LGR - Super Mario Bros 2 Japan - NES Game Review
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Date: 2022-04-14
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Comments and reviews: 10
Aza
Is it really true that the reason it didn't make it to the US was because -it was too difficult-? (that sounds like one of those explanations someone with no actual insight would just make up because it sounds juicy enough for clickbaity gossip) I swore I remember being it explained somewhere that the reason was simply because of how similar the SMB2 was to the SMB1. It wasn't really a -new game-, it was just new levels put inside the old game complete with mostly the same graphics and sounds and controls and engine etc. Seemingly they figured that wouldn't be acceptable to US consumers, and they're not wrong. (look at how angry people still get over new Call Of Duty games that are -just rehashes of the same thing again and again-) Also, I would imagine that the game being on the Famicom Disk format posed some technical problems since that device wasn't coming to the US and it probably wasn't reasonably feasible to just port it to a normal NES cart at the time. I mean if the game's difficult was actually considered to be -too difficult for Americans-, then the solution they would've went with is to make it easier rather than not porting it at all.
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Is it really true that the reason it didn't make it to the US was because -it was too difficult-? (that sounds like one of those explanations someone with no actual insight would just make up because it sounds juicy enough for clickbaity gossip) I swore I remember being it explained somewhere that the reason was simply because of how similar the SMB2 was to the SMB1. It wasn't really a -new game-, it was just new levels put inside the old game complete with mostly the same graphics and sounds and controls and engine etc. Seemingly they figured that wouldn't be acceptable to US consumers, and they're not wrong. (look at how angry people still get over new Call Of Duty games that are -just rehashes of the same thing again and again-) Also, I would imagine that the game being on the Famicom Disk format posed some technical problems since that device wasn't coming to the US and it probably wasn't reasonably feasible to just port it to a normal NES cart at the time. I mean if the game's difficult was actually considered to be -too difficult for Americans-, then the solution they would've went with is to make it easier rather than not porting it at all.
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anthonyspecf
I consider the western SMB: 2 to be a real Super Mario Game and a sequel to the original regardless of it's origins.
As for the Japanese SMB: 2 being -too difficult for western audiences-, part of me thinks it was an excuse to cover up the fact that it is essentially a slightly reworked SMB: 1 game. I think they just figured it wouldn't sell that well or be as accepted. I think that is why we (western market) received a whole different SMB game.
Maybe it is because I like the western SMB: 2 and that I have fond memories of it as a kid, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Japan SMB: 2 can stay the lost levels, and I am ok with that.
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I consider the western SMB: 2 to be a real Super Mario Game and a sequel to the original regardless of it's origins.
As for the Japanese SMB: 2 being -too difficult for western audiences-, part of me thinks it was an excuse to cover up the fact that it is essentially a slightly reworked SMB: 1 game. I think they just figured it wouldn't sell that well or be as accepted. I think that is why we (western market) received a whole different SMB game.
Maybe it is because I like the western SMB: 2 and that I have fond memories of it as a kid, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Japan SMB: 2 can stay the lost levels, and I am ok with that.
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Joe
I played this game, the japanese version, on the original NES. I rented it from the video rental store as a kid. I was very confused when I was killed by a mushroom. If I recall, it's the same mushroom in 1-1 as in the video and I never completed the level. A couple years later, when I realized I was the only one who had ever played this game, I tried to find it. It had vanished. This game was definitely available on cartridge, whether by design or illicitly. Kinda cool to know I played this game before almost anyone. I hated it, btw. It was the exact same as Mario 1 except it cheated--that's how I woulda described it.
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I played this game, the japanese version, on the original NES. I rented it from the video rental store as a kid. I was very confused when I was killed by a mushroom. If I recall, it's the same mushroom in 1-1 as in the video and I never completed the level. A couple years later, when I realized I was the only one who had ever played this game, I tried to find it. It had vanished. This game was definitely available on cartridge, whether by design or illicitly. Kinda cool to know I played this game before almost anyone. I hated it, btw. It was the exact same as Mario 1 except it cheated--that's how I woulda described it.
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Nikki
Having played both Super Mario Bros 2 (USA) and The Lost Levels versions I can say I prefer what the US got. It introduces so many new characters (Birdo, Shyguy, Bob-omb, and Pokey the cactus) as well as letting you play as Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool. The Japanese version just doesn't feel different enough to represent a sequel. It has the same music, sprites, and general level design.
I think of SMB2 the same way I think of Adventure of Link, it was an experiment to see how they could change things up. Some things sucked, other things were alright.
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Having played both Super Mario Bros 2 (USA) and The Lost Levels versions I can say I prefer what the US got. It introduces so many new characters (Birdo, Shyguy, Bob-omb, and Pokey the cactus) as well as letting you play as Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool. The Japanese version just doesn't feel different enough to represent a sequel. It has the same music, sprites, and general level design.
I think of SMB2 the same way I think of Adventure of Link, it was an experiment to see how they could change things up. Some things sucked, other things were alright.
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games
I don't find it to be hard at all yea I may die in the game but I can always beat it with ease and even beat world 9 and world's a through d by beating the main game 9 times it's actually fun for me and the best part of the game is you can still do the smartest fire Mario glitch in this game witch makes it even more fun and it actually can make the game alot easier because some levels you have to beat it small so having small fire Mario in a level like that real helps out alot
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I don't find it to be hard at all yea I may die in the game but I can always beat it with ease and even beat world 9 and world's a through d by beating the main game 9 times it's actually fun for me and the best part of the game is you can still do the smartest fire Mario glitch in this game witch makes it even more fun and it actually can make the game alot easier because some levels you have to beat it small so having small fire Mario in a level like that real helps out alot
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Theo
The reason it's so difficult is because the game is more or less a port of an arcade game; Super Mario Vs. The difficulty makes more sense when you realize that; the point of arcade games was to suck away all your money, so more difficult games would be more successful. The only positive I would say this game has is checkpoints. If you failed in the first game, you were sent back to 1-1 no matter what. Here, there are checkpoints, so the game feels better to try and complete.
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The reason it's so difficult is because the game is more or less a port of an arcade game; Super Mario Vs. The difficulty makes more sense when you realize that; the point of arcade games was to suck away all your money, so more difficult games would be more successful. The only positive I would say this game has is checkpoints. If you failed in the first game, you were sent back to 1-1 no matter what. Here, there are checkpoints, so the game feels better to try and complete.
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MrMoth
A few things to note concerning these games that weren't mentioned in the video.
Doki Doki Panic was based off of early builds of SMB2
The Japanese version was never meant to be a sequel at all, just an arcade game for experienced players
The only reason that the Japanese SMB2 was made the sequel was because of hardware limitations
The reason the Japanese game wasn't brought to the US was because play testers said the game wasn't fun and was too hard.
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A few things to note concerning these games that weren't mentioned in the video.
Doki Doki Panic was based off of early builds of SMB2
The Japanese version was never meant to be a sequel at all, just an arcade game for experienced players
The only reason that the Japanese SMB2 was made the sequel was because of hardware limitations
The reason the Japanese game wasn't brought to the US was because play testers said the game wasn't fun and was too hard.
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ogeid
Super Mario Bros. 2jp was too difficult and similar to SMB1? Why not just retitle it then after releasing SMB 2 US version, into SMB the challenger edition or something for the hardcore gamer. It didn't stop Nintendo from releasing Vs. Super Mario Bros in the Arcade which is a hybrid of smb1, smb 2 and original material. There were tougher games than smb2, Zelda 1 2nd Qst is no cake walk, Street Fighter 2010 is brutal and Metroid 1 for the uninitiated is hard too.
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Super Mario Bros. 2jp was too difficult and similar to SMB1? Why not just retitle it then after releasing SMB 2 US version, into SMB the challenger edition or something for the hardcore gamer. It didn't stop Nintendo from releasing Vs. Super Mario Bros in the Arcade which is a hybrid of smb1, smb 2 and original material. There were tougher games than smb2, Zelda 1 2nd Qst is no cake walk, Street Fighter 2010 is brutal and Metroid 1 for the uninitiated is hard too.
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handsomebrick
Doki Doki Panic was originally planned as an SMB sequel, but it got retooled into a licensed game based on some anime and they got Takashi Tezuka to make this game. However Nintendo's position in the West back then was shaky and they didn't want to release a glorified level pack as a sequel to SMB, so they jiggered Doki Doki Panic back into a SMB sequel instead. And it was such a hit that they re-rereleased it back in Japan as Super Mario Bros USA.
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Doki Doki Panic was originally planned as an SMB sequel, but it got retooled into a licensed game based on some anime and they got Takashi Tezuka to make this game. However Nintendo's position in the West back then was shaky and they didn't want to release a glorified level pack as a sequel to SMB, so they jiggered Doki Doki Panic back into a SMB sequel instead. And it was such a hit that they re-rereleased it back in Japan as Super Mario Bros USA.
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AlicyJinx
I happen to really enjoy both the American reskin of Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic and the FDS exclusive Mario 2. They are both very enjoyable and I'm glad we have both. I never felt like Mario 2 US -didn't feel like a Mario game- but maybe that's just because I played the more recent Mario games with Birdo, Shy Guys and Bob-ombs plus all the other stuff that made it into the modern Mario franchise from Mario 2 US before I actually played Mario 2 US.
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I happen to really enjoy both the American reskin of Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic and the FDS exclusive Mario 2. They are both very enjoyable and I'm glad we have both. I never felt like Mario 2 US -didn't feel like a Mario game- but maybe that's just because I played the more recent Mario games with Birdo, Shy Guys and Bob-ombs plus all the other stuff that made it into the modern Mario franchise from Mario 2 US before I actually played Mario 2 US.
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