Atari 800 Mario Brothers - Unreleased?

[ColecoFan1981]

Is it true that the Mario Bros. (1983) port for the Atari XL computers was never actually released?

 

If so, then that means there were virtually no official computer-based ports of MB at all, at least not here in the USA (prior to the 1988 Atari XEGS port, which itself was an improvement on the original 5200 cartridge port and with audio inspired by the Nintendo FamiCom/NES version of the same game).

 

It would also mean that the so-called "XL" ports of the game I'm seeing was just the 5200 console version's ROM burned onto other media.

 

The unreleased pre-1984 ports (USA):

Atari XL (just a transfer from the 5200)

Apple II (partially finished)

Commodore 64 (finished)

 

Pre-1984 ports of Mario Bros. that were released in the USA:

Atari 2600

Atari 5200

 

Post-1984 ports (USA availability):

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (also was a bonus mini-game within Super Mario Bros. 3)

Atari 7800

Atari XEGS

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (as a bonus mini-game within Super Mario Bros. 3)

Game Boy Advance (as a bonus game on all four Super Mario Advance titles, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga)

 

~Ben

Edited May 30, 2013 by ColecoFan1981

[Scooter83]

From what I've learned they ported the 5200 over to the 8 bit but due to the crash of 83 it was shelved. When the xegs came out a few other titles were taken off the selves and released. Crystal castles is one title that comes to mind. For some reason I guess Atari thought it aged badly from 83 to 88 and redid the whole game. Yet the title screen still shows the the * and # that was found on the controllers for the 5200

[Kr0tki]

You're right, ColecoFan1981, the 5200 version of Mario Bros. was never released on the 8-bits by Atari. To this day no prototype cartridge has been found, so it is unclear if Atari even started to port the game to the 8-bits.

 

The version Scooter83 refers to is an unofficial hack made by Glenn the 5200 Man.

Edited May 30, 2013 by Kr0tki

[Tempest]

There's a prototype version of Mario Bros. for the 8-bit floating around. I did a review on it: http://www.atariprot...s/mariobros.htm

 

A pre-production box exists as well (a large silver one), you can see if in the background of one of the CES pictures.

 

Also, I think the Apple II version was complete (although not released). I played the hell out of that one back in the day and never found any bugs or missing features.

[bbking67]

Are you sure mb was a bonus with smb3??? I think that is true for the gameboy advance port, but I don't recall seeing it on nes or snes (snes version is in the collection package)

[MrFish]

Are you sure mb was a bonus with smb3??? I think that is true for the gameboy advance port, but I don't recall seeing it on nes or snes (snes version is in the collection package)

 

I recall playing it in the NES version and I've never played the GameBoy Advance version.

[Scooter83]

You're right, ColecoFan1981, the 5200 version of Mario Bros. was never released on the 8-bits by Atari. To this day no prototype cartridge has been found, so it is unclear if Atari even started to port the game to the 8-bits.

 

The version Scooter83 refers to is an unofficial hack made by Glenn the 5200 Man.

 

I thought the original 8 bit program was model RX8051 which was a 5200 cross over. and then shelved and reprogrammed again and finally released RX8103 part number. I thought. :/

[Tempest]

I thought the original 8 bit program was model RX8051 which was a 5200 cross over. and then shelved and reprogrammed again and finally released RX8103 part number. I thought. :/

That's my understanding. It was programmed on the 5200 and then ported to the 8-bit when it was done, but not released. The XE release by Sculptured Software is a completely different (and much better) version.

[The Usotsuki]

SMB3 - In 2P mode, if a player selects the other player's location, it turns into a round of Mario Bros. - this is true even on NES.

[Paul Westphal]

Brad at Best electronics just sold the last new 're-done' blue box XE version for $49.99. I missed it by a friggon day. I see single carts on ebay here and there though.

[Paul Westphal]

Rx8103 is correct.

[Kr0tki]

There's a prototype version of Mario Bros. for the 8-bit floating around. I did a review on it: http://www.atariprot...s/mariobros.htm

 

Tempest, the only version I've ever seen "in the wild" is the one by Glenn. The highlighed text on the title screen that you've mentioned in your review is actually a feature typical of Glenn's conversions (it also exists in Glenn's conversion of Moon Patrol). Are you sure that you didn't mistakenly review the Glenn's version? The collection you published last year does not contain the Mario Bros. ROM.

[Tempest]

The highlighed text on the title screen that you've mentioned in your review is actually a feature typical of Glenn's conversions (it also exists in Glenn's conversion of Moon Patrol). Are you sure that you didn't mistakenly review the Glenn's version?

It's possible I suppose, I'm not sure where I got the rom from. Why did he do a conversion of Moon Patrol when the game was officially released on the 5200?

[Kr0tki]

I don't know for sure - maybe he did it before the official port for the 8-bits was released.

[kenfused]

Most/all glenn the 5200 man conversions usually also display the credit when you press control-g

[slampam]

Take a look at the last ad: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/172776-nostalgic-colecovision-catalog-ads/

 

Wards 1984 xmas; direct link to ad: http://atariage.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=181211

[Magic Knight]

Just for the record....

 

 

I had the chance to buy this for £40 (from Retro games uk) and dwelled for too long and it got snapped up.

Edited August 30, 2013 by Magic Knight

[oky2000]

You're not missing much, the perfectly acceptable port to the C64 by Ocean software proves that, compared to other C64 games at least, Mario Bros is a game that is a £1.99 budget game at best and even then it is vastly inferior to 100s of superlative £1.99 C64 games like Thrust/Slicks/Park Patrol/Panther/Action Biker....etc etc

 

It's worth a fortune but I will never load it up again in my life lol

[Magic Knight]

I love the Arcade version on my Mame machine, but i could try the A8 version on Altirra for comparison,

 

Its a nice looking package non-the-less!

 

Ps - Action Biker - my first 'bought' game back in '84/85 - (no i didnt nick them before that either!)

Edited August 30, 2013 by Magic Knight

[oky2000]

To me it just seems like a Game & Watch game engine running on a full blown micro computer

 

I have it for the 7800 too without even ever looking for it lol guess that's just how it is when collecting back in the past when job lots were cheap lol

[Magic Knight]

(in order) Arcade Original, Atari 8 bit and mario graphics on a game and watch.

 

If the A8 is a bad port- ive seen a lot worse...

Edited September 4, 2013 by Magic Knight

[Benighted]

That's my understanding. It was programmed on the 5200 and then ported to the 8-bit when it was done, but not released. The XE release by Sculptured Software is a completely different (and much better) version.

Do you know who in Sculptured that programmed the game?

[Tempest]

Do you know who in Sculptured that programmed the game?

I do not, but I think most of the Sculptured Software programmers are known (for their games on other systems). I suppose it would just be a matter of tracking down a few and asking.

[The Usotsuki]

LOL, I mainly know Sculptured for their work on SNES Mortal Kombat 1 and 2. xD 2 especially was much better than Probe's version on the Genesis.