Prerelease:Super Mario World (SNES)/Later Build
This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Super Mario World (SNES).
Mario's appearance in the later build is much closer to the final game but still has some differences. The brim of the player's cap is black in the final game, while in this build the color of the brim matches the rest of the cap.
Contents
Overworld
The bottom path is World 4 in this early overworld. It's also clearer from these screenshots that the overworld layout resembles a mushroom.
We can also see that the mosaic effect was programmed into the game relatively early on.
HUD
This shot is somewhat odd, as it seems to be an attempt at recreating an older shot with slightly newer assets. Most notably, Mario's jumping sprite does not have the open mouth seen in the older design.
An early version of the score tally after clearing a stage. Next to "MARIO" is the cleared course number ("4W-1" in this case). Notably, "COURSE" is missing its R.
An early version of the "MARIO START" text. Notable differences are the lack of a black background, showing the start of the level, it also shows the course number (that being "4-4") and the "MARIO START" text does not use custom sprites, instead, it uses the same letters from the HUD.
Grassland
This screenshot appears to be the same level but on a later build of the game, here you can see the early Cheep Cheep sprites in use along with the Donut shaped clouds, which are present in the previous build but are hard to make out in the available screenshot. In the second screenshot, the water height is different from the rest of them, which indicate that the "rising and falling water" mechanic was already implemented at this point.
Here's another recreation of an older shot with newer assets. When compared with the earlier version of the shot, it can be noted that the background palette was altered, the hills are now colored white instead of blue, and the midway point's tape has been altered to be thicker, matching its appearance in the retail game.
Castle
The floor and background look slightly different, just like the previous build.
There's a lack of lava in this level, which is usually present in castle levels.
Here it's apparent that there are only green Climbing Koopas on the net, the final game has a red variant of the enemy which has faster movement.
Again, the floor and background are slightly different, and Super Mario Bros. 3-style Brick Blocks are used instead of the final's Turn Blocks. Magikoopa looks like he does in the final, as does his attack. Judging by the angle of his magic in the first screenshot, it should've hit the brick block and changed it into a Koopa. This either means that Magikoopa projectiles could go through Blocks, or their hitbox was much smaller. Note the dark-blue discoloration of his robe, the result of a palette bug that still exists in the final game.
Another screenshot of this castle. A yellow Koopa Troopa is present, confirming the 4 different Koopa colors were already implemented fairly early on.
This screenshot shows an early Koopaling "tilting platform over lava" battle. The lava is one tile higher, which means the tilting platform is deeper in it. The Koopaling seems to more clearly resemble its Super Mario Bros. 3 style and is most likely Larry Koopa given its palettes and appearance, though Larry never jumps in his boss battle in the final game.
Stages
Mario getting hit by a Paragoomba from Super Mario Bros. 3 (replaced with Winged Galoombas in the final game), which also shows that the reserve item box works the same way it does in the final. The pipe also has a slimmer design more reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Mario standing on a stair of Brick Blocks getting hit by a Koopa.
Mario crouching under the Brick Blocks. A star was inside the middle one.
Mario getting hit by a Venus Fire Trap, an enemy that doesn't appear in the final game. By taking a closer look, you can see that Mario is in his shrinking animation.
Mario being confronted by a barefoot Beach Koopa. The Super Mario Bros. 3-esque ? Blocks can be seen up close.
Checkerboard platforms, like the top of the spinning platforms, were much thicker in this build.
Mario picking up a Super Mushroom on what appears to be the same level seen in the Raccoon Mario screenshot from the previous build.
Two screenshots taken 4 seconds apart, which clearly show that the donut-shaped clouds scrolled independently from the camera. The red arrow is actually incorrect, the image on the left takes place before the one on the right.
Ghost House/Test Level
Big Boo looks pretty much like it does in the final, as do the Note Blocks. There's no background at this point and the level design looks amateurish, which may indicate this could have been a test level and not a proper Ghost House.
The ground tiles found a home in the fortress and castle tileset in the final game, though the dirt-like spotted interior was replaced with a diagonal brick pattern and the slopes were removed to make room for other graphics. Leaked internal material indicates that the ground tiles were seemingly supposed to be an early version of the underground tileset.
The first screenshot shows that the hurt animation is bugged, displaying the bottom half as Small Mario. This same visual glitch can also be seen in both of the Magikoopa screenshots.
Other Scans
A few new shots along the bottom:
- Though the arrow indicates that the fourth picture is the score tally following a boss battle, the different coin count, "4W-1", and Mario's victory pose suggest otherwise.
- The first screenshot is another shot of the Magikoopa castle stage with Brick Blocks.
- An early Paratroopa with smaller wings can be seen in the second shot.
- At the bottom-right seems to be another shot of the early Ghost House/presumed test level.
- The life counter reads 0, much like how SMB3's life counter system works.
SFC Mini Interview Spritesheet
| Prerelease Screenshot | Recovered Sprite Sheet |
|---|---|
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In SFC Mini interview #5: Super Mario World & Yoshi's Island, an early design for Yoshi was revealed along with some other work-in-progress sprites, including Nipper Plants, Chain Chomps, Sledge Bros., and standard Hammer Bros. - all enemies from Super Mario Bros. 3 that didn't make it into the final game. The presence of an upright Koopa Troopa frame suggests that these graphics were created sometime after most of the early screenshots were taken; however, they are clearly not finished, as the Hammer Bro's inconsistent presence of shoes attests to. The early adult Yoshi design bears a rather close resemblance to the final baby Yoshi sprite. The P-Balloon is also red instead of yellow, and the key is vertically flipped.
The original sprite sheet was found among the July 2020 Nintendo leaks, named chr-stock-2.cgx and dated November 29, 1989.
While Chain Chomps, Sledge Bros., and standard Hammer Bros. do appear in the Super Mario World style of the Super Mario Maker games, their graphics are completely different from the ones seen here.
