Super Mario Bros. 2

Real men use Peach and just float over all the bullshit. Quick everyone duck before someone bring up Doki Doki Panic

Why the games where Mario transforms into a flying raccoon or Superman fit within the tight continuity of Mario's carefully constructed rational world whereas this one does not is a question beyond my abilities to answer. All I can say for certain is that Princess Peach's levitation ability is nifty.

In my best David Lynch voice: "There are secrets in the sand. I have found the dark universe, in a jar inside my dreams."

I'll always have a soft spot for this one because Mario 2 felt like more of an adventure than just a run to save a princess over and over. Neat enemies and it was fun to discover trips of the map, like where to use the potion door.

In the original Japanese it was called Luigi's Okey-Dokey Panic.

This game was a major win for feminism.

*whispering* this game is good

Underrated.

Did you know that this was originally released as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in Taiwan? srsly stop telling people the history of Mario 2 every time it's brought up. This is a fine game. A beautiful, easy to understand but difficult platformer.

A weird and unique platformer, where jumping onto things, holding them over your head, and tossing them around is the central mechanic. It's a super fun mechanic, ringed with other fun mechanics, like potions, quicksand, and the infamous Phanto. Sadly, the controls aren't quite as precise as the game wants them to be - Peach is the best character for almost every level, simply because she lets you fudge or avoid the trickiest parts. But it's still a wonderful and unique part of the Mario mythos.