this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2023
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Just a random (almost 35 years too late) question because I've been replaying SMB2 on the Switch.

It seems like she's just objectively better in every way. I don't get why I would pick the others.

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[–] drcouzelis@lemmy.zip 80 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Oh man, I love Super Mario Bros 2! It's one of my favorite games of all time.

So, each character actually has very different stats.

Luigi and Princess have obvious special jumping abilities. I think Luigi can actually jump a little farther... But both of them have significantly shorter jumps and run more slowly when carrying a vegetable, and both pick up vegetables quite slowly (especially the princess). This can be extremely detrimental on sand stages that require a lot of fast digging to get away from enemies, or picking up a block to throw at a boss before he attacks.

Toad is the opposite. He can pick up vegetables and run with them blazingly fast, and can run and jump as high (higher?) while carrying them.

Mario is balanced all-around.

It's all explained in the instruction manual with some cute drawings. Each character is really quite balanced in my opinion.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Oh wow, I had no idea. I didn't even own the manual back in the day because I played it on Mario All Stars on the SNES.

Where were you with this info in the mid 1990s?

[–] drcouzelis@lemmy.zip 23 points 2 years ago (2 children)
[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

Man, I miss manuals like this.

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

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[–] AcornCarnage@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

The strengths/weaknesses are ingrained in my brain from studying that manual. I thought it was common knowledge.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 56 points 2 years ago (2 children)

The reason to has actually been removed.

In the US version of Mario 2, all you have to do is make it to the end with any character to win. In the Japanese Doki Doki Panic on which it is based, you actually need to get to the end with all 4 characters before you've beaten the game.

The different characters do have strengths and weaknesses: differences in run speed, item pickup speed, and jump mechanics (and Toad actually runs faster when he's holding an item) but you are correct in that for purposes simply amounting to no more than getting through each level to the end, using Peach/Toadstool is the easiest.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Oh man, this would have been brutal and fun!

[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think you could recreate that experience a bit of you go after the retroachevments for the game (e.g. fan made achievements enforced via emulator). I think they require you beat the game 5 times, one for each character and once with a split group. Also, no damage runs and such. Difficult stuff.

[–] JamesBean@kbin.social 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

e.g. means 'for example.' I think you were looking for i.e. (which means 'in other words' or 'to be specific').

[–] AcornCarnage@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago

I think of them as "example given" and "in essence" which is close enough to remind me which to use.

[–] GreenMario@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

I think it was Famicom disk system so you could save your game?

[–] constantokra@lemmy.one 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Doki doki panic is a great game and you should play it. Feels nostalgic, even if you've only ever played super Mario Bros 2.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I assume I'll need to locate a rom?

Wait, I have a famicom. I bet I could find a cartridge.

[–] UltraBlack@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The Steven He Asian difficulty is real?

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

Emotional damage

[–] cybervseas@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago

Peach is a slow runner and it takes her a long time to pick up an object.

[–] TORFdot0@lemmy.world 19 points 2 years ago

Peach is slow as hell. Toad all day baybee

[–] radix@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

There's a warp zone you can only reach with Luigi, IIRC (but it's been a long time). So for one level, at least, he's better if you want to skip ahead.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

TIL this game has warp zones

[–] groucho@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 years ago

Yeah, they're pipes / jars / whatever. You have to find a potion, throw it so the pipe is available when you go through the door, and then go down the pipe.

[–] groucho@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 years ago

Yep, world 5-3. I dimly remember being able to Luigi superjump onto the birds in 7-1 and short-circuit a bunch of that level.

[–] Die4Ever@programming.dev 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If you want an overly objective answer, speedrunners use different characters for different levels because they're faster in different ways, and I don't think Peach is used often. As a casual player IDK lol I always just played as Peach

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Maybe I should watch some speed runs. The others just feel terrible to use, and I can't fathom how they would be better.

[–] Die4Ever@programming.dev 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

You're playing on Switch so I guess that's the same as the NES release? Here's the current world record for all levels

https://www.twitch.tv/coolkid/v/948465227?sr=a

https://www.speedrun.com/smb2?h=All_Levels&x=l9kv002g

Here's a run from a GamesDoneQuick event which means the commentary will probably explain more than usual

https://youtu.be/hGTLfo3f2VI

Oh and here are the number of levels played by each character from the end of that GDQ run lol

The world record is 1, 5, 13, and 1

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

This is cool to see. At least everyone got played once, haha.

[–] Die4Ever@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

And also Luigi > Mario, finally

[–] amio@kbin.social 5 points 2 years ago

Speedruns can be a lot of fun to watch - the better you know the game, the more fun it can be. Some runs get freaky, but a lot of games have glitchless categories or some kind of ruleset that doesn't break the game too badly. A lot of glitches are fascinating, too.

[–] spacemanspiffy@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

Peach was basically my only character ever, but occasionally I would use Toad for the Ice level with all the whales since he could jump between the bees easily.

[–] AtomicPurple@kbin.social 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Because you're my 5 year old god daughter who always wants to play as "Uwiigi".

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

My 1 y/o tries to say "peach" and does the little arm raise when I select her.

[–] GreenMario@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago
[–] TheTim@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago

Playing as Peach in Mario 2 was the OG "Funky Mode."

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

The answer is that you wouldn't. Because she can float. SHE CAN FLOAT.

[–] solidneutral@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 years ago

Peach's jump is OP. I loved SMB2.

[–] oddspinnaker@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This is an excellent question and I await the responses to see if anyone used other characters.

Peach was the character I used the most for sure.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

I always played her back in the day too, but I remember trying the others out.

It would've made a lot more sense if they were greyed out when you died with them or something, so that you'd have to pick the others.

[–] danielton@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

Luigi can jump really high, so I like playing as Luigi as well.

[–] tabular@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Buh-da buh-da buh-da buh-da da-buh

aeiou

[–] ziggurism@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago

the cheevos, for one