The devilishly difficult Japanese platforming classic is soon to disappear from the Virtual Console... for good.

Nintendo shocked the world earlier this month when it released several games on the Virtual Console that were previously only released in Japan, contradicting earlier statements that claimed Nintendo would not be releasing non-European games on the Virtual Console. This momentous occasion marked the beginning of the Hanabi Festival, which is sadly almost over after going out with a bang, the release of Sin & Punishment after a 6 and a half year delay.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (released as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels on the VC) was one of the very first titles to be released, but sadly it is only available until today. After that, it will fly back to the Nintendo archives, never to be seen again (maybe). For 600 Wii Points, it's a bargain for collectors and Mario fans.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is effectively the original game, plus a few additional features. The difficulty level has skyrocketed, as if Shigeru Miyamoto took a short break to train with battle-hardened ninjas to become the ultimate ninja master, and then took his experiences and decided to make the nation of Japan relive them in gaming-form. That's quite hard, by the way. If you're still undecided, check out Sam's review in VC Weekly #30.

Be swift if you want the chance to play this classic, it disappears from the Virtual Console tomorrow if you haven't already downloaded it!