Prerelease:Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

To do: Add comparison images from the trailer (preferably from the original video given to the press/released on the web). There was a demo playable / video shown at ECTS in London in August 2003. Some potential concept art. Move relevant stuff to the prototype page. Contemporary E3 demo footage (although maybe it should be linked on the proto page instead)

Development Timeline

2003

• May 3 - A demo build is compiled for use at the then-upcoming E3 2003 showfloor.
• May 13/15 - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, then known simply as "Mario & Luigi", is announced during E3.
• October 4 - Build date of the original North American version of Superstar Saga, as well as the European version.
• October 16 - Build date of the Japanese version of Superstar Saga.
• October 27 - Build date of the North American kiosk demo.
• November 17 - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is released in North America.
• November 21 - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is released in Japan and Europe.
• November 28 - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is released in Australia.

2007

• February 7 - Roughly the date that the unreleased Chinese version of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is built.

May 2003

Sometime before the start of E3 2003, Nintendo revealed Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga in the form of press screenshots and trailers. These materials predate its showfloor demo.

Screenshots

Prerelease	E3 Demo	Final

(Source: E3 2003 Press Kit CD)

Border Bros. Minigame

• The floor is purple instead of white.
• Carpet's border is orange instead of pink.
• The carpet isn't wider at Hammer Bro part.
• Bottom corners have no brick wall.
• The area is wider.
• There are windows and a painting's description box that don't appear in the final game.
• The curtains are missing.
• The painting's background is blue, which was changed to cyan in the final.
• Walls are more pink-ish colored.
• Mario's and Luigi's icons are slightly different.

Trailers

Two different trailers were released before the start of E3 2003; one that was released on Nintendo's official E3 website via media.nintendo.com, and one that was sent exclusively to the press to be distributed online.

Audio Differences

• While it's added in-post, the music used all throughout the trailer is the original non-decompressed version of the battle theme.
• Audio-wise, much like the showfloor demo, a lot of sound effects seem to be missing (such as hammers hitting the ground, jumping and high jumps).

Beanbean Castle Sewers

The overworld sprites for the Spinies are more primitive, and the one for the Super Flies is both rougher and missing its hopping animation, instead just teleporting around clunkily. The sound played when Mario does a spin jump is also different, using his "Yipee" sound effect from Super Mario 64.

It's also worth noting that the Bros. are seen climbing the staircase at their regular walking speed, while in the final game it is a bit slower when climbing up stairs. The dialogue following Cackletta's arrival in the Beanstar's room is also missing entirely.

Chateau de Chucklehuck

Rookie's sprite is different, looking angrier and having weirder proportions. Popple's dialogue is missing entirely.

Chucklehuck Woods

The hedge graphic is significantly darker, the wooden debris is also arranged differently. The Save Album and the sign containing tips regarding the barrel puzzle are also missing. The fire-spitting head is also using the first frame of its "opening mouth" animation while being inactive, instead of having its own unique "inactive" sprite like it does in the final game. The inside of the tree in which the Chuckola Reserve/Chuckolator is found is also different, having glowing mushrooms not found there in the final, but lacking the lanterns and floor pattern, as well as having slightly different walls on the side of the room. The dust effect used when Mario lands in the Chuckola Reserve also looks more like a flash, as opposed to a cloud in the final game.

The cave in which Mario and Luigi land also has grey rocks instead of brown ones, and lacks the ? Blocks and the Chuck Guy before the bridge. It's worth noting that in the final game, grey rocks can only be destroyed with a Super Hammer (which isn't available at this point in the game), and to add insult to injury Luigi's sprite when smashing them reveal that he is doing so only using a regular hammer.