Super Mario Bros. 2 has a fairly surprising history. The game originally started life as a Family Computer Disk System game titled Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, and was designed to be released alongside a Fuji Television electronics convention. Instead, the game was repurposed and changed to be a Mario title, with the characters and enemies all being skin-swapped to classic Mario characters. This decision came following Nintendo of America's ruling that the original Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 was too hard for Western audiences.

While the original Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 did finally release in the Western world in 1993 under the title Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, those who played the North American version have a certain fondness for the game, even with its many quirks and differences compared to the original game. For those who love hidden gameplay secrets, Super Mario Bros. 2 has plenty to discover.

RELATED: The Biggest Secrets in Super Mario Bros. 3

The Shortcut To Birdo

For players who want skip straight to World 1-1's boss, luckily there's an extremely easy skip that takes seconds to do. Once players reach the area with the waterfall and the beanstalk, simply climb up the vine and jump to the left. When the player hits a wall, charge up a jump and land on the platform above. All a player needs to do now is lob the Shyguy out of the way, grab a bomb from the ground, hold it until it's about to explode, and fling it down the hole to the left. If a player's timing is right, then the blocks in front of the door should have been blown up, and they can now go straight to the final boss of that stage, everyone's favorite, Birdo.

How To Pull Off A Double Jump

Super Mario Bros. 2 Character Select

Double jumping in Super Mario Bros. 2 doesn't really have any practical uses, especially when playing as Luigi, but nonetheless, it's a pretty cool stunt to pull off. Pulling off a double jump requires simply running straight into an enemy at full sprint, and as the player is about to hit them, press the jump button. Hopefully, the player character will avoid the enemy just at the right time, also granting an additional jump in the process. The much easier method is to just run straight into the enemy and press the jump button while in the damage animation. It'll take a life, but it will give the player an additional jump.

Getting An Extra Heart

This might not be the most well-kept secret of Super Mario Bros. 2, but it is an extremely helpful one. When a player defeats eight enemies, a heart will appear on-screen. This heart will slowly float upwards, so a player will still need to try and avoid any other enemies on the way to grab it.

Getting A Power Star

Super Mario Bros. 2 SNES

The Power Star is a staple of the Mario franchise, appearing in practically every game since its inception, even including the Mario Kart series. This Star will often give the player invicibility for a few seconds, allowing them to storm through the level with ease. Normally, these Stars crop up at random intervals, often appearing when the player hits a coin block. Super Mario Bros. 2, however, has a different idea.

To gain a Power Star in Super Mario Bros 2., the player needs to collect five Cherries across the stage. These can be hidden in various nooks and crannies of the map, often appearing in the "Subspace" areas that can only be accessed by throwing a Potion in a specific spot, causing a door to appear. Once the five Cherries have been found, the Power Star appears, rising from the bottom of the stage, and giving the player a few seconds of invicibility bliss.

MORE: The Next Big Dr. Mario Game Should Take Some Lessons from Dr. Mario World