![](https://retrofortress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240516_203928-2234412230-e1715922990209.jpg)
Super Mario is one of gaming’s most popular and beloved characters, and this was especially true in 1992. At this point, Mario fever was in full swing – Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 and 3 were massive successes on the NES, and Mario had recently made the jump to 16 bit with 1991’s Super Mario World. Nintendo also tested the waters in the realm of portable gaming with 1989’s Super Mario Land. Finally, Mario had made the jump to handhelds and at last gamers could get their Mario fix no matter where they were.
As neat as the first Super Mario Land game was, it was by no means graphically stunning. The developers were new to the Game Boy hardware and had not realized what it was fully capable of. It was also quite short, clocking in at a little over an hour. The game was fun and well designed, but it was apparent that more could be done with the Game Boy hardware to bring a bigger and grander Mario adventure to the platform. Enter Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.
Super Mario Land 2 is a massive step up from its predecessor. Everything about it is an upgrade. The graphics are much more detailed in many different ways. Super Mushrooms have the iconic eyes as seen in Super Mario World. Levels actually have backdrops which set the scene for each environment. There are more levels, new enemies with detailed sprites, and a variety of new power ups. The game even has a world map which allows you to select what level you want to play. You can definitely tell Nintendo put a lot of effort into this game to make it feel more like the console Mario games. The music is catchy and orchestrated beautifully. The controls are polished, fine tuned, and feel smooth, just as a Mario game should. The first game felt a bit “floaty” so this is a nice improvement.
![](https://retrofortress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240516_204205-1479255457-e1715922946759.jpg)
The levels (as well as the theme of each zone) are well designed and unique. Space Zone and Turtle Zone are by far my favorite zones though. In Space Zone, Mario makes his way into space and that means running and jumping around in zero gravity. There’s also Turtle Zone, where in order to get there, Mario is eaten by a giant turtle and is brought underwater. Both of these zones have themes that make them stand out. I won’t go in depth on all of the zones but I can tell you that these zones are a fun depature from the traditional Mario worlds you may be used to. If you haven’t played the game yet, this may be one of the biggest draws for anyone yet to experience it.
The plot of this game is pretty simplistic, as most Mario game plots are. In this game, Mario’s castle is taken over by Wario (in his first video game appearance!) and Mario must gather 6 Golden Coins to enter the castle and reclaim his castle. This is all pretty simple, as the plot simply serves as a backdrop to give players a reason to move forward. Mario games are all about the gameplay so it doesn’t matter that the story is not some thought-provoking masterpiece of storytelling.
![](https://retrofortress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20230826_200214-29257179-e1715922791358.jpg?w=915)
The game itself is pretty easy, and there is one particular place where you can exploit the game to get tons of lives. (I definitely didn’t do this at all! I would never!) Regardless of how you play, the game is accessible to players of all skill levels. There is also an easy mode if the main game proves too challenging. The only exception to the difficulty in this game is the final zone, Wario’s Castle. The difficulty ramps up significantly, however, it’s still not that hard as long as you play smart and are dedicated. Once I beat the game, that was that. The game is a straightforward Mario adventure, and a massive improvement over its predecessor. This game is definitely worth a play for all Mario fans (and Wario fans for the historical significance), and I definitely see myself coming back to play this game every so often if I’m in the mood for a simple and fun platforming game.
![](https://retrofortress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20230827_142944-1697344004-e1715923026636.jpg)