Game Art Styles

Super Mario Bros. Special

Hudson Soft · 1986

Side-scrolling · Platformer · PC

Dimension
2D
Rendering
Pixel art
Colors
BluePink
Shading
Dithered shading
Pixel details
8-bit, Dithering
Palette
Limited palette, Vibrant
Proportions
Exaggerated
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About

A single-player platform game developed by Hudson Soft under Nintendo license, featuring 32 new levels across eight worlds. Mario rescues Princess Toadstool, encountering enemies and items drawn from Super Mario Bros., Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong.

Art style

Super Mario Bros. Special (1986, Hudson Soft) is a 2D pixel art game played from a side-scrolling view. Its look is built from dithered shading. The palette is limited and vibrant.

Details

Release
Original release · MS-DOS / early PC
Developer
Hudson Soft
Publisher
Hudson Soft, Static Soft
Released
1986 Japan, NEC PC-8801
1986 Japan, Sharp X1
1989-03 South Korea, Samsung SPC-1500
Platforms
NEC PC-8801, Sharp X1, Samsung SPC-1500
Also known as
スーパーマリオブラザーズスペシャル (Japan)
Credits
Yukio Takeoka New Character by
Megumi Kawamata New Character by
Ichirō Sakurada Course Designed by
Tomohiko Nakajima Ending Demo by
Takashi Takebe Produced by
Links
mobygames · mariowiki.com

Screenshots 2

Related

Mario series 28 games

Super Mario Bros. screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1985Super Mario Bros.All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1986All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros. Special screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, dithered shading (environment)1986Super Mario Bros. SpecialSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, combat)1986Super Mario Bros.: The Lost LevelsSuper Mario Bros. 2 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1988Super Mario Bros. 2Super Mario Bros. 3 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, combat)1988Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Land screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1989Super Mario LandSuper Mario World screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, three-quarter, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1990Super Mario WorldSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)1992Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden CoinsSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (SNES) screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines (environment)1993Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (SNES)Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island screenshot: pixel art, hand-drawn, side-scrolling, black outlines, hatching (environment)1995Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's IslandSuper Mario 64 screenshot: low-poly, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)1996Super Mario 64Super Mario Advance screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, colored outlines (environment)2001Super Mario AdvanceSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, three-quarter, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, character)2001Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2Super Mario Sunshine screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2002Super Mario SunshineSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, dithered shading (environment)2003Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Galaxy screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2007Super Mario GalaxyNew Super Mario Bros. Wii screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)2009New Super Mario Bros. WiiSuper Mario Galaxy 2 screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character, combat)2010Super Mario Galaxy 2New Super Mario Bros. 2 screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2012New Super Mario Bros. 2New Super Mario Bros. U screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)2012New Super Mario Bros. USuper Mario 3D World screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, combat)2013Super Mario 3D WorldSuper Mario Odyssey screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2017Super Mario OdysseyNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe screenshot: stylized 3d, painterly, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment)2019New Super Mario Bros. U DeluxeSuper Mario Maker 2 screenshot: pixel art, stylized 3d, side-scrolling, flat / unlit (environment)2019Super Mario Maker 2Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, three-quarter, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2021Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's FurySuper Mario Bros. Wonder screenshot: stylized 3d, side-scrolling, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2023Super Mario Bros. WonderSuper Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Switch) screenshot: stylized 3d, third-person, no outlines, soft gradient (environment, character)2025Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Switch)

How the Mario art style changed over time →

Similar art style

Super Mario World screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, three-quarter, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)
Super Mario World
Pixel art · 2D · 1990
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Pixel art · 2D · 1992
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island screenshot: pixel art, hand-drawn, side-scrolling, black outlines, hatching (environment)
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Pixel art · 2D · 1995
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, dithered shading (environment)
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Pixel art · 2D · 2003
All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)
All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.
Pixel art · 2D · 1986
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, combat)
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Pixel art · 2D · 1986
Super Mario Bros. screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment)
Super Mario Bros.
Pixel art · 2D · 1985
Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic screenshot: pixel art, side-scrolling, black outlines, flat / unlit (environment, combat)
Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic
Pixel art · 2D · 1987