In the Nintendo Switch version of Super Mario RPG, most characters’ proportions have been modified from their regular ones by making them more squat with shorter limbs.
However, in a unique case, Bowser’s legs actually have been made longer. Above is a comparison between Bowser’s standard model on the left and his Super Mario RPG model on the right.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source: 1, 2
The Donkey Kong Jr. arcade contains a unique implementation of an anti-piracy feature.
Early games did not check against merely unauthorized copying of the software since that was not yet possible with the tools available at the time, and instead checked whether the code had been modified to remove the “Nintendo” copyright: essentially guarding itself against someone passing the game off as their own creation.
The code checks if the “Nintendo” text on the title screen has been modified or removed, and if it finds any changes, Donkey Kong Jr. will be unable to grab vines, making it impossible to even start playing the first level.
Either as a side effect or as additional mockery, the game will award 100 points every time Donkey Kong Jr. jumps, since that is literally all he can do while confined to the starting platform.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source: ORKAL
Top: in Super Mario Bros., Peach’s height is not matched to either Small Mario, who is much shorter than her, nor to Super Mario or Fire Mario, who is much taller.
Bottom: in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, additional sprites have been drawn that show her overcoming the height differences to kiss Mario.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source: LooygiBros
In Super Mario Sunshine, there is a Pianta carrying mushrooms in Delfino Plaza who finds himself on fire at one point, so that Mario must put out the fire, for which he is awarded a Blue Coin.
However, before this, the Pianta is simply wandering around Delfino Plaza. It is actually possible to receive that Pianta’s Blue Coin before he is ever set on fire because the game’s code simply looks at whether an NPC has been “rescued” to decide to dispense its associated reward. The oversight here is that “being rescued” is a state that is shared across a fire being doused and the NPC being saved from goop.
As such, it is possible to bring goop to the Pianta by sliding to create goop trails. Whenever he walks over a goop trail, he will sink into it. Saving him from the goop sets the same “rescued” flag that saving him from the fire would have, causing him to give Mario the Blue Coin.
In the end, this creates a humorous scenario where Mario knows he will be rewarded for rescuing an NPC from danger, but does not want to wait for the NPC to get into danger by himself, so he creates the danger just to get the reward ahead of time.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source: LowestPercent
Officially licensed 1989 child safety reminder card from Japan. The card lists various things children should not do (don’t play alone, don’t follow strangers etc.) and invites them to make a pinky promise to Mario that they will not engage in these activities.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source
According to a 2024 interview with the creators of the Nintendo 64 platformer Glover, they have been in talks with Nintendo regarding publishing the game. Shigeru Miyamoto personally suggested that the game should be made part of the Mario franchise and be titled “Mario’s Glove”.
A mock-up of the logo for that scenario was made, shown above, but the developers ultimately decided to keep the game as their own original IP.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source
In the Bowser’s Fury mode of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, a very unfortunate glitch can occur if Mario happens to jump onto a mushroom trampoline on the exact frame Fury Bowser retreats.
If this occurs, then after returning to gameplay, the player will find that Mario is stuck in mid-air since he was queued to interact with the mushroom trampoline on the next frame, but it no longer exists. Mario is no longer responsive and the player has the choice between restarting the game or waiting for Fury Bowser to wake up again and kill Mario.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source: SpeckyYT
In Super Mario Land 2, pausing the game many times in a row (on every possible frame) while performing a Spin Jump in this particular location in the first level will cause the game to corrupt.
Note a block appearing in a place where it should not, random stray pixels appearing, and most notably, Mario briefly turning into a mushroom while the game is paused.
Main Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Bluesky | Small Findings | Source: mugg1991