Let’s dive into the enchanting world of Doki Doki Panic, or Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, a unique title developed by Nintendo in collaboration with Fuji Television. This game was made exclusively for the Famicom Disk System. It was originally designed to promote the Yume Kōjō ’87 event. It later found its way outside Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, although it underwent significant changes in the process. It remains to this day one of the more obscure Super Mario-related games that have ever been released. Here we’ll explore what Doki Doki Panic has in store for gamers and how one can use cheat in the game.
Doki Doki Panic Premise
Doki Doki Panic unfolds within the pages of a storybook. It transports players to the dream world of Muu. In this realm, the quality of dreams directly affects the weather, leading its inhabitants to create a dream machine, which could deliver them pleasant dreams. However, the peace of this world is disrupted when Mamu, a creature with nefarious plans, takes over the machine to create nightmares.
The story follows the adventure of a family as they dive into the book to save the kidnapped twins, Poki and Piki, battling nightmarish monsters with the unique power of vegetables. The game’s narrative was largely determined by the specific event it was created for, for a promotional purpose. The themes of the events included dreams and innovation.
In Doki Doki Panic, players navigate through a variety of levels, each filled with challenges and enemies unique to the game’s setting. The necessity to play as all four main characters to see the game’s true ending adds to the replayability of this interesting title. While the story and characters might not seem familiar to Mario fans, the gameplay and soundtrack are an almost exact copy of the iconic Super Mario Bros. 2.
Doki Doki Panic Characters
Meet the diverse cast of Doki Doki Panic, a group of characters each with their own unique abilities and roles within the game’s storybook world. From the balanced abilities of Imajin to the flying Mama, the hovering Lina, and the strong, fast Papa, these characters are at the heart of the game. They also share tons of similarities with the playable characters in Super Mario Bros. 2. Players can use their distinct skills in different stages to advance more efficiently, strategize against specific enemies, and more.
- Imajin: The hero of the story. Imajin’s all-around abilities make him a jack-of-all-trades, which closely matches the role of Mario in the altered version for international audiences.
- Mama: Known for her high jumps and ability to hover. Mama’s agility is a feature that Luigi got in Super Mario Bros. 2
- Lina: With the power to briefly hover, Lina is an excellent option for stages that require mobility in the air. Her abilities are available on Princess Peach in the Super Mario Bros. 2.
- Papa: The strongest and fastest member of the group, though his jumping skills aren’t up to others’ level. Papa’s traits are seen in Toad’s character in the Super Mario game.
- Poki and Piki: Poki and Piki are the young twins whose disappearance into the storybook world kicks off the game’s quest. The evil Mamu has captured them, and their survival depends on the rescue mission the player embarks on.
- Mamu: Mamu is the main antagonist of the game. He is using the dream machine to force nightmares upon the inhabitants of Muu. He is not a fan of vegetables. Mamu is the final boss of the game and shares a lot of similarities with Wart.
Games in the Series
Doki Doki Panic is one of the more unique entries in Nintendo’s portfolio of games. While it is a rare game, designed for a specific event, it also directly influenced the international version of Super Mario Bros. 2. It cemented its place in video game history by having an impact on one of the most iconic video games in history, and the larger Super Mario franchise. While it does not technically feature Super Mario, it is often considered part of the legacy.
Main Series Platform Games
- Super Mario Bros. (1985)
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986)
- Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
- Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
- Super Mario Land (1989)
- Super Mario World (1990)
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)
- Super Mario 64 (1996)
- Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
- New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
- Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009)
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
- Super Mario 3D Land (2011)
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012)
- New Super Mario Bros. U (2012)
- New Super Luigi U (2013)
- Super Mario 3D World (2013)
- Super Mario Maker (2015)
- Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
- Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (2021)
Spin-offs and Collaborations
- Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987)
- Super Mario Kart series (Starting in 1992)
- Wario series (Starting in 1994)
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996)
- Mario Party series (Starting in 1998)
- Mario Golf series (Starting in 1999)
- Mario Tennis series (Starting in 2000)
- Paper Mario series (Starting in 2000)
- Mario & Luigi RPG series (Starting in 2003)
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong series (Starting in 2004)
- Super Princess Peach (2005)
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series (Starting in 2007)
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (2014)
- Super Mario Run (2016)
Doki Doki Panic Cheats
While Doki Doki Panic does not feature traditional cheats, there are a few ways to take advantage of the loopholes left in the game by the developer. The Mario series’ iconic level warps are also present in this unique game, and there are other interesting easter eggs as well.
Warp to Chapter 4
To warp to Chapter 4, in Chapter 1-3, find the lamp in the ground but don’t activate it immediately. Run past the nearby door to the pot at the end of the screen. Activate the lamp here and enter Subspace. Lower down into the pot while in Subspace to jump to Chapter 4.
Warp to Chapter 6
In Chapter 4-2, within the whale area, locate and extract the magic lamp near the start. Carry this lamp to a spot where a pot and a whale are close together towards the screen’s bottom. Position the lamp so the pot is visible while on the whale, then enter Subspace and use the pot to warp to Chapter 6.
Warp to Chapter 5
Navigate to 3-1 and proceed to the large waterfall in the clouds. Do down to the platform base and enter the door. Move right, getting the sixth plant from the first set on the right, which should pop out a lamp. Place it near the vase on the right to activate a warp to Chapter 5-1.
Warp to Chapter 7
In Chapter 5-3, before going down the ladder at the end of the level, do a squat jump to get to the overhang above. The bush on the right contains a lamp, which can be used near the vase to create a warp to Chapter 7.
Suicide Easter Egg
Players can kill the character during the game by pausing the game and holding Up, B, and A on controller 2, and unpausing the game. There aren’t a lot of reasons to use this trick. However, perhaps this is meant to help players out of being stuck.
FAQ
How does Doki Doki Panic differ from Super Mario Bros. 2?
Although both games share many mechanics, audio, and visuals, Doki Doki Panic introduces unique characters and a different story specific to its narrative, based on the event for which it was created.
Are the characters from Doki Doki Panic found in other games?
While the original characters do not reappear in other titles, their abilities and characteristics influenced the development of iconic Super Mario characters and their roles in future games.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot for Doki Doki Panic.