The Story of Super Mario Bros. 2

[@EmersonFlemingEmRock13]

You can’t tell me everybody hasn’t had that moment where they tried stomping on an enemy in SMB2 and suddenly you’re riding on it and super confused.

[@KatieLHall-fy1hw]

Concur, definitely happened to me! I liked this game though and the beat it. I think I also beat the Super Mario 3 but have yet to fully beat Super Mario World (Forest of Illusion got me frustrated)

[@brianc3761]

Luigi was hurt in his confusion!

[@hammiranda]

I'm glad we got the US version of SMB2 instead of SMB v2

[@PaloJaurez]

I was exposed to it on super Mario advanced first since I was in that era and thought that was the original lol.

[@binchillin888]

Can't say I did. I was 5 or 6 and just went with it

[@A_Lone_Wolf]

One of the many reasons I love Mario 2 is - no time limit.

[@jc.1191]

Except the doors that go to that dark zone, lol

[@Jnor116]

Also longer levels.

[@No.10_SopwithMan]

Yes, I dotoo

[@Rguy8675]

I agree!

[@T-Dawg75]

I never thought of that but now you mention it-that’s a way this game is better than smb1

[@Kyle-un3ei]

I cant believe this is just a KZbin video by a small youtuber. It feels like a good documentary.

[@TheMrRuttazzo]

A hell of a lot more relevant than any alien conspiracy BS which is deliberately designed to look like a "documentary".

[@randmiller88]

Gaming Historian only had just over 100K subscribers when this video came out (exactly three years ago!).

[@shawnevans666]

I liked the voiceovers done by different voice actors. It made me think of most of Ken Burns’ Documentaries.

[@sunchips18]

Randy Miller III That’s still not small. That’s not exactly “big” by today’s standards either, but geez. I know the days when we used to consider 300 sub channels to be big and 1,000 sub channels to be huge are gone, but has subscriber inflation really warped our perception that much?

[@chrisjfox8715]

The b0h3m3 and lonelygirl15 days

[@MsPlayerr]

Such an iconic game, it has won "game of the year" award so many times in a row

[@ictogon]

Yeah it just won game of the year for 2021 today!

[@MsPlayerr]

@@ictogon barely this time!

[@escadrums2]

SUPA MARIO BRUDDAS TOO BAYBEEEEEEE

[@slickserpent9484]

If Super Mario Bros 2 is so good, why isn’t there a Super Mario Bros 2 2 yet?

[@kiddozzind3069]

THE STREAK NEVER ENDS BAYBEEEEE

[@scarynightcrew]

this felt like a documentary. damn good research man. you're a true gaming historian. thumbs up!

[@Owlero]

It _is_ a documentary lol.

[@ishma2100]

H0000K now eat some nuts

[@NeoArashi]

Gaming Historian pretty much only make documentaries. Some episodes are shorter, like his Conquest of the Crystal palace video which is less tjan 10 minutes long, and then he makes stuff like Tetris and Punch, both of which are over 45 minutes long.

[@Siphonay]

"Will the american children be happy?" There's something about this wording that gets to me. It's just so wholesome

[@thanezollman5269]

Same

[@cristoferchanimak]

Agreed! Sounds like something they would say it at the North Pole!

[@Sarah.Riedel]

Yeah, it's not about the money but *will the children be happy* 💕

[@johngiraltbedford]

We were happy, sir. :D

[@TheMrRuttazzo]

I guess "Kids know d*ck!" was their actual response...

[@waynecannon4232]

It’s weird how many people have a special place in their heart for this one. Whenever I invite people to play stuff on NSO they always ask about “the Mario game with the turnips”. It’s a real classic.

[@Shiirow]

but would it have held a special place in their heart if it wasnt associated with Mario though.

[@waynecannon4232]

@@Shiirow Man, I didn’t think of that. Probably not. Thanks for your edgy hot take.

[@neypaz8054]

@@Shiirow Well, obviously not, but neither would Lost Levels had it been released originally instead. Plus, having SMB2 proved benefitial as it added new enemies to the Mario series, unlike LL which only added Luigi's higher jump and Poison Mushrooms

[@vh9network]

@@Shiirow There's no way of knowing that since that never happened.

[@ElimGarakSpoonHead]

@@waynecannon4232 Responding to edge with your own edge. Glorious.

[@Sambeck63]

Seriously! This is probably the most underrated channel on all of KZbin!!! Fantastic videos!

[@teenprez]

It’s actually a very creative solution Nintendo came up with and gave us a great game!

[@fightermma]

What games are you currently playing?

[@kmc16]

I hope they revisit this series

[@gtx-808]

Japan mario 2 is just the first mario game set on difficult

[@victory2094]

Japan is the best Mario song is go go mario

[@nerymuniz6427]

@@gtx-808 Alternate title: Super Mario Bros: Hardcore mode

[@phills6732]

As an American, hearing about the actual care that went into the development of Doki Doki Panic, and who was involved, has definitely helped fix my perception of it as less of a Mario game. Thanks!

[@shirleybennett8335]

The guy who reviewed Mario 2: “WHAT WERE THEY THINKING”

[@mookymookymooo]

Same here!

[@Larry]

I think a lot of people didn't notice the huge differences in Mario 2 as it was the norm on the NES to make sequels completely different from the original, like Zelda II and Castlevania 2. Even Sega did that with the Alex Kidd games. But there's a few US prototype ROMs where the game is even more like Super Mario, such as a remix of the underworld theme when you go in caves Etc. bizarre why they left that out :S

[@JJ_TheGreat]

And yet the Sonic series sequels for SEGA were similar enough, unlike the completely different SMB2 game. At least with SMB3, once you are in the levels, they look more like the levels from the original SMB - with some refinements + the addition of an overworld map. SMB2 levels do not even resemble any Mario levels.

[@japhreal]

Pac in time was a reskin of furries of the fury

[@bjornervig3795]

Sequels should have the same gameplay with added features and upgraded graphics. Otherwise might as well be an expansion pack.

[@FavianTubeX]

When you eat the first poison mushroom in the real Super Mario Bros 2: "Welcome to Dark Souls Bitch!"

[@johnboland6018]

Everyone noticed the difference... hence why it's a classic.

[@roberturban184]

Absolutely loved the Mario 2 that was released in the US . Lost levels did feel more like an expansion pack then a full game. Great move by Nintendo of America ! The fact that they sold 10 million copies tells you what the players wanted .

[@littlesongbird1]

Exactly: Also Nintendo was pretty smart as a company back then.They do the American market for video games was different than Japan and they adapted things to appeal to Americans (ie USA was still recovering from the video game crash so they had to make sure their video games were high quality and also that's why the NES was called an "entertainment system" and not marketed as a "video game system", they justified delaying the SNES because USA was in a recession so many parents simply wouldn't have been able to justify a new video game system anyway, etc.)

[@อัครเดชนาคพิทักษ์ไไันามน]

ERSA 🇹🇷🇹🇻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇸

[@Natsu25100]

Until they finally brought back in the American gaming crowd, in the form of Super Mario All-Stars.

[@Saxcat20]

You aren't kidding on how hard it was to find Mario 2 for Christmas of 1988. My parents looked all over 3 states for it and finally found it one day at our local K-Mart as they were just about to give up.

[@spingebill1801]

Heck my parents right now will just giveup at the first store

[@Billo1281]

Damn man, you have some above and beyond parents! Good for you!

[@kylem1112]

Billo1281 for real.... my first game system was a super nintendo that one of my moms coworkers gave her to give me for christmas. and this was in 1997 when n64/ playstation was out. i was 5 ort 6 years old at the time too.

[@antech9986]

My first system was the snes, which we got in the early 2000's, dang that was a great system

[@Fauntleroy.]

+Saxcat20 Let's Plays We found Mario 2, Mario 3, and Zelda 2 all at K-Mart within days of their releases. Nobody else had these games but apparently few people thought to check the good old K-Mart!

[@GamingHistorian]

DId you know today is the 28th anniversary of the release of Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic? This video took way longer than I thought! Better late than never I guess. My hope is that this video provides a clear picture of the Super Mario Bros. 2 / Doki Doki Panic switch. Enjoy!

[@robertwooten1784]

***** Hello

[@Therealmadkong]

***** Hey Gaming Historian, are you still doing "games you should play" cause that was a cool idea, but they just disappeared. They are so short and sweet, and I am always looking for more good games to play.

[@benjaminvanderhulst3249]

i like the new intro music!

[@NaturalProgressGames]

***** YESSSSSS!!!

[@TuxEarth]

***** It's also the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. as well.

[@Ground40015]

One of the first episodes of Gaming Historian I ever watched was this one, and it is one of my favorite episodes of Gaming Historian out of the 120. I liked that I could learn about the Japanese SMB2 and how it was different than SMB2 in America in how it was a modified version of a urban game and I think this was an amazing video to watch over and over again and again and it still doesn't get old. Whoever reads this I hope you have a great day.

[@cspetronilho]

Now it makes sense. SMB2 is not a "random platformer with Mario characters", as some haters say. Doki Doki Panic was made by Mario team, and has all the Mario feeling we see in the other games. This game deserves way more respect from the fans.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

It's my favourite Mario game. You can play as the princess for Lord's sake.

[@davidnec571]

@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 I agree. I like it more than Super Mario Bros 3. I get annoyed when people say it's not a real Mario game.

[@hagendf]

Plus, it was already built. So all they had to do was redo the characters and a few of the outlying differences and package it for America.

[@mrhumble2937]

@@hagendf so there happened to be a guy that jumped high for Luigi? I don't even know Mushrooms power.

[@mrhumble2937]

@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 yea she was the best.

[@ryan9990]

2:58 his voice matched the music!

[@Myjacob99]

Dancing Zombie lmao that just cracked me up

[@rippetoe38]

Wow.

[@buzzardsinuses4780]

🤣

[@SOGNAMETAL]

Holy shit! you have some kind of an upgraded brain to notice this!

[@TheSherriea1]

@@Myjacob99 lmbo* You idiot!

[@hulkhuggett]

Very cool video. Nicely done. And so professionally edited and narrated, this could be a real documentary on TV. good job!

[@TheLarryburns84]

His material has just gotten better with time. I'd show it on TV if I had a channel.

[@Rexowogamer]

Imagine a tv channel showing these... I bet it would be popular. Just make sure that it’s shown in the UK as well as the US.

[@karnagefails333]

hulkhuggett So because this isn't on another idiot box, its not a "real" documentary? This is better than any shit you'll see on "TV" I'll tell ya that.

[@Rexowogamer]

Karnage Fails TBH TV is shit these days.

[@karnagefails333]

John Burns What are you people like...in your 90s? People actually still watch TV? Like cable TV? That shit is on the verge of total extinction. That's why the prices are so damn high. Did you know you can get a-la-carte tv through KZbin and just pay for the channels you actually watch?

[@rayminishi689]

I had beaten the original super mario so many times, so playing the All Stars version of the Lost Levels was such a treat to me. I spent most of my time with the Deluxe version, boy, 8-2 does not mess around.

[@codymac4958]

MiNiSHi DoZA I've always wondered if the deluxe version was worth it. What do you think?

[@rayminishi689]

Cody McNeil For portability, yeah. On the go play, the only downside is the screen crunch, so you'll see less. But I personally find it worth it with how cheap gameboy games are.

[@adamcolbertmusic]

Three things about this game made it so much better than the first Super Mario Bros, in my opinion... 1) no timer, 2) the side scrolling doesn't lock (you can go backwards through the level), and 3) if you killed enough enemies then a heart would float from the bottom of the screen, allowing you to be big again. Put altogether, it was a sandbox game with unlimited health. It was a lot less stressful not having to worry about beating the clock.

[@AnHebrewChild]

I completely agree. Not having a clock let you explore that big dreamlike world

[@Masked_Mastermind]

Not to mention way better physics.

[@etude79]

Well you are in a dream world where time does not exist so it makes sense

[@DSHite]

And that each playable character had their own special ability....

[@gertpacu3926]

This was the first game I ever beat.. I just recently bought a controller for computer so I could play it again online and I remember most every bit of it. It was great to beat again.

[@xsolent]

I lost my mind when this game entered my life, 1988 Christmas morning. This game brought so much joy to myself and sister, words do not describe. So many hours. Had to be 1000's. Thanks, Nintendo for making me a gamer junkie to this day! Peach was my go-to character. Gaming historian love your show! Sub'd.

[@icawn]

rich kid! just kidding, kinda. :)

[@rorschach7697]

@xsolent My 1988 xmas experience was great as well. And i was only child so no sharing hahaha!! And i loved floating with peach through most of the game. 👍

[@nateschuette3218]

This was the first game I ever bought with my own money. I remember it was at least $50. I was only 5-6 so I don't even know how I got that much money back then. Must've been my birthday money from my aunts and uncles. I can still remember struggling to decide if I actually wanted to spend that much. My mom rushing me to make a decision because I was holding up the woman behind the counter. But I went for it. And I think looking back it was a good purchase. I was all about Luigi though. I wasn't going to play as a stupid girl. I remember the day we got Mario 3 also. My mom came home with groceries and we had to help put them away and I found it in one of the bags. As soon as we were done I popped it in and started playing. My mother eventually came in and saw us playing it, and was confused because she thought we already had the game or something. She asked where we got it and I said in the groceries. It was supposed to be our Christmas present. Haha. So we scored a bonus gift that year. since the surprise was gone.

[@telengardforever7783]

1988 was a good year all around. For some reason, everything just felt right in 1988. I remember it very well.

[@CB_GAMES777]

Yeah, i remember reading that strategy in class, waiting for Christmas, saving my money. :)

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

The Lost Levels is a tough video game, however it is somewhat easier playing as Luigi due to the fact that he jumps higher than his brother Mario. Those reverse warp zones are crazy.

[@katieulrich8445]

I beat it with Luigi. I vowed to never play it ever because I didn’t think I’d beat it again haha….it’s HARD!!

[@slavo316]

Realizing that jumping backwards with Mario he can hit max speed instantly and basically jump the same hight. I prefer Mario over Luigi lol

[@Tachikawa_2006]

Reverse warp zones more like reverse traps

[@The-P-iz-Free]

Those reverse warps use to make me quit the game🤣🤣

[@shen-long9082]

It's *are tough...not-> *is tough. Duuuuuuuuuh!

[@Jschad]

*game of the year for the last 30 years*

[@alicyjinx8923]

STILL DA KING BAYBEE

[@tahsinshabab4530]

I don't get the joke

[@AzureQuality]

@@tahsinshabab4530 why tho

[@tahsinshabab4530]

@@AzureQuality Idk

[@soup6874]

@@tahsinshabab4530 it's a reference to youtuber videogamedunkey

[@knightshousegames]

Of all the sequels in that era that were huge departures from the original game (This game, along with Zelda 2, Final Fantasy 2, Castlevania 2, etc) this is the one that felt the most like it kept with the spirit of the original, and contributed the most to it's respective series. This was actually the first Mario game I ever played when I was like 4 years old, and I loved it. I played the original after that, and loved that too. I never felt like one was better than the other, they both had their own place for me. I didn't really feel that way about Zelda 2 compared to Zelda 1.

[@mauriciomunoz87]

I know this video came out 5 years ago, but I cannot stress enough how well done your videos are. This is top-notch, high quality professional work. Keep up the fantastic job, man!

[@NDMytp]

So many people have made videos covering the story of SMB 2, and yet somehow you've managed to teach me so much I didn't know. This is UTTERLY definitive, man! :)

[@danielneal264]

I still remember playing this as a kid when it first game out. So weird in terms of the game play mechanics compared to the first game, but the thing that got me right away and made the game stick with me all these years was how strangely dark it was. A lot of SMB2 has this amazingly deep feeling of looking behind the covers of reality combined with the sense of a exotic temples and tombs.

[@TJDious]

"As long as it's fun, anything goes." And that is why Nintendo is successful to this day.

[@Awesum]

Yeah but they’ve strayed from that path imo

[@RhythmGrizz]

@@Awesum [playing Metroid Dread, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Kirby and the Forgotten Land] Nah they're still good

[@joshuagonzalez5083]

@@RhythmGrizz True

[@DatHombre]

"As long as it's fun, charge full price til the end of time." FTFY

[@bombyman84]

"As long as it's fun, it doesn't need any content! Let's release arcade games for full price!"

[@apauln]

I've always noticed a different atmosphere in Mario bros 2. The feel was very different. And after 3 decades I finally know why.

[@aircommandslipperz]

same like what i thought

[@superpig2067]

For me mario 2 felt the same as any other Mario game once you get past picking up objects and no brick blocks

[@ToastyTime]

This was amazing, keep it up!!

[@VlameXBoy]

Hi

[@taralee1873]

Cool. :3 _-NOTICE ME SENPAI!-_

[@VlameXBoy]

Bashur

[@seahound317]

Hai! And I agree, that is cool!

[@GamingHistorian]

Bashurverse Thanks so much!

[@114D]

What a magical game. I remember waiting in line for it at Toys R Us for 4 hours with my brother and Dad and being SO EXCITED when our turn came up and my dad noticed there were only two copies left where they stacked it on slanted shelves on the video game section of the store. You couldn’t grab it yourself, someone behind the counter had to pick it for you. I guess a lot hasn’t changed in that regard. But what a time that was.

[@thomasrainbow]

Super Mario 2 was and probably will be my favorite game of all time.. I just loved the atmosphere and gameplay.. It was like being in a dream! I actually still remember the first time I played it at friend's house when I was nine. It really left an impression on me! I loved picking up the vegetables and the music especially when underground! Such a beautiful game!

[@quarreneverett4767]

If i recall when you best the game it shows it was a dream

[@ManuelPersona24]

When a game is so difficult that they had to remake it immediately

[@frozenaorta]

This is how a retrospective is done. Yes, everyone can sit around now and say, "Well, the original Japanese Super Mario 2 was deemed too difficult for Americans, so they modded Doki Doki Panic into a Mario game for North America. We got the true SMB2 as Lost Levels on the SNES All Stars cartridge." But that's so dumbed down, and there's so much more to the story. That's why we have people like Norm.

[@businessandpoliticsinswede3138]

I've always loved this game, and I always considered Toad as the best character by far. He's fast running and most importantly: fastest to pull up stuff!

[@retroguy74]

This is the best video on the SMB2 story. Period. You're becoming a fucking legend in your own time Norman.

[@calixa]

This game is so close to my heart. Cant imagine the hours spent.

[@connor338]

GAME OF THE YEAR, EVERY YEAR BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@CVerse]

But Knack 3D tho, that's gonna be the one

[@thebluebandana]

Video game dunkey

[@AlanZeino]

mastapeece

[@CrimsonSquareGlazer]

smm2 is a very strand type game, thats why it has gained the ability to win game of the year every year

[@coolestdino]

"Mama, was changed to Luigi" *MAMA LUIGI CONFIRMED*

[@TheCoolEevee]

Mama? MAMA LUIGI?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

[@Lanausse]

THATS MAMA LUIGI TO YOU MARIO

[@minix07]

@@Lanausse no everyone

[@time4manmode945]

@@TheCoolEevee man i love that laugh so much😄

[@akenny407]

MAMA? MAMA LUIGI?!?!? AHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHA!

[@kevinjamesmith]

Your videos are so well-researched and well-produced. I can't tell you how much I am loving them, thank you so much for doing what you do!

[@alexbowman4392]

I remember when my parents got an NES for the first time one Christmas back in the 80s, it came bundled with Super Mario Bros 2, the US version. For the longest time I thought that's how Mario games were like. It wasn't until I went over to my cousin's place who had a NES and had the original Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt game that realized that SMB2 was so much different. I can't remember when I first heard that the US version was actually another game repurposed for the US because the original SMB2 was thought to be to hard. But I still have such fond memories of playing the US version of SMB2, after all, It started my love of video games.

[@horrido666]

Having been a video game addict since the early 70's Space Invaders and Asteroids and the arcade craze of the early 80s, I can attest that SMB2 was the first console game that was more desirable than anything at the arcades. That is its biggest achievement, IMO.

[@theholygiraffe1970]

Wait. The mama character turned into Luigi. MAMA LUIGI

[@Cryo-15]

TheElmoEmperor It all makes sense now

[@grahamwalker2168]

Deep lore

[@popcornado4567]

THATS MAMA LUIGI TO YOU MARIO! *weird sound*

[@dawsonsouza800]

Mama Luigi ha ha ha!

[@VideoGameVlad84]

I literally thought that before looking at this comment.

[@Michirin9801]

You can even bring new light (and knowledge) about a story that everybody already knew about! Man, you're awesome!

[@ImTheKingOfHyrule]

It's interesting-- if not for the fact that Howard Phillips hated the Japanese Mario Bros 2, we might never have gotten Doki Doki Panic in the US at all. We eventually got Mario Bros 2., but Doki Doki Panic would have been doomed to die in obscurity.

[@metsrus]

good call by Howard Phillips, japanese mario bros 2 looked and felt like super mario bros

[@nateschuette3218]

Or even if we had it wouldn't of had the running upgrade. Can't be without that.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

This is very true. Because of Fuji's ownership of the characters, it would've been impossible to release this game outside Japan without changing the characters. Making it Mario 2 outside Japan was win win for everyone involved. The rest of the world got to play Doki Doki Panic where they wouldn't have otherwise. And there was a better sequel to Mario (which was so popular it was re-released in Japan as Super Mario USA).

[@fordxbgtfalcon]

It became one of my all time favorite NES games, I still play it often. Thoroughly thought out and produced video! Excellent my friend!

[@LordTeaboBaggins]

This was actually my favorite NES Mario game. Before someone says it: Yes, I know SMB3 was better. But 2 was still my jam.

[@strangedivine]

It’s also my favourite. I watched my cousins play the game countless times as a kid and it has held a special place in my heart.

[@vedaryan334]

How could smb3 be better? Supa Mario Bruddas 2 is THE game of the year

[@Jnor116]

Mario 3 was not better. After watching a few hours of gameplay I realized mario 3 was shorter levels with way too many single level enemies or items. Case in point most levels could be beaten in 30 seconds, and let me point out the goomba shoe, or the jelly fish are each only in one level.

[@Nic_2751]

@@Jnor116 it also regressed Mario 2’s advancements like different characters and a weaker ost

[@TXFDA]

I'll be honest, while Mario 3 might be the better game overall, it got boring to me. Like, by the time I get to world 4-5, I'm starting to get tired of it. But I could sit there and play through all of Mario 2 in one sitting and never get bored.

[@CazTheGamerGuy]

As many times as it's been discussed, it's always so fascinating to look back at the history of Super Mario Bros. 2 and Doki Doki Panic, as well how each (eventually) ended up in the West. Still find it weird that so many enemies from Doki Doki Panic appear in other Mario games yet Wart is almost completely forgotten.

[@kylefunderburk4194]

***** It would be cool to see Wart again.

[@auberweir]

***** that Wart was squashed!

[@burnum]

***** He was added into Link's Awakening. Along with alot of other Mario enemies.

[@AwlrightProductions]

***** Mouser was so rad. Dude wore sunglasses!

[@Zabs_Mcgee]

***** wait if you're there and I'm here.... OH DEAR!!!!

[@saifis]

In Japan this game is called Mario USA, was such an interesting time for gaming.

[@TheCandoRailfan]

No shit, he says it in the video.

[@DarkCode]

My favorite Mario game of all time. It was very mysterious and had a unique vibe to it. I also like the shadow world. It was very dimensional. It was so different and I love the new bosses and art. Will remain my favorite for all these reasons and more.

[@jasonharrington5200]

I'm proud to say I got a copy of Super Mario 2 approximately the day it came out. I was an enterprising little video game addict. I went to the owner of the local video store months before the release, who also rented out video games, and begged him to contact his people or whoever he got his games from and order me a copy as fast as possible. I'll never forget the day I went in there and he smiled and pulled it out and handed it to me. I was ecstatic and obsessed for months.

[@dustash1578]

Cute

[@3rikfreshgeneration349]

That's badass bro

[@maxehrmann4985]

Nice, reminds me of a kid who lived next door who always had the games. Late 80s NES and ugly furniture!

[@PWood-gh5cq]

That's a pretty cool story man. I'm 38 now and I grew up in the NES days and up. I can imagine how fanatical you must have(as would I have) been. Take care.

[@Chrai0n]

Now that's the kind of stories I like to read. Thanks for sharing!

[@thelegendofzelda907]

By the time I played Super Mario 64, I started to wonder why Super Mario Bros 2 was so different than all the other one's. Over the last 5 years, I began hearing bits and pieces about the story.

[@sidetrackers9755]

SUPA MARIO BRUDDAS 2 BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY STILL THE KING

[@indiefruit]

HERE COMES THE BIG BOYS BAYBEEE

[@pinguijose]

MASTAH PIECE

[@connorsmiley2294]

But Knack tho

[@sidetrackers9755]

O that's right, Knack 2 is out. KNACK 2 THE FUTURE BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[@Skylightningz]

Yes

[@jtridley1234]

Love your videos. They bring back memories, and the quality is outstanding. Thanks

[@bopaintsminis]

Still my favorite NES game. Thanks for the memories.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

Mario 2 and 3 are tied for best NES game for me.

[@kratonlightner1523]

This and Double Dragon 2

[@fuzzydunlop1753]

@Raun Smith No, it's an opinion, a bad one, sure, but still..

[@nerymuniz6427]

@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 SMB3 is the my NES fav beside SMB1

[@chadtronic]

Not trying to be bias because I'm in it. But this is seriously one of your best videos so far.

[@unullness]

Haha. You must be so happy, I would be if I was in one of these

[@dbreizin9720]

Chadtronic I didn't even notice you were in it, what part?

[@outshin3d495]

I knew when I heard that voice it was Chadtronic.

[@quickplaya]

Chadtronic He had alot of help from AVGN and all of the other game reviewers on Mario Bros 2... honestly I am sick of seeing MB2 videos and everyone being like... "OMG!!!! I NEVER KNEW THAT!!!"

[@golivares710]

Chadtronic FRICK

[@vegetafan9922]

Thank you, Mr. Phillips for giving that game forged in the depths of Hell back to Japan and instead take a game that would have been forgotten along with the event it promoted and help make Mario's world a more varied and populated place. You made Luigi different from his twin brother, made a random mushroom retainer into a hero, and broke the "Peach is kidnapped" plot before it was even repeated over and over here in the States.

[@R0cKs0l1dd]

@cauchamar Lol the word "diversity" offends you so much that you completely misunderstood what they meant. Future Mario games took a lot from Mario 2 USA, so therefore gave the series more variety. Please get your head out your ass and stop crying about "EVIL LEFTISTS".

[@23GreyFox]

@@R0cKs0l1dd You are right but in the same time Modern Leftists are pure evil.

[@mage6562]

This is very interesting. I was always curious about the lost levels from Super Mario All-Stars, and now i’m glad to have learned the truth behind that game

[@GCJACK83]

Something good came out of this bit of history for the Mario franchise: Mario and Luigi both had different physics; and you could pick up, carry, and throw certain objects (Koopa shells and Bob-ombs specifically) from Super Mario Bros. 3 onward. SMB2 U.S also gave us a first glimpse at what would become the Bob-ombs in SMB3 onward, and many of the enemies would also later show up in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Birdo, the Shy Guys, and the bees). Aside from them, the Ninjis also made it into Super Mario World, specifically in Bowser's castle near the end. Aside from that, many of the people that worked on both The Lost Levels, and SMB2 U.S, would go on to be important people within Nintendo.

[@jacemachine]

Growing up, I really loved Super Mario Bros 2. It was and remains my favorite of the original Super Mario Trilogy. So many good memories of playing it over the years. Amazing to learn all this cool backstory. I knew SOME of it, but certainly that was a drip in the bucket of awesome. Thanks for sharing 'Historian!

[@BobbyJoeXForgotenSB]

***** the one thing he didnt mention was that the shelved prototype used mario as a stand in character so, it pretty much went full circle

[@jacemachine]

THAT I didn't know BobbyJoe!

[@Billo1281]

Yeah it was a really fun when the game released!

[@jacemachine]

I miss Wart. :(

[@Ash_North_]

+Jacemachine Gaming You would think by now Wart would've at least shown up in Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros.

[@Gedi2211]

When I first played Super Mario Bros 2, I knew I was in for a somewhat different gameplay to the Super Mario I was used to, but when I played it, I thought it was a lot of fun. Playing as different characters allowed me to play Super Mario in ways that I haven't done before. It was a great game.

[@porkchopexpress84]

Youre level of research is astounding

[@jackkingsby116]

"Nintendo hoped that all future releases will be dedicated to the disk system." 2020- still uses cartridges

[@Dowlphin]

Dude, discs are so second millennium.

[@SquallyCoin5664]

I hate to be that kinda dude (I really don’t) but they now use SD Cards. Please R/Wooosh me.

[@jackson5116]

Because they had to find a way to bring these disk games to America, and with larger boards (NES games were about twice the height of a Famicom game), it was easier to use higher capacity chips, and install a battery, and combined with the system being finicky, just makes sense to use cartridges without moving parts.

[@RbDaP]

reject modernity embrace tradition

[@MrMarinus18]

Storage space mostly isn't a factor anymore. After all it's great to say you have 1,5 terrabytes but you also need to actually have enough content to fill it up. With most games it's budget that limits the size of games. Also with modern compression tools you can make data a fraction of it's size with pretty much no negative effects other than a small additional development money.

[@sonicmario64]

After being able to learn about the gameplay differences between "Super Mario Bros. 2" and "Doki Doki Panic!", I can totally agree that the version of the game that came out in the US is a vast improvement, and I have a feeling that the Super Mario Bros. series would have flopped if the Japanese version of SMB2 was chosen to be released in the US instead.

[@miyuruify]

This is the most heart warming channel in the entire youtube. it's like a Saturday morning British kids show.

[@rpgcraftsman520]

I knew the two bullet points about "SMB2 J was too hard" "Doki Doki Panic was remade into SMB 2 Int'l" already; as immersed in video games as I am, it's hard to not pick up those basics at some point. Learning all the other little pieces of the puzzle was actually very interesting; I didn't consider that the video game industry was only barely beginning to recover its stride at that point in time; it makes the "too hard for the West" argument _actually make sense._ And I didn't know _jack_ about the background of our Arabian heroes in the original, other than their rough analog to the SMB 2 we got. Learning that there was an entirely different plot based on a big Japan-only event at the time was cool too. You, sir, are _definitely_ worth the subscribe, and this video is worth the watch. I normally avoid YT as much as possible these days, unless I'm sure I'll find a given video on here and I want that particular video, but you're reason enough to come back.

[@zachblackledge1800]

20:04 Can't imagine why they didn't keep that in the game.

[@kazenyc]

Lol, I was hoping someone else noticed that!

[@dapperfan44]

Considering Jynx and Mr. Popo look like that, I don't think it means anything in Japan like it does in America.

[@patrickmusgrove2986]

It's a black guy face

[@charliejamz.]

Lol I didn’t even notice.👴🏿

[@zachblackledge1800]

dapperfan44 Well they certainly don’t have the history with it like we do, but many people of East Asia are extremely and unapologetically racist by our standards.

[@ooliveric]

18:12 THAT'S MAMMA LUIGI TO YOU MARIO !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thegrumpley1266]

Lol i have the entire series that that meme is from

[@dcgitz]

"Mama? *_MAMA LUIGI?!_* (laughs hysterically)"

[@kenjivlogs1607]

RetroGamerNerd

[@LifeBulb]

The fact that mama was changed to Luigi, makes me laugh even more.

[@Z0MGH4X]

wow

[@intlj]

I can't believe I watched that whole video like it was a movie, but ur answers all of the questions I had about this game. Personally I think is the best Mario game. Great video bro.

[@xtzyshuadog]

*That's right, bayBEE*

[@timhornswaggle1243]

Not gonna lie. This video blew my mind. Childhood changed forever! But it’s a great video. Thanks so much for the hard researched video!!! Keep em coming!!!

[@toptenguy1]

-" This mario game is too difficult. We will not release it." -"How about Zelda, Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden and Silver Surfer?" -"Those are fine. Go ahead."

[@mlevar25]

That's true

[@marixsunnyotp3142]

I wonder how players find the entrance of the dungeons without youtube

[@krisfarted]

Froggy Fortress xdxd Nintendo power

[@marixsunnyotp3142]

@@krisfarted I almost forgot that

[@nickmanzo8459]

toptenguy1 to be fair, three of those were not made by Nintendo, and Zelda isn’t “hard” per se, it’s cryptic and filled with secrets you’re meant to explore and discover, and puzzles you’re meant to solve.

[@AdamG1983]

There's no reason why a KZbin channel about old video games should be this good, but here we are. I love this.

[@handidrummed]

I loved Mario 2 because it was so different. I still do.

[@waltercalderon5762]

This is my all time favorite right next to The Adventure of Link! Thanks for taking me on a walk down memory lane into my childhood!

[@santillanstudio]

So that's why there's a character called "Lena" in the Super Mario Bros. Movie! I always wondered why she was the only main character that had a name non related to the Mario games but now I realise it was a very obscure reference to Doki Doki Panic.

[@wchan39]

Santillan Studios Also, the way the Mario Bros. goes to the Mushroom Kingdom in the movie is very similar to how Mario goes to Subcon here.

[@JUSXTREME96]

Santillan Studios I used to love that movie when I was a kid. lol. I always watched it on Starz.

[@estebanrios4418]

17:31 Pablo Escobar waiting in line for a copy of SMB2

[@vampire_king34]

lol

[@salaciouscandy4006]

As a kid I mostly ignored this game on SM All Stars, then I played through the GBA version. Cool game, it just doesn't feel like Mario to me though.

[@Freak80MC]

It's weird to think how Mario 2 is more like a modern day DLC than anything. Usually for second games they expect new people to be jumping right in so make it start as easy as the first game. But a DLC can expect that you have played the main game so they can ramp up the difficulty. It reminds me of The Talos Principle Road to Gehenna DLC vs the second game that while I haven't played it, looks to be as easy as the base first game.

[@39zack]

So characters like shyguy and birdo has always been Nintendo characters, but originally not mario universe characters then?

[@nitroturbo7869]

Yep. Crazy to think Birdo came before Yoshi in the Mario universe. Miyamoto planned on adding Yoshi in Mario 3 but mentioned the NES just couldn't handle it. Then Mario 3mix came out.

[@mortenera2294]

@@nitroturbo7869 Yeah, a nice hack rom Then some Chinese people developed a demake of Super Mario World for NES

[@BWBDCan]

Yoshi did have a game on the nes.just not with Mario.

[@HenryPadilla]

@@BWBDCan Yoshi's Cookies

[@hcbs1986]

@@nitroturbo7869 Actaully it's as far as the Lost Levels from what i know.

[@Amalga_Heart]

It's interesting to see the effects this game had on the series as a whole. The Mario universe just wouldnt be the same without characters like Bob-ombs and Shyguys. I also have to wonder if it's mechanics influenced future games. The main mechanic was the ability to pick up and throw things, and most of the Mario series since then (particularly the 2D games) give Mario the ability to do this with Koopa shells and other things and it's usually an important game aspect, not to mention just fun to do. The one big omission though was Wart; whatever happened to that guy? As far as I know, he never appeared in another game in the series. Even Tatanga, the bizarre alien final boss of Super Mario Land, got a second appearance in the series with Super Mario Land 2. But Wart never got anything else outside of remakes of the game, as far as I know.

[@sarahbell2649]

if I remember correctly there was a sequel to smb2usa on the SNES satalite add on where it turned out it wasn't a dream and they had to go back

[@realfirstgen]

I was born in 1983 and grew up on Nintendo and Mario. I always knew Super Mario 2 was off. Now I know why. Great episode. Thank you guys!

[@commanderaugustus7882]

Yeah same, it's my least favourite mario game.

[@kenjackben]

I wasn't that big of a gamer back in the day but my cousin really loved Mario 2 and the game is a part of my childhood fond memories many hours spent in front of the TV watching him play it masterfully

[@btetschner]

That was an amazing history, I appreciate your attention to quality and clarity. Thank you.

[@SoLinkSmash]

Hi Norman! Just saying I ADORE the quality of your videos and I'd like to recommend a future video on the Nintendo-Square feud?

[@Skrzy33]

+SoLinkSmash Second

[@drugsilove2364]

The SMB 2 NA actually turned out to be a good game, an interesting take on the Mario universe and it expanded on it as well.

[@magicalrobster]

thanks for the history, Mario bros 2 always felt like the odd one out but I love that about it.

[@brillopad6911]

SMB2 is my all time favorite Mario game. Love it, still play it all the time. I loved how different it is just like how Zelda 2 & Castlevania 2 are so different. It nice all 3 of those weren’t just rehashes of the first games.

[@therealirt9049]

Super Mario 2 is a damn good game. I'm 35 and I still think it's the best Mario game ever made. Besides Mario kart. Edit: just want to say Super Mario 2 by far had the best music also.

[@Tweekend27]

theREAL IRT The music in SMB2 is so underrated. It totally enhanced the game’s fun atmosphere.

[@dirkleon99]

Norm this was such a well done episode. Please do more like it, I favorited this bad boy! Love your channel dude!

[@GamingHistorian]

Dirk Leon Thank you!

[@neoshenlong]

The shit these people could do before the internet.

[@killval849]

yooo right. this shit would never even be contemplated today

[@jshepard152]

If I'd plunked down sixty of my precious kid allowance dollars in 1988 for Mario 2 and gotten the lazy effort sold in Japan, I'd have had a never-ending axe to grind with Nintendo. Nintendo of America made exactly the right call on this game. I still play the US version of Mario 2 today. Love it.

[@donjuan914]

Awesome work on this. Although my favorite Mario games as a kid were Mario 3 on the NES and Mario World on the SNES, I had always wondered why Mario 2 was so different. This explained everything perfectly. I appreciated the fact that they returned to more of a traditional Mario with the release of Mario 3. Again, great work though. I really enjoyed watching this.

[@FROEZOEN]

18:11 "That's Mama Luigi to you Mario!"

[@tahamohammad8842]

Toad is PAPA! I knew it

[@isetmfriendsofire]

Back in the 80's, no one batted an eye at SMB2 because, well, those were the only two, and there wasn't a standard. Unless you look at Wrecking Crew, Mario Bros, and DK, and all 5 of those Mario games are very different from each other. SMB2 didn't stand out. Not to mention, Zelda 2 was drastically different from the first game, so people probably figured, "Why not Mario?"

[@Changetheling]

Similar thoughts. Many people speak about the older games as if they were part of a planned episodic franchise on an already established and non-crashed-by-Atari video game Industry. Gotta love it.

[@milesaway1980]

At the time, the idea of a sequel to a game was so new, that there were no established rules. Mega Man 2 was really about the only big sequel that was a direct sequel (in look and feel) to its predecessor. Having a sequel that was so different than the original wasn't even a blip on the radar at the time. It was just Super Mario Bros. 2.

[@connorschultz380]

@cauchamar yet mario 2 was still...well it still did well... heck alot of the things induced are still considered iconic today.

[@kyoku1982]

@cauchamar People did not like this game? Speak for yourself dummy. The vast majority of gamers then and now loved this game. Besides Mario was designed to be thrown in any game. He went from being a carpenter with a rouge ape, to a plumber killing pests in a sewer, to a demolition man, to a guy in a magic mushroom kingdom fighting evil turtles. So who cares if he winds up in a dream world fighting an evil toad.

[@kyoku1982]

@cauchamar So? Few games in history compare to the sales of SMB1 and 3. Ten million copies is still a very successful game. Only a dumb fucktard such as yourself would consider that a failure.

[@OBDPVCR]

Honestly SMB2 is my favorite of all the NES Mario games. It's super original. The music & gameplay are incredible and the concept of Mario in a dream is just so cool. Would love to see a 3D sequel to this game one day.

[@tanmaz8006]

... I agree the usa Mario 2 was Good but weard even as a kid befor I know about this hole game thing it never made sence to me ...

[@nobody_gtk]

I see a little bit of SMB2 in some of the designs that are in Mario Wonder

[@Der_Kleine_Mann]

This is my favorite version of Super Mario, I still love to play it, cause it's not too hard and not too easy, all in all, very well done.

[@svetlanarebane]

Mama's abilities were given to Luigi. *That's Mama Luigi to you, Mario!*

[@sheridanrathbun]

*wheeze*

[@alexandramartinez3715]

That's a reference to the Mario World tv show

[@livispuzzled]

mama luigi gonna steal yo girl

[@spiritualwarrior864]

shut the hell up

[@meteoraa00]

XD nice

[@MrWhitbywoo]

The best nes Mario in my opinion and first game I ever finished as a kid. I was 6 when it released. Have such found memories playing it with my friends back in the 80s

[@GMCLabs]

If you were born in the 80's SMB2 was awesome. I see some ppl complain that it wasn't a Mario game, but what the hell do they know? Its mostly just kids too young remember the original NES.

[@starvingmartian3037]

I remember playing it at a neighbors house and being blown away by the advancement in the graphics, and the change in gameplay wasn't ever an issue as it offered something new while still feeling true to the world established in the first game. Still a great game decades later.

[@holdmybeers]

I thought the video explained smb2 is the odd one out because it wasn’t designed to be a Mario game. Characters from a different game, doki doki panic, were replaced with Mario characters by Nintendo America for the western market.

[@roundearthshill248]

I loved SMB2 but SMB3 was my shit. But Super Mario Galaxy 2 is my all time favorite. It's a damn shame I don't own a Nintendo Switch because I'm dying to play Odyssey. Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS is my second favorite Mario game of all time. It's amazing.

[@sethrider6625]

I'm 36 born in 1982 and I thought then and still to this day that Mario 2 was trash, straight trash

[@davegsux]

It technically is a Mario game. Doki Doki Panic was a platformer similar to SMB1 (now with the addition of vertical scrolling), it was made by the same SMB1 team and in the video it even mentions that Miyamoto developed DDP as if it was a full fledged new Mario. So if Nintendo didn't treat the original SMB2 version as if it was their Doom 2 (the same game with the same graphics and mechanics but with the addition of new enemies and harder levels) we would have ended up getting the same SMB2 we got in America but probably only with a two player option like in SMB1 instead of four like in DDP

[@Psilocybin77]

ah sweet sweet nostalgia washing over me. I loved this game as a kid. I never owned it, but would rent it A LOT (probably should have just owned it). It took me forever, but I was able to beat the game. Love it! Thanks so much for this trip down memory lane.