Il 31 October is approaching, and with it the most loved and frightening party there is: Halloween. There are many themed events that will color this one-of-a-kind anniversary: masquerade parties, horror movie marathons, going house to house to ask "Trick or treat“, And the list could be very long. The influence that Halloween has had on our culture is enormous. Many media have been inspired by this magical day, in the true sense of the term. From movies, to TV series, Stranger Things above all, cartoons, comics, and video games certainly could not be an exception. And it is a video game inspired by the most famous party in the world that we are about to talk to you about. Super Mario Land 2, probably without even doing it on purpose, it has levels that seem almost "Halloween themed".
Super Mario Land 2: Levels that look like they came out of a Halloween party
As the older players will remember, Super Mario Land 2 went out in the distance 1992 per Game Boy. The game was not set in the Mushroom Kingdom, but in Mario Land, an island of which our beloved Mario was the king. This until the coming of Wario who, envious of the fame of our beloved plumber (indeed, former plumber), overthrows him and brainwashes all the inhabitants of the island, who will thus become enemies of the protagonist. Our mustachioed hero will have to explore different game worlds spread over one of the largest maps ever to appear on Game Boy, defeating all the end-of-level bosses and collecting 6 gold coins, which would pave the way for Wario Castle, thus starting the final battle.
This spin-off is remembered by all fans of the Nintendo franchise for introducing Wario, the evil equivalent of Mario, one of the most bizarre, grotesque and, in some ways, disturbing villains that have ever been seen. However, Super Mario Land 2 has come to mind these days due to one of its game worlds: the Pumpkin Zone. If the other game worlds were inspired by more general themes such as, for example, space travel in the Space Zone, or the underwater adventures of the Turtle Zone, the Pumpkin Zone is clearly a reference to the holiday of Halloween.
Super Mario Land 2: Unforgettable Enemies
The game world presented itself as a huge pumpkin, which has now become the true symbol of Halloween, naturally with evil eyes and grins of ordinance. But it is on the monsters that we will meet in this area that Nintendo has given its best. Let's take the Funeral, paper lanterns typical of Japanese culture, or the F Boys, demonic fireballs, always taken from the folklore of the land of the Rising Sun. Same goes for the Karakaras, living umbrellas whose shape resembles that of a leg, even with an eye. However, there are also monsters of a clear "Western" matrix, such as vampires, witches and ghouls with hockey masks, a clear tribute to Jason Voorhees di Friday 13. All these elements have obviously been reinterpreted in a Nintendo key, making the monsters in question not only scary, but also incredibly funny and beautiful to look at.
As recalled by Kotaku, i also appear in this level Boo Goomba, the almost invincible ghosts that we will then meet again in the following chapters of the franchise. According to some theories, the Boos are nothing more than the ghosts of the Goombas killed by Mario in his adventures. Of course, the big N has never confirmed any of this, as such a macabre twist would not be in line with her policies.
If Halloween is the most horror and scary party there is, Nintendo was able, in Super Mario Land 2, to reinterpret it, keeping the fundamental and most characteristic aspects, but making sure that anyone who entered the Pumpkin Zone was able, first of all, to have fun. Because laughter is capable of exorcising even the greatest of fright.
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