Unlike the original, there is no two-player mode but at the title screen, the player chooses between the twin plumber characters.
The player jumps between platforms, avoids enemy and inanimate obstacles, finds hidden secrets (such as warp zones and vertical vines), and collects power-ups like the mushroom (which makes Mario grow), the Fire Flower (which lets Mario throw fireballs), and the Invincibility Star. As in the original, Mario (or Luigi) ventures to rescue the Princess from Bowser. The Lost Levels is a 2D side-scrolling platform game similar in style and gameplay to the original 1985 Super Mario Bros., save for an increase in difficulty. Screenshot of gameplay from the 1986 Japanese release, showing a poison mushroom It is remembered among the most difficult Nintendo games. The Lost Levels was the most popular game on the Disk System, for which it sold about 2.5 million copies. This sequel gave Luigi his first character traits and introduced the poison mushroom item, which has since been used throughout the Mario franchise. Journalists appreciated the game's challenge when spectating speedruns, and recognized the game as a precursor to the franchise's Kaizo subculture in which fans create and share ROM hacks featuring nearly impossible levels. Reviewers viewed The Lost Levels as an extension of the original game, especially its difficulty progression. It was later ported to the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console ( Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U), and Nintendo Switch. The game was renamed The Lost Levels and first released internationally in the 1993 Super Nintendo Entertainment System compilation Super Mario All-Stars. 2: a retrofitted version of the Japanese Doki Doki Panic. Nintendo of America deemed it too difficult for its North American audience and instead chose another game as the region's Super Mario Bros. It was developed by Nintendo R&D4-the team led by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto-and designed for players who had mastered the original. 2 on June 3, 1986, following the success of its predecessor. The Lost Levels was released in Japan for the Famicom Disk System as Super Mario Bros.
The game has 32 levels across eight worlds and 20 bonus levels. The Lost Levels also introduces obstacles such as poison mushroom power-ups, counterproductive level warps, and mid-air wind gusts. The Lost Levels adds a greater level of difficulty and Luigi controls slightly differently from Mario, with reduced ground friction and increased jump height.
The games are similar in style and gameplay, with players controlling Mario or Luigi to rescue the Princess from Bowser. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is a 1986 platform game developed and published by Nintendo as the sequel to Super Mario Bros.