A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/Controls

Techniques
To make it through the seven worlds of Sub-con, you must learn a lot of special techniques. Control the movements of your character by using a combination of A and B as well as the direction pad. If you want to jump, simply use A. To increase your speed, hold B for the "B button run." It just takes a bit of practice, and you'll have these moves down. Additional techniques are explained below.

Straight jump
While you are standing still, press A. You'll jump up and down, but not be very high. →

Running jump
Jump while you are moving to the left or to the right and you will jump higher than when you stand in one spot. You can leap over enemies and obstacles. →

Power squat jump
To jump extra high, hold D-Pad (Down) until your character is flashing. Then press A to make the highest jump yet. You will jump nearly one and a half times higher than a regular jump. →

Guided jump
While you up in the air, you can press Left|Dpad or Right|Dpad to steer or guide your character through the air. Use this to successfully land on top of moving enemies.

B button run
Hold down B while you press Left|Dpad or Right|Dpad to run faster than usual, just like in the original Super Mario Bros.

Squat
Throughout the crazy dream world of Sub-con, you'll find that you'll want to duck out of danger. Hold down D-Pad (Down) to squat under enemy attacks. Run and duck on ice to slide. You can also use this method to enter jars.

Climb
Press Up|Dpad when standing in front of a vine, a chain, or a ladder to begin climbing up. Press D-Pad (Down) to climb down, or press A to jump off.

When you're climbing viNintendo Entertainment System, it is possible to jump on top of enemies and use them to get a lift up and down the vine. Hoever, if you press B while standing on them, you will initiate the act of lifting them, and begin to fall. →

Open doors
Press Up|Dpad when standing in front of an unlocked door to open it and head inside. →

If the door happens to be locked, then you will be unable to open it unless you happen to be carrying a key when you stand in front of the door and press Up|Dpad. →

Digging
Press B repeatedly to dig into the soft sand and move downward. If they're present, grab Cherries along the way.

Lifting and throwing
Mario and his friends may be in a strange land, but they are quick to find lots of handy survival tactics. This is one strong group, and they are at their toughest when you use B. With the B button, they can pull up the grass, and even lift enemies off the ground!

Plucking vegetables
Press B while standing in front of waving grass to pluck the vegetable out of the ground. →

Lift items
Press B while standing on top of an item that you would like to pick up, in order to lift it. This works on items such as Mushroom Blocks or POW Blocks. → →

Drop items
While holding an item over your head, press B to drop the item in direction that your character is currently facing. Note that you will only drop bombs and mushroom blocks at your feet. Other items will be dropped a short distance from you. →   →

Toss items
While holding an item over your head, hold Left|Dpad or Right|Dpad and press B to toss the item in the desired direction. Note that you can throw bombs and mushroom blocks farther than other items. →   →

Toss enemies
The same rules apply when you are standing on top of an enemy. Press B to lift the enemy up over your head, and then hold Left|Dpad or Right|Dpad and press B to throw the enemy in a particular direction. Try throwing one enemy into another to defeat two of them at a time. → →

Using bombs
In various parts of certain stages, you will find weakened walls which can be destroyed with a bomb. To create a hole, drop a bomb near the wall before it explodes, then run away to safety. Your character will suffer damage if he or she is caught in the blast.

Using potions
Potions have a very special purpose in the world of Sub-con. They provide you with access to sub-space (typset as "Sub-space" in the Nintendo Entertainment System manual), an ethereal, dark, mirrored world. In sub-space, you might find hidden mushrooms which can power up your character, and you can plucks coins from the ground, but only for the first two visits to sub-space in any particular stage. To visit sub-space, you must first pluck a potion out of the ground. Then press B to drop it at your feet. A door will appear. Step inside the door by pressing Up|Dpad. In sub-space, the screen will not scroll, so it is important to give careful consideration to where you drop the potion. → →  →  →