Officially licensed 1988 Super Mario Bros. metal garbage can, featuring unique artwork of a Goomba and a Cheep Cheep (close-ups provided).

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source

A patent was filed by Nintendo in 2011 for the car-based board movement used in Mario Party 9, titled “Game device, game method, non-transitory storage medium encoded with computer readable program for controlling game device, and game system, allowing for fun in tactics and enhanced zest of game” [emphasis added to indicate the main theme covered by the patent].

The patent documentation featured “generic” versions of four Mario Party 9 characters in its illustrations. The short and tall figures with round noses and hats most likely represent Mario and Luigi, while the princess character clearly represents Peach or Daisy.

This leaves the rabbit-ear hat character, whose simplistic face could be a stand-in for Toad, who is playable in that game. While the character most resembling this one from the Mario series would be Nabbit, Nabbit did not yet exist at the time the patent was filed.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source

In a few locations in Yoshi’s Island (shown in the footage in the Super Mario Advance 3 version, but equally applying to the original SNES version), Yoshi must enter a small house that grants him skis. The skis are then used for the next screens to make his way down slopes.

While this is not possible in the regular game, modifying an area to enter a ski house while already skiing will result in a curious graphical effect in which Yoshi will be put into a different background layer and become a black silhouette. Note how Yoshi is behind the flying Goonie birds in the background in that state.

This “Shadow Ski Yoshi” form is otherwise merely a visual effect and behaves identically to regular Ski Yoshi.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source: Zeldara109

Unique background found in development files for Yoshi’s Island, showing rocks in an expanse of water in an isometric perspective rather than the game’s usual 2D side perspective for backgrounds.

It is unknown if this was simply a stylistic choice to make the area it would be used in appear different, or whether it would have been paired up with unique gameplay, as well.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source

In Super Mario 64, to conserve cartridge space, an extremely simple but effective case of asset reuse takes place with the tornadoes in Shifting Sand Land (left) and the whirlpool in Dire, Dire Docks (right), whereby they use the same model and merely swap out the textures.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source: MarioWikiDepths

In Super Mario Bros. 3, the level goal jingle is based on a fragment of the Athletic level theme. With perfect timing, it is possible to activate the goal in such a way that it appears like an intentional ending segment to the music.

The above short snippet of gameplay audio showcases this, with a few seconds of the end of the level being audible (in the Super Mario All-Stars version; same can be performed in the NES version) before touching the goal with the correct timing.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source: Mevans__2001

Top: Flip-Out Frenzy is a minigame mode found in Mario Party 8. Just like every other game mode in this game, it is hosted by MC Ballyhoo and Big Top.

Bottom: however, in the files for this specific game mode, an unused model of Toadsworth can be found. Toadsworth was the host of all modes in the preceding game in the series, Mario Party 7, but is missing completely from Mario Party 8. It is possible that the original plan was for him to make a “guest appearance” as the host of one specific game mode while MC Ballyhoo would host the rest.

Of course, it is also possible that he was simply a placeholder for MC Ballyhoo early in development; though that would not explain why his model is not left in the game’s main folder or across the other modes, but is localized only in this one mode.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source: 1, 2

Super Mario Bros. Wonder makes use of the fact that some objects are only ever seen from a single angle to separate their parts and use forced perspective to make them appear to be a complete object.

Top: how the Fire Flower appears in-game. It looks completely standard in regard to its past appearances, but features slightly more exaggerated and cartoonish movement.

Bottom left: how the Fire Flower was modeled prior to this game in 2D titles (New Super Mario Bros. U shown). Note how despite the upper part of the stem never being seen, it was still modeled.

Bottom right: how the Fire Flower is modeled in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Now, it is completely disjointed from its stem, allowing the head of the flower to move around in a more exaggerated manner without the animators having to worry about how it would need to connect to the stem during this.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source: 1, 2

Game Freak is a development studio known chiefly for developing the Pokémon series; however, they have also programmed two Mario-related games: the Japan-only Mario & Wario for the Super Famicom, and the puzzle game Yoshi (also known as Mario & Yoshi in Europe) for NES and Game Boy.

Internal development files recently obtained from Game Freak’s servers contain a seemingly abandoned project to create a SNES port of Yoshi, which for some unknown reason is present as a Nintendo DS game (possibly used as a test to port SNES games to the Nintendo DS). The project has a copyright date of 1995, meaning it was clearly intended for the SNES and merely ported to the DS.

The game is in a very early state and contains only one playable stage, but the animations for Mario and Luigi are all present. Above are all of their animations, played back in order.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source: vervalkon

Concept art for various transition screens from overworld levels to underground levels in Super Mario Bros. In the finished game, a modified version of the one in the bottom left (with the double pipe) was used.

Interestingly, the top right shows Mario simply walking down a series of steps into the underground and falling down the bottom of the screen. Given how these levels then start with Mario falling from the top of the screen rather than exiting a pipe, it is possible that this was originally the intended transition screen before being replaced with the pipe one and the beginning of the levels not being adjusted for that change, though this is merely speculation.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source