The Super Mario franchise is one that undoubtedly needs no introduction. The titular plumber is arguably the most iconic video game character in the world, and indeed, the number of games starring him and his brother Luigi is astronomical. Mario has had countless adventures in his neverending quest to protect Princess Peach from the clutches of the evil Bowser, but Super Mario World remains one of his most iconic appearances. Super Mario World was first released for the SNES in Japan in 1990, and Western audiences received it the following year. The game introduced Yoshi, Mario’s beloved dinosaur companion, and it is generally considered one of the greatest video games ever made.
Super Mario World Premise
As with so many other Mario games, the plot of Super Mario World revolves around Mario and Luigi attempting to save Princess Peach from Bowser. This time the action takes place in a new realm known as Dinosaur Land, where Bowser has not only kidnapped Peach, but imprisoned Yoshi and his dinosaur friends in eggs throughout the realm. Super Mario World, like many entries in the franchise, is a 2D platformer. The overworld between levels boasts a particularly nonlinear design, and players can even find secret Star Road routes to skip much of the game.
Of course, the biggest selling point for Super Mario World is Yoshi. While you’re mounted on this iconic dinosaur companion, you can command him to eat almost any enemy in the game. If that enemy is a Koopa, Yoshi can then spit out their shell and use it as a projectile. Colored Koopas even give Yoshi special powers based on the color of their shell. These can be invaluable, both in combat and in platforming. The game is also the debut of the Cape Feather. Using his now-iconic yellow cape, Mario can glide through the air for extended periods of time.
Super Mario World Main Characters
The character roster of Super Mario World contains some of the most iconic figures in the video game industry. Even though the actual game, like most entries in the franchise, is light on narrative and story, the lovable characters of the Mario universe persist. Here are the major players in Dinosaur Land during the events of Super Mario World.
- Mario: The legendary plumber and hero of the Mushroom Kingdom is undeniably recognizable by his trademark mustache, overalls, and red shirt and hat. His happy smile and cheery demeanor have helped him become an undisputed legend of the video game industry.
- Luigi: During multiplayer sessions of Super Mario World, the second player controls Luigi, Mario’s brother. His green take on Mario’s iconic look is no less recognizable to fans. Over the years, Luigi has had plenty of his own chances to shine in the spotlight.
- Princess Peach: Otherwise known as Princess Toadstool, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom is a beloved figure and constant companion to the Mario brothers. Super Mario World, like many early entries in the franchise, casts her as a damsel in distress to be rescued by the brothers, but subsequent entries have given her ample opportunity to shine in her own right.
- Bowser: The villainous King Koopa has been a constant nemesis of Mario since Super Mario Bros in 1985. While Super Mario World casts him in a similar role, he’s occasionally displayed a softer side. Surprisingly enough, some spinoffs have even seen him join Mario and friends for a friendly game of tennis or a go-kart race.
- Yoshi: Mario’s beloved dinosaur sidekick makes his debut in Super Mario World. This title establishes many of the hallmarks that would come to define his role in future games, such as his penchant for eating enemies and his role as a companion and mount for Mario.
Super Mario World Titles in the Series
The greater Mario franchise is unquestionably one of the most prolific media franchises in the world. The IP has spread well past video games to include TV shows, toys and board games, food, movies, and even a theme park in Universal Studios. This year also saw the release of a major motion picture centered on the iconic plumber, featuring the vocal talents of big name actors like Chris Pratt and Jack Black.
Even in the world of video games, however, Mario’s repertoire is extensive. The franchise has spun off into most video game genres you could mention, such as sports sims, kart racers, and turn-based RPGs. When most people think of Mario, however, they think of the Super Mario games, a series of over twenty platforming titles that most agree are the plumber’s bread and butter. Here are the entries in the core Super Mario franchise. Nintendo is also working on a new entry, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, slated for release this year.
- Super Mario Bros. (1985)
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986)
- Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
- Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
- Super Mario Land (1989)
- Super Mario World (1990)
- Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (1992)
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1995)
- Super Mario 64 (1996)
- Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
- New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
- Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009)
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
- Super Mario 3D Land (2011)
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012)
- New Super Mario Bros. U (2012)
- Super Mario 3D World (2013)
- Super Mario Maker (2015)
- Super Mario Run (2016)
- Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
- Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)
- Super Mario World 3D + Bowser’s Fury (2021)
Super Mario World Cheat Codes
Unfortunately, Super Mario World did not launch with any built-in cheat codes. The concept of the video game cheat code was a relatively new idea at this period, and accordingly, it had yet to be embraced by some developers. Even though games like Super Mario World didn’t officially support it, enterprising players found a way.
In order to use cheat codes in Super Mario World, you need a Game Genie. These cheat code cartridges allow you to modify the data of a game in a wide variety of ways, such as obtaining extra lives, items and more. While a physical Game Genie can be as hard to find as a working SNES these days, most emulators feature support for ROMs based on the original hardware. So if you have a Game Genie or a Game Genie ROM, here are some of the codes you can use to your advantage in Super Mario World.
- DDB4-6F07: Start with 1 life.
- D6B4-6F07: Start with 9 lives.
- D3B4-6F07: Start with 15 lives.
- F6B4-6F07: Start with 25 lives.
- 7FB4-6F07: Start with 50 lives.
- 14B4-6F07: Start with 99 lives.
- C222-D4DD: Start with infinite lives.
- D964-A7D7 or D967-AFA7: Gain an extra life at 5 coins.
- DC64-A7D7 or DC67-AFA7: Gain an extra life at 10 coins.
- F064-A7D7 or F067-AFA7: Gain an extra life at 20 coins.
- 7464-A7D7 or 7467-AFA7: Gain an extra life at 50 coins.
- DD32-6DAD: Gain permanent invincibility.
- D032-6DAD: Gain fake invisibility.
- 3E32-6DAD: Remove all enemies.
- D2E5-A7AD: Gain an extra life with every single Dragon Coin instead of every five Dragon Coins.
- DD64-A7D7 or DD67-AFA7: Gain an extra life with every regular or Yoshi coin.
- 31B7-6F07: Start as Super Mario.
- D4B7-6DA7: Start as Cape Mario.
- D7B7-6DA7: Start as Fire Mario.
- DEB7-6DA7: Start as Funky Mario.
- EDA5-0F6F: Enable water world.
- 7732-6DAD: Activate fake Fire Mario.
- CBED-6DDF: Retain a powerup when you get hit by enemies.
- CB28-DF6D: Retain a powerup when you fall to your death.
- 6267-AF97: Restart halfway through a level when you die.
- FD32-6DAD: Switch between Mario and Luigi.
- C264-64D7: Activate infinite time.
- EDA5-0F6F, 61A5-040F, or 61A6-0D6F: Make Mario slide.
- DF2C-AF6F: Activate mega jump.
- D02C-AF6F: Activate low jump.
- 336B-D4D0: Activate multi-jump and low gravity.
- 4D2C-AF0F: Activate low gravity.
- D42C-AF6F: Activate super jump.
- 232C-AF6F: Activate jackhammer jump.
- CBEA-6DAD: Unlock the ability to swing in all levels.
- DD2C-AF6F: Enables Mario to jump and float until you release the jump key.
- EE2C-AF6F: Enables you to float around by holding the B button.
- 0DED-AFDF: Activates night mode.
- EECD-AF6F: Skips worlds.
- 62C3-64DF: Exit the level through the second door after starting it.
- B286-07E9: Turns on all green blocks in the level.
- 89E4-AFD9 or 89C6-D4DB: Makes Yoshi invincible.
- DFCE-64A0: Evolves Little Yoshi into Big Yoshi when he eats one enemy.
- D4CE-64A0: Evolves Little Yoshi into Big Yoshi when he eats two enemies.
- D7CE-64A0: Evolves Little Yoshi into Big Yoshi when he eats three enemies.
- D0CE-64A0: Evolves Little Yoshi into Big Yoshi when he eats four enemies.
- DECE-64A0: Evolves Little Yoshi into Big Yoshi when he eats thirteen enemies.
- F8CE-64A0: Evolves Little Yoshi into Big Yoshi when he eats twenty-five enemies.
- DFE3-D7A0: Lets Yoshi hatch a mushroom after collecting 1 berry.
- DBE3-DF00: Lets Yoshi hatch a cloud after collecting 1 berry.
- 62C2-DF0D: Lets you play as Yoshi after you die.
- 62C1-ADAB: Lets you start most stages with a flying Yoshi.
- C2EC-0700: Gives Yoshi infinite flight.
- DDE0-07A0: Gives Yoshi wings and flight without the required shell.
- 82E9-64A0 or 82E2-04D0: Makes every Yoshi item infinite.
- B9E5-A4AD or F8E5-A7DD: Gives Mario Yoshi wings when you collect a Yoshi coin.
- 62C0-AFA1: Gives you 4000 points for kicking an empty shell.
- DDEA-6F07 or DDB2-AFD8: Shoot fireballs straight.
- D5EB-6F07: Shoot rapid fireballs.
- C23B-AF07: Stomp on eight enemies to get a powerup.
- EDA5-0F6F: Choose a powerup to obtain.
- EDB7-0FBD: Teleport to Star World.
- 2D80-0DE1 or ED8B-0D89: Reverse Switch Palace blocks.
Super Mario World FAQ
What is the secret world in Super Mario World? The mystical world of Dinosaur Land hides more than its fair share of secrets for Mario to discover. There are two secret areas for you to find in Super Mario World. The first, Star World, is a mysterious star-shaped realm that you can find through any of the game’s hidden Star Roads. Star World boasts five levels, and a hidden exit in the fifth level leads to the true final area in the game. The Special Zone features eight levels, all of which crank the difficulty up to extreme degrees. Beating all of these challenging levels will completely transform the rest of the game. All throughout Dinosaur Land, the season will shift to fall, and the enemies will be completely transformed.
Can you play Super Mario World on Nintendo Switch? Nintendo Switch owners who subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online gain access to SNES Online, a curated collection of classic SNES titles that you can play at no additional cost. Super Mario World is one of the many classic SNES games available through this program. Unfortunately, the Switch offers no official ROM support, so you won’t be able to use any of the Game Genie codes listed above.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Nintendo.