the time the second one came along Mario was already becoming a legend.
I have many memories of this game. It was the first game we ever rented back in that glorious time when you could rent Nintendo games cheap. At our local place the trick was to rent the games on Saturday because the store was closed on Sunday, and you could keep it an extra day. This started a tradition of me and my brother renting a game every week for years. Right up to the Dreamcast era actually. That's a long time when you think about it. This was also a game I got on my 7th birthday. I know this because I've seen the pictures. This would make it 1991, so I must've played it for a while before I ever owned it. I think I already had Mario 3 by then, but there is no picture of me getting that one.
What I'll always remember about this game is its difficulty. If the real SMB2 was too hard for Americans, it must've been by only a couple of spiny eggs. I spent more time playing this game than just about any other, but I never beat it till I was in college. College! I'm not sure what my hang up was as a kid. I remember getting past world 4 with no trouble, but after that my mind gets a little fuzzy. Fry Guy was pretty tough, and those mushroom power-ups get much more difficult to find, but I don't remember a specific level that hung me up.
Anyway, I had a much easier time of it here in 2011. I had plenty of lives and actually got through it quite quickly. I of course skipped all the warp zones, but they're there if you need them. I would say my favorite world in this one is world 4 with the ice and those whales that shoot the streams of water, but the worlds aren't connected in this one like they are in the other games. They are much more random.
I remember in college I used to hear people complain about the ending to this one, but I gotta tell you something. Even going into this game you know how it's going to end. I knew it when I was seven, and I didn't even know how to tie my shoes. If you read the prologue then it shouldn't be a surprise for you. So if you want to complain about this one, find something real to complain about. I actually don't have many negative comments about this one. Go figure.
Well I think I've said my peace about this one. It's a really special game to me that I've had longer than just about any of them. 800 games later and it still has a special place in my heart. I miss the days when Nintendo wasn't afraid to be bold and made sequels that weren't just carbon copies of the previous game. Well there it is. I hope you enjoy it. And please come back when I'm out of cool games to play and have to play through Demon Sword or Code Name: Viper. I would really appreciate it.
