Super Mario Land 2: The Birth of Wario

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This game, and no other, is the one that gave birth to Wario. Released in Japan on October 21, 1992, directed by Hiroji Kiyotake and produced by Gunpei Yokoi, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins features 32 levels and six secret exits. This piece covers Wario's birth certificate, the six zones to conquer, Bunny Mario and the three-round final showdown.

Released on Game Boy in 1992, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is far more than a handheld sequel: it's the game that gave birth to Wario. Developed by Nintendo's famous R&D1 team (the creators of the first Super Mario Land), it sends Mario off to win back his own castle, stolen by a greedy, jealous rival players had never seen before.

With its six freely explorable worlds, its brand-new transformations such as Bunny Mario, and production values that rival the home-console entries, this title is often cited as the best Mario platformer ever released on Game Boy. Here's why it remains a key milestone in the saga.

Contents

• Wario's birth certificate
• Six zones, six golden coins
• Bunny Mario and the other transformations
• A technical feat on Game Boy
• A final showdown in three rounds
• Quick facts
• FAQ

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Wario's birth certificate

Super Mario Land 2 marks Wario's very first appearance, Mario's evil double. While the plumber was busy fighting Tatanga far away (in the first Super Mario Land), Wario seized the chance to take over his castle and put the inhabitants of Mario Land under a spell.

His motivation? A jealousy that goes back to childhood: Wario has always envied Mario's fame and wants a palace of his own at any cost. His name is a portmanteau of "Mario" and the Japanese word warui (悪い), meaning "bad". To make his takeover clear, he even flipped the castle's "M" upside down to form a "W". This character, at first a mere antagonist, would later become a star in his own right with the Wario Land and then WarioWare.

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Six zones, six golden coins

The premise is crystal clear: to reopen the doors of his castle, Mario has to recover six golden coins, each one guarded by the boss of a zone. The game's map, freely roamable in the style of Super Mario World, opens up six very different worlds:

• Tree Zone: a woodland world built around a giant tree.
• : short zero-gravity levels where Tatanga makes his return.: short zero-gravity levels where Tatanga makes his return.
• Macro Zone: an oversized setting where Mario looks tiny.
• Pumpkin Zone: a haunted, Halloween-flavoured area complete with ghosts and a witch.
• Mario Zone: the inside of a giant Mario-shaped robot, packed with gears.
• Turtle Zone: an underwater world guarded by an octopus.

There is no set order: you pick your own route, something that was rare and daring for a handheld game back in 1992.

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Bunny Mario and the other transformations

The game's big addition is the Carrot, which turns Mario into Bunny Mario. Thanks to his long ears, he can glide and slow his fall by flapping his arms, which makes tricky airborne stretches far easier. It's a transformation exclusive to this entry, and instantly recognisable.

Alongside it come the great classics: the Super Mushroom to grow big, the Fire Flower to throw fireballs, and the Super Star for a spell of invincibility. That familiar toolkit, combined with the novelty of the rabbit, makes for rich, well-balanced gameplay.

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A technical feat on Game Boy

Super Mario Land 2 impresses with its sheer size: 32 levels spread across the six zones, several of which hide secret exits leading to hidden stages (38 goals in all). The sprites are big, expressive and detailed, a world away from the minimalist look of the first Super Mario Land.

Another major step forward: the battery-backed save built into the cartridge. It's the first handheld Mario game that lets you keep your progress, a convenience that changes everything on a pocket console. The soundtrack, composed by Kazumi Totaka, completes the picture and makes this title a technical benchmark for the Game Boy.

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A final showdown in three rounds

Once the six coins are gathered, Mario finally steps into his transformed castle to face Wario in the throne room. The fight unfolds in three phases: in each one, Mario has to jump on his rival three times. Crafty as ever, Wario uses the Carrot and the Fire Flower himself to copy Mario's powers.

Once beaten, Wario shrinks, loses a shoe and flees the balcony in tears. The spell breaks: the castle turns white again and the "W" goes back to being an "M". A conclusion that is both funny and satisfying, sealing the arrival of an antihero with a great future ahead of him.

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Quick facts

Developer	Nintendo R&D1
Director	Hiroji Kiyotake
Producer	Gunpei Yokoi
Release (Japan)	October 21, 1992
Platform	Game Boy
Number of levels	32 (6 secret exits)
Sales	Over 11 million

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FAQ

• Is this the first game Wario appears in?
  Yes. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) is Wario's very first appearance, here as the final boss and the thief who stole Mario's castle. He would go on to become the hero of his own series, Wario Land and then WarioWare.
• How many worlds does the game have?
  There are six zones: Tree Zone, Space Zone, Macro Zone, Pumpkin Zone, Mario Zone and Turtle Zone. Each one is guarded by a boss holding one of the six golden coins.
• What is Bunny Mario?
  It's a transformation obtained with the Carrot, exclusive to this game. His long ears let Mario glide and slow his fall, which helps enormously in airborne sections.
• Why did Wario steal Mario's castle?
  Out of jealousy. Wario has envied Mario's fame since childhood and wants a palace of his own. He takes advantage of Mario's absence, off fighting Tatanga, to seize the castle and put a spell on its inhabitants.
• Can you save your game?
  Yes, thanks to a battery built into the cartridge. It's the first handheld Mario game to offer saving, a real comfort on a pocket console in 1992.

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