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.

  • @[email protected]
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    8510 months ago

    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 ManeuverOP
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      10 months ago

      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?

    • @AcornCarnage
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      310 months ago

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

  • @dual_sport_dork
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    5910 months ago

    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.

      • @taiyang
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        910 months ago

        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
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          10 months ago

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

          • @AcornCarnage
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            910 months ago

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

      • @[email protected]
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        210 months ago

        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 ManeuverOP
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          10 months ago

          I assume I’ll need to locate a rom?

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

    • @UltraBlack
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      310 months ago

      The Steven He Asian difficulty is real?

  • @cybervseas
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    2410 months ago

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

  • @TORFdot0
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    2110 months ago

    Peach is slow as hell. Toad all day baybee

  • FiddlersViridian
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    2010 months ago

    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.

    • @mercano
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      1910 months ago

      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.

      • @[email protected]
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        410 months ago

        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.

  • @radix
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    10 months ago

    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.

  • Die4Ever
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    1210 months ago

    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 ManeuverOP
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      510 months ago

      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
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        10 months ago

        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 ManeuverOP
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          10 months ago

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

      • amio
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        510 months 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
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    1210 months 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
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    1010 months ago

    Because you’re my 5 year old god daughter who always wants to play as “Uwiigi”.

  • @TheTim
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    1010 months ago

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

  • @[email protected]
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    910 months ago

    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 ManeuverOP
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      210 months 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.

  • Flying Squid
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    810 months ago

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

  • @danielton
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    6 months ago

    deleted by creator

  • @tabular
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    310 months ago

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

    aeiou