Special Zone
- Not to be confused withSpecial World.
| Special Zone | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Screenshot fromSuper Mario World | |||||||
| Game | Super Mario World (1990) | ||||||
| Number of levels | 8 | ||||||
| |||||||
TheSpecial Zone, also referred to as theSpecial World,[1] is the ninth and final area inSuper Mario World that can only be accessed by a secretStar Road inStar World. The levels are located in various environments and are designed to be much more difficult to clear than all the other levels in the game. Prompts to save the game therefore appear after every two levels completed. The names of the levels are also peculiar forSuper Mario World stage names; they are all based on 1980s slang (includingTubular,Mondo, andWay Cool). IfMario andLuigi clear all the levels, a new Star Road will appear and transport the plumbers back toYoshi's Island, more specificallyYoshi's House.
The symbol at the top of the Special Zone is the Super Famicom logo. It is also the logo used for the PAL version of theSNES, which retained the original Japanese console and controller pad design and colors. InSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, the logo is visible in the top left corner of the screen, but only after all levels in the Special Zone have been completed.
When playingSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, completing the Special Zone will not transform the overworld, since that will only happen if the player finds all 96 exits.
AMessage Block appears in the first stage of the Special Zone, stating that the player will receive a special present upon completing the Special Zone; upon doing so and returning to Yoshi's Island, the season will change from Spring toFall (changing the color scheme of the environment), and several enemies will be completely transformed. InSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, this message still appears. However, as the change only happens once all 96 exits in the game have been found, it instead refers to a different feature altogether: after the Special Zone has been completed, every time the player replays one of its levels, the bottom of the screen will display both the player's current and highest score in that level, as well as which character achieved the highest score. This feature does not appear outside the Special Zone.
Levels[edit]
Gallery[edit]
Special Zone depicted inMario Mania
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スペシャルコース[?] Supesharu Kōsu | Special Course | |
| スペシャルゾーン[2] Supesharu Zōn | Special Zone | ||
| French | Parcours spécial[?] | Special course | |
| German | Spezial-Welt[?] | Special World | |
| Italian | Mondo speciale[3] | "Special world"; shared withSpecial World | |
| Livelli speciali[4] | Special stages | Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | |
| Mondo Speciale[5][6] | Special World | Playing with Super Power: Super NES Classics,Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (second edition) | |
| Zona Speciale[7] | Special Zone | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (first edition) | |
| Spanish | Zona Especial[?] | Special Zone |
Multimedia[edit]
 Special Zone - BGM | File info 0:30 |
Notes[edit]
- If the player waits on the map for two minutes, the music will transition from a simplistic tune to a rendition of "Ground BGM" fromSuper Mario Bros. The first part of the background music, coincidentally, was arranged as the Mystery Room theme forSuper Mario Bros. Deluxe.
- In the Japanese version, there are only four stage names, with each being given to two consecutive stages.
- The names for all of the courses in German begin with "ex-".
- An arrangement of the Special Zone's music is used as the Course World menu's music inSuper Mario Maker 2.
References[edit]
- ^August 1991. NintendoMario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 36, 151, 156, 158-167.
- ^December 10, 1992. 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオワールド」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario World). Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-104117-5. Page 134.
- ^«Ora puoi vedere cosa si trova oltre il Mondo speciale!» –Super Mario World - Il gioco ha un nuovo look! description.Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics.Nintendo (Italian).
- ^Andrea Minini Saldini (July 2004).Game Boy Advance: La Rivista Ufficiale 3 (Allegato) - Tutti i trucchi GBA dalla A alla Z. Milan:Future Media Italy (Italian). Page 60.
- ^Sebastian Haley, Meagan Marie (October 2017).Playing With Super Power: Super NES Classics (Multiplayer.it Edizioni). Translated by Christian Colli. Italy:Multiplayer Ed. (Italian). ISBN9788866312833. Page 41.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2025). "Super Mario World" inSuper Mario Bros. Enciclopedia (2nd ed.). Translated by Alessandro Apreda. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN979-1259575760. Page 59.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). "Super Mario World" inSuper Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 59.
