Brutal Mario
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Brutal Mario (鬼畜王マリオ, also known as Super Kitiku Mario, King Brute Mario, Devil King Mario, etc.) is an SMW ROM hack by Japanese Hacker "carol" that first released on SMW Central in 2008, with development starting around 2006. It is most widely known for having custom graphics, bosses, gimmicks, and such taken from other games.
It was one of the most praised ROM hacks back then, though recently it's seen a lot of backlash for uninspired level design, and its boss battles being very monotonous. Even still, it is a technical marvel of its time that has since inspired many novices to join SMW Hacking communities and create some of the most memorable hacks of today's age.
Story
Mario became victorious over Bowser countless times and was seen as a hero by his own people, ending with him rising to the throne of the Mushroom Kingdom. Over the years, however, Mario became the new tyrannical king. He sets off on an adventure to overtake further kingdoms, having left the Mushroom Kingdom as a rotting wasteland of ruin and starvation. The kingdom Mario left behind has since started an alliance to take him out.
Finished or Mostly Finished Features
- Early use of levelASM patch.
- Early use of HDMA.
- Early case of extensive custom sprite usage.
- Early case of custom bosses.
- Custom Overworld Palette patch.
- Custom Overworld sprites and graphics.
- Early use of Mode 7 in a level.
- Early instance of a new collectible being added to the game (DK Coins).
- Shop system akin to Super Princess Peach (minor upgrades) and Donkey Kong Country 2 (hints).
List of All Official Demos
- Demo 6
- Demo 7 (The most widely known version)
- Cheap Demo (Demo 7.5)
- Overworld Demo
- FF6 Demo
- Boss Demo
- demoOnly1
Legacy
Ever since Demo 7's release, the author carol has released demos up until 2015 featuring bosses that completely change up the game of Super Mario World achieved by improved HDMA and Mode 7. Such examples go to the bosses Dark Lich, Lady Bow, Seven Koopalings, and even a rail shooter battling the Black Omen from Chrono Trigger. A few of those demos also contained new overworlds and submaps that were very ambitious for its time.
Fake Demos
The popularity of Brutal Mario has also led to some fake demos, screenshots, and videos claiming to be the next big thing the game has created. Someone even hacked into carol's account on Super Mario World Central to provide a convincing amount of screenshots, later debunked by members to the community with the real user admitting to his prank later on. Ever since, the game hasn't gotten any news, with the latest demo still being from 2015.
The Future
Maybe some day, Brutal Mario will return. But for now, it'll always be known for its revolutionary ambition to create the only known successful crossover ROM hack around.