I don't remember if FO explained this, but since I'm playing the game now, it's sort of appropriate:

In order to make a Final Fantasy 3 reproduction, a donor cart of Super Mario Bros. 2 was required. However, not any version of SMB2 would work. It needed to be the original release, which can easily be determined by looking at the connectors. If there's an unbroken line, it's the original release.

I was wondering if that page would explain what the differences are between those versions of SMB2. They didn't, even though they compared the prototype board with *some* version of the released game.



It's interesting to think about all the little changes in the game, and to wonder if they really made much of a difference as far as the game's ultimate quality. The one that's really weird is the "change of columns". Presumably, that was done for gameplay reasons. But the author of that article does not speculate why it was changed. Maybe it's just a matter of the creators' second guessing themselves.

The change to the title screen seems minimal. But the original version looks like an old-timey photograph, whereas the released version gives the impression of being in full color. But the characters still only have the same number of shades!

I've looked back and forth between the screenshots, and can't figure out what he means when he says the curtains are flatter.

Since the animation of Mario sleeping wasn't in the prototype, I wonder if it didn't take long to make. Or if, on the other hand, it DID take too long to make, so it wasn't ready in time for the prototype (as opposed to being something slapped on at the last minute). It probably is the most impressive graphic in the game.