I used to test myself on how many lives I could get in Super Mario Bros. 2, as well. But I used Princess Peach, because I liked floating. It was usually either her or Toad, and sometimes Luigi just because of his wild vertical leaps. I tried for a lot of lives in the original Super Mario Bros. but it lost its appeal when I played straight through the entire game without losing a life. I've noticed a lot of speed runners ignore not only extra lives, but also life meter extensions and such. I guess when you get too good at a game, you don't need half the assistance it offers. Or any of it, really.
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
