Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Template:Infobox Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (also named Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros.: For Super Players in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, and Super Mario Bros. 2: For Super Players in the Japanese version of Super Mario All-Stars) is a direct sequel to Super Mario Bros., and is not to be confused with the game released in English language markets as Super Mario Bros. 2.

Super Mario Bros. 2 was initially released in 1986 for the Japan-only Family Computer Disk System. It uses a slightly altered Super Mario Bros.'s engine, with different levels and new features including altered graphics and new enemy behavior. Nintendo of America originally deemed this game too challenging and too much like the original to sell well in Western countries, so in order to prevent the early series being associated with frustration and staleness, it adapted Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and released it as Super Mario Bros. 2. This game (known as the "American" Super Mario Bros 2.) was later released in Japan under the title Super Mario USA.

The first time this game was released outside of Japan was its remake in Super Mario All-Stars. Here it was named Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels with text under the box title reading For Super Players.

Story

The premise of the game is virtually identical to the original game. King Koopa has returned to kidnap Princess Peach once again, and Mario and Luigi set off to save her.

Gameplay

File:Super Mario Bros 2 00-00.png

The title screen of Super Mario Bros. 2.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is divided into thirteen new worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom, which each have four levels like in Super Mario Bros. Mario and Luigi have to get to the end of the level by jumping over various gaps and avoiding or defeating the members of the Koopa Troop on their way. The Mario Bros. can use several platforms (some of them collapse when Mario or Luigi lands on them), stairs in the level, as well as Jumping Boards. There are also Warp Pipes along the way, some of which Mario can enter to visit various secret coin rooms before returning to the level, a bit further ahead than when he left. At the end of each level, a castle stands with a flagpole nearby. When Mario reaches the flagpole, he takes down the enemy flag and enters the castle, completing the level. The higher the spot that Mario hits the flagpole, the more points he receives.

File:LuigiSMBLL.png

Small Luigi in World 1-1.

Unlike Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels doesn't have two-player mode in the game. Mario or Luigi has to be played alone. Mario retains the same abilities as Super Mario Bros., but Luigi returns with the ability to jump higher than Mario can (which is retained in Super Mario Bros. 2 and some other Mario games). On the downside, Luigi has slippery traction, so he could prove to be unruly at times.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels includes the same enemies from Super Mario Bros.: Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, Koopa Paratroopas, Bullet Bills, Hammer Brothers, and leaping Cheep Cheeps. All these enemies can be defeated when Mario jumps on them once, except for Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles, which now run faster than in Super Mario Bros. and hide in their shell when jumped on, which Mario can kick to defeat other enemies and hit blocks or Brick Blocks. Koopa Paratroopas lose their wings and fall to the ground when Mario or Luigi jumps on them. Other enemies include Piranha Plants (including new red Piranha Plants, which have replaced green ones in later games) found in pipes, the Spiny-throwing Lakitus and the Hammer Brothers. There are a few levels which take place underwater. In the water, Mario can swim freely from the top to the bottom of the screen. The enemies in underwater levels are Bloopers and Cheep Cheeps, with the inclusion of Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, Koopa Paratroopas, Hammer Bros., Lava Bubbles, Fire Bars and Piranha Plants; Mario can only defeat these creatures by shooting them with fireballs. In some levels, Bloopers are found floating in the air.

File:Smb2j 5-2 warpzone.png

Fire Mario in World 5-2's Warp Zone.

Mario or Luigi can get special power-ups out of ? Blocks or, uncommonly, Brick Blocks. Most of the ? Blocks in which Mario can find these items are visible, but some are hidden and only become visible when hit from below. With the Super Mushroom, he turns into Super Mario. As Super Mario, he can survive the hit of an enemy one time, at the cost of turning back to Small Mario. He may also destroy empty Brick Blocks by jumping beneath them. Lost Levels introduces a tricky opposite versions of the Super Mushroom, the new Poison Mushrooms, which injure Mario or Luigi by simply touching one. Additionally, he can also get the Fire Flower. With the Fire Flower, Super Mario turns into Fire Mario, which allows him to shoot fireballs at enemies to defeat them from a distance. With the 1-Up Mushroom, he gains a life; he can also get an extra life by collecting 100 coins. With the rarest item of all, the Super Star (which can only be found in Brick Blocks), Mario turns invincible for short of time and can kill enemies by touching them.

If Mario takes a hit or Poison Mushroom while Small, falls down a pit, or if the time runs out, he loses a life and restarts the level. The point where Mario continues depends on his progress through the level before getting defeated; either from the beginning, or at one of several invisible "checkpoints" throughout the level.

The fourth level of each world plays inside a castle. They are usually filled with Fire Bars and Lava Bubbles. At the end of a castle level, Mario is confronted with a Bowser Impostor in Worlds 1 - 7, 9, & A - D and the real Bowser in World 8. To defeat a Bowser Impostor or the real Bowser, Mario has to either touch the axe to destroy the bridge, causing either the Bowser Impostor or the real Bowser to fall into the lava, or hit Bowser with a number of fireballs, which produces the same result and reveals the true forms of the fakes.

File:PeachSMBTLL.png

Fire Mario rescuing Princess Peach in World 8-4.

After defeating a Bowser Impostor, Mario frees one of the seven Toads from the castle, at which point they say their iconic sentence: "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" and Mario will proceed to the next world. At the end of the castle in World 8, Mario or Luigi frees the grateful Princess Peach and completes the adventure.

Unlike the first game, there are hidden worlds to discover. Playing through the game without warping forward will take the player to the Fantasy World. Completing the game eight times will also unlock Worlds A-D, with Princess Peach waiting to be rescued from a Bowser Impostor (the actual Bowser in Super Mario All-Stars version) in the last level.

Differences and Additional features

Although the mechanics in The Lost Levels adhere closely to those of Super Mario Bros., it does feature some significant changes and additions.

Graphical and sound additions and changes

• The background graphics, block tiles, and ground tiles are different (jagged hills, cloud and bushes have faces, fences are now mushrooms, ground is rockier, bricks have shading, etc).
• Super Mushroom sprites were changed to have eyes, a feature that has stuck with the franchise since.
• Lifts are now made from mushrooms instead of metal.
• The giant mushroom platforms (found in 4-3 and the 4-2 warp zone of Super Mario Bros.) were changed into clouds, and are also the level theme of World 8-3 and World A-3.
• A sound for Mario and Luigi's sliding was added.
• In the Super Mario All-Stars version, the player would get a positive or negative audio cue to indicate if they were going the right or wrong way in the mazes of World 3-4, 6-4, and 8-4, making navigation slightly easier in those levels than in the original version. This audio cue is also in the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros.
• Shadows are added to the text font.
• The ending music has a second "verse" five steps above the original pitch, and is richer in sound.
• Princess Peach is given a new sprite.

New game features

• Invisible power-up blocks (holding a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower) are a new feature. These were often put in places where the player would hit the block and make them an easy target.
• Poison Mushrooms are introduced. Touching one is equivalent to colliding with an enemy, except the mushroom also disappears. They can be found in either Question Blocks or invisible blocks. Their color palette matches the Goombas of that level (brown on overworlds, blue in undergrounds, gray in castles). In the Super Mario All-Stars version, Poison Mushrooms are blue with a skull on the cap.
• Upside-down pipes, appearing first in World 5, were introduced.
• Red Piranha Plants may be found in upside-down pipes. They attack and retract more frequently than normal, and continue to attack even if the player stands directly under their pipe. They also appear in underwater stages.
• A strong wind blows in certain parts of some levels. It blows the player forward, enabling longer jumps but making it difficult to space them.
• Two Warp Zones will warp Mario back to a previous world: 3-1 to 1-1 and 8-1 to 5-1
• There is no two-player mode. The player can instead choose between Mario or Luigi. Mario controls as in Super Mario Bros. Luigi can jump higher than Mario, but has significantly worse traction. This is also the case in Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3D Land.
• If the player beats the game eight consecutive times, he or she can access Worlds A through D by holding the button at the title screen (or the button in the GBA version). These levels may be accessed after just one successful play-through in the Super Mario All-Stars re-release (in fact starting automatically after World 8-4 or, if World 9 was accessed, World 9-4), and were removed from the Super Mario Bros. Deluxe remake.
• If the player beats the game without warping, he or she continues to World 9. World 9 features underwater levels with almost every character in the game, as well as an underwater Goal Pole and castle. These levels, like the lettered ones, were removed from the Super Mario Bros. Deluxe remake.
• Green Jumping Boards are introduced, appearing in Worlds 2, 3, 7, B, and C. (However, in Super Mario All-Stars, the trampolines in World B were changed to red.) They bounce Mario/Luigi so high that he disappears from view for several seconds.
• A "burning rubber" sound (which was later reused in Super Mario Bros. 3) is heard whenever Mario/Luigi skids.

Tweaked game features

• Bloopers can float above water. They behave normally and can be stomped for 1000 points.
• Koopa Troopas are found in the water in some levels (such as World 3-2). They walk more slowly than usual and cannot be defeated without a Fire Flower or Super Star.
• Some non-castle levels feature a "right path, wrong path" system, looping the level until the correct path is chosen. They include World 5-3 and World 7-2.
• In worlds 7 and 8, the Hammer Brothers behave differently from normal. They continuously walk forward, throwing Hammers. If Mario passes the Hammer Bros., they will turn around and stop walking, but continue to jump and throw hammers. In All-Stars, this behavior also occurs in Worlds A-D. Hammer Bros. also sometimes appear underwater.
• Lakitus sometimes appear underwater, along with Spinies. They'll also appear at lower altitudes in certain levels.
• A Bowser Impostor is found in the corridors of two castles. He has a darker, greenish blue coloration, and does not stand on a bridge over lava. The player can avoid this Bowser without defeating him. In the Super Mario All-Stars version, encountering this enemy cues the SNES-exclusive boss music until finishing the level. These are just regular Bowser Impostors; the palette changes are due to not being close to the axe. Unlike in Worlds 1-7 and Worlds A-C, these impostors don't change into generic enemies when defeated; they'll still look like the real Bowser.
• Beanstalk vines sometimes lead to a Warp Zone, or to the Flagpole, as well as Coin Heavens.
• A physics modification was added that enabled both Mario and Luigi to bounce significantly higher after they jumped on an enemy. If taken at the right trajectory, the player can soar off the screen. This "Super Jump" was properly introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3.
• Sometimes, Luigi can jump over the Goal Pole, which often leads to a Warp Zone.
• If both digits in the coin counter are the same as the ones digit of the timer when Mario/Luigi hits the Goal Pole, he receives a fireworks show and a 1-Up.
• In the original version, the game will add a star on the title-screen each time the player beats the game. The title can show up to 24 stars. It also saves the amount of stars on the disk.

Items

Super Mario Bros 2 introduced some elements that made subsequent appearances in later Mario games:

Coin		A very common item, with each Coin giving 200 points. For every 100 coins Mario or Luigi manage to collect, they receive an Extra Life.
Super Mushroom	File:Smb2 super mushroom.png	When one of the Mario Bros. collect one of these, he will turn into their Super form. It grants 1,000 points.
Poison Mushroom	File:Poison shroom.png	An item introduced in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Although it acts like a Power-up when it's not, it's a poisonous item that reduces a Super or Fire Mario/Luigi back to their standard form. If Mario or Luigi are already in their standard form, they lose a life. This mushroom also makes the player lose 1,000 points.
Fire Flower	File:Fire Flower.gif	This flower grants the Mario Bros. the ability to shoot fireballs. Like the Super Mushroom, it grants 1,000 points.
1-Up Mushroom	File:Smb2 1up mushroom.png	A rare item; once collected, it grants the Mario Bros. an extra life. It doesn't give any points, though.
Super Star		Makes the Mario Bros. invincible for a short amount of time. Like the Super Mushroom and the Fire Flower, it grants 1,000 points.

Transformations

Small Mario	File:SMB Smallmario.svg	Mario's weakest form, used when a new game begins. If Mario touches an enemy or obstacle, Mario dies.
Super Mario	File:SMB Supermario.svg	The form Mario turns into after obtaining a Super Mushroom in small form. Mario gains the ability to destroy Brick Blocks in this state. If Mario touches an enemy or obtacle, he returns to Small form.
Fire Mario	File:SMB Firemario.svg	After collecting a Fire Flower, Mario will turn into Fire Mario, giving him the ability to defeat enemies by shooting fireballs at them. If Mario touches an enemy or obtacle, he returns to Small form.
Invincible Mario		After getting a Super Star, Mario will become invincible, being unable to be harmed by any enemies or obstacles. Along with the bonus of invincibility, Mario can also defeat most enemies without jumping on or throwing projectiles at them. However, Mario still dies if he falls into an pit or lava. This lasts for a short period of time.

Cast

Playable Characters

• Mario
• Luigi

Supporting Characters

• Princess Peach
• Toads

Enemies

• Blooper
• Bill Blaster
• Bullet Bill
• Buzzy Beetle
• Cheep Cheep
• Fire Bar
• Goomba
• Hammer Brother
• Koopa Paratroopa
• Koopa Troopa
• Lakitu
• Lava Bubble
• Piranha Plant
• Spiny
• Spiny Egg

Bosses

• Bowser Impostor (Worlds 1 - 7, 9, A - D)
• Bowser (World 8)

List of levels

World	Level	Setting	Enemies were found
File:SMBDX World 1.PNG	World 1-1	Overworld	Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant
World 1-2	Underground	Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle
World 1-3	Athletic	Blooper, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa
World 1-4	Castle	Fire Bar, Koopa Troopa, Bowser Impostor (Imported as World 1-4 of Vs. Super Mario Bros.)
File:SMBDX World 3.PNG	World 2-1	Overworld	Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant
World 2-2	Overworld	Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Goomba, Piranha Plant (Imported as World 3-2 of Vs. Super Mario Bros.)
World 2-3	Athletic	Cheep Cheep, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Blooper
World 2-4	Castle	Koopa Troopa, Goomba, Fire Bar, Lava Bubble, Bowser Impostor
File:SMBDX World 2.PNG	World 3-1	Overworld	Hammer Brother, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Bullet Bill, Piranha Plant
World 3-2	Underwater	Blooper, Cheep Cheep, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa
World 3-3	Athletic	Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant
World 3-4	Castle	Fire Bar, Piranha Plant, Bowser Impostor
File:SMBDX World 5.PNG	World 4-1	Overworld	Piranha Plant, Lakitu, Spiny
World 4-2	Overworld	Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle, Lakitu, Spiny, Goomba
World 4-3	Athletic	Koopa Paratroopa, Bullet Bill (Imported as World 6-3 of Vs. Super Mario Bros.)
World 4-4	Castle	Fire Bar, Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Hammer Brother, Piranha Plant, Lava Bubble, Bowser Impostor
File:SMBDX World 4.PNG	World 5-1	Overworld	Buzzy Beetle, Piranha Plant, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Goomba
World 5-2	Underground	Piranha Plant, Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Buzzy Beetle
World 5-3	Athletic	Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Bullet Bill, Blooper
World 5-4	Castle	Lava Bubble, Fire Bar, Bowser Impostor (Imported as World 6-4 of Vs. Super Mario Bros.)
File:SMBDX World 7.PNG	World 6-1	Overworld	Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Goomba, Bullet Bill, Hammer Brother
World 6-2	Underwater	Blooper, Cheep Cheep, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa (Imported as World 7-2 of Vs. Super Mario Bros.)
World 6-3	Athletic	Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Cheep Cheep (Imported as World 7-3 of Vs. Super Mario Bros.)
World 6-4	Castle	Lava Bubble, Fire Bar, Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother, Bowser Impostor
File:SMBDX World 6.PNG	World 7-1	Overworld	Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother, Bullet Bill
World 7-2	Overworld	Blooper, Cheep Cheep, Piranha Plant
World 7-3	Athletic	Cheep Cheep, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa
World 7-4	Castle	Lava Bubble, Fire Bar, Bowser Impostor
File:SMBDX World 8.PNG	World 8-1	Overworld	Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle
World 8-2	Overworld	Goomba, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle, Lakitu, Spiny, Bullet Bill
World 8-3	Athletic	Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Bullet Bill, Hammer Brother
World 8-4	Castle	Goomba, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Fire Bar, Lava Bubble, Buzzy Beetle, Hammer Brother, Blooper, Cheep Cheep, Bowser Impostor, Bowser
File:World 9-1Prev.PNG	World 9-1	Underwater	Piranha Plant, Koopa Paratroopa, Bullet Bill, Lakitu, Spiny, Hammer Brother, Blooper, Buzzy Beetle
World 9-2	Underwater	Piranha Plant, Lakitu, Spiny
World 9-3	Overworld	Bowser Impostor / Bowser (All-Stars)
World 9-4	Underwater	Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Buzzy Beetle, Koopa Paratroopa, Hammer Brother, Blooper, Lava Bubble
File:World A-1.PNG	World A-1	Overworld	Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother
World A-2	Underground	Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother, Bullet Bill
World A-3	Athletic	Cheep Cheep, Blooper, Koopa Paratroopa
World A-4	Castle	Fire Bar, Lava Bubble, Koopa Troopa, Bullet Bill, Bowser Impostor
File:World B-1.PNG	World B-1	Overworld	Buzzy Beetle, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant, Koopa Paratroopa
World B-2	Underwater	Blooper, Cheep Cheep, Koopa Paratroopa, Koopa Troopa, Fire Bar, Piranha Plant
World B-3	Athletic	Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Bullet Bill, Koopa Troopa
World B-4	Castle	Piranha Plant, Fire Bar, Bowser Impostor
File:World C-1.PNG	World C-1	Overworld	Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother, Buzzy Beetle
World C-2	Athletic	Koopa Paratroopa, Cheep Cheep, Blooper, Koopa Troopa, Bullet Bill
World C-3	Athletic	Lakitu, Spiny, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Fire Bar
World C-4	Castle	Fire Bar, Koopa Troopa, Buzzy Beetle, Lava Bubble, Bowser Impostor
File:World D-1.PNG	World D-1	Overworld	Hammer Brother, Koopa Paratroopa, Bullet Bill, Buzzy Beetle, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant
World D-2	Overworld	Koopa Troopa, Buzzy Beetle, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant, Bullet Bill
World D-3	Overworld	Bullet Bill, Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother, Koopa Paratroopa
World D-4	Castle	Piranha Plant, Fire Bar, Lava Bubble, Koopa Paratroopa, Cheep Cheep, Hammer Brother, Blooper, Bowser Impostor / Bowser (All-Stars)

Reception in America

File:JAP SMB2 Logo.png

The English logo.

The Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 was intended to be a game for expert gamers that had mastered the original Super Mario Bros. and were looking for a new challenge.

In the book Game Over by David Sheff, the author quotes then-Nintendo of America CEO Howard Lincoln relating his considerable frustration over Super Mario Bros. 2, describing it as an irritatingly challenging game with many "cheap" gimmicks that add excessive difficulty (such as changing winds that can easily ruin precise jumps). Believing the game would not sell well in America due to this, the decision to ignore the original Super Mario Bros. 2 in favor of a new, special "Super Mario Bros. 2" based on the considerably easier Family Computer Disk System game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic was made.

Re-Releases

Super Mario All-Stars

File:World1-1SMBTheLostLevels.png

Mario stomping on a Goomba in Super Mario All-Stars.

The Super Mario All-Stars (as well as Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition) version of this game had a few differences from the original:

• Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels do not have the same graphics as each other to begin with. For instance, the ground is covered by blocks in most of the levels of the original, whereas the ground is mainly covered by dirt in this version. In Super Mario All-Stars, the graphics of all the games were improved, and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was made to look exactly the same as the graphically-improved version of Super Mario Bros. released on the same cartridge. The endings of both games were also made uniform.

• Many levels that had snow in the original Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 do not have it in the Lost Levels edition, including 3-3, 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 8-1, C-3, D-1, D-2, and D-3. Snow was mysteriously introduced into C-1. However, the snow is only an aesthetic difference.

• The game can be saved at any time. Unlike the Super Mario Bros. on the same cartridge, the game remembers the exact level the player is on, and not just the world. This is because the game is much harder than the original.

• Players only have to beat the game once to reach worlds A through D.

• In the secret section of World 1-2 (where the player enters a the pipe to World 4), the water pools were replaced by lava. However, the effects are the same: if Mario falls in, he loses one life. Similarly, the water in the first pit encountered in the level (after the Koopa Paratroopa) is removed in the SNES version.

• In World 8, the Hammer Bros. perpetually charge at the player. On the SNES, this behavior was added to Worlds 9 and A-D as wel.

• In the original game, Bowser only has hammers in Worlds 6-8. The SNES remake gives him hammers in Worlds 9 and A-D, as well. Strangely enough, these Bowsers lose their ability to breathe fire.

• The Bowser Impostors in Worlds A-C now have new true forms (a red Koopa Troopa, a Cheep Cheep, and a Bullet Bill, respectively), and Bowser's death animation in World D is corrected.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe was marketed as a Game Boy Color enhancement of Super Mario Bros., but if a player gets on the high score table with 300,000 points or more, a Luigi head appears on the main menu. Players may select the Luigi head to play The Lost Levels under the name of Super Mario Bros.: For Super Players.

In this game, as in the Super Mario All-Stars version, the player may save and resume at any level. However, most changes removed features from the original release. This remake removes the graphical changes from The Lost Levels and thus looks just like Super Mario Bros. Additionally, Luigi's higher jump and lower traction are removed, as is wind. As a result of the lack of wind, some levels are modified to make the jumps possible. Another change is the removal of Worlds 9 and A-D, although they are all at least somewhat present within the game's coding.

Famicom Mini: Super Mario Bros. 2

Released only in Japan, this is an exact duplicate for the Game Boy Advance of the original game.

Virtual Console

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was released on the Virtual Console in Japan on May 1, 2007 for the Wii, on July 25, 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U in Japan on August 8, 2013. It was also released for the Wii in Europe and Australia on September 14, 2007 along with Mario's Super Picross and Neutopia II as the part of the Japanese Hanabi Festival, and in North America on October 1, 2007, making the first time the original version of the game was available to most English-speaking audiences. It costs 100 Wii Points more, as usual for imported games. Unlike other games, however, the PAL version was removed from the Wii Shop Channel on October 1, 2007, before being re-added permanently on August 22, 2008.

It was released on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on July 25, 2012, and outside Japan on December 27, 2012. It was released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U in Japan on August 8, 2012, in Europe and Australia on January 23, 2014 and in North America on March 13, 2014.

Wii Shop description

Originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros.® 2, this game has previously made only brief cameo appearances in the Western hemisphere. Now available on the Virtual Console in all of its original splendor, Mario fans will appreciate the familiar look and feel of the game, while finding that its updated game play creates an entirely new challenge. No longer content just to wear different-colored overalls, Mario and Luigi also possess different skill sets (Mario can stop quicker, while Luigi can jump higher). In addition to the classic enemies already known to fans worldwide, there are also Poison Mushrooms, backward Warp Zones, and the occasional wind gust (which can help or hinder your progress) to take into account. And if that's somehow not enough, expert players can go looking for the game's secret worlds. So get ready to put your Mario skills to the ultimate test, and save the Princess again. Just don't be surprised if she's in another castle!

Staff

Main article: List of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels staff

Directors

• Shigeru Miyamoto
• Takashi Tezuka

Original Music

• Koji Kondo

Designers

• Shigeru Miyamoto
• Takashi Tezuka

Programmers

• Toshihiko Nakago
• Yasunari Nishida
• Kazuaki Morita

Glitches

File:SMB2j 1ups.png

Mario performing the Infinite 1-Up Trick.

Main article: List of glitches in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels contains several glitches; the most famous glitch is the Infinite 1-Up Trick, which can be performed several ways using a Koopa Shell. Another glitch can be performed by touching the Axe while the timer is at 0, looping it to 999.

Gallery

• 320099-mario1.jpg

  Mario

• LuigiSMB2LL.png

  Luigi

• Peach2.png

  Princess Peach

• Lostlevelbowser.png

  Bowser

• MarioSMBLL.png

  Super Mario in World 1-1.

• Smb2 super mushroom.png

  A sprite of Super Mushroom

Quotes

• "Peace is paved/with kingdom saved/Hurrah to Mario(or Luigi, depending on the character)/our only hero/This ends your trip/of a long friendship." - Poem recited by Princess Peach after defeating Bowser, after which the player is rewarded with 100,000 points for each life left (also seen in Vs. Super Mario Bros. and All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.)
• "Thank you Mario/Luigi!" - Princess Peach and Toads, following the above
• "We present Fantasy World let's try “9 World” with one game." -- World 9 intro screen
• 「アリガトウ!」 (Arigatou!, translated from Japanese, meaning Thank You) -- coral in World 9-4
• "You're a super player! We hope we'll see you again. Mario and staff." -- Game Over screen for World 9

Trivia

• In Worlds 3-1 and 3-2, it is possible to jump over the flagpole by jumping on a trampoline and hitting invisible blocks, respectively. In World 3-1, jumping over the flagpole will take the players to a backwards Warp Zone to World 1. In World 3-2, when the players are on the other side of the flag, they can finish the level by simply touching the flag, the same way as normal.
• World 9 was rumored to be based on an incident of a Japanese gamer's antenna being hit by lightning while playing Super Mario Bros. during a thunderstorm, causing his Famicom to show a bizarre level taking place underwater but with overworld scenery and enemies. However, Shigeru Miyamoto stated in an interview that it was based on an exploit that would let the player access 256 extra worlds in Super Mario Bros.
• At the end of the Mario Kart 8 April 30 Nintendo Direct, when the Nintendo fan pulls out his "Things to do before I die" list to write "Buy Mario Kart 8", one of the other notes on the list is "Beat Mario 2: The Lost Levels", which is a joke about how difficult the game is compared to other Mario games.