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Super Mario Bros. 2

aka: Mario 2, SMB 2, Super Mario USA

Description official descriptions

This release of Super Mario Bros. 2 is completely different from its original Japanese counterpart, originating in the West and being in fact a version of Yume Kōjō: Dokidoki Panic with a different storyline and protagonists swapped for Mario and his friends.

One night Mario has a strange dream, where he opens a door to another world filled with even stranger creatures and lands than those in his last adventure against Bowser. Amazingly, the next day, Mario, Luigi, Toad, and the Princess stumble upon a cave, which leads to the world that was in Mario's dream.

Subcon, the land of dreams, is under an evil spell thanks to Wart, so Mario and the gang must save the day. New creatures to defeat and plenty of nasty surprises await.

Choose from the four characters, each differing in speed and jumping ability, and head on through 7 levels each filled with puzzles, bosses, bonus coins, the always helpful mushroom, and invincible star, plus bombs and magic potions. After each level, depending on the coins you collect, you can use them in the bonus game to collect extra lives.

Spellings

  • Super Mario Brothers 2 - Alternate spelling
  • スーパーマリオUSA - Japanese spelling

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Credits (NES version)

15 People

Executive Producer
Producer
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Reviews

Trivia

1001 Video Games

The NES version of Super Mario Bros. 2 appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Bosses

Super Mario Bros. 2 replaced Doki Doki Panic's third Mouser boss with a rock-tossing giant crab called Clawgrip.

However, Clawgrip's name is spelled wrong in the SMB2 credits (it's spelled as "Clawglip"). Interestingly enough, this small flub was not fixed in Super Mario All-Stars!

Cover

The picture used on the cover incorrectly has Mario's shirt as blue and his dungarees as red! This mistake is just on the cover art as Mario's in-game color scheme is the correct blue dungarees/red shirt.

Influence

Though not originally designed as a Mario game, the further Mario games used many elements from this game, mostly enemies. Shyguy, Bob-omb, and Pokey are notable examples.

Mario and Luigi

By inheriting attributes from the Doki Doki Panic characters they replaced, the appearance of Mario and Luigi are differentiated by more than a palette swap for the first time in this game. Though they were again palette swaps in some later games, Super Mario Bros. 2 set the precedent for Mario to be the shorter brother and for Luigi to be lanky.

Release history

The Japanese Super Mario Brothers 2 was an updated version of the original title, complete with harder levels and new enemies. The US SMB2 was a conversion of the Nintendo title, Dream Factory: Doki Doki Panic, simply replacing the characters in that game with character from the Mario universe.

Nintendo later released the Japanese SMB2 in the US (titled Super Mario Bros. : The Lost Levels) as part of the compilation title, Super Mario All-Stars, on the Super Nintendo (SNES).

Japan gamers would also receive the US version of Super Mario Bros. 2, released as Super Mario USA in 1992.

Awards

  • EGM
    • February 2006 (Issue #200) - #108 in the "Greatest Games of Their Time" list
  • Game Informer
    • August 2001 (Issue #100) - #30 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll
  • Power Play
    • Issue 01/1990 - #2 Best Nintendo Game in 1989

Information also contributed by Big John WV and j.jones, Joshua J. Slone, MegaMegaMan, PCGamer77, WWWWolf

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Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 7299

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Kartanym.

Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Arcade added by Michael Cassidy. Nintendo Switch added by Kam1Kaz3NL77. Wii added by gamewarrior.

Additional contributors: PCGamer77, Exodia85, gamewarrior, Andrew Shepard, MegamanX64, Patrick Bregger, TJ Liebgott, Thomas Thompson, FatherJack.

Last modified February 22nd, 2023.