SMW level data format

This article contains information about how levels are stored in Super Mario World.

Pointer tables

Address	Usage	Amount	Bytes per level	Total bytes
x2E200/$05E000	Layer 1 data	0x200 levels	3 bytes	1,536 bytes
x2E800/$05E600	Layer 2 data	0x200 levels	3* bytes	1,536 bytes
x2EE00/$05EC00	Sprite data	0x200 levels	2** bytes	1,024 bytes

*) Layer 2 BG only uses the two lower bytes. The upper byte should be FF. The backgrounds are stored in bank 0C.
**) The sprite data is located in bank 07.

Primary level header

The first five bytes of the Layer 1 data is the primary level header.

First	Second	Third	Fourth	Last
BBBLLLLL	CCCOOOOO	3MMMSSSS	TTPPPFFF	IIVVZZZZ

Bits	Description
BBB	BG palette
LLLLL	Length of level (amount of screens)
CCC	BG color
OOOOO	Level mode
3	Layer 3 Priority
MMM	Music
SSSS	Sprite set
TT	Time
PPP	Sprite palette
FFF	FG palette
II	Item memory
VV	Vertical scroll
ZZZZ	Tile set

Secondary level header

The secondary level header consists of four bytes (These four bytes are not stored together):

• Location of Byte 1: x2F200/$05F000 + level number
• Location of Byte 2: x2F400/$05F200 + level number
• Location of Byte 3: x2F600/$05F400 + level number
• Location of Byte 4: x2F800/$05F600 + level number

Byte 1	Byte 2	Byte 3	Byte 4
SSSSYYYY	33TTTXXX	MMMMFFBB	IUVEEEEE

Bits	Description
SSSS	Layer 2 scroll settings
YYYY	Level entrance Y position
33	Layer 3 settings
TTT	Level entrance type
XXX	Level entrance X position
MMMM	Level entrance midway screen
FF	Level entrance FG init position
BB	Level entrance BG init position
I	Disable no-Yoshi intro flag
U	Unknown vertical position flag
V	Vertical positioning flag
EEEEE	Level entrance screen number

Sprite header

The sprite header is the first byte of sprite data.

Byte
SBMMMMMM

Bits	Header text
S	Sprite buoyancy
B	Sprite buoyancy (no sprite-L2 interaction)
MMMMMM	Sprite memory*

*) Values up to 0x3F are possible, but only up to 0x12 are valid according to Lunar Magic.

Layer 1

(Note that Direct Map16 is not documented, as it's a feature added by Lunar Magic)
The Layer 1 data begins with the primary level header, followed by the actual Layer 1 data. Each block is three bytes long, with the exception of the screen exit objects.

Standard objects

First	Second	Last
NBBYYYYY	bbbbXXXX	SSSSSSSS

Bits	Descripton
N	New Screen flag
BBbbbb	Object number
YYYYY	Y position
XXXX	X position
SSSSSSSS	Settings byte

(Note: The first byte being FF marks the end of the data)

Num	Descripton	Settings Byte
00	(Extended Objects)	Extended object number
01	Water (Blue)	{Height},{Width}
02	Invisible coin blocks	{Height},{Width}
03	Invisible note blocks	{Height},{Width}
04	Invisible POW coins	{Height},{Width}
05	Coins	{Height},{Width}
06	Walk-through dirt	{Height},{Width}
07	Water (Other color)	{Height},{Width}
08	Note blocks	{Height},{Width}
09	Turn blocks	{Height},{Width}
0A	Coin ? blocks	{Height},{Width}
0B	Throw blocks	{Height},{Width}
0C	Black piranha plants	{Height},{Width}
0D	Cement blocks	{Height},{Width}
0E	Brown blocks	{Height},{Width}
0F	Vertical pipes	{Height},{Type}
10	Horizontal pipes	{Type},{Width}
11	Bullet shooter	{Height},{Unused}
12	Slopes	{Height},{Type}
13	Ledge edges	{Height},{Type}
14	Ground ledge	{Height},{Width}
15	Midway/Goal point	{Height},{Type}
16	Blue coins	{Height},{Width}
17	Rope/Clouds	{Type},{Width}
18	Water surface (ani)	{Height},{Width}
19	Water surface (not ani)	{Height},{Width}
1A	Lava surface (ani)	{Height},{Width}
1B	Net top edge	{Height},{Width}
1C	Donut bridge	{Unused},{Width}
1D	Net bottom edge	{Height},{Width}
1E	Net vertical edge	{Height},{Type}
1F	Vert. Pipe/Bone/Log	{Height},{Unused}
20	Horiz. Pipe/Bone/Log	{Unused},{Width}
21	Long ground ledge	Width
22	Special - Used by LM
23	Special - Used by LM
24	Special - Used by LM
25	Special - Used by LM
26	Special - Used by LM
27	Special - Used by LM
28	Special - Used by LM
29	Special - Reserved
2A	Special - Reserved
2B	Special - Reserved
2C	Special - Reserved
2D	Special - Used by LM
2E	Tileset Specific 1
2F	Tileset Specific 2
30	Tileset Specific 3
31	Tileset Specific 4
32	Tileset Specific 5
33	Tileset Specific 6
34	Tileset Specific 7
35	Tileset Specific 8
36	Tileset Specific 9
37	Tileset Specific 10
38	Tileset Specific 11
39	Tileset Specific 12
3A	Tileset Specific 13
3B	Tileset Specific 14
3C	Tileset Specific 15
3D	Tileset Specific 16
3E	Tileset Specific 17
3F	Tileset Specific 18

Note: Most objects separate their nibbles into upper and lower bytes with separate functions. They're specified as {Upper Nibble},{Lower Nibble} in this table.

Extended objects

(Standard object 00)

First	Second	Last
N00YYYYY	0000XXXX	BBBBBBBB

Bits	Description
N	New Screen flag
YYYYY	Y position
XXXX	X position
BBBBBBBB	Extended object number

Num	Desc
00	Special - Screen Exit
01	Special - Screen Jump
02-0F	Unused?
10	Small door
11	Invisible ? block (1-UP)
12	Invisible note block
13	Top left corner edge tile 1
14	Top right corner edge tile 1
15	Small POW door
16	Invisible POW ? block
17	Green star block
18	3-UP moon
19	Invisible 1-UP #1
1A	Invisible 1-UP #2
1B	Invisible 1-UP #3
1C	Invisible 1-UP #4
1D	Red berry
1E	Pink berry
1F	Green berry
20	Always turning block
21	Bottom right of midway point (unused)
22	Bottom right of midway point (unused)
23	Note block (flower/feather/star)
24	ON/OFF block
25	Direction coins ? block
26	Note block
27	Note block, bounce on all sides
28	Turn block (Flower)
29	Turn block (Feather)
2A	Turn block (Star)
2B	Turn block (Star 2/1-UP/Vine)
2C	Turn block (Multiple coins)
2D	Turn block (Coin)
2E	Turn block (Nothing)
2F	Turn block (POW)
30	? block (Flower)
31	? block (Feather)
32	? block (Star)
33	? block (Star 2)
34	? block (Multiple coins)
35	? block (Key/Wings/Balloon/Shell)
36	? block (Yoshi)
37	? block (Shell)
38	? block (Shell)
39	Turn block, unbreakable (Feather)
3A	Top left corner edge tile 2
3B	Top right corner edge tile 2
3C	Top left corner edge tile 3
3D	Top right corner edge tile 3
3E	Top left corner edge tile 4
3F	Top right corner edge tile 4
40	Transculent block
41	Yoshi Coin
42	Top left slope
43	Top right slope
44	Purple triangle, left
45	Purple triangle, right
46	Midway point rope
47	Door
48	Invisible POW door
49	Ghost house exit
4A	Climbing net door
4B	Conveyor end tile 1
4C	Conveyor end tile 2
4D	Line guide, top left 1/4 large circle
4E	Line guide, top right 1/4 large circle
4F	Line guide, bottom left 1/4 large circle
50	Line guide, bottom right 1/4 large circle
51	Line guide, top left 1/4 small circle
52	Line guide, top right 1/4 small circle
53	Line guide, bottom left 1/4 small circle
54	Line guide, bottom right 1/4 small circle
55	Line guide end, for horizontal line
56	Line guide end, for vertical line
57	Switch palace bottom right corner tile
58	Switch palace bottom left corner tile
59	Switch palace top right corner tile
5A	Switch palace top left corner tile
5B	Bit of brick background tile 1
5C	Bit of brick background tile 2
5D	Bit of brick background tile 3
5E	Bit of brick background tile 4
5F	Large background area
60	Lava/mud top right corner edge
61	Ghost house clock
62	Ghost house top left to bottom right beam 1
63	Ghost house top right to bottom left beam 1
64	Ghost house cobweb, top right
65	Ghost house cobweb, top left
66	Ghost house top right to bottom left beam 2
67	Ghost house top left to bottom right beam 2
68	Cloud fringe, bottom and right edge
69	Cloud fringe, bottom and left edge
6A	Cloud fringe, bottom right
6B	Cloud fringe, bottom left
6C	Cloud fringe on white, bottom and right edge
6D	Cloud fringe on white, bottom and left edge
6E	Cloud fringe on white, bottom right
6F	Cloud fringe on white, bottom left
70	Bit of canvass 1
71	Canvass 1
72	Canvass 2
73	Canvass 3
74	Canvass 4
75	Canvass tile 1
76	Canvass tile 2
77	Canvass tile 3
78	Canvass tile 4
79	Canvass tile 5
7A	Canvass tile 6
7B	Canvass tile 7
7C	Bit of canvas 2
7D	Bit of canvas 3
7E	Bit of canvas 4
7F	Torpedo launcher
80	Ghost house entrance
81	Water weed
82	Big bush 1
83	Big bush 2
84	Castle entrance
85	Yoshi's house
86	Arrow sign
87	! block, green
88	Tree branch, left
89	Tree branch, right
8A	Switch, green
8B	Switch, yellow
8C	Switch, blue
8D	Switch, red
8E	! block, yellow
8F	Ghost house window
90	Boss door
91	Steep left slope (vert. lev.)
92	Steep right slope (vert. lev.)
93	Normal left slope (vert. lev.)
94	Normal right slope (vert. lev.)
95	Very steep left slope (vert. lev.)
96	Very steep right slope (vert. lev.)
97	Switch palace right and bottom edge tile
98-FF	Unused?

Screen exits

(Extended object 00)

First	Second	Third	Last
000PPPPP	0000WUSH	00000000	DDDDDDDD

Bits	Page number
PPPPP	Example
W	Water (secondary exit)
U	Secondary Exit? *
S	Secondary Exit
H	Unused **
DDDDDDDD	Lower 8 bits of destination level

Creates a screen exit. Should be placed right before the end of the level.

*) Used by a Lunar Magic ASM hack: If set, the H bit will be used
**) Used by a Lunar Magic ASM hack: High bit of destination level (only if the U bit is set)

Screen jump

(Extended object 01)

First	Second	Last
000PPPPP	0000????	00000001

Bit	Description
PPPPP	Page to jump to
????	Unused?

The loading routine jumps to another screen.

Layer 2

Background

Layer 2 backgrounds are compressed using a simple RLE system.

A background consists of any number of "lines". There are two types: Normal line and RLE line

Each line begins with a start byte. The highest bit decides what kind of line it is (0 = Normal, 1 = RLE). The other 7 bits are the "length" setting, which is the amount of tiles in the line minus 1.

A normal line is then followed by (length+1) bytes, each being a tile in the background. An RLE line is only followed by a single byte which is repeated (length+1) times.

The entire left half of the background is stored first, followed by the entire right half.

The line "FFFF" marks the end of the data.

Level

Layer 2 levels are stored in exactly the same way as Layer 1. The five byte header is there as well, but doesn't seem to be used.

Sprites

The first byte of the sprite data is the sprite header. Each sprite is three bytes long.

First	Second	Last
YYYYEEsy	XXXXSSSS	NNNNNNNN

Bits	Description
yYYYY	Y position
EE	Extra bits
XXXX	X position
sSSSS	Screen number
NNNNNNNN	Enemy number

(Note: The first byte being FF marks the end of the data)

Secondary entrances

(Not yet documented.)