When the time came to make a sequel to Super Mario Land, Nintendo decided to bring the plumber back home. The land of Sarasaland had been a interesting experiment. Mario needed to come home to the Mushroom Kingdom. He discovered that in his absence that things had gone wrong. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins was important to the series due to a very notable introduction.
Mario Island, Mario’s own place, has been overtaken by enemies. No princess to save this time. Mario must find six golden coins scattered around the island. Only then will he be able to gain access to his own castle. Inside, the person responsible for this takeover is waiting. He has wanted his revenge for a long time.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is classic Mario. You can see the influence that Super Mario World had in it’s development. Players now have access to an over-world map and choose where they go. Stages have different exits that unlock secret stages. The new powerup is a carrot which turns Mario into a rabbit. This allows with bigger jumps and the ability to drift slowly down.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins does not rewrite the Mario formula. It sticks to what works. The game is important for the mastermind sitting in Mario’s castle. Not the king of the koopas, Bowser. Not the nightmare king, Wart. The final boss is actually a human just like Mario. This was the introduction of Wario, an old adversary of Mario. Looking like the famous plumber, Wario also had his version of powerups. He has no desire for the princess or taking over the world. Wario just wants money and to humiliate Mario.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins was the last handheld Mario game for 14 years. Wario would gain the spotlight in the very next game. He would also star in a series of spinoff games. He would become a regular feature in other Mario games. Not bad for a boss that most people said was a Mario clone the first time they saw him.
