Minus World
| Minus World | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Game | Super Mario Bros. | ||||||
| Number of levels | Alternates | ||||||
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TheMinus World, orWorld -1, is an impassableglitch level inSuper Mario Bros. that can be accessed from aWarp Zone. It is an underwaterlevel, exactly likeWorld 7-2 in geography and enemy locations. However, the destination of theWarp Pipe at the end is not updated, so it returns the player to the start of the level. As a result, once the player is there, it isimpossible to leave without getting aGame Over or resetting. The Minus World is well-known, and it has been referenced in several later games.
The glitch was given its name by fans because its number displays as -1. The actual number isWorld 36-1 indecimal (World 24-1 inhexadecimal), but the game displays a blank graphic for the number 36, so all the player can see is the -1.[1] TheFamily Computer Disk System version of the glitch was showcased in a 1986 VHS guide byTokuma Shoten.[2] The glitch was described in thethird issue ofNintendo Power,[3] and it was later featured in its 100th issue.[4]
The Minus World glitch has been removed from remakes ofSuper Mario Bros. InSuper Mario All-Stars, if the trick is performed, the Warp Pipes will still takeMario to their respectiveworlds as if the pipes were reached by walking along the ceiling. InSuper Mario Bros. Deluxe andSuper Mario Bros. 35, the ability to perform the trick is removed entirely. However, the glitch remains in theNintendo PlayChoice-10, theClassic NES Series andVirtual Console ports, theNES Classic Edition and Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer,Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics, andGame & Watch: Super Mario Bros., as they are direct emulations of the original game.
Methods of access[edit]
Warp Zone[edit]
The player can access the Minus World fromWorld 1-2, using glitches to reach the Warp Zone without scrolling it completely onto the screen, namely by clipping Mario (orLuigi) through the wall before it. TheSuper Mario orFire Mario form is required to perform this glitch.
A very common setup is to break most of theBrick Blocks forming the ceiling near the Warp Pipe leading to the normal exit, so that it leaves one Brick Block hanging near the vertical portion of the pipe. Next, the player has to face left, thenjump backwards towards the bottom left corner of the single Brick Block.Crouching while jumping is optional, but it can be used to avoid accidentally breaking the Brick Block while performing the setup. If the action is done correctly, Mario/Luigi will clip through the block and slide through the wall, and from there, the player can enter the first pipe without showing the "Welcome to Warp Zone!" text to access the Minus World.[5]
Another setup is that the player must jump right at full speed while crouching and without breaking any Brick Blocks forming the ceiling, then land in a very precise spot on the vertical portion of the normal exit pipe. Due to the more precise nature of this setup, this often takes several tries before the player can successfully clip inside the pipe and into the wall. In all setups, the camera has to scroll enough for even one pixel of the first Warp Zone pipe to show, otherwise the player issoftlocked until thetime limit runs out.[6][dead link]
Once the player is in the Warp Zone room, entering the left or right pipe leads to the Minus World. The middle pipe leads toWorld 5-1. (This advances the player further than normal, although it skips past the Warp Zone fromWorld 4-2 toWorld 8.) However, if the screen is scrolled all the way over so that the "Welcome to Warp Zone!" message appears, the Warp Zone is correctly loaded and the pipes lead to their intended destinations.
It is not possible to enter the Minus World from either of the Warp Zones in World 4-2. Through hacking, the pipes in the zone above thebeanstalk are shown to lead back to the beginning of that section while the pipe leading to World 5-1 functions normally.[7]
Cartridge swapping[edit]
Another method of accessing glitch worlds, including the Minus World, involves swapping cartridges while the power is on, which can potentially damage the console's hardware.
Tennis[edit]
The most common cartridge swapping method involves swapping cartridges withTennis.[8] This glitch is due to the coincidental usage of the same RAM area between the two games that prevents a fail-safe from clearing the value that would normally store the most recently played world, which is used when the A Button is held down on the Start screen to continue a world after a Game Over. This value is overwritten by a footstep sound effect counter inTennis.[9]
Family BASIC[edit]
Another cartridge swapping method involvesFamily BASIC and requires use of the Famicom Keyboard. A program can be written in BASIC to allow the user to select any world from 0 to 255.[10]
10 FOR I=&H7D3 TO &H7DC:POKE I,0:NEXT
20 POKE &H7FF,&HA5
30 INPUT "WORLD=";A
40 POKE &H7FD,A+255AND255
Game Genie[edit]
TheGame Genie cheat device can be used to access glitch worlds. The two codes below will unlock the world select that normally unlocks by beating the game, but it allows for selecting worlds pastWorld 8.[10]
AANAAXZG
NNXAZZYE
Cause[edit]
The graphic that enumerates a world appears in the heads-up display and Warp Zone, and it is unbounded to the actual number graphics. For any world higher than 9, the game will start using graphics for text and level objects. This is used intentionally in World 4-2's Warp Zone, which has only one pipe in the center, even though all Warp Zones are designed to support travel to exactly three worlds. The left and right pipes have destinations set to World 36, corresponding to an empty background-colored tile in the second CHR table.
Entering the Warp Zone in World 1-2 without activating the "WELCOME TO WARP ZONE!" text causes the Warp Zone to behave like World 4-2's, with the center pipe sending the player to World 5. Since World 1-2 has three pipes, the player can actually enter the pipes corresponding to World 36, sending them to a level indicated with "World 'Blank Tile'-1."
Related glitch worlds and levels[edit]
Super Mario Bros. actually has 256 worlds in total; however, World 0 (which starts with an underwater version ofWorld 4-4), World 9, and onward are glitched and reuse pointers from other levels in the level data. The Minus World (internally World 36) is the only one that can be accessed legitimately in the original versions of the game, and the rest can only be accessed via hacking, cheats, or via performing the cartridge swapping glitch.
It is possible for each world to have up to 256 levels, however most of these levels beyond the ones that can be normally accessed are glitched and either require hacking the game to access them, or by completing the fourth level and so on by usingGoal Poles as exits. Common descriptions of these glitch levels include:
- Duplicate levels - some glitch levels simply reuse the original data, including the exact enemy layouts and properties, however warps do not work properly and send the player back to the beginning of the level instead.[11]
- Incorrect graphics and palettes used in the level - for example, World -2 (36-2) loadsWorld 3-4 with the palette and tilesets used from underwater levels
- Randomized enemy and level layouts, sprites and properties as a result of the game loading garbage data as a level:
- Sometimes, a glitch level could involve spawning into aCoin Heaven with a blank timer, which causes the player to instantly lose due to the game thinking the time is up.[11]
- It is possible for glitch levels to also load the pipe entering cutscene (which is normally used before underground and underwater levels), usually up to three times before the level actually begins.[11] The player may also end up being in the cutscene state in some glitch levels and walk in an endless hallway until Mario/Luigi collides with an enemy or falls into abottomless pit.[12]
- Black screens or instant death due to bottomless pits or no timer, which put the player in anunwinnable state until they either reset the game or (if the game is still playable) lose all their lives.
- Sometimes, there are glitch levels that the player cannot move around in, such as World -A (36-10).
- Some glitch levels may even end up crashing the game if enough progress has been made into the level, usually from loading an invalid enemy or object.[12]
In glitch worlds aboveWorld 8, beating a glitch level with a castle exit (hitting theAxe) will cause the ending to be treated as if the player has completed the game, even if it only displays theMushroom Retainer's "Thank you Mario! But the princess is in another castle!" line. The player can return to the title screen as normal by pressing
, andHard Mode will also be triggered as usual.
"World 9"[edit]
The existence of these glitch levels created a rumor that sparked in Japan: a lightning strike on aFamily Computer was said to create aSuper Mario Bros. level never seen before, thought to be part of a secret World 9 (World 9-1 being an underwater version ofWorld 6-2 that requires waiting a little to complete).[13] According to an interview withShigeru Miyamoto inFamily Computer Magazine issue 9 in April 1986, the creation ofWorld 9 inSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was inspired by the commotion surrounding the World 9 glitch.[14] World 9 in this game also contains levels that are designed like overworld levels but with underwater properties, graphics, and palette, alluding to the descriptions of these glitch levels.
Other versions[edit]
It is possible to perform the Minus World glitch in other versions and direct emulations ofSuper Mario Bros., as well asSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. However, the way this glitch behaves varies per version of the game, with some versions sending the player to completely different places in the same level or sending them to a different version of World -1 altogether. This does not include remakes of the game (such asSuper Mario All-Stars andSuper Mario Bros. Deluxe), which completely remove the Minus World glitch due to various differences in the games' technical data.
Family Computer Disk System port[edit]
In theFamily Computer Disk System port ofSuper Mario Bros., the Minus World is accessed the same way, but it is very different in design[15] due to the game loading different level data than the cartridge version.
World -1 is just likeWorld 5-3 but with underwater gameplay (despite lacking actual visual water) and some unusual elements, such as multiple floatingPrincess Toadstools without hitboxes, a floating headlessBowser, a misplacedHammer Bro, as well as all objects using the "underwater" palettes (that is, green is replaced by gray), causing odd visuals. If the player defeats the headless Bowser, the game will crash near the flagpole, though there is a small chance for the game not to crash and the player will instead receive a few fireworks.
The level has aGoal Pole (without the flag), allowing the level to be completed normally. It can easily stop the game from progressing if touched too high, however. The level eventually leads toWorld -2, a copy ofWorld 7-3. However, thecheckpoint is placed beneath the bridge, leading to anunwinnable state if Mario dies during the level. This level can also be completed normally and leads toWorld -3, a copy ofWorld 4-4 that lacks itsfake Bowser and maze elements, is set underground, and filled with flyingBloobers that can be stomped for 1,000points. This weakness is otherwise unused due to Mario having different physics underwater, though it does appear inSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. In addition, upon the player completing the level, Toad's message of "Thank you, Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" plays as normal, despite Toad's sprite being missing.
Beating World -3 takes the player to the title screen, as the game treats completing a castle level in World 8 or later as beating the game. If the player starts the game again after going through the Minus World,Hard Mode will be activated as normal.
VS. Super Mario Bros.[edit]
InVS. Super Mario Bros., some bricks located above the end pipe are removed to prevent the trick from being performed. However, it is not impossible to access, as the player can clip through the bricks under the pipe[16] or the pipe itself.[17] This version of the Minus World resembles the underwater portion ofWorld 6-2. This room is actually the first level to exist in theSuper Mario Bros. code in all versions.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
Attempting to do this with the Warp Zone pipe toWorld 4 inWorld 1-2 ofSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels will lead to two possible outcomes. First, it can send Mario or Luigi to the bonus area in another part of the level.[18] Second, it could send him back to the underground bonus area ofWorld 1-1. The game will still recognize the level as World 1-2 and the time will not reset. Completing it will send the player toWorld 1-3.[19][20]
All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.[edit]
By using the same trick inAll Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros., if Mario enters a Warp Pipe while standing still, he will be sent to the destination of the usual end-of-level pipe and be able to progress to World 1-3. If he enters a Warp Pipe while moving, thus allowing the Warp Zone to load fully after he has entered the pipe, he will be sent back to World 1-1, but it will be labeled 1-2 with the time not having been reset and all pipes hostingPiranha Plants. If he completes this level, he progresses to World 1-3, but dying sends him back to the real World 1-2.[21][22]
NES Remix series[edit]
Most instances ofSuper Mario Bros. throughout theNES Remix series are direct emulations of the original game, meaning that most glitches, including the ability to access the Minus World, can be performed once again. However, due to the short nature of the various challenge stages throughout these games, any instances of accessing the Minus World cannot be performed. Although it is possible to perform the glitch inNES Remix's Remix I-16 (as it is a full run of World 1-2 but mirrored and playing as Luigi), attempting to use the Warp Zone in this stage will count as a miss, and as a result the glitch cannot be performed there.
Super Luigi Bros. (NES Remix 2)[edit]
The Minus World can be entered inSuper Luigi Bros. fromNES Remix 2; however, due to Luigi's higher jumps, it is trickier to do so than in the original game. Like the rest of this mode, it is mirrored so Luigi has to swim from right to left.[23]
Speed Mario Bros. (Ultimate NES Remix)[edit]
Speed Mario Bros., a version of the original game that plays twice as fast, is a mode found inUltimate NES Remix. The Minus World here behaves like the rest of the mode.[24]
Championship Mode (NES Remix 2 /Ultimate NES Remix)[edit]
The first stage in Championship Mode inNES Remix 2 andUltimate NES Remix is set inSuper Mario Bros., starting at World 1-1 then progresses as normal until 50coins are collected or if the mode's timer is up. With this setup, it is possible to visit World 1-2 and perform the glitch to access the Minus World in this mode. Notably, because the coin counter is saved across worlds, it is possible to collect coins in advance in the first two levels to get enough to easily complete the stage while in the Minus World.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition[edit]
Various challenges inNintendo World Championships: NES Edition are direct emulations of the original games, which also includeSuper Mario Bros.. However, while the Minus World glitch can be attempted in the challenges In the Zone and Mario Master, the game will detect doing the wall sliding glitch for the Minus World as a prohibited strategy, then rewind the player back to a point prior to doing the glitch, or (in the case of Mario Master) back to World 1-1. The timer will continue to run in these circumstances.[25]
References in other media[edit]
- The instruction manual's description forMinus Barrels hasCranky Kong attribute them the ability to send the player to the Minus World, only to realize he was talking about the wrong game.
- The Underwhere is called "World -1" by one of the residents.[26]
- OnSmash Bros. DOJO!!, the officialSuper Smash Bros. Brawl website, there is a screenshot showing a list of friends to whom Target Smash!! replays can be sent, with one of them nicknamed "World -1".
- One of theweapons, the Splatformer (which has various sprites fromSuper Mario Bros. on it), references the Minus World in its description: "Send your enemies to the Minus World with this groundbreaking boomshot. The end."
- The signPrincess Peach andToad phase through references the Minus World fromSuper Mario Bros.
Gallery[edit]
Intro card
World -2 on the Disk System port
Mario next to some Bloobers on the Disk System port in World -3
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マイナス面[?] Mainasu-men | Minus World | |
| Dutch | Min Wereld[27] | Minus World | |
| German | Minus-Welt[?] | Minus World | |
| Italian | Minus World[?] | - | |
| Portuguese | Mundo Menos[?] | Minus World | |
| Spanish | Mundo -1[?] | World -1 | |
| Mundo Negativo[?] | Negative World/Minus World | Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle |
References[edit]
 | Wikipedia has an article onMinus World. |
- ^"The 'Minus World' isn't a secret bonus level, and in fact isn't really numbered "−1" at all. The level is actually numbered "36–1", but the number "36" happens to be represented by a blank tile in the game. This gives the impression that the screen reads 'World −1.'" –Super Mario Bros. “Minus World”.Transmission Zero (British English). Archived October 13, 2007, 03:53:44 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^Back of the box of 「スーパーマリオブラザーズ 全面攻略ビデオ」.
- ^November/December 1988.Nintendo Power Volume 3.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 55.
- ^September 1997.Nintendo Power Volume 100.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 68.
- ^Video by "selsine gaming" on how to perform the glitch
- ^A video of the glitch performed, on YouTube
- ^Video of 4-2 Warp Pipe experiment
- ^Experiments with the Tennis cartridge
- ^Access Glitch Worlds in Super Mario Bros. via NES Tennis
- ^abSuper Mario Bros: 256 Worlds.FamicomWorld (English). Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^abcYouTube video titled "SMB1 Glitched Worlds" by Kosmic, at 8:41 into the video]
- ^abYouTube video titled "Glitched Worlds in Super Mario Bros!" by Kosmic, which also features some glitch levels crashing
- ^Legends of Localization Super Mario Bros.: Miscellaneous
- ^April 1986.Famimaga issue 9. Page 68-69.
- ^A YouTube video of the FDS version of the Minus World
- ^A video of the glitch being performed in the arcade version.
- ^Another video with a slightly different method.
- ^Glitch to 1-2 bonus area
- ^Tutorial: How to Beat Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in 7:56
- ^TAS run showing the glitch to 1-1 bonus area
- ^All Night Nippon 1-2 Warp Zone Oddities
- ^All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.
- ^Minus World inSuper Luigi Bros.
- ^Minus World inSpeed Mario Bros.
- ^Video by taktak7095110 on X showcasing that attempting to enter the Minus World is prohibited inNintendo World Championships: NES Edition (Japanese)
- ^"Huh? What'd you say? "What's The Underwhere?" ...You're kidding, right? Man, for a guy with no extra lives, you're sure hilarious! Isn't it obvious? This is where people go when their games are OVER! Some call it "World -1"..." – AShayde.Super Paper Mario.Nintendo (English).
- ^Club Nintendo Magazines (Dutch
