Support NeoGAF

[RetroMG]

Just a note on the 1up = Hearts instead of mushrooms question - I've always assumed that it's because the 1ups in the regular games are Green Mushrooms as opposed to Red Mushrooms, and the GB had a black and white screen. So Nintendo made it a compleyely different item starting in SML1 to make it easier to differentiate.

I've never read that officially, mind you, but it makes sense as an explanation.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Creating new enemies, themes, and everything instead of reusing assets over and over again as they do with AC, NSMB, and all of their other "safe" sequels. You know, at one point this company actually took some risks and that was only 6 years ago - with Wii U and 3DS, not so

Buh? The GBA had exceedingly little original Nintendo content, too. At least we're getting new level designs now even if we're not getting sharks with boxing gloves.

 

[hachi]

Super Mario Land 3 = Wario Land 1
Super Mario Land 2 = Wario Land Zero

Instead of the final Mario Land game, think of it more as a Wario Land prequel. It tells Wario's origin story in reverse, from Mario's perspective but according to the absurd logic, quirky aesthetics, and overall strangeness of Wario's universe. So it belongs to the latter more than the former.

It's a terrible Mario game. But as an introduction to the unbounded creativity that was to follow in the excellent Wario series, it's well worth playing.

(And if you haven't played Wario Land yet, you're in for the finest action-platformer ever to grace the Game Boy. The world map exceeds even SML2 by a long shot.)

 

[Ondore]

Kid me appreciated the Easy mode and the ability to save up to get 99 1ups in one shot.

Adult me likes how the Mario Zone has a level focused on balls that you enter from Mario's crotch. :lol

 

[Sanjuro]

Donkey Kong '94 was still the best Game Boy Mario game.

The funny thing about this, it was a wonderful game as well. Both of them basically non-Mario franchise games, staring Mario.

 

[Sanjuro]

Super Mario Land 3 = Wario Land 1
Super Mario Land 2 = Wario Land Zero

Instead of the final Mario Land game, think of it more as a Wario Land prequel. It tells Wario's origin story in reverse, from Mario's perspective but according to the absurd logic, quirky aesthetics, and overall strangeness of Wario's universe. So it belongs to the latter more than the former.

It's a terrible Mario game. But as an introduction to the unbounded creativity that was to follow in the excellent Wario series, it's well worth playing.

(And if you haven't played Wario Land yet, you're in for the finest action-platformer ever to grace the Game Boy. The world map exceeds even SML2 by a long shot.)

Virtual Wario Land was fantastic as well.

 

[hachi]

Virtual Wario Land was fantastic as well.

I'm still waiting for a 3DS eShop port.

 

[Azure J]

I always really loved this game even in the face of its issues, but at the same time I feel like the OP went a bit too harsh on it all. Then again, we both agree that the overworld is just awesome looking. The music in this game is also pretty top notch. How we haven't gotten the Athletic Theme, Star Maze or Mario's (Wario's) Castle as a mix in the Smash games is a mystery for the ages.

 

[Varna]

Link's Awakening had quiet a bit of this weirdness as well. They wanted the handheld titles to really stand out compared to their console counterparts.

 

[Gonzo The Great]

one of the note collecting bits is a SML2 theme and it leads up to a bell like the ones at the end of a sml2 level.

Please don't lie.

 

[ChronoX]

I loved Super Mario Land 2 but never forget the atrocity that was Super Mario Land. Someday I'll be able to erase all memories of this game from my mind. Creepy music, weird Egyptian themes, fireballs bouncing all around the screen and collecting coins for you. What the heck was this about Nintendo?

 

[R0nn]

Just a note on the 1up = Hearts instead of mushrooms question - I've always assumed that it's because the 1ups in the regular games are Green Mushrooms as opposed to Red Mushrooms, and the GB had a black and white screen. So Nintendo made it a compleyely different item starting in SML1 to make it easier to differentiate.

I've never read that officially, mind you, but it makes sense as an explanation.

Yeah, that's what I figured too. It's also why Mario wears a feather when he's Fire Mario. Different colored clothes just wouldn't work.

Super Mario Land 3 = Wario Land 1
Super Mario Land 2 = Wario Land Zero

Instead of the final Mario Land game, think of it more as a Wario Land prequel. It tells Wario's origin story in reverse, from Mario's perspective but according to the absurd logic, quirky aesthetics, and overall strangeness of Wario's universe. So it belongs to the latter more than the former.

It's a terrible Mario game. But as an introduction to the unbounded creativity that was to follow in the excellent Wario series, it's well worth playing.

(And if you haven't played Wario Land yet, you're in for the finest action-platformer ever to grace the Game Boy. The world map exceeds even SML2 by a long shot.)

Wario Land is indeed one of the next titles I plan on purchasing on the VC. There's still loads of GameBoy games I need to play.

 

[DJSharpeCheddar]

Weird? What, it's a Mario game where you explore a giant automaton Mario statue/toy factory and battle The Three Little Pigs in its brain. Only after you pass through the level in its crotch where you have to deal with a bunch of bouncing balls...

What's weird about that?

 

[Lord British]

I always thought it was made by HAL, hence the appearance of Kirby enemies (the spiked ball things).

It's a weird game that doesn't feel like a Mario game at all (holding up to jump higher!?), but I have fond memories of it.

 

[Pagusas]

My absolute favorite Mario game.

 

[Varjet]

I loved Super Mario Land 2 but never forget the atrocity that was Super Mario Land. Someday I'll be able to erase all memories of this game from my mind. Creepy music, weird Egyptian themes, fireballs bouncing all around the screen and collecting coins for you. What the heck was this about Nintendo?

You.
Get out.

 

[zephervack]

Played this a ton, the jump in graphics from mario land 1 blew my little mind.

 

[HoJu]

It was a handheld take on Mario World basically. Mario's sprite is clearly based on the Mario World one, it has the over world etc.

The physics are the worst part, it plays like Wonderboy, a slippy slidey hovering mess.

That said, remember Mario Land 1 is set in Egypt/Atlantis/Easter Island/China and has Mario fighting a Sphynx/Seahorse/Moai/Cloud, and finally an Alien. And there's no 'dream world' explanation like Mario 2. It also had sub SMB1 level graphics and almost no enemies, music or anything from the SMB series. It even had a different princess for some reason. Good physics though, as tight as any game.

Wait wait wait. Did you just say that SML1 has good physics? The first Mario Land? The one where you fall like a brick when running off a platform?

 

[Myriadis]

Adult me likes how the Mario Zone has a level focused on balls that you enter from Mario's crotch. :lol

I bought and played this game last year for the first time (along with all Wario Games), and this was one of the things that I noticed. I liked it.
Yeah, it played through it two times since I bought it last year. It is no excellent Mario game, but I absolutely love the different atmosphere that the game has. The amazing soundtrack surely helps.

 

[Stumpokapow]

WARIO GONNA TAKE UR CASTLE

 

[R0nn]

I always really loved this game even in the face of its issues, but at the same time I feel like the OP went a bit too harsh on it all. Then again, we both agree that the overworld is just awesome looking. The music in this game is also pretty top notch. How we haven't gotten the Athletic Theme, Star Maze or Mario's (Wario's) Castle as a mix in the Smash games is a mystery for the ages.

Don't get me wrong, I do think the game is fun and entertaining. It's just that it's so different from other Mario games that it seems like it's own seperate thing. As the thread points out, that's kinda what it is though. It's essentially a Wario Land title before it got called Wario Land.

 

[vagabondarts]

It's fun and awesome. It's also kind of WarioLand 0. You can really see the beginnings of what will become WarioLand throughout the game.

I love how unique it is in a library of samey Mario platformers, similar to SMB2.

 

[Tom_Cody]

Zilch. Mario Land 2 is a Hiroji Kiyotake joint. AKA the man who blessed us with Wario.

Yeah. In some ways it is the first Wario platformer. And it isn't weird at all compared to the rest of that series.

 

[Ragus]

A weird and a bad one. Played it for the first time 2 months ago and I hated every single piece of it.

Liked SML1 though.

 

[Tom_Cody]

I'm still waiting for a 3DS eShop port.

I'm right there with you.

 

[serplux]

I'm still waiting for a 3DS eShop port.

I think that they'd rather just remake it.

 

[Uncle Rupee]

I loved Super Mario Land 2 but never forget the atrocity that was Super Mario Land. Someday I'll be able to erase all memories of this game from my mind. Creepy music, weird Egyptian themes, fireballs bouncing all around the screen and collecting coins for you. What the heck was this about Nintendo?

The Gameboy team was separate from Miyamoto's. They resented having to work on a Mario game, since Nintendo fostered competition internally and they had their own games like Metroid and Kid Icarus that they wanted to make sequels for. However, due to Mario's popularity (and Miyamoto's team busy with SMW on SNES at the time) they HAD to make one for the Gameboy. This and SML2 were the result. Finally, by introducing Wario, the team felt they could make their own version of Mario by putting their own unique spin on things.

Of course, eventually they were given the green-light to make sequels to Metroid and Kid Icarus.

Spoiler

And Mario Land is fucking amazing. That weirdness. That music!

 

[DJSharpeCheddar]

Pretty much sums up how I feel about SML2

 

[Desiato]

I like posting this whenever I can.

 

[Box of Bunnies]

I loved Super Mario Land 2 but never forget the atrocity that was Super Mario Land. Someday I'll be able to erase all memories of this game from my mind. Creepy music, weird Egyptian themes, fireballs bouncing all around the screen and collecting coins for you. What the heck was this about Nintendo?

Uh all that stuff you listed about Super Mario Land is rad as fuck. It's the bad physics that make it an atrocity.

 

[DonMigs85]

I like posting this whenever I can.

I posted that already, you wretched man

 

[Dark Octave]

I wish I could have played it but what a waste, this coming out on the Gameboy (and Metroid II).

That thing was a single step up from a Tiger handheld.

 

[Desiato]

I posted that already, you wretched man

Next thread about this game, I will not be late.

I wish I could have played it but what a waste, this coming out on the Gameboy. That thing was a single step up from a Tiger handheld.

Either Tiger handhelds were actually surprisingly decent, or you are very wrong.

 

[RedShift]

WARIO GONNA TAKE UR CASTLE

Oh god those things. They were like fighting a DVD screensaver from hell.

That whole last level was insane. No checkpoints with awful moving platform physics over lava, and then the horrific Wario battle.

 

[Omegasquash]

Picked this up when it was on sale on the e-shop, since I'd oddly never played it back in the day. Pretty happy with my purchase.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Oh god those things. They were like fighting a DVD screensaver from hell.

Once I read this post, I remembered what these things were and my shoulders immediately tensed by reflex.

 

[Azure J]

WARIO GONNA TAKE UR CASTLE

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The repression just came undone. Fuck these things to hell, especially in the second to last room before the Wario battle.

 

[Rogue Agent]

Nintendo should use these enemy designs and worlds again or come up with something just as offbeat, for the 3DS at least.

 

[Waylon Drums]

I wish I could have played it but what a waste, this coming out on the Gameboy (and Metroid II).

That thing was a single step up from a Tiger handheld.

You are just terrible. You...bad man!


*weeps for childhood*

 

[zeioIIDX]

I assume we're talking about Star Maze as opposed to the overworld remix (which is pretty nice itself, the later bit is giving me some Animal Crossing like vibes).

I was definitely talking about Star Maze. I also loved the music to Wario's castles.

 

[casablanca]

This game is so awesome.

 

[m.i.s.]

I acquired this game recently and, eh, I found it pretty much unplayable.

Slow, boxey screen graphics - nice music though. How I managed to complete the game back in the day I'll never know.

I'm just thankful I didn't buy it on the e-Shop. At least I could trade the cartridge in for something else.

 

[cooljeanius]

This was my first video game I ever remember playing! I always get nostalgia whenever it gets brought up. I'd really like to see another Mario game with Wario as the villain sometime or other...

 

[Nekofrog]

God, I miss the golden age of Nintendo. Not afraid to take risks, not afraid to actually be creative instead of pump the same crap out over and over again.

 

[silenttwn]

- The overworld is completely non-lineair. It's even more open than SMW's overworld. Seriously, why did Nintendo never go back to this structure? There has never been a 2D Mario game since SMW and SML2 with such a substantial overworld and it saddens me. SM3DL would've been the perfect game for this.

In before someone brings up NSMBU's overworld for the 13408240th time. I'm surprised so many people are unaware of it.

 

[Forkball]

I played the crap out of this game with my giant grey brick Game Boy as a kid. The space levels were the ones I remember the most. And oh man, I had a flashback when you posted the art with the bear on the ball. I honestly don't remember it that much, but I liked it more than Super Mario Land and even as a kid I thought it was immensely different from the other Mario games. Wario is also one of my favorite game characters, so uh, thanks SML2.

[edit] FUN FACT: The director of the game and character designer for Wario was also the character designer for Samus.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

Both SML games are weird to me. Don't care much how different it is if I don't like it as much. I love Wario Land 1 to 3 though.

 

[drspeedy]

Played this a ton, the jump in graphics from mario land 1 blew my little mind.

Totally agree here, it's from an era where games weren't always 1:1 sequels from series counterparts... the map, levels, graphics, all so much better than 1.

As an OG GB aficionado, it's almost one of those "you had to be there" kind of things. Didn't feel at all out of place at the time.

 

[Host Samurai]

Both Mario Land games were weird and unconventional for the series. In the same way Mario 2 is. Different enemies, bosses and power ups. SML 1 even had a strange alien boss. No Bowser, Mushroom Kingdom and other power ups. Would like more like it

 

[SovanJedi]

...I really don't like Super Mario Land 2. I'd rather take NSMB2 again over this.