Super Mario Bros. Series Glitches and Tricks

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TR Rose's tricks, Visitor's tricks

Super Mario Bros. (NES)

Doubtless you've heard this one before - this was THE trick found in many tip books of the 1980's. Completely useless, the Minus World served mainly to intrigue players. This endlessly-repeating, all-water level was supposedly used to program the game, but was never completely sealed off from players. The most difficult part of the trick was explaining it verbally - if you saw it executed, it became much easier to follow. Hint books talked of "getting your head stuck in a brick" at the end of 1-2.

Here's how I did it. At the very end of world 1-2, stand on the exit pipe that leads to the end of the level and 1-3. Break the 2nd and 3rd bricks from the edge of the pipe (in the ceiling), but don't break the brick directly touching the pipe. Stand on the leftmost side of the green exit pipe, jump straight up, and push backwards on the control pad. Mario will appear to jump backwards. You are going to try leaping backwards through the wall - it doesn't work if you're facing the wall. Once you walk through the wall, you will see the three pipes that are ordinarily the first Warp Zone. Enter the left pipe (the first one you reach through the wall) to reach world -1. Enter the middle pipe to reach world 5-1. If you step beyond the middle pipe, the words "WELCOME TO WARP ZONE" appear and the trick is negated - you can only reach worlds 2, 3, or 4 once the words appear.

As I mentioned above, there is no practical point to reaching world -1. It's a water world that never ends. When you die or "complete" the level, you may find yourself appearing at the bottom of a pit (which means you should pump A as soon as your sprite appears to swim out). The layout is identical to 2-2.

The top-top secret rumor of a "chocolate factory" hidden in the game (as mentioned in one of the "How to Win at Nintendo Games" books) has never manifest itself in any screenshots or codes.

I'm sure everyone knows this trick too, but I'm posting it just in case. Go to the staircase at the end of level 3-1. There are two Koopa Troopas coming down the stairs at you. Quickly kill and kick the first one away, then wait until the second Troopa is about one and a half steps above you. Jump straight up (do not move left or right at all), and you should land on top of the turtle. Without moving the control pad, jump on the shell again (press A once). You may get a double- or triple-jump on the shell. When you stop moving, jump on the shell again. With luck, you'll start jumping repeatedly. Soon you should hear the jingling of 1-ups. Whenever Mario stops jumping, push A and start the pattern again. Don't worry about your time running out on the level, because you're getting more than enough lives to compensate. There are other places you can do this trick, but this is the easiest. In the game's second quest (when all the Goombas turn into Buzzy Beetles) there are many more opportunities, but the enemies move much more quickly.

There are two problems with this trick. The first is that after 9 lives, the game converts your number of remaining lives to symbols. After 1-9, you'll get Crown symbol 0-9. Next comes Crown A-Z. After the letters, you'll get weird symbols that apparently have no meaning.

The second, and much larger, problem results from getting too many lives. Apparently, the game designers didn't think a player would ever get more than 100 lives or so (and it's not possible unless you're using this trick), and something happens when you collect 129 lives. Somehow, when a player gets the 129th life, the game interprets this as a negative number. When you then lose your current life, you immediately get a Game Over. Supposedly, if you get more than 255 lives the system is reset back to positive numbers, but I haven't confirmed this.

This trick has been left intact in Super Mario All-Stars, but the lives are now numbered and max out at 128 - you cannot get more than this.

Game Genie Codes, Effects, and Pictures

Strangely enough, I've discovered that certain Game Genie codes have very different effects when tried on an actual NES console rather than an emulator. Inputting most of the "Crazy Levels" codes below on an emulator would always yield a world 1-1 with Goombas and Pirahna Plants. Then the game would progress to (glitch)-2, which usually just froze the emulator. So be warned: actual results may vary!

NES: Tested on my old 8-bit NES, SMB/Duck Hunt cartridge, and Game Genie. The codes seem to produce the exact same effects when used on the ROM file super_mario_brothers_duck_hunt.nes. This ROM file has the Super Mario Bros. title graphic intact when the game loads.

EMULATOR: Tested with file MARIO.nes (the most readily available ROM for Super Mario Bros.). This game loads with no title graphic. Some effects (the Crazy Levels codes in particular) work very differently than on the NES or correct ROM file.

NES GAME GENIE VARIABLES:
A E P O Z X L U
G K I S T V Y N

Small Fire Mario

There is a very difficult SMB trick that involves having Fire Flower abilities and simultaneously jumping on Bowser and the axe at the end of any castle level. If you time it right, supposedly there is a way to start the next level being small and having fireballs. I have never gotten this trick to work.

However, there is a much simpler way to see this quirk of the Mario universe. Type in the Game Genie code SZLIVO. This was initially the third part of a 3-part code to make Mario "always stay big". One of my elementary school friends showed me this as a way to save room for more codes. After you input this code, get a Mushroom. If you get hit, Mario will become small. Get hit again, and you'll grow to Super size. The best part of this trick occurs when you have Fire Flower power. Get a Fire Flower, then get hit. You'll shrink to mini-sized but with the fiery colors. Regardless of your powered-up status, tiny-sized Mario won't be able to break bricks. When you shoot a fireball, small fiery Mario will temporarily "pop up" to full size but only as he spits the fireball. Try it and see!

Many Tales from the Glitch stories tell of players using digits that didn't make real Pokemon to find new, glitchy effects. There weren't a lot of numerical variables in the original Super Mario Bros, except for number of lives and levels. I'd previously played with the "start with x lives" codes, so I decided to play with the "start on level x" codes instead. Following the Game Genie's instructions for "code writing", I started changing the level variables around (these were easy to isolate - just notice which letters change in the "start on level x" codes).

Some of these "secret" levels were really existing worlds with the types of blocks swapped out. Most of the swapped levels I found were Overworld levels (like 1-1) or Castle levels (like 1-4) that had been changed to Water levels. The ending staircase, flagpole, and castle were all changed to reflect the Water environment. Basically, Super Mario Bros. has four types of tilesets: Overworld, Underground, Water, and Castle. The type of world you're in will determine the kind of blocks and the colors of pipes and enemies in the level. The level layouts (pipes, blocks, and coins) remain consistent - it's only the tileset information that changes.

These glitch levels work very differently on the MARIO.nes ROM file - many of them start with level 1-1 (with Goombas and Pirahna Plants), then take you to (symbol)-2 afterwards. A very different set of experiences, especially if (symbol)-1 is unplayable!

----------
Code discovered by TR Rose
Code sent in by OwNzOr
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Original Game Genie code: YSAOPE + YEAOZA + _EAPYA (the first letter determined the starting level, 2 through 8)

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + AEAPYE - "World 9-1"

• NES: Underwater version of 6-2, but freezes after a few seconds. 

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + PEAPYE - "World A-1"

• NES: Underwater Sky Bonus, repeats itself. 

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + ZEAPYE - "World B-1"

• NES: Underground 3-4.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + LEAPYE - "World C-1"

• NES: Underwater 1-4. 

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + GEAPYE - "World D-1"

• NES: Underwater 3-4, no enemies.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + IEAPYE - "World E-1"

• NES: Castle music, nothing on screen at all except a single ? block. No floor! Tried in conjunction with the "swim instead of jump" code yields a floor-less castle level. All the ? blocks produce power-ups. Many of the floating bricks later in the level also create power-ups. Goombas and Green Troopas appear briefly before falling through the bottom of the screen. There is a pipe later in the "level" that can be entered. The level seems like a castle maze, as certain paths through the level take you to different places. I finally got stuck up against an invisible wall.
• EMULATOR: On the ROM file MARIO.nes, I tried this code in conjunction with the "swim instead of jump" code. I went to a normal 1-1, then I went to E-2. E-2 appears to be a version of the Sky Bonus area. However, the timer never loads for the level. As soon as you start the level, you die with a "Time Up" message.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + TEAPYE - "World F-1"

• NES: Underwater Sky Bonus, repeats itself. 

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + YEAPYE - "World G-1"

• NES: World 1-2, pipes don't work. Minus World trick does work.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + AOAPYA - World H-1

• NES: This is the underwater coin bonus level, except that it keeps repeating itself. Fun combined with the PIGPOG code.

• NES: World 3-3, repeats over and over again. The platforms are missing, so you'll need the "swim instead of jump" code to cross the gaps. The Piranha Plant appeared with the PIGPOG code.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + ZOAPYA - World J-1

• NES: underwater 3-4, no enemies or Toad. After finishing the level, you return to start screen and can press B to select a world.

• NES: Overworld castle 1-4 or 4-4 without any enemies. Can break the "ground" bricks that are above you. After finishing the level, you return to start screen and can press B to select a world. If you die in the selected world, you return to world K-1.

• NES: World 8-1. Continues on to 8-2, 8-3, and 8-4. The pipes in 8-4 don't work properly. Shown above with the PIGPOG code.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + NEAPYA

• NES: The water part of 8-4, endless like world -1.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + NEAPYE

• NES: Looks like 2-1 until beanstalk - climb beanstalk, and return to start - invisible! (beanstalk noise) Shoot fire to reappear (or wait a few seconds). All powerups except the 1-up are back. Go into small castle at end.
  
• NES: Next starts in 6-3 (gray overworld platforms level) except it's under water! Huge fire sword (not moving), coins look like they're in blue outline boxes, can't hit ? boxes. Paratroopa, then Cheep Cheeps, no "harmonica" lifts, Bowser fire, then go into big castle at end.
• NES: Perfectly normal world 3-2, go into small castle at end.
• NES: Game freezes up at level 4.
  

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + VEAPYA - "Underground 8-4"

• NES: Underground version of 8-4. Bullet Bill flies by at start, jump "water" pit (had been lava), a bunch of Troopas fall down. A floating Green Paratroopa faces away from you - hop on him and he turns red! Pass the 2nd pipe, and you hear the "mushroom sprout" noise. You essentially go through 8-4 without going down any pipes (or level resets). When you reach where the Hammer Bro. would be, the game freezes.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + VEAPYE / SEAPYA / UEAPYA / OEAPYA

• NES: Game freezes after level name

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + SEAPYE

• NES: Looks like 2-1 until beanstalk - then return to start - invisible! (beanstalk noise) Shoot fire to reappear (or wait a few seconds). All powerups except the 1-up are back. Go into small castle at end.
• NES: Start level going down a pipe - world 2-2 (water). Endless like -1.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + KEAPYA / PXAPYE- "Glitch City in the Clouds"

• NES: You start off on an underground floor, invincible/cloud bonus music, 8 rows of happy clouds above you. There are a few random ? boxes (the one you can reach gives you a mushroom). A few other items like the cloud platform and some bricks are scattered through the clouds. Hammer Bros. appear several times. You get stuck when a pipe blocks your path forward. Definitely worth seeing!
• NES: Also interesting to note that if you die on this level (by being hit by a stray hammer), you start off your next life at the top of the screen, on top of the word "MARIO", unable to move!
• NES: Used w/ the GIIIVY walk through walls code, I passed the pipe. Lots of baddies trapped in walls. I found an out-of-water Cheep Cheep that, when stomped, turns into Koopa Troopa (green). There's a Koopa Troopa running away from you backwards. If you step on a cloud lift, you can get carried up into the happy clouds above you and become stuck. I passed an underground-colored "tree" platform that looked like a long-lost winter level piece. Soon after this, Mario "slid" all the way to the right side of the screen. Very odd happenings!

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + KEAPYE - Random Level Order

• NES: Normal world 6-1 (repeats three times)
• NES: Normal world 3-1, except pipe takes you back to start (repeats twice)
• NES: Normal world 1-1, with Piranha Plants and Goombas (repeats twice)
• NES: Normal world 5-3 (repeats three times)
• NES: Normal world 7-3 (repeats twice)
• NES: Normal world 2-1 (repeats three times)

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + UEAPYE - "The Atlantis Levels"

• NES: Castle 4-4 underwater! This makes navigating the "maze" a lot easier. No Bowser, but the bridge with axe is still here. No Toad, but you get the "Princess is in another castle" message. Press start, and back to title screen (if you press B, though, you can select a world to start on). 

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + XEAPYA - "Castle Glitch City"

• NES: Weird castle screen, stuck at top of screen and can't move - no timer.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + XEAPYE - "The Atlantis Levels"

• NES: Level 1-1 under water! There are no baddies (except Pirahna Plants), but you can't hit any blocks, either. The 1-up box is clearly visible. The pits are now dark blue "whirlpools" that pull you down if you get too close. It's easy to hit the top of the flagpole.
  
  
  
• NES: After 1-1, you wind up in a watery version of 8-2. Sure makes that huge pit easy to cross, doesn't it? The cannons don't work, and there are no enemies except Pirahna Plants.
  
  
  
• NES: Complete 8-2, and wind up in a strange underwater 4-3. Here you'll find a Bloober, a Hammer-throwing Bowser at the start of the level, and Buzzy Beetles. The coins are surrounded by dark blue boxes. There's a weird glitch at the flag. Complete this, and you'll be back in watery 1-1. However, when you enter the small castle at the end of 1-1 a second time, the game freezes.
  

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + OEAPYE - "The Atlantis Levels"

• NES: Castle 3-4 underwater. No Bowser, no flames, no Toad, but the "Princess in another castle" message. Then game resets. 

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + EEAPYA - "The Atlantis Levels"

• NES: The strange underwater 4-3 listed above, with the Hammer-throwing Bowser and the flag glitch. 

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + EEAPYE - "Underground Glitch City"

• NES: This level begins with the "Mario enters the pipe to reach level 1-2" music. There are underground blocks, but the overworld sky. You can't control Mario here, he automatically walks forward and you can't jump. There is no timer. Eventually you run into a block on the ground and can't walk forward.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + AXAPYE - "world x-1"

• NES: The underground Coin Bonus from 1-1, as a water level w/ a Cheep Cheep. Collect all the coins, go through the pipe, and you'll appear again at the top of the screen. All the coins will be back, too!

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + EXAPYE / OXAPYE / XXAPYE / UXAPYE / KXAPYE / SXAPYE (all six codes do the same thing)

• NES: Sky Bonus. Repeats over and over again.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + GXAPYE - "Mario's Rejection Part 1"

• NES: Plays exactly like 7-4 with intact enemies and traps. Defeat Bowser, and (shock!) rescue the Princess at the end! (Back in the day, there were rumors that sometimes you could save the Princess after level 7-4.) That's not the best part though. She's standing right there in front of Mario, but she tells him that she's in another castle. Talk about a brush-off! Hey Mario, maybe you need a breathmint?

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + ZXAPYE - "Mario's Rejection Part 2"

• NES: "world !-1" starts you off in 8-2, goes to 8-3, 8-4 w/ no pipes (just straight through), finish level and see Princess w/ message that she's in another castle. Poor Mario...

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + LXAPYE

• NES: 3-3 w/ misaligned seesaw lifts - some of the seesaw lifts "aren't there" (you can see them, but you can't step on them), some cause a different lift to rise if you step on them. The horizontal moving platform sinks when you step on it. The physics are very messed up, and the jumps are difficult or impossible to make.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + IXAPYE - "world white coin-1"

• NES: Another endless water level. I think this is 7-2, but it could easily be 2-2 or the Minus World. After you reach the end pipe, you're deposited back at the beginning.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + TXAPYE

• NES: The Mario sprite on the world/lives screen disappears and game freezes

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + VXAPYE - "world .-1"

• NES: 4-3. As in 3-3 above, the seesaw platforms are misaligned and some don't work. When you finish this level, it starts over.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + YXAPYE

• NES: 1-1 with Goombas & Pirahna Plants, which leads to 1-2 (with no working pipes)

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + NXAPYE

• NES: 4-3. If you lose a life, you start off in midair away from any platforms. As with the 4-3 and 3-3 above, the seesaw platforms are misaligned and some don't work at all.

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + KOAPYA - "World bluesquare - 1"

• NES: World 4-1, pipe takes you back to beginning rather than the coin bonus; complete level and it loops over again as "block-2", which is also 4-1

Levels to try:

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + NOAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + OOAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + VOAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + SOAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + UOAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + XOAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + EOAPYA

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + AOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + EOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + POAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + OOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + ZOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + XOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + LOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + UOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + GOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + KOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + IOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + SOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + TOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + VOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + YOAPYE
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + NOAPYE

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + AXAPYA - World X-1
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + EXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + PXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + OXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + ZXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + XXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + LXAPYA - World -1 (Minus World)
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + UXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + GXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + KXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + IXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + SXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + TXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + VXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + YXAPYA
YSAOPE + YEAOZA + NXAPYA

YSAOPE + YEAOZA + GTTTTL - Water version of World 4-4 (World 0-1)

* ZEKAEP - Illusion land!

NES: Level is bizarre, you can't see where you're going as Mario is invisible most of the time. Also turns enemies into half-Bowsers. Very frustrating.

* SIPPNG - Weird underwater castle-like levels

EMULATOR: This code produced an underwater version of 3-4 with no enemies or fire bars, but the level is called 1-1. Upon completion of the level (with the "Princess in another castle" message), you're taken to world "2-1", which is underwater 3-4 again. This repeats over and over.

* ZIGPTK - Tetris!

NES: Strange letter "blocks" around screen, can't move. Weird white/blue ? block that I've never seen before. Glitched pipes slightly resemble Tetris blocks.

* OGIOOK - Oo

NES: Gray/red overworld. Auto Scrolling, with the "beginning of 1-2 walk into pipe" music. Walk through Goombas, get stuck at pipe. Walk-through-walls code has no effect, and you can't get past the pipe at all.

Crazy Levels - Level 0-1

Luke writes: "I was going to play Super Mario Brothers to help me decide what color combination I should use for my Luigi costume next year. The strangest thing happened when I started playing–I started in some strange underwater place it was really weird, so I took some pictures of it. When I got to the end of the level it told me that the princess was in another castle, then when I got to the end with the other player (I was playing in two-player mode) it told me that the princess was in another castle. After that the game ended and it returned to the title screen. It was really weird so I searched Google to find out what caused this strange glitch, and I stumbled across http://www.trsrockin.com/smb_glitches.html and saw that the same thing had happened to you.

I looked through all the pictures of the places that you had discovered, and on the last picture it was just a black-screened level. It was really strange, but what was really interesting about the picture is that I could see the reflection of what looked like a girl. It was hard to tell for sure though because Super Mario Bros levels; that's awesome. I've never seen someone that is cares for video games so much, is a girl, and is very pretty.

The first two pictures below show the level I found.

TRR: I've heard that some ROMs of Super Mario Bros. have this odd quirk - they start with "world 0-1" rather than 1-1 due to a coding error.

Crazy Levels - Different 4-1 and 1-3

ZIGPSK

hyperpeppy880 writes: "I found an odd code for Super Mario Bros. feturing 9 odd levels (the first one is a level that never made it into the final game). Some of the levels are intact, with no glitches and working exits, while some are devoid of enimies and freeze upon entrance. The Game Genie code is: ZIGPSK. Note: dying on world [glitch]-3 will cause mario to walk to the right until he falls to his death."

Code discovered by TR Rose
Code sent in by OwNzOr

SXIOPK - Bottomless World

• NES: The demo screen shows Mario... and nothing else! This bottomless world 1-1 is very entertaining, if only to watch Mario plummet to his death repeatedly. When you try to start the game, the "World 1-1, 3 Lives" screen just flashes over and over. 
  
• EMULATOR: Trying this code on an emulator with the MARIO.nes file loads up a version of world 6-3.

SXIOP(?) - Glitchy Floors

• NES: It looks like world 1-1, but the ground is replaced with glitchy characters (there are several variants on this world, accessed through slight variations in the Game Genie code). This particular world has a ground with G, F, 0, and a triangle. If Mario takes one step forward, he slides backwards to the left side of the screen - posed as if he were climbing a beanstalk. Take one more step, and he falls to his doom.  
• EMULATOR: It's possible to use this code on the emulator with the "swim instead of jump" code on. However, the game loads world 6-3 rather than 1-1. Everything goes along swimmingly (pardon the pun) until the end of the level. That's when the true weirdness begins. You can easily swim across the gaps in the platforms, then hit the flagpole. However, the game sees the glitchy floor as not solid, so Mario falls right through. However, you've completed the level. The game alternates between part of the level-end fanfare and the "death" music, scrolling a few pixels to the right each time. My, that's a long castle wall! The game loops here forever.

* SSASSA - Enemies die when you touch them

* PINAOO - Cool colors

NES: This code seems to make "shadows" of the level's geography appear. The color palette changes every few blocks, from overworld, to underground, etc. Strange green shadows of the pit areas appear randomly underwater and change as you move. Only Mario and enemies are the correct colors.

* ZGGAEP - Double Mario; all enemies are half of Bowser.

NES: This code will make your screen shake and it really messes up the graphics. Sometimes the ground would disappear, leaving you to guess where the pits are. The "world and lives" screen will remain after the game starts. The Pirahna Plants in 1-2 decided to float all the way to the top of the screen before coming back down. Your game will crash shortly after the entire screen goes pink.

* GTTTTL - Walk through enemies

* GIIIVY - Walk through pipes/blocks/walls

* STAGEO - Goombas throw hammers



NES: Not just Goombas. Every enemy suddenly gets the abilities of Hammer Bros. That means that they can pass through pipes and walls, move back and forth, and animate between their normal and "stomped" graphics. Some Goombas were pulling some Naruto-like "Hammer No Jutsu" thing where they floated upside down, moving back and forth (walking on the bottom of the cloud?), and tossing hammers everywhere. I was okay until the Pirahna Plants of World 1-2 came out of their pipes and attacked with more hammers. Think you're a Super Mario Bros. expert? This is the most difficult game you'll ever play.

* AAPOTS - Levels are stretched out
NES: This means there is a lot of "blank" space in between level landmarks like pipes and blocks.

* PIGOAP - Swim instead of jump
NES: This code is very useful for incomplete levels that are missing things like elevators.

* SIIPKK - Weird levels

* SPEPNG - Weird levels

* SPPPNK - Weird levels

* PIPOIS - Weird levels

* PGAPGG - Weird levels

NES: 1-1 with "extra" scenery - pipes and grasses doubled, etc. Pipes work properly. Game freezes at flagpole as Mario keeps attaching to the pole over and over again.

* SUEISA - Enemies are power-ups when touched
NES: Enemies ARE powerups when touched or defeated. Defeated enemies disappear (even turtle shells). Hammers still kill you though.
Kind of fun when combined with STAGEO, the "every enemy is a Hammer Bro" code - you have a fighting chance!
If you get a 1up mushroom, all enemies turn into 1ups upon touching them. After you get a power-up item, the enemies turn back into power-ups.

* OKZAPO - Every button pauses the game

* KILLLU - Once you get big and jump, you are warped to the next level. You keep warping through levels and negative levels until the game freezes up.
NES: Bizarre, but not very exciting. The level changes every time you push the "jump" button.

* AAATIO - Only mario moves

* KILLEN - Mario runs FAST. Enemies are unpredictable

* PKPOKK - Clouds replace blocks

NES: Music is the invincible/coin bonus song. In 1-1, all blocks are clouds; in 1-2, some blocks are breakable but others are clouds. This means that some powerups and coins are not obtainable as usual.
I fell in a hole in 1-2, and wound up at the top of a coin bonus underground stage with no timer and unable to move. Any time you "die", you appear at the top of a level, the timer disappears, and you need to reset.

* IIAAZT - Always look like Fiery Mario

* PEAPYE - Night time coin swim, very crazy!
EMULATOR: Code didn't work

* LEAPYE - A flooded castle infested by koopas.

* KEAPYE - Randomly play levels!

* LUILUI - Instead of getting mushrooms you get Starman power food

NES: All powerups become flashing pixel blobs. These don't move, and when you touch them, you become invincible.

* ISKVGY - Enemies melt when smashed.

* PAOEPO - Faster game.

* TVVOAE - Circus music!
NES: Really just the treble and bass lines of the Water World music. It's missing the harmony part.

* STLNYL - Crazy space jazz.
NES: This just turned my music off altogether.

* ZZAYGN - Beepy music.

* GKIAEP - Flashout game.
NES: Errored game, flickers and "jumps". Hard to watch.

* GYAEVO - Weird colors.

NES: Weird "checkered" color palette for all background and blocks. Mario & enemies (and items) are fine.
Some clouds flicker like the coin boxes, some coin boxes don't flicker. Very weird.
Castle levels are red and gray, with some flickery boxes.

* SIKAEP - Super crazy level and you can jump high.

* KAAEPO - You can jump on top of koopas multiple times and get extra lives!
NES: Strange pixel blob appeared on select screen. Code is better translated as "Koopas come back to life instantly".
Yes, with good timing you can get multiple lives, but it's also likely that you will die a lot. Your "lives remaining" screen also flashes only for a second.

* PKAOZP - Permanent Starman!! But sometimes you die after beating a level on a flag pole.

* LUGLUG - Mushrooms and stars tug around.
NES: First mushroom popped up, vanished, and then began popping up over and over at the top of the screen (making the "sprout" noise each time). Touching it gets you the super power. 1up and Fire Flowers do the same thing. No real point to this code, as it makes many of the items unobtainable.

* PIGPOG - This is a really great Game Genie code that results in all sorts of fun and random errors, but the graphics remain clear and normal. Princess Toadstool as an enemy, Koopa on 1-1, Squids on land, etc.



NES: This code is lots of fun, if only to see what will appear next. I couldn't get through World 1-2 because this code renders all pipes useless. This code works really well with one of the "start on level x" codes, especially the bizarre worlds that are usually devoid of enemies. You will get all kinds of results with this: springboards, platforms, and fire bars are randomly scattered around; enemies are stuck inside walls; random sound effects like sprouting vines happen randomly; all kinds of enemies show up like Lakitus and Flying Cheep-Cheeps in 1-2. Bowser's fire appears in some levels; sometimes 1ups and Fire Flowers will appear that kill you. I haven't found Princess Toadstool or Toad as enemies yet, but I'm still looking.

* GOZSXX - Invincibility from Everything including Lava

* YZXLNY - Fast mario

* ULTPLT + EATSSY - Wierd world and no clip

NES: The world is a bizarre version of 1-1, all kinds of random pieces put together in the basic "layout" of 1-1 (platforms and pipes instead of blocks, etc).
I went down the first "pipe" and it scrolled through all the underground bonus areas (and you can walk through the walls), until there's just a large open section of underground nothing. If you avoid the pipes, the world doesn't end - you get to where the staircase and flagpole should be, but it's empty.
Really funny to watch Mario go down the disconnected pipe and see his feet come out the bottom, then warp somewhere.

* POZPIS - New world.
NES: Another level like above (a glitched 1-1), but can't walk through walls in the underground sections (so you can only see the first one). Slightly different pieces.

* GAAGGA - W00t im rich
NES: When you use this code, any coins you hit from below will keep falling over and over again, giving the impression of "Coins from Heaven". You don't actually get those coins though - it's just a graphical effect.

* PGAOOK - Wierd level

* EPZKIX - Turtles

* Now this is my favourite - IKAAAE its suprising how 1 code can do so many things. (SERIOUSLY DON'T USE THIS CODE IF YOUR SCARED OF GLITCHES)
NES: This code makes the game unplayable. The screen will shake badly, your background will turn all pink, and you won't be able to move more than a few steps without either dying or having the game freeze.

Enemy Appearance Codes - Enemy will appear once in world 1-1:

* IPEPNY - Bowser's fireballs
* KPEPNY - Cheep Cheeps
* NPEPNY - Bullet Bills
* OPEPNY - Lakitu (on ground)
* VPEPNY - freeze game
* SPEPNY - Bowser's fire in 1-1
* UPEPNY - flickering Glitch - stomp to become Red Troopa, stomp again for shell - appears between the second and third pipe.
* XPEPNY - Spiny - appears between the second and third pipe.
* EPEPNY - Green Paratroopa (floating horizontal, not bouncing) - between the second and third pipe.
* APEPNY - Green Paratroopa (floating horizontal, not bouncing) - appears w/ first Goomba
* PPEPNY - Lakitu - appears w/ first Goomba. If you kill him, he'll appear in the sky later. The flagpole has no flag, and you won't slide down.
* ZPEPNY - Spiny - appears w/ first Goomba and walks, but doesn't move. Lakitu appears between 2nd and 3rd pipe. The flagpole has no flag, and you won't slide down. Lakitu doesn't go away when you enter the castle.


* LPEPNY - flickering Glitch - stomp to become Red Troopa, stomp again for shell - appears w/ first Goomba.
* GPEPNY - Flying Cheep-Cheeps - appears w/ first Goomba and continue through level.
* TPEPNY - Game freezes a few steps in. MARIO shifts off-screen, and coins, world, and timer shift left.
* YPEPNY - Bullet Bills throughout level, start w/ first Goomba

TR Rose adds: When you use any of the above codes, make sure that you actually turn the power off (or "Free" the file on the emulator) because the effects will stay from the previous codes if you just "Reset". Of course, this can be useful for adding codes like "swim instead of jump" when you already have several effect codes loaded.

Be warned though - Many of these codes froze up after a while. Quite a few actually crashed the emulator.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)

Game Genie Codes, Effects, and Pictures

Since the "start on level x" codes worked so well for the original Super Mario Bros., I decided to give it's US sequel a try, hacking the codes the same way. The results were nowhere near as spectacular, but they did create a few interesting effects.

Crazy Levels - Original Game Genie code: _EEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

YEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Curtain glitched at start (most of the "glitched curtains" seem to be the same, with a "G" on the side and a glowing Toad once you select any character). Wart background music is playing, but there's nothing on screen. You will fall and die. 

AEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Curtain glitched at start. Fast-moving purple waterfalls on screen, Birdo music is playing. There's a strange object you can pick up and throw down like a Mushroom Block. Like many of the glitched levels, the walls and floor are layers of sand. Climb up a vine, and you can get to a room above this one that contains a Mask Gate and a dangling strip of pixels. Some of the layered ground sections look like small Mario/Luigi feet. There's no way to get out of the second room. The dangling thing isn't climbable.

PEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Glitchy 1-1. Pull grass and get Phanto instead of veggies! Ground and landscape is made of Toads in various poses. Life meter appears empty. All colors and textures are wrong. POW and Potions animate very fast. Enemies seem to be made of Mouser parts - some are static, others flash between two Mouser body sections. The Hoopsters on the vines look like part of the Princess's dress. The ground collision detection is off in places, making it impossible to pick and throw the bombs to reach the alternate route through the level. You can walk through some walls, as the game sees certain "layers" as sand (particularly in the Ninji area). A normal 1-2 follows, and the game is unglitched after this level.

ZEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Similar to Glitchy 1-1 above, but simpler. Game freezes when you get a heart.

LEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Different glitched curtain - dark blue trim and blue letters. Glitched screen with horizontal rows. More layers of Toads here. Princess or Luigi can float to the right side of the screen, where there is a vine. Climb up, and appear in a place with no floor at all. You will fall and die here. There are darker strips of "floor" around this level (black rather than the dark gray of the background), but you can't walk on these - I believe there were originally platforms (clouds, at the top of the vine).

GEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Like AEEPUZAK above, but with more blocks.

IEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Glitchy 1-1 with Phanto-veggies. Ground is made of Luigis. Game freezes when you get a potion.

TEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Curtain unglitched. Colors change when the game is paused. Drops me into a cloud/beanstalk place, climb up and it looks like the end of 6-3. Fall through the floor - pyramid is glitched. Found a "Rocket", now invisible.

YEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Normal world 1-1

EEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Curtain all gray. Level is called 1-F, looks like level 5-3.

EEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Glitchy 1-1 with invisible enemies.

OEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• World 2- (blank). Room has a jar with 2 Phantos, can't leave.

OEEPUZAK + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Single stripy room

XEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA

• Called world 3- (5-dot dice block). Strange nonglitched layout - Ostro in jars instead of Cobrat. A pit is inside the jar. This level is really a glitchy 2-1. Diggable sand and a waterfall. Beat Birdo, but no Bonus game. 2-2 and 2-3 cause you to get stuck, you can't reclimb the sand you dug through.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

Oddity: Bowser Has No Fire

There was a special on national TV in the early 90s called "America's Best Kept Secrets". The TV Guide write-up claimed it would reveal top-secret tricks for the hottest new video game, Super Mario Bros. 3. After sitting through "boring" segments about the black strip on credit cards, they finally started with the Mario. The following trick was explained there, and I haven't seen it in any official Nintendo tip books. I have used this trick many times, and it's always worked.

To start with, you need to equip a P-Wing on the World Map screen before entering Bowser's Castle. Enter the castle and proceed as normal. Fly up over the laser statues, up the invisible lift, and ride the Donut Lift down. Carefully climb the steps with the spinning Roto-Discs.

When you get to the lava pits with the Donut Lifts, cross the pit and take the second hallway from the top, as shown in the pic above. Do not take the top hallway! Ride down on the Donut Lift, spring the Thwomp, and ride the second Donut Lift down another floor. Cross the treacherous lava pit and enter the door on your right. You should now be in a brick chamber with Bowser statues and a ? block. As you pass the statues and cross to the right, fireballs will start flying at you. You shouldn't have any problem avoiding them with the P-Wing.

Now here comes the tricky part. Assuming you haven't gotten hit once in this level and are still P-Wing powered, arrive in Bowser's chamber and fly up to the top of the screen before he appears. You will need to fly straight up and to the left - fly over the top of the left wall, but don't go down the other side - stop while the wall is still on the screen (Mario will not be visible). Check the second screen above - when you see that in your game, stop and turn around. Then fly back to the right and down. Remember: You will not cross over the wall.

When Bowser appears, he will have no fire ability. You'll still hear the sound effects for the fire, though. Bowser will be much easier to beat this way. The "Secrets" program I watched back in the 90s said that "Bowser has no fire, and can hit you only once. Then he'll jump up and down in place and die." At least that's the notes my mom wrote down from the show. I've never gotten the "Bowser has one hit" to work (if I recall, the video on the program showed Bowser with some kind of purple blob attack, just for a second, like a fireball bouncing off his shell - then Bowser jumped up and down and fell through the floor). I've always had to defeat Bowser the standard way. Of course, he's not that tough without his fireballs!

Remember that wall we flew to the top of? If you had crossed over the wall and dropped down over the left side, you would have found yourself in another Bowser chamber that has a smaller amount of floorspace. This is where you would appear had you taken the top hallway after the lava pit.

Super Mario World (SNES)

Oddity: Yoshi Replaced by Chargin' Chuck

When I was much younger, I was playing Super Mario World (SNES). I was near the end of the first Forest of Illusion level, playing as Luigi. I was riding on Yoshi at the time. There were so many baddies on the screen that "slowdown" was occurring and the graphics were flickering. I know this is usually a problem on NES games, but strangely enough, it was happening here. Let me also mention that my timer was running out, so the music was sped up.

In all this confusion, I had gotten hit and knocked off Yoshi, but I jumped back on as I entered the tall pipe to the secret Key area. I don't know why, but when I arrived inside the secret chamber, Luigi was riding the freakish Chargin' Chuck thing. When I used the "tongue" command to retrieve the key, a Yoshi tongue snaked out of the helmet. Luckily, my dad had film in his camera at the time, so I got him to take some photos for me. As you can see, this happened quite some time ago!

I don't know why or how this happened, or how to duplicate the trick. Any information would be appreciated!

Quirk: "Glitched Mario"

the king writes: "you wont friggin believe this,on super mario 64.I was playing on it,and a spider went on the game pack,so i shook the game to get it off (slowly lifted left side of game out of N64)and he [Mario] was deformed.arms in head,legs gone,and half way burreid in ground.i tried to walk,and he slid sideways on his back!!!

I went to the lake(i was out front) and he swam around in his ugly form like normal! I think to do this,pull the left side of the game pack until you here crunchy noises from the tv, then run around.its easy! Lo hand to god it works. you have my emailed words."

Quirk: "Mario Pushes on Air"

icesparkfire writes: "I've been playing Super Mario 64 recently and I encountered a glitch on Shifting Sand Land. When you enter the pyramid from the top (4th star), Stand on the edge of the elevator, when you are almost there when you can touch the wall, start pushing it. On the hole that you're supposed to enter to fight the hand boss, Mario will push on air. It's a little hard to explain, but I have pictures and a movie to make up for it."

.WMV Video Clip - 535KB

Minor Quirk: "Vanishing Mario"

This trick happened In the cave between Castle Town and Hoohoo Mountain (accessed through Boo statue). I was In the first area, up at the top before crossing into the next section. Mario was small (searching for secret things). I walked up to the top of the screen. Suddenly Mario disappeared. I walked forward with Luigi, and tiny Mario fell down from an invisible platform at the top of the screen (in cave background). The screen "jumps" a bit when Mario disappears and then again when he falls. This trick can be replicated, but there's no useful result - just a weird glitch.

Quirk: Coin Trick & Missing Bros.

pokemonkid writes: "I noticed that on Mario Super Star Saga a glitch was mentioned that was similar to mine. I was in Bowser's Fortress, right before you fight Fawful. Right at the edge of the lava at the bottom, use the coin trick (make Mario little, let Luigi jump on him with the high jump, then jump with Mario before Luigi comes down) and the two brothers will disappear like they teleported or something.

You will hear one coin and the game will act as if there is no glitch. You just can sit there and watch the scenery. The music stills plays but you can't move. This is boring unless you want to see a screen without the brothers. (I would save before you do this) Other than here the coin trick works perfectly. Just don't stop jumping!!"

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