10 replies to this topic

[Anthus]

 

Anyone else wonder why a few select stages in this game have larger level markers? I've often wondered about this, and have looked around the internet, and came to the conclusion that no one really knows why some seemingly random levels are bigger. Some people suggest it means the stage is longer, and some others suggest that it means (in a red level) that the exit is not a keyhole, but a separate goal post, but both of these aren't consistent. 

 

What do you think they mean? My personal theory is they are left over from an earlier time in development, and may have had a purpose, but then that changed, but they got left in the game likely cause the game was rushed slightly, or they could have just missed it.

 

Or it's completely meaningless, but it just looks odd.

[The Satellite]

Clearly they just ate a super mushroom.

[Nicholas Steel]

Perhaps it means the level has multiple routes through it? Not necessarily multiple exits. It could also have meant something along the lines of a difficulty indicator or some mini-boss encounter.

Edited by Nicholas Steel, 31 July 2017 - 01:38 PM.

[Dark Ice Dragon]

Perhaps it means the level has multiple routes through it? Not necessarily multiple exits. It could also have meant something along the lines of a difficulty indicator or some mini-boss encounter.

 

i thnk is right,but i must have the original manual of the game somewhere...i will try to look it

[TheLegend_njf]

According to a few quick google searches of my own. It's actually a well known mystery. There is no current answer. It must have had some purpose that got lost during development.

Red Circles are the ones with multiple exits.

[Dark Ice Dragon]

and the bigs are the longer levels, i guess

[Joelmacool]

Might be a design choice to create a variety of different level markers?

[Dark Linkael]

I'm rather a specialist in betas and older versions of video games. I feel that this is a forgetfulness of Nintendo, especially for the big yellow circle, it is the only one in the game. For others, I do not know at all. It's a little strange. I think it's just to vary, or maybe the size of the level (there are only four large circle in total, so I have doubts for both hypotheses). But as usual, only Nintendo knows the answer.

I had not noticed that, good observation.

[Cukeman]

 

 

 

Looks like there are only four in the whole game. Maybe the big markers (and castles) were originally points where you could save the game. 50-75% of them are the first levels in a new area. 75% of them are found on branching paths, maybe they were originally branching paths that Nintendo wanted to be more obvious. The big yellow marker contradicts that. That's all I've got.

Edited by Cukeman, 31 July 2017 - 08:16 PM.

[Anthus]

75% of them are found on branching paths, maybe they were originally branching paths that Nintendo wanted to be more obvious. The big yellow marker contradicts that. That's all I've got.

Huh, now that's a good point, and makes the most sense, except for that yellow one.

It's one of those things I've wondered about ever since I was a kid, and might be one of the best guarded secrets in gaming.

 

(And it looks like who ever took these screens used an emulator, and turned off the border layer in the underground maps for some reason )

[Dark Linkael]

Even with the hack, it's impossible to know the exact reason. It will certainly remain a mystery forever, unless Nintendo talks about it, but since it's a tiny detail, it's unlikely to happen.

While for example it is easier to understand why there was a red switch in the Valley of Bowser in an older version and why it was moved to Vanilla Dome.