In Mario 2, why would I want to choose anyone other than Peach?
from The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world to retrogaming@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 17:31
https://lemmy.world/post/3564325

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.

#retrogaming

threaded - newest

FiddlersViridian@sh.itjust.works on 21 Aug 2023 17:35 next collapse

That’s always been my feeling too. I think Mario can run faster, and Luigi can jump a little higher, but Peach just controls better. Who knows what kind of maniac would choose Toad.

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:00 next collapse

Toad seems terrible!

hamburglar26@wilbo.tech on 21 Aug 2023 18:41 next collapse

I always played him for his speed and throwing and carrying ability like others have said.

I only used Peach on levels where floating was really helpful and I didn’t have to throw anything at a boss.

LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one on 21 Aug 2023 18:54 collapse

I pick Toad quite a lot. He’s a fast little goober.

Nemo@midwest.social on 21 Aug 2023 18:13 next collapse

Toad pulls roots faster, and he’s my favorite

rarely@sh.itjust.works on 21 Aug 2023 18:21 collapse

Thanks for the root-cause analysis.

Glad to have found you.

rarely@sh.itjust.works on 21 Aug 2023 18:21 next collapse

Hi! I am a toadstool maniac. Ama.

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:54 collapse

I’ll start:

Who hurt you?

rarely@sh.itjust.works on 21 Aug 2023 18:59 collapse

You know that ghost that chases you when you look away from them? That guy.

But seriously, toad’s special power is how fast he can dig and throw. Toad is max DPS. Toad is OP.

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 20:04 collapse

Ok, I just tried playing as toad. I think you’ve recruited me.

rarely@sh.itjust.works on 21 Aug 2023 21:45 collapse

<img alt="" src="https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/06a713dc-896b-4a8c-8b8b-f946fbcbddaa.webp">

mercano@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:26 collapse

Toad can dig / lift the fastest, and gets a huge run speed boost when carrying enemies, making him the speed runner’s choice in many levels.

oddspinnaker@lemm.ee on 21 Aug 2023 17:36 next collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 18:02 collapse

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.

cybervseas@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 17:37 next collapse

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

radix@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 17:43 next collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 18:03 next collapse

TIL this game has warp zones

groucho@lemmy.sdf.org on 21 Aug 2023 19:22 collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 19:20 collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 17:49 next collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 18:03 collapse

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

rarely@sh.itjust.works on 21 Aug 2023 18:20 next collapse

I always loved playing as toadstool. You can’t dig any faster than the toad!

amio@kbin.social on 21 Aug 2023 18:29 next collapse

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.

Die4Ever@programming.dev on 21 Aug 2023 20:01 collapse

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

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

www.speedrun.com/smb2?h=All_Levels&amp;x=l9kv002g

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

youtu.be/hGTLfo3f2VI

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

<img alt="" src="https://programming.dev/pictrs/image/b947c714-97ea-4f9e-89d5-c1fafffa3e9c.png">

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

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 20:09 collapse

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

Die4Ever@programming.dev on 22 Aug 2023 00:10 collapse

And also Luigi > Mario, finally

drcouzelis@lemmy.zip on 21 Aug 2023 18:01 next collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 18:05 next collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 18:06 collapse

Lol!

I was wrong, there’s THREE PAGES in the manual on the subject! 😅

www.digitpress.com/…/Super Mario Bros 2.pdf

ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works on 21 Aug 2023 18:21 next collapse

Huh, transgender Birdette is in there too.

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:51 next collapse

I thought this comment was a joke. lol

For anyone else out of the loop, here’s a screenshot from the linked manual above:

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/b0ca31bf-c03e-4359-93f5-d00ee148b7aa.png">

(also, apparently his name is supposed to be Birdo, but it was misprinted in the manual as “Ostro”. Ostros are the big flamingo looking things)

numbermess@kbin.social on 21 Aug 2023 19:18 collapse

I feel like the version we had definitely had its name printed as Birdo and not Ostro. I have always called that thing Birdo.

drcouzelis@lemmy.zip on 21 Aug 2023 19:54 collapse

The name is also shown in the cast roll at the end of the game, so you might remember it from there. :)

[deleted] on 23 Aug 2023 13:57 collapse

.

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:50 next collapse

Man, I miss manuals like this.

elbarto777@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 19:00 collapse

404 not found

AcornCarnage@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 23:10 collapse

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

TheTim@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:13 next collapse

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

FlyingSquid@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:20 next collapse

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

ziggurism@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:34 next collapse

the cheevos, for one

dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:53 next collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 18:56 next collapse

Oh man, this would have been brutal and fun!

taiyang@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 19:53 next collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 21:45 collapse

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 on 21 Aug 2023 23:07 collapse

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

GreenMario@lemm.ee on 22 Aug 2023 01:19 next collapse

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

constantokra@lemmy.one on 23 Aug 2023 13:08 collapse

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 on 23 Aug 2023 13:16 collapse

I assume I’ll need to locate a rom?

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

UltraBlack@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 20:16 collapse

The Steven He Asian difficulty is real?

woelkchen@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 20:37 collapse

Emotional damage

danielton@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 18:58 next collapse

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

spacemanspiffy@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 20:11 next collapse

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.

solidneutral@lemmy.ml on 21 Aug 2023 20:39 next collapse

Peach’s jump is OP. I loved SMB2.

tabular@lemmy.world on 21 Aug 2023 22:24 next collapse

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

aeiou

TORFdot0@lemmy.world on 22 Aug 2023 00:18 next collapse

Peach is slow as hell. Toad all day baybee

AtomicPurple@kbin.social on 22 Aug 2023 00:53 collapse

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

GreenMario@lemm.ee on 22 Aug 2023 01:18 next collapse

Based

The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world on 22 Aug 2023 02:54 collapse

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