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Prerelease Info
Unused ObjectsStuff that developers always forget.
Unused LevelsEarly Versions and Unused levels await!Unused Music#
Jungle Yoshi Drums#
Yoshi drum track by itself Yoshi drum track with main track The Jungle theme (STRM_BGM_MORI) has an associated Yoshi drum track, despite the fact that Yoshi never appears in these levels.
This music is later used in Super Mario Maker 2, as you can put Yoshis in Forest-themed levels in that game.
(Source: Stella (AboodXD))
Bonus Room Yoshi Drums#
It's the same situation with this track, though the song was previously used in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, the Yoshi drum track is slightly different than NSMBW.
(Source: Original TCRF research)
Bowser's Castle Appears#
STRM_BGM_LAST_CASTLE_APPEAR, a leftover from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This was played when Bowser's castle appeared after beating 8-Airship.
(Source: Stella (AboodXD))
Short Result#
STRM_BGM_SHORT_RESULT, a short fanfare. Purpose unknown.
(Source: Stella (AboodXD))
Cheap Fanfare#
A leftover from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It is called "BGM_CHEEPFANFARE_LR_RY_32.STRM" here (basically the same name as last time).
(Source: Original TCRF research)
Unused Sound Effect#
Many sounds that were in New Super Mario Bros. Wii (including New Super Mario Bros. leftovers) are also present here with their original filenames, but some are silent. These aren't listed below.
Iggy Battle Magmarrgh#
3063 - SE_BOSS_WOOGAN_FIRED
3064 - SE_BOSS_WOOGAN_FIRED_NO_DAMAGE
These are the standard enemy fireball sounds. Maybe the Iggy battle's Magmaarghs (Woogans) shot fireballs at some point.
(Source: Original TCRF research)
Unused Graphics#
New Super Mario Bros. Leftovers#
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To do: |
The leftover graphics from New Super Mario Bros. that were in New Super Mario Bros. Wii are here too. Specifically:
- Early block roulette.
- Early winged block.
- Early world map path.
- Broken pipes.
(Source: Hiccup)
Sample Challenge Image#
This image is the first one in the ChallengeImage folder, which stores all of the challenge previews. There are also copies of this image without the "Sample" text under the filenames ChallengeImage_002.gtx and ChallengeImage_027.gtx, suggesting that there were once levels on the menu that are now removed. Obviously intended as a placeholder, it shows early versions of the grassland (Nohara) tileset, the general (Jyotyu) overworld tileset and the 1-1 background. The early grassland tileset includes flowers taken from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The level featured strongly resembles the beginning of New Super Mario Bros. Wii's level 1-1, albeit with rearranged flowers.
The castle seen in the far back is not only very different from the one featured in the final game, but also seems to rest on some sort of cliff. In addition, the castle appears at the end of the level in the finished game, whereas this seems to be the beginning.
Test Course Image#
This unused course icon (CourseImageTest_00.gtx) shows the/an early grassland tileset and background. It seems to depict an early version of World 1-3. A copy of this image also exists in the common layout archive (Common/layout/Common.szs).
Unused Graphics in Jyotyu Tilesets#
All of the jyotyu tilesets feature giant brick and question block graphics. Some of the graphics are unused, and don't show up but have collision when tested. However, the 1-coin giving ? block works, almost all of the invisible tiles work, the collision tiles are used, and the lines are used. The pipes are used for collision with the pipe sprites. The pipe connector graphics were eventually used in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition.
Other unused tiles include non-switch-activated Blue Coins, a pole tile, and an overhead rope tile. This is carried over from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which also had those tiles, similarly scrapped in favor of object versions. The game also references a jyotyu_setsugen tileset, which isn't used at all, and also wasn't used in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Furthermore, drawn on the alpha channel are various labels which describe or represent the tiles they're drawn on. These were most likely used in Nintendo's level creator. Notable is the fact that many of the overlays come from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, such as the pipes, or even New Super Mario Bros., such as the placeholder flower graphics. Some graphics were seemingly deleted, while others had spots reserved for them, which were ultimately unused and just marked with numbers. Note that the layout of the tiles (such as the order of powerups) is similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii's.
Translated text:
Row 1 |
|---|
Japanese |
ヌキ |
ヌキアタリ |
マメ STOP |
ヌキ半 |
ヌキアタリ |
登棒アタリ |
ロープアタリ |
Row 2 |
Japanese |
マ |
Row 3 |
Japanese |
ブラックパックンのアタリ |
Row 14 |
Japanese |
ブラックパックンのアタリ２ |
* This is a beanstalk stop tile. "Bean" is "mame", clearly short here for "mame no ki" or "bean tree", which means "beanstalk".
† Just one katakana character, pronounced "ma". It probably stands for "maruchipureiya", which means "multiplayer".
Of tiles with text on them, the second "empty + collision", the "climbing pole collision", the "rope collision" and the "muncher collision 2" tiles are unused.
Early Meringue Clouds Tileset Edges#
7-Airship (Boarding the Airship) contains broken Meringue Clouds ground edges, which are displayed when the mechanical Bowser hand punches through the ground; they are not used anywhere else in the game. Due to the structure of the game, though, there are corresponding tiles for this purpose in the underground and lava tilesets, which go unused. The lava tiles are uninteresting placeholders (see #Unused_Graphics_in_Jyotyu_Tilesets), but the underground ones are from an early version of the Meringue Clouds tileset.
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Early (Underground) |
Final |
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The broken edges in the early tileset are much wider, and the cracks on the edges are much taller and deeper. The grass also looks completely different.
E3 Leftovers#
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To do: |
An E3 Course Select found in the final game's files. The Selection contains some animations as seen in this gif.
Unused Lava Tiles#
Covered with Xs to mark them as "not to be used," these 22 unused tiles are in 8-2 (Peach's Castle-2: Magma-River Cruise). A few of them also exist in challenge level 15-1 (Mole to Goal Returns). In each level, they are hidden behind used tiles. Shown below is where they are located.
In 8-2:
In 15-1:
Unused Ghost House Corner Tile#
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Early |
Final |
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Found just before the secret (red) flagpole in 4-Ghost House (Swaying Ghost House), this tile is covered up by the grassy version. In context (see below), it indicates that the area originally did not have grass at all. The dirt in this area is positioned one tile too high in most places, which further implies that the floor objects were originally only one tile high (as would be expected if there was no grass).
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Early |
Final |
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Debug Tile Overlays#
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Debug |
Final |
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Within the unfinished underwater level found in 11-2.szs are versions of the bottom corner tiles that include overlaid purple triangles.
Very similar red rectangles on the Acorn Plains tileset were shown in video that was part of the New Super Mario Bros. U E3 2012 edition of Iwata Asks. These were most likely used to make tiling easier for the level designers.
There are also more debug tile overlays like these in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.
Castle Cannon Background Tiles#
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Tiles |
Normal Map |
|---|---|
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The normal map for the tiles that go behind the cannon at the end of every castle are missing a column of normal map imagery. However, the stone in the top-right corner of the normal map actually displays a nonexistent left edge, implying that the cannon was one tile wider when the normal map was rendered. This also explains why this graphic includes one column of tiles on the left side of the cannon but two on the right.
Early Castle Staircase Column#
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Tiles |
Normal Map |
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The column supporting the staircase leading to the cannon at the end of every castle has a normal map showing an earlier version of itself. It was originally much thinner, almost coming to a point in multiple places. It also had a capital not seen in the final version.
Shipwreck Normal Map Oddities#
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Tiles |
Normal Map |
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Some tiles for the bottom-left and bottom-right corner of structures in 3-Ghost House (Haunted Shipwreck) have normal maps that don't match the graphics. The normal map for the bottom-left corner even includes a normal map for a climbable pole, suggesting that the climbable poles in that course were once tileset objects (the final game uses sprites instead).
Hidden Toad House Collisions Tiles#
Three invisible tiles provide collisions for the mushroom platforms in 1-Up Blast Toad houses. The red rectangle image above is hidden in their transparent texture.
Unused Level Icons#
These pepper and star level icons are both unused. Icons like these are used for secret courses which act as shortcuts between worlds.
There are also two unused duplicates of the Peach's Castle level icon.
Purple Exclamation Mark Button#
This purple exclamation mark button icon is stored with the level icons, though it doesn't look like a level icon. It's hard to guess what it might have been used for.
Unused Yoshi/Yoshi Egg Colors#
The game still contains the textures for Blue/Pink/Yellow Yoshi from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They're loaded along with the green ones, but never used. The Yoshi Egg model also contains these textures but they're also unused.
World Map Overview#
A hastily slapped together map overview (or an overview of an early, hastily slapped together world map) can be found in CS_WorldMap.bfres/worldMap.gtx. This was likely a placeholder graphic until a proper world map overview was created. Despite its rough appearance, the map has all of the features of the final map, including between-world shortcuts and Superstar Road. However, the entirety of Superstar Road is present on this map, while in the actual game, Superstar Road is in a completely different map and only a small star with an extra-dimensional portal is present in that area.
(Source: Hiccup)
Unused Backgrounds#
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To do: |
Watch on YouTubeWatch on YouTube
What appears to be the standard grassland background from New Super Mario Bros. Wii is found in the distant_view folder under the name dv_Nohara.szs.
dv_SabakuChika.szs ("desert cave") also appears to be copied from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The name implies that it was intended to be yellow. This background (or a similar one) was used in the E3 2011 demo's Course 4, which was an early version of Rock-Candy Mines-6.
dv_Shiro.szs ("castle") is a port of the New Super Mario Bros. Wii castle background. The used castle background in this game (dv_Siro) uses a slightly different romanization, which may be why this one was forgotten about.
dv_KumoUe_Boss.szs ("Cloud Boss") Probably a version for the fight against a boss.
Configuration files exist for seven more unused backgrounds. They cannot be rendered, because they lack 3D models.
Name |
Probable use |
|---|---|
dv_Isiyama |
This would be an older version of dv_Isiyama_2 and dv_Isiyama_3, the main backgrounds used for Acorn Plains. |
dv_Kougen |
This would be similar to the dv_Siro_Kougen and dv_End_Kougen backgrounds used in 7-Castle, which feature swirling purple clouds. |
dv_Kougen_Isiyama |
This would be some combination of purple clouds and Acorn Plains. |
dv_KumoUe_Setugen |
This would be snowy ("setugen") clouds ("KumoUe") (most likely at night, to match the rest of the snow levels in the game). |
dv_Obake_3 |
This would be a third ghost house background. |
dv_Tika_tate |
This would be an older version of the used background dv_Tika_tate2 (a dark cave wall). |
m_Kumonaka |
This is the only background file in the distant_view folder without the "dv_" prefix. dv_Kumonaka is a used cloud background. |
Placeholder Mii#
A placeholder Mii player icon can be found in various layout files, in multiple sizes and configurations. This was one of the playable Miis from the E3 2011 demo.
(Source: Original TCRF research)
Unused Screens#
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To do: |
Common/layout/Title.szs, which contains layout files for the title screen and related screens, contains two unused screens; E3CourseSelect.bflyt and E3ThankYou.bflyt. These were probably the screens used in the E3 2012 demo. E3CourseSelect is self-explanatory and E3ThankYou would have been used when the demo timed out. The text relating to these menus are blank in at least some versions of the game.
(Source: Original TCRF research)
Unused Level Features#
Lone Pipe#
Located below all of the zones of Layer Cake Desert Tower is a lone green sideways pipe.
Unused Flagpole Section#
Located on the far right of the level canvas in Sparkling Waters-3 is an unused flagpole section. A zone wasn't created for it; it's just a bunch of tiles. In the final level, the flagpole is in the main zone.
Lone Tile#
5-7.sarc has one of the basic tileset objects placed under the zone.
Arrows#
Located above the zone in 6-5.sarc are arrows indicating areas where the player leaves to and returns from the level's secret area.
Background Strip#
6-6.sarc has a long row of background tiles placed under the zone.
Forgotten Entrances#
6-22.sarc, which is the second tower in Rock Candy Mines has two ID 0 entrances located out of the zone. In addition, the entrance used as the level's starting point is also ID 0. 
Credits Oddity#
The level used for the credits stage has its ground object extended far, far beyond the zone. This is useless, as the credits consist of only one screen.
Unused Behaviors#
- Munchers can be walked on by Yoshi without harm, like in Super Mario World.
- Medium Goombas and Large Goombas split into smaller Goombas (like when stomped on), if Yoshi tries to eat them.
- Big Koopa Troopas, Big Buzzy Beetles and Thwimps have hitboxes that are impenetrable by Yoshi's tongue.
- Thwimps - Yoshi can bounce off them and get points from doing so (starting at 200 points).
- Bouncy Clouds - Yoshi can bounce on them. This behavior can be encountered in the early version of Coin Courses-8 and in New Super Luigi U's Meringue Cloud-4.
- Bob-ombs can bounce off Bouncy Clouds. They bounce off the Mushroom Trampolines in New Super Mario Bros. 2's World Flower-Castle.
- The Toad NPC has basic "gravity" code, as he will move when on platforms and conveyor belts, and will fall slowly if placed mid-air.
(Source: Kinnay, Hiccup)
Uncompiled Shaders#
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Download Uncompiled Shaders in Eset_Cafe.ptcl File: EsetCafeCode.ptcl_extracted_code.zip (14 KB) (info) |
Found in data/content/CAFE/effect/Eset_Cafe.ptcl are six source code files for GL shaders. Three are .vsh files and three are .fsh files.
UsrShader.fsh is notable because its filename does not begin with "eft_" like the others. It also lacks the standard copyright header comment found in the others, and instead includes its own unique header comment.
All of the files are encoded in S-JIS.
Nonexistent Placeholder Music#
STRM_BGM_DUMMY is listed in the course music list in the code, but the actual audio doesn't exist in the bfsar.
(Source: Stella (AboodXD))
Unused Animations#
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To do: |
P_rcha.bfres, found in content/Common/actor/, seems to be an early version of CommonAnm.bfres, which is found in content/Common/actor/jyotyuActorPack.
This early BFRES file has the version number of 1.0.0.5, while the used BFRES files is marked as 3.0.0.1. Also, the early skeleton animations (subfiles of BFRES files) start with 0x00001200 or 0x00001204, whereas the used ones start with "FSKA". The early color animations (also subfiles of BFRES files) start with 0x00000004, whereas the used ones start with "FSHU".
This early version of BFRES seems to have only 10 subfile types, whereas the used version has 12.
(Source: Stella (AboodXD), Wexos)
P_rcha.bfres#
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Early |
Final |
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P_rcha.bfres, the early version of CommonAnim.bfres, has some early animations for players in the Squirrel Suit. There are significantly less animations in the early file than in the final. It's named in the same way as the archive of common animations in New Super Mario Bros. Wii called "P_rcha.arc".
(Source: Stella (AboodXD))
Unused Ship Animations#
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To do: |
Watch on YouTubeInside each of the animations for the koopalings' ships exists 2 unused animations: Bomb and Escape. Each of these animations are nearly identical across the ships, except for Lemmy's, whose is entirely unique; Wendy's bomb animation also has one of her rings fall off of the cannon. Morton's animation is unfinished, with neither the propeller or screw being animated. Other than that, these animations seem to be in a somewhat finished state.
(Source: Kano2529)
Internal Name Oddities#
Models#
Name(s) |
Identification |
Translation |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
yoshichibi_green |
Balloon Baby Yoshi in intro |
- |
Located in \Common\demo\000\. This name suggests that the Balloon Baby Yoshi was once green, or a green Baby Yoshi once existed and was used in this cutscene in place of the Balloon Baby Yoshi. |
(Source: Original TCRF research)
Internal Project Name#
New Super Mario Bros. U is named cafe_redpro internally. "Cafe" is the Wii U's code name, and the "red" prefix is used for other Mario games. The internal name is also reflected in the game's two-letter code "RP".
Revisional Differences#
Nintendo has released three updates for this game. Each adds a little marker indicating the current version to the bottom-right corner of the title screen.
1.1.0
This day-one update adds Miiverse functionality to the game.
1.2.0
Released March 16, 2013. Changes which Miiverse community the game uses; in-game posts were moved to a separate one.
Early European 1.3.0
This build was uploaded to Nintendo's servers as NUS version 64 on June 6, 2013, but was never pushed to users as an update; the final European 1.3.0 build was uploaded as version 80 a week later on June 14 and released on June 20. The only difference from the assets in the final 1.3.0 build is the Portuguese version of ShadowFirstDemo_Message_05, a New Super Luigi U message string for which the translators had forgotten to change "Mario" to "Luigi":
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Early 1.3.0 (v64) |
Final 1.3.0 (v80) |
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Ai, isto é terrível! Alguém roubou as minhas coisas! E ele é tão rápido que não o consigo apanhar! Ajuda-me, Mario! |
Ai, isto é terrível! Alguém roubou as minhas coisas! E ele é tão rápido que não o consigo apanhar! Ajuda-me, Luigi! |
It also lacks a change to one of the methods of the ReflectionRenderObjLayer class that would appear in the final 1.3.0 build (TODO: what does it actually do?), possibly in addition to other code differences.
1.3.0
Released June 20, 2013. Adds Wii U Pro Controller functionality, and an option to download New Super Luigi U.