History VideoGame / SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels

* LightningBruiser: Luigi

* PoisonMushroom: The TropeNamer and its first appearance in the series. It is very easy to die at the start of 1-1 if you aren't expecting it. Which, considering that Poison Mushrooms hadn't been seen before this game, most players weren't. Even worse, in its original incarnation, they were ''almost indistinguishable from normal mushrooms''.[[hottip:*:However, if you stick around to watch the game demo, you can clearly see Mario trying to get the Poison Mushroom and dying, allowing this type of death to be averted by patient players. This says nothing, however, about Poison Mushrooms in Underground and Castle levels, since [[GoodBadBugs the mushroom's colors change]] and thus may lead a less GenreSavvy player to conclude that it's a different kind of mushroom.]]

Following the success of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros.'', {{Nintendo}} decided to follow it up with a MissionPackSequel, titled ''Super Mario Bros 2''. There were four main differences between the original and the sequel: the two-player mode was replaced by the option to play the game as either Mario or Luigi, Luigi was given higher jumps but inferior traction, some of the graphics were updated, and the game was about as close to PlatformHell as one gets short of a romhack.

->''"In all fairness, the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels 'real' Super Mario Brothers 2]] wasn't much of a loss at all: it's like the Nintendo execs gathered in their board room in '87 and said, 'All right. We've just put out the biggest and best video game ''ever.'' Now we must get to work on the sequel, [[MissionPackSequel which naturally must use the same engine and graphics as the first game]] [[NintendoHard and be as maddeningly difficult and frustrating as our programmers' ones and zeros can allow.]] [[SequelDifficultySpike IT IS THE ONLY WAY.]]' Enter poison mushrooms, backwards warp zones, and Piranha Plants that don't play by Piranha Plant rules. I'll take a [[DolledUpInstallment doctored]] DokiDokiPanic almost any day."''

Even though this was back when every game - including the first installment - was NintendoHard, the insane difficulty of this game infuriated many players, making Nintendo decide [[NoExportForYou not to release it in America]]. Still, the game sold well in Japan, it sold 2.5 million units, and was the all-time best-selling on the Family Computer Disk System. However, Nintendo of America needed a Western Mario sequel in record time, so Nintendo put Mario sprites into another game by Shigeru Miyamoto, ''DokiDokiPanic'', and called it ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' (''Super Mario USA'' in Japan so the Japanese wouldn't be confused when that game got released over there). When the original ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' was finally released in America as part of the ''Super Mario All-Stars'' CompilationRerelease, it was instead titled ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''. It was also included in the GameBoyColor remake of the first game, ''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'' (though in both ''All-Stars'' and ''Deluxe'', it shares the same graphics as its predecessor, losing some of its uniqueness).

Even though this was back when every game - including the first installment - was NintendoHard, the insane difficulty of this game infuriated many players, making Nintendo decide [[NoExportForYou not to release it in America]]. Still, the game sold well in Japan, it sold 2.5 million units, and was the all-time best-selling on the Famicom Disk System. However, Nintendo of America needed a Western Mario sequel in record time, so Nintendo put Mario sprites into another game by Shigeru Miyamoto, ''DokiDokiPanic'', and called it ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' (''Super Mario USA'' in Japan so the Japanese wouldn't be confused when that game got released over there). When the original ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' was finally released in America as part of the ''Super Mario All-Stars'' CompilationRerelease, it was instead titled ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''. It was also included in the GameBoyColor remake of the first game, ''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'' (though in both ''All-Stars'' and ''Deluxe'', it shares the same graphics as its predecessor, losing some of its uniqueness).

* NoExportForYou: The original Famicom Disk release. ''Super Mario All-Stars'', ''DX'', and the Virtual Console release correct this.

* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Luigi gets his distinctive gameplay mechanics here (higher jumps, doesn't stop on a dime), [[OlderThanTheyThink predating the US sequel]]. This was the original trope namer.

* GoombaSpringboard: This gameplay mechanic makes its debut in the ''Mario'' series here. Also the TropeNamer.

** In many instances of reaching backwards Warp Zones, there's a conveniently-placed pit where you can kill yourself to avoid warping back. If it doesn't, such as the one in 8-1, you can always just wait for the timer to expire.

Even though this was back when every game - including the first installment - was NintendoHard, the insane difficulty of this game infuriated many players, making Nintendo decide [[NoExportForYou not to release it in America]]. Still, the game sold well in Japan, it sold 2.5 million units, and was the all-time best-selling on the Famicom Disk System. However, Nintendo of America needed a Western Mario sequel in record time, so Nintendo put Mario sprites into another game by Shigeru Miyamoto, ''DokiDokiPanic'', and called it ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' (''Super Mario USA'' in Japan so the Japanese wouldn't be confused when that game got released over there). When the original ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' was finally released in America as part of the ''Super Mario All-Stars'' CompilationRerelease, it was instead titled ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''. It was also included in the GameBoyColor remake of the first game, ''Super Mario Bros .Deluxe'' (though in both ''All-Stars'' and ''Deluxe'', it shares the same graphics as its predecessor, losing some of its uniqueness).

* NoExportForYou: The original release. ''Super Mario All-Stars'', ''DX'', and the Virtual Console release correct this.

--> -- [[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/finalfantasy/ff2/ff2-1.htm Hardcore Gaming 101]] (not on ''Super Mario Bros 2'', but ''FinalFantasyII'')

* EndlessGame: In the original, if you beat the game without warping, you can play World 9. But when you play through World 9 it just continues to loop, until you die or give up.

* ArtEvolution: While the Mario Bros. and enemy sprites remain unchanged, the backgrounds now look different: the ground is now made from rock instead of brick, the clouds and bushes now have faces, mountains now look more jagged in appearance, trees are now drawn more realistically, the fenceposts are replaced with mushrooms, lifts are now made of mushrooms instead of metal, bricks now have shading, the giant mushroom platforms are now replaced with cloud platforms (strangely enough, SMB2J-style mushroom platforms appear in the game ''All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.''), mushroom powerups now have eyes for the first time, and Princess Peach now has a redesigned sprite.

Though many dislike it for being so absurdly unforgiving, it has a cult following of those who love it for [[YourMileageMayVary exactly the same reason]].

* GuideDangIt: Worlds 2-2 and 8-2. Because of the large gap that Mario cannot jump across by himself, World 2-2 is the first level that requires hitting an invisible block to win. World 8-2 Will repeat itself if a player tries to beat it like they would any other level. The only way to beat this level is to hit a block which spawns a Piranha Plant vine to climb up to the flagpole in the sky.

*** It also removed a number of InvisibleBlocks specifically designed to cause unintended player deaths (although many were still left in), particularly in later stages. It ''also'' made Worlds 9 and A-D much easier to get to.

* SoundtrackDissonance: in ''Super Mario All-Stars''. Of course they'd give the hardest Mario game in history a title screen with gentle harp and string music.
** Makes sense in context, you're dying and going to heaven a lot!

* NintendoHard: Okay, the first one had this too... but this one bumps it UpToEleven.

** However, playing the game on Super Mario Bros DX arguably makes it ''even harder'' via FakeDifficulty; since the Game Boy has a smaller screen, you can hardly see what's ahead. Sometimes you can't even tell if there's a pit or solid ground below you. This version also [[PortingDisaster removes the wind mechanic]], making some jumps BeyondTheImpossible.

*** It also removed a number of InvisibleBlocks specifically designed to cause unintended player deaths (although many were still left in), particularly in later stages. It ''also'' made Worlds A-D much easier to get to, although getting World 9 is still painfully hard.

* RemadeForTheExport: Part of ''Super Mario All-Stars''.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/super-mario-bros-the-lost-levels-2.jpg

* GuideDangIt: Worlds 2-2 and 8-2. Because of the large gap that Mario cannot jump across by himself, World 2-2 is the first level that requires hitting an invisible block. World 88-2 Will repeat itself if a player tries to beat it like the would any other level. The only way to beat this level is to hit a block which spawns a Piranha Plant vine to climb up to the flagpole in the sky.

* GuideDangIt: Worlds 2-2 and 8-2. Because of the large cap that Mario cannot jump across by himself, World 2-2 is the first level that requires hitting an invisible block. World 88-2 Will repeat itself if a player tries to beat it like the would any other level. The only way to beat this level is to hit a block which spawns a Piranha Plant vine to climb up to the flagpole in the sky.

* GuideDangIt: Worlds 2-2 and 8-2. Because of the large cap that Mario cannot jump across by himself, World 2-2 is the first level that requires hitting an invisible block. World 88-2 Will repeat itself if a player tries to beat it like the would any other level. The only way to beat this level is to hit a block which spawns a Piranha Plant vine to climb up to the flagpole in the sky.

Even though this was back when every game - including the first installment - was NintendoHard, the insane difficulty of this game infuriated many players, making Nintendo decide [[NoExportForYou not to release it in America]]. Still, the game sold well in Japan, it sold 2.5 million units, and was the all-time best-selling on the Famicom Disk System. However, Nintendo of America needed a Western Mario sequel in record time, so Nintendo put Mario sprites into another game by Shigeru Miyamoto, ''DokiDokiPanic'', and called it ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' (''Super Mario USA'' in Japan so the Japanese wouldn't be confused when that game got released over there). When the original ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' was finally released in America as part of the ''Super Mario All-Stars'' CompilationRerelease, it was instead titled ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''. It was also included in the GameBoyColor remake of the first game, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros Deluxe'' (though in both ''All-Stars'' and ''Deluxe'', it shares the same graphics as its predecessor, losing some of its uniqueness).

* LetsPlay: Done most famously by BillyMC. The game was also featured on ''two'' episodes of ''RetroGameMaster'', where in the first episode Arino fails to beat the game, and in the second he recruits some outside help.

* MythologyGag[=/=]{{Metagame}}: Several points in the game qualify. Consider the first set of ? blocks in World 1-1, where the mushroom is instead [[spoiler:a poison mushroom]], to be the first of many.

* PoisonMushroom: The TropeNamer and its first appearance in the series. It is very easy to die at the start of 1-1 if you aren't expecting it. Which, considering that Poison Mushrooms hadn't been seen before this game, most players weren't. Even worse, in its original incarnation, they were ''almost indistinguishable from normal mushrooms''.[[hottip:*:However, if you stick around to watch the game demo, you can clearly see Mario trying to get the Poison Mushroom and dying, allowing this type of death to be averted by patient players. This says nothing, however, about Poison Mushrooms in Underground and Castle levels, since the mushroom's colors change and thus may lead a less GenreSavvy player to conclude that it's a different kind of mushroom.]]

* {{Unwinnable}}: If you go to an underground bonus room in World 3-1, you'll come out of a pipe below some blocks that you must break to continue. Since only Super or Fire Mario (or Luigi) can break blocks, there's a hidden block with a power-up. However, if you pick up the power-up and then get hurt by the nearby Piranha Plant, you won't be able to get out.
* WarpZone: Like in the first game, except there's some which send you to earlier levels. Using any of them prevents you from getting to World 9.
** In many instances of reaching backwards Warp Zones, there's a conveniently-placed pit where you can kill yourself to avoid warping back. Barring that, you can always just wait for the timer to expire.
*** In 8-1, the Warp Zone (to World 5) lacks the pit to kill yourself. However, you can let the time expire, as the timer does not stop.