Super Mario Bros. 2 is a weird one because as we all know, it was never really a Mario game, which means that it has some odd mechanical differences compared to the rest. But it’s still a decent game in its own right, albeit one that could use some major balancing tweaks.
The controls feel pretty nice for the most part, and the throwing mechanic can be quite satisfying. However, there are times when things can be a bit too touchy, like how easy it is to slip off of vines and chains, or how small characters still have to duck to avoid enemies.
The level design ranges from really cool to rather irritating. It has a lot more verticality and a few more non-platforming elements, which is a nice change of pace from what 2D Mario usually offers. There’s a decent amount of enemy variety too, and foes are often placed together in interesting ways. However, sometimes enemy placement can be a bit too harsh, and some level features (like the sand you dig through) slow the game to a crawl.
Really though, I thought the game’s biggest issue was its lives and health system. 1-ups and health pickups are pretty sparse, which makes it pretty frustrating that you have to restart a whole world when you get a game over. Even getting hit once can feel like a massive blow. While it adds a bit more tension, and really forces you to learn earlier levels in a world, it just isn’t fun that certain segments can feel impossible to get past and force you to lose significant progress.