Super Mario Bros. 2 on NES: Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach in a dream world with different rules. Uproot vegetables, throw them at enemies. Original and surprising gameplay. A classic in its own right.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Platformer in which Mario and allies battle Wart's minions in dream lands. Published by Nintendo, released in Japan in 1988. Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Peach in side-scrolling view pulling vegetables to attack and varied Subcon levels. Japanese version of the Super Mario Bros. 2 masterpiece on NES.
Super Mario USA review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The western instalment breaks clearly with the first: a pastel palette, desert and cloud scenery, round-shaped enemies drawn from another world. The four playable characters each have their own silhouette and jump animation, and the central gesture, pulling vegetables from the ground, is given a very readable rendering.
Dreamlike and playful, Koji Kondo's music accompanies this journey into dreamland with a skipping main theme turned unforgettable. Between lightness and whimsy, every tune sticks to the singular mood of this entry apart. This melodic freshness, full of charm, remains one of the most endearing of the Mario era on NES.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Yanking vegetables to throw them, choosing among four heroes with distinct abilities and exploring a dreamlike world of vivid colours: this adventure joyfully bucks its predecessor. The variety of approaches and the inventiveness of the levels keep the surprise alive. Strange, generous and hugely endearing, a unique platformer that has lost none of its charm.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Lifting vegetables, choosing among four heroes with distinct abilities and searching every set frankly renews the plumber's formula. Tracking down potions, hidden coins and secret passages sustains a constant curiosity. The rhythm differs from the original and sometimes throws you off, but this inventiveness and variety keep an appeal that pushes you to continue.
The Japanese Famicom version of the Western SMB2, imported back into Japan in 1992 under the 'Super Mario USA' name to distinguish this 'doppelganger' from the 'Super Mario Bros. 2 - The Lost Levels' already released in Japan. The Japanese cart is culturally unique because it embraces its import nature. Intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and manual is sought after by completionist Mario Famicom collectors, and the cote climbs steadily.
Is Super Mario USA still worth playing in 2026?
Super Mario Bros. 2 on NES, also Super Mario USA in Japan, is a Mario apart in the lineage: Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach in a dream world with different rules, where you uproot vegetables to throw at enemies. Adapted from Doki Doki Panic, Nintendo's title offers original, surprising gameplay with four playable characters of distinct abilities and wonderfully eccentric art direction. A genuine classic, more accessible and experimental than its neighbours. A genuinely excellent detour today.
