LogFAQs > #914222595

#6. Super Mario Bros. 2 (US)
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Super Mario Bros. 2 was the one NES Mario game I had no experience with as a young kid. Mario 1 (+Duck Hunt) was the first game I ever owned, and I played Mario 3 at a neighbor's house not long after. I'd heard Mario 2 was the black sheep of the series--an anomaly that wasn't really a Mario game and something that was largely forgotten after the SNES came out. The first time I tried playing it was when I discovered emulation (probably in the late 90s), and I remember being thoroughly confused. I can't kill enemies by jumping on them? I can play as Toad and Peach? When I go to the right, I appear on the other end of the screen?! THERE IS VERTICAL PLATFORMING??

Needless to say, I never went further than the first few stages. So when I finally decided that I had to beat the game in full to get the complete breadth of these series, I assumed Mario 2 would be dead last on this list, or at least toward the very bottom. And, at first, my suspicions were confirmed. I found the gameplay to be really jarring, with some actions and items appearing to be totally pointless. But as the game went on, I started to understand the mechanics a little better. The stages were becoming more challenging and, later, downright difficult. And soon I came to an important realization: Super Mario Bros. 2 is not a traditional platformer, it is a puzzle platformer. The game does a brilliant job at slowly teaching you how to use the various objects and enemies to your advantage in order to access the new areas, and eventually stopped holding your hand. I was at times confused and frustrated, dying over and over as I tried to muscle my way through the platforming only to be killed by an unforeseen trap... but I loved every second of it.

The best of these games make you feel really fantastic once you develop a bit of mastery to the mechanics. SMB2 is different in the sense that you never really need to master the button presses, timing, or anything like that--but the awesome feeling comes from solving the puzzles, figuring out how to unlock an extra heart container in each world, and beating all of the mid-bosses and world bosses without taking too many hits. Maybe I am a complete idiot for being proud of myself for solving a children's game, but the satisfaction I received from SMB2 really isn't rivaled by any other game on the list (at least not in the same way). I was hooked.

SMB2 is certainly the "black sheep" of the group, but it's still a superb puzzle game--and once you change your expectations for what a platformer should be, it holds up mightily well against its legendary peers.

Not good
11. Sonic the Hedgehog

Fine
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Great
9. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
8. Super Mario Bros.
7. Donkey Kong Country

Excellent
6. Super Mario Bros. 2 (US)
5.

Spectacular
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3.

All-timers
2.
1.
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"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso