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Super Mario Bros. 2 Game Review

Super Mario Bros. 2 is a 1988 platform video game published by Nintendo for the NES. It is a solid sequel that is vastly different, but admirably creative.

This sequel was released by the US for the American market because they thought that the Japanese sequel to the first game would prove to be too difficult for Western gamers. The result is a game that is so different that according to some people it can’t even be considered as a Mario game.

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The plot is the biggest change. There is no Mushroom Kingdom here, but a world called Subcon. Mario has to defeat an evil frog named Wart. He is joined in his quest by other characters, and eventually all of this turns out to have been a dream all along (maybe?). There was no reason to change the original world, but this one is still memorable enough that it works.

Another major difference lies in the ability to choose between four playable characters. This choice is given to the player after each and every level. Mario jumps farther, Luigi jumps higher, Toad is best at throwing objects and Princess Toadstool can float midair. Everybody is different, which is very admirable for this time period, but unfortunately that did not matter at the end of the day as Luigi is so infinitely better than others that he is the only worthy choice for the entire playthrough, at least in my opinion.

The enemies are also new here and all are actually terrific. Shy Guys are very cute and highly memorable, Bob-ombs are quite demanding and Birdo steals the show of course. This (female?) bird appears in almost every single world at the last level and is beaten by taking her eggs and throwing them back at her. This seems easier than it is in reality and it took me a while to perfect it, but there is no denying the sheer fun that is to be had in these boss battles. Other bosses are also excellent and a couple even require genuine strategy to finish them off.

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You see, this game is quite unique in its boss and enemy fighting mechanics. Unlike its predecessor, you can’t jump on their heads to kill them. The only way to beat them is by throwing various objects at them. This proved out to be rather demanding at times, but thankfully you get just enough of these objects that are fairly interspersed in each level.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is divided into seven worlds. All of them are at least solid, but some are clearly better than others. It took a while to get used to all these different gameplay mechanics, but the first world does a pretty good job acquainting you with them. The highlight here is climbing the vines. Yes, the game is very non-linear in its platforming that isn’t just side-scrolling to the usual right, but you can also go up and down and even to the left in certain levels, which was super authentic for the late eighties. As for the flying in this game, the carpet was fun and memorable, but sometimes realizing on your own where to go and fly toward is almost impossible, especially when it comes to riding the eggs themselves.

The second world is clearly the best one. The Egyptian setting is wonderfully realized with the pyramids in the background and the dunes being a great choice for the game. The digging is also very interesting, though it can be hard making it to the bottom, requiring strong tactics on the part of the player. This level also requires the use of objects as jumping platforms, which was also a great new addition.

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The third world isn’t my favorite as the waterfall parts looked dated and the black backgrounds were uninspired. The fourth world is the opposite – it’s very appealing in its aerial setting with those cloudy creatures being very cute. This world isn’t too hard, but it’s enjoyable throughout. The fifth world shares similar problems to the aforementioned third one while the sixth world is another terrific one due to a great return of the sandy levels and even some excellent sky levels. As for the seventh world, it’s at its most memorable in the final boss battle with Wart, but otherwise the levels felt a bit too short in length.

Every world contains three levels, every third level ends with either Birdo or another boss encounter. In terms of secret doors, they are here given through the use of a potion, and you can get power-ups in these alternate reality passages, even the mushroom that makes you bigger. These are very well incorporated. The same goes for the bombs that you can throw at certain walls to get through them while the use of keys to unlock locked doors was wonderfully realized. All of these additions made the game refreshing in its evidently abundant puzzle mechanics.

Super Mario Bros. 2 has smooth controls and a solid difficulty level. For me it was much harder than the first game, but I do get that for others more experienced in throwing and puzzles this would be easier. The creativity is off-the-roof in the gameplay and also level design while the world building is also improved from the predecessor. However, the score, though solid and fun, is nowhere near as memorable as it was in the original. The same sentiment should be employed for the graphics. The character animation is improved, but the background work left a lot to be desired, and for a game that is three years younger than the original, it should have looked more polished.

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