The Real Super Mario Bros. 2

[fredthehylian]

Which is the Real Mario 2?

Everyone who loves Mario has probably heard the Mario 2 scandal. There's the western Mario 2, and there's the Lost Levels. Which do you think is the real Mario 2? If you ask me, it's the Doki Doki Panic one. Why you may ask? Allow me to elaborate.

The Mario 2 us westerns got was really Doki Doki Panic with Mario's name on it and has no save file (God, first Metroid then this). In Japan, they had Doki Doki Panic, Mario Lost Levels, and Super Mario USA (our version of Mario 2). When Super Mario All-Stars was released, both M2's came on the compilation. This stirred up alot of confusion and anger among gamers. They keep calling our Mario 2 the unreal Mario 2 and call lost levels the REAL Mario 2. Lost Levels is just a harder version of SMB1. SMB2 had more of an effect on the MArio universe. Without what I call the real Mario 2, we would have no Birdo, Shy Guys, or Snifits. We also wouldn't have the Bob-ombs or Pokey. What did SMBLL give to Mario? The poison mushrooms. The Lost Levels gave something bad to Mario. And yet it is considered better than our Mario 2. That makes no sense. I feel like a fool to have bought LL over SMB2. SMB2 has such an impact, it actually inspired a flash called Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom. That's cool. It also had it's own stage in Melee based on the 16 bit version of Subcon. There were those logs in the water fall and Birdo occasionally came out. LL gave the poison mushroom. The western Mario 2 clearly has a better impact.

So which do you think is the real Mario 2; ours or Japans?

 

[Silver]

Lost Levels really isn't a "official" game, just more really a side game, a remixed version of SMB1 like you said. So yes I would agree that Doki Doki Panic is our Mario 2, but you missed a HUGE chunk of information. Mario 2....IS A RIP OFF VERSION OF DOKI DOKI PANIC!!! Yes sadly Nintendo took this game and added Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad. The enemies were adopted, even the bosses. So yeah...

 

[DeletedUser9]

Yes, Doki Doki Panic was an entirely separate game in Japan. And the Lost Levels was literally titled Super Mario Bros. 2. When it came time to release a second Mario game in the US, they decided for some reason to release Doki Doki Panic as a Mario game (although to what I understand, the only thing they changed was the playable characters).

So, while you could argue that DDP is the real Mario Bros. 2, in reality, it isn't. Super Mario Bros. 2 (or the Lost Levels, if you prefer) is. Although I will admit that DDP had a far bigger effect on the series. It's odd if you think about it, because a lot of classic Mario characters come from that game, which wasn't even a Mario game. Shyguys, for example. And Birdos, of course.

 

[fredthehylian]

Lost Levels really isn't a "official" game, just more really a side game, a remixed version of SMB1 like you said. So yes I would agree that Doki Doki Panic is our Mario 2, but you missed a HUGE chunk of information. Mario 2....IS A RIP OFF VERSION OF DOKI DOKI PANIC!!! Yes sadly Nintendo took this game and added Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad. The enemies were adopted, even the bosses. So yeah...

Actually, you're right. But there is one major difference between our Mario 2 and DDP; save files. Doki Doki Panic had a battery pack used for saving. Mario 2 did not. Also, in Japan, they released our Mario 2 AND Doki Doki Panic. They were titled Super Mario USA and Doki Doki no Panic. Technically, it's not much of a ripoff. It's more of a regional adaption.

Yes, Doki Doki Panic was an entirely separate game in Japan. And the Lost Levels was literally titled Super Mario Bros. 2. When it came time to release a second Mario game in the US, they decided for some reason to release Doki Doki Panic as a Mario game (although to what I understand, the only thing they changed was the playable characters).

So, while you could argue that DDP is the real Mario Bros. 2, in reality, it isn't. Super Mario Bros. 2 (or the Lost Levels, if you prefer) is. Although I will admit that DDP had a far bigger effect on the series. It's odd if you think about it, because a lot of classic Mario characters come from that game, which wasn't even a Mario game. Shyguys, for example. And Birdos, of course.

You are correct, though you forgot that they released their SMUSA over here. Not really a DDNP ripoff. They also sent us SMUSA (our SMB2) because Nintendo was afraid that LL was going to be too much like the first except harder, and sent us a way more fun game.

My theory on video games is that, "Just because there is a version of a title that was exclusive to the games Native Country, does not make it the 'real' version". In this case, it depends on which one was more enjoyable and which one made a better impact on the series. Also, our Mario 2 was released in USA, Canada, Japan (under the title Super Mario USA), and Europe. Lost Levels? Only in Japan for a while. As it turns out, its just a harder version of the original. Then again, just because something can be arguably true, doesn't make it true.

 

[DCMN]

The Lost Levels (SMB2 Jap) is Mario 2, SMB2 (Doki USA) is actually the third. Because I would consider it an entry to the series, but it came out after TLL, so technically it's 3rd.

 

[fredthehylian]

The Lost Levels (SMB2 Jap) is Mario 2, SMB2 (Doki USA) is actually the third. Because I would consider it an entry to the series, but it came out after TLL, so technically it's 3rd.

Release dates aside, LL is more like a 1.5 in the series.

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

Well ll is just a harder version of smb1 while smb2 is more like the true smb2. All ll gave mario was poison shrooms and smb2 gave a lot such as bob-ombs, shy guys, pokeys, and so much more. Basically I belive that SMBLL was the japanese SMB2 while SMB2 (or in japan SMBUSA) was the american (and everywhere else where it was released aside from japan) SMB2 so really SMBLL is like SMB2.0 while the american one is more like SMB2.1. Kinda confusing I know but hopefully not too many of you are confused by it. Now if you'll excuse me i'm off to the arcade.

 

[fredthehylian]

Well ll is just a harder version of smb1 while smb2 is more like the true smb2. All ll gave mario was poison shrooms and smb2 gave a lot such as bob-ombs, shy guys, pokeys, and so much more. Basically I belive that SMBLL was the japanese SMB2 while SMB2 (or in japan SMBUSA) was the american (and everywhere else where it was released aside from japan) SMB2 so really SMBLL is like SMB2.0 while the american one is more like SMB2.1. Kinda confusing I know but hopefully not too many of you are confused by it. Now if you'll excuse me i'm off to the arcade.

LL is more of a SMB1.5 when you actually look at it. It's just a harder version of SMB1 with rehashed graphics. SMB2 was released in America, Canada, and Europe. Japan was the only country with LL until All-Stars and VC came with the LL. Now if you'll excuse me, the stairs in this building have been eaten to the ground by termites. Looks like I'm gonna have to jump!
/falls face first on ground from about 10 stories high
Or maybe I could've climbed down gently.

 

[Zemen]

In Japan, Lost Levels is the real Super Mario 2

In America, Super Mario 2 is the real Super Mario 2

 

[fredthehylian]

In Japan, Lost Levels is the real Super Mario 2

In America, Super Mario 2 is the real Super Mario 2

So technically what you're saying is we have the real Mario 2?

 

[Zemen]

Both places have the real Mario 2. They are just different games depending on where you live. Everyone got the real Mario 2. There are just 2 different Mario 2's.

 

[Steve]

Both places have the real Mario 2. They are just different games depending on where you live. Everyone got the real Mario 2. There are just 2 different Mario 2's.

This, most people consider the Japanese one to be the true Mario Bros. 2, though, as it is more similar to the first and third installments. But yes, this is correct.

 

[athenian200]

I liked both of them, so it's hard to say.

I'd say that they're both the "real" Mario 2, because they both shared that title at one point. You can't say one is "fake," because they're both official Nintendo titles.

In other words... just play both of them and try not to think about it too much. They're both quality Mario games.

It really had a positive effect in the long run... if it hadn't been for Nintendo co-opting Doki Doki Panic, the game probably would have been left in obscurity. Instead, it has been appreciated, and its characters have been reused over and over. More importantly, we eventually got the other Super Mario Bros. 2, so it's not like we really lost anything. It's been a win-win scenario.

 

[Aultimaespada]

People!!!!
You're overcomplicating it!!!
They are just different games with the same name!!!
Both are real Marios!

 

[DeletedUser9]

People!!!!
You're overcomplicating it!!!
They are just different games with the same name!!!
Both are real Marios!

Mario 2 in America is literally a game completely unrelated to Mario, ported to America with the main characters swapped out for Mario ones. It's a prettied-up port, in my opinion. Doesn't make it less of a game, but I find it hard to see eye-to-eye with the argument that it's a Mario game, because it's literally the same game as Doki Doki Panic (which wasn't a Mario game at all). It's a game that was made to have Mario characters... but it's still Doki Doki Panic. :?