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Super Mario Bros. 2

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Template:Articleabout Template:Infobox Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japanese name: Super Mario USA) is, outside Japan, the second game in the Super Mario series. It originally was for the Nintendo Entertainment System, but was subsequently ported to many other systems. The game was originally released in North America on October 9, 1988; and in Europe on April 28, 1989. As a result of Japan already having Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels as its second installment of the Super Mario series, the game did not make its debut in the country (as "Super Mario USA") until after the release of Super Mario World on July 14, 1992 (hence, making it Japan's fifth installment of the series).

Super Mario Bros. 2 initially started out as the prototype sequel to the original Super Mario Bros.[1]; however, it was scrapped during its development, and was replaced by Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. The reasons included the technical limitations of the NES system making it difficult to produce a polished game featuring a vertical orientation and multiplayer features conceived for the project. It was decided to add more Mario-like elements, such as horizontal levels (though many veritcally oriented levels were retained in the final project). Being that the game had went through some development, Nintendo created the game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic for the Famicom Disk System during its agreement with the Fuji Television company. The game was changed in order to fit with the theme of the mascots of the company and their adventure. Regardless, it used the same engine as the original developed Super Mario Bros. 2, and also kept some of the Mario elements such as the items and basic game play in its reference.

After Nintendo of America deemed Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels as being too difficult, Nintendo redeveloped Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic back into a Super Mario Bros. game to be released in the countries outside of Japan. After its release, the game became a commercial success, and eventually the game became well received enough that it was also released in Japan. After performing successful sales, Super Mario Bros. 2 has since been considered a classic Super Mario Bros. game around the world (including in Japan), and has since been released in many remakes including to being one of the Mario games featured in Super Mario All-Stars, and as well as having its own remake in Super Mario Advance.

Story

Story from Instruction Booklet

One night, Mario had a strange dream. He found himself climbing a long staircase leading up to a mysterious door. Opening the door, Mario's eyes fell upon an incredible world unlike anything he'd ever seen. A quiet voice spoke to Mario, saying,

"Welcome to Subcon, the land of dreams. Our once-beautiful world now suffers at the hands of the evil Wart. Please help us! Only you can free us from his tyranny. Oh, and remember one thing: Wart hates vegetables."

However, before Mario could figure out what was happening, he suddenly awoke on his bed and realized that it was all a dream. The next day, while heading out to a picnic with his friends Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad, Mario told the tale of his strange dream. Hearing this was quite a shock to his friends, who all had the very same dream the night before.

Upon arriving at their picnic spot, the group noticed a small cave. Inside was a long staircase that led up to a door. At the top, the four friends opened the door and stood shocked by what they saw. It was Subcon - the world of their dreams!

Mario discovers that Subcon has been taken over by Wart and that the events of his dream are true. Mario and co. are now on a quest to defeat Wart and restore peace to the dream world. At the end of the game, Mario, Luigi, Toadstool and Toad are seen being chanted on by the inhabitants of Subcon, who are carrying Wart across the room. Mario then wakes up and wonders about whether the events were true or just a dream. He then continues sleeping and the game ends.

Gameplay

File:Mario Treppe.PNG
Doorway to Subcon

Since the game is based on Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, it has little in common with the original Super Mario Bros. For example, in order to defeat enemies, the player needs to throw vegetables at them or jump on them, grab them and throw them to other enemies. There are a few elements in common with its predecessor, however. Many power-ups are similar to that in Super Mario Bros., such as the Mushroom, although it has a different function; the Small Heart replaces the Mushroom.

At the beginning of each level, the player can choose between the playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool. All four characters have different powers and statistics. When entering the next level, players can select a different character.

File:Luigi SMB TLL.png
A screenshot from the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Super Mario Bros. 2.

At the end of most levels of the game, the player fights Birdo. The player has to jump on the eggs that Birdo spits, grab them and throw them back, hitting Birdo three times to gain a crystal which opens the Hawkmouth gate at the end of the level. There are several colors of Birdos: pink, which only spits eggs; red, which spits eggs and fireballs and green, which only spits fireballs. For the green Birdos, there are mushroom blocks nearby for the player to use instead.

There are seven worlds in this game. The first six has three levels apiece, and the seventh has two. At the end of each world, the player encounters one boss. Mouser is encountered at the end of World 1, Tryclyde in World 2, Mouser again in World 3, Fryguy in World 4, Clawgrip in World 5, Tryclyde again in World 6, and Wart himself at the end of World 7.

Controls

  • A Button - Jumps; the longer the button press, the higher the jump.
  • B Button - Dashes, picks up objects, throws objects, plucks vegetables, stops slots at the bonus lottery.
  • Start Button - Pauses the game and picks options.
  • Select Button - Confirms choices after a Game Over.
  • +Control Pad (left/right) - Moves character.
  • +Control Pad (up) - Enters doors and other openings. Also used to climb up vines.
  • +Control Pad (down) - Crouches, enters vases, climbs down vines. If players duck long enough, they can do a Power Squat Jump.

Characters

Playable characters

Character Name Mario Luigi Toad Princess Peach
Image Mario from Super Mario USA. Luigi Toad from Super Mario USA. File:PeachSMB2NES2.png
Speed ★★★★☆ ★★★☆☆ ★★★★★ ★★☆☆☆
Jump ★★★★☆ ★★★★★ ★★☆☆☆ ★★★☆☆
Power ★★★★☆ ★★★☆☆ ★★★★★ ★★☆☆☆
Description Mario has average stats, making him a good choice in all situations. He has no outstanding abilities, however, so he may not be the best in every situation. Luigi has high jump, but he takes more time to pick up enemies and vegetables. He is slightly slower than average as well. Toad is the fastest and the quickest to pick up items. He has the lowest jump in the game, however. Princess Peach has a special float jump that allows her to gain distance after a jump or to gauge her landing. She has overall weak stats, and she is the slowest and takes the longest to pick up items.

Supporting characters

Image Description
Subcon (species)
File:Subcon.PNG
The Subcons species are a group of peaceful fairy beings that have their landed invaded by Wart. Wart traps them in vases, and they plead Mario and his friends for help. They also give Mario and his friends vital information to defeat Wart (Wart detests vegetables).

Enemies

Image Description
Albatoss
Albatoss
Albatosses fly only horizontally. They can drop Bob-ombs on players, but they can also be ridden. Unlike other enemies, they cannot be picked up, but they are defeated as with any other enemy.
Autobomb
Autobomb
Shy Guys often ride Autobombs. Autobombs shoot projectiles, but if the Shy Guy is removed, they will simply move. Players can ride on Autobombs, but Autobombs must be destroyed with an item.
Beezo
File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png
Beezos fly down and attempt to run into the player. Players can jump on them and pick them up.
Bob-omb
Bob-omb
Bob-ombs run back and forth and will eventually self-destruct if they are near a player. If they self-destruct, they can harm players. Players can pick them up and throw them.
Cobrat
Cobrat
Cobrats are seen roaming on the ground, but they can also hide in vases. If they spot a player, they may jump and shoot a single projectile. Cobrats can be picked up and thrown.
Flurry
Flurry
Flurries are found only in ice levels. Here, they attempt to run into the player. They move faster than average, but they are prone to slipping.
Hoopster
Hoopster
Hoopsters crawl slowly on vines, attempting to harm players. Players can jump on them and even pick them up and throw them.
Ninji
Ninji
Some Ninjis are stationary enemies that simply jump while others charge and jump into the player. They can be picked up and thrown.
Ostro
Ostro
Ostros are seen often being ridden by Shy Guys. If the Shy Guy is removed, they travel in a straight line. They can be picked up and thrown, but they do not bounce off enemies.
Panser
Panser
Pansers shoot fireballs at the player. Red varieties are stationary and shoot three fireballs. Green and gray varieties patrol and shoot up fireballs. Pink varieties chase the player and shoot three fireballs.
Phanto
Madmask.png
Phantos are normally dormant enemies, but if players pick up a key, they will attempt to fly into the player. If players drops the key, they deactivate. They cannot be picked up and there are limited methods to destroy them.
Pidgit
Pidgit
Pidgits are always seen on carpets. Pidgits attempt to dive bomb into the player, but players can jump on them, pick them up, and throw them. Once the Pidgit has been removed, players can ride the carpet and control it for a brief amount of time.
Pokey
Pokey
Pokeys attack players by moving slowly into them. Pokeys can be various heights. They can be defeated by having objects thrown at them or their body segments being removed one by one.
Porcupo
Porcupo
Porcupos cannot be jumped on, so to defeat them, players must throw an object at them.
Shy Guy
File:ShyMB2.png
The basic enemies of the game, Shy Guys walk back and forth, harming the player if they run into him or her. They can be picked up and thrown. Red Shy Guys walk off cliffs while pink Shy Guys turn at the ledges.
Snifit
Snifit - Pink
Snifits shoot projectiles at players, but they act similar to Shy Guys. Gray and green Snifits jump and fire projectiles while red Snifits can walk off ledges. Pink Snifits turn around ledges.
Spark
Spark
Sparks circle around platforms or hover in the air. Sparks can harm players if players touch them.
Trouter
Trouter
Trouters jump from below and fall back. Players can use them as platforms to jump across gaps, but Trouters can harm players if players touch them at the sides.
Tweeter
Tweeter
Tweeters, although they have wings, are found hopping across the ground. They can be picked up and thrown.
Whale
Whale
Not typical enemies, whales serve generally as platforms. Their bodies and their tails can be jumped on. Their waterspouts can also carry players, but the waterspouts can harm players if players touch them at the sides.

Bosses

Image Description
Birdo
Birdo in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros. 2.Red Birdo
Gray BirdoGreen Birdo
Birdo is a recurring boss, although she is not a true boss. Birdo comes in three varieties. The pink one shoots simply eggs, which can be picked up and thrown at her. The red one shoots randomly eggs or fireballs (which harms players if they touch them). The green one, finally, shoots only fireballs; this Birdo must be defeated with Mushroom Blocks.
Mouser
File:Mouster SMB2 Sprite.png
Mouser is the first true boss players encounter. He attacks by throwing bombs. The bombs sit for a while before they explode, enabling players to pick them up and throw them at Mouser. If the bomb explodes on Mouser, he takes damage.
Tryclyde
File:Tryclyde-SMB2-NES.png
Tryclyde shoots a series of fireballs that harms the player if the player touches them. Players must throw several Mushroom Blocks at Tryclyde to defeat him.
Fryguy
Fryguy
Fryguy shoots fireballs at players. Players must throw Mushroom Blocks at him to damage him. Once he takes enough damage, he bursts into Mini Fryguys. These take one hit from a Mushroom Block to be defeated, and destroying these enemies clears the level.
Clawgrip
Clawgrip from Super Mario Bros. 2.
Clawgrip throws rocks at players. These rocks can be picked up and tossed at Clawgrip, inflicting damage on him. Once he is hit five times, he is defeated.
Hawkmouth
File:Hawkmouth SMB2 Sprite.png
Although most Hawkmouths are harmless and allow completion to the level, the Hawkmouth that guards Wart's castle is aggressive, attacking the players by flying into them. Players must attack it with Mushroom Blocks to stun it for a short period. Once it is stunned, it allows entry into Wart's room.
Wart
Wart
Wart is the final boss of the game. He moves back and forth and shoots harmful bubbles at the player. A machine nearby spawns vegetables. To defeat Wart, players must throw these vegetables at Wart when Wart's mouth is open. Wart takes six hits to defeat.

Items

Image Description
1-Up Mushroom
File:SMB2 1-upmushroom.svg
When players collect this item, they receive an extra life.
Birdo Egg
Egg
Pink and red Birdos spit out Birdo Eggs. Players can pick these up and throw them at Birdo to inflict damage on her.
Bomb
Bomb
Bombs can be found normally, from plucking vegetables, or from Mouser. They eventually explode, destroying breakable blocks as well as harming nearby enemies and players.
Cherry
File:Cherry SMB2 Sprite.png
Found scattered throughout levels, cherries can be collected. If players collect five, a Starman appears.
Coin
CoinSMB2.png
Coins are found only in the Subspace world. When players pluck vegetables, they receive coins. Coins are used in the Bonus Game at the end of a level for extra lives.
Crystal Ball
Crystal Ball
Found at the end of the level or by defeating Birdo, Crystal Balls enable the Hawkmouth to open so players can complete the level.
Key
Key
Keys open locked doors, granting access to another part of the level. Phantos guard it, however.
Magic Carpet
Flying carpet
After Pidgits are defeated, players can ride and control the Magic Carpet for a short time.
Magic Potion
Magic Potion
Found after being plucked, Magic Potions creates a door depending where the players toss them. This door leads to the Subspace world.
Mushroom
Mushroom smb2.png
Found only in certain spots of the Subspace World, Mushrooms give an extra vitality point once they are picked up. This vitality remains for the rest of the level. The Mushroom also restores any lost health.
Mushroom Block
File:Mushroom Block SMB2 Sprite.png
Mushroom Blocks are simple throwing items. They can be used as weapons or get stacked so players can reach higher places. Mushroom Block designs vary from world to world.
POW Block
POW Block
POW Blocks can be thrown to create a powerful quake. This quake defeats most enemies in the screen.
Rocket
Rocket
Rockets are found in grass. If a rocket is found, it automatically transports players to the next part of the level.
Small Heart
Small heart
Found from plucking grass, Small Hearts restore any HP a player has lost. If the player is in small form, the heart grows the player to Super form.
Star
Starman
A star appears after players collect five cherries. Once players have collected a star, they become invincible for a short amount of time, enabling them to defeat most enemies they touch.
Stopwatch
Stop Watch
Found from plucking grass, the Stopwatch stops all enemy movements for a brief time.
Turtle Shell
Turtle Shell
Turtle shells are found in grass. Once they are thrown, they slide across the ground, defeating any enemy it touches. Once it hits a wall, it is destroyed. If players attempt to land on the shell, they can ride on it.
Vase
Jar
Vases, as with Warp Pipes, can be entered by having the player duck. Vases contain usually some items, including POW Blocks, Turtle Shells, and Keys. Vases also contain some enemies, such as Shy Guys.
Vegetable
File:Vegetable SMB2 Sprite.png
The basic weapon in the game, vegetables are plucked from grasses and can be thrown at enemies to defeat them. Vegetables bounce after they hit an enemy, which can lead to consecutive hits on enemies. If one vegetable defeats enough enemies, extra lives may be rewarded.

List of levels

World Terrain Level Enemies found (first introduction with asterisk)
World 1 Grass 1 File:ShyMB2.png* Tweeter* Ninji* Hoopster*
Birdo in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros. 2.*
2 Pidgit* File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png* Madmask.png* Ninji File:ShyMB2.png Snifit - Pink*
Birdo in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros. 2.
3 Snifit - Pink File:ShyMB2.png Trouter* Ninji Spark* Madmask.png Tweeter
File:Mouster SMB2 Sprite.png
World 2 Desert 1 Cobrat* Snifit - Pink File:ShyMB2.png Panser*
Birdo in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros. 2.
2 Cobrat File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png File:ShyMB2.png Pokey* Panser Ninji Snifit - Pink
Red Birdo*
3 File:ShyMB2.png File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png Cobrat Pokey Tweeter Madmask.png Spark Panser
File:Tryclyde-SMB2-NES.png*
World 3 Waterfall/Caves 1 File:ShyMB2.png Pidgit File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png Panser
Red Birdo
2 File:ShyMB2.png Ostro File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png Tweeter Porcupo
Red Birdo
3 Albatoss* Bob-omb* File:ShyMB2.png Ostro Ninji Spark Snifit - Pink Madmask.png Tweeter Panser
File:Mouster SMB2 Sprite.png
World 4 Ice/Snow 1 Flurry Trouter File:ShyMB2.png Autobomb*
2 File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png Flurry Snifit - Pink File:ShyMB2.png Autobomb Porcupo
Red Birdo
3 Birdo in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros. 2. Flurry File:ShyMB2.png Madmask.png File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png
Fryguy* Small Fry Guy*
World 5 Night 1 File:ShyMB2.png Ostro Panser Trouter
Gray Birdo*
2 Bob-omb Hoopster File:ShyMB2.png Ostro Porcupo Panser Ninji File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png Snifit - Pink Trouter
Red Birdo
3 Albatoss Bob-omb Panser Spark File:ShyMB2.png Snifit - Pink Pidgit File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png
Red Birdo
Clawgrip from Super Mario Bros. 2.*
World 6 Desert 1 Cobrat File:ShyMB2.png Pokey Panser Madmask.png
Green Birdo*
2 Albatoss Panser File:Beezo SMB2 Sprite.png
Green Birdo
3 File:ShyMB2.png Pokey Cobrat Bob-omb Ninji Hoopster Snifit - Pink
Red Birdo File:Tryclyde-SMB2-NES.png
World 7 Sky 1 Albatoss Bob-omb Ninji File:ShyMB2.png Spark Tweeter Snifit - Pink Hoopster
Gray Birdo
2 Snifit - Pink Ninji File:ShyMB2.png Bob-omb Panser Spark Tweeter Red Birdo Madmask.png
File:Hawkmouth SMB2 Sprite.png* Wart*

Development

Super Mario Bros. 2's genesis came about in 1987, when Nintendo of America got its first look at the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2. Nintendo of America believed that Super Mario Bros. 2, which was a slightly altered version of the first Super Mario Bros. game with an increased difficulty level, would not be a commercial success in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

To deal with this, Nintendo commissioned a new Mario game to be made for the US/International market, which would be made by way of porting the popular Famicom Disk System game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and modifying it to feature Mario and his friends as playable characters. The game would furthermore be released in Japan during the wait for Super Mario Bros. 3 under the name "Super Mario USA".

Regardless of its similarities to Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, Super Mario Bros. 2 in fact started out as the original Super Mario Bros. 2 developed by Kensuke Tanabe, a developer of Nintendo. The prototype Super Mario Bros. 2 emphasized on vertically scrolling levels and throwing blocks. It was originally intended to be a two player co-op game allowing players to toss each other around, however, the prototype was initially considered to not be fun, and was scrapped. Some time later, Tanabe received instruction to use the Yume Kojo mascots in a game by the Fuji Television Company, and has since redeveloped the prototype as Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. After Nintendo of America dismissed The Lost Levels as being too difficult, Nintendo redeveloped Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic back into a Super Mario game (with its focus being based off the originally wanted concept of vertically scrolling levels and block throwing).

Many characters and abilities from Super Mario Bros. 2 later reappeared in the Super Mario series. Princess Peach's occasional ability to hover in midair and pull vegetables from the ground (Super Smash Bros. Melee), for example, originates from this game. Toad's nimbleness (as seen from the Mario Kart series where he is a fast driver and his running speed in Mario Sports Mix) could also have been influenced from his uprooting speed first introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2. Shy Guys, Snifits, Bob-ombs, Pokeys, and Birdo were also introduced and would later be incorporated into later Mario games. Some of the enemies (most notably Bob-ombs and Pokeys) have made countless reappearances as enemies within many of the later Super Mario titles. Wart, the main villain, never reappeared in a Mario game after Super Mario Bros. 2, but has made an appearance in the Nintendo Comics System and has been mentioned in later games. He did, however, appear in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening under his Japanese name, "Mamu", as an ally.

Remakes and ports

File:Smb2title.gif
The Super Mario Bros. 2 Title Screen.
  • In Japan, the American Super Mario Bros. 2 was eventually re-released under the name Super Mario USA. It was marketed as the American Super Mario Bros. 2, and the game is unaltered save for the title screen. As such, the cast uses the characters' English names (in the manual, their Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic names are also included). Super Mario USA is also the name of the game in the Korean Virtual Console version.[2]
  • The game was ported to the American arcade machine, the Nintendo PlayChoice-10.
  • It was later ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, and it was also included in the Wii re-release of the compilation game, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition. The All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 2 possessed updated graphics.
  • The NES version of the game was released on the Wii Virtual Console for 500 points in 2007.
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl features masterpieces, short demos of games. One unlockable Masterpiece is Super Mario Bros. 2. Here, the player starts out with Peach immediately (however, it is possible to switch to a different character if the player get a Game Over before they are forced to quit the game). To unlock it, one must win five brawls with Peach.

Super Mario Advance

Main article: Super Mario Advance

The most notable port of Super Mario Bros. 2 is Super Mario Advance for the Game Boy Advance. This port featured the enhanced graphics and sound effects of the Super Mario All-Stars edition, as well as voice acting and various other slight changes. It was also bundled with a remake of the original Mario Bros. game.

References to other games

  • Donkey Kong: Clawgrip tosses rocks in a very similar manner to the way Donkey Kong tossed barrels. Also, Clawgrip frequently bangs his chest like a gorilla. In 16-bit versions, some of the indoor areas look like warehouses with familiar-looking girders in the background.
  • Mario Bros.: POW Blocks appear as usable items.
  • Super Mario Bros.: The Starman power-up appears in the game, as well as a cover of the main Super Mario Bros. theme in Subspace. Also, the Super Mushroom item, which originated from this game, was in Super Mario Bros. 2, as well as the ability to shrink once the player is down to one heart point. Also, the ability to run by holding down the B Button button is exclusive to the Mario series, and wasn't present in Doki Doki Panic. The title theme is a cover for the music in the underwater levels.
  • Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels: Players can choose which character to play as (though this is likely a coincidence given it was based off Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic). Luigi being a higher jumper than Mario is re-established when he replaced Mama in the game.

References in later games

  • Super Mario Bros. 3: Bob-ombs return here and act similarly as in Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • Super Mario World: Pokeys, Ninjis and Pidgits first reappear here.
  • Wario's Woods: Toad's large strength returns in this game. Additionally, he picks up, carries, and throws his enemies in a similar fashion to the style presented in Super Mario Bros. 2. Some enemies such as the Spud also vaguely resemble the vegetables from Super Mario Bros. 2. Birdo also makes her first reappearance in the Mario series through this game.
  • Super Mario 64: Magic Carpets make their first reappearances since Super Mario Bros. 2 in this game and serve a similar function of slowly transporting Mario to a certain location.
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee: A Super Mario Bros. 2-themed stage called Mushroom Kingdom II is selectable, and Birdo frequently appears at the sides of the stage, spitting eggs at the player. This stage also plays the theme song that is played throughout all the overworld stages in the NES game, as well as the boss music (during Sudden Death matches). Also, Princess Peach's moveset (floating and picking vegetables) was directly inspired by this game. There are also trophies of Birdo, Pidgit, and the vegetables.
  • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Shy Guys and Ninjis both return here as respectively Mini Shy Guys and Mini Ninjis. Also, the way Mario is able to pick up some enemies and items like Keys is reused in this game.
  • Super Mario 64 DS: Luigi's scuttle jump appears to have been influenced by his jumping style from Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: Pidgits reappear and their attack in this game is heavily based on their way to move by flying carpet in Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • Mario Hoops 3-on-3: The final victory theme is a cover of the ending of Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • Super Paper Mario: Francis mentioned having a comic called, "Cybort Wart", which is clearly a reference to Wart. Also, there were Sammer Guys by the names of "Squatting Birdo", "Pidget on Wind's Breath", "Sleeping Turnip", "Upward Leaping Ninji", "Plugged Snifit" and "Guy Who Fry", references to Birdo, Pidgit, Turnip, Ninji, Snifit and Fryguy, respectively.
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl: As with Melee, Peach contained the same moveset, and there's another trophy of Birdo. Also, Wart and Birdo's names appear in the random name selection. Finally, the game is available as trial game, or Masterpiece, to play. The character the trial starts out with is Peach, (but it is possible to play as another character if one gets a Game Over before the trial ends).
  • Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: In this game, Wiggler sometimes attack by pulling out vegetables, which are the same ones that are seen in Super Mario Bros. 2. Also, one of Bowser's brainwashed minions states that he forgot what Bowser's Castle was originally called (before it was turned into "Fawful Theater"), and mistakenly referred to it as "Mouser's Castle".
  • New Super Mario Bros. Wii: The way the characters are able to pick up the items, such as the POW Block. This game also marks the first Super Mario platformer since Super Mario Bros. 2 to feature a playable Toad.
  • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!: Covers of the Overworld Theme, Life Lost Theme, Boss Theme, and Boss Victory Theme is heard in World 1.
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2: Luigi's triple jump may be based on his jumps from Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • Mario Sports Mix: Toad's throwing animations appear to be influenced from this game. Additionally, Toad's high running speed returns in Mario Sports Mix.
  • Super Mario 3D Land: Mario and Luigi's chargeable jumps while crouching resemble to Power Squat Jump ability that the playable characters can perform in Super Mario Bros. 2 while crouching. The back flip addition works in the same way as in Super Mario Advance.
  • Mario Kart 7: The Shy Guy Bazaar course makes references to the elements from Super Mario Bros. 2 such as the addition of Magic Carpets and vases in their original color schemes. Aside from namesake, Shy Guys also appear to be the dominate audience members throughout the course.
  • New Super Mario Bros. 2: A night level in the game has platforms that resemble the overworld from this game.
  • Paper Mario: Sticker Star: The main theme is a jazzy version of the credits theme from this game.
  • Super Mario 3D World: Princess Peach and Toad are once again playable characters, and everybody has the same abilities as in Super Mario Bros. 2.

Notable mistakes and errors

Some errors can be found in the credits of the game:

  • Ostro and Birdo have their names swapped.
  • Hoopster is spelled "Hoopstar".
  • Clawgrip is spelled "Clawglip".
  • Tryclyde is spelled "Triclyde".

These errors remain in Super Mario All-Stars, but are fixed in Super Mario Advance. However, the Japanese releases (dubbed Super Mario USA) do not change the names in the credits, instead keeping the English localization.

Another mistake which was never fixed for the remakes is the color of the vegetable tufts – in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, the grass is consistently black, while in Super Mario Bros. 2 they are red but keep the black coloring after being picked up. Remakes maintain the red coloring for the tufts, though they turn green when dug out.

Additionally, two versions of the North American manual exist. One version provides the full description of Birdo ("Ostro") as "He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He'd rather be called "birdetta." [sic]"[3], while the other version omits the second sentence[4]. The full "Birdetta" version is more true to the original Japanese version, which explains that Birdo, known as "Catherine" in Japan, would rather be called "Cathy"[5], however it is unknown which version of the manual came first or why any changes were made to the bio.

The NES Super Mario Bros. 2 manual mistakenly used a sprite and artwork of Phanto's design from Doki Doki Panic.[6]

During the ending celebration sequence in the NES version, there are common mistakes in the number of levels each hero completes.

Staff

Main article: List of Super Mario Bros. 2 staff

A number of people involved in the game include the composer Koji Kondo, known for composing the main Super Mario Bros. theme. Kensuke Tanabe is the director of the game with Shigeru Miyamoto and Hiroshi Yamauchi as producers.

Beta elements

Main article: List of Super Mario Bros. 2 beta elements

Beta elements were not widely known until a prototype copy was purchased in 2005. There is a different color palette, which includes tans and oranges, which contrasts with the final version's reds and blues. Princess Peach is shown to have more hair. Characters needed to use a Magic Lamp to access the Subspace, similar to Doki Doki Panic.

Glitches

Main article: List of glitches in Super Mario Bros. 2

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This is a major glitch. It requires precise timing; the character must be small and must go through a vase at exactly the same time he or she is hit by a Phanto. If this is done correctly, the death fanfare will play as usual. However, the character will still go through the vase. When he or she exits, the character will have no health sections left, yet will still be alive. This glitch remains in the All-Stars remake.

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If the player throws a Mushroom Block offscreen and does not see it land, even to a place where it should safely land, it disappears until the player leaves through a door and comes back.

Critical reception

Super Mario Bros. 2 has been received positively, with IGN editor Lucas Thomas praising the graphics, sound and replay value [7], although he insisted that Western gamers could have gotten into the Japanese version of the game. Gamespot critic Alex Navarro agreed, and commented that the game "...shows that veering from the beaten path of a franchise's standard game design isn't always a bad idea"[8].

The game placed 47th in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.[9]. It also placed 81st in the 200th Issue of GameInformer's "Top 200 Games of All Times" and placed 18th on IGN's Top 100 NES Games list [10]. As for sales, it's the third best-selling NES game, with 10 million copies sold worldwide.

Media

Gallery

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Quotes

  • "Uprooting and lifting things as you played gave the game a new feel. It was released in Japan as Super Mario USA." — Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario History 1985-2010 Booklet
  • "The basic controls have a very free, silly feeling to them that I absolutely love." — Takashi Tezuka, Super Mario History 1985-2010 Booklet
  • "I adjusted the sounds of the NES to make it sound like a lot of different instruments were being played." — Koji Kondo, Super Mario History 1985-2010 Booklet

See also

Trivia

  • This is the first game to feature Princess Toadstool and Toad as playable characters.
  • The Mario picture that appears in the box art is a flipped and modified version of the picture that appears on the Super Mario Bros. box art.
  • This is the last game where Mario uses a blue shirt and red overalls. For Super Mario Land onward, he now uses a red shirt and blue overalls, in which the colors of his shirt and overalls are reversed. This is also the only game where Luigi uses a blue shirt and green overalls. For Super Mario Bros. 3 onward, he uses a green shirt and blue overalls, in which the colors of his shirt and overalls are reversed.
  • If the player takes the shortest route possible, the only bosses the player needs to fight are Birdos, Triclyde, and Wart.[11]
  • This is the first game in the Super Mario series not to feature Bowser.

External links

References

  1. ^ The Secret History of Super Mario Bros. 2, Wired.com
  2. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named korea
  3. ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction manual, version 1 PDF scan available on digitprss.com. (Retrieved September 28, 2013)
  4. ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction manual, version 2 Greyscale PDF scan available on mariomayhem.com (originally from replacementdocs.com). (Retrieved September 28, 2013)
  5. ^ The Mushroom Kingdom provides the original Japanese biography of Birdo/Catherine (retrieved September 28, 2013)
  6. ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction manual, pg. 24
  7. ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 Review - Wii Review at IGN
  8. ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 Review for Wii - Gamespot
  9. ^ http://www.gamekult.com/communaute/forum/voirmessage.html?foid=13000909
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ [2]

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