Super Mario Bros. 2 with booklet

Super Mario Bros. 2, released in Europe in 1988 for the NES, is one of the most unusual games in the classic Mario series - and that's exactly what makes it so special. After the huge success of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo took a completely different approach with the second part (at least outside Japan): new game mechanics, new enemies, a completely different feel - and yet it remained unmistakably Mario.

The story of Super Mario Bros. 2 begins in a dream: Mario enters the mysterious world of Subcon, which is oppressed by the evil frog king Wart. To free the land, he sets off together with Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad - and the best thing is that you can decide which of the four you play in each level. Each character has their own strengths:

• Mario is balanced,

• Luigi jumps particularly high,

• Peach can hover for a short time,

• Toad is particularly fast when carrying and throwing objects.

Unlike in its predecessor, in Super Mario Bros. 2 you don't defeat enemies by jumping on them, but by picking things up - vegetables from the ground, blocks or even enemies - and hurling them at others. Power-ups such as mushrooms and hearts are also hidden in the ground or behind secret doors that you can reach with magic potions.

Graphically, Super Mario Bros. 2 is colorful and rich in detail, with a playful, almost fairytale-like atmosphere. The music is catchy, and many of today's well-known enemies - such as Shy Guy, Birdo or Bob-omb - originally came from this game.

Fun fact: Super Mario Bros. 2 was originally based on a Japanese game called "Doki Doki Panic", which was converted into a Mario game for the Western market. That's why it's so different from parts 1 and 3 - but it was precisely this fresh approach that made it a classic.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is a creative, bold and playfully varied outlier in Mario history. It surprises with new ideas, charming characters and its very own flair - and has secured a firm place in the hearts of many fans despite (or perhaps because of) its different nature.