Super Mario Bros. 2
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| Super Mario Bros. 2 | |
| Developer | Nintendo EAD |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| System | NES Virtual Console |
| Release Date | NES US October, 1988 EU April 28, 1989 AUS May 1989 JPN July 14, 1992 Virtual Console EU May 25, 2007 US July 2, 2007 JP August 10, 2007 |
| Gallery | GH Gallery |
The second game in the NES Super Mario Bros. 'trilogy'. This game is unique in that it was made to replace the real Super Mario Bros. 2 previously replaced in Japan. That game had been nearly identical to Super Mario Bros., save for new levels and a far great difficulty. Instead Nintendo chose to remake the game Doki Doki Panic into Super Mario Bros. 2 (or Super Mario USA, as it is known in Japan).
Story
One night Mario has a dream about a world called Sub-Con that is under siege from the evil Wart. The next day, while Mario is on a picnic with Luigi, Peach, and Toad; they find a cave that leads to the same Sub-Con Mario saw in his dream. The four decide to take it upon their selves to stop the evil Wart and set Sub-Con free.
Gameplay
The game is a bit of a departure from the original Super Mario Bros.. Although the heroes can still run and jump, they no longer squash the enemy by jumping on them. Instead Mario and co. can ride on most enemies and pick them up and use the enemies as weapons to throw at other enemies. In addition to that, the heroes can find other items they can pick up, usually by pulling up tufts of grass to see what is beneath.
Each character has their own individual stats.
- Mario: A completely balanced character. His jump, speed, and power are all at 4/5.
- Luigi: The best jumper of the four with a 5/5. His speed and power are only 3/5.
- Toad: Quick and nimble with a 5/5 in strength and speed, but only a 2/5 jump.
- Peach: Generally unexceptional in stats, with a 2/5 in speed and power and a 3/5 in jump. However, she has the ability to float for a few seconds after reaching the height of her jump.
Legacy
Although somewhat a 'black sheep' in the Mario series, the game introduced several enemies and game mechanics that would become mainstays. Notable among these is the Shy Guy that became one of the most popular Mario enemies. Additionally, Peach's floating jump would become an integral part of her abilities in other games. Luigi's 'running' jump would be recycled in all of the Super Mario Advance titles as well.
Sequels
A game with the same mechanics as Super Mario Bros. 2 was never made, but many elements were picked up from the game and used in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Mario titles afterwards.
Ports and Remakes
- In Japan, the game was released on the Famicom as Super Mario USA.
- Super Mario Bros. 2 was released on the Super NES with updated graphics in the Super Mario All-Stars compilation.
- Super Mario Advance: Super Mario Bros. 2 was released for the Gameboy Advance.
- Super Mario Bros. 2 was later made available for download over the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console.