Why was this game so addictive? So entertaining? So unforgetable? Well, by now we all know the truth regarding Mario2. For one, its not originaly a Mario game (but instead a makeover of a game entitled Doki Doki Panic- which featured middle eastern characters instead), and second of all, the real Mario 2 wasn't so much a sequel, as it was an expert quest of the original Mario.

What most of us don't understand is why it works so well as a Mario game. Most obvious reason was...It was marketed as 100% Mario madness. Almost every child that grew up on Super Mario Bros. 2 had no idea that it was anything but a complete, made from scratch, Mario game.

But when they first played the game, they knew something was different. Aside from the unbelievable ability to play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, AND Princess Toadstool (Which made one's victory on the first game much more sweet), once the game started, it was sheer shocking.

What was this little thing creeping across the screen? Goombas? Maybe it was merely a new kind of Goomba!? So as any child with some slight Mario knowledge would attempt, he made the player of choice jump onto the baddie. But, alas, something was different. Yes, Mario wasn't standing above a blob of Goomba guts, but instead was going for a ride atop of the masked bad guy.

At this point I'm sure some kids were truamatized, clueless, and lost all hope in their abilities to play. Until they pushed B. Yes, as Mario picked the little guy up, and held him over his head, I'm sure countless children said to themselves, "NEEeeeeeEEAAAAT!". That, or they chuncked the baddie while screaming, "I jumped on you, therefore you should have DIIIEEEDDDD!!!"

As the gamer progressed down the intro section of level 1-1, entered the first door (probaly after figuring out the "Up" on the D-pad let you do so), and walked around in the game's first level, he or she found it to be refreshing, vivid, and rather weird.

Not only could you throw baddies, but after investigating the small grass clumps the appeared on the ground, and finding that you could pull up vegetables from them, many gamers were indeed happy with the game's unique and fun filled way of design. Sure, the game wasn't made with Mario in mind, but it worked so well, because it had the sorta romp around style as the previous Mario games. Scattered in with the unfamiliar faces, the gamer finds some older references, such as the Starman, powerup mushroom, and even the "POW" Block from the original Mario Bros. arcade game.

One notable thing about the new characters in this game, is that some of them are featured in newer Mario games. Obviously, the baddies were lovable, as were the bosses, so it was only natural for Nintendo to keep the shy guys, birdos, bomb-ombs,ect going strong in later games. While this game is said to take place in a dream world, Nintendo expanded the world of Mario to include these characters in non-dream based titles, such as the shy guys all over the Yoshi games (Yoshi being a spin off from the Mario series ofcourse)

However, to say that all appreciated the change in design of this Mario title would deffinetely be WRONG. There are many, some to this very day, that do not like this game (finding out that the game wasn't originaly a Mario game fueled many's reasons to bash the game aswell). And even those that do will sometimes admit to not liking the game at first. Yet despite that dissaproval being present, the fact remains the same that Super Mario Bros. 2 does remain a classic MARIO game. Something about it is deffinelty "Mario".

I don't quiet recall my initial reactions with Mario 2. I do remember complaining (or wishing to express complaint to Nintendo) about a lack of fireballs to throw (this being somewhat idiotic in retro-spect because of the amount of tossable enemies and items in the game being far enough to replace the fire flower for atleast one game...but, hey, I was a little kid at the time!). But, as a child I still loved the game. Something about it was magical, and it was that of "mario magic". Which leads back to the question, why did this game work so well as a Mario game??

Back to jumping on enemies heads...Although you couldn't jump on enemies heads to kill them instantly, you did have to jump on them in order to pick them up (which led to their dismise). Since Mario fans were used to the "hop on head" process, this were instantly thrown into the frantic and wonderous world of "jump on head, then toss the baddie". Looking back at this, one reason this game was such a successful "Mario translation" (If i should call it that) is because you still jump on enemy's heads in attempts to defeat them. Its very much an even trade in my opinion. As for the throwing fireballs trade-off, as mentioned below, is the fact that you can throw enemies. Also, all over the place is plants and blocks you can pull up and heave at your foes. Talk about satisfying :^D

However, gamers weren't stuck with preset guidelines on how to play the game. Its originality was mesmerizing, as you just didn't know what to expect. Yes, at times the person behind the control grew frustrated at attempting to use their "Super Mario Bros 1 instincts" to accomplish the games tasks, but it slowly became second nature to play the game in its own unique way. Sure you couldn't break bricks with your head, but you could bomb them. No, there weren't pipes to go down, but there were giant jars to do such with. Missing was the koopa shells to kick, but you could find some shells tucked in the grass to unleash on enemies. Now that I look back, I think most people adapted to the game rather quickly. Its not like there were countless Super Mario Bros. games before this one. Instead this game marked a sorta trademark in the mario series from that point on: Truely unique sequels.

Super Mario Bros.2 was original (even though its a rip off in other people's perspectives), but also had that "Mario feeling" to it. Maybe the essence of Mario plaform games lie not so much in the concepts of how to play the game, as much as as it does in the whole spirited platform adventure feel that is prevalent in all the games. Indeed the games have taken on many different forms; using tried and true formulas of gameplay, along with new concepts here and there. However, that Mario feeling that was mentioned earlier is perhaps the most essential element. Admitedly, you don't find that in all platform games, and you couldn't just swap out another games graphics with a set from Mario and expect it to work.

So, all in all, the main reason behind Super Mario Bros 2 being such a success (not profit wise, but quality wise) was due to the original game, Doki Doki Panic, having a bit of the Mario charm in it all along.

Sure many of Mario's sequels weren't as odd ball as this one, but indeed you didn't expect the same thing with each game, and neither did the developers plan to deliver such. Even looking at modern day Mario games, where Mario has a waterpack strapped to his back, its obvious that Nintendo earned some confidence in their abilities to expand a series drasticaly, but still improve over games that need not improving, by simply innovating new concepts into the games.