Facebook – Top 100 FAVORITE Video Games: 32

32: Super Mario Bros. 2 (Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic) (NES/GBA?)Developer: Nintendo
Year: 1986

If you hate this game you are instantly proving you are an idiot. If you think this game is the lesser of the original Mario trilogy on NES, you are instantly proving that you are an idiot. If you think any Mario game that came after this one is better, you are instantly proving you are an idiot. Basically put, by stating that you disagree – in any way – with this game’s placement upon this list… you are not only proving you are an idiot, but you’re also showcasing how poor your taste in video games is.*

Mario and company find themselves stuck in Subcon! Some magical world where they must overthrow the evil Wart, a giant frog who seemingly hates vegetables (actually, seems like everyone in Subcon hates them, since they’ll kill everything… Moms must have hated this game, since it portayed veggies as lethal to one’s health). They must battle new enemies as they traverse the worlds before them, all the while collecting keys, pulling rockets out of the ground, and riding… ostriches? The concept for the game is easily the craziest one in the series (Yes, the craziest), but that might because its actually Doki Doki Panic, a completely different game that just happens to look exactly like Mario 2. Rather than release the real sequel to Mario Bros. (considered too hard and too similar in presentation to the original for Western audiences), Nintendo just tweaked another game and shoved this one upon us. And thank God they did, because 2 is the real treasure of the NES titles.

So let’s look at the gameplay, shall we? Immediately it sets itself apart from the first game by allowing multiple characters to be used (Mario, Luigi, Toad, Luigi, and the Princess), each one with different abilities (Princess can float, Toad runs and digs faster, etc.) that can be used to traverse the game’s many levels. No longer does jumping on monsters kill them, but instead allow you to ride atop them until you desire to pick them up. Then you can chuck them at the other enemies on screen, killing two bird(os) with one stone. Bombs can be tossed, hearts for life can be collected, and even keys – used, as can be expected, to open doors – can be tossed as a weapon. Trust me, there’s something overly fulfilling about tossing a key at a Shy-Guy and killing the fucker to death. The game also had a freaking slots game between levels (between Hawk Heads, I should say) that earned you lives, depending on your luck/timing.

The look of the game is different than the first, too, presenting some aspects that have actually stuck with the series as a whole, since. For example, the fact that Luigi is depicted as taller than Mario in every game is something that started here. Also, many mainstay characters (notably enemies) have their origins in this game, from the Bob-omb to the Shy-Guy, as well as Toad, at least, insofar as he appears from this game forward. The visuals look different, again, because they’re out of that odd Japanese game, but one thing that we can thank that game for is this game’s awesome soundtrack. All the levels have great tunes, most importantly an opening level track that – I feel – rivals that of the first game’s (if not in originality then most certainly in catchiness). Overall, while the game had a totally different look and feel, I suggest that these qualities are what makes the game unique, interesting, and a hell of a lot of fun to play.

All in all, Mario 2 might not be your most favorite game from all off the NES titles (not mine, either), but it is a whole lot of damn fun. Bizarre twists in gameplay mechanics, the introduction of totally strange elements, and a fun level so high its crazy, Super Mario Bros. 2 earns enough points from being so radically different from the other games in the entire franchise to make its way to the edge of the top 30 games. While all of these factors can be attributed to the fact that its not really a Mario game at its base, its cannon, now, and that means it counts, through and through. So, love or hate it, Mario 2 is a classic that can’t be beat. Except by Super Mario Bros. 3.

Classic Moment:
After beating enough Birdos and Mousers and picking up enough crystal balls to understand that it opens the giant mouths of those bird heads, picking one up without fighting any kind of boss at all doesn’t really seem like a threat; there’s nothing in the room aside from the head and the ball. But – what the shit! – the head comes to life and starts flying around the room, swooping down to attack you. When unexpected, its a huge deal, because it stomps on that level of trust you’ve developed with the game thus far. While perhaps not what they were going for, it does introduce that small psychological element.

Why Mario 2 > Kingdom Hearts:
For me, its the fact that, for every awesome thing Kingdom Hearts has going for it – music, animation, fun gameplay, etc. – Mario 2 does in a better, far more simple fashion. This makes it less of a chore to play because, even though you’ll fight a Hydra (not one whose back you’ll have to “Get Up On!” – although thats KH2…) that is difficult, its not bearing down on you with button mashing, timed battles, or a heavy-handed (at times) plot. Its simple, its mindless, and its a hell of a lot of fun. Its Super Mario Bros. 2.

*not really, I don’t really care if you hate this game or disagree. Haha, I just figure you will disagree and am being preemptive… 😀

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Added March 28, 2017
Young Skyler was an opinionated asshole.
But, then again, so is Current Skyler, so it’s all the same in the end, really.
I want to play this game. Hurry up, Nintendo, and put up the Virtual Console on the Switch!

Added October 30, 2017
Updated the title to signal it was from Facebook. Don’t now how I missed that on the first go around.