List of Super Mario World pre-release and unused content

This article pertains to the beta elements of Super Mario World.

Beta elements

Dinosaur Land was drastically different, possessing an appearance similar to the various kingdoms of Super Mario Bros. 3. Specifically, it was to feature things such as Toad Houses (which could possibly mean that Toads were once considered to populate Dinosaur Land) and more Super Mario Bros. 3-style Fortresses.

SNES test cartridges also exist and, among other things (some of which are Mario-related), they include an early build of Super Mario World. These cartridges reveal that, at one point, Goombas were to be able to be stomped (even earlier test cartridges show that Goombas also once possessed their normal, mushroom-like appearance rather than the Goom-like Goombas seen in the final game and later builds), Koopa Troopas were to walk on all fours, and normal Piranha Plants and even Venus Fire Traps were to have been present. These elements were used in the Super Mario World cartoon. Interestingly, several of these cartridges' beta sprites were merely simple Super Mario Bros. 3 edits. Lastly, the Super Leaf and Raccoon Mario form were both present in early builds. There were also sprites that got scrapped in the final version like the yellow Giant Boo.

There is an unused Switch Palace to the left of Valley of Bowser 3. Since it leads to an "empty" level, it is probable that it was scrapped early in development. Beating the Secret Exit of Valley of Bowser 3 would cause Mario to walk to this switch palace, except that Valley of Bowser 3 has no secret exit, and there is no path for Mario to walk on. This could crash the game, causing the player to be trapped in a glitched Bonus Game.

There was, at one point, a small cloud of dust kicked up when Mario got on Yoshi. This can be seen through a simple hack.

Early screenshots of the Game Boy Advance port (Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2) showed that the HUD wasn't even changed, unlike the final version.

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  A beta screenshot of Dinosaur Land from Super Mario World.
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  Another screenshot of the beta-version of Dinosaur Land.
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  Some of the unused sprites in the game. Notice the Super Leaf.
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  A beta level of Super Mario World.

Beta Levels

Among the data on the Super Mario World ROM, there are many levels that did not make it into the released game. The majority of these are not referenced by the game's level pointer table, which means that a standard copy of Super Mario World won't be able to play them, even though their data is present. It also means that most of them don't have names, and those are listed here by their address in the ROM.

Level 0x30200

Probably the most famous of the SMW beta levels, this is also one of the few referenced in the pointer table. Actually, around half of the references are directed to this level. Due to this, this was one of the first beta levels discovered. The actual level is a short plain with TEST spelled out in turn blocks in the sky. At the end is an arrow pointing into a small hole. Mario will die if he goes down this hole. Mario will also receive a 1-up if he either walks to the end of the level, or slides down the side of the first T. He cannot receive both. In the copy that was originally discovered, Yoshi could not enter the level. However, this is specific to that copy. It is not a property of the level as a whole.

Level 0x313E5

This is actually the (used) level Donut Plains 1. However, it appears 3 times in the level pointer table. Once at level number 0x15, the copy used in-game, once at 0x16, a duplicate, and once at 0x17. It is this last that is most likely to be a remnant of beta, as it is paired with a garbled background, and has the name #2 MORTON'S PLAINS. This name is also attached to one of the copies of Level 0x30200

Level 0x382C3

This is a test for a special kind of slope that fixes a bug in the code. It is referenced in the pointer table as Level 0x108. Like 0x17, it has a garbled background.

Level 0x30263

This is a short level set in the sky. It contains a sprite not found anywhere else in the entire game, which behaves like the platforms from Forest Secret Area, but with no vertical movement. Due to a glitch in the way the level was originally coded, it is rendered unplayable, but fixing this is straightforward. Due to the nature of the glitch involved, it seems this was a very early level design. This, coupled with the fact that it appears before any other level in the ROM save the "TEST" level, suggests that it was the first level created for Super Mario World.

Level 0x302BD

This level contains the mushroom scales from Butter Bridge 1. However, they aren't functioning correctly. It also contains Super Mario Bros. 3 style Piranha Plants, something found nowhere else in the entire game. However, they have slightly glitched graphics, which causes them to have a dead fish instead of a stem.

Level 0x30338

A long hall with doors leading to each of the game's bosses. It is interesting to note that they are out of order from their appearance in the game, and that Reznor is not differentiated from the Koopalings. Big Boo is absent.

Level 0x304EB, 0x30464

A short and quite glitchy underground level. It makes use of a falling layer 2 effect, which is familiar from the end of Chocolate Secret.

Level 0x3059C

A small room with two stone cubes, two Hot Heads, and two sparkys.

Level 0x305AB, 0x30701

A beta version of #6 Wendy's Castle. It differs little from the final version.

Level 0x3073D

An area with one pipe and a long stretch of ground. Due to the music, it is likely that it was supposed to become an underwater stage. However, it's not possible to know.

Level 0x30875

It's similar to the exit of a Ghost House, but never used in-game.

Level 0x38218

A totally empty level. At six bytes, it has the distinction of being the smallest level in the game.

Level 0x38260

Another unused Ghost House exit. This one has some cloud decorations.

Level 0x38281

A level in which 3 bushes float in a black void.

Level 0x30584

A castle-themed level in which an enterable pipe lies adjacent to a large hole. For some reason, this level is 5.5 times longer than the accessible portion.

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  Level 0x30263

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  Level 0x302BD

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  Level 0x30338

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  Level 0x304EB, 0x30464

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  Level 0x3059C

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  Level 0x305AB, 0x30701

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  Level 0x3073D

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  Level 0x30875

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  Level 0x38260

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  Level 0x38260

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  Level 0x38281

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  Level 0x30584

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  Level 0x382C3

Unused Level Components

In some cases, some objects were left in the game's code that were never used in a level.

1. A platform that was never used in the game, and can have one of two functions. Normally, it acts much like the stone platforms from Forest Secret Area, but without the vertical movement. If it works in conjunction with another sprite, it will cause the background to scroll. However, if a certain property of the level itself is changed, it will act like the floating platforms from Yoshi's Island 3.
2. An object that generates a cloud of bats akin to the cloud of ghosts from Donut Ghost House. Because they were scrapped early in development, one of their animation frames is incorrect. Additionally, they lack the correct sound effects.
3. A golden Mushroom with wings that floats along and follows the trajectory of a P-Balloon. If collected, it is worth one extra life.
4. A Red Coin similar to the above, but worth 5 coins.
5. The Piranha Plant from Super Mario Bros. 3. Similarly to the bat object, its stem appears as a dead fish because its graphics were never finished.
6. A flying key, which for some reason can hurt Mario.
7. Purple coins. They act like regular coins, but the "blocks" they create when a P-Switch is in effect can be collected as if they too were coins.
8. Several unused decorative grass objects.
9. Doors that can be entered only by Small Mario. Both normal and P-Switch-activated versions exist.
10. A type of Turn Block that continuously turns.
11. A small, glitchy object that has the appearance of a piece of the Midway Gate. Mario cannot interact with it.
12. An empty Turn Block. If Mario hits it, it becomes a Brown Block, but gives no item.
13. A Prize Block with a Koopa Troopa inside. When it first comes out, it will be trapped in its shell.
14. A Turn Block that acts like a Note Block when hit from the side. There is also a version of this that releases a Feather when hit. Its graphics are incorrect.
15. A Turn Block that acts like a cement block.
16. A very large, very glitchy bush. It doesn't have any use, as it fills the entire screen with glitchy bushes.
17. A cage which would be used on an autoscrolling level. Mario would be held inside, and would have to dodge obstacles.
18. An invisible object that would initiate a level that had both horizontal and vertical components. This is never seen in the final game, in which all levels must be either horizontal or vertical, but not both.
19. A different version of the floating skulls from Vanilla Dome 3. They are much harder to use than the skulls of the final game.

<br=clearall> In addition to the above, it appears that the game was intended to have translucency effects in use on some levels. These can be seen in some beta screenshots, and accessed by hacking the final game. Otherwise, they are never used.

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  The unused platform

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  The bats replaced by ghosts

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  Flying golden Mushroom

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  Flying red coin

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  Unfinished Piranha Plant

Unused Map Screen Sprites

On the Map Screen, there were four sprites that were never used in the final game. All of them are accessible via certain hacking programs.

1. A Lakitu which circles around Mario's head on the overworld map.
2. A Blue Jay which flies around Mario's head like the Lakitu, but will follow him to the submaps.
3. An animated Piranha Plant.
4. A Koopaling that doesn't look quite like any of the real Koopalings. It can force Mario to enter a level, like the Hand Traps of Super Mario Bros. 3. It ambushes Mario on the overworld. Because it was not finished, it corrupts Mario's position on the overworld map, and thus makes the game unplayable. Three of this sprite were actually used in the game. However, due to the specific setup of the overworld, players will never see them on an unmodified copy of Super Mario World.

Debug Functions

Using the Super Mario World ROM and a hex editor, players may access debug functions that were left in the game. These include:

1. The ability to cycle through Mario's different forms using up+select.
2. The ability to exit any level using start+select.
3. The ability to fly from a standstill.
4. The ability to place Mario anywhere in a level using L+A.
5. The ability to play in slow motion.
6. The ability to walk to any level on the overworld, even without beating them.
7. The ability to follow the warp from Yoshi's House to the Special Zone backwards.
8. The ability to view any of the cutscenes played after defeating a boss.
9. The ability to cycle through the different Yoshi colors on the overworld.
10. Infinite invincible star timer.
11. The ablity to use a double jump.

References

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