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Super Mario Bros 2 Player Co-Op Hack

RetroRalph·video·10m 17s·analyzed·Mar 15, 2019

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.021

TL;DR

Two-player Super Mario Bros. ROM hack gameplay and mechanics explored in new Ralph's Retrospect segment.

Summary

RetroRalph introduces a new segment called Ralph's Retrospect featuring Chris Giza and his brother Eric playing a two-player co-op ROM hack of Super Mario Bros. The segment showcases the technical differences and challenges of playing Mario and Luigi simultaneously, including shared screen movement, pass-through collision mechanics, and difficulty in coordinating dual-player gameplay. The hosts attempt to beat the first four levels and save at least one Toad.

Key Claims

The two-player Super Mario Bros. ROM hack was released about a year before this video (approximately 2018)
medium confidence · Chris Giza states 'This thing came out about a year ago, but I just saw it for the first time last week.'
March 10th, 2019 was Mario Day, which prompted this episode's theme
high confidence · Chris Giza explicitly states 'last Sunday was Mario Day, March 10th, 2019'
In the ROM hack, both players pass through each other rather than bouncing off each other like in Wii Mario games
high confidence · Chris describes the mechanic: 'it's not quite like the Wii, for example, where you're bouncing off each other or you run into each other if you smack each other. On this one, you just go through each other.'
Luigi's Fire Flower in the hack displays green fireballs instead of red
high confidence · Chris notes 'when Luigi gets his fire power, he actually has green fireballs'
The screen movement in the ROM hack requires both players to move forward together, not just the first player
high confidence · Eric explains 'the screen doesn't move for just the first player to run ahead. You both have to move ahead.'

Notable Quotes

“Can you imagine playing Mario and Luigi at the same time? Now you can.”
Chris Giza@ 1:11 — Opening pitch for the ROM hack concept, establishing excitement for the novelty
“If one person dies, you start back. Yep. So you both have to stay alive at the same time.”
Chris Giza / Eric Giza@ 2:17 — Establishes a core mechanic difference: failure is shared rather than individual
“It kind of jittery on the screen we playing.”
Eric Giza@ 2:31 — Technical observation about screen rendering lag in the ROM hack
“When we're playing the games, so that adds to the... crazy factor.”
Eric Giza@ 6:55 — Describes how visual stuttering affects gameplay difficulty and coordination
“If you ever get a chance to try this mod, it is... or this hack, it is amazing.”
Chris Giza@ 6:02 — Hosts' overall positive endorsement of the ROM hack despite its challenges

Entities

Chris GizapersonEric GizapersonJon HeypersonSuper Mario Bros. 2-Player Co-Op HackproductRalph's RetrospectproductRetroRalphorganizationSuper Mario Bros.game Nintendoorganization

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.031

Hey guys, welcome back. In today's episode, I'm really excited because we're going to introduce a new segment called Ralph's Retrospect. And my good buddy Chris Skysot and his brother Eric are going to run it. Now you may know Chris because I've showcased his Super Smash Bros. mod and his 4-player arcade one-up setup. Very cool stuff. But Chris is known to have some deep knowledge in the world of NES. So I'm going to guess that this episode is going to have something to do with that. So sit back, relax, and let's do it!

Hey everyone, my name is Chris Giza. And I'm Eric Giza. And we're doing the very first Rouse Retrospect. And as you may know, or maybe not know, last Sunday was Mario Day, March 10th, MER 1L. And I personally can't think of a better way to celebrate Mario Day than with a brand new Mario game. But when I say new Mario game, I mean really old Mario game. Really old Mario game. Super Mario 1. As a matter of fact, it's an actual Super Mario ROM hack of Super Mario Bros. where you get to play two players at the same time. Two players! Can you imagine playing Mario and Luigi at the same time? Now you can. And I tell you what, it is really hard. This thing came out about a year ago, but I just saw it for the first time last week. There's some really interesting aspects to it, too. because it's not quite like the Wii, for example, where you're bouncing off each other or you run into each other if you smack each other. On this one, you just go through each other. And also, when you get the Fire Flower, you kind of tend to look a lot alike and stuff. There's a lot of stuff we'll show you here in just a second. Absolutely. So the main goal of today is to get through the first four levels of World 1. Can we beat the first Bowser? We need to save at least one Toad. At least one Toad. We can do it. We can't save the princess. Not today, but at least save one tone. We just need a little bit of practice, but I think we can do it. Absolutely. So if you guys want to watch us, we're going to go ahead and take it over and see what we can do. Let's do it. Okay, so we're going to go ahead and get started. I'm going to play two players. I'm going to be Mario, and he's going to be Luigi. I'm the green Mario. Come on, green Mario. We've got to go. Oh, by the way, if one person dies, you start back. Yep. So you both have to stay alive at the same time.

It kind of jittery on the screen we playing Woohoo He a green Mario I'm not a green Mario. We didn't get that. Yeah, I need that. I just lost one. There you go, that's yours. So, he can get the flower, and if I grab it, I just get the egg. I don't get the fire powers yet. What's cool about when Luigi gets his fire power, he actually has green fireballs. That's pretty cool. Get out of here.

You want the star? Or the flower? Take it. Yeah. No, the flower. Ah, we get it. Woo! Got the green fireballs! Here, why don't you run ahead? Well, come on! That's the other thing, too, is that the screen doesn't move for just the first player to run ahead. You both have to move ahead. Yeah. Like I said, it's really weird because when you jump, the screen doesn't move normally like it normally does, so it's a little more difficult.

Get it. Oh, I should have gotten it so fast. Hey, one level down. Working on the last three. Three to go. We gotta at least save one toad. Got to. Two.

Yep. Get out of here, compass. Save me, Luigi. Alright, get your fire flower. And you'll notice Mario's actually a slightly darker shade of red there. And orange, I guess, too. Oh no! Oh boy, and I'm invisible. Okay. Don't worry, we'll get you back. You want it? Yep. AHHHHH! Wait, isn't there a cult room? Yeah, it's coming up. I should've slid under it, but it's alright. Oh! You had the star, Eric! Do your job! Do your job, Luigi! Hey, can you get that fire flower for me? Oh, it didn't turn... Oh, it's an extra guy. Follow me! What happens if I get on the tunnel? I don't think you can. I don't think you can. You can't without me. Oh, I think I can. You have to press down at the same time. Yes. Oh boy. So see, there are definitely some differences. This feels so weird.

And you can't hit each other with the shells and things like that. That's crazy. Goodbye Luigi So hard man The timing of it it messes with your mind when you got two Marios on frame Yeah, I'm used to playing the other Marios where you bounce off each other and things like that, that's just not how it works. But what's kind of cool is you get to stay big too. Yeah, that's cool you do get to keep it. You know what, if I grab the star and you die, I come back with the star. That's cool.

They really thought of all, like, everything. There you go. It's all yours. Yeah, boy. Let's go. Okay. Two down. We gotta get the third one. We gotta get the fourth one, too. So this is as far as pretty much we've gotten right here. So two down, two to go.

This is the one we ended last time. We couldn't beat the sport. Oh, my gosh. It just... it's... yeah. If you ever get a chance to try this mod, it is... or this hack, it is amazing. We're actually gonna leave the link to the hack down below, if you guys wanna play this for yourself. You'll have to patch the ROM yourself, because we can't give you the ROM, but we can give you the hack for it. HOO! Hey, I totally bounced off the block.

Man, I've only got one guy left! Then we have to start over. No, you have to start over. If you get an extra guy, do I come back? Just kidding. No. Oh, that would be cool, wouldn't it?

Would you like to give this to Luigi? Yes, I would. Don't die, please! I'm trying not to. Please, no! I want- It is confusing. It is a little confusing, like seeing you jump on the board.

Like I said, there's just a slight... weird... Not delay, but it's a... It's a stuttering, in a sense. When we're Prime Blades games, so that adds to the... Yeah. ...crazy factor. I'm a scaredy cat. I'm dead. You know life fell down before you so you're still alive. You don't lose a life over it. We're gonna start over. One hour later. You lit it down.

Oh, you did the slide. Yep. It's been thirty years. Jump regular. Don't try to jump over.

We need to stop. We need to take it slow! I said slow. Okay now we gotta wait for this guy to turn around Wait you didn get him Get out of my way! Get out of my house! Oh, we did it! We did it without dying! Oh, I keep waiting to see what happens at the time. We're gonna do it this time! I keep waiting to see what happens at the time. We're gonna do it this time! I'm gonna do the slide. Does the little one slide? No, the little one is only if you have fire. It only works if you have fire. Dang it! I need to get the big. Are you serious? Because if I get hit... Alright, let me see if I can hit it first. Because if I can hit it, I can give you the flower. Oh, then it turns into a flower. Go, go, go, go. Oh, don't die, please! Hang on, hang on, hang on.

You know, the other thing that's weird about playing this is the controller. Hold on. No! I'm like thinking I'm you. Wait, what? What about the controller? I feel like it's smaller than our... Are these controllers smaller than the regular ones? No, they're regular.

Okay, hold on. Okay. Duh! Please. Please, no! Chris, don't die to the dragon, okay? Oh my gosh. Ah, I have to wait for you.

Oh, we did it! We saved one! everybody gets one. Thank you, dudes. It's free Mario and his little brother Mario. Word.

Alright, well, we did it. We beat at least one Bowser. He wasn't the real Bowser, but good enough for me. Yes! Alright, so anyway, like I said, we're going to start doing things like showing off, you know, Nintendo rarities and things like that, or just kind of video game rarities, mods. The cool mods, by the way, not just any mods. We've got really cool hardware we actually want to show you guys and some other oddities and things like that of the Nintendo stuff. But those are going to come in videos coming soon. So if you liked the video, hit like, hit subscribe, and we'll see you on the next Rouse Retrospect.