10 – Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins
This is the game that made me bought a Gameboy, and I remember that, as a kid, I and my friends were talking about it for months. SML2, as its predecessor, diverges a bit from the “Bros” series with a “floatier” gameplay physics, unseen power-ups and crazy settings for a Mario game. Some people dislike the game because of the first point, but I love those little differences. It’s difficulty was certainly too low (although it had two difficulty modes) but as a kid that was clearly positive for me.
Graphically the game is an impressive evolution from SML, with characters with big sprites and very rich and varied levels. The level variety is one of the biggest wins of the game, with levels sets inside a tree, a Giant Mario robot or even the Moon! I think that no other Mario has had such a great variety of environments. SML2 may not reach the 2-D platforming heaven of other entries, but is a very appealing entry, especially if you’re looking for something a bit different.
