List of Super Mario 3D World pre-release and unused content

This is a list of pre-release and unused content for the game Super Mario 3D World.

Early ideas
Concept artwork shows that Princess Peach's cat form was originally going to incorporate her brooch. It also shows that the Cat forms of characters would wear normal gloves, rather than having cat paw gloves.

Additionally, Princess Peach was originally going to be kidnapped by Bowser, as in many previous Super Mario games. This was changed by Yoshiaki Koizumi, who wanted a female character playable in the game. In an interview with gaming news site, Koizumi stated "I feel like Mario games, as you know, have done lots of representation of male characters over the years... Perhaps much more so than female — so it's actually really nice to be able to have a female playable character in the game."

In an interview with the director of Super Mario 3D World, Kenta Motokura, he mentioned that Yoshi was considered for the game, but was not included, as other features existed that were similar to Yoshi's abilities:

 We did think about including Yoshi, but I guess you could say that in this game there are certain abilities that are similar to what Yoshi could do. For example, there’s a piranha flower that you can carry and attack enemies with. Also, Peach has her floating jump. So we did include those elements in the game. We also like to bring up this other dinosaur character that’s called Plessie, that all four characters can ride at the same time to go through the stage. I love Yoshi as much as anybody else, but I also love this new character. The thing that you can experience with Plessie that’s totally new is that you can ride one animal, basically, using four different characters at the same time. That’s a new experience. 

E3 2013
During, a playable demo version of Super Mario 3D World was shown to the public. This demo was also featured at select locations during the same time period, in an event called "The Nintendo Experience".

The courses in the demo did not have other names. The level placements were also changed; in the final build, the courses present in the demo are:
 * World 1-4: Plessie's Plunging Falls was named World 1-5.
 * World 2-4: Really Rolling Hills was named World 2-1.
 * World 6-1: Clear Pipe Cruise was named World 4-2.
 * World 3-B: A Banquet with Hisstocrat was named World 4-Boss. There is no World 4-Boss level in the final game.
 * World 6-6: Bullet Bill Base was named World 6-3.

Some levels and elements have undergone some changes:
 * Collecting coins would have not given the player points, while jumping on enemies did.
 * The panels in the bonus room from Really Rolling Hills had different colors. The Mario button that contains a stamp was not in the early level. The area where the third Green Star is found did not have a Rectangular ? Block. This level also contained normal Goombas in the outdoor area.
 * Bullet Bill Base had normal trees, later replaced by beanpoles. Also, the sky background was lighter, which was later replaced by a darker one.
 * Characters' shadows were darker.
 * The music was not orchestrated.
 * Some graphical details in the final product were not implemented when the trailer was shown off.
 * The boost pads made a different sound when ran on.
 * Fort Fire Bros. had red lava instead of blue lava. The section seen in the trailer also features two Fire Bros. while the final product only features one at that part.
 * Cakewalk Flip originally had three Stingbies in one section. In the final version, they were replaced with a Ring Burner.
 * The Goal Pole at the end of a course did not have a golden flag when the player reaches the top. A small star, however, appeared and moved off-screen in its place. Hitting the top would grant the players one Extra Life as well as points, while in the final version players only earns points; this was changed to the way it is in the final version by the release of the second trailer.
 * Captain Toad's character icon is different; it features him without his adventure wear. Also, it has a blue background, instead of brown like the final version. The vest is also blue in the picture, just like Toad himself.
 * There are no instances where there are instructions on how to play the game.
 * Mario and Luigi's voice clips are reused from Super Mario Galaxy in the trailer and demo. In the final version, however, they have completely new voice clips. The other characters also had reused voice clips from previous games.
 * The Ground Pound originally featured a small shockwave effect that appears when the player hits the ground; this was removed in the final version.
 * The sound effect that plays when the remaining time is added to the total score is different.
 * The sound that plays when collecting a Green Star is the same as the one that plays when collecting a Star Medal, reused from Super Mario 3D Land.
 * When playing with multiple players, the backup items collected by others are present beneath the primary one rather than beside it.
 * Stamps are not present in any of the courses.
 * The final score is not presented on the level start screen wipe.
 * During the trailer and demo, the power-up sound effect used when collecting a Super Bell is the same as when collecting any other standard power-up, reused from Super Mario 3D Land, but with a small added bell jingle. In the final version, the power-up is given a different sound clip, but still contains the old one. The Fire Flower also reuses the standard sound effect from Super Mario 3D Land.
 * The characters did not flash multiple colors when they obtained a Super Star as seen in the first Trailer. However they still had the trail effect from the final game.
 * Plessie did not wave to the characters when they dismounted him.
 * In Really Rolling Hills, one of the ? Blocks turned into a Coin Box; in the final version, only Coin Blocks turn into Coin Boxes.
 * Princess Peach's main technique was originally going to be fluttering, like Luigi, but was changed to her floating using her skirt, just like in Super Mario Bros. 2.
 * In the demo version of Really Rolling Hills, the first ? Block in the level holds a Super Bell, while the hidden block above it holds a 1-Up Mushroom. In the final game, the first block holds a coin, and the hidden block holds a Super Bell. Also, a ? Block containing a Super Bell appeared near the Checkpoint Flag; this no longer exists in the final game.
 * Whenever Mario transformed into Cat Mario, he said "Nya Nya", which is Japanese for "meow meow". In the final version, this is changed to "Meow meow" instead. Also, the sound he makes when he scratched is different.
 * A Banquet with Hisstocrat did not have any Bowser fireworks in it. The ? Block was also moved in the final version, being against a small wall in the final, whereas in the demo, it is in the center of that area. The Goal Pole was the regular version instead of the boss version shown in the final version.
 * Hisstocrat's brooch was originally green. It was changed to blue by the time the third trailer was released, as it is in the final product. His skin also appears more blue and, along with his minions, is visibly scaled in the final version, being a solid purple in the original trailer and demo.
 * Chargin' Chucks were going to appear in Spike's Lost City but were removed.
 * The characters did not have angry expressions on their faces when they fought a boss.
 * The Color Block room in the trailer had two Green Stars. Not only did it look identical to the Color Block room in Really Rolling Hills (suggesting that the third Green Star may not have existed by then, and that the trailer may have been made before the demo), but no level in the final version has exactly two Green Stars.
 * In Plessie's Plunging Falls, the first Green Star was on top of the waterfall staircase. In the final version, the first Green Star was moved to the boost lift, and a 1-Up Mushroom is on top of the waterfall staircase. This level also had more Splounders.
 * As seen in the trailer, Captain Toad Goes Forth originally had less Biddybuds, having two red ones as well as three multicolored ones surrounding the fourth Green Star, rather than three of multiple colors near the rising platform and five surrounding the Green Star.
 * In Clear Pipe Cruise, the exit of the Coin Heaven area was at the bottom of the hill before the first Key Coin. In the final version, the exit is at the top of the hill. Also, one Clear Pipe originally ended with the player jumping out and going backwards, while in the final version, the Clear Pipe ends at a cloud platform with coins.
 * Snowball Park did not have any mountains in the background.
 * When Mario crouched in his cat form, he would crouch normally then doing a special Cat move which enables him to slide.
 * Mines in Clear Pipes were originally pass-through, while in the final game, they send the player backwards so their destruction is necessary.
 * The character selection screen details were gray instead of red.
 * The Peach icon's background and the unselected version of that icon were both purple (or a very dark tone of pink) instead of the light-pink as the final version.

IGN demonstration videos
On October 1, 2013, uploaded two gameplay videos to  of Mount Beanpole and Bowser's Bullet Bill Brigade, respectively. In Mount Beanpole, the Cat Goombas made a different "meow" sound effect when diving, and lacked a sound effect for being stomped or defeated. During the opening cutscene of Bowser's Bullet Bill Brigade, the Sprixie did not say "Yay!" or "You're welcome!" after the characters are shot out of the Cannon.

Prima Games guide
The Prima Games guide for Super Mario 3D World contains a screenshot of the intro which appears to be taken from an earlier build. Differences from the final game include the lack of a motion blur effect when Bowser roars, a different nighttime sky background and lighting, and a lack of purple smoke over Bowser's distorted body in the Clear Pipe. Two additional images with changes from the final version can also be found in the guide, including a screenshot of World 1 without a heads-up display.

Unused content
The files of Super Mario 3D World contain two icons depicting an orange-colored Mario and an orange letter "S", similar to existing character icons shown when choosing a character. The purpose of these icons is unknown, but they may have served a similar purpose to the Super Guide feature found in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns. A third unused icon depicts a gloved hand, which may have been used for a fifth player to control an invisible hand, similar to Boost Mode in New Super Mario Bros. U. While the final version contains a touch cursor using a gloved hand, it is only activated while controlling another character.