A Super Mario variety blog.
Screenshots, photos, sprites, gifs, scans and more from all around the world of Super Mario Bros.
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The Game Over screen in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door consists of the words “GAME OVER” being displayed over a sprite of Mario lying on the ground. Moving the camera to see the back of the sprite reveals that there is a tiny copy of Mario’s head attached to his ear during this animation.
Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Store | Source: Paper Mario: TTYD in GC emulator, credit for discovery
Top: a debug room in the code of Paper Mario, accessible by modifying the files. This room was likely used to test reflections, as it contains two reflections of Mario in the mirror and one in the floor. However, there is a fourth Mario reflection hidden in that room. Please look at the bottom left of the image, below Goombario’s shadow. A special Mario reflection is stuck on that spot in the floor, not following Mario’s movements.
Bottom: the hidden reflection uses unique “squished Mario” textures, likely left over from the game’s development.
In Paper Mario, most chapter intros have Mario standing on the left of the screen, facing off against shadowy enemies (top). In contrast, the Prologue intro doesn’t feature Mario at all. However, moving the camera to the left during the intro reveals that Mario is still there, in the same pose, only moved off-screen to not interfere with the intro (bottom).
Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Store | Source: myself, Paper Mario (NA, VC) in Wii emulator
Top: footage from the reveal trailer for Paper Mario, shown at Nintendo Space World 1997 under the name “Super Mario RPG 2″. One part of the trailer showcases Mario walking through the main square of Toad Town, approaching the pond. Reflections of buildings on the square can be seen in the water.
Bottom: the same location in the finished game. The reflections have been removed from the water, making this an uncommon example of a Mario game receiving a graphical downgrade between its reveal and its release.
Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Store | Source 1, Source 2: myself, Paper Mario (NA, VC) in Wii emulator
Beta screenshot of Paper Mario from Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine. Of note is the fact that Mario seems to have 9 out of 10 HP in Chapter 6, two thirds into the game. In the finished version, the player is expected to have 20-30 HP at that point. This, together with the display that only seems to be able to accommodate a limited number of HP indicators, suggests that HP and damage were balanced completely differently until late in the game’s development.
The short operatic track that plays when using the Battery Thing Card in Paper Mario: Color Splash. Many interpretations of the German lyrics exist on the Internet, however, I believe that as a native speaker of German, I am at least somewhat qualified to give my own. I believe the lyrics are “Höret, ihr Narren, das aufgeladene Wort”, which translates to “Hear, you fools, the charged-up word”. “Charged-up” in this context refers to electrical charge, the source word being the same word one would use for a fully-charged battery.
A page listing the prices of all items available in shops in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, as well as the places where these items can be sold for the best price, from the official Nintendo Power guide for the game.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door feature introduction page from the “Los 100 Mejores Videojuegos” special of the Spanish Edge magazine.
Several sprites from Paper Mario: Color Splash suggest Mario is balding.
