10 Classic Nintendo Games That NEED A Re-Release

4. Super Mario Bros 2

Metroid prime
Nintendo

The second entry into the Super Mario Bros series has almost been forgotten by Nintendo, but that's partially due to the fact that, originally, Super Mario Bros 2 wasn't a Mario game at all.

Instead, it was its own unique title, Doki Doki Panic, which was re-skinned to suit the Mario franchise after the original Super Mario Bros sequel (since released as the infamous Lost Levels) was deemed too difficult for American audiences.

While aspects of the game are noticeably different from any Mario title, Mario Bros 2 isn't an entirely alien game. Indeed, it actually started life as a Mario-style tech demo, with Miyamoto even suggesting it could be developed into a Mario game before it turned into Doki Doki Panic.

As strange a title as it is, Super Mario Bros 2 nonetheless introduced some staple elements into the Mario franchise (such as now-classic enemies Shy Guys and Bob-ombs, while also assigning Luigi his trademark longer jumps), while also integrating Mario Bros' POW blocks into the platforming formula.

Seamless integration of Super Mario Bros 2's mechanics into the now well-established Mario formula (hinted at by the introduction of a SMB2 Mushroom in Super Mario Maker 2) could help revitalise a franchise that has since gone stale.

Contributor
Contributor

When Matteo isn't cashing in on a lifetime of devotion to his favourite pop culture franchises and indie bands, he's writing and publishing poems and short stories under the name Teo Eve. Talk about range.