For starters, there’s the visual aesthetic. Looking at it now in 2024, it’s easy to see the simplicity. But for a Game Boy game in 1992, it was huge to have a Mario title as detailed as this one! Considering its direct predecessor was blocky, resembling an early NES title, to look like a scaled-down version of Super Mario World is great. It makes you appreciate how the handheld, restricted by portability and battery, could render everything. Respect for that alone.
I like how the game makes use of its sprites. It only introduces one new power-up, the Carrot, but you know Mario’s using it by sprouting rabbit ears and hovering. Even the other power-ups have signifiers to let you know Mario’s using them, including transitionary frames for Mario transforming or regressing from a power-up. It’s a neat workaround for a handheld lacking colour, and I wish more Mario games had utilized this. It’s also really charming to see Mario’s transition states.
Another element in this game’s favour is the overhaul of standard mechanics we’ve come to expect from other entries. Instead of using a flag as a checkpoint, Mario rings a bell. Coins, once the currency for extra lives, instead work as money that can be used at the in-game bank. And while I’m not sure what it does, the game has a Goomba counter for enemies you’ve killed. For someone with OCD, this is neat to track.
The game has a pretty sophisticated over-world. Not only is each area rendered with a unique cutscene upon entry, which was a revolutionary for a Game Boy game in 1992, it’s also non-linear. You can traverse the 6 Zones out of order, making for a game of memorization of what you’ve completed. Even the different Zones are have unique designs and layouts, with plenty going on. I admire the attention to detail.
I can’t forget the musical motif. Not only is it memorable, it’s really catchy despite being repetitive. It’s upbeat and matches the energy of the game, an added plus given the core objective’s to collect 6 golden coins and reclaim your castle from Wario. It also subvert my personal disdain for a motif being the majority of the in-level music by not only varying it, but also being that catchy. If you don’t believe me, have a listen.
Finally, I like how fun it is. Whether it’s travelling through pipes without loading screens, or appreciating each world’s unique level design, it’s an enjoyable experience all-around. It’s enough to make me forget, however briefly, about its most-glaring flaw, one that sours the experience. Speaking of, I should probably discuss it now. You ready?
I can’t forget the musical motif. Not only is it memorable, it’s really catchy despite being repetitive. It’s upbeat and matches the energy of the game, an added plus given the core objective’s to collect 6 golden coins and reclaim your castle from Wario. It also subvert my personal disdain for a motif being the majority of the in-level music by not only varying it, but also being that catchy. If you don’t believe me, have a listen.
Finally, I like how fun it is. Whether it’s travelling through pipes without loading screens, or appreciating each world’s unique level design, it’s an enjoyable experience all-around. It’s enough to make me forget, however briefly, about its most-glaring flaw, one that sours the experience. Speaking of, I should probably discuss it now. You ready?
Getting a Game Over wipes your progress.
I’m serious. Imagine you’ve gotten really far, only to lose to a boss too many times and get a Game Over. While most games would continue where you left off, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins not only wipes your collected coins, it makes you replay the levels you’ve beaten. I’m sure this isn’t an issue for most people, the game’s not terribly difficult, but considering that I struggle with even easy video games, losing what I’ve acquired prior because of a mistake is my own worst nightmare. It’s the game knowing I’m bad at it, then punishing me for it. Given that I’m prone to repeating the same mistakes over and over, that’s adding insult to injury. I barely made it out of __ Zone without a Game Over, and this game expects me to relive that?!
You know what doesn’t help? It has a save feature, but it’s only in the area you’re currently playing. That’s right, you have a game on the Game Boy with a conditional save state! If that’s not enough to send someone into an instant rage, then I question their patience. Because it actively infuriates me whenever I get a Game Over, which happens a lot!
I’m serious. Imagine you’ve gotten really far, only to lose to a boss too many times and get a Game Over. While most games would continue where you left off, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins not only wipes your collected coins, it makes you replay the levels you’ve beaten. I’m sure this isn’t an issue for most people, the game’s not terribly difficult, but considering that I struggle with even easy video games, losing what I’ve acquired prior because of a mistake is my own worst nightmare. It’s the game knowing I’m bad at it, then punishing me for it. Given that I’m prone to repeating the same mistakes over and over, that’s adding insult to injury. I barely made it out of __ Zone without a Game Over, and this game expects me to relive that?!
You know what doesn’t help? It has a save feature, but it’s only in the area you’re currently playing. That’s right, you have a game on the Game Boy with a conditional save state! If that’s not enough to send someone into an instant rage, then I question their patience. Because it actively infuriates me whenever I get a Game Over, which happens a lot!
Let’s use the following comparison: say you’re working on an assignment for someone. You pour your heart into it, and you write something respectable. Now, say you hand it in to said person, and, after looking it over, said person throws it into the fireplace and wipes your hard-drive clear of everything but the title. They then demand you write it again. How would you feel?
If you said “infuriated”, congrats: you know how getting a Game Over in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins makes me feel. I know the Switch port on NSO has a rewind feature, but guess what? That only half-solves the problem. It might create a backup save, but it doesn’t stop me from getting a Game Over. Besides, I shouldn’t need to rely on a cheat to remedy a 32 year-old game’s glaring flaw. This should’ve already been avoidable in 1992!
Where was I? Oh yeah, ever have a classic video game that-I’m kidding, I’m not writing all of that again. But it speaks to how two-minded I am about this game, especially since everything else is amazing: it controls well. It plays well. It’s fun. It has catchy music. It’s impressive to look at. Still, none of that matters if, at the end of the day, I can’t actually beat it.
Actually, here’s a compromise: if the game ever gets a remake, it can keep every game mechanic except that one. Nintendo can even put in a harder mode, one more like the original! But if it dares releasing it without a proper save mechanic, then I’m not touching it with a 10-foot pole. I have enough trouble with the original as is!
Where was I? Oh yeah, ever have a classic video game that-I’m kidding, I’m not writing all of that again. But it speaks to how two-minded I am about this game, especially since everything else is amazing: it controls well. It plays well. It’s fun. It has catchy music. It’s impressive to look at. Still, none of that matters if, at the end of the day, I can’t actually beat it.
Actually, here’s a compromise: if the game ever gets a remake, it can keep every game mechanic except that one. Nintendo can even put in a harder mode, one more like the original! But if it dares releasing it without a proper save mechanic, then I’m not touching it with a 10-foot pole. I have enough trouble with the original as is!
While I love Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, I don’t love that it fails to impress in a key area. Call it lame to shed light on that, but I don’t care. If a game from 1992, on a system that has the capabilities, refuses to properly save my progress when I get a Game Over, guess what? That’s bad game design. And it ruins the experience in my mind. You can disagree all you want, but I dare you to explain why I’m wrong. Try!
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