Pre E3 1996 Builds

This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64).

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These builds were shown in various sources around the time of E3 1996 and are visually similar to the playable build at the E3 kiosks (final Mario model, old HUD icons), but they predate it. There are 3 main builds grouped here: the earliest one was part of a B-Roll tape given to the press after the E3 press conference ¹, it was also shown as part of a sizzle reel at the same press conference ² (footage from this build was also used in many other places, which are linked later on the page); the second build, which is slightly later, was part of a press kit released around the same time as E3 1996, so it's found on many magazines from that period³⁴; the third and latest build was shown on an interview with Hiroshi Yamauchi⁵, Nintendo's president at the time; notably, it contains a unique design for Goombas not seen on any earlier or later builds. The game was said to be 80% complete at this time⁶.

General Differences#

Title Screen#

Pre E3 1996	Final

The title screen is simpler compared to the final:

• The logo has different colors and no wooden embossing around the letters.
• The trademark symbol is modeled instead of being a sprite.
• The copyright text has a different font and a simpler gradient.
• The logo itself uses flat-colored Gouraud shading, unlike the final's noise patterns.
• The model for this logo was found in the July 2020 Nintendo leak.

Gameplay & Physics#

• When changing directions from a standstill, Mario turns to face the target direction instead of immediately facing said direction like the final game.
• Mario doesn't say anything when doing punches and kicks like in Shoshinkai '95, but his hands and feet grow larger like in the final.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Mario's arm rotations and posture are different in the starting tip-toe animation. It appears to be the same animation from Shoshinkai '95.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Mario uses a different, slower recovery animation.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There is no course number or Star Mission name displayed on the Course Clear screen. Only the amount of collected coins is shown.
• No sparkles surround Mario as he leaves a painting.
• The Star counter doesn't flash to highlight it's current amount.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Mario has a different animation for opening a Key Door: instead of hopping to the right door, he walks up to it.

• The burn smoke is still animated instead of being a single frame like in the final version.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The cannon's aiming reticule is missing.

• Mario starts sleeping after doing the idle animation once, like in the Shoshinkai '95 demo.

• Mario can get very close to the camera while swimming, which isn't possible in the final game.

HUD#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• This is the first build where Mario starts out with 4 lives like the final game.
• The Star, Mario, and Coin icons still use their early designs.
• The Lakitu Camera icons on the bottom right are still missing. The TIME counter appears in its place, missing the ' and " symbols and having 2 digits for the minute counter.
• The Power Meter uses its final design.

Power Stars#

• The Star spawning animation is different, the world doesn't freeze, there's no jingle or sound effects for the Star, and it spins quickly on the floor and then slowly rises to its set height.

• The Stardust looks completely different from the final, it's an animated texture of a star-shaped cloud explosion, rather than the simple dust particles of the final game. This early Stardust is the same one used in the Shoshinkai '95 demo. It was found in the Gigaleak.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Ghost Stars are gray instead of blue.

Coins#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Coins still have rectangular imprints instead of stars, but they lack that imprint in one of the frames (the third one in the images above) and feature different colors from Shoshinkai '95. The different coin design also applies to other coin-related graphics like the Blue Coin Switch.

Audio Differences#

• The "It's-a me" portion from Mario's "It's-a me, Mario!" voice line is cut from a different take.

• Mario's jumps use different audio cues. The first jump sample was used in prerelease builds of Super Mario Galaxy, and the second jump sample can be found in the final game, unused.
• Mario says "Yippee!" when doing a long jump, instead of "Yahoo!". Mario does say "Yippee!" in the American version, though only when doing a triple jump.

• Mario's sound for climbing over a ledge remains unchanged from Shoshinkai.
• When Klepto snatches Mario's cap, Mario says "Ough!", used in the final for taking damage from an enemy, instead of "Oof!".
• There isn't a sound effect for when Mario collects a cap.
• Big Boo makes a different sound when he gets hit. He is also missing his grunting sound.
• Piranha Plants use a different sound clip for their bites.

• The title screen has a different drum pattern.

• The Dire, Dire Docks theme uses a different lead instrument sample. This instrument still exists in the final game, known in the decompilation as 42_vibraphone.aiff. There is also an extra part that isn't present in the final.

• Small instrument differences in the Powerful Mario theme, using a different piano sample. This sample also shows up in the Dire, Dire Docks theme.

• Slider theme has an extra hi-hat that isn't present in the final.

Level Changes#

Castle Grounds#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The clock seen above the castle entrance has been replaced with the stained glass window of Princess Peach, like in the final game.
• Butterflies are absent.
• The castle uses its final windows and brick textures.
• The windows appear to be slightly larger here.
• The trees use a different texture with slight differences in shape and lighting. These early trees can be found in the July 2020 Gigaleak.
• The skybox has the clouds placed differently.

Castle Interior#

1st Floor#

Pre E3 1996	Later Prerelease	Final

• The Bob-omb Battlefield painting is quite different, having Lethal Lava Land's frame, a larger center Bob-omb with lower feet, different smoke effects, and visible wind-up keys, which the Bob-omb's model and the final painting don't have. A later build depicts the final version of the painting.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There's no floor behind the doors leading to the basement.

Basement#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The Toad that grants Mario a Star is absent in the Hazy Maze Cave entrance room.

2nd Floor#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There's a different brick texture on the wall surrounding the door.
• The paintings Mario cannot enter do not exist.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Just like the March 1996 build, the Mirror Room has no decoration paintings, Mario's reflection doesn't have a shadow and the Lakitu Bro isn't reflected in the mirror.

3rd Floor#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The glass covering the pendulum is blue instead of yellow.
• The bricks use a different texture.
• The Toad that grants Mario a Star is absent.

Bob-omb Battlefield#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The blue starting platform's shading is different.
• There is a coin ring around the cannon.
• The Bob-omb Buddy is placed differently, it's farther away from the cannon base.
• There are no trees in this beginning area.
• The breakable boxes are placed differently, on the left side of the dirt path. Also there are 3 big boxes, instead of 2 big ones and a small grabbable one.
• Signs are nearly absent in this part, except for the one right beside the dirt path.
• Koopa the Quick walks around like normal Koopa Troopas before starting the race.
• The fence closest to the flowers is missing.
• Chain Chomp's gate has a higher draw distance, its model is not visible this far away in the final version.
• The stone containing the cannon uses the bright rocky texture seen on the rock bridge.
• The floating island is placed higher than the final version, though it's not as high as the March '96 build.
• The skybox has a different pattern for the clouds.
• The white rocks near the Chain Chomp are smooth shaded rather than the final's flat shading.

Pre E3 1996	Later Prerelease	Final

• Goombas sport a different face texture and a darker head.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There's different shading on the dirt wall and the white rocks.
• There is no fence near the Chain Chomp.
• The dirt path in the Chain Chomp section is wider, with the sign ontop of it.
• Chain Chomp's "Woof!" from the Japanese version is heard here, in a different pitch, only playing once.
• The rock stairs use the blue stone texture seen on the starting cannon base.

Later Prerelease	Final

• There's two pits in the mountain, instead of just one.

Later Prerelease	Final

• The sign next to the rock stairs is missing.
• The amount of steps on the rock stairs changed from 3 to 4, which was eventually reverted before the final release. The texture of the rock stairs was also changed from blue stone to the bright rocky texture on the rock bridge.
• The dark rocks use different UV mapping.
• Wooden arrow signs use a smaller sign panel, resembling the readable signs. Those signs are also placed differently.
• The Wing Cap block after the Chain Chomp section is in a different spot.

• The spike was removed from the mountaintop.
• When fighting King Bob-omb, the Stage Boss theme doesn't play, instead, it just plays the Super Mario 64 Main Theme like the rest of the level.
• King Bob-omb doesn't move when thrown.
• When King Bob-omb is defeated, he immediately explodes into a Star.
• The camera is positioned much lower compared to the final game.

Whomp's Fortress#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There are no Butterflies found in the course, and the sign next to the sleeping Piranha Plant in the beginning of the course is missing.
• Two signs, a Power Star location, and a small cork box are missing from their spots next to the farthest flower bed.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There's an unknown platform in the top right corner. It's possible this platform was changed to be the owl cage in the final game.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There are coins above the sliding floor tiles, like the Shoshinkai '95 demo.
• The red coin above the wide Bomp is missing as Mario collected 5 coins from beginning.
• The yellow arrows on the walls and floors are missing.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Thwomps still use their Shoshinkai '95 textures, but they now use square shadows, like the final game, instead of circular shadows like the Shoshinkai '95 demo.
• There are no floating islands in the level, except for the island made of bricks, which has a Star on it.
• There's a yellow floating object in the air that seems to be a coin or a Star because it spins.
• The red coin above the Thwomp upstairs is also missing.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The Thwomp area is different, having sloped surfaces similar to those seen in the Shoshinkai '95 demo, and lacking the Metal Cap box, sign, and secret teleporter.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The fence next to the first Piranha Plant is missing, along with the special stand that the sleeping Piranha Plant rests on.

• The pole is placed differently, identical to the the Shoshinkai '95's position.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The coins surrounding the rotating wooden bridge are closer together.
• The pole's different placement can also be seen here.
• The fence is missing.
• The tower has lower draw distance.
• No dust particles spawn after shooting out of a cannon.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The tower on the top of Whomp's Fortress has triangular steps instead of the rectangular ones like the final game. Those steps can be found in the final game, unused.

Jolly Roger Bay#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• There are small bubbles around the screen while Mario swims underwater. These are only seen in The Secret Aquarium and inside the ship in Jolly Roger Bay in the final game.
• The wood on the sunken ship is much darker.
• Unagi seems to be positioned higher while swimming.

• A later prerelease build soon removed the small bubbles.

Later Prerelease	Final	Final (CAMERA_MODE_CLOSE)

• The rock with the cannon is shorter and placed differently, and the other rock next to it has a different model.
• The camera is lower. It appears the stage used a different camera mode, as CAMERA_MODE_CLOSE (how it's called in the decomp) matches the lower camera. This stage uses CAMERA_MODE_FREE_ROAM in the final game.

Later Prerelease	Final	Final (Red Coin Star marker enabled)

• The Red Coin Star marker wasn't disabled for this stage, causing it to clip down here from the top of the ship. This makes it look like the Star spawns at the bottom of the level, while it instead spawns on the ship. Modifying the final game to enable the marker causes the same behavior.

Cool, Cool Mountain#

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Penguins are still using the Shoshinkai '95 model, that can also be found in the July 2020 Gigaleak.
• The wall uses a different texture; it's made up of many smaller, colorful bricks, unlike the final game's thin-planked, wooden cabin texture.
• The racing penguin is slightly taller and thinner than the final's.

(Source: 月刊ファミ通ブロス (Monthly Famitsu Bros.) (July 1996) - Page 138, NINTENDO64 _64 Appearance_ N102A3)

• When racing the penguin, the TIME counter would appear like when Mario races Koopa the Quick; this was removed from the final game.

Bowser in the Dark World#

Platforming Section#

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: 月刊ファミ通ブロス (Monthly Famitsu Bros.) (July 1996) - Page 124)

• The wooden platform uses a different, lighter texture.
• There are 4 Goombas, but there's only 3 in the final version.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: 月刊ファミ通ブロス (Monthly Famitsu Bros.) (July 1996) - Page 122)

• The 2 1-Up Mushrooms are absent in the tilting platform section, with 2 sets of coins in their place.

Arena#

Pre E3 1996	Later Prerelease	Final

(Source: Nintendo Power Previews V16 (11:09), Computer and Video Games Issue 176 (July 1996) - Page 014)

• The boss entrance cutscene zooms uncomfortably close to Bowser's schnozz. This is because of a glitch in the cutscene where Mario's movement was not locked while on it (Mario's jumps can be heard while scrolling the textbox). Since his movement wasn't locked, he could sleep during the cutscene, causing the camera to zoom in when it shouldn't. This glitch was eventually fixed in a later build, and the final game.

Pre E3 1996	Later Prerelease	Final

(Source: スーパーマリオ64／宮本茂 (2:03), 関西偉人館／任天堂社長 山内溥 (17:55))

• Bowser's pre-fight dialog is written a bit differently. A later version has the same characters as the final game, but with different spacing.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo 64 Pre-Launch Promotional Tape (0:12))

• Bowser would drop coins when defeated, much like in Shoshinkai '95.

Big Boo's Haunt#

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Computer and Video Games - Issue 176 (July 1996) - Page 84)

• A Boo can be seen right after the falling floor section, it has an early face texture, found in the gigaleak.
• The railing now uses the final game's design.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo 64 Pre-Launch Promotional Tape (4:05))

• This section lacks the Bookends that emerge from both bookshelves.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• Instead of having a Blue Shy Boo Painting, the attic is shown to only have the Yellow Scaring Boo Painting. It also covers the entire wall instead of only half of it.
• The Blue Coin Switch has an early coin design like the Coin icon.

Table Room#

Later Prerelease	Final

(Source: 関西偉人館／任天堂社長 山内溥 (18:53))

• A red coin on the right bookshelf is missing, with a yellow coin in its place, suggesting that their placements differed in this build.
• Bookends don't give a blue coin when defeated.
• Two chairs are on the right side of the table, in the final version, one of these chairs was moved to the other side of the table and both were rotated to face it.
• The wall behind the table is pushed further back.
• The blue Boo painting is missing, leaving a gap between the rooms.
• The Vanish Cap box is absent.
• In the hallway, there are two small Boo paintings on the left wall that were later removed.
• There appears to be only one Boo at the end of the hallway instead of two.
• Boos can be defeated with a jump instead of a Ground Pound.
• Boos possess Yellow Coins instead of Blue Coins.
• This is the first appearance of the final Boo design.

Hazy Maze Cave#

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo N64 B-Roll E3 1996 (1:11))

• The map showing your location is missing, though it's unclear if other maps in the level were missing as well.
• The Metal Cap box is in a different position; it's in the middle of the starting room, instead of right beside Mario's spawn point.
• There is a Swooper at the beginning of the left path that was removed in the final game.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo 64 Pre-Launch Promotional Tape (4:11))

• A jumping Scuttlebug and another Swooper can be seen at the end of the left path.
• The sign teaching you how to Long Jump is closer to the bottomless pit.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: 30 minutes of E3 1996 (29:47))

• The Scuttlebug before the rolling rocks area is missing.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Gamefan Volume 4 Issue 08 August 1996 - Page 12)

• Like Jolly Roger Bay, the camera is lower in the rolling rocks area.

Pre E3 1996	Later Prerelease	Final

(Source: Nintendo - N64 - Press Conference B-ROLL 1of 2 (1:13), Gamefan Volume 4 Issue 08 August 1996 - Page 12)

• Scuttlebugs have an early model that can be found in the Gigaleak and, as seen in the GIF above, don't jump and run towards Mario upon eye contact. Instead, they just turn around and walk at normal speed towards him, and don't drop any coins when defeated. A later prerelease version of the enemy had white legs and a lack of fangs.

Shifting Sand Land#

Outdoors#

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: NINTENDO 64 E3 トレーラー(1996) (3:53))

• The skybox looks identical to the one seen in the March '96 build.
• Pokey's design has been updated and now matches the final version. There is also one placed in the quicksand.
• The Keronpa Ball next to the two pillars is missing.
• Klepto has smaller pupils than in the final game. This early eye texture can be found in the Gigaleak.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Next Generation Dec. 24 1996 - Pg. 77)

• The brick wall from March '96 has been replaced with a giant fence.
• The coin line between the two pillars is missing.

Indoors#

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo N64 B-Roll E3 1996 (1:31))

• There is a coin ring in the beginning section of the pyramid that was removed from the final game.
• The entrance to the Eyerok room is taller.

• The orbs that mark the elevator's path use Monty Mole's rocks as a placeholder.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo 64 Analog Stick Mario 64 Demo (0:16))

• There's a coin in the distance that isn't in the final game.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: 月刊ファミ通ブロス (Monthly Famitsu Bros.) (July 1996) - Page 133)

• Grindel has a different face texture, with taller, pill-shaped black eyes, white teeth, and more angled eyebrows.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo 64 Pre-Launch Promotional Tape (4:00))

• The camera gets much lower when Mario climbs on the metal grate.
• The coin ring is on top of the metal grate, partially overlapping it.
• The Amp is rotating behind the pillar instead of around it.

Later Prerelease	Final

(Source: Hyper 034 - Page 29)

• A later prerelease shows the coin ring below the metal grate, like the final game.
• The sign is rotated differently, facing the edge.
• The 1-UP mushroom above the grate is missing.

(Source: 30 minutes of E3 1996 (29:34))

• Like Scuttlebugs, Goombas don't run towards Mario when they see him.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: ゲーム・オン! (GAME-ON!) (June 1996) - Page 21)

• Eyerok has a different eye texture that resembles the one used for the final's Scuttlebug. It also seems like there's no closed eye textures.

Dire, Dire Docks#

(Source: 30 minutes of E3 1996 (29:44))

• Sushi still has his Shoshinkai '95 appearance. That early model can be found in the Gigaleak.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Hyper 034 - Page 29)

• The whirlpool has no bubbles around it.
• There's no seaweed around the level.
• One of the treasure chests isn't there.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Computer and Video Games - Issue 176 (1996-07) - Page 14)

• The coin rings in the tunnel are missing.

Tall, Tall Mountain#

Pre E3 1996	Final	Final (Sign location)

(Source: Nintendo N64 B-Roll E3 1996 (0:32))

• The Red Coins above the mushrooms are missing.
• The ! Box with a 1-Up inside is also missing.
• The sign after the mushroom platforms section is above and rotated differently.

(Source: Gamefan Volume 4 Issue 08 August 1996 - Page 12)

• A later prerelease shows the Red Coins above the mushrooms.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo N64 B-Roll E3 1996 (0:40))

• The Fly Guy in the rolling log bridge section is missing.
• There's a missing Ukiki in the same section.
• The waterfall seems to be silent, indicating that the object the ambient audio originates from isn't implemented yet.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo N64 B-Roll E3 1996 (0:48))

• The Crazy Crate below the rolling log bridge section is missing.

Pre E3 1996	Final

• The platforms holding the rolling log bridge in place are different; they are flat instead of sloped. Mario could've walked on top of the surfaces, causing issues with the bridge, and necessitating the change for the final game.
• The platform right after the bridge is different too, it has a square shape compared to the final which is more triangular.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Computer and Video Games Issue 176 (July 1996) - Page 015)

• This screenshot from the same press kit shows that the Star inside the monkey cage works like Klepto's. All Stars are collected in these screenshots (which is why in the previous screenshot the Star above the lonely mushroom is barely visible), but it's still yellow inside the cage.
• The coin line on the bridge beside the monkey cage is missing, because it is impossible to stand on that location without collecting at least 1 coin.

Tick Tock Clock#

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: 月刊ファミ通ブロス (Monthly Famitsu Bros.) (July 1996) - Page 136)

• The pendulums have a different pole texture, it uses the clock hand's wood texture seen in the final game.

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: 月刊ファミ通ブロス (Monthly Famitsu Bros.) (July 1996) - Page 136)

• The wooden texture seen throughout the level is also different. The block in the middle of the texture has a different bevel with yellow hue, that same block is also affected by a dark gradient.
• The screw holding one of the moving blocks is flipped horizontally; it's unknown if any other objects with screws in this course are also flipped.
• One of the red coins on the rotating platforms should be visible, but it isn't.
• The spinners seem to have higher draw distance, they can't be seen from this distance in the final game.

Tower of the Wing Cap#

Pre E3 1996	Final

(Source: Nintendo 64 Pre-Launch Promotional Tape (4:07))

• The rainbow has more pixelated edges, like the March 1996 build.
• The stage lacks coins.
• The cloud objects around the level are absent.

Later Prerelease	Final

(Source: Computer and Video Games - Issue 176 (July 1996) - Page 84)

• There are no coins even on a later prerelease build.

References#

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1. Nintendo - N64 - Press Conference B-ROLL 1of 2 "After the E3 Press conferrence the Press was given this B-ROLL for newstations and media alike."↩︎
2. Nintendo Chairman - Howard Lincoln unveils N64 Line-up @ Nintendo Press Conference ( circa 1996 )↩︎
3. Computer and Video Games - Issue 176 (1996-07) - Page 14 " Nintendo of America were being characteristically 'restrained' with their press info at E3, so I'm relieved that these 20 pics came through at the last minute from NCL."↩︎
4. ゲーム・オン! (GAME-ON!) (June 1996) - Pages 16 to 23↩︎
5. 関西偉人館／任天堂社長 山内溥 (17:00)↩︎
6. GamePro - Issue 095 Volume 08 Number 08 (1996-08) - Page 26↩︎