Gamers remembered the first Super Mario Bros. game fondly. Many received the cartridge free with the Nintendo Entertainment System. The system would later see two more sequels to the original game, along with several spin-offs starring Mario and his friends.
Super Mario World was the first game released for the Super Nintendo console in 1990. Fans already had high hopes for the next generation console. The gameplay was the same as previous installments: survive long enough to make it to the end of the level. The game still gave players a new experience. Nintendo provided them a brand new side-scrolling platform adventure with new characters, including Yoshi, a green dinosaur that can eat enemies and gain powers.
Nintendo did their best to create a memorable experience for fans. Super Mario World contained several new worlds, each controlled by a different Koopaling. Mario and Luigi worked through each level to save the captured Princess.
The Super Nintendo was released during an age where expansion packs, downloadable content, and cosmetic microtransactions weren't available. Entire games were loaded onto cartridges. If content was created, but later unused, the developers had to remove it or hide it so that fans couldn't find it. Luckily, fans did uncover missing content. They then shared what was missing from Super Mario World. The unused material had the potential to make the game even better than what gamers received.
We've compiled a list of the gems hidden or removed from Super Mario World.
25 Money Flies
The Super Mario games make players focus on several hazards at once. Gamers become so focused on surviving to the goal they might forget about other bonuses. Collecting coins can earn players a 1-Up, which is valuable during tough boss fights.
Mario could obtain flying red coins that would give him a quick boost.
These winged wonders were worth five extra coins. While they weren't added to Super Mario World, they were added five years later in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
24 Reserve A Special Item
The Starman gives Mario temporary invulnerability against enemies. This is particularly helpful if you have to make a long jump, but a flying enemy stands in your way. Those Fire Flowers or Mushrooms in your reserve box do little to help. It's difficult to survive a jump and also knock an enemy out of your way.
Gamers discovered that it was once possible to reserve a Starman in the item box. This would have been handy against enemies in difficult worlds. Unfortunately, it's not likely a Starman could be accessed for the final boss levels.
23 Boo Isn’t Afraid Of You
Boo Buddy is an unusual creature. They're difficult to take down, but one look at them makes them cower in fear. Staring at them for eight seconds will cause them to briefly make a silly face at you. Big Boo also has this behavior. Big Boo are nothing more than enlarged Boo Buddies, but their massive size is frightening.
Stare into a Big Boo's face for sixteen seconds, twice the amount of time as Boo Buddies, and it will make a face at you. Though this behavior doesn't have an impact on gameplay, it makes the creatures slightly less scary.
22 Clearly Tells You The Title
The original Super Mario Bros. game was popular among fans. Gamers enjoyed it so much that two more games were released on the NES. Nintendo didn't want players to forget the plumber brothers, so they continued to release more games featuring the characters.
Fans began to get confused on which game was part of the main series, and what was considered a spin-off.
The original title screen for Super Mario Bros. tried to resolve the issue by stating the number of the game. Placed beside the title was Super Mario Bros. 4, making it clear that Super Mario World wasn't a spin-off, but a sequel.
21 A Special Life Bonus
Bonuses can be obtained by stomping on several enemies in a row. The more you strike, the higher your reward. According to unused sprite graphics, there was once a bonus for a 5-up. This bonus would grant users a hefty five bonus lives. These bonus lives would certainly come in handy towards the end of the game, where platforms become more difficult to land upon. If you're having trouble defeating a boss, extra lives would be useful. At least there are plenty of ways to obtain the traditional green-and-white 1-Up mushrooms.
20 Another Type Of Conveyor
While many items and levels went unused, there are also many hidden graphics. These graphics were possibly created for the game, but the developers didn't end up using them. One of those unused graphics includes animated conveyor ropes. These ropes would move forward, backward, and even diagonally. In total, there are six remaining animated ropes.
Conveyor belts have appeared in a majority of Super Mario Bros. games, but they were not used in Super Mario World. It's unknown why these challenging platforms weren't included in the game, but they would return in future titles.
19 Adds Extra Time
Several games are developed in Japan but then localized for worldwide release. The Super Mario games often face changes depending on the region. One difference was inside of Lemmy's Castle.
While Japanese gamers had to complete the level and defeat Lemmy within 300 seconds, international players were given 400 seconds to reach the goal.
It's unknown why international gamers were given more time to finish the level, especially since nothing else in the castle was changed. The developers may have believed players worldwide would need extra assistance to defeat the Koopaling.
18 Flying Lives
The Mario brothers begin each game with lives. Once those lives are lost, you can either continue or face a game over. If you're close to the end and lose all your lives, you're at risk of playing the game all over again. Luckily, there are plenty of hidden bonuses throughout each level.
The 1-Up Mushrooms add one extra life. There was once a mushroom that granted an even higher bonus. Flying white mushrooms were once part of the game. They were more challenging to capture but gave players an extra life. They're worth the effort if you're close to losing all your lives.
17 Another Reason To Fear Rhinos
Mario and Luigi aren't the only characters who can launch projectiles. Who can forget the dangerous Hammer Bros. from the original game? Most of Mario's nemesis charge or slowly walk towards him. Dino Rhino are giant dinosaurs but don't launch any weapons, unlike their Dino Torch relatives.
The Dino Rhino was initially meant to have a fire-breathing attack of its own. Dino Rhino would launch a fireball at Mario, similar to Yoshi's fireball. Since these enemies are so large, they would have been difficult for Mario and Luigi to avoid. These dinos were much tamer in the final game.
16 Princess Peach Gets A Makeover
Princess Peach was once known as Princess Toadstool. In the original Super Mario Bros. game, she had dark, brown hair, which was eventually changed to blonde. Super Mario World saw a huge change in her appearance. She was slowly morphing into the character we know today, thanks to the advancement in technology. The developers decided to change her appearance in the game.
Princess Peach's sprite is slightly different and less refined in the international version.
Her Japanese design has her smiling at her heroes, while in the international version, she appears to be upset or indifferent.
15 Making Yoshi Feel Unwanted
There were originally signs that made Yoshi feel unwelcome in the world. At the beginning of several levels were "No Yoshi" signs. These signs had a graphic of Yoshi with a red mark through them. These signs added a bit of humor to the game, but they had a purpose.
The signs indicated that Yoshi could not progress through the level. Yoshi gives Mario a significant advantage, but the green dinosaur can't always travel with Mario. According to the cut content, Mario could look up at the signs, as if he understood Yoshi was not allowed forward.
14 An Unnecessary Bonus
There are several levels to complete in the Mario Bros. series. It's no surprise that some levels were removed from the final game. In the Valley of Bowser, there was one more palace to complete. On the left-hand side of the map is an unused Red Switch Palace. There is no way for players to access the level, even if they hacked or glitched their way inside.
By this point in the game, most players already have all the power-ups they need. The developers may have decided to let gamers concentrate more on reaching Bowser instead of getting distracted by bonus levels.
13 A Significant Jumping Bonus
There are only so many coins and power-ups that Mario and Luigi can obtain. If they need an extra hand, they'll have to destroy additional enemies or smash some blocks. After stomping eight enemies in a row, an additional bonus was gained if you also stomped a Wiggler.
After the tenth stomp, players would receive extra 1-Ups and up to 25 coins.
It was a huge bonus. Unfortunately, the bonus count was not included in the final version of the game.
12 Hidden Developer Tools
Developer mode allows players to test various parts of the game. They may need to search for a specific part of the game, without playing through it from the beginning. Gamers can access these powerful tools through Game Genie codes. There were several codes, including flight, skipping boss fights, instantly completing a level, or selecting any level on the overworld map.
Most games don't have access to these levels, and it's easy to see why. They give gamers an easy way to complete the game without enjoying the journey.
11 Capture All Those Bonus Lives
The 1-Up mushrooms are some of the most well-known objects in the Super Mario Bros. series. Those who have never played the game recognize this symbol. The 1-Up Mushrooms give Mario an extra life. These powerful items provide the heroes with an advantage to saving Princess Peach and defeating Bowser. There were even more of these magical items added to the game.
Thirteen 1-Up mushrooms were added to the game. Developers may have decided to remove them because they gave gamers almost too much of an advantage.
10 Only Their Names Changed
It's no secret that the Japanese and International versions of the Super Mario Bros. games have several changes. Some name changes were made because they were puns of Japanese words. The developers believed International gamers wouldn't understand. Other enemy names may not have been age-appropriate.
The names of the enemies all went through significant changes.
Some of the most significant changes were to Bullet Bill, Noko Noko to Koopas, and the "Koopa" surname given to all of the Koopalings.
9 Making Yoshi Magical
Yoshi is a magical dinosaur with several powers. He can consume enemies and Power Berries to become stronger. Mario can even jump off of Yoshi's back to jump over large gaps in the ground. A new Yoshi always appears in the next level after hatching from an egg.
Yoshi's magical presence was once amplified. Within the cut content, fans found a magical effect that would appear as soon as Mario hopped on Yoshi's back. A few glittery stars would appear, along with the dinosaur's well-known sound effect.
8 An Obvious Exit
The early Mario games were all side-scrollers. Gamers understood they had to run, jump, or stomp over various obstacles to reach the end goal. Nintendo believed that international fans may need a bit more help. The worldwide release of the game added bright red arrows, along with "Exit" to aid players towards the goal. These markers were not part of the Japanese version. The developers may have believed that some gamers may take too many side paths and get lost, or they were a quicker way to reach the exit. Either way, the only way to leave the level is by moving right.
7 Trapped In A Cage
Players discovered an unusual, glitched cage. When the pen is added into the game, Mario is automatically placed inside. There's no way for Mario to escape.
Cages were placed within a difficult auto-scrolling level.
While inside the cage, Mario would have to avoid obstacles and enemies while grabbing any available power-ups. The pen was eventually removed from the game but could be added back through glitches or data mining. A flying cage would have been an interesting obstacle on top of all of the other dangers Mario and Luigi had to face.
6 A Magical Level Of Clouds
One of the earliest levels of the game was only a test. It was a level created above the clouds. Mario or Luigi would have to navigate the floating platforms, along with enemies on clouds, to reach the end. The level would take some patience to complete, especially since you have to wait for each floating platform to reach its destination.
The level was only intended as a test for future levels, so it's understandable why the developers removed it and focused on other levels. A level along the clouds would have given the Mario brothers a challenge in rescuing the princess.