Proto:Super Mario World (NES)

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

The first cartridge release (known as the Volume 1 version, possibly hinting that they had originally planned to release the rest of the game as Volume 2) of the NES Super Mario World was a prototype, with a plethora of differences. The finished game was released on the JY-120 Super 45-in-1 cart.

General Differences

• The game ends somewhat abruptly after the fourth castle.
• Accessing the World Select requires pressing Select (×5), B, B while on the overworld, although you unsurprisingly cannot go anywhere past the fourth castle. In the final, the World Select pops up after selecting the number of players and can be accessed anytime on the overworld by pressing Select.
• There are no bonus rooms yet, and as a result none of the pipes can be entered. The graphics for the room are present in the ROM, though.
• Vanilla Dome's Castle starts you at the second room. This was fixed for the final.
• The hidden JY logo screen is present and accessed the same way as in the final, but parts of the logo appear smashed up:

Proto	Final

Map Differences

Proto	Final

Note: To see the rest of the map in the early version, change the address in 039E to 1F or higher. Do not enter any of the unfinished levels if you want to see the whole map, as exiting one places you somewhere else on the map.

The overworld has several differences:

• There are more rocks near Yoshi's Island.
• There is no ladder after the fourth castle, and the path afterwards is not yet in place.
• The Forest of Illusion area is smaller.
• Chocolate Island is not yet present, although all of the level locations are. Even the Vanilla Dome music still plays.
• Most of Valley of Bowser (which consists of several islands in this port) is absent minus a tiny portion of the island that holds Valley of Bowser 3, though it looks out-of-place at this point.
• The "7" sign in the final is a bush at this point in development.
• While the rock formation around the "Bowser cave" is present, the cave itself is not.

Proto	Final

The "warp zone" area, to somewhat disguise the fact that the early version has a chunk of the game missing, features some additional decoration on the island that got erased in the final to make way for the last three Warp Pipes.

Unfinished Levels

While the levels after the fourth castle are present, none of them are complete. Use the same address and value as above to access them.

Forest of Illusion 1

Unlike most of the unfinished levels, this has powerups (although the Springboard is missing) and enemies (although only the Red Koopas are used)! There's also several layout changes:

Proto	Final

At this point, several Red Koopas are stuck in the flip blocks, whereas the final only has naked Koopas walking off of the blocks. Maybe Hummer Team intended to have enemies popping out of the blocks like in the original?

Proto	Final

A blue pipe was added to this spot for the final, which leads to a bonus room.

Proto	Final

The background above this pipe was moved up a bit and was given a dark spot.

Forest Ghost House

No layout changes. Of the enemies and powerups, only the P-Switch is present at this point.

Forest of Illusion 2

No layout changes, although no enemies or powerups are present at this point.

Roy's Castle (Forest Fortress)

The last unfinished level to have enemies. The Dry Bones and Bony Beetles are missing, but the Fuzzies and Podoboos are present. Interestingly, you can walk on top of the lava without getting hurt. This is the only way to get to the secret door at the end since the moving platform for it is missing.

Proto	Final

Instead of a normal flip block, there's a flip block that actually uses the flipping animation. Unlike the official versions of Super Mario World, this just acts as a standard solid block.

Chocolate Island 1 (Forest of Illusion 4)

No enemies or powerups are present at this point. There's also a strange bug where if the game is paused, all of the ? Blocks disappear until the game resumes.

Proto	Final

The gap between the blue pipe and the goal was made longer in the final, for whatever reason.

Choco-Ghost House

No enemies or powerups are present at this point, including the P-Switch.

Proto	Final

The hole at the beginning of the level is one tile smaller.

Chocolate Island 2 (Chocolate Island 1)

Another empty level. The pipe cannons don't work at this point, so you'll need to use a cheat that allows you to move further.

Proto	Final

Despite the fact that the Muncher graphics (not the unused ones of the final, but rather the static background tiles) exist in the ROM, they appear to have not been implemented yet. Touching the white tiles can still harm you, though.

Wendy's Castle (Chocolate Fortress)

No enemies or items here, including the spikes moving from the floor and ceiling. Similar to Forest of Illusion 4, this also has a pause bug...but in this case, all lava tiles turn into flip blocks or vines and the ? Blocks turn into coins.

Proto	Final

The first spike pit was moved up one tile.

Proto	Final

Near the end, before the boss door, there are three pits with a Thwomp next to them in the final. At this point, there are three Thwomp areas with two spike pits and a ledge between them for where the Thwomp would fall.

Valley of Bowser 1 (Chocolate Island 3)

Another level devoid of enemies and powerups. Also missing are the rotating platforms; you'll need to use a cheat to advance further in the level.

Proto	Final

The block was shifted over one tile to the left under this blue pipe.

Valley of Bowser 2 (Valley of Bowser 3)

Devoid of mostly everything: enemies, powerups, coins, background stars...and collision. If you jump, you'll end up standing in mid-air when you begin to fall.

Proto	Final

The pipe that serves as the exit for the bonus room is not yet present.

Valley Ghost House

No layout changes, although no enemies or items are present at this point.

Bowser's Castle

Trying to access the stage takes you to the Bowser fight. The background tiles (including those used for the Koopa Clown Car) are missing here despite being in the ROM, with the propeller using the wrong tiles.

Bowser is unbeatable here, as he doesn't toss out any Mecha-Koopas, but unlike the final you can exit the stage by pausing and pressing Select.