Prerelease:Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)/B-Roll Builds

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

To do: Replace various B-Roll/1995 development screenshots with recently surfaced SOURCE images found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKuFB8yCTGE (Note: Not EVERY image found here needs replaced, HOWEVER, there are several images that DO need to be replaced.)

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 approximately a month before Shoshinkai 1995, 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 2020 Nintendo leak 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 Xs 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)

B-Roll	B-Roll	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 the ship's shadow or a removed part of the level.
• 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 Episodes 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, promotional 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)