Releases

The two versions compared on this page are the following:

The Japanese version shown here was released about nine months after the U.S. version. Therefore, in the following comparisons we have the U.S. version listed first.

Menu screen

In the Japanese version, a flashing "NEW" appears above the Photo Album if there are pictures you have not viewed.

Japanese version

Saving

Status and score

In the U.S. version, when you resume a saved game, you will always start as small Mario, and your score will be back to zero. In the Japanese version, Mario's form (small, Super, or Fiery) and your score are both saved. (Note: This change introduced a glitch where you can become small Fiery Mario...)

Menu screens

After saving from the pause screen, "Save OK!" replaced "Save Done".

U.S. version	Japanese version

The two-part Game Over screen in the U.S. version ("Continue? Yes/No" => "Save? Yes/No") was combined into one screen in the Japanese version. Additionally, a flashing "Rank in!" lets you know if you have a score worthy of the records list.

Japanese version

Unlocking modes

The Japanese version received another improvement: When you reach 100,000 and 300,000 points (the requirements for unlocking You Vs Boo and "SMB for Super Players" mode, respectively), you don't have to purposely lose all your lives to get a game over to unlock the hidden modes. Once you break the point requirements in the Japanese version, the new modes are automatically added to the menu screen.

Challenge mode

Score Medals

In the Japanese version, the "scores to beat" for Worlds 1-1 through 4-4 were lowered, except for the scores in W2-3 and W3-4, which stayed the same.

U.S. version	Japanese version

For example, in World 1-1 the target score dropped from 32,000 to 26,000. Here's a chart of all the score changes:

Background colors

The level select screen's background color starts off as green and will change to orange, red, and blue as your total score increases. The point requirements for orange and red are different in each version.

Note: In both versions, you need 1,160,000 total points to completely fill the score bar and change the background to blue.

You Vs Boo

Level select screen

The Japanese version received some interesting changes here. First of all, "You Vs Boo" was renamed "You Vs Ghost" (Boo's Japanese name is "Teresa," but it's possible Nintendo wanted a shorter word due to the limited screen space). Also, the game saves your time-remaining record for each level, which is displayed next to your win/loss totals.

U.S. version	Japanese version

In both versions, you start as either Mario or Luigi (whoever was last used in the Original 1985 mode) and you can press the Select button to change from Small to Super to Fiery and back. While in the You Vs Boo mode, the U.S. version doesn't let you switch from Mario to Luigi or vice-versa, but the Japanese version does; you can cycle through both brothers and their forms by pressing the Select button.

Boo sprites

Two of Boo's sprites were slightly modified for the Japanese release.

U.S.	Japan

(Pictures enlarged to show detail.)

Records screen

On the Ranking (records) screen, the Japanese version lists the characters' Japanese names for the default scores. The only name that doesn't match up is the 9th place entry: Toad and Pakkun. "Pakkun" is from "Pakkun Flower," Piranha Plant's Japanese name; "Kinopio" is Toad's Japanese name. Most likely "Kinopio" wasn't used because it would be too long for the six-character-wide name field.

U.S. version	Japanese version

Pressing Start at the Japanese version's Ranking screen brings up the "Erase ranking?" option, which lets you reset all scores.

Japanese version

Album

The Japanese version has new requirements to unlock the pictures on pages 4 and 5 of the photo album. Both pages have a large photo split up into four pieces. In the U.S. version, each piece is unlocked by defeating each Bowser with fireballs (page 4 is for the Bowsers in Worlds 1 through 4, and page 5 is for the Bowsers in Worlds 5 through 8). In the Japanese version, you unlock one piece for every four Red Coins you collect in Challenge mode.

Here's what the comments say for pages 4 and 5 in each version:

Page 4:

U.S. version	Japanese version

• U.S.: "You blazed the first 4 Bowsers!"
• Japan: あかコインを 4まいいじょう あつめた! (Translation: "You collected 4 or more Red Coins!")

Page 5:

U.S. version	Japanese version

• U.S.: "You blazed the last 4 Bowsers!"
• Japan: あかコインを 20まいいじょう あつめた! (Translation: "You collected 20 or more Red Coins!")

Date Book

Pre-marked dates

Located in the Toy Box, the Date Book lets you mark days on the calendar and add text notes. Both versions have the same three days already marked as examples. Here's a list of the three dates and the significance of each:

• July 15, 1983 - NES (Famicom) released in Japan.
• September 13, 1985 - Super Mario Bros. released in Japan (this is mentioned in the text note).
• April 21, 1989 - Game Boy released in Japan.

The pre-marked July 15, 1983 and April 21, 1989 have their symbols and text swapped in the Japanese version. See the comparisons below:

July 15, 1983

U.S. version	Japanese version

U.S. version	Japanese version

English text: "A Lovely Day"
Japanese text: へいわの きねんび (Translation: "A Peaceful Day")

April 21, 1989

U.S. version	Japanese version

U.S. version	Japanese version

English text: "A Peaceful Day"
Japanese text: あいの きねんび (Translation: "A Lovely Day")

? Room

When you rescue a Toad (a.k.a. Mushroom Retainer) or Peach (a.k.a. Princess Toadstool), they will appear in the Toy Box's "? Room." Each character has several different stickers that you can print out with the Game Boy Printer.

Toad #2 (bottom-center)

His third banner was changed from the Nintendo Entertainment System logo to the Family Computer logo. Family Computer, or "Famicom" for short, is the Japanese name of the NES.

U.S. version	Japanese version

Toad #2's fifth picture was changed from the Nintendo 64 "Get N or Get Out" U.S. advertising slogan to the Nintendo kanji logo.

U.S. version	Japanese version

Toad #5 (right)

His second picture was changed to the Famicom Disk System logo. The "Only For" image was the same one found in the top-right corner of many Nintendo 64 game boxes in North America.

U.S. version	Japanese version

Toad #6 (top-left)

A new banner was added to Toad #6 in the Japanese version. You can add text to the numbered chart, then print it out and wrap it around a pencil. Roll the pencil and see what result you get!

Japanese version

Peach

Her third picture was changed from the image used on the SMB U.S. box art to a picture based on the Famicom Disk System startup animation. Another difference is that the U.S. version's picture will show any text you've entered on the bottom portion.

U.S. version	Japanese version

Toad #3 (bottom-left) and Toad #7 (bottom-right)

The image of the Mushroom Retainer sprite was moved from Toad #7's first picture to Toad #3's sixth picture in the Japanese version.

Text editor

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe lets you add text to the Date Book and to certain pictures in the "? Room."

On the second page of the text editor, the Japanese version has more options:

• Three kanji characters were added: 年, 月, and 日 ("year," "month," and "day"), along with the registered trademark symbol, ®.
• For the melody maker, more symbols were added: A rest symbol (in the U.S. version, a period was used for a rest), a bold double bar line, and a bar repeat sign. Additionally, letters for the note names were copied over so that you don't have to keep going back to the previous page.

U.S. version	Japanese version

As seen in the screenshots above, the bold double bar line was also added to the default melody in the Japanese version.