Internal test
In addition to public-facing tech demos, Nintendo and other developers have created a variety of internal test software, both in the form of internal demo (or technical experiment)[1] software to test the capabilities of the hardware of in-development consoles, as well as in the form of diagnostic software created to diagnose problems with units for repair or within factory manufacturing. Unlike tech demos, internal test software is generally not meant to be seen by the public, and elements from them seldom resurface in retail games. The Super Mario franchise has been the subject of or has been featured in many of these test programs.
Game | System | Image | Description |
---|---|---|---|
snd_test | Super Famicom / Super Nintendo Entertainment System | ![]() |
Known as SFX Test in the main menu. Features a basic playable Super Mario game, among several other features. The Super Mario mode (and variations thereof) is selected by choosing options 11 through 14, which are all labeled blank in the selection menu.[2] |
Unnamed Donkey Kong Country proof-of-concept | Virtual Boy | N/A | A short, side-scrolling, split-level demo with a jungle background with Donkey Kong walking/running/jumping and some rats (lifted from the Game Boy Battletoads game) running around him to test the capabilities of the Virtual Boy. The art was lifted from Donkey Kong Country which had already gone through some conversion for Donkey Kong Land. The proof-of-concept was misremembered as an attempt to port Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest to the Virtual Boy.[3] |
morphdemo | Nintendo 64 | ![]() |
A basic demo that shows a cube morphing to a sphere with artwork of Mario from Super Mario All-Stars. |
puzzle | ![]() |
A slide puzzle featuring artwork of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong from Donkey Kong Country. | |
spritemonkeyEX | ![]() |
A basic demo that shows images that can be interacted with to showcase the console's ability to manipulate images. The first picture features artwork of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong from Donkey Kong Country. | |
Wario Land II samples | Game Boy Color | ![]() |
Two sample demos based on Wario Land II included in the Game Boy Color development kit, showing the system's ability to display different colors.[4] |
NDDEMO | Nintendo GameCube | ![]() |
A demo included in a revision of the GameCube Software Development Kit, created to show developers the graphical capabilities of the console.[5] |
Yoshi Demo | Game Boy Advance | ![]() |
A one-level demo loosely based on Yoshi's Story, supplied with the Game Boy Advance development kit, in order to demonstrate increased color depth and improved sprite transformation capabilities. It is unknown if this demo was ever meant to be a full game.[6] |
Mario Kart XXL | ![]() |
A playable Mario Kart demo developed by Denaris Entertainment Software made to showcase the Game Boy Advance's ability to render two separate background layers.[7] | |
Diddy Kong Racing demos | Nintendo DS | ![]() |
Two demos based on Diddy Kong Racing developed by the Climax Group in May 2004, featuring a playable Diddy Kong in Timber's Island. These demos are unrelated to Diddy Kong Racing DS.[8] |
Koopa Troopa Forest | Wii | ![]() |
A demo showcasing the various ways pointer controls can be utilized.[9] |
Mario FPS | ![]() |
A demo which tests 3D movement using motion controls. It uses Delfino Plaza as its environment.[10] | |
Destructible terrain game demo | Nintendo Switch | ![]() |
A demo made shortly after the release of Super Mario Odyssey to test the concept of a game with destructible terrain, using a Goomba with Knucklotec's hands as the playable character. The concept was later used for Donkey Kong Bananza.[1] |
Game | System | Image | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Game Boy Aging Cartridge | Game Boy | ![]() |
Software created to diagnose hardware issues with the Game Boy, featuring a graphics test featuring Raccoon Mario, alongside the title screens of Super Mario Land and Alleyway as part of another graphics test.[11] |
Game Boy Controller Kensa Cartridge | ![]() |
A shorter version of the Game Boy Aging Cartridge featuring only the controller test, but featuring Mario at the end of the test.[12] | |
NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge | Super Famicom / Super Nintendo Entertainment System | ![]() |
Known as the SNES Test Program on the main menu. A cartridge used by Nintendo World Class Service to diagnose hardware problems, dated to 1991. Prominently features sprites from pre-release builds of Super Mario World and the Japanese box art for Super Mario Bros. 3 in the graphics test, as well as a unique rendition of Ground BGM from Super Mario Bros. in the sound test.[13] |
Burn-in - Test Cartridge | ![]() |
A cartridge used by Nintendo World Class Service to diagnose hardware problems, following the NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge and dated to 1992. Prominently features many of the same pre-release Super Mario World as well as the image of Super Mario Bros. 3 from the NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge in the Burn-in Test, as well as an image of Bowser in the Super Scope test.[14] | |
SNSP Aging Cassette | ![]() |
Version 1.02 cartridge used by Nintendo World Class Service to diagnose hardware problems, using the same pre-release Super Mario World sprites as NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge and Burn-in - Test Cartridge. This version was for use with PAL-region Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems.[15] An earlier revision known as Super Famicom Aging Cassette was uncovered, made for use with NTSC-J Super Famicom consoles, and features slightly different tests featuring unique sprites of Raccoon Mario.[16] | |
AGS Aging Cartridge | Game Boy Advance | ![]() |
A cartridge used to diagnose Game Boy Advance hardware problems. The graphics test features pre-rendered graphics from Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64, as well as a logo for "Donkey Kong Advance".[17] |
GameCube Service Disc v1.0/03 | Nintendo GameCube | ![]() |
A disc used by Nintendo World Class Service to diagnose hardware problems, featuring a character render of Mario in the Blend Combo test, as well as in the banner data for the program.[18] |
Aging Card NTR | Nintendo DS | ![]() |
A cartridge used to diagnose Nintendo DS hardware problems. Features an early screenshot of Super Mario 64 DS and artwork of Wario in the graphics test, as well as a version of AGS Aging Cartridge to test the Game Boy Advance backwards-compatibility, featuring the previously-mentioned pre-rendered images from Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64 alongside a few renders from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! In addition, an excerpt from "Mario Kart 64 Title Screen" plays at the end of the test,[19] and one of the tracks in the "Test Sound" menu is named after Wario.[20] |
CTR Aging Test Program | Nintendo 3DS | ![]() |
A piece of software installed onto Nintendo 3DS consoles in the factory, to test for defects before further manufacture. Prominently features the "Mario Kart 64 Title Screen" theme throughout the GPU test.[21] |
3.x C3Aging | Nintendo Switch | ![]() |
A piece of software created to test Nintendo Switch consoles during factory production. Its CPU test plays "Title" from New Super Mario Bros. U in the background.[22] |
Gallery
Internal demos
Sprites
Mario (Mario Kart XXL)
Screenshots
Diagnostic software
Sprites
Raccoon Mario (Game Boy Aging Cartridge)
? Block (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Empty Block (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Unbreakable block (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Wood Block (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Warp Pipe (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Bill Blaster (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Super Leaf (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Fire Flower (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Banzai Bill (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Porcu-puffer (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Big Boo (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Super Mario (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Mario (Burn-in Test Cartridge)
Screenshots
Color-shifting test, with Super Mario Bros. 3 art (NTF 2.5 Test Cartridge)
Flipping image test, with a unique high-resolution Raccoon Mario sprite (Super Famicom Aging Program)
Mario heads (AGS Aging Cartridge)
Wario (Aging Card NTR)
Multimedia
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References
- ^ a b July 15, 2025. Ask the Developer Vol. 19: Donkey Kong Bananza — Part 2. Nintendo (English). Retrieved July 15, 2025. (Archived July 15, 2025, 13:01:47 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Billy Scribbles. Nintendo Leaked Stuff - snd_test. YouTube (English). Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ Cameron. Red Dead Reflection. DK Vine (English). Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Borman (April 17, 2020). 'Wario' CGB Samples Found. Obscure Gamers. Retrieved January 20, 2023. (Archived January 20, 2023, 17:02:31 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ monokoma (March 1, 2009). Peach’s Castle [GameCube – Tech Demo]. Unseen64 (English). Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ U64 Staff & Contributors (April 7, 2008). Yoshi’s Story [GBA – Tech Demo]. Unseen64 (English). Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ Hard4Games (October 15, 2022). FOUND! Mario Kart XXL - The Unreleased Demo! (0:44). YouTube. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ @forestillusion (February 20, 2022). We've released two Diddy Kong Racing tech demos by Climax for the Nintendo DS! These demos were produced five months before the launch of the DS and are very bare bones with just one area to drive around in, broken collision, and some graphical debug functions.. X (English). Retrieved April 30, 2023. (Archived January 19, 2023, 21:24:37 UTC via archive.today.)
- ^ orcastraw (July 20, 2021). This is Koopa Troopa Forest. You shoot bullets and throw stones to defeat enemies. This test is made to show different applications of what point controls can do. A shoots a bullet at the cursor. B throws a stone at the cursor. Z moves Mario towards the cursor.. X (English). Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ orcastraw (July 20, 2021). This is Mario FPS. This tests out free moving 3D games controlled by motion. A jumps. Z fires. L activates strafing. X changes modes. In free mode, dpad and joystick move you forward, backwards, or change your direction (tank controls). The IR sensor controls the cursor.. X (English). Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ Hidden Palace (January 1, 2022). Nintendo Game Boy Aging Cartridge. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ BlueYoshi_57EML (April 6, 2019). Game Boy Controller Kensa Cartridge - Key Test. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ Bradly105 (July 8, 2019). SNES Test Program. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ Oppaiman100 (April 28, 2013). SNES Burn In Test Cart. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ Mario PlumbTuber (March 20, 2024). SNES Official Aging Cassette (SNSP Aging Cassette). YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ UltraLuigi2401 (January 28, 2023). SNES Aging Program Showcase. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ Nerdly Pleasures (Great Hierophant) (March 16, 2021). GBA Aging Cartridge Demo. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ DeadlyFoez (December 21, 2023). GameCube Service Disc v1.0/03 Auto Test mode. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ undumped (June 5, 2021). ntr aging 1.0 cartridge footage. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ Notes:Aging Card NTR. The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ Dodder (July 28, 2021). Factory App - CTRAging. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ ZachyCatGames (November 24, 2019). 30 Minutes of 3.x C3Aging. YouTube (English). Retrieved August 17, 2025.