Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels (Nintendo, 1986)

Shortly after the release of the original Super Mario Bros for the NES back in 1985, Nintendo made a direct sequel called "Super Mario Bros. 2." The game had the same mechanics, enemies, and even music from the first game, with only slightly enhanced graphics. The game did, however, boast vastly more difficult gameplay, which is a bit of a reward for any gamer fanatical enough to master the original game.

This may be confusing to many American gamers, who may have no idea what I'm talking about. Nintendo decided that Super Mario Bros. 2 wasn't worth releasing outside Japan, supposedly because they felt American gamers would be too frustrated with the difficult gameplay. Instead they took a completely different game, released in Japan as "Doki Doki Panic", and re-released it with the Mario characters as "Super Mario Bros. 2" in North America and Europe. This is the game that you've all probably played, with a completely different cast of enemies, which you kill by uprooting and throwing vegetables at them.

The real Super Mario Bros. 2 wasn't released in the West until an enhanced remake was packaged with the Super Nintendo title, Super Mario All-Stars. That game, and all subsequent remakes of it on later Nintendo platforms, retitled the game Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels. Personally, I find the title a little bit insulting. It's almost as if Nintendo wants us to think, "Oops... we must've misplaced this game in a warehouse somewhere."

For anyone wanting to play this game in its original format, on an NES console, you're in for a bit of a challenge. The only way I'm aware of is to obtain a "dumped" cartridge, which is what I did. Video game dumping is the practice of reprogramming the circuit board inside a cartridge to essentially turn it into a new game. This is only done by a handful of hobbyists, as far as I know, so expect to pay quite a bit for one of these carts. I spent $40 on mine.

Beware most of the games carrying this title on eBay, as they're simply mislabeled copies of the North American Super Mario Bros. 2 (i.e.: Doki Doki Panic with Mario sprites). The cover picture should be a dead giveaway. The American game features a jumping Mario carrying one of his weapon vegetables. The Japanese original features a headshot of Mario flashing his now-trademark "victory" sign. In actuality, he was holding up two fingers to let us know it was his second game.

The original, Japanese version of Super Mario Bros 2 (or The Lost Levels, as they've renamed it overseas) is a great game for any Mario fans. It is an essential title for anyone who has mastered the original game, and it will be sure to kick your butt. Good luck to anyone else trying to find a copy of this game... you'll need it.

Jackson
aka nerdynebraskan

Super Mario Bros. 2 is very different from other Mario games. First, there are four selectable characters: along with Mario and Luigi, you can use Toad and the Princess. You choose your character after each level. Each character has very different attributes. Mario is average, Luigi jumps high and far but lacks power, Toad doesn't jump well but is the strongest, and the Princess has the ability to float for several seconds. Certain characters are better for certain levels. There is no score kept in this game, and the only familiar Mario powerups are mushrooms and stars. You have an energy bar which is comprised of hearts. There is also no time limit. Your main weapon is vegetables, of which there are big and small ones. They are thrown at enemies. Bowser has taken a break for this game too, and is replaced by a somewhat similar looking lizard named Wart. The game has seven worlds of three levels each, and is a one player game only.

Graphics: 8/10

Fair sized sprites. The game is bright, and the worlds are varied for the most part.

Sound: 7/10

The music is pretty good. Some of the sound effects are classic Mario sounds, such as grabbing coins, but others are completely foreign.

Gameplay: 9/10

This game is very different from the other Mario games in this aspect. You still run and jump, but there are no fireballs or capes or tails. The vegetables are your main weapon. Another different aspect of the game is the use of blocks for stacking and throwing. Many areas can only be reached by stacking several blocks on top of one another, and some enemies can only be killed by being hit with blocks. Bombs are also used in this game, to kill enemies and blow up walls. An interesting item in the game is the potion. It can be carried, and when you drop it, a door appears. When you go into the door you are transported to "sub space", where all the vegetables have turned to coins and a mushroom may be available. You only have a limited amount of time in this sub space, and it is the key to accessing the game's warp zones. There are no familiar enemies from other Mario games. There is a mini boss at the end of each level, Birdo, a pink creature that spits eggs which must be tossed back at her three times. In later levels she spits faster and an occassional fireball is thrown into the mix. The game isn't too difficult, but there are some rough spots. Control is not a problem, except for Luigi sometimes, whose jumping ability is huge, but is often unpredictable and hard to judge. The different attributes of the characters are well done; all of them are very different but none has a huge advantage (except maybe the Princess, who has a great asset in her floating ability).

Replay: 8/10

The game can be played using all four characters. It is also fun to experiment with blocks, as they have many different uses.

Overall: 8/10

Many people criticize this game for straying from the traditional Mario standards, but I think it was a very well done game. The gameplay was solid and there are no obvious flaws. Worth a rental, and if you're trying to collect classics, a purchase as well

The particular game I bought on ebay was in excellent condition, and plays beautifully. The game itself isn't like Super Mario Brothers or Super Mario 3, both in storyline, characters, and actual gameplay. It is strictly a one player, unlike Super Mario and Super Mario 3, which some people may not enjoy. Super Mario 2 does allow movement forwards and backwards, so one can go to the start of the level if necessary. The storyline is that a new land is in trouble, taken over by King Wart (who hates veggies). As such, Mario and Luigi are joined by Princess Peach and Toadstool, and one can play as any of these 4 characters. The main weapon is vegetables, since none of the characters have mushrooms or level ups as in Super Mario or Super Mario 3. Each of the 4 also have their own unique abilities- Mario is a standard player, Luigi jumps the highest, Peach floats, and Toadstool is the fastest. I personally find this game to be my favorite of all the original Super Mario Brothers because it is so different from the others, and there are different enemies and bosses than in the other Mario Brother games.

I gotta say, this was a crazy, wacky title. Not really the true "sequel" to the series, there was a Super Mario Brothers 1.5 if I can call it that, only released in Japan, later released as "The Lost Levels" in a package on the SNES, but enough of that.....

Typical 8 worlds, each with it's own sub levels (1-2,1-3,1-4, and so on) with Bosses on each and some crazy enemies. Not the normal style that Mario has been shown before or after this title. You get to choose more than just Mario or Lugia to play as, Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom Dude are also playable. Each with their own special ability, Luiga can jump super high, Princess can stay afloat for long periods of time, ect. With a crazy ending boss (It isn't Koopa for once) and other Bosses seen in the Mario cartoon (Hint hint)

This has lots of replay value and is Super Fun!

Originally a Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic, SMB 2 lets you play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Toadstool. Released on Nes & Snes (Super mario allstars). This is a Nes classic that features hours and hours of fun over twenty levels.