Google+ The NES Cat: Review #12: Super Mario Bros 2 USA and EU. Way better than the Japanese version

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Review #12: Super Mario Bros 2 USA and EU. Way better than the Japanese version

Super Mario Bros. 2 box art

After the standard-setting, industry-saving, platform gender-changing etc. Super Mario Bros Nintendo had to continue the success of the Italian plumber. Super Mario Bros 2 was released in Japan on June 3rd, 1986 but the game was just Super Mario Bros with new (super difficult) levels.


Nintendo of America thought that the game was too difficult and didn't offer anything new, so they ported a Japanese Famicom game named Doki Doki Panic, put some Mario characters in it and voila... Super Mario Bros 2 USA was released in 1987.

Box rear side
The cartridge
Now to be fair, it really doesn't matter that this is a port of a Famicom game, because this gamepak rocks! You can choose between 4 characters (Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Peach) each one with different abilities. Especially the Princess' hover feature is a major advantage in the game, if you can stand the pinkness of the character.

The plot is quite simple and not at all Mario like (you don't have to save the Princess): Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach must free the dream-land aka Subcon from a character known as Wart.

Super Mario Bros. 2 sold ten million copies, and was the third highest-selling game ever released on the NES at that time. Nintendo Power listed Super Mario Bros. 2 as the 8th best NES video game, mentioning that in spite of not being originally a Mario game, it was able to stand on its own merits and its unique takes on the series' trademark format. Also Super Mario Bros. 2 was ranked 108th out of 200 of the "Greatest Games of Their Time" by Electronic Gaming Monthly.
The title screen with all the characters

Graphic-wise the game is a lot better that the original or the sequel in Japan and is one of the most beautiful games on the system. The music is nice with lots of different tunes and the sound effects makes justice with what happens on screen.

Conclusion: Super Mario Bros 2 is an excellent sequel to the king of the platformers. By many, it is considered the black sheep of the Mario family, as it's not presented in the Mario world but in some strange dreamland. I agree with that, but if you play the japanese version of Super Mario Bros 2 you'll understand why it was not sold outside of Japan. Overall, it is a fun game, with a moderate difficulty level. It is rated D (common) on the NES rarity list and you can find it on eBay for about 40$ full with box and manual. Don't just buy it and stuck it up your collection, play with it. It'll give you many hours of fun.

-NES Cat
PS.: The game was released in Japan as Super Mario USA in 1992.


The player select screen

Peach hover ability is awesome!

Mario is back and looks better than ever

Some levels are Arab-styled

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