Here's What Super Mario Bros. 3 Looked Like Before Release

[John Funk]

Here's What Super Mario Bros. 3 Looked Like Before Release

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Early pre-release footage of the legendary Super Mario Bros. 3 has surfaced on the internet.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the most iconic - and, some would say, one of the greatest - games of all time. It had an Raccoon Suit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_(film)], Kuribo's Shoe, and the freakin' Tanooki Suit.

To the right, you can see what SMB3 looked like before it ever released anywhere in the world. This footage comes from an episode of Famimanga, a TV series that was released on VHS as an accompaniment to issues of the similarly-named magazine, which seems to have been the Japanese equivalent of Nintendo Power.

It looks remarkably like the final version, though there are some differences that the YouTube uploader helpfully points out in annotated notes. There are also areas and levels that we never saw in the retail version, and some little changes in the HUD that frankly I would have never spotted.

Honestly, the biggest mind-twister for me is that someone used to mail bulky VHS tapes out alongside a videogame magazine. Geez, thank goodness we moved into the disc-based era.

(GoNintendo [http://www.gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=161234])

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[OctalLord]

So it's Super Mario Bros 3, the lost commercial? Oh well, I'm sold. Now then, where's my Nintendo I need to play this game again.

Captcha: the bee's knees

You bet it is!

 

[Varya]

Wait, so there is a difference between the Tanooki and Raccoon suit? I just thought we westerners called it raccoon because we don't have tanookis...

 

[John Funk]

Wait, so there is a difference between the Tanooki and Raccoon suit? I just thought we westerners called it raccoon because we don't have tanookis...

One lets you fly, the other turns you to stone.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

Huh, neat.

I loved that game, especially Kuribo's Shoe.
Don't know why i loved the Shoe though, I just know I did...

One lets you fly, the other turns you to stone.

I thought the Tanooki Suit involved both Stone and Flying?

 

[Supp]

What is this "disk" of which you speak?

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Wait, so there is a difference between the Tanooki and Raccoon suit? I just thought we westerners called it raccoon because we don't have tanookis...

One lets you fly, the other turns you to stone.

As I recall, the Tanooki suit does both.

 

[John Funk]

Huh, neat.

I loved that game, especially Kuribo's Shoe.
Don't know why i loved the Shoe though, I just know I did...

One lets you fly, the other turns you to stone.

I thought the Tanooki Suit involved both Stone and Flying?

Wait, so there is a difference between the Tanooki and Raccoon suit? I just thought we westerners called it raccoon because we don't have tanookis...

One lets you fly, the other turns you to stone.

As I recall, the Tanooki suit does both.

Does it? I stand corrected then. it's been way too long since I've played SMB3 then

For the record, World was better.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Interesting.

Incidentally, the Tanooki is a creature from Japanese myth. It normally looks like a raccoon, but has shape-shifting abilities; hence the turning into a statue thing.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Does it? I stand corrected then. it's been way too long since I've played SMB3 then

For the record, World was better.

Yeah I preferred it too, it was so pretty and not quite as punishingly hard!

Plus, parallax scrolling FTW

 

[Formica Archonis]

Honestly, the biggest mind-twister for me is that someone used to mail bulky VHS tapes out alongside a videogame magazine. Geez, thank goodness we moved into the disc-based era.

Wow. I'm impressed. But not surprised; I come from the era of audio tapes attached to Commodore 64 magazines, so the idea of bolting a bulky thing to a magazine isn't new to me. Still, VHS tapes? Hate to see the shipping costs on subscriptions....

 

[Gaderael]

Cool. I loved the Tanooki Suit. Flying? Check. Turn to stone? Check. I had so much fun turning in to a statue in mid-air to drop on the baddies.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

I don't see much of a difference to be frank. Maybe I just never played it enough.

 

[DustyDrB]

It doesn't look all that different. But hey, SMB3 is still the best 2D platformer ever.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Interesting.

Incidentally, the Tanooki is a creature from Japanese myth. It normally looks like a raccoon, but has shape-shifting abilities; hence the turning into a statue thing.

You forgot the fact that they have gigantic scrotums.

Tanuki are real animals, though. They look like this:

Spoiler

Sadly, they don't have shape shifting powers. Otherwise I would totally get one. It and a Kiwi.

 

[duchaked]

cool
altho I spent most of my time growing up playing Super Mario World

 

[Helios_(DEL)]

Wait, so there is a difference between the Tanooki and Raccoon suit? I just thought we westerners called it raccoon because we don't have tanookis...

One lets you fly, the other turns you to stone.

They both allow you to fly although tanooki alows you to turn into a statue.

 

[C117]

I noticed the timer ticked way faster than it did in the final game... or is that just me?