Proto:Super Mario World (SNES)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Super Mario World (SNES).

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

  This was documented on Forest of Illusion.

A US localization prototype of Super Mario World was released on December 24, 2022 by Forest of Illusion. The source cart is dated October 25, 1990, ten months before the US release, and just under a month before the Japanese release.

This prototype appears to be a slightly earlier version of the build shown off in two US commercials for the game, as it features the same font and overworld debug functionality but lacks the "Super Mario Bros. 4" subtitle seen on the commercials' title screens.

Download Super Mario World (U) (Prototype) File: Super_Mario_World_(U)_(Prototype).zip (344 KB) (info)

General Differences

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

• The text box font is slimmer and has a differently stylized "4". This font can also be seen in the aforementioned commercials.
  • The font would end up being partially used in the ending text of the final US version; the lowercase letters use this early font while the uppercase letters use a variant of the classic thick "Atari" font.
• The graphics contain a few more leftover Japanese characters than the final US version does.

Japan	Prototype	International

• The sign on the mailbox at Yoshi's House is different, lacking shading as with its Japanese counterpart.
• Donut Plains 2 and Donut Secret House still have their layouts from the Japanese version. Funky has all the extra green berries from the US version, but the end still says "YOU ARE SUPER PLAYER !!"
• The ability to re-enter completed castles by pressing L + R has not yet been implemented.
• Yoshi's inability to eat dolphins from the US version is already in place.

Title Screen

Japan	Prototype	Final (USA, Europe (Rev 0))

• The title screen is identical to the Japanese version aside from the translated file select text, which matches the final US version. The unique star graphic for files with 96 goals has been implemented as well.

Prototype	Final

• The letters A and B have already been redrawn from the Japanese version, but the numbers "1" and "2" haven't.

Textbox Differences

Some of the game's dialogue and textbox strings are slightly different. Aside from minor typos and spacing differences, the prototype's script refers to the A/B/X/Y buttons by their color on the Super Famicom's controller rather than their letter, as in the Japanese script. As the American models use two different shades of purple for their controllers instead (a darker shade for A and B and a lighter shade for X and Y) and the localization was in production alongside the American SNES, it's possible that they either had originally intended to keep the Japanese coloring on the US controllers or that the localization team weren't aware of the US controller's redesign. (It's worth noting that despite the color differences, the Super Famicom controller still labels its face buttons as A/B/X/Y, just like the Super NES controller.)

Prototype	Final
- SWITCH PALACE - The power of the switch you have pushed will turn into . Your progress will be saved also.	- SWITCH PALACE - The power of the switch you have pushed will turn into . Your progress will also be saved.
The text contains slightly clunky grammar.
Hello! Sorry I'm not home, but I have gone to rescue my friends who were captured by Bowser. - YOSHI	Hello! Sorry I'm not home, but I have gone to rescue my friends who were captured by Bowser. - Yoshi
Yoshi's signature is in all caps.
Hooray! Thank you for rescuing me. My name is Yoshi. On my way to rescue my friends, Bowser trapped me in that egg.	Hooray! Thank you for rescuing me. My name is Yoshi. On my way to rescue my friends, Bowser trapped me in that egg.
The dialogue when you first find Yoshi is spaced out differently.
To pick up a shell, use the Blue or Green Button. To throw a shell upwards, look up and let go of the button.	-POINT OF ADVICE- To pick up a shell, use the X or Y Button. To throw a shell upwards, look up and let go of the button.
The "POINT OF ADVICE" heading is missing. The X and Y buttons are also referred to as the blue and green buttons, respectively.
To do a spin jump, press the Red Button. A Super Mario spin jump can break some of the blocks and defeat some of the tougher enemies.	To do a spin jump, press the A Button. A Super Mario spin jump can break some of the blocks and defeat some of the tougher enemies.
The A button is referred to as the red button.
Press Up on the Control Pad while jumping and you can cling to the fence. To go in the door at the end of this area, use Up also.	Press Up on the Control Pad while jumping and you can cling to the fence. To go in the door at the end of this area, use Up also.
The spacing is different.
Use Mario's cape to soar through the air! Run fast, jump, and hold the Green Button. To keep balanced, use left and right on the Control Pad.	Use Mario's cape to soar through the air! Run fast, jump, and hold the Y Button. To keep balance, use left and right on the Control Pad.
The Y button is referred to as the green button and "balance" is misspelled as "balanced".
You can slide the screen left or right by pressing the L or R Buttons on top of the controller You may be able to see further ahead.	You can slide the screen left or right by pressing the L or R Buttons on top of the controller. You may be able to see further ahead.
A period is missing.

Credits

Prototype	Final

In the credits, "Boo" Buddies and Big "Boo" are referred to as "Boo" Diddly and "Boo" Jackson respectively. The former is in reference to musician Bo Diddley, and the latter is in reference to football/baseball player Bo Jackson. It is worth mentioning that the "Boo" Diddly name was previously used in the American Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction manual.

Debugging Features

• Pressing Select on the overworld map will let Mario choose any color Yoshi. In order: Yellow, Blue, Red and Green.

• Mario will not die once the timer hits 0.
• Pause in a level and press Select to instantly beat the level and unlock the path. Holding B and pressing Select activates the secret exit, where applicable (if done in a level that lacks a secret exit, the following level's event will activate).

• Mario can walk to any stage on the overworld without completing any levels. This was shown off in the aforementioned commercials.
• Holding L + A and then flying with a cape will let you fly instantly as long as you want. Pressing it again will let Mario move anywhere. Holding Y will speed up Mario's movement.
• Hold Up and press Select in a stage to switch Mario's form between small, big, cape, and fire.
• After beating a castle and you're at the castle destruction scenes, you can press L + R to replay the scene or Up + L + R to view the scene for the next castles.

These features all remain in the final, albeit disabled and requiring Game Genie codes to re-enable.

Star Road Differences

To do: Since these stages can be accessed in the final version using a cheat code that enables the overworld free movement, this section should be moved to the main page.

Please elaborate. Having more detail is always a good thing.

As mentioned previously, Mario can walk to and enter any stage in the overworld regardless if it's unlocked or not. If Mario enters one of the Star Road points in the overworld without unlocking it, he'll be sent to an unused test stage, which stage he'll be sent to depends on the warp point he enters. Below is a list of all the stages Mario can be sent to:

Level	Screenshot	Comment
Star Road #1, in Donut Plains		Leads to a duplicate of Donut Plains 1.
Star Road #2, in Vanilla Dome		Leads to a vertical slope test stage.
Star Road #3, in Soda Lake		Leads to a stage where Mario dies instantly.
Star Road #4, in Forest of Illusion		Both lead to the infamous test stage.
Star Road #5, in Valley of Bowser
Special World		Leads to the test stage, however, the "No Yoshis" sign intro will play before it.

Unused Data

Prototype	Final

• The prototype contains leftover Japanese text characters, which were overwritten by the unused "Super Mario Bros. 4" subtitle in the final game.
• Similarly, the X tiles were also replaced by the same "Super Mario Bros. 4" text.

"Overdump" Data Leftovers

This build contains leftover data from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past at locations that are used as padding in the final. Additional information on overdump content can be found here. Locations include 0x28E5B0, 0x34970, 0x3A180, 0x6F090, and more.

Some of this content consists of:

• At the end of the graphics are early font graphics left over (likely from A Link to the Past). It matches the ones found in the Gigaleak at ゼルダの伝説神々のトライフォース\日本_Ver3\char\moji-2.CGX.
• The section with the level data has small bits of code where in the final this area is usually FF. This may be related to the aforementioned A Link to the Past content.

(Source: Forest of Illusion)