Super Mario All-Stars - Mario Headquarters

Super Mario All-Stars

Last Updated: June 1st, 1999

System: Super NES
Genre: Action
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release date: August 1993
Re-released: September 1996
(as "Player's Choice Million Seller")
ESRB rating: NR
Players: 1 - 2 alternating & simultaneous
Memory size: 16 (maybe 32) megabits

Sometime after Super Mario All-Stars was released, a second Super Mario All-Stars came out, with Super Mario World added.

Super Mario All-Stars gives you four Mario games to choose from: Super Mario Brothers, SMB2, SMB3, and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. SMBTLL was really Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan (SMB2j), previously unreleased because it was thought to be too challenging.

All four games were released for the NES, and are now on one SNES game pak with improved with 16-bit graphics and sounds. Each game has four save slots so you can save your progress.

It appears that SMB2 was enhanced the most. Lush backgrounds were added to almost every part of the game, making it real eye-candy for the jaded SMB veteran. In SMB and SMBTLL, the Mushroom Retainers are animated, and do different things for each level. I found myself going through all the levels to see what they'd do next!

Don't even try the Minus World bug... it's been fixed :(

SMBLL

You can get to World 9 if you don't warp at all during the game. If you've warped, after you beat 8-4 you'll go to World A instead of 9.

What's changed from the NES versions, excluding enhanced graphics and sounds, and the new save features.

SMB

In 2-player mode, the players switch off after level completion, instead of the regular "play until you lose a life" style.
New Bowser battle music.
Coin heaven music is not the Starman theme, but new music.
Minus World bug fixed.
Flagpole flag is green with a white circle in the middle, instead of white with a green circle in the middle.
When you jump on the Flagpole, the flag that is raised on the castle that you enter has a green star on it instead of a red star.
Mushroom Retainers in x-4 levels are tied up in a bag, and break out when you find them, and then they do various hijinx, depending on the level.
Extra block added above exit pipes in water levels to prevent the Get Stuck & Drown bug.
The hidden 1-Up in 2-1 is there even if you didn't warp to 2-1.
*Ding* sound effects added to 4-4, 7-4, and 8-4 signaling that you've taken the correct path.
You get points for your time left in x-4 levels.
World 6-3 is not gray, but is nighttime like 6-1.
Ending: Mario jumps in the cage with Princess Toadstool, a Super Mushroom drops down on Mario if you're small, then an animation of the Princess kissing Mario is shown. You don't get to "Press the A Button to select a world", but you'll start at World *1-1 and you can go all the way to *8-4.
Various (but not all) bugs are fixed.

SMB2

You can select a new character after you lose a life.
A "7" symbol was added to the Bonus Chance game.

SMB3

"Battle Game" added to title screen.
The white block in 5-7 is now light-blue.
Lava is now visible on the ceiling in 5-Fortress #2.
The black blocks in 8-1 are now green.
In 8-Battleships, the little corner-notch thingie on the last ship is filled in.
Ending was changed a lot.
No time limit when you go down pipes on the map screen.
The kings have been transformed to different creatures.
- World 1: Cobrat instead of a dog.
- World 2: Hoopster instead of a spider.
- World 3: Dino-Rhino instead of a Spike (from SMB3).
- World 4: Donkey Kong Jr. instead of a stegosaurus.
- World 5: Albatoss instead of a bird.
- World 6: Monty Mole (from SMW) instead of a seal.
- World 7: Yoshi instead of a Piranha Plant.
Various (but not all) bugs are fixed.

SMBTLL

In 1-2, the first pit had water in it, but is just a hole in SMAS.
Mushroom Retainers were changed á la SMB1.
Although SMB2j had somewhat unique graphics, they were changed to SMB1 style for Super Mario All-Stars.
Poisonous Mushrooms are purple and have a skull on them now, making them actually look poisonous. In SMB2j they looked like regular Super Mushrooms, but had black dots.

Graphics:
Fresh, new graphics for familiar faces.

Sound:
Music remixed for 16-bit. New tunes were added, but they won't distract you.

Play control:
Is it just me, or does it seem like you jump different in SMB3 now? SMB1 veterans will notice that Mario reacts differently after breaking Brick Blocks.

Challenge:
Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels is extremely difficult.

Satisfaction:
Three classics on one cartridge plus the previously unreleased SMBTLL (SMB2j).

Replay value:
With the new save features, you be coming back for more and more.

Overall:
Great for the person who does not own a NES but wants to play the original SMB games. If you don't own them, get SMAS!

+
Four great games on one cartridge.

-
Except for SMBTLL, when you resume a saved game you must start at the beginning of the world. For example, in SMB3, if you got up to 6-10, and you Save and Quit, you'll have to resume at 6-1.

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