In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations.
We kicked off this series with a look at Super Mario Bros., and it's pleasing that it only took one year for Mario's history to get even more interesting. For starters, to be technically correct the headline here should simply say Super Mario Bros. 2, as this game was known in Japan, but the quirky release history of this one means that to Western gamers this is better known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
The history is well-known to long-term fans of the game but, in the interest of being thorough, let's break it down. Following the success of Super Mario Bros. Nintendo was, naturally, keen to thrash out a sequel in haste; once again Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka were leading the project, though Tezuka-san had a greater role due to his colleague being increasingly busy and tied up in other projects. The intention was evident - to ramp up the challenge for players experienced from the first game.
Though the similarities with its predecessor are clear, some clear design changes were made. Luigi had a higher jump and less grip when dashing, trends that are maintained to this day in his platforming appearances. Poison mushrooms were to be avoided and no doubt tricked most first time around, and the level of challenge is undoubtedly ramped up with some pixel-perfect jumps and even varying wind effects.
It's a brutal game, especially in the context of the mechanics of the original, with limited scope to manoeuvre when in the air, while in 50Hz in PAL versions it's extra difficult to play with the required precision. That said, it's important to acknowledge that it was a critical success in Japan - released onto the Famicom Disk System, it was reportedly the most successful game on that platform in shifting around 2.5 million copies.
The issue was that Nintendo of America, when shown the game, rejected it for the region. The simple justification was that the difficulty was too severe for the market, and with the sales message being focused on fun in the territory a rock hard, throw-the-controller game was ill-fitting. It was one of the earliest culture clashes of Nintendo content that captured the Japanese market yet didn't work in the West.
What the West received as Super Mario Bros. 2, instead, was a reskin of Doki Doki Panic with Nintendo characters. That'll be covered separately, but in a pre-internet age many would have been unaware of what had transpired, with the markedly different style and approach of the 'USA' sequel proving to be quite a disconnect; that said, it's a fine game.
The original sequel was no doubt only known to those in the import scene and in-the-know back in the late '80s, and it would arrive as The Lost Levels on the SNES in Super Mario All-Stars. This compilation included 16-Bit revamps of the three well-known NES releases; while players in the West could finally endure the challenge of the original sequel, the branding may have led some to believe it was a compilation of levels from the first game left on the cutting room floor.
In any case, it provided a full picture of what Japanese Famicom gamers had been enjoying as the first Super Mario sequel. The Lost Levels would eventually receive multiple ports (like its contemporaries) and Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition on the Wii arrived in recent times. Those keen to play the original 8-Bit version have been able to do so across all three Virtual Consoles (Wii, 3DS and then Wii U), too.
For those that do want a fiercely challenging Mario platformer, The Lost Levels is certainly a better option than the various trolling online Mario games that are designed to be unfair and ridiculous - if you've been around on YouTube, you know what we're referring to. The Lost Levels isn't unfair, as such, but it is incredibly harsh and difficult once beyond the early levels. If you've beaten it without using restore points, we salute you.
It's also a reminder that 'Nintendo Hard' used to be a commonly used phrase, albeit this one arguably went beyond even that remit. Difficulty in modern Nintendo platformers and Mario games comes in completionist tasks rather than reaching the credits, and The Lost Levels reminds us of an early time when Nintendo was less interested in encouraging gamers of all abilities to beat its games, and more concerned in pushing their abilities. The Lost Levels - as a design approach - was clearly not sustainable on any level, though there will be those that would like more challenges of its scope in modern Nintendo games.
Perhaps The Lost Levels provided an important early lesson to Nintendo's development teams in Japan. To win over and entertain a global audience games need to accommodate and encourage fun, and so Nintendo of America rejecting this sequel may have helped to get that message home. Of course, we suspect that many fiendish level designers will channel the spirit of this game with their creations in Super Mario Maker.
Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got to take it on again, and possibly break a controller or two.
The video below, as a final note, shows insane skills and glitch manipulation to beat the game in around nine minutes.
Further Reading: Our review of Boss Fight Books - Super Mario Bros. 2, which explores this tale in exhausting detail.
Comments 22
I've never actually played this. I was always put off by the reputation it had for being crazy difficult. I found the original SMB hard enough and doubt I'd have completed it, if not for the continue trick.
I remember thinking if I was ever going to speed run a game, it would be this because nobody could possibly be amazing at it. Amazing speed run.
@Peach64
It's... fairly bad, in a sense. I'd say it's like Zelda 2 is to Zelda; there's enough stuff thrown in your way that it can get quite frustrating. Beatable? Sure (I have yet to do it meself, and I'd probably use save states). But when a man who has influence on what gets localized, rejects a game on pure frustration, in an era that defined "Nintendo Hard"... something is amiss.
Still, it's a neat historical curiosity... and good training for all the messed up stages we'll see in Super Mario Maker.
i probally just suck but i think its a bit to difficult
I started playing it with Super Mario Bros. Deluxe on GBC, but never did finish it (and lost the GBC shortly after that). If I ever get the opportunity to pick up Super Mario Bros. All Stars I might give it a go again.
I think it's unfair in parts. You can scroll the screen too far and have no choice but to die. I can get to the 4th world on a VERY good day.
I still prefer the Western SMB2, it will always be the true sequel to me.
@DarthNocturnal 'Still, it's a neat historical curiosity... and good training for all the messed up stages we'll see in Super Mario Maker.'
^This. I like to think I'm pretty damn good on Mario World but I'm far from great at the original. I suspect most of the pre-packaged MM levels will be based on SMB1
I didn't get a chance to play this game until SNES, but I remember reading/hearing about it before then. I remember rumors that in Japan they had Super Mario Bros. 7 while in the west we still had only 1-3. Now with the internet I found that most of those stories were totally false, but it was fun and added such intrigue to the games.
Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels isn't just ultra Nintendo Hard; it has also the kind of baloney difficulty that I consider detrimental to my enjoyment.
I love when the challenge comes from having to be clever on how to take on a particular level, but this game doesn't do just that; the level design also feels generally unprofessional due of abusing cheap difficulty elements, such as those that requires ultra-precise jumps while dealing with the bizarre and slippery Mario 1 physics (even without Luigi), leaps of faith, the ratchet scrolling screen that prevents from backtracking in the most crucial areas and certain levels that requires a good deal of memorization in order to get through them without hampering the pace of the game.
I beat that game once on the Wii U VC. There's the slight added input delay coming from the Wii U itself for processing both HDTV and GamePad video, so precision-timing is slightly harder than actually playing with pretty much any other console plugged on a CRT TV. And I'm not going to bother replaying this demented sequel ever again in my life!
This game RIGHT HERE!!! The hardest Mario game yet. I've beaten the SMAS version and even achieved World 9. However, the original?? Fuhgetabowdit! You can do the Koopa-Troopa trick to gain multiple lives like you can in the original SMB, but the game can only count to TWENTY! I DID however make it to World 9-1 in the original SMB2, but ended up hitting a cheep-cheep and had to start ALL OVER!!
Also, the key to getting World 9, If it hasn't been posted already, is to plow through Worlds 1 through 8 without using a warp zone, which, for seasoned players took only a couple of hours.
Side note: the poison mushroom in SMAS gave me nightmares!! I TRUSTED YOU QUESTION MARK BLOCK!!!
Without question, the hardest game I've ever played. I think I've always been able to beat any other Nintendo game but have only been able to make it half-way through this one. I did make it through level 8 in SMB Deluxe, but of course that's a much easier version of the game.
Kinda surprised at the number of people talking about not beating SMB so they are ignoring this. I guess SMB was really all I had for a year so we played it to death and then would play duck hunt for 5 mins.
SMB2 is incredibly hard though. I dont think I could beat it anymore but a long time ago I managed it on SNES
Even though I owned Super Mario All Stars, I still haven't played this game (which is either good or bad depending on who you ask). I did watch a let's play of the game, and while it isn't really unfair, it does seem like a game that would beat you down.
I am interested in trying it at least once though, just to say I've experienced it. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Mario master! The early 2D games are what I have lesser experience with, and I'm sure this game will chew me up.
I really do need to buy this. I would get it off the UK Stars Catalogue, but I'm 50 stars short (it's 1300 stars, I have 1250).
What the hell is "glitch manipulation" in the linked video? There is no way this guy can stop one pixel short of a pirahna plant umpteen times without some kind of cheaterrific cheating.
I didn't even know there was a world 9 until I replayed this on Wii VC. Back on All-Stars, I beat the game and played world's A, B, C, and D unawares. When I play this game, I feel like it's less of a sequel and more of a "re-do" of the original that dares you to get comfortable before slapping you in the face with an untimely pit, awkwardly placed enemy, or running for your life from a poison mushroom. But, it succeeds in it's goal: catch you unaware of what you thought you knew from the original, and challenge the heck out of you to overcome the odds with little to no help to you.
I did played as a kid (pirate versions were common on my country) was totally owned by the poison mushroom and later on by the secret warp pipe that sends you back instead of ahead)
Ah, the secret warp pipe. I remember playing on my Game Boy Color back in the day. I made it to World 8 and took the warp back to World 5???
Later on I picked it up on All Stars w/ World for SNES, then picked up the GBA Famicom Mini Series #21 from Lik-Sang. Good times. I generally loathe tough-as-nails platformers, but the way Lost Levels keeps kicking my @$$ keeps me coming back for more in a way that no other game does.
Especially with the blind leap of faith over a pit, praying that the Koopa Troopa will be in the right spot to make a clean hop to safety, or dastardly castles with their mazes. I never could finish 8-4 before the timer expired, even with save states.
And this is coming from someone who loathes "Nintendo hard" games like Megaman, etc, but I'll be Bowser's whipping boy any day...
That ending screen in the speed run... "Peace is paved." That is Shakespeare level of awesome.
Absolutely love this game. My go to to scratch the 8 bit Mario itch. I remember being baffled when I got all stars on snes, thinking where has this been all these years!?!?
Super Mario Maker should add DLC for the AllStars version of this.
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