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Hudson's unreleased Super Mario Bros

12:01 PM on 12.22.2006   |   Niero


This morning I had the rare opportunity to enjoy an 8-bit Mario game I've never played, and suck all over again at it for the very first time. According to Stuart, Hudson Soft created a PC version called Super Mario Brothers Special in the 80's for a Japanese computer called the NEC PC-88 / 8801 that was never released until now, in tiny rom/emulator format. "Special" is a very fitting pseudonym for this game because the play control is unrelenting and just absolutely retarded.

The video above illustrates just how badly I suck at it, and what happens when you overclock it from 4mhz to 8mhz. Remember those Turbo buttons on the PC? They actually had a use! 8mhz makes it even more impossible. More painful observations below:

The game is *not* that insanely difficult Japanese Super Mario Brothers 2 that's featured in Mario All Stars. Instead, it is a screen-panning suckery with god awful play control and speed issues (unclear if it is an emulation issue). Playing this game on a keyboard is like pulling teeth; you'll find that Mario feels like he's put on a few pounds with lethargic jumps and a few more oddities.

  • The levels are completely different
  • The screen pans like the original Zelda did when you arrive at the edge
  • Rolling turtle shells will bounce off the right edge of the screen
  • Enemies can walk off the left edge of the screen and back
  • Mario's physics are slightly different. He feels heavier and kicks into sprints faster, so making small adjustments to where you are standing and clearing jumps becomes much more difficult. The physics are just impossible.
  • Hitting a koopa from beneath a brick will send it flying across the screen like a kick would in one shot
  • There is no pause when you get a mushroom/fire plant
  • Fireballs are insanely fast
  • Colors are yellowish
  • Super Mario has brown hair instead of red (as he should!) 
  • Music sounds like the original but noticably a little off
  • I can't beat this game yet, it's hard as Summa's head. If you can get past World 2-1 you're my hero.

To operate the emulator, use the load disk feature and then wait a few seconds for it to load.  2,4,6,8 on the keypad do the walking and press Z,X are your buttons. Give it a shot; after subjecting yourself to this crap you'll have a new found appreciation for the original NES version.

[Via Digg








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Yanier "Niero" Gonzalez is Destructoid's founder and guy-in-the-helmet.After 2,000+ stories posted and years of starting trouble on the front page he's now busy behind the scenes building the future of Destructoid. His story is our motto: "Living The Dream".

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14 comments | showing # 1 to 14
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Joseph Leray's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 12:46
Joseph Leray
The black screen everytime you go to a new section has got to be the most annoying thing ever.
Jordan Devore's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 12:48
Jordan Devore
When you switched it to 8 mhz, I nearly died from laughter.
World Famous's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 13:00
World Famous
That was like bizarro mario.
wiifreak's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 13:03
wiifreak
Lmao, can't wait to try this out
wiifreak's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 13:11
wiifreak
Urgh, its like playing Mario while your high...
Mabec's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 13:16
Mabec
Mario kinda reminds me of Rocky... Balboa.
deanhatescoffee's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 13:47
deanhatescoffee
Thanks for taking a dump on the internets with that video - that game looks like absolute crap! :)
BluDesign's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 13:58
BluDesign
Ahh that takes me back to the day...

I remember playing Montezuma's Revenge on the Apple IIe at school. All old platformers were screen to screen, no side scrolling at all.
tim's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 14:09
tim
That is painful to watch.
Analog Pidgin's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 14:33
Analog Pidgin
ROTFFL - an epileptic fit of Mario playing. You really are "Special," Niero.
nightmareci's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 18:40
nightmareci
Let's hope Hudson doesn't bring this to the VC, Nintendo would probably murder them at the mere suggestion of it.
Aaron Mxy Yost's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 19:16
Aaron Mxy Yost
Itsa me, your imperfect clone!
Colette Bennett's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2006 21:24
Colette Bennett
Watching that made my brain ache.
Iceciro's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/24/2006 03:38
Iceciro
Oh my god. Super Special-Ed Mario Brothers
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