The Great 8-Bit Lie: Why Super Mario Bros. 2 Was Fake (And Why We Loved It Anyway)

Was your childhood a lie? If you grew up in the late 80s, you probably remember holding that grey NES cartridge high in the air, ready to dive into the Mushroom Kingdom. But the game you were playing—Super Mario Bros. 2—wasn't actually a Mario game at all.

In my latest video on KeepItGeeyk80, we travel back to 1987 to uncover the strange, vegetable-throwing history of one of the Nintendo Entertainment System's biggest hits.

The Year Was 1987...

The NES was absolutely dominating America. Kids were snorting Pixy Stix and playing Super Mario Bros. until their thumbs bled. Nintendo of America needed a sequel, and they needed it yesterday.

But there was a massive problem.

When Japan sent over the "real" Super Mario Bros. 2 (later known to us as The Lost Levels), it was a disaster waiting to happen. The game looked exactly like the first one, but it was punishingly hard. It was basically a "torture device for children".

Nintendo’s "Game Master," Howard Phillips, played it and famously said, "Absolutely not". He knew it would crush the spirits of American kids. So, Nintendo decided to pull off the greatest video game switcheroo in history.

Enter Doki Doki Panic: The "Real" Mario 2

Instead of releasing the difficult Japanese sequel, Nintendo looked at an obscure Arabian-themed game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic.

The solution was simple but brilliant:

• Rip out the original Arabian characters.

• Paste in Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach.

• Keep the strange mechanics like lifting enemies and throwing vegetables.

Bam! We got a "fake" sequel that introduced "vegetable violence," floating princesses, and a villain named Wart instead of Bowser.

Why It Worked (Despite the Lies)

The craziest part of this story? It actually worked.

Fortunately, the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto had actually worked on Doki Doki Panic, so the game already had that distinct Nintendo magic feel. However, because the characters were swapped, the stats were all over the place.

In this game, the Princess could fly, and Toad was the strongest digger. But ironically, Mario—the star of the show—actually "sucks compared to the other guys".

It Was All A Dream?

The game ends with the infamous "It was all a dream" reveal, confusing an entire generation of gamers. Yet, despite being a reskin, Super Mario Bros. 2 became the 5th best-selling game on the system.

Maybe naivety was bliss because we all loved the game regardless of its origins. I didn't know the truth about Mario until I was an adult, but looking back, it’s a fascinating piece of gaming history.

📺 Want the full story?

Check out my latest video breakdown where I show the side-by-side comparisons and dive deeper into this 8-bit mystery.

Support KeepItGeeyk and Retro Rewinder 80! 🕹️ I am a 100% independent creator, which means this channel is fully funded by viewers like you. If you enjoy the retro gaming history, please consider buying me a coffee. Your support helps me hunt down the next great topic and keeps the videos coming. Thanks for the support! ☕"

☕ Here is best way to support me: buymeacoffee.com/KeepitGeeky

Subscribe to the channel or I'll throw a turnip at ya! https://www.youtube.com/@KeepItGeeyk80/videos