Welcome to Old Games That Don’t Suck Thursday (or Saturday, since we’re running late). Each week I’ll write about a game that somehow influenced by life as a game developer and which I can totally recommend to you because the game is flippin’ sweet. It also has to be old or at least forgotten about until recently.
(For the purists I am sorry I posted the SNES version youtube video and not the famicom or NES version).
Super Mario Bros 2 is the best game ever made. This is not a debatable fact and I not going to defend my argument because everyone knows its true or probably is on their way to realizing it is true.
SMB2 started it’s life as Doki Doki Panic on the Famicom in Japan many years before it released in North America on the NES and several more times on various systems. The game was not even Mario themed at the time and didn’t have any intention of being Mario. Once it hit the West it was reskinned as a Mario platformer which is one reason it is so different from the other Mario games.
And so tasty.
Unique game mechanics and object interaction is what makes this game flow. Picking up things is the name of the game and what you do with those objects are up to you. What’s significant here is that everything can be picked up, more or less. Bombs, enemies, and turnips all have an interaction. You can ride enemies, pick them up, and even hurl them at other enemies.
The worlds come in a handful of flavours and consist of a whole lot of running, jumping, and enemy puzzles. As you advance through the game the
What’s a distraction though is that Mario is traditionally just a tight platformer with a focus in great powerups and teaspooned-sized unique level design. On the otherhand SMB2 is very focused on those game mechanics and making use of large, sometimes maze-like levels with puzzle solving being a key focus. That’s a good reason why many (yes many, check the internet) HATE SMB2 which is shameful, of course. They expect the Mario lifestyle and instead get Mario in a new dimension.
On one hand I can tolerate this. Mario is all about being Mario. But on the otherhand it would be incredibly ignorant to toss aside this brilliant title. It’s a solid game and if you can get past the OMG MARIO factor it’s worth every penny and every minute of your time.
It’s such a unique title that shines in all of it’s glory. From the negative world to the clever bomb puzzles and the HUGE list if enemies… it’s incredible how overlooked it is.
So go ahead, scoff at my unrelenting love. But just know that this game means more to me than any other movie or book. This is the perfect game.
February 14th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Nice choice. SMB2 is awesome!
February 14th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
SMB2!!!!! MY 3RD FAVORITE GAME OF ALL TIME!! =D
February 14th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
It was always too hard for me
. It was the first game I got for my GBA, and that was a long time ago.
February 14th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Guys, look on armor games for john’s latest game
February 15th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Cyngus, you changed display names again?
Anyways, I kinda expected this game to appear in OGTDST. You stated this game in ArmorBlog as “the best game of all time” before.
February 15th, 2009 at 8:20 am
i had this game on the GBA, and knew for ages it was a reskin of doki doki panic. as long as you don’t pick it up expecting a “real” mario game, i.e. jump on enemies to kill them, fight bowser style game, then it’s an amazing game. DEFINITELY worth playing if you haven’t already.
February 15th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Gah, everytime I type “Cyngus” into something my computer’s autosearch changes it to Cyngus Unlimited T_T
February 15th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I like SMB2. I played it on both the SNES and the GBA.
My top three favorite games are:
1. Chrono Trigger
2. Metroid Prime
3. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
February 15th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I still like the original better than this. This game was fun, but hard. The original was very fun, and it wasn’t as confusing to learn it. (I never played either on the original system, though. I downloaded them both to the Wii virtual console.)
October 16th, 2009 at 11:45 am
[...] played a board game? Favorite console game is easily Super Mario Bros 2. See any of my previous rants for that subject. My favorite Flash game is currently is a toss-up between a few, Desktop Tower [...]
October 17th, 2009 at 1:28 am
[...] you played a board game? Favorite console game is easily Super Mario Bros 2. See any of my previous rants for that subject. My favorite Flash game is currently is a toss-up between a few, Desktop Tower [...]
January 30th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Those phantos things creeped me out so much I’m afraid to play it up to the third level. :/