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Super Mario Bros. vs Super Mario Bros. 2
- Thread starter Bonfires Down
- Start date
SMB2 is one of my favorite platformers for the NES with SMB1 following immediately behind. Still pop 'em both in for a playthrough every month or so.
Also really like both, but SMB1 have the edge. It plays more solid and is less weird mechanically imo.
SMB2 has lots of cool levels but i'm not a big fan of throwing stuff.
If we include the original SMB 2 i would rank them SMB1 > SMB2 Japan > SMB2 USA. But they're all a good time and some of the NES best.
SMB2 has lots of cool levels but i'm not a big fan of throwing stuff.
If we include the original SMB 2 i would rank them SMB1 > SMB2 Japan > SMB2 USA. But they're all a good time and some of the NES best.
I really love the Japanese SMB2 a lot. As a kid who grew up with the All-Stars release I always felt like the levels were way more memorable, and that the developers better used all the tools they had when compared to Mario 1.
Of course it was also harder, but I also think the levels were just better and cooler overall, kind of like Mario Galaxy 2 when compared to 1.
Of course it was also harder, but I also think the levels were just better and cooler overall, kind of like Mario Galaxy 2 when compared to 1.
Mario Bros 2 is ingrained in my memory in a way the original isn't. I don't know what it is about that game. It's so original, and weird, and kind of creepy, and fun. I absolutely love every second of it. The original Mario Bros I don't think about very often, SMB3 completely eclipses it in my brain
I'm assuming you mean 2 US and not 2 JP.
This is actually kinda tough for me - I enjoy both games but if I had to choose I think SMB1 ultimately wins for slightly better level design. I do enjoy 2 US though, and absolutely warmed up to it over time after I got over the shock of it being so different from other Marios.
I don't think 2 JP is a well designed game and I can only see people enjoy it if they enjoy Kaizo style challenge where the game is intentionally trying to fuck with you and make you miserable. I can't stand that design personally and I'm glad the Mario Maker games actively discourage this design philosophy.
This is actually kinda tough for me - I enjoy both games but if I had to choose I think SMB1 ultimately wins for slightly better level design. I do enjoy 2 US though, and absolutely warmed up to it over time after I got over the shock of it being so different from other Marios.
I don't think 2 JP is a well designed game and I can only see people enjoy it if they enjoy Kaizo style challenge where the game is intentionally trying to fuck with you and make you miserable. I can't stand that design personally and I'm glad the Mario Maker games actively discourage this design philosophy.
I enjoy Super Mario 2 (USA), but it does have a weirdness to it that makes it feel like the black sheep of the 2D games.
Well those results are shocking so far. Come on now SMB1 is a masterpiece that's still incredibly playable today. SMB2 has always been weird and fun but it's no SMB.
Super Mario Bros. The jump physics are obviously dated and stiff, but it has stellar level design for most of the game. SMB2 USA is an interesting title but focuses less on straightforward platforming which is what 2D Mario excels at.
SMB2 JPN is easily my least favorite Mario game.
SMB2 JPN is easily my least favorite Mario game.
I never completed Mario 2 as a kid, I did get to wart once, but never figured out how to beat him( apparently throwing vegetables into his open mouth was two much for kid me to figure out). So kid me would probably say Mario 1.
Having said that, I did play though them all for the first time in years when they were released on the switch online( and again when they released all stars) and I enjoyed Mario 2 more than 1. And I think it has held up surprisingly well.
So while Mario 3 is easily my favourite of the NES games, I would have to say that I prefer Mario 2 over Mario 1.
Having said that, I did play though them all for the first time in years when they were released on the switch online( and again when they released all stars) and I enjoyed Mario 2 more than 1. And I think it has held up surprisingly well.
So while Mario 3 is easily my favourite of the NES games, I would have to say that I prefer Mario 2 over Mario 1.
American Super Mario Bros 2 is my favorite Mario game of all time. I loved that it was so different.
SMB still remains Goat. If you play both all the way through without warps, SMB is pretty brutal and challenging.
Still love SMB2… Wart's castle is still my favorite all time stomping ground to play through.
Still love SMB2… Wart's castle is still my favorite all time stomping ground to play through.
The Mario games were so magical to me as a kid. Each one is etched into my childhood. Something about the Mario games just stood out to me compared to other games at that time.
Mario 2 USA especially holds a strong nostalgic place in my heart. Sure it's not a pure platformer like Mario 1, but it was phenomenal to me at the time and is still fun and unique
Mario 2 USA especially holds a strong nostalgic place in my heart. Sure it's not a pure platformer like Mario 1, but it was phenomenal to me at the time and is still fun and unique
SMB2USA>SMB1>SMB2
SMB2USA is a joy to play, has a lot of replayability using the strengths of the different characters, a lot of variety in the levels, secrets etc.
SMB1 is also a joy to play, but to be honest can feel slightly repetitive so I would not put it over 2USA. I don't find myself going back to play it as much.
SMB2 is a bit mean, and barely has any new assets over SMB1 (I recall the wind, poison mushrooms and the colour swapped red piranha's and that's about it). So the repetitive feeling I get from SMB1 is amped up. It feels more like an expansion pack.
SMB2USA is a joy to play, has a lot of replayability using the strengths of the different characters, a lot of variety in the levels, secrets etc.
SMB1 is also a joy to play, but to be honest can feel slightly repetitive so I would not put it over 2USA. I don't find myself going back to play it as much.
SMB2 is a bit mean, and barely has any new assets over SMB1 (I recall the wind, poison mushrooms and the colour swapped red piranha's and that's about it). So the repetitive feeling I get from SMB1 is amped up. It feels more like an expansion pack.
I've honestly never found SMB1 to be incredibly playable. The jumps are clunky, the acceleration when running is too sudden/janky, you can't go back to the left, and the visuals are repetitive. I always found it too simple, whereas SMB2 was an ADVENTURE with so much charm and variation.
You say it's no SMB1, but what do you actually like less about it?
Replaying SMB2 recently I was surprised by how complex and developed the level design feels. It's maybe unfair to ding SMB1 for that, its level design is obviously revolutionary and brilliant, but SMB2 has a formula that really works and offers a lot of replay value thanks to the four different characters. So just in terms of "which game would I want to play more," it's definitely SMB2.
In short, digging through multiple screens of sand at a time and backtracking through levels with keys in hand isn't quite as fun as athletic run-and-jumping or kicking koopa shells around.
SMB2 USA is a top-tier 1987 platformer that is commendable for adding so much unique mechanics and enemy characters to the greater Mario canon alone. It's also the best-looking game of the 4 NES Marios.
SMB1 is more fun in the moment-to-moment gameplay, and the Fire Flower specifically adds a really unique tension from being powerful and vulnerable at the same time. (You can mow down all enemies with ease, but one small mistake and you're back to small Mario. This lends the game a very special feeling of peaks and valleys between stress and relief that few of its direct sequels can match. It's honestly comparable to a Gradius power-up system in a way.)
SMB2 Japan is the greatest platformer of all time. It's SMB1 with all the fat cut out and tuned for people who already know how to play Super Mario Bros, which retrospectively makes it far more appealing in 2021 than it was in 1986.
Very difficult to choose one of 'em, but I guess I'll go for...
My first Super Mario game.
It was a very colorful and overall pretty good-looking game at the time. Being able to play as the Princess and Toad was pretty amazing. It was also filled with secrets and options to sequence break parts of the game using certain characters. The artwork and marketing made for the game were a huge deal too. Had figurines, a sticker book in which the game played a part, a Club Nintendo magazine with a large feature, and watched the Super Mario Bros. cartoon. It was a very special time.
My first Super Mario game.
It was a very colorful and overall pretty good-looking game at the time. Being able to play as the Princess and Toad was pretty amazing. It was also filled with secrets and options to sequence break parts of the game using certain characters. The artwork and marketing made for the game were a huge deal too. Had figurines, a sticker book in which the game played a part, a Club Nintendo magazine with a large feature, and watched the Super Mario Bros. cartoon. It was a very special time.
How is Super Mario Bros a 'less popular' Mario? It's one of the most iconic and beloved games in the history of gaming.
2 (USA) has more replayability because of the four replayable characters and just feels like a game developed by a team that has a lot more experience than 1's so I initially voted for it, but I changed my vote to 1 simply because I realized if you had to ask me which game I'd rather play right now, I'd choose 1 no questions asked.
