In Super Mario World, shelled enemies like Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles can be flipped upside-down by performing a Cape Spin. This activates their “stun timer” internally, which lasts a few seconds, after which they either resume moving (Buzzy Beetles) or the shell-less Koopa emerges from the shell.

Interestingly, the stun timer is a property that any sprite in the game can have, even though only few actually use it. Due to the shell spawning a shell-less Koopa after the timer runs out, it is designed to be able to spawn objects. However, since its functionality is not defined for most objects, if it is somehow activated, the game simply grabs code not intended to be read in this way to spawn the object in question.

Due to an interdependency in the code, Cape Spinning a Lakitu will cause the sprite in the internal ninth sprite slot to activate its stun timer. This is seen in the footage with the sprite being a key, which suddenly spawns a Koopa as a result of the above.

Since defeating a Lakitu via a Cape Spin is something that can easily occur organically, and the sprite that is in slot 9 could be any of a number of different objects based on previous gameplay, this can result in objects inexplicably appearing while playing the game normally and not trying to perform any glitches.

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Cover of a Danish music album for the Danish version of the Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 cartoon series, which featured unique live-action segments in the manner of, but distinct from, the live-action segments from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show.

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Top: extremely rare officially licensed 1998 Mario Party “Toad with visible legs” trading card.

Bottom: this artwork was used for the cover of the game’s Japanese manual with the caption “WELCOME HAPPY MINI GAMES”, and has also gained notoriety due to a commonly shared community caption from the Super Mario Wiki reading “Toad very excited (with his legs showing)”.

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In the Nintendo Switch version of Super Mario RPG, the models for the Big Troopa and Grand Troopa enemies (known as “Heavy Troopa” and “Tub-O-Troopa” in the original SNES version) have a nonstandard default pose whereby their eyes are closed (unlike the other characters in the game), giving them a uniquely serene appearance.

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The prototype of the GBA version of Donkey Kong Country 3 contained a highly bizarre “Kong Duplication” glitch whereby repeatedly entering and exiting a boat in the overworld would eventually cause Dixie and Kiddy to become duplicated.

Note that they are both on land and in the boat after the glitch occurs. The player actually controls both sets of them simultaneously; though making the land Kongs touch the water again ends the glitch.

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Set of experimental Mario-themed overalls, each designed by a different fashion designer, auctioned off in an eBay/Nintendo of Europe cross-promotion event in 2015, with all proceeds going to the Starlight Children’s Foundation charity.

The current whereabouts of any of these items are unknown.

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A glitch may occur in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate if Mario is fighting Simon.

If Simon performs one of his aerial attacks that acts as a tether recovery at the same time as he is hit by Mario’s Cape, Simon will flail wildly while dangling off the edge, as seen in the footage.

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Super Donkey was a platformer that was in development for the SNES from 1991 to 1992, parts of which would be used as the basis for Yoshi’s Island. The game was never publicly revealed by Nintendo; its very existence is only known due to internal development data surfacing in 2020.

The main character in Super Donkey’s playable builds, found in Nintendo’s internal archives, is a pilot character who resembles either the main character from the 1981 Sky Skipper arcade, or Stanley the Bugman from the 1983 Donkey Kong 3 arcade, drawn in a Rayman-like “floating limbs” style. Most available material for Super Donkey features variations on this character. However, the development files also include graphics for the main character being Mario himself, suggesting the developers have considered (however briefly) to turn the game into a Mario game.

This compilation shows all available versions of the main character’s graphics. Note that these run the gamut from the original pilot, to the pilot with Mario’s mustache, to Mario with the pilot’s clothes, to just Mario. Note also the unique armor worn by the character in the bottom left.

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Cover of an official 1992 Japanese guide for Super Mario Land 2, featuring an original illustration.

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In Super Mario Kart, items work differently for CPU-controlled opponents than in later games in the series. Instead of being subjected to the same system as the players, the CPUs are able to spawn an arbitrary amount of items without needing to collect them first; the type they spawn depends on the character. Peach and Toad’s item is the Poison Mushroom, which shrinks everyone who touches it, similar to the Lightning Bolt item.

CPU opponents are coded to always want to avoid Poison Mushrooms to the point that this results in them being unable to remember to drive straight in situations where this is necessary, such as a ramp leading to a large jump.

The footage shows what happens when Peach places a Poison Mushroom before the jump across a section of the track in Mario Circuit 2. Every single CPU avoids the Poison Mushroom in a way that their jump no longer reaches the opposite side of the track, landing in the section they are supposed to jump over and being trapped in a loop.

Note how when the footage speeds up, the drivers on the bottom screen can clearly be seen driving around the loop with no way to get out due to being too afraid of the Poison Mushroom.

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