Cheats & Glitches

No Cheats? Yes and No!

Unlike modern home console games or its side-scrolling successor Super Mario Bros., the original 1983 Mario Bros. arcade cabinet lacks built-in cheat codes (like invincibility or stage skips) that you can input mid-game. Arcade games were specifically designed to eat our quarters, so developers rarely left intentional cheats for us to use.

However, depending on how or where you're playing it, you may encounter a few notable glitches, hidden mechanics, and port-specific cheats.

The Pass-Through Ledge Glitch (NES / Home Ports)

On the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) port, a well-known programming quirk allows you to phase straight up through platforms. How to do it? Jump toward a platform from below. Just as Mario's raised fist is a pixel or two away from touching the bottom of the ledge, quickly pause the game. When you unpause, the physics engine will force Mario to float entirely up through the solid platform as if it wasn't there.

Phase 100 Roll-Over Glitch (NES Port)

If you're skilled enough to survive all the way to Phase 100 on the NES version, the game’s stage counter experiences a minor data overflow. Instead of showing 100, the screen will read Phase 0. Once you complete this "zeroed" phase, the counter will simply start incrementing normally again from Phase 1.

The POW Block Regeneration Rule

This is a mechanical quirk that catches many players off guard. The POW block has a limited number of hits (3) before it disappears. However, it will automatically reappear and completely regenerate after you finish the second bonus level (and every bonus level after that). Knowing this allows you to safely exhaust the POW block right before a bonus stage without losing it for the rest of your run.

The Game Over Continue (NES Port)

If you're playing the NES version (or the Arcade Archives version using the NES rule set), you don't have to start completely over from Phase 1. At the Game Over screen, hold A, and then press Start when the 1-Player/2-Player menu pops up. This allows you to continue from the beginning of the phase where you just failed.

Regional Version Differences (Phase 2 Removal)

If you're playing western arcade versions or international console ports, you might notice the game skips from Phase 1 straight to Phase 3. Phase 2 was completely removed from non-Japanese versions of the game to speed up the pacing and pit players against the harder enemy types sooner.

Atari 800 Version Dev Cheats

If you happen to be playing the classic Atari 800 home computer port, the developers actually left an intentional cheat mode active. Hold the Shift key and type in BOOGA. This activates a developer cheat mode. From there, you can press K on your keyboard for instant invincibility, or press S to instantly skip the current level.

Arcade Gameplay Strategy "Tricks"

These are not technical cheats, but if you're a high-score arcade player, you might rely on specific mechanical exploits to survive.

• Fireball Bashing: Many players don't realize you can actually defeat the lethal bouncing fireballs. If you hit the platform directly underneath a fireball right as it touches the ground, it will vanish and net you points.

• Wraparound Delay: Enemies spawn from the top pipes and exit out the bottom, wrapping around the screen. If you flip a Sidestepper right before it walks into a bottom pipe, it will wrap around to the top pipe while still flipped, giving you an easier target safely away from the ground level.

Note on "Super Mario" Confusions: Be careful when looking up cheats online for this title! Because of the similar name, many guides accidentally list tricks for Super Mario Bros. (1985)—such as the "Minus World" or the infinite 1-Up shell bounce—which don't exist in this 1983 arcade classic.