This Week in Defunct Games - Sept. 30, 2011

What Is It? It took Nintendo three very long years to release a follow-up to Super Mario's first Game Boy outing. Thankfully it didn't take Nintendo that long to release it on the 3DS Virtual Console. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is not only a stellar Game Boy action game, but it's one of Mario's very best 2D platforming adventures. By veering as far away from the trappings of the console series, Nintendo has managed to make a Mario game that walks the tight rope between being familiar and totally original. While not every idea works in Super Mario Land 2, enough connects to make this 1992 masterpiece worth your while.

The game has a surprising amount of Super Mario World sensibility. You explore a large overhead world full of platforming levels to complete. Here you'll find a cacophony of stages unlike anything you've seen in a Mario adventure. Expect to fight through levels developed around trees, hippos, space, pumpkins and even Mario himself. By the end you'll even be introduced to Wario, who will later star in Super Mario Land 3. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because there's still plenty of 6 Golden Coins to explore.

Does It Still Hold Up? While the original Super Mario Land was something of a departure from console Mario games, 6 Golden Coins is more in line with what you expect from the series. The sprites are huge, almost to the point of being an uncomfortable close-up. Mario and his enemies have a surprising amount of detail, especially for a Game Boy game. The gameplay is standard Mario fare, so fans of Super Mario Bros. 3 will feel right at home. Unfortunately, the game does suffer from some annoying slow-downs when there are more than three characters on screen. While the technical limits are frustrating, they aren't a deal breaker.

Is It Worth The Money? Super Mario Land 2 is an easy game to recommend. It's not just how good the game looks, but also the originality (and diversity) of each stage. This is one of the only Mario games with fun boss battles, not to mention a new batch of useful power-ups. The four dollar asking price doesn't hurt either. While the first Super Mario Land may have been something of a letdown, this sequel is on par with Mario's greatest 8-bit outings. It's hard to imagine anybody not having an incredible time busting through this Game Boy masterpiece.