Much has changed since the golden era of the 16-bit systems. Back in the day, gamers had to subscribe to video game magazines in order to find out more about their favorite titles or discover in-game secrets that would eventually help them beat it. Developers used level design to their advantage and often hid clues in plain sight, and though most were intentional, some were accidental and remained concealed for years, if not decades. One such title whose secrets stood the test of time is the original Super Mario World for the SNES.
When the beloved 2D platformer saw the light of day over 30 years ago, its unprecedented success was all but guaranteed. Super Mario World went on to sell more than 20 million copies and was even adapted into an animated television series of the same name. While the game’s overwhelmingly positive reception contributed to multiple re-releases, its overall design was a defining experience for many who began developing their love for video games during the early ’90s. As the years pressed on, Super Mario World took on the title of one of the best video games ever made. Curious gamers eventually saw fit to uncover as many of its secrets as possible, and despite their best efforts, many still remain hidden.
As a company that values transparency, Nintendo always liked to add a touch of multicultural policies to its work. This was particularly notable in the past when the contents of certain games were deemed inappropriate for western releases. The localization of Super Mario World saw that a small element from the original Japanese release was excluded when the game graced the shelves in the western regions.
Where Yoshi would preserve his ability to gobble up dolphin NPCs in the Japanese version, the local version had the feature removed altogether because upsetting animal rights activists was not on Nintendo’s agenda. While the inevitable exclusion did not affect the intended player experience, it certainly made many wonder whether Yoshi’s original mechanics paved the path for the inception and evolution of Kirby.
Aside from other regional discrepancies that mainly revolved around naming conventions, Super Mario World alluded to some of its best-kept secrets from the get-go. A good portion of gamers were curious about the looping title screen’s layout — a mystery that went unsolved for a great many years. Despite its deceptive appearance, the title screen’s advertised level remained out of reach for most, as it belongs to the well-hidden Special World.
Players can access “Groovy” only after fulfilling the requirements in the Star World, which allows them to unlock the Special World. From there, they have to beat four other levels first. Although reaching the fifth level is no small task, its title screen sneak peek serves as a great motivator to get players excited about the game’s overall features. On the other hand, gamers who persevere and complete the Special World get the opportunity to explore Super Mario World‘s take on a new game plus, which comes packed with altered colors and unusual enemies.
Due to hardware limitations that elicited attention to detail in level design, developers had to work inside of constraints, which also meant that providing visual cues was the best way to communicate secrets. Ghost House levels are a prime example of one such feature that, strangely enough, went under the radar for a very long time. Rather than trying to outrun the haunting of Big Boo, players can easily send him to the second afterlife by sliding down the stairs.
The sliding mechanic’s versatility may appear unintentional at first, but the fact that players can increase their score by 200 after defeating Big Boo suggests otherwise. In a similar vein, the formidable Buzzsaws are vulnerable to the same technique, but players have to time their slides correctly if they wish to remain unscathed. However, unlike the seamless defeat of Big Boo, sending Buzzsaws off on their merry way results in a jumbled mess of pixels. Although players get rewarded with 200 points for the trouble, the sprites suggest that this application of Mario’s overpowered slide was likely unplanned.
Thus far, gamers have discovered over two dozen secrets in Super Mario World. Most improve its accessibility and help the players progress through levels with more ease, but many are tied to various glitches that can be triggered inadvertently or otherwise. Yoshi’s Island 2, in particular, houses two secret exploits that can significantly affect the time needed to explore the game.
One of the secrets includes glitching the item box and obtaining an infinite Lakitu cloud. While the cloud glitch does not alter the behavior of overworld enemies, its presence on the screen during the final battle with Bowser cuts some of the animations, lowering the duration by 35 to 40 seconds. The other exploit breaks the available items through manipulation and allows the players to see the credits within a minute or less without tackling Bowser.
Whether uncovering information by extracting the original code to glean more insight into a 32-year-old game adds to its overall value is a matter of personal perspective. The newfound secrets undoubtedly contribute to the speedrunning aspects and replayability of Super Mario World, but some of its uniqueness is perhaps best kept under wraps. How things would have panned out if Nintendo had decided to go with its initial plan and implement difficulty settings is one of Super Mario World‘s greatest mysteries. As long as they exist, players will gladly revisit their roots many times over.
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