It's the Silver Anniversary of Super Mario Bros.! (special WTMK broadcast)

[David]

It's the 25th anniversary of the release of Super Mario Bros. in Japan.  Twenty-five years ago, on September 13th, 1985, the first Super Mario game was released to the public.  Folks in the U.S.A. only had to wait about a month for the game's October 18th release.

To celebrate, WTMK is playing a special broadcast, playing only tunes from the mainline Super Mario game series.  No Wario, no Donkey Kong, and no Yoshi spinoffs - just pure Super Mario.

[TJ Spyke]

The United States did NOT get the game in October 1985. The exact release date isn't known, but it was released in early 1986 (even Nintendo itself has said it came out in March 1986).

[Deezer]

The United States did NOT get the game in October 1985. The exact release date isn't known, but it was released in early 1986 (even Nintendo itself has said it came out in March 1986).

Do you remember the source? I'm looking at two that point to October 1985. NOA's press site says "Originally released on NES, October 18, 1985" for SMB on Virtual Console, and all the SMB-related trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee say "10/1985," for example: http://themushroomkingdom.net/mariopedia/trophy/goomba.jpg

[David]

Do you remember the source? I'm looking at two that point to October 1985. NOA's press site says "Originally released on NES, October 18, 1985" for SMB on Virtual Console, and all the SMB-related trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee say "10/1985," for example: http://themushroomkingdom.net/mariopedia/trophy/goomba.jpg

Hmm... when was the New York, regional release of the NES?  The one that predates the nationwide release?  A cursory internet search seems to say that the NES was released in New York on October 18th, 1985 - but the list of initial release games doesn't contain SMB.

I seem to recall reading, in multiple places, about the limited initial release - and that includes SMB not being in the initial release.  I, however, was assuming the October '85 date was the national and it was an earlier date for a regional, but that's clearly not correct.

I could see NOA being wrong about this.  Perhaps we should contact them.

[TJ Spyke]

The problem with claiming it was available in October 1985 (when they were only doing a test launch in the New York City area, they expanded the test to Los Angeles in February 1986 and went national in August 1986) is that there is no evidence to support it. Take Steven Kent's excellent book "The Ultimate History of Video Games" for example. When talking about the NYC launch, it says the game was not available for it. On another page, it says that Nintendo had so much success bundling the game with the Famicom by the end of 1985 that a few months later they would have a US version ready (which means it would be impossible to be out one month after the Japanese release).

In the Iwata Asks column for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the translator adds a note that SMB was released in the US in March 1986 (http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/nsmb/vol1_page3.jsp). There is also Nintendo saying that the Super Mario series made its debut in 1986 at http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/PmV4HM8Q3GOK5Z6J10VSzyaDDg7m-YVF

I realize Nintendo's official line is that it came out in October 1985, but the earliest any source I can find is POSSIBLY a late November 1985 release (apparently a Macy's ad for Black Friday, but I can't verify the authenticity).

[Deezer]

There is also Nintendo saying that the Super Mario series made its debut in 1986 at http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/PmV4HM8Q3GOK5Z6J10VSzyaDDg7m-YVF

Thanks for the links. The funny thing about that article saying 1986 is that at the end it links to http://mariobroswii.com, which says 1985 under Extras -> Timeline.

[Chupperson Weird]

Would it really take that long to make a "US version" of the game? Yes they would have to print new boards and make cartridge labels, but they didn't change any of the game code.

[Deezer]

So, Wikipedia already investigated this.

Here's a good recap: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Super_Mario_Bros.#1986_NA_release_date

And here's the Macy's ad from Nov. 17 1985 that TJ Spyke mentioned: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Super_Mario_Bros.#Possible_Confirmation_of_1985_Release_Date

Until NOA reveals whatever proof they have of an October 18, 1985 release, the earliest verifiable date we have is November 17, 1985.

[Weegee]

Would it really take that long to make a "US version" of the game? Yes they would have to print new boards and make cartridge labels, but they didn't change any of the game code.

In the Japanese version, King Koopa is Franklin D. Roosevelt and Princess Toadstool is the atomic bombs that levelled Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The object of the game is to steal the nukes, thus changing history and bringing victory to glorious Nippon.