1988 gave us Super Mario Bros. 2, one of the oddest yet ultimately rewarding titles in the Mario series.  The game has an interesting history.  When Super Mario Bros. 2 came out in Japan, the title was ultimately a remade version of Super Mario Bros. with harder levels.  When it came time to release the game in the USA, Nintendo decided against it.  Instead, the Japanese game Doki Doki Panic was taken and modified.  Mario, Luigi, Toad, and the Princess were added and BOOM!  Super Mario Bros. 2 was here for all to enjoy.

Since Super Mario Bros. 2 started out as a totally different game, the gameplay is not something you’d expect from a Mario game.  Instead of finding coins, stomping on Goombas, and thwarting the evil Bowser, you’re picking up vegetables, stomping Shy Guy’s, and throwing eggs at Birdo.  Weird stuff.  The interesting thing about this is that while all the characters in the game were originally intended for the Doki Doki Panic franchise, as a result of Super Mario Bros. 2 the characters became integrated in Mario mythology.  The Shy Guys now fight Mario alongside the Goombas.

Pushing the envelope even further, Super Mario Bros. 2 allowed the player to select a character other than Mario.  Each character had its own attributes.  For example, the Princess could fly for a short period of time while Luigi was an extraordinary jumper.  This addition gave the series a new depth.  Players could use the skills of each character to best complete a level.  It was not just about getting from point A to point B anymore.  Instead, players had to map out in advance who they think would best help them complete a level.  If that failed, it was back to the drawing board with another character.

In a discussion of Super Mario Bros. 2, one could focus on the following:

  • Compare and contrast Super Mario Bros. 2 and Doki Doki Panic. Besides the changes made to the lead characters in the game, what were any other changes? If the student does not notice any changes, why do you think that Nintendo decided to release the game as a Super Mario Bros. title instead of Doki Doki Panic? What do you think the public’s reaction to the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 would’ve been if it had been released in the USA?
  • Are there better characters to use for each level, or are the characters all basically the same? Students could be divided up into groups where they would focus on the play mechanics of one of the four characters.  Each student would be given a level to play to test each character.  Questions could be asked which focus on the difficulty of each level using a specific character.  The students could then compare ideas that they had on specific areas of the game (EX: Level 1 with Luigi was quick and easy because of his super high jumps.  With Toad, the level was difficult and cumbersome)
  • Was Nintendo right in making the decision to translate Doki Doki Panic into Super Mario Bros. 2? Do you think that Mario would be as noticeable of a character if this title hadn’t been released?