Since there is no official source code available for Super Mario Bros, [Matthew] used a disassembled version to get started looking for the image data.

Browsing around the depths of the Internet we came across a super low tech version of Super Mario from [Sata Productions]. The video presents a complete tutorial on how to make a playable, cardboar… ...

Less is more. That’s the advice Nintendo’s Takashi Tezuka, who’s worked on dozens of Super Mario games since 1985’s Super Mario Bros., offered when I asked him what makes a good Mario level.

The AI then generated inputs in the form of Python code to control Mario. Still, Hao says that the game forced each model to “learn” to plan complex maneuvers and develop gameplay strategies.