Super Mario Bros. 2: Boss Fight Books #6In perhaps the most famous switcheroo in all of game history, the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 was declared "too hard" by Nintendo of America and replaced with a Mario-ified port of the Famicom hit, Yume Kōjō Doki Doki Panic. The new game (dubbed Super Mario USA in Japan) was a huge success for its four playable characters, improved graphics, immersive levels, and catchy music, and eventually became the 3rd bestselling game for the NES. And yet. Because of its strange new villains, its wild gameplay, and its mysterious touches, SMB2 has for years been regarded as the Odd Mario Out, even as it has seen popular updates on the Super NES and Game Boy Advance. Irwin's Mario is not a simple retelling of a 25-year-old story, but instead an examination of the game with fresh eyes: both as a product of its time and as a welcome change from the larger Super Mario franchise. Along the way he searches for clues, pulling up a few vegetables of his own. What he finds is not at all what he expected. |
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Arakawa arcade game atop audience Birdo Bob-Ombs boss button called carpet character character’s cherry coins company’s culture Doki Doki Doki Panic DokiDoki Panic Donkey Kong door dream enemy face Famicom feels final franchise Fuji game’s gameplay Gardikis Goomba ground Gunpei Yokoi head hidden Japan jump kids Kondo’s Koopas leap Legend of Zelda lives look Lost Levels Luigi magazine magic Mario game mascot mask million move Mushroom Kingdom Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo of America Nintendo Power Nintendo World original Super Mario overalls pipe pixel platform play Super Mario playable players popular potion Power-Up Princess pull push question blocks quicksand released says screen secrets Shigeru Miyamoto Shyguy SMB2 speedrun star story Sub-space Super Mario 64 Super Mario Bros Tanabe Tezuka there’s Tilden Toad toss turnip underground vase video games warp zone Wart Western Yamauchi Yokoi Yume Kōjō