List of Super Mario Bros. 3 pre-release and unused content

This is a list of pre-release and unused content for the game Super Mario Bros. 3. For pre-release and unused content pertaining to the remake, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, see List of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 pre-release and unused content.

Early ideas
At the beginning of production, the development team of Super Mario Bros. 3 wanted the game to use an overhead, isometric view. The developers found that it was difficult to balance the platforming gameplay around this perspective, leading them to abandon the idea. Several graphical elements of the final Super Mario Bros. 3 were influenced by the original direction, such as the black and white checkered floor on the title screen.

Designers considered a power-up to turn Mario into a Centaur (half-man, half-horse), although this was rejected before being implemented into the game.

Early builds
As seen in early screenshots, Koopa Troopas and Hammer Brothers were going to host two mini-games. The minigames were a Question Block and a dice game respectively, which also would have marked the first Mario game to have the Koopas standing on two feet instead of all fours. These minigames and their hosts seem to have been replaced by Toad. An early build of the game was previewed in a promotional VHS tape coming with the September 1988 edition of the magazine Famimaga. The preview shows several levels unused in the final game, a different sprite for the Wooden Block and a slightly different status bar.

The back of the box of some early copies of Super Mario Bros. 3 depicts Mario traversing a hilly grassland stage with many Para-Beetles and two Note Blocks. This particular stage is not any of the lost ones present on the cartridge, nor is it in the final game. These boxes also feature an early map of Grass Land.

These are the differences between the early and final map of Grass Land:


 * World 1-3's level tile is in where the level tile of World 1-4 is in the final version, and World 1-4's level tile is lined up with the Toad House in the early map and not World 1-3's level tile.


 * The Spade Panel tile is on the left of the fortress, instead of being on the right of the fortress in the final version.

Levels
Fifteen unused levels exist within Super Mario Bros. 3. Some of these are unique, while others bear much resemblance to levels seen in the final version. They can be accessed via Game Genie codes/cheats.

The first unused level resembles a plainer version of World 5-3. The only enemies found are Kuribo's Goombas and Spinies. It has multiple colored semisolid platforms and more Brick Blocks.

The second unused level slightly looks like World 3-9. The enemies found are Piranha Plants, Koopa Troopas, Cheep-Cheeps, and Bloobers with kids. The level can only be cleared with a Lakitu's Cloud, found inside a chest in Coin Heaven. The player must then use the Lakitu's Cloud to fly over the Hard Blocks.

The third unused level is similar to World 7-3. The enemies found are a Kuribo's Goomba, Lakitus, and Pile Driver Micro-Goombas. Coin Heaven can be accessed by hitting a pink Note Block. There is a single stray coin floating in the sky.

The fourth unused level resembles World 1-5 although slightly harder. The enemies found are Buzzy Beetles, Piranha Plants, Venus Fire Traps, and Koopa Troopas. All Warp Pipes contain either a Piranha Plant or a Venus Fire Trap.

The fifth unused level is a collection of Tanooki Suit bonus rooms. It does not have any enemies.

The sixth unused level does not resemble anything in particular. The enemies found are Cheep-Cheeps, Fire Chomps, Li'l Sparkies, and Koopa Paratroopas. There is a lift and a floating semisolid platform near the end.

The seventh unused level slightly looks like World 7-4. The enemies found are Jelectros, Cheep-Cheeps, Bloobers with kids, Koopa Troopas, Koopa Paratroopas, Munchers, and Boomerang Bros. The power-up at the beginning is impossible to collect. This level includes the unused tan versions of Cheep-Cheeps.

The eighth unused level does not resemble anything in particular. The player must swim up the waterfalls to reach to end, although the level has no proper ending. No enemies can be found in this level.

The ninth unused level does not resemble anything in particular. The enemies found are Koopa Troopas, Fire Chomps, and a Lakitu.

The tenth unused level resembles a Coin Heaven. The only enemies there are Koopa Troopas.

The eleventh unused level heavily resembles World 1-6. The enemies found are Koopa Troopas, Koopa Paratroopas, Paragoombas, Goombas, and Micro Goombas. It does not have any lifts on tracks.

The twelfth unused level also is similar to World 1-6, but more unfinished. The enemies found are Koopa Troopas and Koopa Paratroopas.

The thirteenth unused level is exactly the same as the twelfth except the ground is one block lower.

The fourteenth unused level does not resemble anything in particular. It does not have any enemies. There is an unused starry background at the top.

The fifteenth unused level is most likely a test level. The only enemy found is a Hammer Bro. There is an inactive Bill Blaster and unused stacked clouds. The level is ended by opening the chest.

This level is most likely intended for two-player versus mode.

World 7 has an unused Hammer Bro level with two Hammer Bros.

An unused secret exit exists towards the right of World 4-5's Tanooki Suit room.

Mechanics
The Spade card minigame originally featured an invisible wild card which would match one of the cards already drawn by the player. If matched with itself, the wild card acts as a 20-coins card. On boards with an uneven number of wild card, the mechanic would make the minigame unwinnable as the wild card leave one card unmatchable. The code for the wild card was retained in Super Mario All-Stars.