------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- [ Mario Bros Special ] -------------------------- ----------------------------------[General FAQ]-------------------------------- -------------------------------[by Ice Queen Zero]----------------------------- -----------------------------------[NEC PC88]---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __ __ __ ____ ____ _____ ____ ____ _____ ___ ( \/ ) /__\ ( _ \(_ _)( _ ) ( _ \( _ \( _ )/ __) ) ( /(__)\ ) / _)(_ )(_)( ) _ < ) / )(_)( \__ \ (_/\/\_)(__)(__)(_)\_)(____)(_____) (____/(_)\_)(_____)(___/ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ __ __ / __)( _ \( ___)/ __)(_ _) /__\ ( ) \__ \ )___/ )__)( (__ _)(_ /(__)\ )(__ (___/(__) (____)\___)(____)(__)(__)(____) for ____ ___ ___ ___ ( _ \ / __)( _ )( _ ) )___/( (__ / _ \/ _ \ (__) \___)\___/\___/ by Hudson Soft/licensed by Nintendo Also available for the FM-7. o---------------------o INTRODUCTION o---------------------o Believe it or not, Nintendo used to double as a third-party developer during while still making first-party games back in the day. Although they never did any of the developing themselves, they did license their games and characters to other developers. In this case, the original Mario Bros. in the form of Mario Bros. Special for the NEC PC-8801 (PC88 for short). This is a remix of to the normal Mario Bros. since there are different mechanisms to the game but more on that in the walkthrough. o---------------------o DISCLAIMER o---------------------o Mario Bros. Special belongs to Hudson Soft and its characters are trademarks of Nintendo and all of its copyrights belong to them. This FAQ/Walkthrough is the sole copyright of Andrea "Azul Fria" Castillo aka Ice Queen Zero and cannot be put on other sites or posted without my given permission nor can it be reproduced w/o proper consent. For more guides by myself visit this link: http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/74803.html o---------------------o CONTROLS o---------------------o You use a number pad to control the player. That is the case with all PC88 games. Same with Z and X used to start most games than pressing Enter. 4 key: go left 6 key: go right Z key: Start/Jump o---------------------o GAMEPLAY o---------------------o You are probably expecting to bop some enemies from below and kick them to the curb like the original game. Well forget about it, Mario Bros. Special uses the same engine but game is totally different. In fact, the only enemy in the game is the Shellcreeper the first time around. There are also four unique levels including the bonus one at the end then its back to level 1 (Phase 5 to be exact) where things get tougher as new enemies appear. There is a choice of 1 or 2 players. Player 1 represents Mario and Player 2 represents Luigi in this co-op game. This game has a wraparound mechanism where you can go out on side and come back out from the other. Enemies can do that too so keep your eyes peeled for them around edges of the screen. --Phase 1-- This game borrows a concept from the Donkey Kong series: you are on a time limit to reach the exit. Your goal is to negotiate through the moving platforms to reach the top then hit the five switches to make the exit sign open up. You must hit them on the spot. When all five are lit up then the exit opens but if you let one sit too long then the switch will turn off and close the exit off as well. Success get you to Phase 2. Pase 5 is this stage but you will have to deal with 2 Shellcreepers. --Phase 2-- This level is so easy a caveman can pass this one. --- **GEICO Caveman busts in** GEICO Caveman: NOT COOL! --- Anyway, you only have two Shellcreepers to kill in this level. The platforms are made out of wire. Instead of bopping the ShellCreeper from below, you will wait for it to get on the same platform and then jump in one spot. The wire will flip over the Shellcreeper and you can knock it out the ballpark. Do the same on the other Shellcreeper and a platform appears on top. Stand on it to complete the level. Bear in mind that when the Shellcreepers finish one go- around or if you kill them off early, green fireballs will appear on the same plane as you. Phase 6 is this level except you got Crabs to deal with too. --Phase 3-- This level is a little tougher. Your goal is to get all the dollar symbols and then collect what looks like the Red Ring from Legend of Zelda (aka Zelda no Densetsu in Japan) to complete the level. You are really better off avoiding the Shellcreepers here. What makes the level tough is you have to run on some conveyour belts in addition to the moving platforms. The dollar symbols also appear in random spots and disappear if you don't get them in time. They will reappear elsewhere. Phase 7 has the crabs here too. --Phase 4-- The final level is really a bonus level. You collect all the dollar symbols within the time limit and get the red ring and you get your bounus counted and that is it for the level. You go back to level 1 and repeat the process all over. o---------------------o CREDITS o---------------------o God almighty for he created everything you see before us. Hudson Soft making the game. Nintendo for licensing the game. ASCII Generator (http://www.network-science.de/ascii/) - for the cool ASCII title effects. You for reading. For the fun of it, I'll make an FAQ for Punch Ball Mario and Super Mario Bros. Special but on different systems as only Mario Bros Special was the only one of the three worth playing on the PC88. o---------------------o CONTACT ME o---------------------o azulfria[at]hotmail[dot]com [at] = @ and [dot] = . Don't want any email bots. You can also find me at Zophar.net updating the emus on console so you can buzz me there if you have an account. http://www.zophar.net/forums/member.php?u=2683 Here is my Youtube account I share with my sisters. We still haven't added any videos yet but they'll be mostly game-related: http://www.youtube.com/user/PurrfectTrio Thank you for reading -Ice Queen Zero