Super Mario World Localization Prototype Discovered

The website Forest Of Illusion is dedicated to the preservation of video game prototypes, and makes them available for the public. A lot of surprising finds have been posted to that site over the years, but they saved one of the biggest Bob-ombs for Christmas: an in-progress localization prototype of Super Mario World, dated October of 1990 — ten months before the game would go on sale in the US and Europe!

A localization prototype isn’t the same as a regular one — you’re dealing with a game that’s already been made, so the only differences will be changes from the Japanese version. But there are several. The font used in the game is different. There are typos and grammatical goofs in the story screens. There are cool debug features added that allow Mario to float, change his power-up on a whim, and get any Yoshi on the map at any time.

Most amusing is the fact that Big Boo is called “Boo Jackson” in the credits, after the football / baseball player who was massively popular at the time. You might think such a blatant grab for appeal would have no hope of passing anyway, but several pop culture references added by the localization team DID make it into the final game. The Koopalings are all named after musicians from the past and present, and the triceratops bosses from the fortress areas were named after Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor,

You can play the Super Mario World prototype for yourself by heading to its respective Forest Of Illusion page. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good mushroom.