#23: Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo, NES, 1988/1989)

Super Mario Bros. 2 begins with a fall, or perhaps the Fall. A door materialises in mid-air, and out of it you tumble into Subcon, where up is down, endings are beginnings, jumping on enemies doesn’t kill them, and you can’t seem to stop submitting yourself to be willingly devoured by giant avians. And then there are the keys, stored in pots that are bigger on the inside, and Phanto, the tragedy/comedy mask that attacks you whenever you touch these keys. There’s a secret, hidden behind locked doors, and someone doesn’t want you to find it.