History VideoGame / SuperMarioBrosSpecial

* DropTheHammer: The hammer power-up from ''Donkey Kong'' appears in 3-4 and 5-1. Appropriately in its debut level, it is used to smash barrels.

Developed by Creator/HudsonSoft and originally released for the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/PC88 NEC PC-8801]] and UsefulNotes/SharpX1 computers in 1986 (two months after the [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Disk System]] sequel), and the South Korean Samsung SPC-1500 in 1987, ''Special'' attempted to emulate the gameplay and graphical style of the first ''Super Mario Bros.'', but mostly failed at both. Neither computer at the time was capable of displaying the right colors, and the NEC version did not even feature scrolling. The game did introduce interesting elements not present in the original, though, such as minor enemies from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' and ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' and new power-ups such as the Clock, which adds more seconds to the timer, and the Wing, which enables flight for a few seconds.

Developed by Creator/HudsonSoft and originally released for the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/PC88 NEC PC-8801]] and UsefulNotes/SharpX1 computers in 1986 (two months after the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Disk System]] sequel), and the South Korean Samsung SPC-1500 in 1987, ''Special'' attempted to emulate the gameplay and graphical style of the first ''Super Mario Bros.'', but mostly failed at both. Neither computer at the time was capable of displaying the right colors, and the NEC version did not even feature scrolling. The game did introduce interesting elements not present in the original, though, such as minor enemies from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' and ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' and new power-ups such as the Clock, which adds more seconds to the timer, and the Wing, which enables flight for a few seconds.

** In 2008, the game was given a port to the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] that reworks the entire game to work around the level format and limitations of the original ''Super Mario Bros''. In 2021, the port was further refined into the "35th Anniversary Edition", fully implementing the new power-ups and enemies, adding an alternate palette styled after the Sharp X1 version, and including much closer replicas of the original game's levels, backgrounds included.

* UpdatedRerelease: Averted. It's not just the only game in the classic ''Super Mario Bros.'' series not to be released as part of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAllStars'', but basically the only Mario platform game not to see some kind of official re-release at all.

** World 4-3's Coin Heaven, unique amongst any of the Coin Heavens from the original game, is a room bound up by blocks using the underground palette. Thanks to a programing oversight, the exit pipe, which normally would lead to under the staircase of mushrooms before the flagpole, is completely defective, leaving the player stuck and forced to wait out the timer.

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%%* SequelDifficultySpike:

* TimedMission: The timer drains [[UpToEleven even faster]] than in the original game, especially on faster hardware.

* FakeDifficulty: Most of the game's difficulty comes from trying to master its imprecise controls, sluggish speed, and awkward camera scrolling.

* DropTheHammer: The hammer power-up from ''Donkey Kong'' appears in 3-4 and 5-1. Appropriately, in its debut level, it is used to smash barrels.
* ExcusePlot: The exact same one as its predecessor, in fact.
* FakeDifficulty: Most of the game's difficulty comes from trying to master its imprecise controls and awkward camera scrolling.

** In the 2010's, two [=SMB1=]-styled fan projects would go on to have ''Super Mario Bros. Special'' playable in some format. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosCrossover'' includes both the ''Special'' levels and a skin set based on the Sharp X1 version (in addition to X1 versions of every character), and ''{{VideoGame/Mari0}}'' received a [[https://forum.stabyourself.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1364 downloadable mappack]] containing conversions of both the Sharp X1 and PC-88 versions ''Special''.

** World 4-3's Coin Heaven, unique amongst any of the Coin Heavens from the original game, is a room bound up by blocks using the underground palette. Thanks to a programing oversight, the exit pipe, which normally would lead to under the staircase of mushrooms before the flagpole, is completely defective, leaving the player stuck and forced to wait out the timer. The above-mentioned fan-remakes fix the exit pipe and give it a proper exit back to the main level, but the NES hack ''leaves the defective pipe intact''.

** In 2008, the game was given a port to the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] that reworks the entire game to work around the level format and limitations of the original ''Super Mario Bros''. Besides the simplified level layouts and backgrounds, the secret items and enemies introduced in ''Special'' are omitted, replaced with stationary 1up Mushrooms and the original game's enemy lineup respectively. In 2021, the port was further refined into the "35th Anniversary Edition", re-adding the new power-ups and enemies, alternate palette styled after the Sharp X1 version, and much closer replicas of the original game's levels.

* PipeMaze: Two of the castle levels (4-4 and 7-4) involve going down the correct pipe. For the first one, you just have to go down the correct pipe (the others just return you to the beginning), but for the second, you have to take a sequence of pipes: the first of which requires you to find a pair of hidden blocks to reach a pipe high up in the air, then ''re-enter'' the pipe you just came out'' to continue on.

What are the ''true'' "Lost Levels" to the classic ''VideoGame/{{Super Mario Bros|1}}.''? It can't be the American ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' since it's a DolledUpInstallment with different gameplay. Nor is it the Japanese ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', which was re-released internationally as the so-called "''Lost Levels''" on several occasions. No, the ''true'' "Lost Levels" is an obscure, [[NoExportForYou Asia-exclusive]] title called ''Super Mario Bros. Special''.

Developed by Creator/HudsonSoft and originally released for the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/PC88 NEC PC-8801]] and Sharp X1 computers in 1986 (two months after the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Disk System]] sequel), and the South Korean Samsung SPC-1500 in 1987, ''Special'' attempted to emulate the gameplay and graphical style of the first ''Super Mario Bros.'', but mostly failed at both. Neither computer at the time was capable of displaying the right colors, and the NEC version did not even feature scrolling. The game did introduce interesting elements not present in the original, though, such as minor enemies from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' and ''VideoGame/MarioBros'' and new power-ups such as the Clock, which adds more seconds to the timer, and the Wing, which enables flight for a few seconds.

* SealedRoomInTheMiddleOfNowhere:
** World 4-3's Coin Heaven's exit pipe does not work in any version of the game (barring fanmade ports/remakes) thanks to a developer oversight. There are no enemies or pits, either. You're stuck there until the timer runs out.
** There's a hidden WarpZone with a single pipe near the end of World 4-2 that traps Mario inside when he travels down it, again trapping him until the timer runs out.

** In 2008, the game was given a port to the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] that reworks the entire game to work around the level formats of the original. Besides the simplifying of level layouts and backgrounds, the secret items and enemies introduced in ''Special'' are omitted, replaced with stationary 1up Mushrooms and the original game's enemy lineup respectively. In 2021, the port was further refined into the "35th Anniversary Edition", re-adding the new power-ups and enemies, an alternate palette styled after the Sharp X1 version, and much closer replicas of the original game's levels.

* JumpPhysics: They're here, but good luck attempting to master them (Or tweaking your system's hardware to make it slightly more bearable).

* MissionPackSequel: ''Special'' is largely the same as the game it was built off it, but with more interesting level geometry and a few new enemies and secrets.

* RatchetScrolling: You cannot go backwards, just like in all the other games released at the time using ''Super Mario Bros.'' as a template (''Vs'', ''Lost Levels'', and ''All Night Nippon'').

* BonusStage: The secret underground coin rooms and Coin Heaven return, with each one sporting a unique design (compared to the original game, which would re-use the layouts of bonus stages in later levels).

* FakeDifficulty: Most of the game's difficulty comes from trying to master its imprecise controls.

** The levels in ''Super Mario Bros. Special'' are playable in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosCrossover'' (alongside ''The Lost Levels'', with slight improvements and no PC-88 skin) and ''{{VideoGame/Mari0}}'' (by downloading a map pack online). The game has also been fan-ported to the NES. The NES port lacks many of the original game's interesting stage designing capabilities thanks to the lack of free tile placement[[note]]such as underwater tiles or Coin Heaven clouds in overworld stages, larger trees and mountains in the background, overworld/underground blocks placed higher than the bottom two rows, and long horizontal pipes[[/note]] since it runs off the limitations of the original ''[=SMB1=]''. None of the bonus items or new enemies were ported over either due to the lack of space in the game's graphics, being replaced with stationary 1UP Mushrooms or the original game's enemies respectively.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/smbspecial_2331.png]]

** The single Pipe of the supposed WarpZone in 4-2 has no definable exit, leaving the player stuck in it until the timer runs out. [[spoiler:''Super Mario Bros. Crossover'' turned this room into an exclusive bonus room with a plethora of coins and an item that fully powers up the character who collects it.]]