| The sequel to the Nintendo's Super Mario Land for Game Boy. When Mario returned to Mario Land from his first adventure he found that his old nemesis Wario had stolen his castle and scattered the six golden coins that control the door's lock all over the land! Mario embarks on a quest to the six different realms in the land to recover the coins so that he can defeat Wario and take his castle back!
Mario behaves much like the Mario of old. He can power up with a Super Mushroom, throw fireballs with a Fire Flower, become invincible with a Starman, and (in a new move) use a carrot to grow bunny ears and flutter to slow his descent (much like the raccoon tail from Super Mario Brothers 3). Each time he defeats 100 enemies a bonus Starman falls from the sky. Luckily a counter at the bottom of the screen keeps a running tab of crushed enemies.
Mario journeys to the six lands of the land: Pumpkin Zone, Tree Zone, Macro Zone, Mario Zone, Underwater Zone, and Space Zone. Each zone consists of several levels where Mario has to jump, run, and dodge his way around obstacles and enemies before he reaches the boss. Defeating the boss returns one of the six golden coins to the castle to unlock the door. There are also a few extras scattered around the world map. There's a slot machine house where Mario can cash in the coins he collects to gamble on extra lives and items. There's also a level that exists outside of all the zones that Mario can pass through as many times as he likes to collect coins and stomp the baddies.
Speaking of baddies, several classic Mario villains return in this sequel. Be prepared to meet up with Goombas, Koopas, and other nasties. New baddies include ants, bees, and aliens. While some can me stomped or fireballed, some nasties can't be defeated and must be avoided. Bosses come in all shapes and sizes. Mario will do battle with an angry giant bird, a swift mouse, a horrible witch, three little pigs in pots, an overbearing octopus, and Tatanga (the space alien final boss from the original Super Mario Land, apparently appearing in a rare cameo). Each one has a weakness, and it's up to Mario to find it and exploit it.
Recovering all six golden coins opens up the castle and the game's final level. Wario has taken Mario's home and filled it full of nasty traps: fire breathing statues, spikes, moving platforms, lava pits, and more hazards. Mario has to be quick, because one false step means starting all over again from the start of the level. If Mario can reach the top of the castle he'll find Wario, who can mimic all of Mario's attacks. In the first phase of the battle Wario will don a Super Mushroom and grow super. Stomp him three times and he'll flee to grab a Fire Flower so he can shoot fireballs at Mario. Defeat Wario in this phase and he'll grab a carrot for bunny ears and commence and air attack. Stomp Wario out this time and you'll be rid of him, kicking him from the castle. Mario's home is then restored and peace returns to the land.
What happens to Wario next is the subject of Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land and its subsequent sequels.
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