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404-in-1

Contents:

Foreword

Did You Know Gaming? The Western release of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) is not an original game, but is actually a heavily modified version of the 1987 Japanese game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. Say this fact at a party and impress nobody, actually you might get an eyeroll if this were your exclusive Bluesky feed... but in the real world I'm sure the room would look towards you staring, the room deathly silent, a single cough sounds out before everyone recommences their conversations, freezing you out entirely.

Sometime ages ago, I hacked my Wii and downloaded a ROM directory of NES games, my mates and I used to browse this unweildly folder with hundred of NES roms and would load em up at random. Enclosed were the big hitters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokemon Adventures, Donkey Kong Jr. Math and Marios numbered Super Mario Bros. 1 through to 16. Some were more legitimate than others, sure the title screen features that mustachio'd plumber, hit start and unrelated characters talk out some plot, Mario may feature as a playable character and that's it! Enjoy!

I find this intriguing, surely a bootlegger has some taste or choice as to what becomes a Mario bootleg and they have their own standards, they're also selling a product here. While there are many games on the NES library, not all of them are evergold, selling an unrelated title as a Mario brand name title must be good enough to fob off as the real deal.

Nintendo did this exact move with Super Mario Bros 2. in the western markets, Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic or simply Doki Doki Panic are unrelated properties one is Nintendo's most recognised character, the other is a Fuji TV tie-in. Both probably share a number of staff, you'd think right? File the fingerprints off, stripped the assets and resell it abroad, or heck rerelease it as an improved revision as Super Mario USA.

Enough of this, let's play some games!