Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
American box art For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer	Nintendo R&D 1
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Game Boy, Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS), Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online
Release date	Game Boy: Template:Release Virtual Console (3DS): Template:Release Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online: Template:Release[?]
Language(s)	English (United States) Japanese
Genre	2D Platformer
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone PEGI: - Three years and older CERO: - All ages ACB: - General USK: - All ages RARS: - All ages
Mode(s)	1 player
Input	Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Game Boy: Gamepad Nintendo 3DS: Gamepad

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, also known as simply Super Mario Land 2 or Mario Land 2, is a platforming game for the Game Boy released in 1992 and later for the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2011 and the Nintendo Switch's Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online service as one of its launch titles in 2023. This sequel to Super Mario Land is the seventh entry in the Super Mario series and also marks the debut of Mario's self-proclaimed arch rival Wario, who would later become a recurring character in the Super Mario franchise as well as a protagonist in his own series. Like its predecessor, it received a Player's Choice and was produced by the late Gunpei Yokoi rather than the Super Mario franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto, who was not involved in the development of this game. It is notable for having been the last original side-scrolling Super Mario game until 2006's New Super Mario Bros., 13½ years later (not counting reissues). Like Super Mario Land, this game was originally excluded from the main Super Mario series by Nintendo, but went on to be included alongside the more traditional games for the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and the history pages from the Mario Portal and "The official home for Mario" websites.

Story

Story from the instruction booklet

DANGER! DANGER!
While I was away crusading against the mystery alien Tatanga in Sarasa Land, an evil creep took over my castle and put the people of Mario Land under his control with a magic spell. The intruder goes by the name of Wario. He has been jealous of my popularity ever since we were boys, and has tried to steal my castle many times. It seems he has succeeded this time. Wario has scattered the 6 Golden Coins from my castle all over Mario Land. These Golden Coins are guarded by those under Wario's spell. Without these coins, we can't get into the castle to deal with Wario. We must collect the 6 coins, attack Wario in the castle, and save everybody!
IT'S TIME TO SET OUT ON OUR MISSION!!
★The 6 Golden Coins are the coins needed to open the gate of Mario's castle.

After rescuing Princess Daisy from Tatanga in Sarasaland, Mario returns to his own private island, appropriately named Mario Land. Upon returning, however, he finds that an old rival of his named Wario had succeeded in taking over his castle and cast an evil spell to brainwash the island's inhabitants into serving him against Mario. The 6 Golden Coins (the keys to Mario's castle) were spread throughout the island, and Mario must retrieve these coins so that he can confront Wario in order to reclaim his castle and restore order to Mario Land.

The game begins with a simple "tutorial" level, Mushroom Zone, to help the player learn the controls of the game. This level can not be replayed. After this is completed, the player must travel through six different "zones" containing a series of levels to collect the coins:

Mario fighting Fiery Wario.

• The Tree Zone: A large tree infested with giant insects, this zone is guarded by the Big Bird.
• The Turtle Zone: Inside of a giant tortoise, this zone is an aquatic environment and is guarded by an octopus located inside of a whale.
• The Macro Zone: A house-like zone that shrinks those who enter it, this zone is guarded by the sewer rat.
• The Pumpkin Zone: Located inside a giant jack-o'-lantern containing graveyards and haunted houses, this zone is guarded by the Witch.
• The Mario Zone: A mechanical version of Mario, this zone is guarded by the Three Little Pigs.
• The Space Zone: Encompassing the moon and stars, this zone is guarded by the alien Tatanga, the final boss of the original Super Mario Land.
• In addition to the tutorial level, there is also another level that is not part of any specific "zone" or area, and lies off the path between the Tree Zone and the Macro Zone. Playing this level does not unlock anything, though does count as one of the exits in the game. Unlike the tutorial level, this level can be replayed.

After gathering the 6 Golden Coins, Mario can venture into a dangerous, transformed version of his old castle. Upon reaching the throne room, Mario finally confronts Wario and they duke it out. Though Wario was bigger and stronger, Mario was able to best him with his wits and superior jumping skills. Wario then begins using the same powerups as Mario used during his journey, such as a Carrot to give him hovering abilities and a Fire Flower to give him the power to throw fireballs. Despite these power-ups, however, Mario was still able to defeat him in battle. As a result, Wario shrinks and begins crying in defeat, but then throws one of his shoes at Mario before making his escape from the castle, with Mario following suit. With Wario gone, the castle returns to normal and peace is restored to Mario Land.

Gameplay

Overview

Gameplay screenshot of the tutorial level.

Unlike the gameplay of its predecessor, Super Mario Land 2's gameplay more closely resembles that of past Super Mario franchise titles. Most notably, this game replaces the Superball Mario with a more traditional Fire Mario and does away with Super Mario Land's vehicle levels. The screen can now scroll to the left, allowing Mario to backtrack through levels, and character sprites have significantly increased in size, enabling more focused and fast-paced action as well as a better overall visual quality to the game. The game is one of the first Super Mario games to have two different difficulty levels: Normal and Easy mode. The level can be chosen by picking Mario's size with the button before picking which file to save to.

Like in Super Mario World, the game's locations can be traversed via an overworld map. This gives rise to a few secrets, including "shortcuts," which allow Mario to traverse the map more quickly, and a casino where Mario can gamble his coins to earn more lives. Unlike those of Super Mario World and the earlier Super Mario Bros. games, Super Mario Land 2's worlds do not have to be played linearly without requiring a hidden item or exit, although all worlds must still be cleared. The player can return to the world map from a completed level by pressing to pause and then .

Controls

In levels, the allows Mario to jump, while holding the will make Mario run faster. Holding up on the will make Mario jump a little higher. The controls where Mario walks or runs. The player can pause in a level with the button. Jumping on most enemies will defeat them, as will attacking them with fireballs, a Star, or hitting them with a Koopa Shell. A Koopa Shell can be picked up by running into it while holding and thrown by letting go, or it can be kicked by walking into it or jumping on top of it.

Super Mario Land 2 continues a tradition established by past games and includes a plethora of level designs. For example, there are water levels through which Mario swims by tapping (Mario can also swim through sap, and movements such as walking and falling are slowed down) and space levels with altered gravity (jump height is increased, as is fall time).

Mario can use Warp Pipes in the same manner as in other games: by holding down on the while standing on top of one, up while jumping up into one above, or left or right for pipes that are horizontal.

Game Boy

• : Jump; swim
• : Run; throw fireball (as Fire Mario)
• : Move
• : Pause

Nintendo 3DS

• : Jump; swim
• : Run; throw fireball (as Fire Mario)
• : Move
• : Pause

Rewards and setbacks

Getting hit by an enemy or hazard while Mario is in his Small state, falling to the bottom of the screen or in lava, getting crushed behind the screen in an auto-scrolling level, or running out of time, makes Mario lose a life and get booted out of the level and back to the map. If Mario loses all of his lives, he will also lose all of the six coins he has collected and will have to fight their guardians once again, but he does not have to replay the other levels in their worlds to get there. Extra lives are represented as hearts as opposed to green mushrooms in this game, due to the grayscale graphics.

Each level has a checkpoint, which is a bell hanging from a block. If Mario rings the bell, he starts the level from this location should he lose a life.

The exits of regular levels are marked "GOAL" and consist of a door in the wall and a bell hanging from a post above it. If Mario enters the door, the level immediately ends, and he returns to the map and progresses to the next stage marker, but if he hits the bell first, he gets to play a bonus game which can reward him with power-ups or more lives.

Collecting 100 coins does not immediately reward Mario with an extra life like it does in other titles, but it does allow the player to enter the casino in the hill between Mario's castle and the tutorial level for a chance to earn lives. Mario can hold up to 999 coins.

There is no "score" in the traditional sense that Mario gets in this game for defeating enemies or completing the level with extra time, but he does have an enemy counter for each enemy he defeats, and defeating 100 enemies will cause a Star to fall down to Mario.

Items

Item	Transformation	Abilities
1-Up Heart	N/A	An alternative to 1-Up Mushrooms, the 1-Up Heart grants Mario one extra life when collected. They can be collected via ? Blocks and bonus games.
3-Up Heart	N/A	Similarly to 3-Up Moons, a 3-Up Heart grants Mario three extra lives when collected. They can be found in places that are hidden or difficult to reach.
Carrot	Bunny Mario	A new item exclusive to this game, the Carrot transforms Mario into Bunny Mario. In this form, he is able to hover briefly by tapping while flapping his bunny ears. This allows him to stay in the air longer, helpful for crossing or maneuvering around obstacles, enemies, and other hazards with ease.
Coin	N/A	The most common collectible, coins are now used to earn extra lives and items via the casino.
Fire Flower	Fire Mario	As Fire Mario, Mario can throw fireballs with . These fireballs bounce along the ground and defeat enemies. In this game, they may also be used to break fiery blocks. Interestingly, this transformation is distinguished with a feather in Mario's cap rather than a different color, most likely due to the Game Boy's limitations.
Moneybag	N/A	Moneybags can be found in certain ? Blocks. Collecting one rewards Mario with fifty coins.
Mushroom	Super Mario	As usual, a Mushroom powers Small Mario into Super Mario. This allows him to take one hit without losing a life, reverting him to his small form instead. While Super Mario, he may also break bricks either by jumping underneath them or by performing Spin Jumps by pressing down in midair to break them on top, a technique similar to the one from Super Mario World. Certain enemies, such as Koopas, which normally require more than one hit to defeat, can be defeated in this manner.
Star	Invincible Mario	Collecting a Star turns Mario invincible for a short time, preventing him from being damaged by enemies and other hazards. Rather than moving around, in this game, the Star remains stationary when struck out of the ? Block it is contained in. Notably, after five enemies are defeated while invincible, an extra life is earned, with an additional one for every enemy defeated by invincibility afterward. Defeating one hundred enemies grants another Star.

Worlds

As the game's title suggests, the game is split into six different worlds, and then a final level where Mario fights Wario, the final boss of the game.

World	Coin	Boss	Levels
Overworld courses	N/A	N/A	Mushroom Zone Hippo, Entrance to the Space Zone Scenic Course Casino
Tree Zone		Big Bird	Invincibility! In the Trees The Exit Honeybees Final Boss: The Big Bird Secret Course 1
Space Zone		Tatanga	Moon stage Star stage Secret Course 2
Macro Zone		Sewer rat	The Ant Monsters In the Syrup Sea Fiery Mario–Special Agent Final Boss: One Mighty Mouse! Secret Course 3
Pumpkin Zone		Witch	Bat Course Pumpkin Zone Level 2 Pumpkin Zone Level 3 Witch's Mansion Course Secret Course 4 Secret Course 5
Mario Zone		Three Little Pigs	Fiery Blocks Mario the Circus Star! Beware: Jagged Spikes Final Bosses: Three Mean Pigs!
Turtle Zone		Octopus	Cheep Cheep Course Turtle Zone Whale Course Secret Course 6
Mario's castle	N/A	Wario	Mario's castle

Enemies and obstacles

Name	Sprite	Description	First appearance	Last appearance
Ant		Marches back and forth in a small area, damaging Mario if touched.	The Exit	In the Syrup Sea
Aqua Goomba		Moves like a Goomba and propels Mario high into the air when stomped.	Whale Course
Battle Beetle		Jumps into the air, and flies downwards at an angle.	The Exit	In the Syrup Sea
Bear		Rolls on top of a Beach Ball, which can be used to traverse spiky and dangerous floors.	Mario the Circus Star!
Bee Fly		Flies away when Mario gets close.	The Exit	Fiery Mario–Special Agent
Beebee		Emerges from honeycombs, trying to home in on Mario to sting him.	Honeybees
Bero		Stays still, damaging Mario with its tongue. Can be used as a platform.	Pumpkin Zone Level 2
Bigbee		Drops down to crush Mario, then flies back to its position.	Honeybees
Birdfish		Hops out of the water, and glides on the air for a brief period of time.	Hippo
Blurp		Swims aimlessly in one direction, while occasionally pausing.	Hippo	Cheep Cheep Course
Bomubomu		Patrols an area, occasionally shooting cannonballs horizontally or diagonally.	Moon stage	Final Bosses: Three Mean Pigs!
Boo		Chases Mario whenever he is not facing it, but hides when he is.	Bat Course	Witch's Mansion Course
Bopping Toady		Hops a small distance before lashing out its tongue for a short-ranged attack.	Invincibility!
Bullet Bill		A bullet that is periodically fired out of Turtle Cannons.	Beware: Jagged Spikes	Turtle Zone
Cannonball		Fired from Bomubomu either horizontally or diagonally.	Moon stage	Final Bosses: Three Mean Pigs!
Cheep-Cheep		Swims back and forth in the water.	In the Syrup Sea	Cheep Cheep Course
Chikunto		Has retractable spikes that can damage Mario if he tries to jump on it.	The Ant Monsters
Collector		Runs away carrying a 1-Up Heart.	Final Boss: One Mighty Mouse!
Dokanto		An ant with cannons on their heads that periodically fire pellets.	The Ant Monsters
Dondon		Flies forwards in a straight line.	Hippo	Final Boss: The Big Bird
Falling spike		Falls from the ceiling to hit Mario.	Bat Course
Fireball Boy		Hovers around in a figure-eight area.	Pumpkin Zone Level 2
Floating Face		Bounces around diagonally in small rooms.	Mario's castle
Furiko		Moves back and forth in a pendulum-like swing to damage Mario. Smaller than Furizo.	Mario's castle
Furizo		Moves back and forth in a pendulum-like swing to damage Mario. Larger than Furiko.	Mario's castle
Ghost Goomba		Moves like a Goomba, but cannot be defeated with a stomp.	Pumpkin Zone Level 3
Goomba		Walks forward aimlessly, can be defeated with one stomp.	Mushroom Zone	Cheep Cheep Course
Goronto		Digs up rocks and rolls them towards Mario.	The Ant Monsters
Grubby		A spiky Unera that cannot be jumped on.	Honeybees
Honebon		Swims underwater in an upside-down V-shape.	Fiery Mario–Special Agent	Whale Course
Jack-in-the-Box		Emerges from ? Blocks, then hops around wildly.	Beware: Jagged Spikes
Karakara		Hops into the air, before opening up and floating down, while moving side-to-side.	Pumpkin Zone Level 2
Karamenbo		Four spinning pillars that come crashing down from the sky before rising back up.	Mario's castle
Kiddokatto		Charges at Mario at high speeds, usually in groups.	Beware: Jagged Spikes
Koopa Troopa		Can be knocked into its shell, which can be kicked to hurt other enemies.	Mushroom Zone	Secret Course 6
Kurokyura		Stays in place, sending small bats called Minikyura after Mario.	Bat Course
Kyororo		Waits for Mario to appear before charging at him.	Pumpkin Zone Level 2
Kyotonbo		Flies in quick, darting motions to home in on Mario.	Invincibility!
Masked Ghoul		Walks forward aimlessly like a Goomba, but propels Mario upwards when stomped.	Bat Course	Witch's Mansion Course
Mechanical fist		A replica of Wario's fist that crashes down at great speed.	Mario's castle
Minikyura		Small bats fired at Mario by Kurokyura.	Bat Course
Moofish		Swims in sap, and charges at Mario horizontally if he gets close.	In the Trees
No. 48		Jumps around, and fires arcing, exploding stars.	Moon stage
Noko Bombette		Patrols an area, and explodes after being stomped.	In the Trees
Para-Goomba		Hops around in a small area, having their wings removed with one stomp.	Mushroom Zone	Whale Course
Pikku		Hops back and forth in a small area.	Witch's Mansion Course
Piranha Plant		Periodically emerges from pipes to bite Mario.	Mushroom Zone	Secret Course 6
Piranha Plant (statue)		Fire large, horizontal fireballs at Mario.	Mario's castle
Poro		Orbits blocks or areas of empty space.	Moon stage	Secret Course 2
Ragumo		Burrows underground to pop up and damage Mario.	Invincibility!
Rerere		Bounces back and forth as it sweeps the ground.	Witch's Mansion Course
Rock		Dug up by Goronto, and rolled towards Mario.	The Ant Monsters
Satellite		Spins around a point slowly to damage Mario if touched.	Final Bosses: Three Mean Pigs!
Screw		Emerges from the ground, and bounces towards Mario.	Fiery Blocks
Shark		Swims slowly in the water, but charges when Mario gets close.	Cheep Cheep Course	Turtle Zone
Skeleton Bee		A variant of Beebee that can come back to life when stomped.	Honeybees
Spiked ball		Moves along a vertical, chained path to damage Mario, pausing briefly before changing directions.	Bat Course	Witch's Mansion Course
Spikey		A hedgehog that curls up into a ball and dashes at Mario.	Invincibility!
Spiny Cheep-Cheep		Occasionally puffs up to float upwards underwater.	Cheep Cheep Course
Star		Floats in space, and cannot be defeated by any means.	Star stage	Secret Course 2
Tamara		Egg-like enemies that emerge from small, plant-like pods and move upwards.	Honeybees
Tatenoko		Sawblades that move horizontally on a set path.	Fiery Blocks
Tosenbo		Inflates briefly to block Mario's path.	Star stage
Turtle Cannon		Periodically fires Bullet Bills at Mario.	Beware: Jagged Spikes	Turtle Zone
Unera		Crawls slowly while patrolling an area.	Honeybees
Unibo		Indestructible enemies found in air and water.	Hippo	Turtle Zone
Venus Fire Trap		Periodically emerges from pipes, and shoots a fireball.	The Exit	Pumpkin Zone Level 3
Wakiri		Sawblades in the ground that move back and forth.	Final Bosses: Three Mean Pigs!
Yashichi		Spinning blades that move along tracks.	Fiery Blocks

Other obstacles

Name	Sprite	Description	First appearance	Last appearance
Fire		Flames that damage the player.	Fiery Mario–Special Agent	Witch's Mansion Course
Lance		Blade obstacles that rest in one place, usually along the ceiling, thrusting up and down in a set rhythm.	Turtle Zone	Whale Course
Lava	File:Nocoverart.png	Molten rock that can cause the player to instantly lose a life.	Mario's Castle
Rib bone		Large pointy obstacles that damage the player.	Whale Course
Spikes	File:Nocoverart.png	Pointy obstacles that damage the player.	Mushroom Zone	Mario's Castle
Tree sap		A gelatinous substance that Mario can swim through to get across spikes.	In the Trees

Objects

Blocks

Name	Sprite	Description
? Block		Contains a coin or item when hit.
Brick Block		Breaks or contains coins when hit.
Empty Block		A block that cannot be broken. When a ? Block is hit, it turns into an Empty Block.
Fiery block		A block that can be destroyed by Fire Mario.
Invisible/flashing block		A block that continuously flashes in the darkness.

Transportation objects

Name	Sprite	Description
Pipe		Pipes going through the ground that transport the player to new areas.
Bubble		Bubbles that allow Mario to swim in air.
Crane	File:Nocoverart.png	Cranes that help Mario travel across spikes.

Platforms

Name	Sprite	Description
Ball on chains		Spheres held up by chains. Black balls on chains move along with the chains they're hanging on for a short time when Mario land on them, while gray balls on chains remain stationary.
Cloud Lift		Clouds that serve as platforms.
Flimsy Lift	File:Nocoverart.png	Lifts that fall once stepped on.
Bone Lift		Bony platforms with skulls at the end of them that rise once stepped on.
Heavy Zed		Owls that carry the player to another area once stepped on.
Gear		Gear-like platform that move Mario if he steps on them.
Mushroom Platform		Mushrooms that serve as platforms.
Beach Ball		Balls that serve as a platform, which roll and changes orientation when bumping into a wall. It can be used to pass spiky surfaces.
Conveyor Belt		Moving platforms that carry the player from one place to another without them having to move at all.
Skull Platform		Skull-shaped blocks with flashing eyes that quickly crumble away once stepped on.

Other

Name	Sprite	Description
Midway Bell		Bells that serve as checkpoints.
Bonus Bell		Bells that hangs above the stage's goal exit.
Hippo		Big, statue-like animals that releases bubbles.

Educational film

Mario battling Wario, from the Japanese video based on the game.

Main article: Mario Kirby Meisaku Video

An educational Japanese-only video, called Mario Kirby Meisaku Video, was produced in 1995 based on the game. It featured a segment based off Super Mario Land 2, and another one featuring Kirby and other characters from his series. The video follows an alternative version of the game's plot, where Wario steals treasures from a school, and after being informed by Princess Peach, Mario embarks on a mission to defeat Wario. The intent of the videos was to teach Japanese children kanji.

Sequels and prequels

After the introduction of Wario (who quickly became popular) the Super Mario Land series shifted its attention to him. The next game, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, featured Wario as the protagonist, with Mario only making a minor cameo at the very end of the game. The next game in the series was simply titled Wario Land II, thus making Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 the final entry in the Super Mario Land series.

Although this game marks the first appearance of Wario, dialogue in the instruction booklet suggests that Wario is an old enemy of Mario who has been jealous of his fame and fortune. In the comic book inspired by this game, Mario vs. Wario, Wario is portrayed slightly more sympathetically and is shown to have been one of Mario's friends when they were both children. However, because of the numerous indignities Mario (unknowingly) forced Wario to suffer, Wario has now sworn revenge on him (which causes the events of both Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins).

Color revision

The bonus game seen on Game Boy Color

When playing Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins on a Game Boy Color, the game will display colors using a unique hardware-coded color palette.

References to other games

• Super Mario Bros. – After Mario defeats Wario, the ending cutscene reads "Thank you, Mario. Your quest is over." Princess Peach says this after Mario defeats Bowser in Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros. 3 – The music for Water Land can be heard in the background of the music for the Mario Zone and stage 3 of Tree Zone.
• Super Mario Land – It is revealed that Wario stole Mario's castle during Mario's rescue of Princess Daisy. Tatanga is seen working for him in the Space Zone, implying a connection between the two. Part of the Ghost House music is an arrangement of the coin room music from this game.
• Super Mario World – Super Mario's sprite in this game is the basis of his Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins sprite. Blurps return from this game, alongside enemies inspired by Monty Moles and Fishbones, while Cheep-Cheeps use a design inspired from their appearance in this game. Also, the spin jump returns. While not directly observed in-game, the overall design of Mario Land's map strongly resembles the design for the map of Dinosaur Land from this game, as can be seen from official maps. Mushrooms and Fire Flowers also use their designs from this game.

References in later games

• Mario's Tennis – Mario's sprite in the character selection looks almost exactly like his sprite from this game, only in a tennis outfit. Luigi's sprite in the character selection also looks noticeably similar.
• Super Smash Bros. – One of Mario's alternate costumes is based on Wario's outfit.
• Mario Golf – One of Wario's costumes is based on his in-game sprite.
• Wario World – The castle shown on the title graphic bears a striking resemblance to Mario's castle.
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga – The battle start sound is the same as the power up emerging from a ? Block sound in this game. The jumping sound effect is also the same between both games.
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl – One of Wario's alternate costumes is based on his in-game sprite.
• Fortune Street – Wario has a quote where he says that if he flips the "M" of Starship Mario upside-down, it would be his.
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star – The Space Zone level theme is remixed when the Boom Box Thing is used.
• WarioWare: Get It Together!: The music in this game's credits plays the level entry jingle right before it transitions to 9-Volt's portion of the credits.

Development

Development for Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins began in November 1991, and took ten months to complete. In a 1992 interview, the game's director and designer Hiroji Kiyotake discussed that the team originally wanted to divert from the conventional ideas established by the past Super Mario games. Pursuing this concept, the initial work on the game lead to the first draft being turned down, due to disagreements on whether the product properly represented Mario's character and the in-game world he is reknowned for. Realizing that they were on the wrong path, the team reworked it to "something a little closer to the existing Mario world". However, the team still desired to provide Mario with a new objective, rather than fighting to rescue the princess as seen in most Super Mario games leading up to that time. The game's staff wanted a "change of pace", and decided that Mario should fight to win back something that belongs to him, rather than fighting for "someone else's benefit".

Various members of development staff, who were a part of the interview published in the game's official Shogakukan guide. Clockwise from the top-left: Takahiro Harada, Kazumi Totaka, Takehiko Hosokawa and Hiroji Kiyotake, with their respective ages at the time.

Wario, as depicted being sketched by a gloved hand. The glove shows a "K", which presumably signifies Hiroji Kiyotake.

It was Kiyotake's idea to introduce Wario as a new character, with whom he discussed it with the assistant character designer Takehiko Hosokawa, before presenting the idea to the rest of the game's staff. Before Wario's actual character development, his name was the first thing that was decided on. It was derived from the Japanese word "warui", meaning "bad". The idea to have an upside-down "M" on his cap (representing a "W") received immediate, enthusiastic support by the rest of the development staff. Wario's character was based on the idea that a protagonist should have an arch-rival and nemesis. Kiyotake compared Mario and Wario to comic book characters Popeye and Bluto's relationship, where Bluto is larger, stronger, and more cunning than his counterpart, and normally motivated by self-interests. After the idea of Wario was agreed on by the rest of the staff, Kiyotake discussed the details of in-game sprite animation and movement with programmer Takahiro Harada. As well as Wario, there were many other characters which was proposed by Kiyotake. Many of these were either direct rejects, or characters that did not gain approval from the wider staff team.

Kiyotake was very fond of the untouchable Bee Fly enemies used in Tree and Macro Zones, even causing him to "burst out laughing" after he first interacted with them after they were programmed. He was eager to see the Bee Fly remain in the final game, as he was amused by how it would likely annoy players. While developing the controls for the game, Harada considered that players may find it difficult to hold down two buttons on the Game Boy's D-pad to move in a diagonal direction. This was kept in mind while programming how Mario's Bunny and Spacesuit performed high jumps.

Kazumi Totaka, who composed the music for Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, acknowledged that the sound effect played when transforming into Super Mario was originally identical to the one used for Super Mario World until about midway through development. However, he was afraid that the player would be given an impression that they are playing a game that overlaps with Super Mario World, and become "negatively conscious" that they were playing on a small Game Boy screen compared to the television screen used by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Therefore, Totaka chose to use many different sound effects across other past Super Mario games. Asides from composing, Totaka also had a partial role in some of the discussions between Kiyotake, Harada, and Hosokawa. Totaka was able to provide comments and feedback while proposed ideas were being evaluated. He was also able to come up with suggestions of his own, although these were mostly rejected.

According to Takahiro Harada, the most challenging stage of development was adjusting and fine-tuning the test version after it was presented to playtesters. As he and the team had been playing and testing the gameplay since the beginning, they initially believed that the test version was too easy. However, Harada stated that the testers generally found the game very difficult. About 2-3 months was spent on making small changes to the stages, according to the feedback which they received from the playtesters.

Reception

In GamePro's review of the game, they give the game's fun factor a 5.0/5.0 and praise the game's graphics and control. The publication praises the sound to a lesser extent, giving it only a 4.0/5.0 and calls the music "cute".

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Game Boy	Scary Larry, GamePro	18/20	"Super Mario Land 2 is the most fun found on the Game Boy in a long time. The game play is not effected by the little screen, and some stages are more challenging than their 8-bit counterparts. Super Mario Land 2 is the kind of game that you'll play again and again. With so many hidden stages and so much awesome action, your battery bill will run as high as the plumber's bill. With everything and the kitchen sink included, this cart makes other Game Boy titles seem like sink sludge."
Nintendo 3DS	Corbie Dillard, Nintendo Life	9/10	"The original Super Mario Land was a solid start for the series on Nintendo's Game Boy system, but nothing could prepare gamers for what the developers were able to do with this sequel. They managed to improve every aspect of the game and even made the adventure a much longer and more rewarding experience this time around. The difficulty is perhaps a bit on the easy side, but it's still one of the best Game Boy titles ever released and a testament to just how capable a game system the Game Boy truly was, and still is for that matter. If you're a Super Mario fan with a 3DS, you absolutely must take the opportunity to own this game; if you're not, this legendary release is good enough to make you one."
Nintendo 3DS	Shane Jury, Cubed3	8/10	"Easily one of the early highlights for the 3DS eShop, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins brings a pure platforming experience to handheld owners, together with some unique attributes for the game to call its own. Length and toughness issues aside, Mario's second portable endeavour and Wario's introduction is simply a must play."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
GameRankings		79.56%

Pre-release and unused content

See also: tcrf:Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

A pre-release screenshot, as well as a video, showed a different, less detailed title screen in at least one build, featuring a sign more similar to the one from Super Mario Land.

Early variations of certain graphics exist and may be found within the data of the game. Mario’s front poses in his different forms appear slightly different and thinner, with darker fireballs. Shadows were added to the fonts, while a time font used to indicate time remaining was removed. Pipes were made thicker, likely so that Mario could pass through completely. The goal had no bell and the goal sign was raised all the way up, likely indicating that the goal sign would lower down once Mario completed the level. On the other hand, platforms became thinner, with a cracked variety of platform remaining unused.

Some sprites were completely unused, such as swimming animations and forward-facing poses for Mario as Small Mario and Super Mario in the Space Zone. A trampoline highly reminiscent of one from Super Mario World may also be found.

Additionally, there were multiple changes to the overworld map that did not make the final cut. There is a cloud positioned above the Pumpkin Zone. Despite being fully functional, its code was disabled in the final game. Tiles for the top of Mario's castle are present as well, though are obscured by the darkened cloud in front of the castle. For reasons unknown, some water tiles next to Macro Zone's right chimney were switched around. A piece of the fence surrounding Scenic Course is missing.

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  The early title screen. This can be seen in a Game Boy commercial.

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  Early Mario sprites

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  Final Mario sprites. The Fireballs are brighter and the sprites are wider.

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  Early pipe graphics

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  Final pipe graphics. The middle of the pipe is as big as its ends.

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  Early goal graphics

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  Final goal graphics. A bell was added to the top and the goal sign was set to be lowered.

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  Unused animation of Small Mario swimming in his spacesuit

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  Unused animation of Super Mario swimming in his spacesuit

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  Unused overworld tilemap

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  The unused cloud above Pumpkin Zone

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  Unused tiles for Mario's castle on the overworld map

Glitches

Main article: List of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins glitches

Out-of-bounds glitch

In area 4 of Tree Zone, the player can lure a Skeleton Bee to the far left part of the stage, then lure it to a greater height, then hold up and jump to do a high jump and bounce off of the Skeleton Bee to reach a normally inaccessible area. The player should then wait for the Skeleton Bee to follow Mario, then go as high as they can to bounce off of the Skeleton Bee again. Mario will go into the wall and slide to the right until he falls out of it, then he will enter an out-of-bounds area that contains glitched tiles (which can crash the game, reset it, or even unlock a stage).

Pipe glitch

This glitch only works for ROM versions v1.0 and v1.1. In any level with a pipe in it, if the player presses Start and Select at the same time they leave a stage or enter a pipe and return to that level, they can then move through the floor. If there is nothing underneath the stage, the player can see a number of glitchy tiles. These tiles are actually the entire game's code and Game Boy's code being displayed as graphics.

Staff

Main article: List of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins staff

The music for this game was composed by Kazumi Totaka. If the player waits on the Game Over screen for two minutes and thirty seconds, Totaka's Song will play.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

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  Bunny Mario

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  Wario

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  Kyororo

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  Moofish

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  Mario Land

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins media.

Invincible Theme

File infoMedia:SML2 Invincible.oga ​

Space Theme

File infoMedia:SML2 Space.oga ​

Tree Theme

File infoMedia:Super Mario Land Tree Zone 1.oga ​

Underground Theme

File infoMedia:SML2 Tree Zone 2.oga ​

SML2 Tree Zone 3

File infoMedia:SML2 Tree Zone 3.oga ​

Ghost House Theme

File infoMedia:SML2 Ghost House.oga ​

Overworld Theme

File infoMedia:Super Mario Land 2 Overworld.oga ​

Overworld Map Theme

File infoMedia:SML2 Overworld Map.oga ​

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	スーパーマリオランド２ ６つの金貨[?] Sūpā Mario Rando Tsū: Muttsu no Kinka	Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Chinese (simplified)	玛利欧世界 第二集 Mǎlìōu Shìjiè dì èr jí	Mario World: Second Episode
Chinese (traditional)	超級瑪利歐樂園２ 六個金幣[?] Chāojí Mǎlìōu Lèyuán 2: Liùgè Jīnbì	Super Mario Wonderland 2: Six Gold Coins
Korean	슈퍼 마리오 랜드 ２[?] Syupeo Malio Laendeu 2	Super Mario Land 2

Trivia

• If the player loses a life in a level they have already completed, it is possible to exit the level by pressing + (even when the death animation is playing, if done fast enough) without losing any lives.
• On the File Select screen, if the player is deleting a file, Mario will transform into Bomb Mario.
• With Wario as the antagonist, this is the third Super Mario title to feature a major villain that is not Bowser, the first being Super Mario Bros. 2's Wart, and the second being Super Mario Land's Tatanga.

External links

• Japanese site
• Japanese Virtual Console site
• North American site
• Nintendo UK site