Famicom Mini: Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels)
Game by Nintendo
Reviewed by Philip "Pocket Squirrel" Wesley
Save: Battery/Save State (Third Option in L+R menu)
Released: 2004
Works with: Game Boy Advance units, Game Boy Micro, Nintendo DS, DS Lite.
ESRB Rated: N/A (This is an Import Title.)
CERO Rated: All Ages (CERO A)
Quick Opinion: Maybe....

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Opening Snide Remarks: The original Super Mario Bros. was very well received
in Japan and the problem of what to do for a sequel came about. This game
was designed as a natural extension of the original Super Mario Bros. The
plot is the same, but the game adds more obstacles and challenge. The game
was released on the Famicom Disc System, so the Game Pak is a nice bright
yellow.

There was a bit of controversy with the game as Nintendo of America felt
that the game was too similar to the original Super Mario Bros. and that
the increased difficulty might cause some sort of backlash to the
franchise in the United States. So, a game called Doki Doki Panic was
revamped to be Super Mario Bros. 2 in the United States. This game did make
it over to the United States as "Super Mario Bros. for Super Players" in
the Game Boy Color Super Mario Bros. Deluxe and as "The Lost Levels" in
Super Mario All-Stars on the Super Nintendo. This game is the original
Famicom Disc System game on a Game Boy Advance cart. I loved the game on
the Super Nintendo and I wanted to own a version of the original. So, this
was a definite import for me. However, you may want to continue reading
this review to decide if "The Lost Levels" is worth picking up for you.

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Gameplay Description: The criticism that Super Mario Bros. 2 is too similar
in game play to the original game is both accurate and inaccurate. The
concepts are the same, you go through a level to get to a flag pole or to
Bowser in an effort to rescue Princess Peach Toadstool and many of the game
elements have remained the same. You still find mushrooms, fire flowers,
warp zones, and enemies; but there is a twist. This time around, there are
a few new additions to spice up the game. The first addition is the Poison
Mushroom, which looks like darker version of the normal Mushroom and counts
as an enemy hit. There are also hidden warp zones that take you back a few
levels. Many of the levels have a wind element that can blow you off of
platforms you are standing on. Enemies like Bloopers and Fire Chains show
up in levels they normally would not show up in. Green Trampolines show up
that can launch you so incredibly high that you will be off the screen for
a few seconds as you ascend and descend. Also, the amount of "bounce" that
you achieve from jumping off of an enemy has been increased to allow players
to make some gaps and jumps they normally would not be able to make.

Also the two player option is gone and instead you can choose either to
play MARIO GAME or LUIGI GAME. The difference is in the way each character
plays. Mario has a bit more momentum now, so it can be tricky to stop as
accurately as Mario did in the first game. Luigi has been completely
retooled to both jump higher and be "lighter" making him slide a bit more
than Mario when it comes to stopping. The game also has an interesting
reward for people who play through all 32 normal levels without using any
warp zones. The difficulty is increased substantially in this game, the
first "world" would be an equivalent difficulty with the sixth "world" in
the original game. This is a great challenge to players who have mastered
the first game, but it may come off as frustrating to some players.

Liked: New obstacles, new physics, and new challenges. The new physics in
particular make the game a lot tougher than the first Super Mario Bros.
and the great "tricks" learned from playing the first game can be applied
in this game to great effect. Overall, the levels are much more of a
challenge and I rather enjoy that aspect of this game.

Hated: The game could be frustrating to some players and the game really
does feel a little bit "too much of the same" in terms of gameplay.

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Graphics Description: Many of the backgrounds and landscapes have been
touched up a bit. The ground looks more detailed and the backgrounds have
more objects in them. The main characters, enemy, and some item sprites have
not been enhanced. The game looks better than Super Mario Bros. 1, but only
by just a little bit. The ground and the castles are the most notable
visual enhancements. The addition of wind also means that there are lots of
"leaf" sprites on the screen to demonstrate where the wind is blowing. That
looks pretty cool and shows that there was some progress between the first
and second game. The game also uses familiar structures to "trick" the
player into expecting one type of response. The "poison" mushrooms change
their colors relative to the levels they show up in. It is really tough to
figure out which mushroom is poison in the underground levels for example.
There are later levels in the game that use the "shape" of previous levels
to catch players off guard. That is a very nice touch and I appreciate it.
There are levels where items are "hidden in plain view" by taking advantage
of the mixture of old and new backgrounds and sprites.

Liked: The little graphic upgrades are appreciated and the game does look
-in the backgrounds at least- different from the first game.

Hated: The sprites for Mario, Luigi, enemies, and a few items are not
upgraded. This still suffers from the weird resolution errors that the
Ninendo Classics: Super Mario Bros. Game Pak suffered from.

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Sound/Music Description: The music has been slightly improved for clarity
and there is a new ending theme. The sound effects have also been slightly
upgraded. The most noticeable change is that Mario and Luigi now have a
"slide" sound when they change direction in mid stride. The majority of the
compositions in this game are directly from the previous game. That music is
still very awesome.

Liked: The music has been slightly upgraded and the new "skid" sound is
appropriate.

Hated: While the music from the first game is excellent, I would have
greatly appreciated more NEW music in this game.

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Play Control/Game Design: Mario and Luigi represent a choice of STYLE of
gameplay challenge in this game. Luigi is faster, jumps higher, and adds a
completely different experience to the game. The use of familiarity to fool
or challenge the player is superb. The first time that a player goes down a
pipe and finds a warp zone that takes them back to the first level is both
cruel and hilarious. Cruel is a good way to describe this game, because it
has some nasty traps and surprises for players who have not mastered some of
the unique techniques from the first game. The game physics have tightened up
a bit from the first game, although the "pixel wall jumping" technique can
still be used. Also, being hit in mid-air sometimes acts as a "floor touch"
that you can use to propel yourself slightly further into the air. The game
rewards the player with sticking through the game by adding extra levels like
Worlds 9, A, B, C, and D to the original 32 levels. Super Mario Bros. 2 is
a more refined game than Super Mario Bros. 1; but the difficulty it adds
makes it feel like the game should not be a stand alone product. When you
beat Super Mario Bros. 1, you get to play that game again from the beginning
with upgraded enemies and obstacles. I feel that Super Mario Bros. 1 could
have benefited by just adding Super Mario Bros. 2 onto the game when you
beat the first 32 levels. The fact that you start the game from a castle
adds to the feeling that this was intended to be the "harder game" version
in the first game, but for -whatever reason- they were not able to attach
the two games together.

The best thing about Super Mario Bros. 2 is that it inspired a movement of
people who disassemble game data for Super Mario Bros 2 and create their
own levels for it in the "home brew" community. While that IS copyright
infringement at this time, it did lead to a community of people who play
platform games for "extreme" challenges. Had this game never existed, I
feel that we would not see games like VVVVVV, or Super Meat Boy come to
fruition. The value of this title comes from the challenges it presents
and the "spark" of creation it instills in those who embrace the game.

Liked: The new "style" choice of Mario or Luigi greatly affects the flow of
the game and the strategy for success. The new additions work well and the
punishment for skipping levels is clever. The game makes you play through
it entirely if you want to access special levels and it can be a great
aid in learning level design. Each level has multiple "paths" that are not
obvious until you study the design of the levels. The game is well
designed and challenging.

Hated: This is Super Mario Bros. 1.5. It feels like it should have been an
extra mode to the first game instead of a separate title.

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Improve: This game has already had a facelift in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
and Super Mario All-Stars. It really could just use more levels.

RIYL: Difficult platform games, Super Mario Bros. 1.

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Final Words: I really like Super Mario Bros. 2, but I can not recommend it
for people who had difficulty with the first game. The game feels like an
extension of the first game and I recommend it only for people who have
mastered the first game. Those who are skilled enough to appreciate the
challenge need to get this game. Just keep in mind that they call it "The
Lost Levels" over here. Super Mario Bros. 2 in the USA is a much different
game than this bellowing beastie of challenge. This is worth tracking down
though if you want a good challenge.

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Score
Gameplay: *****
Graphics: ****
Sound/Music: ****
Play Control/Game Design: *****
Value: **

Star Total: 60%

Personal Opinion Merit: 20%

Add the Star Score and Merit Score together for the final % score.

Final Score: 80%

Letter Grade: B

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