Super Mario Bros. 3
From The Cutting Room Floor
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| Super Mario Bros. 3 |
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Developer: Nintendo
 This game has a notes page |
Super Mario Bros. 3 is a NES game by Nintendo, which has plenty of unused material hidden within it. One of the best-selling games of all time.
Contents |
Sub-Pages
 | Unused levels 16 levels only accessible by hacking. |
 | Unused graphics Quite a bit packed in here. |
 | Version differences "Miss twice and your out!" |
 | Unfinished bonus games Bonus game data left in the ROM. |
Developer Debug Leftovers
There are some leftover debug routines in the game, though none of them can be accessed without cheat devices or hacking.
The Game Genie code KKKZSPIU activates SMB3's level select and debug mode.
On the title screen:
- Press Up or Down to select a world to start on.
- Press A to increase the number of lives by 5 (a tile will change each time you press the button).
- A + B + Down on Controller 2 warps you to the Princess's chamber at the end of the game.
- A + B + Right warps you straight to the final curtain.
When you start a game, your item box will be filled with one of every item plus an extra Warp Whistle, and the remaining slots will be filled with P-Wings. During gameplay:
- Press Select on Controller 1 to cycle through all of Mario's forms.
- A / B + Select gives Mario a Kuribo's Shoe (it may look messed-up in some levels, but will otherwise work fine).
Additionally, you'll have infinite time—it will still tick but Mario won't die once it runs out.
The menu shown in the picture was found elsewhere in the ROM and hacked into the title screen; it doesn't appear if you use the Game Genie code by itself. Apply this IPS patch to a Super Mario Bros. 3 ROM to see it for yourself.
Originally it appears that this menu would have been accessible from the "1 PLAYER" / "2 PLAYER" selection menu if Player 2 was holding the A and B buttons together. It is also possible that this served some other purpose, but the above menu would be the most likely candidate. See Disassembly source for PRG bank #24, search for "Title_Do1P2PMenu:" Interestingly the button check is still there, but the action it was supposed to perform was overwritten with a series of NOP (no operation) instructions, likely done just before release.
Disconnected Debug Leftovers
Even if you enable the debug mode above, there are a couple of routines left over that remain inaccessible. These routines do not seem to pay attention to the aforementioned debug flag, so either the check is simply lost to time or these routines were hardwired to always work. The latter would make sense why they are disconnected from the source.
- Free Movement Mode -- Unclear how this would be accessed, but would allow you to press left/right/up/down to move around the level (See Disassembly source for PRG bank #0, search for "$C3EA")
- Toggled Invincibility -- Pressing SELECT would toggle whether you were completely invulnerable (See Disassembly source for PRG bank #0, search for "$C91B" -- this behavior could be easily restored by retargeting the JMP instruction or moving the Objects_HandleScrollAndUpdate label since this method would fall through into normal game code.)
Unused 2P Level
There's a fourth 2P level in the game ROM. This has a large arc of coins and uses an otherwise unused block graphic. Presumably, the player who collected the most coins would win, but the code that would handle this isn't in the ROM. When a coin is collected, an incorrect tile appears in its place.
Unused Objects
Object 04
Bank ID: 00
Object ID: 04
Note: This is not how the object actually appears in game. Image is for reference only
A very odd object. The tiles that actually make up this object are no longer in the ROM, but it was supposed to use tiles B0-BF.
When Mario collides with this object, it will stick to him like a Micro-Goomba and will never come off. It doesn't hinder Mario's movement, it just...stays there.
It can be killed with a Koopa shell or Hammer.
Object 05
Bank ID: 00
Object ID: 05
Note: This is not how the object actually appears in game. Image is for reference only
Another weird sprite. The tiles that actually make up this object are no longer in the ROM, but it was supposed to use tiles A0-A7.
This object walks around like a normal enemy. At a certain point in its walk cycle, it will jump up to Mario's Y position and then fall back down.
Interestingly, walking into it will bounce Mario in the opposite direction. The only way to get damaged by this object is to let it fall on you.
It can be destroyed with a Koopa shell or Hammer.
Object 0A
Bank ID: 00
Object ID: 0A
Note: This is the best fit for this object's graphics, but it may not be correct
A simple stationary object that can be "pushed" by Mario. Its collision detection doesn't seem to be complete, though, since it can be pushed into walls.
Card Objects
Bank ID: 00
Object ID: 21 (Mushroom), 22 (Fire Flower), 23 (Star)
These are stationary object versions of the cards found at the end of each level!
Collecting them will add the appropriate card to the player's inventory, but there's nothing in this object's code to handle when the card collected is the third card.
Getting to the goal with three of the same card won't trigger the 1-Up Bonus. You still have to get the appropriate third card from the goal.
Gold Cheep-Cheep
Bank ID: 00
Object ID: 88 (Single), D2 (Trio)
This Cheep-Cheep variant only appears in the seventh unused level. In that level they always show up in groups of three (though sprite overload often keeps at least one from appearing) but a single enemy version is in the code. It swims across the screen in a strange wavy pattern and is considerably faster than the standard red or green varieties.
Green Para-Beetle
Object ID: N/A
This can only be spawned with the Para-Beetle Swarm object (see below). It flies faster than the Red Para-Beetle, but otherwise, there's no difference between the two.
Para-Beetle Swarm
Bank ID: 00
Object ID: B7
This is a control object that will spawn Green and Red Para-Beetles on the left and right sides of the screen. It's used in the ninth and tenth unused levels.
Unused Level Palettes
Some level types have unused palettes. Not many, though.
Fortress
Fortress palette #2. A green version of the standard fortress color scheme.
Giant
Giant stage palette #2. Shades of gray with blue water.
Plains
Plains palette #1. This variant features a sky with a pinkish hue.
| Palette 2 (Used) | Palette 6 (Unused) |
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Palette #6 is nearly identical to the used Palette #2. The only difference is that the blue rectangles are blue-green.
Stage Anomalies
There are a few stages with hidden foreground pieces.
World 4-1
| Hidden Tile | In-Game View |
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A single brick is hidden behind the waterfall in World 4-1.
World 5-2
| Hidden Tile | In-Game View |
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A cloud appears behind the first slope in World 5-2.
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