Punch Ball Mario Bros.
The FM-7 version’s boxart, in which (like all other versions of the game)Mario is holding a Punch Ball
Developer	Hudson Soft
Publisher	Hudson Soft
Platforms	PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, PC-8001mkII, PC-8801, FM-7, X1, MZ-1500, Hitachi S1, IBM JX
Release date	October 5, 1984[1]
Language	English
Genres	Retro/platformer
Mode	Up to two players simultaneously
Format	5.25-inch floppy, cassette

Punch Ball Mario Bros. is a game developed and released byHudson Soft in 1984. The game was available for the PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, PC-8001mkII, PC-8801, FM-7, X1, MZ-1500,^[2] Hitachi S1, and IBM-JX,^[3] most of which had noticeable differences between each other (palette, sound, flow of gameplay, etc.). It is very similar toMario Bros. but with new objects calledPunch Balls that could now be thrown to stun enemies. Once stunned, the hit enemy could be hit like normal. Hudson also produced other games of theSuper Mario franchise for Japanese home computers likeMario Bros. Special andSuper Mario Bros. Special.

The title screen music is the opening melody from the 19th-century American song "Dixie."

Story[edit]

The story page in the instruction manual explains that while humanity has evolved throughout the ages, mastering fire and developing advanced technology, some people such asMario andLuigi are primitive men who do not know of modern society and must use "stone balls" and their jumping abilities to defend themselves from outsiders.

The story, from the instruction booklet:

　いつの頃だろうか、人類が道具を持つようになったのは……。初めは動物

の骨、石のかけらを利用した単純なものであった。人類は英知をふるい、道具を改良していった。それが、火を使い、風を利用し、そして今では原子力をも駆使し、高度な文明を築き始めたのである。　だが、ある一方ではまだ石を利用しているだけの人々もいるのである。彼らはどのようにして獲物をとり、外敵から身を守るのであろうか。彼らは強力なジャンプ力と石の玉を持っているだけである。それをうまく利用し、彼らの身を守って欲しい。　ここに、そういった人々のうちの２人を紹介しよう。そう、彼らの名前はマリオとルイージ。彼らが高度な文明を身につけるのはいつになるのだろうか。

At some point, humans gained the ability to use tools... At first, they were simple things using the bones of animals and fragments of rock. Using their wisdom, humans improved their tools. Harnessing fire, wind, and nowadays even atomic energy, they began to build up a sophisticated culture.
On the other hand, however, there are people who still only use stone. How do they catch game and defend themselves from outsiders? Using only their strong jumping power and stone spheres. They use those skillfully to defend themselves.
Here, we introduce two such people. It seems their names are Mario and Luigi. Will they ever learn about sophisticated culture?

Gameplay[edit]

There are two difficulty modes, A and B, but the latter is only slightly harder than A.

Like in the original,Mario andLuigi are playable. Unlike the original, thefloor level design is almost the exact opposite of the originalMario Bros. For instance, the first floor (above the ground) in the original extends from the edges, with a gap in the middle. In this game, the floor is in the middle, with gaps around the edges. The pipe at the bottom where enemies exit is essentially apit. Footholds are sturdier and do not trip the enemy if hit from underneath like the firstMario Bros. - either the Punch Ball or thePOW must be used to achieve this. The button for throwing the Punch Ball is the same asjumping, so the brothers must remain still to throw the Punch Ball rather than jump. Once thrown, the Punch Ball stays on the ground until collected by one of the plumbers. The POW can be used thrice per phase. If a brother loses a life, he will respawn on a temporary floor above the POW with Mario slightly to the left and Luigi to the right. This is also the same spot where the Punch Ball respawns if it falls into the bottom pipe.

As the game progresses, the stage design becomes more difficult with moving floors,frozen floors, and frozen moving floors. Some phases are bonus stages where Mario has to grab 10coins before the time runs out. If there are two players, it is a competition to get the most coins.

Enemies[edit]

Like the original game, target enemies must be flipped over and kicked to be defeated. The only method to flip them over is with the Punch Ball or the POW. In this game, enemies only have two forms with them turning into their fast form if they right themselves up or become the last enemy on screen. After an enemy is defeated, a coin will appear on the top floor. However, only one coin can exist at a time.

• Shellcreeper - acts like in the original game, its second form is red. They debut in Phase 1.
• Sidestepper - acts identically to Shellcreepers, its second form is green with an angry face. They are introduced in Phase 4.
• Fighterfly - hopping enemy that are difficult to stun, its second form is green. They make their first appearance in Phase 6.
• Fireball - it is red but acts more like the green fireballs from the original game. They are invincible and first appear in Phase 4.

Staff[edit]

Main programmer[edit]

• Kikuta Masaaki (Kiku)

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Promotional flyer

• 

  Mario

• 

  Luigi

• 

  Shellcreeper

• 

  Sidestepper

• 

  Fighterfly

• 

  Punch Ball

• 

  Title screen

• 

  A typical stage from the game

• 

  Mario hitting aPOW in the game. When this happens, the screen inverts its colors momentarily.

• 

  The game's bonus level

• 

  Multiplayer gameplay, with Mario and Luigi

• 

  Hitachi S1 boxart

• 

  Sharp X1 boxart

• 

  PC-6601 3.5 floppy disc boxart

• 

  PC-8801/mkII boxart

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  PC-8001mkII boxart

• 

  MZ-1500 disc

Names in other languages[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

The Cutting Room Floor has an article onPunch Ball Mario Bros.

• Strange and Wonderful NEC PC-8801 Games
• Universal Video Games List

• Lost media
• Mario Bros. series
• Games
• Japanese home computer games
• 1984 games
• Japan-only games
• Platforming games

• Articles with inadequate lost media documentation
• Articles with titles from other languages