Mario Bros. Special

Not to be confused with Super Mario Bros. Special.

Mario Bros. Special
Box art of the PC-8801 version.
Developer(s)	Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)	NEC PC-6001mkII/NEC PC-6601, NEC PC-8801, FM-7, Sharp X1, Sharp MZ-1500, Sharp MZ-2200, Hitachi S1, NEC PC-9801, and SMC-777
Release date	PC-8801, Sharp X1, FM-7, PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, Sharp MZ-1500, Sharp MZ-2200, Hitachi S1, SMC-777 1984 PC-9801 1985
Genre	Retro/Platform
Rating(s)
Mode(s)	Up to two players simultaneously
Media	5.25-inch floppy, Cassette
Input

Mario Bros. Special (マリオブラザーズ スペシャル) is a game developed by Hudson Soft in 1984. The game had versions for the NEC PC-6001mkII/NEC PC-6601, NEC PC-8801, FM-7, Sharp X1, Sharp MZ-1500, MZ-2200, Hitachi S1, NEC PC-9801, and SMC-777, most of which had noticeable differences between each other (palette, sound, flow of gameplay, etc.). About two years later after Mario Bros. Special and Punch Ball Mario Bros. were released, Hudson released Super Mario Bros. Special.

Gameplay

The game is again not a straight port of Mario Bros, but more of a sequel of sorts, an original arcade-style platformer with adjustments to the game's graphics and sounds, and even a bonus timer.

There are four different screens. In the first, Mario must make his way to the top of the screen, avoiding enemies in later stages. Once there, he must hit five switches, twice each, and quickly make it to either side before the switches deactivate. Enemies can be killed by jumping over or right next to them and hitting a platform or object above him.

For the second stage, Mario must jump on trampolines to stun enemies and kick them off, avoiding the fireball once it appears. Once all enemies are gone, a platform will appear at the top of the screen, and jumping onto it will complete the stage.

In the third, Mario must take the elevator up to the conveyor belts and collect dollar signs while avoiding enemies, which can be killed by jumping on the conveyor belts while they're on it. Once enough have been collected, a ring will appear at the top of the screen, and getting onto the moving platform, from there onto the top middle one, and running into it will complete the stage.

Finally, the fourth stage is Test Your Skill. Mario must collect all the dollar signs, which replace coins, and hit the ring at the top before the time runs out. In later stages, the platforms move.

Pre-release and unused content

The July 1984 issue of Micom Basic Magazine had screenshots published by Hudson Soft to advertise the then-upcoming game. Since this was prior to release, there are several differences between these screenshots and the final game. The most notable changes were made to the third stage, which was seemingly going to simply be a harder version of the second stage with conveyor belts in place of the trampoline. Interestingly, the early version of the second stage has its trampoline layout reversed, while the conveyor belt layout of the early version of the third stage matches the trampoline layout of the final second stage.

Trivia

• The music on the title screen is the "level complete" theme from Lode Runner (and the title screen music from Championship Lode Runner), a Hudson-developed Famicom game released the same year.

Gallery

• 

  Flyer promoting both Mario Bros. Special and Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū.

• 

  Title screen of the game.

• 

  Phase 1, 5, etc. Holes constantly move in the platforms.

• 

  Phase 2, 6, etc. Trampolines bounce enemies onto their backs.

• 

  Phase 3, 7, etc. Conveyor belts and lifts

• 

  Phase 4, 8, etc. Bonus stage

• 

  Pre-release version of the first stage, circa July 1984

• 

  Pre-release version of the second stage, circa July 1984

• 

  Pre-release version of the third stage, circa July 1984

External links

• Strange and Wonderful NEC PC-8801 Games (various games covered, including Mario Bros. Special)