Space-age weaponry seems entirely out of place in the Mushroom Kingdom, but early Super Mario Bros. planning documents reveal that Mario was initially designed to have access to rocket packs and beam gun power-ups.

The idea for a beam gun was scrapped because it would've made the game too easy–Mario could just run and mow down everything in his path.

Instead, game designers swapped out the gun with the now-iconic fire flower.

(Image credit: Andrew Winning/Reuters/Corbis)