SMB2: Run Like The Devil...

Super Mario Bros. 2
(All-Stars Version)

The Eyes of Phanto Are Upon You.

Playing Super Mario Bros 2 (Super Mario All-Stars).
Wasn't thrilled that they changed the actual color of Phanto...
(that creepy ghost face that guards the underground keys)

Was however pleasantly surprised with the evil, demonic Phanto emblem that glows on the wall (complete with flaming red eyes that light up when you grab the key).

The "Phanto Shrine" is actually kinda cool.

As for the angry apparition himself, the colored side of his face appears to be golden brown in the 1993 version.

Super Mario Bros. 2
(original version)

In the original 1988 version of the game, one side of Phanto's mask was a red-orange color. (A minor detail that only a Mario fanatic would notice...)



Couple of favorite quotes about this (nearly) forgotten foe:

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"Phanto, the cause of much anxiety for children playing Super Mario Bros. 2 back in the day and a memorable enough part of the game that I’m surprised he didn’t end up recurring...

Aside from the cameo in Mario Kart 7... Phanto does not return to give players nightmares until Super Mario Maker 2, where Nintendo finally re-implemented the gameplay element of 'steal a cursed key, run like the devil is chasing you.'

In Japan, Phanto is Kamen, meaning 'mask.'"

SMB2 Baddies
https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/the-legacy-of-super-mario-bros-2-part-two

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"Phanto: The scariest videogame character of all time"

"Why does a seemingly silly 8-bit character from a very family-friendly game scare me more than horribly satanic demons, chainsaw-wielding psychopaths...?"

"Although the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 is completely different than the original — it was famously modeled after Japanese game Doki Doki Panic"

https://www.destructoid.com/phanto-the-scariest-videogame-character-of-all-time/

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Phanto (SMB2) - 3D Model
by Elesis-Knight
www.patreon.com/rafaknight

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Phanto has mystical powers that still haunt some players to this day...

Super Mario Bros. 2
(Original Version)

Super Mario Bros. 2
(All-Stars Version)

Toad is definitely not a member of the Phanto Fan Club.

SMB: Booklet Baddies...

Super Mario Bros / Duck Hunt
User Manual
(Scanned Cover)

The best part of any oldschool Nintendo user manual has to be the "Enemies" section.

In the original Super Mario Bros, the Turtle Tribe is depicted in pixel form - Just as they appear in the game.

(artistic renderings would be included in subsequent Mario adventures)

Scanned the key pages of this age-old document. It's no longer just a book - It's an artifact!

Of note, defeating a Hammer Brother nets 1,000 points.

Another standard enemy worth surprising points are the Koopa Paratroopas (400 points - And that's just for taking away his wings).

If You Spell 'Bananas' Backwards...

A file folder containing "Beta" Plans from GoldenEye 007.

One of many unused objects found inside the game's memory.

The most widely accepted fan theory is that the dossier was among the contents of Ourumov's Briefcase...
(which would of course contain plans for the Pirate helicopter, or information about the GoldenEye satellite)

Clearly stamped with Russian text resembling "BANANAS", rumors state the folder contains a top secret recipe for Banana Vodka Martinis.

"Does this yellow suit make my head look big?"

Others insist that it's a reference to DK Mode (the game's easiest-to-unlock cheat, by completing the Runway in 5 minutes, on the easiest difficulty).

Even the yellow Moonraker suits bear a resemblance to the banana...

Donkey goes ape over his bananas.

Another highly improbable scenario is that the Soviets had intentions of stealing Donkey Kong's Banana Hoard.

SMB: Unmask Phantom Bowser

On The Hunt...

Super Mario Bros.

The dreaded Spiny makes his debut in Super Mario Bros, first appearing in World 4-1.

If Fire Mario can make it to Bowser Koopa in World 4-4 and eliminate him with fireballs, the apparent Koopa King will briefly transform into a Spiny before he falls into the lava.

There's a hidden transformation like this in every castle, right up until World 7.

It's a secret that even many oldschool Mario fan's aren't aware of.

Mario finally confronts the "real" Bowser Koopa in World 8.

YOSHI EGG   (SMB: Unmask Phantom Bowser) Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System In the original Super Mario Bros game, defeat Bowser Koopa with fireballs, and a secret hidden foe is revealed. Found the old photo gallery of "Unmasking Phantom Bowser". Compilation of shots between the original Super Mario Bros and the All-Stars version, but it gets the job done. World 1: Goomba World 2: Koopa Troopa World 3: Buzzy Beetle World 4: Spiny World 5: Lakitu World 6: Blooper World 7: Hammer Brother

Pandora's Box...

Once upon a time, a small cardboard box yielded a world of mystery...
Still captivated by those snapshots on the back.

Agent Orange...

Admiring Beautiful Curves

Scanned advertisement for a 2001 James Bond film "TV marathon".

Always liked this promo image from The World Is Not Enough.

A generic "Bond Girl" silhouette - Often wondered is it supposed to be Elektra King (Sophie Marceau)?

Definitely doesn't fit the profile of Christmas Jones (Denise Richards).

Hard to imagine her character in heels...
(Just to be sure, better re-watch the scene in Zukovsky's Caviar factory...)

It's also nearly impossible to flip through a men's magazine without finding some kind of reference to 007.

So much material, so little time.

Mission Statement...

Professional Courtesy

Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario reigns supreme on the leaderboard, with Secret Agents James Bond and Joanna Dark covertly infiltrating the ranks.

The Kongs also manage to keep up, with the enduring popularity of Kremling Pirates and Dixie Kong (because blondes really are more fun).

STAR CHARTS Navigating the Retro NintendoSphere  Game System Released 1 Super Mario Bros. 3 NES 1990 2 Super Mario Bros. NES 1985 3 Donkey Kong Country 2 SNES 1995 4 GoldenEye 007 N64 1997 5 Perfect Dark N64 2000

GoldenEye 007