In Japan, the “real” Super Mario Bros. 2 was known back in America as “The Lost Levels” on Super Mario All-Star. Deemed an “exercise in fake difficulty” by tasvideos.org, that game was considered too hard for America – I agree: too many long jumps that can only be achieved with very precise jumping on enemies or if you could ride the wind long enough (on SMAS, you could save after every level rather than every world) and the poisonous mushrooms could kill you.

So instead, Nintendo swapped the characters from Doki Doki Panic (on the Famicom Disk System) with Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad and called the game Super Mario Bros. 2. It’s quite a departure from other Mario games, but the result is still good.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics are quite an improvement from Super Mario Bros. 1. Instead of a blob of pixels, the characters actually have human-like features (even when they are small). You can see their faces (the Princess’ mouth doesn’t have half her face anymore), their clothes and they can pick up enemies/plants from the ground and throw them. That latter action was impressive for 1988; you couldn't’t even pick shells in Mario 1.

In addition, all characters have unique characteristics: Toad doesn’t jump very high but it’s not affected when he carries something; Mario is the 2^nd best jumper and it decreases a little when he carries something; Luigi is the best jumper but it decreases a lot when he carries something; and the Princess isn’t a great jumper and she becomes the worst one when she carries something. However, her dress allows her to float for a few seconds.

The levels are colorful and varied. On the overworld map, there are a variety of paths rather than the regular brick path and jump platforms in Mario 1 – you can even see realistic waterfalls. The ground is covered with vegetables to pick up, bombs and sometimes beakers. Throwing them on the ground will reveal a door where you can pick as many vegetables as you can see (giving you coins for a bonus round), grow-up mushrooms (extending your life bar) and sometimes warps to another level if there are urns.

Other than the regular “grass” world, there are two levels with quicksand that can kill you and even a realistically icy level that can make you slip on an enemy. Finally, there are also underground levels through which you will have to make your way in a variety of manners: finding a key and getting chased around by ghosts, digging sand to the bottom of a barrel or finding bombs to open brick walls.

Finally, your enemies are also well-drawn and much more diversified than Mario 1. The most common one is the Shy Guy, which comes in a variety of colors and abilities (some can spit beads, although it might not be called Shy Guy as such). The mid boss (Birdo) also comes with various abilities; he can spit eggs that you need to throw back at him, a mix of eggs and fireballs or strictly fireballs, in which case you need to throw something else. And zone bosses also come in various shapes and difficulty level. The mouse throws bombs you need to throw back before they explode, the tri-headed snake spits fireballs (the higher the level, the more fireballs); there is even a fireball whose spit you also need to avoid.

Music: 8/10

While having only slightly more diversity than Mario 1, Mario 2’s music is more elaborate. It’s even more elaborate than the original DDP music, with longer loops.

The general overworld theme is very upbeat and joyful, and the background beat seems to have inspired the bonus level theme for Super Mario Bros. 3. The underground theme has much more elaborate composition than Mario 1 with “Arabic”-sounding beats. There is even a theme for bosses and the final boss, something Mario 3 put more work into. Finally, kudos for the Mario 1 Easter egg music for the subworld (when breaking the beaker).

Because there are more actions, sound effects are more elaborate in Mario 2. The spitting sound is the same as the magicians you encounter in the first Legend of Zelda game, the picking and throwing sounds are neat, although the “picking random objects” (cherries, hearts to replenish your life bar) are rather bland. I also preferred the jumping sound.

Addictiveness: 8/10

Although I never really played the original Mario 2, I still have to admit that the “hooking-up” potential is quite high.

Other than graphics and music (which are an essential part of a good game for me), the gameplay in general is enjoyable. Unlike Mario 1, you can get hit as much as three times before the next hit kills you, and you don’t shrink by the first hit unless you only have two bars on your life meter. In most levels, you can increase it by strategically throwing your beaker and finding magic mushrooms (they will also restore any bars you lost).

Also, the subworld offers you the possibility of gaining tokens in order to play a slot machine that might give you extra lives. Getting the perfect combination (99 lives) is almost impossible, but you can at least get one or two if you get that many cherries.

Finally, the simple fact that you have a choice of four characters (which you can change after each level/ death) makes strategizing a thoughtful project. Levels with quicksand are better with Luigi and the Princess – they can avoid them better – but they can be hard to maneuver when the ground is icy.

Depth: 9/10

Mario 2 has so much more to offer than Mario 1.

First, the levels are much larger and have much more to explore. Granted, there are at best two beakers leading to the subworld and its bonus, but the levels seem to all alternate between the over and the underground. In Mario 1, it was always one of the other with the occasion bonus pipes. Also, Mario 2 offers more challenge by not having strictly flat levels like 1-1 in Mario 1. World 1-1 in Mario 2 offers extensive opportunities to jump over chasms and water falls, and you will climb ladders to reach a door you can’t (normally) reach otherwise in a higher elevation.

Second, the mid bosses also offer more challenge. No longer do you simply have to capture three flags before facing the same old, same old Bowser. In Mario 2, you will encounter three different forms of Birdo and five different bosses, whose challenge increase as the levels increase.

Finally, the final boss is much more challenging than any forms of Bowser in Mario 1. In the latter, you simply had to hit the axe at the end of the bridge (of fire enough fireballs) to kill him. But in the former, you will need different strategies as Wart won’t die just by jumping on his head on throwing vegetables randomly at him.

Difficulty: 6/10

Despite the many challenges of Mario 2, it’s much easier than Mario 1.

First, there is no time constraint whatsoever. Unless you get killed by an enemy of fall in a hole, you can just stand there (and appreciate the music J). Hell, you can even stand on top of an enemy as long as it doesn’t fall off/turn around because it reached the left-end side of the screen.

Also, as I said above, you have the possibility of getting up to four life bars in most levels, meaning that you don’t die right away; hell you don’t even shrink right away if you have at least two bars left.

In addition, the four different characters, all with their strength and weaknesses, will make your progress easier. Should you die because, say, you couldn't’t jump far enough, then you can get a character than jumps further and/or better when carrying an object.

Furthermore, invincibility stars are relatively easy to come by. You just have to pick enough cherries and they will come from the bottom of the screen.

However, the game does have a few challenges. First, finding those warp zones is much more difficult than in Mario 1 since you need to throw your beaker at the right place. That can take a while to find.

Also, getting lives in the slot machine can be challenging since (old technology obliging) the spinning wheels spin much too fast for you, unless you have extremely good reflexes. That was corrected in the Spade House in Mario 3. It’s also your only opportunity to get lives…

Furthermore, there is quite a bit of fire in the game, be it from bosses or regular enemies. Be sure to have a vegetable/a mushroom block at hand or you’ll get toasted. Also be very prudent when handling keys. They usually awaken VERY annoying ghosts that can make you lose your temper.

Finally, levels with sand in them will prove to be challenging. On the overworld part, it will quickly sink AND kill you, or slow you down enough so snakes and cacti can kill you. And in the underworld, some levels require you do dig into sand to make your way. Not only will you face enemies on your way down – who will fall in the holes you dig, no matter how narrow it becomes – but if you jump to high (and change screens), they will reappear – those spitting beads will have their weapon ricochet on the walls. And of course, there are deadends.

But overall, Super Mario Bros. 2 was a very nice game for its time. Nice graphics and music, lots to explore and a reasonable challenge. Sweet dreams!