Editing Mario Bros. Special

{{italic title}}
{{distinguish|Super Mario Bros. Special}}
{{game infobox
|image=[[File:Mariopkg.jpg|250px]]<br>Box art of the PC-8801 version.
|developer=[[Hudson Soft]]
|publisher=Hudson Soft
|release='''PC-8801, PC-8001mkII, PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, Sharp X1, Sharp MZ-1500, Sharp MZ-2200, FM-7, Hitachi S1, SMC-777'''<br>{{flag list|Japan|August 1984}} '''PC-9801''' <br>{{flag list|Japan|1985<ref>http://nintendoera.com/discussing-hudsons-mario-games-with-native-japanese-speaker-bando/</ref>{{dead link}}}}
|genre=Retro/[[Genre#Platform|Platformer]]
|modes=Up to two players simultaneously
|platforms=PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, PC-8001, PC-8801mkII, PC-9801, FM-7, Sharp X1, Sharp MZ-1500, Sharp MZ-2200, Hitachi S1, and SMC-777
|format=5.25-inch floppy, Cassette
}}
'''''Mario Bros. Special''''' (マリオブラザーズ スペシャル) is a game developed and released by [[Hudson Soft]] in 1984. The game had versions for the PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, PC-8001,<ref>[https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/2021/06/mario-bros-special-nec-pc-8001-tape-dump-and-scans/ ''Mario Bros. Special (NEC PC-8001) Tape Dump and Scans'']</ref> PC-8801mkII, PC-9801, FM-7, Sharp X1, Sharp MZ-1500, Sharp MZ-2200, Hitachi S1,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VajCl6-jWwY ''Mario Bros. Special - Versions Comparison]</ref> and SMC-777,<ref>[https://rhodblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/y-auctions-93-mario-bros-special-sony-smc-777/ ''Image of the box of the SMC-777 version.'']</ref> most of which had noticeable differences between each other (palette, sound, flow of gameplay, etc.). About two years after ''Mario Bros. Special'' and ''[[Punch Ball Mario Bros.]]'' were released, Hudson released ''[[Super Mario Bros. Special]]''.
==Gameplay==
Like ''Punch Ball Mario Bros.'', the game is not a straight port of ''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'', but more of a sequel. It has adjustments to the game's graphics and sounds and even a [[Time Limit]]. Players start with four lives but there is no way of getting an [[extra life]].

There are four different wraparound screens. In the first, Mario must make his way to the top of the screen through four platforms with moving gaps, avoiding enemies in later stages. Once there, he must hit five switches, twice each, and quickly make it to either side before the switches deactivate.

For the second stage, Mario must jump on trampolines to stun enemies and kick them off, avoiding a green fireball once it appears. Once all enemies are gone, a platform will appear at the top of the screen, and jumping onto it will complete the stage.

In the third stage, Mario must take the [[lift]] up to the top [[Conveyor Belt]]s and collect disappearing dollar signs while avoiding enemies, which can be stunned by jumping on the conveyor belts while they are on them like the trampolines above. Once six dollar signs have been collected, a ring will appear at the top of the screen, and getting onto the moving platform, from there onto the top middle one, and touching it will complete the stage.

Finally, the fourth screen is a bonus stage with no enemies. If Mario collects all eight dollar signs before the time runs out, a ring will appear at the top for extra bonus points. In later stages, the platforms have moving gaps like the first screen.

==Enemies==
Excluding [[fireball (obstacle)|fireball]]s, there can be no more than six enemies per phase. Unlike in ''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'', enemies do not change color or move faster after righting themselves up or becoming the last enemy on screen. There are two ways of dispatching enemies. The first way is to jump over or right next to them and hit a platform or object above the player. This will not permanently defeat them but send them back to the pipes to respawn and awards 100 points. The second and permanent method is to stun them while they are on the trampolines or conveyor belts and kicking them for 800 points. Defeating multiple enemies in a row will give higher scores.
*[[Shellcreeper]] - behaves like the enemies in the original game, they first appear in Phase 2.
*[[Sidestepper]] - acts identically to Shellcreepers but will have an angry face after righting themselves. They make their introduction in Phase 6.
*[[Fighter Fly|Fighterfly]] - hopping enemies that are difficult to stun, they first appear in Phase 9.
*[[Fireball (obstacle)|Green fireball]] - this invincible enemy only appears in trampoline stages whenever Mario lingers too long in one area beginning with Phase 2. Like in the original game, it travels horizontally in a wavy pattern.
*[[Fireball (obstacle)|Red fireball]] - also invincible, it only appears in conveyor belt stages starting with Phase 35. It makes diagonal patrols in the space between the top platforms and the moving platform. Starting in Phase 51, it is joined by a second red fireball.

==Pre-release and unused content==
The July 1984 issue of ''Micom Basic Magazine'' had screenshots published by Hudson Soft to advertise the then-upcoming game. Since this was prior to release, there are several differences between these screenshots and the final game. The most notable changes were made to the third stage, which was seemingly going to simply be a harder version of the second stage with conveyor belts in place of the trampoline. Interestingly, the early version of the second stage has its trampoline layout reversed, while the conveyor belt layout of the early version of the third stage matches the trampoline layout of the final second stage.

==Trivia==
*The music on the title screen is the "level complete" theme from the [[Family Computer]] conversion of ''{{wp|Lode Runner}}'' (later used for the title screen music of ''{{wp|Championship Lode Runner}}''), released by Hudson the same year.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
MBS and DK3DG Flyer.jpg|Flyer promoting both ''Mario Bros. Special'' and ''[[Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū]]''
Mario Bros Special Mario Sprite.png|[[Mario]]
Mario Bros Special Luigi Sprite.png|[[Luigi]]
Mario Bros Special Shellcreeper Sprite.png|[[Shellcreeper]]
Mario Bros Special Sidestepper Sprite.png|[[Sidestepper]]
Mario Bros Special Fighter Fly Sprite.png|[[Fighter Fly]]
Mariospecial.gif|Title screen of the game
Mariospecial2.gif|Phase 1, 5, etc. Holes constantly move in the platforms.
Mariospecial4.gif|Phase 2, 6, etc. Trampolines bounce enemies onto their backs.
Mariospecial6.gif|Phase 3, 7, etc. Conveyor belts and lifts
MBSlvl4.gif|Phase 4, 8, etc. Bonus stage
MBS Prerelease 1.jpg|Pre-release version of the first stage, circa July 1984
MBS Prerelease 2.jpg|Pre-release version of the second stage, circa July 1984
MBS Prerelease 3.jpg|Pre-release version of the third stage, circa July 1984
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[https://wayback.archive.org/web/20110710215536/http://andre.facadecomputer.com/saw/pc88.html Strange and Wonderful NEC PC-8801 Games] (various games covered, including ''Mario Bros. Special'')
*[https://www.gamingalexandria.com/highquality/hitachi5/Mario%20Bros%20Special/Mario%20Bros%20Special%20-%20Manual.pdf Instruction manual]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS0ZnM5NzqI Gameplay video of ''Mario Bros. Special'' for the NEC PC-8001 MK II]
*[https://youtu.be/plb8aeqz5Qk Gameplay video of ''Mario Bros. Special'' for the SMC-777]
{{Super Mario games}}
{{Computer}}
[[Category:Mario Bros. series]]
[[Category:1984 games]]
[[Category:Japan-only games]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Platforming games]]
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