In both cases, the core game assets, level designs, and underlying engines remained largely intact, but publishers heavily altered the cast of characters, opening sequences, and overall lore: 

1. Character Replacements

Super Mario Bros. 2: Nintendo swapped the Doki Doki Panic family (Imajin, Mama, Lina, and Papa) with Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. This is why the characters can unexpectedly pluck vegetables from the ground and toss them at enemies. 

Magical Hoppers: Bandai swapped out the western Pandemonium! protagonists (Fargus the Jester and Nikki) for a pair of juvenile delinquents named Clam and Guppy. 

2. Story & Lore Adjustments

Super Mario Bros. 2: Nintendo reframed the setting as Subcon, a mystical dreamworld Mario is trying to save from the frog-like tyrant Wart. 

Magical Hoppers: Instead of the western story about meddling with magical spellbooks, the Japanese release casts Clam and Guppy as youths from the modern world who are sucked into a fantasy setting called "Amazing Land". 

3. Shared Side Characters

While the main heroes received complete makeovers, many of the environmental assets and enemies went completely unchanged. 

In Super Mario Bros. 2, iconic Mario enemies like the masked Shy Guys, Ninjis, and Snifits were lifted directly from Doki Doki Panic.

Pink: Kris! You're gonna put my heart into a Doki Doki Panic!

da birdo boogie

My life is a party, my home is the club... I party like a rock star, dance until I drop! My life is a party, my home is the club... My stage is the dance floor, party never stops!