Extract text from Super Mario levels (MWL)
To convert MWL Level files to another format, you need Lunar Magic or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Level Design File" file type, you need software like Lunar Magic or a similar tool.
The .MWL file extension serves two entirely distinct purposes. In the retro gaming and ROM hacking community, it is a proprietary level file created by Lunar Magic, the premier level editor for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game, Super Mario World. These files store block placements, enemy data, and custom sprite configurations. Alternatively, in the engineering sector, .MWL functions as an XMS Print Layout File used by Aquaveo SMS and GMS. It contains mapping elements like north arrows, scale bars, and hydrogeology model snapshots intended for specialized reporting.
Both formats share a fundamental limitation: they are strictly locked into their parent ecosystems. A Lunar Magic .MWL file cannot be natively opened by standard emulators or modern game engines without first being injected into an authentic Super Nintendo ROM file (typically SMC or SFC). This makes sharing the raw file cumbersome for anyone not actively engaged in ROM hacking. Similarly, Aquaveo layout files are proprietary binary blobs that require expensive, active licenses of SMS or GMS to render. Because these files do not store standard graphics, converting them directly to common image formats like JPG or PDF using generic tools usually fails.
Despite these challenges, getting data out of an .MWL file is possible with the right approach. For game levels, developers often extract .MWL data into raw BIN format using Python scripts when working on custom disassemblies. For Aquaveo layouts, the target format should always be PDF, but this must be exported directly from the original software. Our analysis detects the underlying structure, identifies the format, and inspects the internal hex data. We show text or internal content, and if a supported embedded format is found, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MWL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted MLW, ZIP, VCX, WIXLIB and AGW files.
If you want to convert MWL file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use Lunar Magic or similar software from the "Game Level or Print Layout" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to MWL, try Lunar Magic or another comparable tool in the "Game Level or Print Layout" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our MWL converter.