List of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga glitches

This is a list of glitches in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. For glitches found in the remake, see List of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions glitches. Unless otherwise noted, all names are conjectural.

Audio

Endless slow Cackletta music glitch

This glitch is caused during the Bowletta fight. To trigger this, Bowletta's health must be low when she becomes Dark Bowletta and starts throwing stars at the player. If the player throws enough back at her to defeat her, but also gets defeated him or herself, the player will see a mixed scene of Game Over and Bowletta sucking them in. Instead of switching to Bowletta's stomach, the player will come to a black screen, with Cackletta's slow music being looped until the player resets the game.

Sound behavior quirks

There are many situations where the wrong sound is played or sounds are sustained when they should not be. Here is a list:

• When Gigi demonstrates the advanced Firebrand technique, and also in Mario's "surprise" to Gigi (when Mario is sitting in the chair), the Thunderhand sound is played instead.
• If Mario and Luigi run into an Ankoopa while they are using the Dash, the dashing sound is continuously played until the suitcase is opened, or if the player leaves the screen or enters battle.
• If Mario and Luigi run into one of the rolling metal bars while any one of the six hand sound effects are being played ("charging", "fully charged", and "in effect", with two of each), it will be continuously played. Some of the sounds can even be stacked on top of each other (so that they are playing at the same time). As with the above example, the sounds can be stopped by opening the suitcase, leaving the screen, or entering battle.
• If Luigi gets filled up with water by the garden hose that is northeast of the Teehee Valley entrance, instead of Luigi making his normal sound effect when he empties himself of water, the sound of an Oho Jee speaking will play instead.
• If Mario and Luigi High Jump or Spin Jump into the flaming rock southwest of Hoohoo Village, they will yell, but if they simply walk or jump normally into it, they will perform the same motions but not make any sound. Also, if Mario is filled with water and walks into it, he yells but Luigi does not.

Unfitting music glitch

If the player has Mario turn into Mini-Mario, by having Luigi hit him with his hammer and walk into an area where the music changes, the player should notice that the music did not change. Even though this happens with most areas, it does not happen with all places. This can also result in comical effects, such as the underground theme playing in Beanbean Castle Town. Having Mini-Mario entering pipes always results in this glitch. However, this will not work upon exiting the warp pipe in Joke's End. The lack of music changes also happens with the Luigi Dunk and even with the advanced Firebrand and Thunderhand techniques, although it works less frequently. These glitches have been fixed in the Japanese version.

Additionally, after Luigi is taken by the crane in Woohoo Hooniversity, if Mario hits the Save Album while moving left and continues to hold left, he will walk a short distance down the nearby staircase. If the player Saves and Quits, then reloads the game save, there should be no music. However, fighting one of the nearby enemies will cause the background music to change to the save-file music. The music will revert to normal if the player does not fight an enemy before saving Luigi, otherwise it will revert back after saving again, after the cutscene with Cackletta, or upon leaving the Hooniversity.

If the player saves at the "Teehee Valley Fungitown Side" Save Album when Mario is Mini-Mario, or if Luigi has been Luigi-Dunked, no music will play. The music returns, however, when the player leaves that screen.

Finally, if the player saves and quits when Mario has water in his mouth (like in Woohoo Hooniversity Basement), then reloads the game, no music will play.

Voice glitch

During the cutscene where Luigi begins pulling on one of the Piranha Plants on the runway as Mario begins explaining something to Lady Lima, the gibberish Mario says uses Luigi's voice instead of his.

Freezes

Burning boss freeze

This glitch can be activated with the last Popple battle (with Birdo) and the Jojora battle. The player must first hurt either Popple or Jojora's friend enough so that a Fire Bros. attack would not defeat it, but the burns will. Second, the player must Burn either Popple or Jojora's friend with Fire Bros., the advanced version being easier to burn. The player then just has to wait until Popple or Jojora's friend succumbs to their wounds. If they use an attack that needs to be countered, the player needs to let it hit them. Once the victim is defeated, their partner will act as if nothing had happened. Birdo will attack normally instead of getting angry and if she uses her egg attack, a "ghost" sprite of Popple will appear onscreen but it cannot be damaged nor can it attack. Jojora will continue to use her wand move, and if the player knocks it away, the game will freeze once Mario and Luigi attack nothing.

Disappearing sprites glitch

Much like the "High Jump Glitch", this glitch will make all sprites from the screen vanish. To perform this glitch, the player needs to have the advanced version of the Cyclone Bros. When finding an enemy, the player needs to fight it. They should use the Cyclone Bros. to make one of the enemies dizzy, then they should defeat the enemy right after. Shortly afterwards, all sprites (e.g. Mario, Luigi, remaining enemies, etc.) will vanish. The music will still be playing, but all the player can do from there is to reset the game.

NOTE: This glitch will not always work; it works mostly in Bowser's Castle.

Falling off the bridge softlock

While Luigi is going across the bridge to Piranha Bean, if he should fall off the bridge just as he reaches Piranha Bean, the plant eats the bean but will not see Luigi, causing the game to softlock; the Piranha Bean will only stand there until the player resets.

Fungitown freeze glitch

The glitch in action

In Little Fungitown, the player must go to the Toad looking at the Toad on the mushroom. The player must make Mario small and walk towards the Toad. When the player is underneath it, the player should have Luigi High Jump on Mario and make Mario jump to produce a coin. Mario will fall off the ledge, unable to move around and Luigi will be stuck on top of the Toad, still in pain and completely frozen. The player must reset the game after this.

High Jump glitch

In this glitch, Mario and Luigi will disappear from the screen and will never appear again until the player resets the game. To do this, the player must first defeat Fawful in Bowser's Castle and then save in the next room. After that, the player should have Mario in front of Luigi. Next, the player should make Mario turn into Mini-Mario by having Luigi hit him with the hammer. Once Mario is in his mini form, the player should go back to where Fawful was fought and walk to the bottom right corner. Once at the corner, the player should have Luigi perform a High Jump but have Mini-Mario hit him by jumping while he is in the air. If performed correctly, Mario and Luigi should disappear, but the music will still play. Mario and Luigi will never reappear; all the player can do is turn off the game.

Hoohooros freeze

Hoohooros freeze

To do this glitch, the player must break the empty pillar, then the second pillar with a Bros. Attacks. If Mario and Luigi learns an advanced attack as Hoohooros moves, Hoohooros will not attack as well as Mario and Luigi. Instead, he will watch the bros. forever. The player must turn their system off to fix the glitch.

Surfboard freeze

In the beach area, where Luigi turns into a surfboard, if the player steers Luigi onto a nearby shore into a Bob-omb enemy, Luigi will be normal during the battle. Also, if the player defeats the enemies, or opens the suitcase when in midair, the game will freeze.

Graphics

Dizzy Bowletta glitch

Bowletta is still dizzy

This glitch is triggered by using the advanced version of Cyclone Bros. during the Bowletta fight; if she ends up dizzy, and the player depletes the rest of her HP, she will remain dizzy through the entire following cutscene; in the Japanese version, this will not occur if she was Dark Bowletta during her "defeat". A similar glitch occurs with Cackletta soul's arms and heart if the head is made dizzy.

Fungitown graphics glitch

Mario flying away

In the first area of Little Fungitown, the player must head to the second area and get off the mushroom by the gear shop. Then they must face the screen and have Luigi shock Mario. They must walk forwards and towards the mushroom ledge and Mario will be on thin air. Then they must jump as Mario and switch so Luigi is in the front and jump as Mario. He will fly away. Hit START so the camera focuses on nothing and jump as Mario until the camera centers on him. The both jump and they will both be on thin air. Both jump again and they will be above the gear shop. If Luigi jumps first then Mario jumps Luigi will disappear and Mario will automatically land and enter the item shop. Another glitch is to get on thin air and jump as Mario and switch so Luigi is in the lead and change Mario's icon to Spin Jump. Hit B so Mario flies away and hit it again. Mario will appear on the other side of the mushroom ledge briefly. Hit START and Mario will be on the other side of the ledge and both bros. will be onscreen. Attempting to move will make Luigi appear right behind Mario.

Invisible Jojora glitch

When battling Jojora and her friend, if Mario and Luigi bring Jojora to 1 HP, then use the Advanced Version of Bounce Bros. to defeat her and damage her friend simulatenously, Jojora's dialogue will appear as normal despite her not being present.

Mario flying glitch

Mario flying away from Luigi

Right after the player acquires hammers, they should make Mario the leader. The bros. must go up to a water fountain and make Mario ingest water. Luigi should then hammer Mario until he runs out of water. When Mario is angry at Luigi, he can fly up. Other times, he can face the fountain. Either way, Luigi walks away from Mario. Even if Mario moves through the wall, he may be refilled with water, and he can move, but he will warp to Luigi, making it appear that he is falling. The game occasionally, however, may also make the brothers clip through the wall, locking the game and forcing the player to restart. This glitch stops working once the Bros. learn the hammer techniques since Mario's angry reaction is replaced by the Mini-Mario technique.

Racing Bob-omb glitch

The Racing Bob-omb Glitch, where the Bob-omb sprite appears to be placed in the foreground of the pillar

In the beach area east of Beanbean Castle, the Bob-omb will race around when the bros are near them. If the bros are standing on top of a raised portion of land where the Bob-omb cannot attack them, but the Bob-omb is triggered into the "excited/racing" mode, then even if the Bob-omb is hidden behind the raised portion, when it starts racing around, the sprite will appear in the direct foreground, in front of the pillar of land. This effect ends when the Bob-omb returns to its normal, walking mode.

Stair teleportation glitch

There are two basic situations in which this can occur:

• If the person in front jumps up a set of stairs while the person in back does not, the person in back will teleport forward. This can be done at any time during the game, as long as the player has a sufficiently long set of stairs.
• The player should perform the "Mario Flying Glitch" above, on the fountain, one screen east of the "Hoohoo Mountain Watering Hole", and have Mario go straight down. (To do this, have Mario fill up at the fountain, then move north a bit, then have Luigi hit Mario with the hammer four times. Mario should fill up again, but when the player moves, Mario will teleport right next to Luigi, but up on a ledge.) Then, the player should drop off the ledge onto the stairs below, and if Mario moves too far, Luigi will catch up to him, and they will teleport back a short distance. To end the glitch, the player should enter the screen on the left, or have Luigi High Jump on Mario.

Wrong sprite order glitch

The glitch in action

• When Mario and Luigi exit Starbeans Cafe, the sprite of the person in the back is actually in front of the sprite in the person in front for a short while.
• If the player goes to Guffawha Ruins when they have both Mario and Luigi, the gates will be closed, but if the player performs one of the "dual jumps" (High Jump, Spin Jump) under the arches, the player will be on top of the arches.

• Just outside the Pipe House in Beanbean Castle Town, are two small holes that lead to a small, maze-like area. If Mini-Mario uses the Firebrand technique in this area while partially hidden behind a wall, he will appear to be standing on top of it. He will return behind the wall once the player releases the button and the technique ends.

Wrong action icons glitch

A glitch where Mario and Luigi's hammer action icons are not meant to be shown.

When Bowletta uses her fireball attack, the Hammer counterattack icons can be seen for a brief moment after the attack finishes.

Physics

These glitches result from how Mario and/or other characters interact with the world.

Endless Pow/Def boost glitch

If the player gives a bro a Red or Green Pepper, and lets the bro get knocked out, upon reviving the bro, the pow/def pepper boost will still be there, and remain there for the rest of the current battle. This makes it very easy to beat bosses if the player has a steady supply of peppers, 1-UP Mushrooms and/or 1-UP Supers without having to waste the clothing slot on a booster clothing such as Harhall's Pants.

Firebrand Run off glitch

If the player uses the Firebrand Bros. move at the Winkle area pointing towards the statue at the north of the said area, before meeting Popple, Mario and Luigi will run further instead of walking to Popple and the statue. This technique also works at Bowser's Castle before meeting Iggy. If the player uses the Firebrand Bros. move here (pointing towards Iggy before meeting him) they will run further as well.

Normal speed Luigi movements in the ground glitch

When the player goes to Starbeans Cafe, and hits Luigi with a hammer into the ground, the player must talk to the cafe's owner and try making different drinks. Should a cutscene with Luigi be triggered, Luigi will run back and forth with various side effects; sometimes Luigi appears above ground and sometimes he stays below ground. But after the cutscene, Luigi is in the ground again, and after the player stops talking to the cafe's owner, the player can walk around in the café at normal speed when Luigi is in the ground. Normally the player would walk slower when Luigi is in the ground. The effect will stop when Luigi goes above ground.

Unlimited Golden Mushrooms glitch

The player must have advanced Swing Bros. to do this. The player must go to the Fawful battle and knock him out of the mech. Once he's out, the player must use the Swing Bros. to steal his Golden Mushroom. Then the player must make Fawful give them a Game Over, but instead of starting from the last Save Album, they must start from Beanbean Castle. The player keeps the Golden Mushroom and the player can do that with Fawful as much as they like. This glitch also works with the final Popple battle.

99 Golden Mushrooms.

Scripting

These glitches abuse interactions that cause object or displayed information to perform unintended behaviors.

5000 damage glitch

Bosses and scripted enemies within the Western releases of the game have an additional 5000 health added to them; this is in order to prevent them from being defeated before their cut scene plays out. Defeating these enemies by dealing more than 5000—done via unusually high stats, Mush Badges, Bros. Attack infinite combos, etc.—will cause the game to become glitched, displaying the victory screen at the same time as a cut scene. This may lead to freezing, invisible enemies, or simply a glitched cutscene depending on the enemy defeated. Enemies that qualify for the glitch include Hermie III, Bowletta, and Cackletta's soul. The Japanese version prevents the enemy's HP from dropping below 4999 outright, thus avoiding this glitch.

Teeheespresso glitch

A glitch where Mario and Luigi's stats appear scrambled

In the Western releases of the game, if the Bros. are split up, the player is unable to give Teeheespresso to the active brother, and the stat symbol sprite is scrambled for a split second. The inactive brother, however, can drink the Teeheespresso, despite the fact that the player cannot give them any other items.