Prerelease:Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)/1995

This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64).

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this. Specifically: Lots of bullet points made, but without enough images to illustrate the discoveries.

Late October - Early November

Earlier Builds (Shoshinkai 1995 Promotional)

To do: There are many more differences in this build. Add new B-Roll levels information.

Little info is available about the specifics of these builds and their relation to the Shoshinkai build, but footage of them was interspersed with the Shoshinkai demo footage in promotional videotapes for the event that were given to visitors. More levels are available, and graphical tweaks have been made. These builds may show a more realistic view of how Super Mario 64 was developing at the time, instead of the demo, which only showed a specific set of levels. This footage was recorded a week or so before the Shoshinkai '95 event, these builds are also from that time period.

General Differences

• Mario has a different model with harsher shading. This model can be found in the July 25th, 2020 Gigaleak under the name Mario_old.
• Mario doesn't bounce back after punching enemies, such as teresa.sou. Shown here.
• When Mario is burned by lava, the smoke texture is animated, which is different from the final. (NOTE: Set the speed at 0.25x for clarity.)

(Source: 1996 Nintendo Co. Ltd Company Report - Page 31)

• After Mario has been squished, he can move at maximum speed instead of only being able to walk.

(Source: 1996 Nintendo Co. Ltd Company Report - Page 30)

• The bubbles Mr. I shoots utilize the generic texture used in water levels and the sleeping Piranha Plant.

• The burn smoke originally had eight frames, rather than just one.

HUD

"POWER" Build	"POW" Build	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• The HUD looks drastically different in these builds. The icons and numbers use simple 2D sprites instead of downscaled 3D renders and gradients, and the numbers have different colors from each other instead of all being orange. The X's are thinner and yellow, as opposed to the silver color of the final game. Lastly, the counters have two digits instead of one and the coin counter is placed below the star counter, the reason for the difference in position will be explained later.
• Mario's health meter has a more basic design with a pie chart style similar to the final version. There are two iterations of this meter: one that says "POW" with the number of remaining health pieces overlaid on top of the meter, and another that says "POWER", lacking the overlaid number of available health.
• The meter changing in the footage suggests there were two different builds recorded, with "POWER" likely being the earlier of the two. As Mario's health decreases, the color of the meter changes from blue to red, similar to how the final meter works. The "POW" meter has slightly rougher edges on the lower part of the border compared to the "POWER" meter.
• Both of the early health meters decrease clockwise, unlike the final meter, which decreases counterclockwise.
• When Mario takes damage, the health meter appears slightly closer to the center of the screen.

Title Screen

Prerelease	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• The "Press Start" message on the title screen uses a more basic font that has an outline and a consistent color for all letters, that color being a gradient from orange to yellow. This early font can still be found in a couple of unused characters present in the final game. It is also ~12 pixels higher than the retail's text.
• Mario's head pops up closer to the screen, due to a different code setting. It was updated in the Shoshinkai 1995 demo, matching the retail game's animation.
• The cursor does not lock onto a certain area when a part of Mario's head was grabbed; instead it stays in the place where the cursor grabbed. The sparkles that appear when grabbing one of the head's parts in the final game are missing here. These two differences can be seen in this clip.
• In the Game Over screen, the normal blue background seen on the title screen is used instead of the red variant. Although the footage shows a "GAME OVER" prompt at the top of the screen, it appears to have been edited in.
• The lighting direction on Mario's head changes if it rotates 90 degrees. This was eventually changed so the lighting is consistent regardless of Mario's rotation.

Level Changes

Castle Grounds

The Castle Grounds has a different model that is quite similar to the one seen in the November 22, 1995 patent screenshots, though it has been updated as the land behind the castle has been removed.

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Consoles + 050 - Page 26 (January 1996))

• The trees use a different texture with slight differences in shape and lighting. This texture can be found in the leaked source code. The trees are also positioned slightly differently.

Castle Interior

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Consoles + 050 - Page 26 (January 1996))

• The walls are dark blue with a star-and-moon pattern on them.
• A simple blue-to-orange color gradient decorates the bricks.
• Two platforms lead to the double door, and the rest of the walkway (to two other doors in the final, nonexistent themselves in this build) on the second floor does not exist yet. That same double door is missing the keyhole.

Courtyard

Prerelease	Final

(Source: NEXT Generation Issue #14 February 1996 - Page 51)

• Boos are present, but they use early textures that don't match the final version. These textures can be found in the July 25th, 2020 Gigaleak.
• The courtyard's walls use a different, more realistic texture.
• The fountain is textured differently, with dark bricks instead of light-gray stone. The brick texture of the fountain became the walls of the courtyard in the final game. There is no star statue in the fountain, either.
• The trees are positioned differently and reuse the Castle Grounds texture.
• The sky doesn't have a texture, being pure black instead. The playable demo would change this, adding a proper skybox.

Mountain (Whomp's Fortress)

Although this stage has a similar layout to the final game, the textures and skybox are quite different.

"POWER" Build	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• The dirt area leading to the Bomps has a small extension of wood with fences on the side. There are four Bomps that are all synced, while the final game has three Bomps that are unsynced, with the middle one being wider.
• The starting grass area appears to be either smaller or missing entirely.
• All the yellow arrows present on the walls and floors are missing.
• The sign located near the ramp isn't there, and neither is the metal fence.
• The UV map on the dirt texture is different compared to in the final.

"POW" Build	Final

(Source: Consoles + 050 - Page 19 (January 1996))

• Bomps have a different design with simpler-looking eyes that are also bigger.
• Thwomps appear to have a lower draw distance.

"POW" Build	Final

(Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 078 (January 1996) - Page 79)

• This screenshot shows that the Bomps have been changed from the "POWER" build. Instead of 4 synced Bomps, this build has 2 unsynced Bomps. The Space World '95 demo build would add a wide Bomp in between the two normal Bomps, matching the final game.

"POW" Build	Inbetween Build	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• Thwomps have a darker blue color and angrier faces. They also have circular shadows. This model can be found in the leaked source code.
• The Thwomps have different rotations and slightly different positions compared to the final game. A build in-between the "POW" build and Space World '95 demo shows the Thwomps in their final positions and rotations.
• The POW build screenshot has one of the Thwomps placed on the edge.

"POW" Build	Final

• The path before the Piranha Plant is a red carpet.
• Many of the floors have circular stone textures. These textures can be found in the July 25th, 2020 Gigaleak.
• The brick texture below the Piranha Plant is missing.
• The sign on the left of the thin bridge is missing. On that same platform is a coin that was later removed.

"POW" Build	Final

• The tower has triangular steps instead of the rectangular ones of the retail game. A later version of those steps used in the E3 1996 build can be found in the final game, unused. The tower's steps don't have shadows.
• Bullet Bills also lack a shadow. These early Bullet Bills were found in the Gigaleak under the name killer.sou.
• The Bullet Bill Launcher uses different textures with less detail and a grayer color.
• The pole that leads to the tower isn't there.

Fire Bubble (Lethal Lava Land)

This stage is very similar to the final game in terms of appearance, but the layout is different, with the platforms much closer together and many of them missing.

Prerelease	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• The flamethrower near the volcano is missing, as are the four platforms that sink and rise after the M-shaped structure.
• The lava isn't separate from the level model.

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Computer and Video Games Issue 175 (June 1996) - Page 23)

• The Fire-Bars are different in this build: there are three sets of five fireballs, whereas the final game's have two sets of four fireballs.
• The layout differences are clearly visible in this screenshot.
• There is no Big Bully on the uppermost platform; there's a small one instead.

Prerelease	Final

• The falling bridge after the upmost platform has no vertical rise, making it a straight line to the star. The platform below this star is also much closer to the lava.

Snow Slider (Cool, Cool Mountain)

Cool, Cool Mountain has a completely different model and textures. The stage is modeled more crudely and has no enemies or coins.

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Consoles + 050 - Page 30 (January 1996))

• The penguins have a different design, with more droopy eyes and a thinner torso. This early model can be found in the leaked source code.

(Source: Joypad International Issue 49 (Jan 96) - Page 7)

• The slide has a completely different look. The final game uses this slide in Tall, Tall Mountain, giving Cool, Cool Mountain a different slide with a more icy aesthetic.

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• The slide exit is a strange, dark model that somewhat resembles a Warp Pipe.

Water Land (Dire, Dire Docks)

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Joypad International Issue 49 (Jan 96) - Page 6)

• The walls in the starting area use a completely different texture compared to the final game. That same wall is also a bit shorter than the final game.
• Sushi uses an early model with simpler textures. This model can be found in the leaked source code.

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Joypad International Issue 49 (Jan 96) - Page 7)

• Many objects are missing from this section: the whirlpool, the coins, and the water plant. The chests are also positioned differently; they are all on the elevated ground where the whirlpool is in the final game.
• The early Sushi design can be seen again here.
• The vertical line of coins isn't there.

Prerelease	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• The rings that come out of the Jet Stream are smaller compared to the final game.
• The tunnel's walls are blue.
• The water surface uses a different texture with a more cyan color.

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Consoles + 050 (January 1996) - Page 33)

• The Bowser symbol on the ship is the head portion of Bowser's artwork from Super Mario Bros. 3, which was also reused in the Bowser painting and Lethal Lava Land sliding puzzle. That same submarine is rotated 180 degrees compared to the final version.
• Bowser's Submarine has "KOOPA" (Bowser's Japanese name) written on it.
• The gates and platforms above the submarine, which in the final game are used for the Red Coin star, are missing here.
• The submarine's conning tower is further away from the Power Star than in the final game.

Sunken Ship (Jolly Roger Bay)

• 

Prototype	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

• An unknown object can be seen next to the ship. Judging by its shape, it could either be a removed part of the level, or an early version of Unagi.
• The entire level is extremely basic and crudely modeled.
• The water has a heavy amount of visual fog.
• The sunken ship is bigger, less detailed, whiter, and has a mast with a tall pillar on it.

Koopa 1 (Bowser in the Dark World)

"POWER" Build	Final

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

(Source: Joypad International Issue 49 (Jan 96) - Page 7)

• Bowser's eyes are blue, as opposed to the final game's red; a texture with those blue eyes can still be found in the final game's files. Bowser also has a different shell texture, with a lighter green color, and there's a green spot on each pattern. Lastly, Bowser's snout is just a solid color with nostrils on it instead of having scales.
• The camera doesn't move, and only focuses on Mario throwing Bowser. Also, Bowser's shadow appears over Mario's position when throwing him.
• If Bowser's fire breath catches Mario while he is in first-person camera mode, the camera will not return to normal, staying in first-person mode.
• The shell's spikes and Bowser's horns are colored yellow instead of the same color as his nails and teeth.
• The skybox is completely different from the final game, showing a dark blue sky with lots of clouds.

Unused Areas

Removed Stage, "Castle"

Footage exists of a location that does not match anything in particular in the final game. The footage was bundled with other footage from this second demo. The full model can be found within the leaked source code. It appears to be an expansive stone castle with several levels and stairs leading up to the top. The internal name of the stage in the source code is "castle." Interestingly, the stage appears in two unused courses: stage1 and stage99.

(Source: YouTube)

(Source: "Gamesmaster Series 5 Episode 11 and 15)

Ghost House

A strange presumably hallway-like room with a blue carpet can be seen here. There appears to be extra space surrounding the carpet on either side of the wall, with a small painting at the end. There are two additional rooms, one with a red carpet and solid colored walls and the other one with the same wall texture as the blue carpet room but no carpet. This stage is presumably what became Big Boo's Haunt (possibly the underground area), due to the presence of Boos and Mr. I's, both used in the final Big Boo's Haunt, and more notably the texture used in ana.sou named "obakabe00_txt", meaning Ghost Wall. Doors appear to have a unique texture here.

(Source: "Promotional Video (Software)" - Nintendo 64 B-Roll (1995))

(Source: 1996 Nintendo Co. Ltd Company Report - Page 30)

(Source: Game Zero's Shoshinkai 1995, Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 Demonstrations)

Co-op Test Stage, "Stage35"

In November 2023, footage from the Spaceworld 1995 showfloor surfaced showing Mario and Luigi performing various actions on a red checkerboard variation of a test map called Stage35, which can be found within the 2020 gigaleak. In the Iwata Asks interview for Super Mario 3D World, Yoshiaki Koizumi mentions an early prototype of Mario 64 that featured Mario and Luigi running around a simple, flat field, which matches what's seen in this brief clip.

(Source: スーパーマリオ・スタジアム2 / SuperMarioStadium2 (Timestamp: 13:21))

Iwata
Regrets?

Koizumi
One goes all the way back to Super Mario 64. When we made the first prototype, Mario and Luigi were on a flat field.

Iwata
Both of them.

Koizumi
Yes. We ran it that way, but when we made the landforms, because of hardware limitations we had a choice between cutting Luigi or making more elaborate landforms. Then, in tears, we had to ask Luigi to leave.

(Source: Iwata Asks: Super Mario 3D World)

November

Shoshinkai '95 Demo

Information about Super Mario 64 first leaked in November 1995, and a playable build was presented days later as part of the world premiere of the Ultra 64 at Nintendo Space World. At this point, the basic controls had been implemented and the game was reportedly 50% finished, featuring 32 courses, although about 2% of mapping was complete. This build was compiled on November 15, 1995.

Being the first unveiling of Super Mario 64, these were the first assets available to the general public. Graphics-wise, this version of the game has little in common with the final, but several levels and key gameplay features are set in stone. Players could control Mario freely in each stage and explore the castle, as well as use a stage select that used early names for levels (for example, Bowser in the Dark World was originally named "Koopa 1".)

According to the developers, many players at Shoshinkai described Mario's 3D controls as "wobbly," "slippery," or "less responsive to the button inputs." Mario uses his old head/model found in the July 2020 Nintendo leak. He also starts out with 2 lives, with rumours stating that he could get an extra life if he gets 100 coins. According to Giles Goddard (programmer of this Mario's head), this build was just a snapshot of what was working at the time.

General Differences

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Gamesmaster Series 5 Episode 11 and 15)

• The game starts with a simple blue Nintendo logo. This model was found in the July 25th, 2020 Gigaleak.
• The "Press Start" message on the title screen uses a more basic orange to yellow gradient and black outlined font.
• Shadows appear to be pixelated, rather than the smooth-edged ones in the final.
• The timing after selecting the option to exit out of the course is slower than the final.
• The "Press Start" message is positioned differently from the final.
• On the Game Over screen, the normal blue background seen on the title screen is used instead of the red variant seen in later builds of the game.

Gameplay and Physics

• When Mario enters a level, there is a trail of sparkles (like in the special triple jump you unlock for getting all 120 Stars) as he falls from the sky.
• Mario's triple jump causes him to twirl in the air (as if he'd jumped on a Spindrift) instead of doing a mid-air somersault. A similar ability would later be given to Luigi in Super Mario 64 DS, 8 years later.
• Mario does not pause in the air when he performs a ground pound. The camera does not pause or focus on Mario when he does a ground pound, either, unlike the final.
• Mario does not cover his head with his hands when he crouches.
• Mario, after taking large fall damage or respawning after dying in a painting world, visibly struggles to get up. This was changed in the final, possibly to keep the animation short (and less morbid); this can be seen here and here.
• While running, instead of slanting forwards towards the direction he is going, Mario runs completely straight.
• Mario doesn't jump when hit by fire.
• When Mario enters a level, the camera doesn't approach the painting.
• Mario seems to be almost always in the center of the camera.
• Mario blinks more often than in the final game.
• Mario only punches and kicks at once, instead of punching twice and kicking one time.
• Mario gets up with his arms out after doing a dive jump.
• If Mario begins to move in any direction, he will turn to face said direction, instead of him taking a sharp turn like the final game.
• Mario's side flip gives him less height than the final, which is shown here in the B-Roll video. The animation is also different; its animation file name is JumpBack.
• When Mario steps away from sidestepping a wall, he will move at top speed.
• If the Nintendo 64 analog stick is pushed forward a little more, Mario will do a slow run, as shown here.
• When Mario is at a specific point of the platform, the animation abruptly stops (until you press the A button to jump); likely a glitch.
• Mario begins to pant when the Power Meter is at 4 life gauges, instead of 2.
• After Mario completes the level or fails to obtain the Star, the camera angle is different, which is shown here and here.
• No invincibility frames can be seen after Mario getting hurt.
• When Mario is blasted out of the cannon, he flies even though he lacks the Wing Cap, as shown here.
• If Mario is falling a great distance, he will scream for 3 seconds, as well as when he falls in the void.
• Mario can move around with the analog stick while in water, an ability that isn't present in the final game.

Power Stars

• Power Stars are two-dimensional animated sprites in this build. The Stars here were reused in the final for the silver-and-red stars that float around Mario's head in the title screen and for the design of the big sliding doors.
• The Stars are free-floating in certain areas within the four available levels, without any puzzles to solve to obtain them (other than completing the slide in Cool Cool Mountain).
• Collecting a Star causes Mario to do the Star dance and exit the level, but it does not count towards anything, nor are any menus pulled up once Mario has exited the painting. This is most likely a demo feature.
• When collecting a Star, the camera doesn't move away from Mario or approach his pose, staying the same as before collecting it.
  • It also doesn't shake when Mario does the P-Sign after obtaining the Star.
• When Mario collects a Star, a different dust animation plays twice.

Coins

Instead of a star insignia, the coins have a rectangular indentation consistent with prior Mario titles. The coin's color is also different, being a more orange-ish yellow compared to the final game's pure yellow.

(Source: Game Zero's Shoshinkai 1995, Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 Demonstrations)

HUD

Prerelease	Final

Prerelease	Final

(Source: Hobby Consolas Magazine Issue 52 (Spain) January, 1996)

(Source: Joypad International Supplement - Page 82 (January 1996))

(Source: Game Zero's Shoshinkai 1995, Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 Demonstrations)

Minimap	A minimap is present in the upper-right corner, similar to the one from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It can be toggled on or off. The larger view of a level seen when paused replaced the minimap later on in development. The minimap idea was resurrected in the DS remake, which displays a map on the Touch Screen. The arrow shows where Mario/the player is navigating. This unused texture can be found here. The minimap is a bit transparent if you take a closer look (shown here, for example). A demonstration of toggling the minimap on and off is shown here.
Lives	Mario's head is a flat, stylized face in profile with a large nose, closely resembling his sprite from Paper Mario (which was released four years after this game). The detail on this icon is fairly simple, even though there's shading on Mario's nose connecting to the mustache. In the Shoshinkai demo, the number of lives is expressed with a single digit, while B-Roll footage from an earlier build would use two digits. Mario also started with 3 lives (represented by the number 2) instead of 5 (shown by the number 4).
Stars	Like Mario's head, the Star counter is also represented by a flat sprite, located at the center-right of the screen. The Star appears to have a simple yellow color with black outlines after B-Roll, which lacks outline. Its shape has a more roundish look than the final's sharper look.
Coins	Located directly below the Star counter instead of beside it in the final. This placement makes room for the minimap. The Coin possesses a circular shape with an inner contour drawn on it, facing forward, and is colored in bright yellow, whereas the final version faces in a 3/4 view to the right, has a star-shaped insignia, and is colored in gold.
Font	A very standard bubble font with the numbers being different colors from light green to dark green. The Xs are small and yellow, as opposed to silver to white in the final game.
Health	Mario's health is displayed in a dial. His remaining health is also shown in numerical form, an idea later seen in early media of Super Mario Sunshine and the final release of Super Mario Galaxy. At this point, Mario's health regenerates automatically if he is not underwater. It's also a bit transparent, and sometimes you can see the scenery behind the bar.
Camera	There are no visible camera options in the HUD yet, but players can still use the C buttons to move the camera around along with the zooming.

Audio Differences

To do: Find more source sound files. Like the "whoosh" entering the slide, etc. Rip the early door and water footstep sounds.

• Mario's voice clips are the most striking difference, featuring samples from Best Service Voice Spectral Volume 1 and the Warner Bros. Sound Effects Library. These were most likely placeholders until Charles Martinet performed Mario's lines.

Description	Early	Final
Mario exclaiming "Yahaa!"
Mario grabbing on ledge
Mario taking fire damage
Mario taking damage
Mario getting a Star
Single Jump #1 / Mario exclaiming "Hooh!"
Single Jump #2 / Mario exclaiming "Ouh!"
Single Jump #3 / Mario exclaiming "Huah!"
Double Jump
Climb over ledge
Pickup item

• Bowser's death sound originally played after he hit the bomb instead of when he hit the floor after hitting the bomb.

Description	Early	Final
Bowser death
Bowser Growl
Bowser tail grab/bomb

• The coin sound effect is a single sample, rather than a sequence like in the final game. It's also very different from the final. It was also found within the Star Fox 64 source code inside the Gigaleak, labelled as "coin.n.32.c4.aiff".

Description	Early	Final
Coin Sound

• The penguin walking sound is very different from the final version.

Description	Early	Final
Title Theme

• The title screen's music is faster, has different percussion, and uses some of Mario's voice clips.

• The music in Dire, Dire Docks uses a different instrument, taken from Digidesign SampleCell's Factory Library Disc 1, known there as Tine Piano C4. It can also be found in the Yoshi Touch & Go soundfont, labelled there as "Electric Piano."

• The Peach/Bowser portrait room plays a strange high-pitched shrieking noise that gets quieter as Mario approaches.

• The sound effects for doors opening, doors closing, and walking on shallow water are different. Notably, they were later used in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Description	Early	Final
Door Closing

• The bird ambience is completely different compared to the final. The audio heard in the Castle Grounds footage of the Shoshinkai builds was likely from a sound effect library which was also used by HoMedics for their SoundSpa white noise machines made from 2004 to 2012 (e.g. the SoundSpa SS-4500), notably the Rainforest sample. It is unknown what exact sound it is and how much of the sample was used in the Shoshinkai build.

Description	Early	Final
Bird Ambience

• The music for Bob-omb Battlefield is played at a faster tempo.

Level Changes

Castle Grounds

(Source: Pocketneogeo's C-Band Wild Feed)

The player begins at the castle and is greeted with this text:

Text	Translation
ようこそ マリオワンダーランドへ ぼうけんずきのひとは めのまえのおしろへどうぞ	Welcome to Mario Wonderland. If you're the adventurous sort, Pay a visit to the castle ahead.

(Translation: GlitterBerri)

• The bridge has changed since the patent screenshots, adding guardrails and removing the stone pillars from the beginning. It still has a noticeable curve.
• The "cloud" above the castle appears to have been removed.
• The clock is still present above the entrance.
• The brick texture is noticeably simpler than it would be in later builds of the game.
• There is less wooden fencing surrounding the moat.
• Some trees are positioned differently.
• The flags on the castle are different and don't have any animations. It's hard to say because of the poor quality of the footage, but it looks like the flags have the old Mario icon on them, similar to the HUD itself.
• For some reason, the name "Mushroom Kingdom" was replaced with "Mario Wonderland."
• The castle archway for the entrance is shaped differently from the November 22, 1995 patent screenshots.
• The roof of the castle is trimmed off the bottom by extruding the wall.
• The shadow at the castle entrance has a different direction from the final build.
• The border of the entrance's door is missing, and so is the carpet.
• The brick floor on the entrance has a different texture consisting of pale pink and light green colors along with the gray colors.
• The waterfall is silent for the sound.

Castle Interior

(Source: Bad Influence Series 4 Episode 11, 13, and 14)

Upon entering the castle, this text appears:

Text	Translation
このおしろは　てんじかい せんようです。 いろいろなせかいと つながっているので さきのとびらを　ひらいて ぼうけんして　ください。	This castle is exclusive to the show. It's connected to a variety of worlds, so open the doors ahead and get adventuring.

(Translation: GlitterBerri)

• The walls are dark blue with a star-and-moon pattern on them.
• The stairs are simply made up of two platforms.
• A simple blue-to-orange color gradient decorates the bricks.
• Doors to stages display white numbers (1-4) instead of red numbers over stars. These numbers correspond to the level select and do not appear to be Star requirements yet. These textures can be found in the July 2020 Gigaleak.
• The room with the Bowser/Peach portrait has cracked stone walls, as opposed to brick castle walls in the final. An unknown high-pitched shrieking noise also appears to play in this room. The sound gets quieter as Mario approaches the portrait, indicating it may be Peach's shrieks.
• Level placement is not final: the entrance to Cool, Cool Mountain is in Door 3 on the left (where Bob-omb Battlefield is in the final), the entrance to Lethal Lava Land is in Door 2 on the bottom-right (where Whomp's Fortress would be later on), the entrance to Whomp's Fortress is in Door 1 right next to the entrance to Snow Slider level (where Cool, Cool Mountain is located in the final), and the second-floor door leads to the first fight with Bowser.
• Two platforms lead to the double door, and the rest of the walkway (to two other doors in the final, nonexistent themselves in this build) on the second floor does not exist yet.
• The paintings for Whomp's Fortress and Cool, Cool Mountain are not yet in their final forms.
• The basement is not present in this version, so the two doors on both sides of the stairs only lead to the courtyard's hallway.
• Every painting lacks the bottom part of the wall, meaning Mario can enter these paintings without jumping.
• The door model has a different handle color (an orangish-yellow, compared to the final version's pure yellow) and more polygons than the final.

Mountain (Whomp's Fortress)

• 
• 
• 
• 

(Source: NEXT Generations Issue #14 February 1996 (Page 36))

(Source: Pocketneogeo's C-Band Wild Feed)

(Source: Game Zero's Shoshinkai 1995, Nintendo 64, and Super Mario 64 Demonstrations)

To do: Add what the textbox says when first entering this level.

The layout is similar to the final version, but its appearance is fairly different.

• The path before the Piranha Plant at the top of the fortress is a red carpet.
• The background features an overcast sky.
• Many of the floors have circular stone textures. These textures can be found in the July 2020 Gigaleak.
• Thwomps have a darker blue color and angrier faces. They also have circular shadows. The model itself can be found in the July 2020 Gigaleak as well.
• Piranha Plants have completely different sound clips for biting. The animation for them sleeping also shows their teeth.
• Bomps have a different, more menacing design.
• The Star by the tower is not in a cage.
• The rotating platforms with red coins have not been implemented yet.
• The pole near the tower is closer to the Star and on the other side of the tower.
• The highest platform of the tower has a red marking on its top, which seems to be a question mark.
• The course's painting appears to show a picture of a field with two mushrooms instead of showing a picture of the course itself.
• Whomps have a completely different set of textures. This model is also found in the July 2020 Gigaleak.
• When Mario is riding Hoot, the camera does not rotate above him and Hoot moves up slowly.
• The tower's steps are triangular instead of rectangular. The triangular steps are still present in the final game, unused.
• Bullet Bills lack a shadow. These early Bullet Bills were found in the Gigaleak under the name of killer.sou.
• The cannon that shoots out Bullet Bills has different textures.
• Piranha Plants lack the dirt patches they reside on in the final.
• The fish appears to be jumping out of the water; perhaps as a kind of Easter Egg; while Mario is going to the cannon. This behavior code can be seen here.
• There is one coin on each receding platform.
• The rotating wood plank has the markings as shown here.
• The railings right next to the cannon and the Blue Coin Switch area haven't been implemented yet.
• The wide Bomp has been added to this course.
• The cannon is positioned differently, and the Bob-omb Buddy next to it is missing.
• There are three coins instead of five in the launchable cannon area.
• There are three coins on the platform next to the thin bridge that were removed in the final.
• A ring of coins around the farthest flower bed isn't there.
• Butterflies near the flower bed doesn't exist yet.

Fire Bubble (Lethal Lava Land)

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(Source: Cyberflash TV Show: Episode 1, 32, 55, and 170)

(Source: Pocketneogeo's C-Band Wild Feed)

Arriving at this level, the text box reads:

Text	Translation
みぎにいくか　ひだりに いくかは あなたのじゆう Cボタンをうまくつかって しんちょうに　はやく!	Left or right? It's all up to you. Make good use of the C buttons to move quickly but cautiously!

(Translation: GlitterBerri)

This map is mostly similar to the final. Features are present such as Mr. I, the sliding puzzle, the collapsing and tilting platforms, and the volcano exterior.

• Mario starts on a path that is positioned to the right of the arch, instead of to the left.
• Bullies only have one spike atop their head instead of two horns, similar to the Chill Bully enemy in the final game. These early Bullies can be found in the July 2020 leak.
• There are no red coins on the puzzle.
• All of the rock structures with 1-Ups and coins are missing.
• There is no big Bully on the upmost platform. Instead, the Star and falling blocks are always present.
• The volcano interior hasn't been implemented yet. Attempting to enter the volcano causes Mario to get burned.
• There is no teleporter in the hole underneath Mr. I.
• A more menacing red-and-black skybox is used.
• Mr. I's bubble projectile has a different texture.
• There is no line of coins under the drawbridge.
• The lava isn't separate from the level model.

Snow Slider (Cool, Cool Mountain)

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(Source: Joypad International Supplement - Page 82 (January 1996))

(Source: Bravo TV - Nintendo 64 (Computermesse) (01/28/1996))

(Source: JOYPAD International 049 - Page 7)

(Source: Cyberflash TV Show: Episode 1, 32, 55, and 170)

(Source: (Super Mario Stadium) Spaceworld 1995 Coverage)

Level intro text:

Text	Translation
かぜを　かんじたいひとは ひだりの　あなに　とびこ んでみるといいです。 すっごく　きもちいいです	If you want to feel the wind at your back, try jumping in the hole on the left. The sensation can't be beat.

(Translation: GlitterBerri)

• Mario begins near the top of the mountain, which is made of ice and has a white stone texture on its side. The entrance for the slide is a hole atop a trapezoidal polygon with an igloo texture, similar to a cannon hole. One penguin is present.
• The lower part of the course is composed of a white brick texture, intersecting with a stone pyramid structure behind the penguin area. These textures are later replaced by the cabin and other wooden structures. The flat area of the level essentially resembles the final version, with penguins, an ice pool, and a floating Star in roughly the same location as the one in Little Penguin Lost.
• Mother Penguin and her baby, Tuxie, have different designs than they do in the final: their eyelids are droopy and their torsos are thinner. A total of three baby penguins can be seen in the demo. The Penguins' original design can be seen on a cereal box. These can also be found in the July 2020 Leak.
• There don't seem to be any Mr. Blizzards or Spindrifts in this version.
• The music for Bob-omb Battlefield plays in the level. When Mario enters the slide, the music restarts, as both maps share the music.
• The slide area seen in this demo would later be repurposed for Tall, Tall Mountain in the retail release.
• The course's painting appears to show some snowy mountains instead of the Headless Snowman, a Mr. Blizzard, and a tree.
• While the slide area model has a similar layout to the final, there's an extra section after the first split which in the final game is just a dead end.
• Tuxie does not play the crying sound effect when being held.
• After Mario entered the hole leading to the slide area, there are guiding elements like in the following: START, the left arrow sign, and one more element that is barely visible in this video: JUMP. These yellow italic texts are removed in the final, even the sign texture. However, the collision of the sign is still there, as shown here.
• Mario doesn't race a penguin at all in the slide. This is interesting given that the Racing Penguin was added to the game early in development, as it is listed in stage/tag.cnf.
• In the slide area, the giant floating arrow that tells Mario to go right was missing.

Water Land (Dire, Dire Docks)

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(Source: Spaceworld 1995 Coverage)

(Source: Pocketneogeo's C-Band Wild Feed)

(Source: Consoles + 050 (January 1996) - Page 32)

(Source: Gamesmaster Series 5 Episode 11 and 15)

• A text box appears when Mario first falls into the water, but due to the footage that contains this cutting out the frames with actual text appearing, it is unknown what it says. Another reason why the textbox is not clear enough to see is this footage shown here. (This video shows the Shoshinkai 1995 tradeshow. You have to pay attention to the TV screen where the Water Land is. It's located right next to the Snow Slider and the B-Roll Promotional footage.) More evidence for the text box not being found is shown here. (Located at the bottom left corner).
• The whirlpool hasn't been added yet.
• There is a small platform at the beginning of the level.
• Instead of sharp rocks, the background texture in the entry area is bricks layered on top of the lighter stone.
• The Water Mine object that goes unused in the final version is used throughout the level.
• The chests at the beginning of the level do nothing but release bubbles. This object behavior is present but unused in the final game. The chests have a different rotation every time you enter the level.
• Sushi is quite different. Its body is segmented and its textures are very different from the final game. The old textures and model can be found in the July 2020 leak.
• In place of the yellow arrow in the tunnel in the final game, there are two yellow triangles, and the tunnel is blue.
• The water appears to have a different texture, and it is colored cyan rather than the final's blue.
• The camera doesn't shake when Mario gets hit by an enemy or Water Mine. Shown here.
• There are a total of 5 coins on Bowser's Sub: two of them next to the climbable metal blocks, and three of the coins where the Power Star is.
• There are some Water Mines scattered underwater, which were removed from the final.
• Bowser's Submarine has the name "Koopa." This was later removed from the final and the texture is no longer present in the files.

Koopa 1 (Bowser in the Dark World)

(Source: Bad Influence Series 4 Episode 11, 13, and 14)

As was previously mentioned, Bowser in the Dark World was originally named "Koopa 1." Despite the level design being unchanged from the final build, there are still a few changes from the earlier build:

• The level starts in Bowser's arena, and after Mario enters it by the trapdoor, there is no Bowser cutscene.
• The skybox is completely different, featuring a dark blue sky with many clouds.
• Bowser's shadow disappears when Mario catches him by the tail.
• Bowser shrinks, then drops 20 coins and a Star when he is defeated, as opposed to shrinking and spinning, then dropping a Key.
• Bowser's model and textures have been finalized.
• The camera doesn't stay stuck in first-person mode after Mario is set on fire by Bowser.
• When Mario enters the trapdoor leading to this level, the warp icon has a circle form, as opposed to having a star-shaped one in the final.
• The camera doesn't freeze when Mario grabs Bowser by the tail; instead it moves as Bowser is rotated, similar to how the final game works.
• If Bowser was defeated by a bomb, his eyes remained open rather than being closed.

Courtyard

(Source: Dengeki Nintendo)

(Source: Super Mario Stadium)

(Source: Game Champ)

• Boos are present, but their face textures have an earlier design and do not match the final version. These textures can be found in the July 2020 leak.
• The fountain is textured differently, with dark bricks instead of light-gray stone. The brick texture of the fountain became the walls of the courtyard in the final game. There is no star statue in the fountain, either.
• The back of the castle uses a brown brick texture, instead of what is normally used for the castle exterior in the final game.
• The ground texture for each side of the fountain is dark brown.
• A Mr. I is present in this area, which was removed for the retail version.
• The large Boo containing the cage that leads to Big Boo's Haunt hasn't implemented yet; it won't be until 1996.

December

In the 1996 Nintendo Co. Ltd Company Report, the following build of the game between the Spaceworld demo and the Inverted HUD can be seen. It shows the HUD being placed like in the Spaceworld demo, but with the final version of numbers and X symbol. There was no skybox in Bowser in the Dark World arena, possibly because they were working on replacing the old one. Based on the texture list dates for Mario's model, this image was recorded between December 7th - December 16th.

• Mario's lighting is finalized.
• Mario can be seen jumping after he was set on fire by Bowser.
• The HUD positioning is the same as in the Spaceworld demo.
• The shadow textures are also the same as in the Spaceworld demo.

(Source: 1996 Nintendo Co. Ltd Company Report - Page 6 to 7)