Super Mario Bros. Special

Super Mario Bros. Special was developed by Hudson Soft and released in 1986 for the NEC-PC8801 and Sharp X1 series of Japanese PCs. SMB Special was the first Nintendo-licensed sequel to Super Mario Bros., released shortly before Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Two years earlier, Hudson Soft had released a similar follow-up game for Mario Bros., entitled Mario Bros. Special.

While superficially very similar to the original Super Mario Bros., the game features original levels and lacks a screen-scrolling mechanism. Jumping and running physics also differ from the original, providing a more challenging experience than Super Mario Bros.. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the level timer runs much faster than in the NES/Famicom game. Returning was Mario's Hammer from Donkey Kong, alongside a variety of past foes from earlier arcade Mario titles, and new, exclusive items.

Due to the PC88's technology being slightly inferior to that of the NES/Famicom, the graphics and audio differ slightly from the original NES game as well, although they are closely emulated, and the game does not include Luigi or a multiplayer mode.

The Sharp X1 version does contain partial scrolling and better graphics but gives Mario a slighly shorter jump.

New Enemies
Hudson's staff took these enemies from earlier Mario games, none of which can be stomped, and provided them with new names:


 * Tarusar (Barrel) - Originally from Donkey Kong. Can be defeated with a hammer or a bump from below.
 * Sigebou (Fire) - Originally from Donkey Kong.
 * Chokichoki (Sidestepper) - Originally from Mario Bros. Can be defeated with a fireball or a bump.
 * Nakaji (Fighter Fly) - Originally from Mario Bros. Can be defeated with a fireball or a bump.
 * Tsurara (Icicle) - Originally from Mario Bros. Can be defeated with a fireball.

New items

 * Hachisuke (a.k.a. Hu-Bee) - The bee from the Hudson Soft logo. If Mario finds this item, he will be awarded 8,000 points.
 * Hammer - The same power-up from Donkey Kong. It even behaves similarly.
 * Clock - Upon picking this up, Mario will get a "Time 100 Up" for the level's timer.
 * Wing - Collecting this causes Mario to briefly act as if he is swimming in the air.
 * Lucky Star - Found only in World 4-1, it has the appearance of an atom. If Mario collects it, all enemies on-screen will be defeated.