Super Mario Bros. Special
This article is about a work thatused to be available to the public, but is nowpartially or entirely inaccessible.Details: The SPC-1500 version has not resurfaced in the modern day.
However, the subject is thoroughly documented here. Only remove this notice if thecomplete work is recovered and made available publicly.
The title of this article is official, but it comes from aJapanese source.
If anacceptable English name is found, then the article should be moved to the new title.
- This article is about the game. For the 1990 album, seeSuper Mario Bros. Special (album).
- Not to be confused withMario Bros. Special.
| Super Mario Bros. Special | |
|---|---|
For alternate box art, see therelated gallery. | |
| Developer | Hudson Soft |
| Publishers | Hudson Soft (Japan) Static Soft (South Korea)[1] |
| Platforms | PC-8801,X1,SPC-1500[1] |
| Release dates | PC-8801: X1: SPC-1500: |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Platformer |
| Mode | Single player |
| Format | 5.25-inch floppy, Tape |
Super Mario Bros. Special is a platform game that was developed byHudson Soft and released in 1986 for theNEC PC-8801 andSharp X1 series of Japanese computers, and released later for the Samsung SPC-1500,[1] a South Korean clone of the X1.Super Mario Bros. Special was the secondNintendo-licensed follow-up toSuper Mario Bros., released around three months afterSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.[2] The game serves as an adaptation of the originalSuper Mario Bros., featuring returning elements from previous games in theSuper Mario franchise, such asMario Bros. orDonkey Kong.
Story[edit]
While the manual of the game lacks a dedicated story section, the character descriptions forPrincess Toadstool, themushroom retainers, andBowser are identical to the descriptions given in the Japanese manual of the originalSuper Mario Bros., and thus describe an abridged form of the events of that game.[3][4] Bowser has kidnapped Princess Toadstool, as well as her seven mushroom retainer servants, and placed a spell over theMushroom Kingdom.Mario must rescue Princess Toadstool, so she may undo the magic spell Bowser has placed.
Gameplay[edit]
The gameplay and progression structure ofSuper Mario Bros. Special is similar to the originalSuper Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros. Special features 32levels, with eight sets ofworlds containing four levels each. The object of the game is to get to either theflagpole to advance to the next level, or theax required to defeatBowser. While on his way to the goal,Mario encounters many enemies and power-ups, including ones originating fromDonkey Kong andMario Bros. Mario has a limited amount of lives. He can gain extra lives by collecting various items or defeating enough enemies in a row, and if he runs out of lives, thegame is over and the player must restart from the start of the game.
The game features a unique method of screen-scrolling, in which the game segments the level between different screens and scrolls between them, similarly toThe Legend of Zelda, with some overlap between screen segments. The PC-8801 version handles this by turning the display black briefly while loading the next screen[5], while the X1 handles it more smoothly by visually sliding to the next screen[6].
Super Mario Bros. Special's physics for various actions, such asjumping anddashing, are distinct from how they function inSuper Mario Bros.. Actions usually happen slower and last longer. In addition, thestage time also ticks slightly faster.Super Mario Bros. Special features every enemy, item, and obstacle from the originalSuper Mario Bros., with the exception of the grayCheep-cheeps andfake Bowser. The gray Cheep-cheeps are instead replaced with green Cheep-cheeps (or yellow Cheep-cheeps in the PC-88 version), which function identically to gray Cheep-cheeps. The fake Bowsers are instead replaced with the normal Bowser. Enemies and obstacles function similarly to how they behave the originalSuper Mario Bros.
Multiple enemies, obstacles, and items appear from other games in theSuper Mario franchise. There arebarrels andFireballs based on the originalDonkey Kong, which are both resistant toFiery Mario'sfireballs, though the barrels may be defeated byhammers. FromMario Bros., there areSidesteppers which function similarly toSpinies,Fighterflies which leap towards Mario, andIcicles that fall from the ceiling and can be destroyed with a fireball.
In addition to the objects originating from previous games, there are multiple fully-original items, such as theWing, which allows Mario to fly in the air by way of swimming through it for a limited period of time, theClock which adds time to the stage timer, theHachisuke which gives additional points, and theLucky Star, which instantly defeats all enemies present on-screen when collected.
Similarly to the later-releasedSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the game lacks a two-player mode compared to the originalSuper Mario Bros. However, unlikeSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels,Super Mario Bros. Special has only one playable character, withLuigi being entirely absent. Instead, a color scheme similar to Luigi's is used for Fiery Mario andInvincible Mario.
Super Mario Bros. Special has inferior graphics and audio in both the PC-8801 and X1 releases, as both computers have less powerful graphical specifications than theFamily Computer, but still attempt to replicate the graphics ofSuper Mario Bros. nonetheless. The X1 version contains partial scrolling and slightly more colorful graphics, featuring all eight colors possible with 100% and 0% RGB, including, cyan, magenta and white. The PC-88 release ofSuper Mario Bros. Special uses only black, red, yellow, and blue, including dithered results with those four colors, and it does not use internal eight-color palette of the PC-88. Further, sprites in the PC-88 version exclude the use of blue, which is utilized for transparency in the sprites. This leads to yellow being used as a stand-in for white and swapping with red for recolored enemies, notably causing the "green" enemies to appear with red eyes.
Controls[edit]
While the PC-88 release of the game can be controlled both with the computer's keyboard or with a joypad, the X1 version can only be played with a X1-compatible joypad.
| Action(s) | Input | |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | Joypad | |
| Move; enter sidewaysWarp Pipe | Number Pad (4, 6) | ![]() (left/right) |
| Duck; enterWarp Pipe | Number Pad (2) | ![]() (down) |
| Jump; swim upwards; start game | Z | |
| Run; throwfireball; start game | X | |
| Pause (PC-88 only) | Esc | N/A |
Worlds and levels[edit]
| World | Level | Setting | Enemies found |
|---|---|---|---|
![]() World 1 | World 1-1 | Overworld | Little Goomba,Koopa Troopa |
| World 1-2 | Underground, Overworld | Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa | |
| World 1-3 | Athletic | Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa,Koopa Paratroopa | |
| World 1-4 | Castle | Fire-Bar,Bowser | |
![]() World 2 | World 2-1 | Overworld | Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa |
| World 2-2 | Underwater, Underground | Bloober,Cheep-cheep, Little Goomba | |
| World 2-3 | Athletic | Cheep-cheep | |
| World 2-4 | Castle | Fire-Bar,Podoboo,Piranha Plant, Bowser | |
![]() World 3 | World 3-1 | Underwater, Overworld | Bloober, Cheep-cheep, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, Little Goomba |
| World 3-2 | Overworld | Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa | |
| World 3-3 | Athletic | Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa | |
| World 3-4 | Castle | Fire-Bar,barrel, Podoboo, Bowser | |
![]() World 4 | World 4-1 | Overworld | Piranha Plant,Lakitu,Spiny, Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa |
| World 4-2 | Underground | Icicle, Little Goomba, Koopa Troopa,Buzzy Beetle,Sidestepper | |
| World 4-3 | Athletic | Koopa Troopa, Koopa Paratroopa, Piranha Plant, barrel | |
| World 4-4 | Castle | Icicle, Bowser | |
![]() World 5 | World 5-1 | Overworld | Piranha Plant, Koopa Troopa, Little Goomba, Bloober,Fighterfly |
| World 5-2 | Overworld | Piranha Plant, Koopa Troopa, Fighterfly, Buzzy Beetle,Bullet Bill, Sidestepper, Bloober, Little Goomba,Hammer Brother | |
| World 5-3 | Athletic | Cheep-cheep, Koopa Paratroopa, Bullet Bill, Piranha Plant, icicle | |
| World 5-4 | Castle | Fire-Bar, Podoboo, Bowser | |
![]() World 6 | World 6-1 | Overworld | Lakitu, Spiny, Piranha Plant |
| World 6-2 | Overworld | Piranha Plant, Buzzy Beetle, Lakitu, Spiny, barrel | |
| World 6-3 | Athletic | Piranha Plant, Koopa Troopa | |
| World 6-4 | Castle | Fire-Bar, Icicle, Barrel, Piranha Plant, Bowser | |
![]() World 7 | World 7-1 | Overworld | Bullet Bill, Buzzy Beetle, Piranha Plant, Little Goomba, Koopa Paratroopa, Hammer Brother, Koopa Troopa, barrel |
| World 7-2 | Underwater, Overworld | Bloober, Cheep-cheep, Fire-Bar | |
| World 7-3 | Athletic | Cheep-cheep, Koopa Paratroopa, Sidestepper, Piranha Plant, Hammer Brother | |
| World 7-4 | Castle | Piranha Plant, Podoboo, Koopa Paratroopa, icicle,Fireball, Bowser | |
![]() World 8 | World 8-1 | Athletic | Koopa Troopa, Little Goomba, Koopa Paratroopa, Fire-Bar, Sidestepper, Fighterfly, Buzzy Beetle |
| World 8-2 | Underwater, Overworld | Bloober, Cheep-cheep, barrel, Fighterfly, Fireball, Hammer Brother | |
| World 8-3 | Underground, Overworld | Icicle, Fire-Bar, Fighterfly, Koopa Paratroopa, Sidestepper, Hammer Brother | |
| World 8-4 | Castle | Fire-Bar, Koopa Paratroopa, Buzzy Beetle, Piranha Plant, Bowser |
Characters[edit]
| Name | Image | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| X1 image | PC-88 image | ||
| Mario | The game's protagonist, and only playable character. Mario ventures across the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom retainers from Bowser's castles. | ||
| Mushroom retainer (Kinopio) | ![]() | ![]() | The seven servants of Princess Toadstool, which were kidnapped by Bowser and are held hostage in his castles at the end of Worlds 1 to 7. When rescued, they inform Mario that Princess Toadstool is in another castle. |
| Princess Toadstool (Princess Peach) | ![]() | ![]() | The princess of theMushroom Kingdom, who was kidnapped byBowser and is held in his final castle. She is capable of breaking the spell Bowser has placed over the kingdom. When rescued, Princess Toadstool compliments Mario for clearing every world. |
Items and objects[edit]
Power-ups[edit]
| Power-up | Image | Form | Points awarded | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X1 image | PC-88 image | X1 image | PC-88 image | |||
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | The base form of Mario, which Mario starts at whenever a new game is initiated or after losing a life. Small Mario cannot breakbricks, but can fit through narrow passageways without needing to crouch. If Mario is damaged in this form, he loses a life. | ||
| Magic Mushroom | ![]() | ![]() | 1000 | Magic Mushrooms can be found in blocks, and move slowly once revealed. They can be grabbed to transform intoSuper Mario. As Super Mario, Mario can break bricks, though he cannot fit through narrow passageways without crouching. If Mario is damaged in this form, he reverts to the standard Mario. | ||
| Fire Flower | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1000 | Fire Flowers can be found in the same blocks that house Magic Mushrooms if Mario is Super Mario, and are stationary once revealed. They can be grabbed to change intoFiery Mario. Fiery Mario retains the same attributes as Super Mario, in addition to being able to press the Run button (either X on the Keyboard or |
| Starman | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1000 | Starmen can be found sporadically in bricks, and bounce right when revealed. They can be grabbed to briefly change intoInvincible Mario, who flashes red and green and can defeat enemies on contact. |
| Hammer (Hummer) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1000 | Found inHidden Blocks in Worlds 3-4 and 5-1, and are stationary when revealed. Mario rapidly swings a hammer in front of him, just like inDonkey Kong. Wielded temporarily by Mario, and does not change Mario's current form. |
| Wing | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1000 | Found inHidden Blocks in Worlds 3-2 and 4-1, and are stationary when revealed. Collecting this allows Mario to fly in the air temporarily, using the game's swimming controls. Does not change Mario's current form. |
Items[edit]
| Name | X1 image | PC-88 image | Points awarded | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 up Mushroom | ![]() | ![]() | 0 | If Mario collects one, he gets an extra life. |
| Coin | ![]() | ![]() | 200 | Collect 100 coins for an extra life. |
| Hachisuke | ![]() | ![]() | 8000 | The bee from theHudson Soft logo. If Mario finds this item, he is awarded8000 points. Found inWorld 1-1. |
| Clock | ![]() | 1000 | Upon picking this up, Mario gets an additional 100 seconds added to thetimer. Found in World 8-3. | |
| Lucky Star | ![]() | ![]() | 1000 | Resembles an atom. If Mario collects it, all the enemies on-screen are defeated and award their normal point values as if hit by aStarman. It is similar to aPOW Block except it also affects airborne foes, like a POW Block inSuper Mario Bros. 35. Found in World 4-1. |
Objects[edit]
Objects are interactable elements of the environment that cannot be picked up or collected. Unlike items and enemies, which are sourced from multiple games, every object is from the originalSuper Mario Bros.
| Name | X1 image | PC-88 image | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks | |||||
| ? Block | ![]() | ![]() | Floatingblocks which contain items and power-ups, which releases its contents when Mario hits it from below. Some ? Blocks are invisible, and must be jumped into can reveal both the blocks themselves as well as their contents. These blocks can be struck byregular Mario. | ||
| Brick | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | Floating blocks that can be broken bySuper Mario orFiery Mario if struck from below, and may occasionally hide items or other power-ups. |
| Bridge | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | Thin, roped platforms that Mario can walk across, usually found in athletic stages. | ||
| Coral | ![]() | ![]() | Coral pillars of various sizes appear in water, blocking Mario's movement. | ||
| Small cloud | ![]() | ![]() | Cloud-shaped blocks which primarily appear inCoin Heaven bonus areas, or over large pits. | ||
| Stairblock | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | Unbreakable blocks that can be found either on the ground or floating over pits, forming climbable staircases or other bumpy formations. | ||
| Platforms | |||||
| Island | Platforms usually situated above pits or in athletic courses, which can be stood on top of. Unlike in the originalSuper Mario Bros., however, Islands can appear in standard courses, on top of ordinary ground, such as in Worlds 5-2 or 6-1. | ||||
| Jumping board | ![]() | ![]() | Jumping boards that Mario can use to launch himself into the air. Found exclusively in Worlds 2-1 and 7-1. | ||
| Lift | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | Floating, moving platforms which commonly appear in athletic stages and fortresses. Some lifts move side-to-side, others move as part of an elevator, somefalling if stood on, and somecoming in pairs, balancing on one another. | ||
| Pipe | ![]() | ![]() | Pipes that can serve as columns with differing heights, occasionally housingPiranha Plants, or can be entered either from the top or from entrances on their sides, entered by Mario either crouching on top of or pressing against them. | ||
| Super mushroom | ![]() | ![]() | Tall, mushroom-shaped platforms with wide caps that Mario can stand on top of, commonly found in athletic stages above pits. | ||
| Goals | |||||
| Ax | ![]() | ![]() | Large axes that function as the goal for castle levels. Upon touching the ax,Bowser is immediately defeated, and Mario automatically moves to the following chamber. UnlikeSuper Mario Bros., there is no animation of thebridge collapsing behind the ax. | ||
| Flagpole | Tall flagpoles that function as the goal for most ordinary levels. When Mario touches one, he slides to the bottom before finishing the level. The higher Mario lands on the pole, the more points he obtains. | ||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||
| Beanstalk | ![]() | ![]() | Tall beanstalks that can occasionally emerge from ? Blocks, leading to secret areas. | ||
| Horsehair plant | ![]() | Tall, stalk-like plants that grow in the backgrounds of some stages. Occasionally, the tips of shorter Horsehair plants are used for other pieces of scenery, such as in a secret area in World 2-2. | |||
Enemies and obstacles[edit]
Enemies[edit]
Hudson Soft's staff brought over enemies fromSuper Mario Bros. as well as earlierSuper Mario games. All are referred to by their Japanese names in-game, with a typo in one case (or called by new names in the case of the earlier games' enemies), and ordered per their listing in the cast and credits:
| Name | X1 image | PC-88 image | Origin | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Goomba (Kuribou) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | The most basic enemy, they can be defeated by stomping on them from above, bumping them from below, hitting them with a fireball, hammer, or kicked shell, or running into them while invincible. Found in Worlds 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-1, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 5-1, 5-2, and 8-1. |
| Koopa Troopa (Nokonoko) | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Walking turtles that continue forward until they run into an enemy or obstacle. Red Koopa Troopas also turn around at the end of a ledge, but green Koopa Troopas continue and fall. A stomp or bump cause them to hide in their shell (which can be kicked); fire, hammers, kicked shells, and invincibility defeats them instantly. Green found in Worlds 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-1, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1, 4-2, 5-1, 5-2, 6-3, and 7-3. Red found in Worlds 1-2, 1-3, 3-3, 4-3, 5-2, 6-3, and 8-1. |
| Koopa Paratroopa (Patapata) | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Winged Koopa Troopas. Green ones hop on the ground while continuing forward, and red ones stay in the air, flying up and down in a straight line. Stomping on them makes them lose their wings; fire, hammers, kicked shells, and invincibility defeats them instantly. Green found in Worlds 3-1, 3-2, 4-1, 5-1, 5-2, 7-1, 7-3, and 8-1. Red found in Worlds 1-3, 5-3, 7-3, 8-1, 8-3, and 8-4. |
| Buzzy Beetle (Met) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Hard-shelled turtle-like enemies that act similar to Koopa Troopas. Fireballs do not harm them. They can be knocked into their shells with a stomp or bump, and can be defeated with a hammer, kicked shell, or invincibility. Found in Worlds 4-2, 5-2, 6-2, 7-1, 8-1, and 8-4. |
| Hammer Brother (Hummer Bros) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Turtles that jump and throw arcing hammers. They can be defeated with a stomp, bump, fireball, kicked shell, or invincibility. Found in Worlds 5-2, 8-2, and 8-3. |
| Lakitu (Jugemu) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | A cloud-riding turtle that drops Spiny's eggs. It can be defeated with a stomp, fireballs, the Lucky Star, or invincibility, after which it does not respawn. Found in Worlds 4-1 and 6-1. |
| Spiny (Togezou) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Spiked turtles that hatch from eggs dropped from Lakitus. They can be defeated with fireballs, the Lucky Star, invincibility, or being bumped from below. |
| Piranha Plant (Pakkun Flower) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Biting plants that go up and down in pipes. They can be defeated through fireballs or invincibility. Found in Worlds 2-1, 2-4, 3-1, 4-1, 4-3, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, 7-1, 7-4, and 8-4. |
| Spiny's egg (Paipo) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Eggs dropped by Lakitu that hatch into Spiny when they land. They can be defeated with fireballs, invincibility, and the Lucky Star. Found in Worlds 4-1 and 6-1. |
| Bullet Bill (Killer) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Bullets shot from cannons in infinite amounts. They can be defeated with a stomp or invincibility. Found in Worlds 5-2, 5-3, and 7-1. |
| Cheep-cheep (Pukupuku) | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Fish that swim in groups at the same speed regardless of color, with a few at a time bobbing slightly. Red ones also hop from the water in land levels. When underwater, they can only be defeated with fireballs or invincibility, but in the air they can also be stomped or hit with a shell. Green found in Worlds 2-2, 3-1, 7-2, and 8-2. Red found in Worlds 2-2, 2-3, 3-1, 5-3, 7-2, 7-3, and 8-2. |
| Bloober (Gesso) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Bobbing squid found underwater. They can be defeated with a fireball or invincibility. Found in Worlds 2-2, 3-1, 5-1, 5-2, 7-2, and 8-2. |
| Podoboo (Bubble) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Hopping lava balls that can only be defeated with invincibility or a hammer. Found in Worlds 2-4, 3-4, 5-4, 7-4, and 8-4. |
| Sidestepper (Chokichoki) | ![]() | ![]() | Mario Bros. | Crabs that walk in a straight line and can be defeated with a fireball, invincibility, or a bump. Found in Worlds 4-2, 5-2, 7-3, 8-1, and 8-3. |
| Fighterfly (Nakaji) | ![]() | ![]() | Mario Bros. | Flies that move by taking small hops, pausing in between and able to change directions whenever on the ground. Can be defeated with a fireball, hammer, invincibility, or a bump. Found in Worlds 5-1, 5-2, 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3. |
| Barrel (Tarusar) | ![]() | ![]() | Donkey Kong | These barrels roll down ledges and can be defeated with a hammer or a bump. Found in Worlds 3-4, 4-3, 6-2, 6-4, 7-1, and 8-2. |
| Fireball (Sigebou) | ![]() | ![]() | Donkey Kong | Fireballs that move horizontally, tumbling down ledges the same as barrels. Found in Worlds 7-4 and 8-2. |
| Icicle (Tsurara) | ![]() | ![]() | Mario Bros. | Falling icicles that can be defeated with a fireball. Found in Worlds 4-2, 4-4, 5-3, 6-4, 7-4, 8-3, and 8-4. |
| Bowser (Kuppa) | ![]() | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | The villain, he appears in every castle level (those ending in -4). In Worlds 1-5 he only breathes fire, in Worlds 6 and 7 he only throws hammers, and in World 8 he does both. He can be hitting him with five fireballs, a hammer, or by breaking the bridge with theaxe. None of the Bowsers arefake Bowsers; in each world, when defeated with fireballs, Bowser simply disappears. |
Obstacles[edit]
Obstacles, unlike Enemies, are not given names in the Cast list in the game's ending.
| Name | X1 image | PC-88 image | Origin | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire-Bar | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Bars made of stacked fireballs, rotating around a central block, damaging Mario on contact. Found in Worlds 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 5-4, 6-4, 7-2, 7-4, 8-1, 8-3, and 8-4. | |
| Lava | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Pools of molten rock, killing Mario if he falls into them. Found in Worlds 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 4-4, 5-4, 6-4, 7-4, 8-3, and 8-4. | |
| Turtle Cannon | ![]() | Super Mario Bros. | Cannons that fireBullet Bills from a distance. If Mario stands next to them, they stop firing. Found in Worlds 5-2, 5-3, and 7-1. |
Staff[edit]
- Main article:List of Super Mario Bros. Special staff
The game was developed by a team of nine employees at Hudson Soft, with the same development team working on both the Sharp X1 and PC-88 versions. The game was produced by Takashi-Takebe, programmed by Yukio-Takeoka, with levels designed by Ichirou-Sakurada. One of the sound designers,Fumihiko-Itagaki, would later serve as Technical Support for theMario Party games on theNintendo 64.
Notable mistakes and errors[edit]
Despite the majority of the game's script being written in English and Romanized Japanese, there are several typos which are found in both the X1 and PC-88 versions of the game, located in the game's ending sequences.
- On the ending screen, "congratulations" is spelled as "congraturations", likely due to the "l" and "r" sounds sounding the same in Japanese.
- During the credits, Sugata-Morimoto is credited under "Enemy Dispoed".
- During the cast list, Hammer Bros are spelled as "Hummer Bros".
- On the "New Characters!" screen, "Characters" is spelled as "Charcters", and the Hammer is spelled as "Hummer".
Pre-release and unused content[edit]
In a full-page magazine advertisement fromMycom BASIC Magazine, the screenshots depict level segments not seen in the final game, including a version ofWorld 1-1 from the originalSuper Mario Bros. with additional coins and abrick wall to the right, an underwater stage with Mario able to jump, an underground stage with pillars ofHard Blocks staircasing downwards leading to two Little Goombas with one being embedded in a pipe, and a flagpole next to a hill.
Reception and legacy[edit]
Reception of the game in contemporary sources is unclear, owing to the title's general obscurity, and a lack of contemporary reviews. Retrospective reviews of the game lean mixed-to-negative, primarily citing the game's poor visuals. Bad Game Hall of Fame gave the game 2 stars, praising the game for being technologically impressive for its hardware and for being a unique take on the originalSuper Mario Bros., while holding issue with the game's sluggish physics, as well as the game's poor graphics, especially in the PC-88 version.[7]
The SPC-1500 version was a Top 20 seller for home computers in South Korea for July and August of 1989.[8]
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Super Mario Bros. Special.
"New Charcters!"[sic] screen
(Sharp X1)
Multimedia[edit]
- For the complete list of media files for this subject, seeMultimedia:Super Mario Bros. Special.
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Glitches[edit]
- Main article:List of Super Mario Bros. Special glitches
Due to both the PC-88 and X1 being weaker compared to the NES/Famicom, as well as working off a largely different engine, glitches and tricks are largely unique to this game, and are independent from those in the originalSuper Mario Bros.
Missing objects[edit]
On occasion, failing to either defeat select enemies or otherwise despawn objects causes other enemies or objects later in the stage to not appear. This glitch occurs in both versions of the game, and is very unpredictable. Most notably, the secondFlimsy Lift in the wide pit inWorld 4-3 fails to load if the secondScale Lift is not destroyed, causing the pit to becomeimpossible to cross and requiring Mario to lose a life.[9]
References to earlier games[edit]
- Several enemies such asFighterflies andSidesteppers originate from this game.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スーパーマリオブラザーズ スペシャル[10] Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Supesharu | Super Mario Bros. Special |
Notes[edit]
- Some copies of the PC-8801 version ofSuper Mario Bros. Special have corrupted data, likely stemming from improperly-performed ROM dumps. When attempting to load certain levels, they will fail, and instead display the "Disk Error" screen. The most notable example is a ROM in whichWorld 8-4 is corrupted, and the game fails to load it.[11]
References[edit]
- ^abcdHudson Mario Trilogy.Hardcore Gaming 101 (English). Archived from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^abcSeptember 1986. Mycom Basic Magazine.Mycom. Page 300.
- ^Super Mario Bros. Special Manual (Sharp X1) (JP).Hudson Soft. Page 6. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^Japanese Super Mario Bros. manual (PDF). Page 14. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^Dr. Mel (February 25, 2020).Jeff's Special Adventure - Giant Bomb.YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- ^NintendoComplete (April 15, 2020).Super Mario Bros. Special (Sharp X1) Playthrough - NintendoComplete.YouTube. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
- ^Cassidy (May 15, 2025).Super Mario Bros. Special.Bad Game Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^August 1989.Computer Learning Magazine.Mincom. Page 165. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^Tori of the Star Palace (March 26, 2025).Super Mario Bros. Special (Sharp X1) - AWOL 4-3 Flimsy Lift Glitch(?).YouTube (English). Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- ^Box art
- ^MrPodoboo (August 22, 2009).Let's Play Super Mario Bros. Special - World 8 (04:50).YouTube (English). Retrieved June 29, 2024.
External links[edit]
[Edit] Super Mario Bros. Special | |
|---|---|
| Protagonists | Mario •Mushroom retainer •Princess Peach |
| Worlds | World 1 •World 2 •World 3 •World 4 •World 5 •World 6 •World 7 •World 8 |
| Items and objects | 1 up Mushroom •Clock •Coin •Fire Flower •Hachisuke •Hummer •Island •Lucky Star •Magic Mushroom •Starman •Wing |
| Enemies | Barrel •Bloober •Bullet Bill •Buzzy Beetle •Cheep-cheep •Fighterfly •Fireball •Fire-Bar •Hammer Brother •Icicle •Koopa Paratroopa •Koopa Troopa •Lakitu •Little Goomba •Piranha Plant •Podoboo •Sidestepper •Spiny •Spiny's egg •Turtle Cannon |
| Boss | Bowser |
| Miscellaneous | Ax •Beanstalk •Bridge •Cloud Block •Coin Heaven •Coral •Fireworks •Fortress •Flagpole •Gallery •Glitches •Hard Block •Horsehair plant •Jumping board •Multimedia •Staff |


























































































































