SUPER MARIO BROS. ================= SECTIONS -------- I. Basic Concept II. Controls III. Item Summary IV. Enemy Summary V. Level Walkthroughs Worlds 1-8 BASIC CONCEPT ============= Almost all of us reading this know that this is the game that defined a generation. It saved video games from the brink of insolvency. And all it took was one fat little plumber and his brother to drive us all mad with gaming fever. In it, you play as Mario (usually, unless you're on two-player mode), a plumber who has been commissioned by the inhabitants of a strange place called the Mushroom Kingdom to save the Princess Toadstool (she wasn't Peach over here in the States for another eleven years) from the clutches of the evil Bowser Koopa, the King of all the Koopas. To do this, he must traverse eight different worlds, a vast cornucopia of diverse landscapes. He'll go across land, air, and sea to save his honey the Princess. We've all done it before, and we're here to do it again, so let's move on out! CONTROLS ======== Mario didn't have a whole lot of versatility in his first quest - it was really just a straightforward romp and he didn't need too many skills at the time. Here's how to control the little fat man, in case you're one of three people who has never played this game. Recall that you are now playing on a Super Nintendo controller, so things will be somewhat different. Not much, but somewhat. D-pad ----- -> Move in whatever direction you press. Use Up and Down to climb beanstalks, and Down while on the ground to duck. Mario can't duck if he's small. Select ------ -> Choose on the main menu between one and two players. Other than that, it has no practical uses. Start ----- -> Pause the game. -> Brings up a menu from which you continue, save and continue, or save and quit. A or B ------ -> Jump. X or Y ------ -> Shoot fireballs. -> Hold down while walking to start running. ITEM SUMMARY ============ Mushroom -------- Turns Mario into Super Mario. Super Mario can jump a lot higher than normal Mario, and he can crack bricks with his skull - like some kind of crazy karate master. Fire Flower ----------- Not only does Mario magically change clothes upon receiving this item, he also has the ability to shoot fireballs. These will take out most enemies in a single hit. Starman ------- Starmen make Mario temporarily invincible. During this time, if you do not run like the wind, you are an idiot. 1-up Mushroom ------------- They're green to distinguish them from the ones that Mario takes to get big. Find one and it'll give you an extra life. Some are hidden, so you'll have to look especially hard to find those. Coins ----- The man's gotta make some kind of money for going to all this trouble. Pick up 100 of them and you'll get an extra life. ENEMY SUMMARY ============= (By the way, these are in no particular order.) Goomba ------ When I was a kid, I used to call these things "owls." Now I know that they're just rotten mushrooms that Bowser's manipulated to carry out his evil desires. Owls are more fun, though. In any case, they're not hard to beat. Just stomp on one to flatten it, or shoot fire from a Fire Flower to dispatch it. Green Koopa-Troopa ------------------ These nimrod turtles walk mindlessly off of ledges, hoping to hit you, I guess. Stomp on them to make them retreat to their shell, then once more to send the shell flying. Red Koopa-Troopa ---------------- Unlike their green counterparts, they have the common sense to stay on ledges. Get out of their way or jump on their backs to send them into hiding. Piranha Plant ------------- They hide in pipes and come out when the timing is right. If you stand next to the pipes that they're in, they'll shy away and allow you to jump up on their homes. Lost Levels is home to a red breed (unlike the greens here) that will come up even if you're next to the pipe. Cheep-Cheep ----------- These guys may be somewhat docile when restricted to lakes and ponds, but they bring new meaning to the species "flying fish" in the air. Jumping up in wide arcs, their improbable, unpredictable arcs make them a force to be reckoned with. Blooper ------- Simply a pink octopus with a vendetta against Mario. They swim in odd paths and will follow Mario if he tries to get away. Spiny ----- A red turtle-like creature with needles on its back. Mario would do well to stay away from these critters. Lakitu ------ Resting in a cloud high above you, Lakitu throws Spiny down onto the ground in order to make Mario's life a living hell. It's hard to kill them, so the best Mario can do is run away from his constant air attacks. Definitely one you want to watch out for. Buzzy Beetle ------------ These insect-like things have a hard shell that is impervious to fire in all forms. They're not protected against a good stomping, though. Hammer Brother -------------- One of the few bipedal enemies in the game. They throw an unpredictable stream of hammers at Mario and are best evaded by running and jumping over them as soon as you see them. They aren't the best in the world when it comes to protecting themselves against fire, however, and a single salvo is enough to do them in permanently. Firesnake --------- Found in dungeons, these chains of fire move both clockwise and counterclockwise and can really impede Mario's forward progress if placed strategically. There is both a long and a short variety, both of which can't be killed at all. With indestructible enemies, you'd think Bowser would be totally surrounding himself in these guys, but video game supervillains usually aren't that bright. Podoboo ------- Just a fancy term for a fireball that shoots up out of the lava and then plummets back down into it. Their height can vary, so be careful and time your jumps past them accordingly. Bowser ------ The head honcho of all the baddies in the game, the one guy whose death matters the most to you. He's captured this princess, Toadstool, Peach - whatever you call her, she's Mario's main squeeze and the reason he's on this wacky off-the-wall quest to get her back. Bowser can do two main things against you. The first is blowing fireballs, which he does from a distance whenever you get close to his domain in a castle. Later on in the game, he will start throwing hammers, which makes getting over him tougher and leads you to start maybe thinking of some kind of actual strategy to whup his rear end other than just leaping really high over him and stealing the key that holds the bridge in place. Bowser is only found at the end of castles (except in certain cases in Lost Levels, which really freaks some people out). LEVEL WALKTHROUGHS WORLDS 1-8 ============================= World 1-1 --------- This level is probably such a classic in the minds of gamers that there's no need to even play it to tell you exactly how to beat it. Here, from memory, is the World 1-1 level walkthrough. As you go right, pounce on the Goomba and get the mushroom out of the first question block you find. Jump over the pipes ahead until you get to the last of them, which you can go into for a mass of coins. When you come out of that pipe, you'll be at the end of the level, basically. Go up the stairs to the right and run and leap to the flagpole. If you choose not to go in the pipe, however, you can get a hidden 1-up (a technological marvel at the time, by the way). Just jump a little to the right of the middle of the mountain in the background next to the pipe that you can go in. The block should appear and you'll have an extra life under your belt. Hop across the pit to the right and hit the question block, which has a Fire Flower in it. Grab that and you can now shoot fireballs! Yes! Proceed until you come to two bricks floating in the air. The one on the right contains a Starman. When you grab it, you should have enough time to run from there to the end of this short level. See? Told you I could write it from memory! Too bad I don't have plausible physical proof to show you. World 1-2 --------- Stomp on the two Goombas marching right next to you at the beginning and then get the flower out of the first question block in the row of five there. Pass over the columns in your way and get the coins out of the brick above the trapped Goomba. From there, jump to the funky-shaped W arrangement of bricks. From here, you can crack the bricks in the ceiling and run over the level to the end. Jump down onto the downward elevators at the end and then across to the pipe to get to the regular exit. If you want, you can go over the ceiling past it to find warp zones to three different worlds (2, 3, and 4). If you plan to get through the game as fast as possible, you'll want to go here. NOTE: In this world in the original Super Mario Bros. on NES, you could do a trick to access a world from which you can never escape: the Minus World (it's listed as World -1 on the top of the screen). You can't ever get out of this level once you get there. That was in the original version. The bug was fixed for All-Stars, and so we will never know what the Minus World looks like on Super Nintendo. World 1-3 --------- This is a simple level, designed to acclimate you to the workings of the objects in the air. It's very straightforward with no running jumps required. You'll want to take the detour to the lower road to get the mushroom/flower from that first question block you find. Other than that, take any path that will lead you to coins - namely, forward. Ride the ledge that moves back and forth to get to the block stairs in front of the flagpole easily. If you miss, run and jump from the ground and then go for the high points at the top. World 1-4 --------- There are precious few enemies in this first castle ever in the Mario series. It's simply a matter of getting past Firesnakes whose movement actually accomodates your forward progress. The hardest part, which is miles away from hard, is getting the mushroom/flower at the beginning - that may require some delicate jumping. Other than that, it's a piece of cake to get to Bowser. Shoot him down with fireballs to turn him into a Goomba, or go over him. They even provide you with a ledge to do just that! So, you have the first world in the bag. Excellent. But our Princess is in another castle...... World 2-1 --------- There's a mushroom here at the beginning if you need it. It's in the middle brick in the row of three. Stomp on the Goomba and avoid the next two Koopa- Troopas entirely by going on top of the bricks way over their heads. Keep going and you'll be able to get a Starman. Shortly after this you should see a row of five bricks suspended over two separate rows of question blocks. In the middle of those bricks is a beanstalk. Climb it to go to a bonus game in the clouds. Collect what coins you can until the end and then fall in the pit at the end of the ride. From there, go forward to the springboard. Hold A or B while standing on it to jump super-high and make it to the top of the wall in front of you. This should put you in position to make major points off the flagpole. World 2-2 --------- Ah, the first water level. How will you fare here? Well, if you follow these instructions. Actually, you don't need to follow them at all because this is a very easy level. The only enemy to come at you initially will be Blooper, and because this level is almost devoid of physical obstacles, it's easy to bypass him. Or shoot him and put him out of his misery if you have a Fire Flower. See what I care. Most coins here are going to be in the path of some kind of current whose intention is pull you in to its dark abyss. Unlike Lost Levels, where it's often a crazy idea to go after coins in the current, it should be safe here since there's nothing overhead to hit your head on. The coins are the only real lure this level has. As long as you avoid the Cheep-Cheeps and go straight to the pipe at the end, this level should be a cinch. World 2-3 --------- This level marks your first encounter with those ever-loving Cheep-Cheeps in the air. They usually come up from behind so long as you're moving forward. If you stop, their frequency from the front will increase. There's nothing hard about getting from ledge to ledge as you outrun wave after wave of flying fish. Since they're the only enemies in this level, you should rarely have to shoot fireballs if you have them. The question block in the middle of the stage will service you well if you don't have them or are small. When you come off the small staircase going down to the right, the barrage of Cheep- Cheeps will cease, and that will be the end of the level. World 2-4 --------- Once again, in this castle you're in for another bout of just avoiding Firesnakes and Podoboos, who have now been thrown into the mix for your pleasure. Get the mushroom/flower at the beginning and take the low road at the next fork so you don't have to deal with as many Firesnakes. The alternating directions of the elevators near the end means you'll have to time your jumps when they're together. When you get to Bowser, take him down with incessant fireball artillery or use the platform moving above him to release Toad from his body bag. But our Princess is in another castle...... World 3-1 --------- In the third question block to your right is a mushroom/flower in case you lost yours in the previous level. Take it and go ahead two pipes. You can enter that second one, which leads to a coin room. Get the flower in here - it shoudn't be difficult to find - and exit through the pipe at the bottom of the screen. When you come out, shoot the three Goombas on the bridge ahead and find the row of three bricks. You ought to barely be able to bump that one on the left with your head, and it will yield a Starman. That will help you get past the nasty Hammer Brothers ahead, a nuisance you'll have to deal with regularly. There's a mushroom in the second question block in the top row if you need it. Advance to the springboard, but don't use it to get between those two rows of bricks. Go over them and approach them from the right side. Make it between them and bump the one on the right to uncover a beanstalk leading to another heavenly coin arena. Get what you can and head out through the large hole to the far right. When you come down, go ahead to the end of the level, a place where, I believe, you can still execute the bounce-on-the-Koopa-Troopa-for-extra-lives trick if the programming hasn't been changed to go against that. If you know how to do it, rack up as many as you think you'll need and then bounce on the flagpole. If you don't know how, DON'T E-MAIL ME ASKING ME HOW. It's one of the oldest tricks in the gaming book, man. World 3-2 --------- You'll be amazed at the sheer monotony of this level. If you jump on the Koopa-Troopa at the beginning, kick his shell, and run and follow so that you can keep track of all the enemies it kills, the points should all lead up to an extra life. From here, you'll be able to easily find the goods you need to survive here, including a Starman, a mushroom/flower, and a multiple-coin brick. The only thing about this level is that there are lots of enemies on the ground. I suppose Nintendo thought that made it hard. World 3-3 --------- Another air level; this one encompasses several new objects like the two ledges hanging on the pulley and the platforms that sink under your weight. The two moving platforms at the beginning are totally unnecessary, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to stay on the high road and collect coins (and mushrooms or flowers, as the case may be). At the one platform in this level that does fall under your weight, jump from it to the trees that each have a single coin on them. The second set of pulley ledges is just across from the flagpole, and if you tip them correctly, you should be able to easily jump to the 5000-point part of the pole. World 3-4 --------- Podoboos start to come out of the lava at more unpredictable rates here, but if you jump as soon as you see one fall back into the magma pit from whence it comes, there shouldn't be any problem getting past them. Get the mushroom/flower in the middle of the three question blocks and go on forward to the Firesnakes. Study their movement carefully so that you can leap between them unscathed. After a few more Podoboos, you'll be at Bowser. If killed with fireballs, he turns into a Buzzy Beetle; otherwise, just ride the ledge over his head and take the bridge out from under his feet. But our Princess is in another castle...... World 4-1 --------- Your first encounter with Lakitu is shortly after you leave the castle far back in the dust. Get the mushroom or flower out of the lower question block if you need it, then hop to the top and pop Lakitu. Make a long jump to the next area. He should appear shortly after you pass four question blocks in an oblong 2x2 arrangement. Go past him and keep trying to duck into pipes until you successfully make it into one. Get the coins (easier if you're small; there's a mushroom in the brick to the right) and leave. Lakitu will back off if you make it to the stairs in front of the flagpole. Get the coins in the brick below, then recover your position at the top of the stairs and go for the pole. World 4-2 --------- There's a golden opportunity to skip a whole lot of levels here. To do that, you have to find the beanstalk in this level and not screw it up. At the first mass of bricks in front of you at the beginning of the level, get the mushroom in the brick jutting out from the top right corner. Within the ceiling above you somewhere is hidden a multiple-coin brick. Find it if you have time; if not, go ahead to the elevators going down. There's a flower in one of these question blocks, so grab that and then, if you intend to get to a muy-awesome warp zone, look below. There are three bricks above your head that you wouldn't normally be able to reach, but there are invisible question blocks below all of them. Only jump below the second and third bricks. If you jump under the one on the left, there won't be enough space for you to bonk the beanstalk block on the left. Only get those two and jump up there to reveal it. Once you climb it, you can get a lot of coins before finding pipes leading to Worlds 6, 7, and 8 (the final world, mind you). If you don't intend to skip anything, go ahead and use those bricks where the beanstalk lies to "cheat" by running across the top of the level. If you go too far along the top, you won't be able to get down to the real exit pipe, but you will find a warp zone to World 5 (no real big skip, but every little bit helps). To get to the real exit, fall down to the lower road where the Buzzy Beetle walks down off the tiny staircase. Make sure the piranha plant in the tall pipe at the end is in its pipe before you jump to it. World 4-3 --------- If you chose not to take any warp zones of any sort in the previous level, this is where you will end up. Aside from looking cool, this one doesn't have a whole lot to offer you. You need to make one running jump at the beginning, but that's the only one that is actually necessary. Judicious use of the pulley system will ensure that you stay along the airborne road at all times. You shouldn't need much help getting through this level - it's really easy. At the end, wait until the vertically moving ledge is at its optimum height to get the most out of the flagpole. World 4-4 --------- This castle is the first of the looping variety, wherein if you take the wrong path, you'll go through it until the end of infinity - or your timer, whichever comes first :p To get through this castle with a minimum amount of friction, take the top path when you come to the humongous block in your way. If you run across the top over the narrow pits, you should eventually hear a "ding" noise, signifying that you've chosen the correct path. From there, go along and climb to the top row of the next looping area. When you are at the top, fall down the hole and drop down to the bottom floor via the narrow hole on the side. Watch out for the Firesnake that dips down to your level as it rotates clockwise. Bowser's fireballs should be the perfect indicator that you're going in the right direction. When you meet up with him, be sure to watch out for not only the Podoboo coming out of the lava below, but the addition of a Firesnake on the bridge. If you kill him with fireballs, he becomes a Spiny. Otherwise, he's the same old Bowser. Make the score 4-0 and go on to the next world. But our Princess is in another castle...... World 5-1 --------- This level marks the first appearance of Bullet Bills, but their debut goes relatively unheralded because this happens to be an _extremely_ bland level. All you really do here is go forward and jump on enemies. That's the way it is throughout the entire level. There's a pipe to go in that's out of normal jumping reach - use either the bricks before it and get a running jump or use the Bullet Bill cannon below it as a stepping stone. When you come out, you'll be near the end of the level. Outrun any Bullet Bills that pursue you and find the flagpole. World 5-2 --------- Be thankful that this level has much more pizzazz than the one prior to it. Getting past the Bullet Bill machine at the first of this level takes a bit of concentration, but once you're past it, you'll get into the swing of things. Go into the first pipe you find (it should be just past a Hammer Brother). You'll be led into a water region. Get what coins you can here and leave. Be sure not to get stuck under the elevators going down or they'll shove you down into the pit so that you die. Outside the water part, jump in the middle of the two rows of bricks. At the end of the top row is a Starman. Use it to go as far as you can. A few tricky jumps make up the bulk of the end of the level, but they aren't anything you have to run and jump across to get past. A mushroom and a flower are available along the way in case you're small. At the end, concentrate as you jump to the top part of the stairs across from the flagpole. World 5-3 --------- This level is identical to World 1-3 in layout, but there are two changes that distinguish it and make it a bit trickier: 1. It is now obviously infested with Bullet Bills. 2. The six-block-wide platforms have been reduced to four blocks. This is the only thing about this level. If you beat 1-3 without a fuss, this one will be just as easy to you. Remember to time your jumps better, though, because the ledges aren't as accomodating this time around. Bullet Bills will stop ambushing you when you get to the end of the level. World 5-4 --------- This castle is identical to another one that you've already played (it's World 2-4). This one just has more enhancements. It's been beefed up with a lot more firepower, as is first evident when you meet up with the long Firesnake at the beginning. Again, take the low road here. There are about twice as many Firesnakes as there were in the first one, but it's still the lesser of two evils. Don't get the coins under the block after the elevators, as the Firesnake that's now in place makes that more difficult. Skip over the next two Podoboos and you'll be at Bowser. Follow any tactics that have helped you get this far and you should be fine. Bowser turns into a Lakitu here if killed with fireballs. But our Princess is in another castle...... World 6-1 --------- Once again, Lakitu is the only real threat here. Get any mushrooms or flowers that you can find and run to the highest point in the level that you can find. There should be a couple of rows of bricks next to a tall hard-block wall. Shoot or bounce on him from up there, then go to the left on the bottom row of bricks. Get against the wall and jump to reveal a hidden 1-up. With that, keep going forward until you face Lakitu a second time. Keep running until he backs off. Anytime he backs off, you're at the end of a level. Jump up the stairs and make a running leap to the flagpole. World 6-2 --------- Whoever thinks this level is hard, raise your hand. Those of you who raised your hands, please leave. No, I'm just kidding! Stay! You need this! You can go in the very first pipe in this level. It leads to that weird-layout coin room that you have to go all the way around to get anything out of. Get stuff out of it if you want, but then move on through the pipe. Get on the high road as soon as you can and then stay there for the remainder of the level. The only real deal with this level is that there are several pipes, and in every single one there's a piranha plant. Stand next to the pipes to get them to stay inside and then go to that pipe. Repeat this to the very end of the level. Oh dear, that was far too easy. I hope it gets harder... World 6-3 --------- Staying on the high road is a necessity in this level. If you get off the high road, there are plenty of ways to get back on (usually), but for the most part there is no low road. The low road here consists mainly of what might be known in France as "le pitte de bottomless." The Bullet Bills mentioned at the level's small synoptic photo come in about halfway in, and stay for a grand total of about 10 seconds. They get out of your way once you get to the series of sinking platforms near the end. When you get to the tree immediately following those, run and jump for some good space on the pole. World 6-4 --------- Identical in every way to World 1-4 except for the fact that it contains more enemies. That means that if you keep under control and jump as necessary, you should breeze through this one. Novices might need that mushroom/flower at the beginning, experts shouldn't. When you get to Bowser, you'll notice a major change in his attack plan - hammers! This makes it far more difficult to jump over him. Get close to him after he shoots a few fireballs (watch out for Podoboo there) and run under him when he jumps. If you stay inside the arc of the hammer assault, this should be easy to do. Grab the key and head to the next-to-last world. But our Princess is in another castle...... World 7-1 --------- Here's where the game actually starts to get mildly difficult. For the first part of the level, all you're doing is avoiding the constant crossfire created by Bullet Bills. If you can get past all of those guys, you should find yourself matched up with two Hammer Brothers. Just past them is a pipe that you go in, leading to a coin room similar to that found in World 1-1, of all levels. When you exit the pipe, go forward past the Bullet Bill machine and more Hammer Brothers. Don't use the springboard to get what's in the brick way overhead. That's way too risky. Jump from the set of bricks below and to the left of it. From there, cross two staircases while watching out for the lone Buzzy Beetle to get to the end of the level. World 7-2 --------- Same as the water level that was World 2-2, except this time they've crammed in about three times as many Bloopers and some faster-swimming Cheep-Cheeps. This level is disappointingly easy. Play it the same way you did 2-2. World 7-3 --------- Same as World 2-3, except this time Koopa-Troopas have been thrown into the fray. Not that this makes it any harder, so enjoy. World 7-4 --------- To get through this looping castle, first jump along the two sinking platforms while avoiding the Podoboo, then go bottom, middle, top as fast as you can. Do it quick and you'll hear three "dings" in a row - it gives a good feeling deep down. When you get past that next part, run over the narrow pits past the Firesnake, then drop to the bottom and jump to the second ledge on the middle row to hear another chime. If you can make it to the top, you'll hear the last of the six bells necessary to meet Bowser. Beating him shouldn't be any more difficult than it has any other time, unless you're still not accustomed to the whole hammer ordeal. He turns into a Hammer Brother if bombarded with fireballs; otherwise, take the key and go through the whole routine of --o | o----------------o | V But our Princess is in another castle...... NOTE: If you die at any point in these final four levels, you will start back at the beginning of the level. You have been duly warned. World 8-1 --------- There's no time for pathetic dalliances here. You've got to move fast to reach the end of this level by the time the timer peters out. First off, look for the pipe with no piranha plant coming out of it - it should be moderately tall. Inside is a coin room with two rows of coins situated right on top of their respective surfaces. Get the coins and leave, then go to the right, using the brick bridge over the green Koopa-Troopa as a means of skipping him. Run across the narrow gaps without running into the green Koopa-Troopas that bounce moronically around. There will be a Starman in the third brick in the row immediately after these two nimrods. Get it and run as far as you can. A few running jumps are necessary to reach the end of the level, and they will be have to be made in succession. Once you get past those two large pits placed right next to each other, carefully jump to each thin column to the top one, from which the end of the level lies right across from you. World 8-2 --------- Thank goodness! This one doesn't require you to hurry as much as the other one did. You can get off to a really good start here by pounding Lakitu on the head once you get to the top of the steps (which is difficult due to the green bouncing Koopa-Troopa). Go ahead to the springboard and jump straight up to reveal a 1-up. Follow it to the end of the row of bricks as it rolls across and jump up to the rendezvous ledge, and you'll have a quick extra life! Sweet! Next up is another Bullet Bill Brigade like the one from World 7-1. It's a bit easier to get across this one if you stay along the tops of the cannons. Once you're past this area, you'll come to a short pipe with two small sticks of land next to it. Jump to the first one and then run and leap. You'll probably run into the pipe, which is okay. Going in there is a good thing, but it's that one with the really sucky layout, so skip everything in there and then exit. It's an easy trip to the end from here. Be sure to position your landings well at the end. World 8-3 --------- This level is still pretty easy in light of all the Bullet Bills and Hammer Brothers hanging around the joint. Make an enormous jump over the first Bullet Bill cannon to avoid it totally. There are a few more to deal with, then it's Hammer Brothers for most of the rest of the way. They usually come in packs of two, so be careful and get them when they jump onto bricks (if they do in fact have bricks around to jump onto). The ones along the ground near the end of the level are the hardest to get past. They make big glaring leaps, however, and are easy to run under. The multiple-coin block near the pit is your landmark telling you the end of the level (and the game) is nigh. Get as many coins as you can out of it, then make careful hops on your way up to the flagpole. World 8-4 --------- You can't go in the first pipe, but you can go in the second one. Don't though, because that one loops back to the first one and you'll never get anywhere if you keep going in that second pipe. Jump on the three Goombas behind it and go forward until you get to the next pipe. Go in and don't go in any pipes here. Get past the Buzzy Beetles and the Koopa-Troopas. The first pipe past the small lava pit, suspended in the air, is the one you want. There's an invisible block nearby that will help you get to it. When you come out, go forward past the Cheep-Cheeps that shoot up from the bottom of the screen, then duck into the first pipe past the lava to find yourself in a watery area. (Hoping to use all the enemies in the game in this one castle, I suppose? Well, in any case, they left out Lakitu and Spiny here, if that's what they were going for.) Swim past the Bloopers and the Firesnakes and to the pipe. Don't go in the pipe in front of you here. Instead, find your way to the Hammer Brother just beyond that. If you have to sacrifice any items you have that are keeping you large to stomp on his head, do it. Bowser is just as easy as he's always been anyway. If you've managed to keep fireballs up to this point, all the better! Shoot the bugger! When Podoboo regresses back to the lava thanks to gravity, go to Bowser on the plateau above. This is the final face-to-face battle! Who will win? Mario or Bowser? It should be pretty obvious who the victor is supposed to be. When you do emerge from the battle victorious, you'll have saved the Princess and beaten the game! As a final note, you can now play more difficult levels with harder enemies in place of the originals (for example, Buzzy Beetles now stand in for Goombas). Choose Save & Continue or just plain old Continue if you want to go on and try the Asterisk Levels (as I call them), or Save & Quit and go on to play another game. The choice is yours. Thus concludes this portion of the Definitive Super Mario All-Stars FAQ. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 =================== SECTIONS -------- I. Basic Concept II. Controls III. Item Summary IV. Enemy Summary V. Level Walkthroughs Worlds 1-7 BASIC CONCEPT ============= Derived from a Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic, Super Mario Bros. 2 can easily be considered the black sheep of the U.S. trilogy (this is Super Mario USA in Japan). However, being a black sheep doesn't mean that it's a crappy game, because this easily holds its own with the best of them. The concept was sort of built around the existing premises of the original Japanese game, which sort of stifled its creative genius, but still made for a great game. In it, you can be either Mario, Luigi, Toad, or the Princess (the latter two of which haven't been playable in a platformer even to this day). Your job is to awaken Mario from a slumber in which he has entered to the land of Subcon, a world being terrorized and vandalized by the malicious King Wart. Only Nintendo could get away with badly knocking off one of its primary villain mainstays. Super Mario Bros. 2's quirks make it a great game. In no other Mario game - or video game period, for that matter - have you been able to hurl vegetables both large and small at opponents, ride in rocketships to new areas, and go mano-a-mano with a three-headed snake, a pyromaniac mouse, and a crab with a shell of hard rock and the throwing arm of Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens combined. You won't know what to think when you play this game, honestly. It seems to be the only Mario game that is an acquired taste, but once you do acquire that taste, it turns into a very fun game. CONTROLS ======== Mario 2 doesn't have a control scheme like the others, so the transition won't be as smooth from Mario 1 to this as it normally would be, for instance, to Lost Levels. Here's a quick rundown of how everybody works in this game. D-pad ----- -> Left and Right let you walk left and right. -> Up and Down are used to climb ladders, vines, etc. and go through doors. A or B ------ -> Jump. Each character has a different sort of jump, which is explained in further detail below. Mario: An average jump. It should be able to get you most places. Luigi: When Luigi jumps, I can't help but think he's wiggling his legs as if he's doing the Peepee Dance and has to go to the restroom really bad. In spite of his bladder control problem, Luigi can jump quite high and can reach some spots that Mario cannot. You'll have to trade in handling for vertical distance though. It can be hard to get Luigi to stop on a dime. Toad: This little Mushroom Kingdom citizen is short and therefore doesn't get much height from his jumps. Because of the little bugger's speed though, he can get some major length from his running leaps. Princess: She probably has what is the most useful and coolest jump in the entire game. Maybe that dress of hers has some super wind-storing capability, because if you hold down the jump button, she'll do a sort of gravity-defying float in the air and will stay there for a few good seconds. Because of the distance you can get out of this one, the Princess is good for finding secret places that lie far out of reach of those characters of the masculine gender. Running before you do the lunar float can get even better mileage out of the fair lady. -> A and B also stop the slot machine spaces in the bonus game. X or Y ------ -> Hold down while walking to make a character run. -> Uproot vegetables or other items in the ground. -> Pick up items and enemies that are visible on the surface. Start ----- -> Brings up the menu from which you can save the game and continue, continue without saving, or save the game and quit, thereby returning to your real life. -> Confirm character selections. Select ------ -> Choose a character at the selection screen. -> Cycle between menu choices. ITEM SUMMARY ============ Super Mario Bros. 2 is not without a weird assortment of items, and they are listed here in no particular order. Small Vegetable --------------- Easy to uproot, can be thrown very far without the aid of other buttons. Large Vegetable --------------- These are a lot bigger than the little dried-up radishes mentioned just above in the previous entry. You might have to hold the run button to get some distance from these bulkier turnips. Small Heart ----------- Kill so many enemies - five to ten or so - and a small heart will float up from the bottom of the screen. Touch it and will restore one heart on your meter. Stopwatch --------- Pull five of the large turnips out of the ground and you'll receive this, a nifty little pocket clock that temporarily freezes all sentient life except for you. You can still be injured by frozen enemies, so just go around them or pick them up or something. Cherries -------- These seem to be an odd little treat to be in this game, but picking up several yields a generous reward. Just you wait. Starman ------- Pick up enough cherries and this will start to weave upward back and forth from the bottom of the screen. Invincibility is bestowed upon you for a few seconds when you touch a Starman, so don't waste the few moments that it's in your possession. Key --- Certain doors in the game are locked and require a key to gain entry to them. Picking up a key almost always means having to run away from Phanto (see the Enemy Summary below). POW Block --------- Drop this in range of a group of grounded enemies and they'll all die from the resultant tremor (or be turned upside-down on their heads, depending upon the enemy). Mushroom Block -------------- They look like mushrooms and can be thrown at enemies. That's pretty much all they're good for. Oh, and if you stack them up, sometimes you can get to higher-up places. That might be good to know :) Magic Potion ------------ This red bubbly concoction is your key to getting to Subspace from the real world. Subspace is totally black, and while there you can get items that let you play in the bonus games and regenerate your health. Just break the beaker on the ground and a door will magically appear that leads you to this shadowy world. You only have a few seconds in Subspace, so it's best to use them wisely. Also, depending on where you drop them, you can also access other things as well as items. Sometimes a door will not appear if a potion is thrown down on a certain surface, so make sure where you're placing a portal is stable terrain. Coin ---- All grass that is uprooted in Subspace yields one coin per tuft of grass. The more coins you collect, the more times you can participate in the slots at the end of a level. If you don't got the cash, you can't play no slots. Pick up as many as you can during your limited stay in the silhouette land of Subspace. Mushroom -------- Also only found in Subspace. They'll add a heart to your life meter. You can't more than four hearts per level, and they don't carry over into other levels (you always start back at two when you get to a new area). Jars ---- This is just what I call them because that's why they look like. If you duck into one, you can sometimes reveal new areas with items that are essential to your survival. Try also ducking into them in Subspace, because some act as warp zones when you're in Subspace, but never in the other world (the "real" world, as it were). Red Bomb -------- These go off shortly after being plucked from the ground. Use them to blow up stone walls to open up new areas. Bob-omb ------- You can also pick these guys up from inside the ground, but they go off a lot faster. Getting rid of them in hot-potato fashion often results in expressions of hilarious panic on the faces of people who have never played this game. 1-up Mushroom ------------- 1-ups are plucked from the ground in this game when you're not earning them at the slots at the end of a level. Just uproot one and you'll have an extra life, simple as that. Turtle Shell ------------ Throw a turtle shell and it will roll along the ground, taking out everything in its path, until it runs into a wall or some such other surface it doesn't agree with. Follow a turtle shell as it rolls along the ground to kill more and more enemies. Orb --- Birdo hides an orb in the first and second level (sometimes the third) of every world except the last one. Knock him out three times with the eggs he/she/it spits or another viable heavy object to coax it out of him. Picking up the orb opens up the Hawkmouth, which will either lead to another level or the slot game if you picked up coins. Rocketship ---------- Occasionally you can pull a rocketship out of the ground. This occurs only whenever you've come to a dead end and the only way to go from there is up. It's fun to hear the noise it makes and then watch the animation that ensues. ENEMY SUMMARY ============= Being the black sheep and all, Mario 2 has enemies that weren't anything like the ones in its predecessor but have still found their way into some Mario games of the present day, such as Mario 64. Although all of these can be found in the credits at the end of the game, I'll catalog them here for your reference convenience. Enemies are listed in the order that you find them in the game's original instruction manual. I don't have the original copy anymore, but I found one thanks to the miracle of the Internet! Oh, I love it so. Shyguy ------ Shyguys come in two varieties, red and pink. Red ones walk mindlessly off ledges, akin to the green Koopa-Troopas from Mario 1, whereas pink ones stay on a given platform much as the red Koopa-Troopas once did. Tweeter ------- These birds hop around in fairly predictable patterns. The hop is more like a bumble, so it's easy to get on top of one and use it as a projectile. Snifit ------ Red Snifits just stay in one spot and spit out bullets. Gray Snifits jump and spit bullets, but they still only stay in one spot. The pink ones are probably the biggest problem, walking and firing at the same time. Either way, the key is to avoid the bullets. Ninji ----- Like most enemies we've listed so far, there are two varieties: one that walks and tries to pounce on you, and another one that just stands in place and jumps up and down. Neither is too difficult to deal with. Beezo ----- Red ones swoop at you from the sky while pink ones come straight at you like little torpedoes carrying tridents. You'll either be jumping or ducking a lot around these guys - or both. Hoopster -------- So named because apparently, to the game's developing crew, he looks like a basketball. You can jump on them and ride them instead of climbing vines yourself. They don't bounce off the ground when you throw them down, so they're basically pretty useless enemies. Phanto ------ This is the guy I was talking about in the enemy summary. They usually guard keys in small groups, and one of them will chase you down until the day you die so long as that key is in your hands. Throw it down to ward him off for a while, but he'll be on you as soon as you pick it back up. The only way to get a Phanto permanently off your back is to open the door that the key goes with. Trouter ------- Trouter jumps in and out of the water. It's not advised that you pick up and toss these fish around, but rather that you use them as rides across long stretches of water (such as in World 5-1). Porcupo ------- His back will tear you to shreds. The most effective way to kill one is to throw a Mushroom Block or other enemy at it or drop a POW Block in its vicinity. Bob-omb ------- The ones you run into on land don't detonate quite as fast as the ones that you pull up from underground. Still, you need to get away when they start flashing. That's the sign that you should be evacuating the area lest you be at the brunt of an explosion. Albatoss -------- You can't pick Albatosses up, so they can be used as handy rides across long expanses of abyss. Sometimes they fly solo; other times they use their talons to drop Bob-ombs on you from the skies. Pidgit ------ If you pick him off the carpet he rides, you can cruise around on it for a short period of time. Try and get him when he swoops down at you. Cobrat ------ Cobrats hide inside jars or sand until you get close to them, and then they jump out and fire bullets at you while moving around in a haphazard fashion. They're one of the harder enemies to kill. Panser ------ There are several varieties of Panser - some that move and shoot fire, some that stay still and shoot fire. Some even jump! In any case, they're tough to deal with, so throw some kind of object that you can pick up at them. Ostro ----- In the original manual, this enemy is referred to as Birdo, and the boss at the end of every level being Ostro, but since this enemy clearly looks more like an ostrich, I'm giving this one the title of Ostro. Shyguy rides around on him, so pick him up and throw him at Ostro to take them both out of the picture. Besides, the trophy on Super Smash Bros. Melee says "Birdo" for the end-of-level boss, so I'm just going with what I think is appropriate. DO NOT E-MAIL ME TELLING ME I GOT OSTRO AND BIRDO SWITCHED AROUND. I WILL DELETE IT. Pokey ----- Since this game, Pokey's made a few appearances in other Nintendo games (like Super Mario World and Super Mario 64). You can take out each of his segments separately or handle him in one fell swoop by throwing a POW Block down on the ground. Autobomb -------- Grab the Shyguy off the top and take a ride on this rolling cannon device that blows fire. You will occasionally have to hitch a ride on one to get across beds of spikes. Flurry ------ They come at you at breakneck speeds, but their handling isn't very good and they often skid a whole lot before they come back around to chase you. Jumping over them is the best course of action, but if you feel you can land on top of them, they make good objects for throwing at other enemies. Spark ----- These travel either fast or slow along a surface. They can killed with objects, but don't you dare touch them. Birdo ----- The boss at the end of every level that keeps the orb that lets you go in the Hawkmouth. Usually they shoot eggs, fire, or a combination of the two. You can't grab fire, so use either the eggs or another object in view to take him out in three hits. Mouser ------ Mouser throws bombs at you that you need to throw back at him. If one blows up while he's standing on it, you'll score one of the three hits needed to kill him. He throws them all fast and furiously at you, so it'll take a fierce amount of concentration to keep up. Fryguy ------ Starts out as a large fireball, will split into tiny ones that move faster and faster as you decimate their number. Stay above these little ones as best you can. Tryclyde -------- A three-headed snake who can't do much else aside from spout fire at you with its three craniums. It's not triply difficult to defeat though, just chunk a lot of Mushroom Blocks at it and it'll be down for the count. Clawgrip -------- For a crab, Clawgrip has quite the throwing arm. Were it not for the fact that the NFL discriminates against crabs, he'd probably be a shoo-in for a quarterback on some team. The key against him is to pick up the rocks he throws at you and use them against him. Give him a dose of his own medicine, so to speak. Wart ---- The main bad guy in the game. Wart has a strong aversion to vegetables, which doesn't explain why he would choose to invade a land that is so rife with them. He has proclaimed himself the king of Subcon and created all kinds of monsters - the ones you've presumably read about above - using the "dream machine" (that funky-looking device in the middle of his lair). Beat him and you'll beat the game. It's that simple. LEVEL WALKTHROUGHS WORLDS 1-7 ============================= World 1-1 --------- It's a massive drop through the daytime sky [changed from the dark black sky in the NES version]! Make your way to the bottom, killing the Shyguys if you wish. Climb up the vine to the tall plateau and throw the pink Shyguy off the edge. Uproot the plant on the right to get a potion and drop it where you're standing. Go into the parallel world and get the three coins and a mushroom that will increase your maximum life by one heart. You can get four hearts at the most in a level, and they don't carry over into other levels. Kill everyone on the ground with the POW block provided. Doing this makes a small heart float upwards that can heal you for one heart if you're injured. Get the cherries around you and go up to the log bridge. Kill the red Shyguys and the Tweeter and jump across the two logs floating down the waterfall. Across the way on the top ledge is another POW block. On the same ledge as this one is a 1-Up. Pull it out of the ground to get it. If you get both sets of cherries hanging in the air, a star should start floating slowly up from the ground. This happens when you get five cherries. Haul your body to the door past the log and kill the Ninji that's there when you get in. There are two ways you can go after climbing up the vine. If you run and jump to the area past the waterfall, you will find a door encased within a rock barrier. Squat and do your mega-jump to make it to the top and throw the pink Shyguy down the ladder. The two plants in the ground are bombs. If you time it right, they will blow up the wall when you throw them down there. If you throw it too late you'll get hurt, and if you throw it too early you'll kill the Shyguy. You'll know when a bomb is about to go off because it will flash. The door then leads outside. Go over the wall and you'll be right at Birdo. If you want to do things the long way though, head out the door to the right.The first tuft of grass to the right of the door is a potion. Walk about to the midpoint between the top plateau and the vine. If you place the potion right, you get a mushroom and up to seven coins, which amounts to a chance for big winnings in the slots at the end of the level. Kill the Hoopstar with the Shyguy and go up the vine. This leads to a high mountain area in which you will have to navigate upward. Kill enemies as needed until you're at the top. Climb the vines all the way up, avoiding or getting rid of the Hoopstars, until you make it to the top. Find Birdo and kill him by tossing three of his own eggs at him. When he dies, you'll get the crystal that opens the hawk's mouth, and you can exit the level. World 1-2 --------- Pull Pidgit off his carpet and ride it across the pit, dodging Beezos as necessary. Ride it until you reach the safe ground, or you can keep riding it to reach the high-up cherry. Near the edge there is a potion. Drop it about in the middle between the two pipes and get the mushroom and whatever coins are available. Inside the first pipe are a Tweeter and a lone blade of grass in the middle. It's a 1-up - take it. The second pipe is a different story, although you really don't have to go in it at all. To avoid the mess involved in the second pipe, take one of the Ninjis and throw him next to the locked door. Stand on him and squat until you begin flashing, then pull a mega-jump to the top plateau. This works best with either Luigi or the Princess. If you have to do it the long way though, go in the second pipe and grab the key. Taking the key will awaken one of the Phantos, who will follow you until you unlock the door or you drop the key. Luckily, it's a short trek to the locked door, so get out of the pipe as fast as possible and unlock the door, killing the Ninjis with the key to get Phanto off your tail if you wish. Inside are three cherries. Getting them all will almost certainly result in you getting a star. While you're invincible, quickly blow up the wall and kill the gray Snifit. Climb up the ladder and place bombs at the far right end until you can get through. If you pick up the potion at the top that's all right, but take it to the far right and don't go in until you have a clear path to the bottom. At the bottom is a mushroom that you can't get unless you bomb a path to the bottom beforehand. Avoid the walking Ninjis and jump to the exit. Once outside, go to the top platform and kill the Snifit with the walking Ninji. Get the potion and take it to the area with several spots of grass to rake in the dough for the slot game. When you've amassed a plentiful amount of coins, go into the door on the right and face Birdo, using the same tactic as before to bring him down. World 1-3 --------- Use the hawk's head to get up to the first plateau and then move along, killing Snifits and collecting cherries. Get the potion and place it where you're standing and get the mushroom, but DON'T TAKE ANY CHERRIES! The star will appear in the parallel world and you'll miss it if you take the fifth cherry. Instead, get it in the real world and move as far ahead as possible once you have it. If you jump across the logs at the waterfall and make it to the top of the cliff, there is a row of five vegetables. They are all the same vegetable (the big turnip), and if you get five, the fifth one is a stopwatch that temporarily freezes enemies. When you get to the part that looks like a log supported by two other ledges, pull the first one on the bottom to get a potion. This is one of two things: a coin opportunity or a warp opportunity. If you want coins, drop the potion now and get them. If you want the warp, advance all the way to the right, avoiding the Ninjis and Tweeters in your path. When you get to the pipe, drop it and go in the door, then jump on the pipe and go inside it. You'll be taken directly to World 4. If you are not using the warp however, use the potion for whatever you want and go in the door in front of the large brick wall. Start making your way to the top. Climb up the chain. It works just like a vine. Kill the Sparks to your left with a Shyguy to avoid a mess. Start stacking Mushroom Blocks on the ledge above you. You can make it up to the next one with one Mushroom Block and a mega-jump or three Mushroom Blocks and a normal jump - whatever floats your boat. Take either fork in the path up. Evade the Sparks and go in the door. Oh great, another Phanto. Just to be safe, kill the Sparks with the key, then pick it back up, head out the door, and start moving quickly downward. Run and fall as fast as you can to the bottom, but make sure you hang to the right once you fall in the pit near the Snifit. If you fall in the spikes it will be very hard to get out. Now that you're inside, you should be on higher ground with a Sparks running amok below you. If you got enough cherries earlier, the first one you get should yield a star, and there's still another star opportunity in this room! Move swiftly but cautiously and get every cherry you see to make sure you get another star. Once at the end of the corridor with the Ninjis, pull the crystal, go in the hawk's mouth, and get ready to face Mouser. Blow through the wall with a bomb and catch the bombs that Mouser is throwing out. (Where does he get all those?) When you catch one, throw it onto the ledge that he's on, and if you got it right, the bomb will blow up and hurt him. Three bomb blasts will do the trick; when he's dead, go in the door that materializes and play some slots. World 2-1 --------- Watch out for the Cobrats that pop up out of the ground and out of pipes; they fire bullets at you. If you go in one of the tubes along the way here you'll find a green Snifit guarding a tuft of grass on the ground (a turtle shell). You can either take the turtle shell with you or leave when you find the place useless. When you get to the stack of blocks with grass on them, pull the leftmost blade up to get a potion. Throw it down, go in, and get the three coins and the mushroom. Kill the Panser up ahead with whatever you can find - a pink or red Shyguy being available will do it for you. The next cherry you find gives you the almighty star, so get it and run to the pyramid. Eliminate as many enemies as you can before the star peters out. Once it does, start digging through the sand to the bottom. Get as many cherries as you can. Unless you can't get your butt in gear, the only real danger here is the Snifit that jumps up through the sand and fires bullets at you. The Shyguys don't present any real danger. At the bottom is a ladder. Move down the ladder and go into the door. Once again, you'll be confronting Birdo. Throw eggs at him and go to the exit. World 2-2 --------- Jump up the ledges in the cave and go outside, being wary of Cobrats hiding in quicksand. Make it over to the first Cobrat stowing away in a pipe. Pick him up and throw him at the red Shyguy, then seize the potion and move over to the right a few steps before tossing it. When you go in the door, pick up the mushroom and however many coins are there for pickup. Jump to the very tall pipe with the Cobrat in it and use him to kill the Beezo up ahead that will swoop down in an attempt to hurt you. Do as you wish with the next Cobrat, but be careful of the quicksand. Stay on the spring acting as a log, because if you get in the fast-sinking quicksand, you'll have to do some very fast A-tapping. Go in the door tucked into the wall once you're on safe ground. There is a destructible wall next to you. The bombs are all on the ledge just below you. To make it through the wall, you'll have to pull up a bomb, squat and wait for your character to flash, and then jump up to the ground with the door and throw the bomb at the wall. You might also want to uproot the plant at the very bottom - it's a 1-up. Enter the area you just bombed through to and you'll find a stack of blocks with two pink Shyguys and five tufts of grass. The one in the middle on top is a potion. Just activate it and go inside to get the mushroom and however many coins you can get (up to four in this one). When you come out, you can easily get rid of the recovered Shyguys with the item to the left of where the potion was - a POW block. Exit the cave and pick up the Cobrat in the last pipe. Jump over the cacti and throw him at the Panser when you have an opening. Climb down the vine to the cave below - yes, more digging. When you get the star, keep digging. Don't worry about Shyguys falling on you while you're invincible. When you come to the fork in the path, dig down to the right and avoid the green Snifit as he moves up. When you go into the door, you will face a Birdo, but not like the other three that you've had to fight. This one is red and will spit out a combination of eggs and fire. You can either chance getting eggs along with the fire, or you can use the Mushroom Blocks provided to romp all over Birdo. World 2-3 --------- Climb out of the cave and get the first plant on your right, which is a potion. Take it all the way to the left for only one coin, but also a very valuable mushroom. Be careful when you go back to the right. A swarm of Beezos are infesting this area. There is a potion in the door at the top, but it is very hard to get unless you are Luigi. If you can jump up on Beezos as stepping stones to make it to the top you can try, but don't try mega-jumping as you won't stay standing on a Beezo while you try to squat. If you do happen to make it into that room however, the potion is the first plant to your right. Do not throw it in the same spot as the door or the door to subspace will not appear. You have the potential to get nine coins in this room, but five or six is a more reasonable number to aim for. You also will already have four hearts, making you well- equipped for this level. Go out the door and head right, grabbing cherries until they yield a star. When you reach the Cobrat, pick him up and throw him at Pokey, then go into the pyramid. Fall down to the left, but stay to the right so you can kill the red Shyguys in the small alcove with a POW block and hopefully gain a heart if you're hurt. When you reach the sand, starting digging to the bottom. Seeing those Phantos is definitely not a good thing... The key is in the door at the bottom, and you have to take it up to the locked door to get any farther. If Phanto gets too close to you, throw the key somewhere in the sand, then jump and dig to it to pick it back up. If you get a star, it will be extremely helpful; just keep jumping and jumping with reckless abandon until you make it to the door. The boss music starts playing when you get in this door. Get more cherries by digging through the sand and hopefully getting another star. If you get the star, no matter what you're doing, plow ahead to the hawk exit. Once you get there, you will be confronted by Triclyde, a three-headed snake that blows fire so much it's a wonder its lungs aren't wearing out. When you hit him three times, he will die and the door will materialize for you to enter and hopefully play some slots in. World 3-1 --------- Go into the door to the right, and instead of making your way up, fall down the waterfall. Stay in the middle so you don't die in the foam at the bottom though. Once you go in the door, you will see a plentiful garden inside. With this grass around, you're going to wonder which one is a potion so you can get as many coins as your hands can pull out of the ground. Well, here's a little hint: if you count from the right, it's the sixth one down the row. Drop it here for your cash flow, and if you wish, come back again; the pipe next to the exit is a warp to World 5. Going in the exit will send you back to the cliff you took the plunge from. Go all the way up on the clouds. When you get to the Pidgit, steal his magic rug from him and just make a straight beeline up. The Beezos won't get you as long you're moving straight up. Jump to the vine when you get there. There is a special shortcut at the top of the level here. If you are Luigi or the Princess, you can either make a running jump with Luigi or use the Princess's super floating abilities and make a huge leap to the left. There is a door much like the one in World 1-1 that takes you to a spot where you can easily reach Birdo and the end of the level. If you are Mario or Toad, or you are Luigi or the Princess and feel like going the long way, here's what you're looking for. Kill the gray Panser with a Mushroom Block or the pink Shyguy wandering around, then take the leap to the narrow ledge with the two plants. Drop the potion (the one on the left) on the narrow ledge, then go in and bound over to the mushroom. This is probably by now a much-needed energy refill. The other plant is a small radish which you should use to take out the red Panser up ahead. On the mountain here with the ladder is a pink Panser that moves and shoots fire. The first time you see it, kill it with either a vegetable or the pink Shyguy sharing the ground with him. Climb down the ladder and find the potion in the row of six plants here - it's the first one in front of you. Take it over to the left by the ladder and drop it. When you go in, you have to be quick - the mushroom is on the other side of the wall, so you have to go in, climb up the ladder, and basically run down and hope you land on the mushroom and grab it in time. The pink Panser will be back, so take the hit and run forward to the door. Inside is another red Birdo. Since the Mushroom Blocks are behind Birdo, it's best to just chance it with the eggs. World 3-2 --------- ** Unfortunately, because of some experimentation I was doing, I had to play this level as the Princess. Now for you fans of Toadstool, I'm not saying she's a bad character - I'm just not the first in line to play as her when I pick up this game. You start off with a Shyguy riding an Ostro coming at you. Clear them, then either pick up one of the Beezos and keep it in your hand or pick up one of the two plants you see just ahead. You're going to need either one to take out the gray Panser shooting fire as an obstacle ahead of you. When you get to the pairs of Ostros and Shyguys, either pick up a Shyguy and do them all in or eradicate them as best you can with a POW block. I tried clearing the pit to your left in the sand cave with the black background - even with the Princess, it is just beyond your reach. On the surface, go all the way to the right and kill the gray Snifit with something - anything - and get the leftmost blade of grass on the green ledge. It's a potion. Just throw it down and get the mushroom and coins. When you get all that, either bomb to the underground or go back and pick up one of the POW blocks (the bombing is easier). This cave is going to require more than a little thinking to get through. When you first move down the ladder, you'll see a ton of destructible walls. Take a bomb from the top and blow up the first wall on the bottom floor with it. Before the next wall are two tufts of grass which are also bombs. DO NOT USE THEM BOTH FOR THE NEXT TWO WALLS! If you do, you'll have to take a bomb from the top floor all the way to the fourth wall on the far left of the bottom floor and it will blow up in your hands. Instead, use a bomb from the top floor for the second wall. You can then use both bombs on the bottom floor to excavate forward. Ahead are three Tweeters. Kill them all and jump up to the ladder, which of course you should climb. Back outside, run through the sporadic bursts of falling fire when it's safe. Once again, you will climb a ladder down to the underground. Jump the narrow cliffs until you get to the ladder. If you are the Princess, you can skip going up the ladder and float across to what would ordinarily be the next room anyway. If you're not the Princess, climb this ladder and go down the next one. If you took the shortcut in World 1-1, you'll know how to do this next part. Wait until the bomb is about to explode all over you, then throw it down. Executed perfectly, this can actually blow up three bricks at once. Climb up the ladder and move to the left. There are two holes bricked off, and each contains two Porcupos, an enemy you haven't encountered yet. Blow a hole in the bricks to the right. The first blade of grass (from the left) is a bomb, the second is the potion, and the other two are vegetables you can kill the Porcupos with. Drop the potion after you bomb the hole and heave up the mushroom down inside. Go and climb back up the ladder. To the left is the door to Birdo. Once again, Birdo is red, so you can either use the Mushroom Blocks or take your chances with the eggs and fire. I wouldn't suggest using the Mushroom Blocks unless you hold right or left while you're picking them up to avoid falling to the lower level. World 3-3 --------- From the entrance, jump up to the door and enter it. Outside are several Albatosses, so named because they toss Bob-ombs down onto you, which stop in their tracks and blow up after a moment. Out of the four spots of grass in front of you, the one farthest to the right is the potion. Throw it near the small red pillars (the ones that go smallest to largest). When you enter the door, you can take a mushroom and three coins. Run to avoid the Albatosses, Bob-ombs, and the Ostro and Shyguy and enter the large brick building. The four plants next to you when you enter the door, starting from the left, are a Bob-omb, a potion, a turtle shell, and a POW block. Take out the walking Ninjis with the turtle shell and take the potion between the normal door and the locked door. When you go into subspace, there will be a mushroom at the top of the ladder. The open door next to the locked door is useless. Go up the ladder and kill the Ninjis, then start making your way to the right, jumping to each brick ledge in your path. There is a POW block to the left if you wish to use it. In this next room are small pots that are overflowing with red Shyguys. Do not worry about a single one. Just get to the top. You can cross to the left side of the screen by walking through the right side and vice versa. In the door at the top is the key to the locked door. Kill the Sparks with it first, then haul out of the joint. Throwing the key on top of the small pots will not only get rid of Phanto, it will block the flow of Shyguys and give you a bit of relief if you need it. Run down through the pots until you get to the door at the bottom. When you do, run to the locked door. Phanto should not get you as long as you chug along to the door. When you enter, be prepared to do a little bit of hot-footed jumping. Jump up through the small space on the right, dodging every Sparks you see. When you get to the top of the wall and the first big plus sign, go to the left when it's safe, climb up the ladder, and drop down onto the big plus sign. Leap around on all the plus sign ledges until you come to a ladder to your right. Make a running jump over to it, then get on top of the rectangle-shaped metal floor and jump to the ledge with the door. Go in the door. Watch out for the Tweeters from above, then when you get to the top, make a running jump and land on the middle of the chain to avoid the fire being shot by the red Pansers. When you get to the top of that chain, hold up while moving to the right to stay out of their line of fire. Go through the door when you make it to the top. More Sparks await you in this room, so be extra careful here. There are enough cherries in this room to yield a star, so when you get it go on up to the top. Climb the big ladder and go in the door to the outside. Pick up the turtle shell outside and run along with it as it knocks Ninjis out cold. There are enough that killing them all will give you a heart in case you're injured. The boss here is once again Mouser, but his ledge is higher up and he will take five hits to kill this time. Employ the same bomb throwing tactics that you did in World 1 and he'll be a goner. World 4-1 --------- Ah, an ice world. How discomforting. Avoid the Flurrys as they fly at you on their skates. Go get the potion between the ice ledges and wait for any Flurrys to fall in the water before you throw it down. Throw it where you're standing for a mushroom. When you get all the way to the right, there is another potion in the left tuft of grass on the topmost cliff. Throw it down and get the mushroom, then drop down into the alcove with the single blade of grass and pull it up. It is a rocket that will send you up to the next area. All you have to do in this area is make it past the Flurrys and the Shyguys manning the Autobombs. The Shyguys are able to blow fire at you from the cannon as long as they are riding the Autobomb, but if you take them off, the Autobombs will be disarmed. Best of all, there's no Birdo in this area! You just have to pick up the crystal ball and go into the hawk's mouth! Yay, a freebie! World 4-2 --------- Go to the right and climb up the vine, then do whatever you have to do to evade the Beezos. Unlike most of the time where they swoop down at you, this time they headed on a beeline path (no pun intended) toward you, so jump, duck, run and whatnot as you see fit to avoid the little buggers (again, no pun intended). Also watch out for the Flurrys that come at you while you're oing around the Beezos. Jump on the cloud and go into the door when you make it. What's this? A bunch of whales? Why yes, and you can ride the water spouts that come out of their blowholes! (But if you run into the water spouts they do hurt you.) From your cloud of safety, go to the left onto the short whale. The clump of grass on the left side of his back is a potion. If you drop it where you are, you can get a mushroom resting on his tail. This whale does not blow a water spout. At the three white rock ledges in the water, the tallest one contains a potion. You can either use it as a coin opportunity or take it to the warp zone here (that's right, I said warp zone!). If you're going to take it to the warp zone, you'll have to make some well-placed jumps. Leap carefully from one whale to the next until you get to the last one. Ride his water spout to the ice ledge above you, then jump to the next one and drop the potion so that you can go from the top ledge to the whale to the warp pipe. Make a running jump from his tail (it's difficult, I know) to the pipe and duck inside it to transport yourself to World 6. If you don't use the warp pipe, take the potion down to the middle white rock ledge and rack up some coinage. One of the cherries up ahead should release the star, so when you get it take off running as usual, all the way to the metal ledge with a plant in it. This one is another rocket that takes you up to another area. Oddly enough, when you touch the whales' water spouts with a star equipped, it blocks the flow of the water when you stand on their blowholes! Rip the Shyguy off his Autobomb and ride it down across the spikes. If you picked up the cherry wedged between the wall and the ice pole, you can get a star here too. The plant next to the spike pit is a potion. Ride the Autobomb across and throw the potion on the ledge with the door to get a fourth heart before facing Birdo. Once again, Birdo is red, and this time you don't have Mushroom Blocks, so avoid the fire when it comes and take every egg-throwing opportunity you can get. World 4-3 --------- Climb up the ladder to the outside and - huh? Wh-wh-what? Birdo??!? Yes, sadly, it's Birdo, but don't kill him. You need his help to get across the lake to the right. First though, get the potion on the white ice cliff with the door you just came out of and take it to the left. Jump on the tallest ice pole to nab the mushroom and an early third heart. Ride one of Birdo's eggs across the sea and jump to the thin red ledge. Don't waste your time with the clumps of grass here, they're all tiny vegetables that are useless to you. Enter the green brick building. Move all the way to the top as quickly as possible, bounding over any Flurrys that speed at you. Most of them can easily hit you, so avoid every one you see. Outside is a green castle with two spots of grass to your right. Since there are two "towers" here, here's what to do, take the potion (the one closest to you when you come out the door) and carry it to the left where the clouds are. Jump to the first one and mega-jump up to the second one, then carefully leap to each of the top bricks on each tower. The last one on the far right has the mushroom sitting on top of it. Get it and leave subspace and go in the door to the tower on the right. In here, you will have to ride the red Shyguy across the spikes and down into the pit. To get all the cherries, move to the left right after your fall, then hug the wall on the right, then move slightly to the left, and then move up against the wall on the right again. GO IN THE DOOR BEFORE GETTING THE FIFTH CHERRY! The key to the door at the bottom is in here, and so is Phanto and a couple of mindless Flurrys. When you get the star, run to the bottom and unlock the door. Outside, while moving to the door on the right, a Beezo will fly at you, but nothing else special will happen, so avoid him and enter the door. This is the room before the boss, so if you're low on energy, fall in the pit on purpose. You'll lose a life, but you'll have full energy. Fryguy is not difficult, he's just fast. He can also only be hurt with Mushroom Blocks, so take one from the top and move over so you're still on the top ledge. When he crosses under you, drop it on his head. Repeat this with the remaining Mushroom Block, then just pick anyone and throw it at him. That's not the end of Fryguy! Now he splits into several tiny Fryguys, and for every one you kill the remaining ones move faster and faster. If you can group some together and kill more than one at the same time, that will make your job easier. When you kill all four mini-Fryguys, go through the door that materializes. World 5-1 --------- Use Luigi throughout all of this world - his supreme jumping abilities will pay off in each level. Take the red Shyguy off his Ostro and use either the Shyguy or the Ostro to kill the red Panser up ahead. Fall down to the rock ledges and jump to each one until you reach the door. There is a potion on the very tip of the ledge you enter this cave on. This one is merely a coin opportunity, so get what you can. This next part is a true test of your jumping ability. You will have to hop successfully over several falling logs, and in some cases, leaping fish. You can't pick up the logs, but you can pick up the fish, so be careful when you hold down the run button. When you get to the ledge with two blades of grass, the one on the left is a 1-up and the one on the right is a potion. Take the potion to the low ledge near where the lone Trouter is capering to get a mushroom. The next mushroom is a little harder to get but is not far from where you are, and any character can make the jump needed to get it. At the last log, make a running jump above the screen so that you land in an area where two Mushroom Blocks are wedged between the walls. Go over to the one on the right and pull it out of its tight spot. The potion is all the way to the left, so when you throw it on the ground and enter the door, the mushroom will fall all the way down to the ground where you are. If you didn't make it up there to pull out the Mushroom Block ... tsk, tsk. In the next room is a Birdo unlike any you've seen yet - a gray Birdo. Since it blows nothing but fire at you, you'll have to use the Mushroom Block provided to kill him. Jar its brain with the Mushroom Block three times and this one's in the bag. World 5-2 --------- Go up the ladder and all the way to the right until you see a pipe. The potion you need for the mushroom is inside, so duck into it and bomb through the floor with the explosive device provided. Avoid the Porcupos and seize the potion, then make your way outside with it and just drop it to the right. The mushroom is on the low ledge below, so get coins first. Use the Hoopstars scaling the palm trees to get up to the higher ledges. When you get to the gray Panser, kill it with a Hoopstar. The fiery flower is nearly impossible to vault over. After pulling up so many vegetables, there should be a stopwatch up ahead. Skip the Ninjis and pull up the POW block. Take it over to the Porcupo, Ostro, and Shyguy at the vine, but wait until they unfreeze to drop the POW - it won't work while the stopwatch is in effect. Climbing the vines on the next screen is easy - just avoid the Snifits, Beezos, and Hoopstars trying to thwart you. When you enter through the next door, there is a POW block that is getting in your way to the bottom. It's a pain to have to fall with it, so take it and move right or left while you're picking it up to keep it up where you are. Toss it on the thin red ground to rid yourself of it. The spikes at the bottom can be hard to evade, but with a few tries it's nothing. Stay to the left, then hang a hard right, then move left some, then move to the right, but not all the way to the right. There's still a spike or two at the bottom. Birdo is through the next door, and luckily, he's red this time. You can actually get a freebie on him by tossing the Trouter that's leaping up and down at him, but the rest of the hits will have to be with eggs. World 5-3 --------- If you're looking for warp zones, Luigi is the only one who can get to this one. Climb up the ladder and observe the pipe above you. Have Luigi squat and do a mega-jump to get up to the pipe. Just pull the potion out of the ground and enter the pipe for quick transit to World 7 - the last world! If you don't want to or can't use the warp, move cautiously to the right and prepare for a massive air attack. Albatosses will be coming from every which direction releasing Bob-ombs on you, and you're going to have to engage in some hot-footed jumping to get by them all. The first blade of grass is a potion; throw it near the last brick wall to get a mushroom which you more than likely need desperately right now. There is another potion just after it; use it for getting coins. Run until you see a brick wall blocking a plant. Jump on top of the wall and get the potion (it's the middle of the three), then drop it on the brick wall to the left. You'll have to get one of the Bob-ombs to blow through the wall successfully to get the second mushroom. The plant inside is a normal bomb that will let you get to the ladder faster. Down the ladder is a small pot held shut by a spotted Mushroom Block. Take it off and make one of the Bob-ombs blow through the hole in the floor. You can use a bomb to blow through the wall in front of you easily enough, and there is a turtle shell on the opposite side of the wall. Kill the next Bob-omb with it. Take out the red Panser with either the vegetable in the ground or a Bob-omb who comes around as a result of backtracking. Go through the teal-colored door to the left. Avoid the Sparks as you extricate the Mushroom Blocks from their cozy spots in the wall. Plug up any small pots you see. Red Shyguys will flow out like crazy if you don't. Making the trip up through the left side is easy. Just avoid the pink Pansers that move and shoot fire at the same time. Boss music starts playing when you go through the door at the top, so be ready to fight Clawgrip. This is the only time you'll fight this boss, and that's probably a good thing. Pull up all the vegetables and get the stopwatch. You can kill the Pidgit with the Snifit or wait for time to start going again and burgle his carpet yourself. Stay high on this carpet - another Pidgit lies in wait when you make it back to land. There are more vegetables on land - enough, in fact, for another stopwatch opportunity. Hop across the clouds and pick up a frozen pink Shyguy. Take him with you to the log bridges and ... aw, geez, you gotta fight Birdo first. He's red, so chunk your stupid Shyguy at him, then finish him off with eggs. The hawk's maw will expand, and when you go in you'll have to fight Clawgrip. Clawgrip is not like Mouser in that you cannot catch what he throws at you, which is some really hard rocks. You'll have to wait till they tumble across the ground and pick them up as you would a POW block or a vegetable. Five hits will do Clawgrip in for good. Be warned: this guy can chunk these rocks at you pretty hard, and if you're keeping your distance, he can go long too. The best strategy is probably just to stay in close and jump when boulders start dropping to your level. From there you can pick them up and toss them at him. As usual, go through the door when it materializes. World 6-1 --------- It's your triumphant return to the desert world! Ha ha ha haaaa ...... bleah. That means more Cobrats = more enemies = less fun. This is not the greatest world to be in. I suggest skipping it with the warp when you make it to World 5-3. In the first pipe there is a potion. Throw it down on the spring lying on top of the quicksand. In this spot you'll have to be fast - the mushroom will sink through the quicksand if you aren't fast enough. It moves down slowly though, so there's a good chance of you making it. Kill the Pokey to the right however you have to; just get rid of him. He's annoying. The first mass of quicksand ahead of you pulls you in fast. Don't get mired down. Take the pink Shyguy and kill both Cobrats with him. There is a turtle shell in either pipe if you want it. Use it to kill the two Cobrats hiding right next to each other. Up next are two annoying Pokeys. Between the group of cacti are two plants. The first is a pumpkin; kill the first Pokey with it. The second one is a potion. Jump on top of the second Pokey and move past the pink Panser (it doesn't matter if you get hit once) and run all the way to the right. Once at the small building, throw the potion anywhere nearby to get the fourth heart. In this room there are a whole lot of small pipes. Pull the Mushroom Block off the third one. A Cobrat will pop out and hurt you. Just throw him away somewhere. There is sand inside this pipe - something that is in very few of the others. At the bottom are four plants. The one on the left is a 1-up. You can earn a heart in here easily in case you're hurt too. There is sand in the first tall pipe you see, but there are only tiny vegetables at the bottom. You're looking for one with a key in it. Yes, a key. That should alert you to the presence of Phanto nearby. The key is in the fifth pipe from the right. Once you have it, jump, but drop it frequently because this Phanto is a little harder to avoid. Once out of the pipe, run with the key to the small building ahead. You will have to fight a green Birdo here that blows nothing but fire. The Mushroom Blocks can be used to eradicate it. World 6-2 --------- If you have an aversion to heights, avoid this level. What I mean by that is that this level will have you high up in the sky, fearing for your life. You have to fly across Albatosses (don't worry, they have no Bob-ombs this time) to make it to the Birdo at the end of the level. First, pick up the pumpkin at the beginning and keep it in your hands. Throw it at the green Panser when you come to him. After defeating him, quickly reboard your Albatoss. Squat until you are flashing, because it will take a mega-jump to get up to the next ledge. There are two plants up here. One is a potion. Gee, I wonder where they're going to put the mushroom...? :) After getting the mushroom, catch the Albatoss flying to the left (yes, the left) and fly back to the beginning of the level. There is one flying at a higher altitude that you need to catch. Fly back over familiar territory, leaping over the Beezos and the wall of Albatosses when you come to them. From here it's a steady, non-turbulent flight to the end of the level. Another green Birdo awaits you inside the cave. Employ the usual Mushroom Blocks and you'll easily succeed. Also, an anonymous source has given me the Game Genie code PPXAOIAA, which allows the Princess to clear the whole chasm in an enormous lunar float. If you like the Princess and want to get out of this one quick, use this code, as her floating capacities are gazillionupled with this code in place. World 6-3 --------- Climb up the ladder, then if you want it, go to the left for a nifty trick. (Okay, so I know this one. Sue me). It works best with Mario's measurements, if you want to pull this off the easiest. With Mario, hold left against the wall and sink in the quicksand until all you can see is Mario's hat. You will amazingly start moving to the left! Yes, it's a secret passageway, the only one in the game. Keep jumping and holding left until you make it to the other side of the wall. Go in the door and you'll be high up on a cloud. Jump across the other clouds to the pyramid at the bottom and go in, where you'll have to fight a red Birdo to get to the boss. I'm not saying who the boss is yet. (No Tony Danza jokes, please.) If you think that sounds too complicated, here's the long way, as if it's not. Pick up the potion and fall in the quicksand, throwing the potion on one of the two small cacti sticking up at the same time. This is the only way to get the mushroom, and you will have to do some major A-tapping, both to avoid the incoming Pokey and to keep the quagmire from bogging you down, because it's the kind that pulls you down really fast. Kill everyone in your way and go into the cave that is supposed to look like a scary face but instead looks like a sad, depressed face. (I do like how big the door is on the inside, though.) There are a lot of cherries in here, and a lot of small pots that release Bob-ombs. Actually these should not be a threat to you. If you get them close enough to the pots when they're flashing, they'll blow up the pots and you won't have to worry about them at all! Bomb through the wall and prepare for a Ninji onslaught. Really, only one can get you, so dig up one patch of dirt and throw him in it. Chances are he'll leave you alone. Unless you want the mushroom (which requires a lot of bombing to get to), just bomb through all the walls on the top level to make it to the exit. The mushroom here just isn't worth the effort. Everyone in the vine-filled area is easy to go by, so just skip past everyone and go to the top. Lo and behold: to your right is the pyramid that you STILL COULD'VE GOTTEN TO JUST AS EASILY BY TAKING THE SHORTCUT. Don't you feel like a fool? :) Kill the red Birdo with eggs (easier) and go through the door. It's the Triclyde from the previous desert world! He still takes three hits to kill and he spits out fire more aggressively, but he's still the same old easy Triclyde. Slaughter him with Mushroom Blocks and he'll be kaput in no time. World 7-1 --------- Don't celebrate yet. You haven't beaten the game. Even though there's only two levels left, you're still a long way away. Avoid the air assaults from the Albatosses and go get the potion. It's not on the white and green ledge with the three clumps of grass - that's where the mushroom is. Go farther to the right and uproot the plant on top of the pillar, and THEN bring it back to where the other grass was. THAT'S where your mushroom is. At the far right side of the level, clog up the pot of Shyguys and go in the mushroom house. Did you notice which way the Albatosses are flying?... Inside is a ledge full of coin opportunities, and there's a mushroom up there too! It's just that which one is the potion? Counting from the right, it's the third one. Get the mushroom and the massive amount of coins for big winnings at the slots. Outside the mushroom house, hop onboard an Albatoss and ride him all the way to the far left side of the screen, jumping over pillars and reboarding as necessary. The tuft of grass all the way over at the left is a rocket like the ones from World 4. This is probably one of the few spots in the game that requires exact timing to get through successfully. In fact you probably won't make it if you don't get the star that the cherries yield. If you do make it you'll probably be the tiny version of whoever you're playing as. Climb up the ladder to another complex area. Avoid all the Sparks until you get to one trapped in by Mushroom Blocks. You'll want to kill both of them. Make a stack of blocks big enough to make up to the ladder area once you've killed both Sparks. Avoid the Hoopstars and the Snifit and go inside the mushroom house at the top. There is a gray Birdo who shoots nothing but fire, but now you only have one Mushroom Block to throw at him, so don't just throw it around and end up getting cornered. The last level awaits... World 7-2 --------- Kill as many people as possible outside before going in. Having two hearts when entering the castle is to your advantage. You'll enter the castle on a conveyor belt - not the best way to start out. Shyguys will be pushing toward you. Jump over the first one and pick up the second one. Throw it at the one that comes out of the small pot at the end of the belt. If you get hit, killing the Ninjis at the top should bring up a heart. Avoid the Bob-ombs coming out of the pot and run down to the chain leading down to a lower floor. If you lose a heart, just make sure you don't get hit. Gaining one back in this lower room would be nice. When you pull up enough Mushroom Blocks to make it to the bottom, go through the door. Staying on chains will keep you from being hit by Sparks; this is especially useful in the small compartment with three Sparks (two are moving fast). Go in the first new door you see. It is an empty room with a potion and an easily accessible mushroom. The potion is the one on the left - if you pick up the one on the right, get rid of it fast, because it's a Bob-omb. With three newly replenished hearts, go back through the door and keep moving right until you enter another door. Climb up the chain provided. There are plenty of cherries in here, so move past the Sparks when it's safe. Kill them with your invincibility until it yields a heart. When you go in the next door, there's a large room with chains for walls. Stand inside the chains to keep from getting hit by the Sparks, and run under the vertically-moving Sparks when he's moving up. Climb the chain to the next room. The only thing making this difficult is the conveyor belts. Make your way swiftly to the top and climb up the next chain for a pleasant surprise.... ;) Yes, yes, it's a red Birdo. Not exactly welcome at this hour, or any hour, but it's too hard to move past him so kill him while you still can. Funny, it starts playing the boss music AFTER Birdo this time.... You notice a locked door to the right. I promise this is the last time you'll ever have to worry about Phanto ever again. Go in the door to the right of the locked door to meet your archnemesis Birdo AGAIN! You have to kill him because he has the key to the locked door in his stomach. Throw three eggs at him to make him barf it up. Throw the key as much as possible to avoid Phanto's hovering face. Kill at least one Sparks with it to keep from doing anything stupid. Pick up the crystal inside the door and RUN. Wart's not letting you off this easy. The hawk's face will come to life and start chasing you down, and it's even more annoying than that stupid Phanto. You'll have to hit him three times square in the jaws with Mushroom Blocks, at which time he will submit and open up, leading you to the final battle. Wart hates vegetables, but for some reason, in his lair he has a machine that dispenses vegetables at random. You will have to toss vegetables when he opens up his mouth to blow death bubbles at you. If you're holding onto a vegetable and you see his mouth open, throw it in. Once you victoriously lob six veggies into his mouth, he will die and you will be able to save all the inhabitants of Subcon. Now watch the little cartoon where the Subconners beat up Wart and they honor the contributor (whoever you used the most - in my case Mario). Congratulations on beating Super Mario Brothers 2!!! Thus concludes this portion of the Definitive Super Mario All-Stars FAQ. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 =================== SECTIONS -------- I. Basic Concept II. Controls III. Item Summary IV. Enemy Summary V. Level Walkthroughs Worlds 1-8 VI. Cool Secrets and Extras BASIC CONCEPT ============= I don't use the phrase "inspired lunacy" very often, but this game is a very good example of that. Many others must seem to think so too, because Super Mario Bros. 3 is the highest-grossing NES game in history. It is Mario's most epic adventure on the 8-bit console, and predates its slightly inferior little brother Super Mario World (SNES) by only one year. It has all sorts of wacky elements which cannot be spoiled here in this little-bitty summary of mine, but you'll just have to see it to believe it. As for the storyline, it's the same thing pretty much as Super Mario Bros. (the original): rescue Princess Toadstool from the clutches of the evil Bowser. Now that you know the routine, you can be a butt-kickin' machine! Sorry, I felt like rhyming. It's an urge of mine that pops up from time to time. CONTROLS ======== Mario can function in many more ways than in the other games on this SNES cartridge. Here's a rundown of how to control everything that goes on in this game. It's not as complicated as it all looks. D-pad ----- -> Climb or descend ladders and vines and such using Up and Down. -> (Down) Duck if you are not small Mario. -> Move left or right using Left and Right. -> Move in a given direction on the world map. -> (Up/Down) Cycle through your item menu. -> (Up/Down) Cycle through menu choices at the title screen. -> (Left/Right) Cycle through items on a given page of the item menu. Start ----- -> Begin the game. -> Pause the game. -> Confirm menu choices. A or B ------ -> Choose an item from your menu screen. -> Enter an action scene (level). -> Jump. X or Y ------ -> Hold down and move forward to run. This will charge up your P (for Pegasus) meter, which when full and flashing allows you to fly if you have the right item handy (a leaf or Tanooki Suit). -> While in the air, tap it over and over again to stay airborne. -> Bring up and hide the item menu. -> Shoot projectiles if you have the appropriate item equipped. -> Open treasure chests in Mushroom Houses. -> Skip past letters from Toadstool at the end of a world. ITEM SUMMARY ============ Super Mushroom -------------- You'll find this in "?" blocks, but only if you're small Mario. Grab it to increase your size and durability. Super Mario jumps just as high as small Mario, but the increased size allows him to hit higher blocks and break bricks. Super Leaf ---------- After picking this leaf as it floats down from the block it was in, Mario becomes Raccoon Mario. Use his tail to smack the enemies around, or get a running start to charge the P-meter, then take off and fly. Mario can't fly forever, at least without some help... Fire Flower ----------- Nintendo Power's strategy guide to this game said, "There's nothing like good old firepower." That couldn't be more true, especially if you've got Piranha Plant problems or fishy foes flopping about. Press the B button to send out a fireball, and see what it can do for you. Coin ---- Okay, not much of an item, but it plays a key part in bagging 1-ups (100 coins will do it), and is part of the equation for Treasure Ships. Comes in sets of 10 and 20 in the N-Spade game. Starman ------- Everyone's favorite invincible star is back to give Mario the power of invincibility. It doesn't last forever, though, and being crushed or falling into holes or lava will still mean instant death. Frog Suit --------- The newest apparel to hit the stores, this green suit is aptly named. Not only does Mario LOOK like a frog in it, he exhibits the leaping and swimming characteristics of one as well. Because of the awkward land control, this one's best saved for underwater levels. Tanooki Suit ------------ Think Super Leaf, only now the only non-raccoon part of Mario is his face. Press and hold down, then press B to transform into an invincible crushing Statue ... just don't do it over pits and lava (obviously). The statue's form can crush some otherwise unbeatable enemies. By the way, if you're not a rock at the time, you can fly in this. Hammer Suit ----------- A rare but useful find, this suit gives Mario the power to throw hammers. The hammers can clobber almost every enemy, and if you duck, the shell offers protection against all but the strongest of flames. The only drawback is you throw hammers the same way as the Hammer Brothers do, making aiming a bit of a chore. 1-up Mushroom ------------- Rarely found, this green 'shroom gives Mario an extra life, allowing him another chance to play a level if he dies somewhere. The terminology as rare applies to them often being hidden, sometimes in out-of-the-way places. P-Wing ------ The "P" stands for "Power". This item enables Mario to fly at will for an entire stage, or at least until he loses his tail (i.e. gets hit, takes a Fire Flower). If you grab a leaf or Tanooki Suit in the stage, you'll still have the "P" power for flight. Anchor ------ Only found in the secret white Mushroom Houses on worlds 2, 4, and 6, this item, when activated, prevents the Koopalings' airships from escaping. If you have a lot of trouble on the ships, it can come in handy, especially as the Koopa captains like to park behind incomplete levels. Music Box --------- The soothing melody of this tune box puts any Hammer Brothers and Piranha Plants on the overworld map screens to sleep. You'll need it about once, and that's to put the last Piranha Plant on world 7 under for a nap. Otherwise, it robs you of precious items, and if not used, it merely wastes inventory space. Jugem's Cloud ------------- One of the most useful items in the game, it's also pretty tough to come by. This allows you to pass by any level of your choosing, though if you die in the next one, you'll be sent back to the last level you played and completed. Save them for the last three worlds. Hammer ------ You'll be opening up new paths for Mario when you use this to break boulders on the map screens. Use it to access otherwise unreachable Toad houses, or to create a shortcut around a particularly tough level (i.e. World 6-7). Warp Whistle ------------ This mystic whistle summons a tornado that sweeps you to World 9, the Warp Zone. If you warp from world 1, you can access Worlds 2 through 4. Use it in worlds 2 through 6 to reach worlds 5, 6, and 7. Use it in worlds 7 through 9 to reach world 8. There are only three of these in existence, but you need only two to reach Koopa's world. Kuribo's Shoe ------------- I added this one ... it seems John forgot about it :) Only available in level 5-3, hit a Goomba that's donning one from under him to hop in the shoe. You can walk across almost all surfaces with this item, but if you get hit it's gone. Stomping on most enemies once is enough to take them out, including Spinys and Piranha Plants. Unfortunately, it goes away when you complete the level :( If only there was a way to keep it forever... ENEMY SUMMARY ============= ================ A) Koopa Troopas ================ Red Troopa ---------- A regular walking turtle that often occupies a ledge, pacing back and forth. Stomp it to send them into their shells for a while. Green Troopa ------------ Basically, it's a palette swap of the red one. The green Troopas only go in a straight line, only turning if something blocks their path. Red Paratroopa -------------- These critters float rather slowly in the vertical plane. Just run under when you have an opening, or stomp them when the time is right. Green Paratroopa ---------------- The wings of this creature allow it to fly endlessly, though they often prefer to use them to bounce towards you. On some occasions, they may be seen flying back and forth horizontally. It takes two stomps to send them into their shells, or just one fireball to send them off for keeps. Red Giant Koopa Troopa ---------------------- This thing's about four times Mario's size, and seems to be quite intimidating ... until you realize they can be treated the same as a regular Troopa. Green Gargantuan Koopa Troopa ----------------------------- Apparently, Bowser doesn't know that bigger heads don't mean bigger brains. This monster's no tougher, faster, or smarter than any ordinary Troopa. Colossal Koopa Paratroopa ------------------------- Lucky for you, they can't do much flying at this massive size. They only bounce, so get the jump on them to clip their wings. Dry Bones --------- The fortress version of a Koopa Troopa, they only crumble after being stomped... and that's only temporary. Unless you're invincible or have hammer power, you'll only be able to crumble them down, but you won't defeat them. ========== B) Goombas ========== Little Goomba ------------- Back from the old days of SMB, they're just the same as before. It's their new relatives that might be a problem. Just use a stomp or anything else up your sleeve to beat them. Para-Goomba ----------- A darker shade of brown and a pair of wings heavier, this Goomba will flap about at times, but won't really take off. It takes two stomps to beat them. Para-Goomba with Micro-Goombas ------------------------------ These rascals will take to the air, letting their kid brothers slow you down so they can do the damage. Watch the skies! Mugger Micro-Goomba ------------------- The miniscule, pesky Goombas released from above, they will cling to you, greatly hampering your jumping and running abilities. Tap A or B rapidly to shake them. Pile Driver Micro-Goomba ------------------------ Unlike the Muggers, these fellows hide out in bricks, waiting for you to come close, then they strike with surprisingly high leaps. Hit the block they may land on to beat them, as stomping's risky, and fire is useless ... or you could try out your tail... Grand Goombas ------------- The only thing being huge did for these menaces is to make them four times as ugly as regular Goombas, but not a stitch tougher. Kuribo's Goomba --------------- Despite what some may say, that's a BOOT he's hopping in, not a sock. Hit him from below to claim the boot as yours. Found ONLY on world 5-3 (Too bad... the boot's got all the power of the mighty statue.) ========== C) Beetles ========== Buzzy Beetle ------------ Back in SMB, their fireproof shells made them quite tough to defeat. This time around, they're all that and able to walk on ceilings. Of course, what goes up must come down, so watch your head. If you've got a tail to spin, do so. Para-Beetles ------------ Even worse than Buzzy, these red-shelled aviators must be used to cross wide gaps at times. Fortunately, those times only pop up on World 5-6. If you dare try, swing your tail at their face to beat them. Buster Beetle ------------- A few things set this guy apart from the Buzzy Beetle: they appear where it's cold, they're quick, and they're NOT fireproof. They like to hurl Ice Blocks (they look like regular bricks, but icy) at Mario; although this can be helpful at times, it's usually dangerous. ========= D) Lakitu ========= Lakitu ------ Another one from SMB to return, the master of the skies does fly-bys, bombing you with Spiny Eggs. An environmentalist through and through, he won't release Spiny itself in grassy areas. Of course, you know he's gonna be a problem in the Sky World... Spiny Eggs ---------- In a few cases, you'll see green versions of this, which won't uncurl to become a Spiny (too bad, green would've looked cool on them) ... but entirely too often, that's not the case, and you'll be face to face with the red ones instead. Spiny ----- A familiar sight to veteran Mario gamers, this creature's not called "Spiny" because of a smooth back that's safe to stomp on. They can travel the ceiling as well, if the mood suits them. But fear not, that's a rare case, and you've got your tail at hand to stun and flip them, though it won't kill them off. ================= E) Piranha Plants ================= Piranha Plant ------------- There's a red and a green variety of these, but unlike the Lost Levels, that makes no difference now. They've got teeth as sharp as a Spiny's back, so stomping is out of the question without some seriously tough feet. Hang out next to or on top of their pipes to keep them inside. Venus Fire Trap --------------- Despite their smooth heads, they aren't fazed by ordinary stomps. Their strategy is to breathe fireballs at passersby, and they can even aim to some very slight extent. Hanging Piranha Plant --------------------- These like to come out of upside-down or sideways pipes and munch on whatever gets close. They won't stay in hiding if you get close to the pipe, so time your moves carefully. Piranhacus Giganticus --------------------- For once, Bowser made sure size does matter. Unless you stand directly ON the pipe it uses, this plant will continue to pop in and out of them, making the timing tougher for the unarmed. These, as well as the previous three, have a red and a green variety. Ptooie ------ A walking species of Piranha Plant, it has a strategy of blow-juggling a black spiked ball with its mouth. Wait for an opening to jump on past, or use whatever weapon power you've got to beat them. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to statue stomping. Nipper Plant ------------ The small guys of the family, but by far the fiercest. They wait on land for Mario to get close, and when he tries to jump over them, they strike, and he finds himself bitten in a VERY sensitive place. Statue stomps have no effect, but the tail your suit has will. Munchers -------- Unevolved Nipper Plants, these black flowers stay to one spot, contentedly munching the air. They can only be defeated by a tail, shell, or Ice Block to the side of them, but they often cluster in spots that make this impossible. If there's a P-switch around, though, you could be in for some SERIOUS cash! Lava Lotus ---------- Classified officially by Nintendo as part of the Piranha Plant group, these deep-sea bloomers will blow out anywhere from 1 to 5 balls of lava at regular intervals. Watch their movements to know when they'll blow, and swim past. Fire won't affect them, but I never said hammers won't. If you want to risk it, the statue stomp will work, but the positioning is critical, making it better to just leave them alone. ========== F) Aquatic ========== Blooper ------- The SMB squid patrol is back, though not as ugly as before. They move in the same way as they originally did, right down to it being safe to walk right under them. Flame them, or avoid them. Blooper Nanny ------------- A parental Blooper, it always has the kids trailing behind them ... unless they've scattered them for a widespread attack. Jelectro -------- A high-voltage jellyfish, they often sit in tricky patterns, making swimming a chore for those without a Frog Suit. Nothing can defeat them, not even hammers. Cheep-Cheep ----------- Just as in the first SMB, there's a green variety and the faster red ones. The green pace about underwater, the red prefer to fump out and get some air. You can stomp the red ones, but fireballs are safer for both of them. Boss Bass --------- A huge, relentless fish, it is the only enemy capable of swallowing Mario, and to that point, the only one that can take a fully-powered Mario out of commission. It's best to stay out of his water, but the tidal terrain makes that impossible at times, so you'll want to beat him if you have the equipment for it. Just don't try stomping him. Spiny Cheep-Cheep ----------------- Native only to World 7-4, these are a bit faster than the regular Cheeps, and they sport a spiked back to boot. Pity that you can't stomp underwater anyway, making that a bit of a waste. Big Bertha ---------- She looks a lot like Boss Bass, but she won't eat you. Bertha prefers to swim a bout in tricky spots, sending her babies after you, then swallowing them back up. Baby Cheep ---------- Big Bertha sends it after you, and then she takes it back (usually). Don't touch them - just beat it, unless you've got firepower to deal with them. ================== G) Hammer Brothers ================== Hammer Brothers --------------- The twin turtles from SMB have brought the family about, although they're not about to be ignored because of that. Stomps are a risky venture, as they toss the hammers in an arc above their heads, but you can hit them from below. Or there's the option of tails or fireballs... Boomerang Brothers ------------------ Thank goodness they can only toss two boomerangs at a time. The wide range of their returning weapons makes close range fights a bad idea, but plausible when they pause after the second toss returns. Fire Brothers ------------- The only red members of the family, they're able to spit fire in much the same way Mario throws his fireballs. Use your own firepower to give them a taste of their own medicine before you end up on the grill at a Bowser barbecue. Sledge Brothers --------------- Their massive girth causes tremors when they land from a jump, and the tremors will temporarily stun you. Jump to avoid this, then stomp them. Since they're more mass than muscle, they can't throw very fast. ================== H) Fortress Family ================== Boom-Boom --------- A feared and loathed guardian of fortresses, he's quick, he's bad, and he's MAD! After the first stomp, he shows his true jumping power, and after the second, he gets REALLY steamed and a LOT faster. Fortunately, stomp number three is the end for him. Sometimes, he's known to sprout wings and fly, though it's tough to tell when that will happen. Five fireballs or one hammer is better and safer. Roto-Disc --------- Swiftly rotating around various points in the fortresses, they intend to block Mario's path while putting on a facny light show. To break them, aim a statue stomp at the flashing disc. Sometimes, they come in pairs, but it only takes ONE statue to beat them both. Thwomp Trap ----------- Big bad granite guardians, they wait silently for Mario's approach, then WHAM! Mario Pizza! Unless of course, you didn't foolishly run right under them. Naturally, hammers will send them away. Podoboo ------- Back from Koopa's old castles, this flaming fiend is born of pure magma and evil magic. So naturally, a statue or the magic of Starman is required to stop them - that, or hammers. Otherwise, jump across lava pits with care. "Boo" Diddly ------------ The ghosts that started all the "boo"haha in Mario games, they may look shy and innocent, and in fact, they are as long as you look them in the face. But turn your back, and it becomes a different story. Hammers will take them down, otherwise, face your fear until you're ready to run for it ... and be careful. Stretch ------- Two Boo heads occupy one strange long white block. Needless to say, you'll occasionally need the blocks for standing purposes, so have a Hammer Suit on to deal with the residents. Hot Foot -------- Don't be fooled be the decor, these candle flames are very real, and very alive. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't follow you around, although an candle flame on the floor is beyond suspicion, so why would you even stick around? A hammer will put these small flames out. ================ I) Miscellaneous ================ Spike ----- A small green turtle, it attacks by throwing spiked balls at Mario. It often throws them in pairs, so think before you stomp. Firesnake --------- A living, mobile chain of fireballs, it can jump THROUGH obstacles at will. A whip from your tail will defeat them, but be warned: leave their territory, and they WILL come back. Chain Chomp ----------- A black ball chained to a wooden bolck, it's got a nasty temper and its bite is worse than its bark (they bark in Mario 64, and it's tied to wood.... bark, get it? :) Well, since it's immune to all but the strongest attacks (Hammers, statues, invincibility), you'll probably find yourself avoiding them instead of fighting it off. Fire Chomp ---------- A Chain Chomp with fireballs for the chain, they attack from the air at the worst possible times. They're weak to everything you can do, but if you need to revisit the area they were killed in, they'll be back. If they use up their whole fire chain, they self-destruct as a last measure. The Angry Sun ------------- Bet you'll never complain about the heat again after facing this menace. It only appears twice, but it dives after you, making it a deadly foe to face. ============ J) Artillery ============ Cannonballs ----------- These are cannonballs fired from cannons on the airship and tanks. You can only beat the with a stomp, everything else goes right through them. Unless they're GIANT cannonballs from Bowser's fleet, those can be beaten with anything but fireballs. Bullet Bill ----------- The Turtle Cannons are back from the first game, and so is their living bullet. He's a bit faster than in SMB, and with his tricky positioning, that serves to make the airspace hazardous. Stand at point-blank range to keep him inside the cannons. The cannon itself is harmless. Missile Bill ------------ Deadlier than the Bullet Bill, these flashing foes will actually turn around after one pass to pursue Mario. If you don't stomp it or get away from their Turtle Cannons immediately, you'll be numero uno - with a bullet! Rocky Wrench ------------ Though not a living weapon, they only appear on airships and military vehicles. Their strategy is to use ninja throwing wrenches against intruders, and they often appear in groups of three. If you see brown ones, you're lucky, as they don't come back for more. Rocket Engines -------------- These flames propel the Airships, but also serve as an excellent defensive measure. If you want to beat them, use the statue stomp, but ONLY if the flame points up or to the right. Bob-Omb ------- Originally from SMB2, this little guy's got quite the temper. They'll explode after being stomped, unless you use the statue. On World 8, you'll see shades of SMB2, as those Bob-Ombs will explode after a set time, whether you stomp them or not. LEVEL WALKTHROUGHS WORLDS 1-8 ============================= World 1 - Grass Land GRASS LAND MAP # (1-10)= Level Number (if applicable) MH = Mushroom House SH = Spade House (bonus level) F = Fortress L = Lock (what breaks when you beat the fortress) B = Bridge H = Hammer Brother C = Castle X = Starting Point o = one of those little knots on the map that you can stop on 1----o--2--3----o | | | | | | --X--o o--4---MH L | | | o---F--SH | | o MH---oB-H----C | | | | 5---o---6 World 1-1 --------- Get the mushroom and the leaf at the beginning, then get a running start on the same platform that you got the leaf on and fly up into the clouds. There is a 1-up in the brick up here. Get another running start on the row of clouds and you can fly to a pipe. Inside the pipe are a few coins in a "3" formation. When you exit the pipe, you can either go to the exit on the right or get a few more coins with the P switch on the left. World 1-2 --------- If you go to the T-shaped pipe arrangement in this level and you have a leaf equipped, you can do a trick for multiple 1-ups. Just stomp on the Goombas as they flow out of the pipe. You have to stay in the air though, because it won't count as a chain reaction anymore if you touch the ground. Over the pipe and down the hill, the brick on the left (there are two bricks there) is a P-switch. You can hit it and use it to get up to the pipe, where there is a stack of coins inside. If you stand on the right side of the pipe and jump, there is a 1-up that is hidden from view above the top of the screen. Get it after you go in the pipe if you don't want to mess with flying back up to the pipe. The only other point of interest in this level is the Starman in the last musical note block. Get it and run like the wind to the end of the level. World 1-3 --------- Play your cards right and you won't have to mess with the entire middle of this level. Kill the Boomerang Brother at the beginning in the green turtle shell. At the pile of bricks in front of you, hit the red turtle and kick him to the left and make him break a whole bunch of bricks. Among the goodies hidden in here are a 10-coin block and a pink musical note block that will send you to a bonus stage where you can get a few coins. NOTE: If you have the leaf in the cloud bonus, you can fly up in the middle of it and get a whole bunch of coins and a 1-up to boot. This works in all the pink musical note block levels. The pipe will drop you off near the exit. Instead of going to the right and finishing out the stage, go left until you see a white block. Kick the red turtle off and duck until you are behind the background. Run to the exit and you will run behind the black background. Eventually you will reach a secret Mushroom House that rewards you with a warp whistle. Getting the whistle completes the level. World 1-4 --------- There is a White Mushroom House opportunity here IF you can get 44 coins in this level. Get every single coin you can. Among the opportunities to gain this many are two 10-coin blocks, a column of coins you can get by letting the moving platforms drop a little bit, and various patches of three coins strewn about the level. There are also 2 1-ups here. One is at the beginning where you see a platform of two bricks below a ledge of four bricks. The third brick in the four-brick platform is one of them. The other is located just after the first 10-coin block. It is the solitary brick sitting on top of a row of four. When you get to the end, ignore the Boomerang Brother and run to the right. You'll know if you got the White Mushroom House or not. World 1-Fortress ---------------- There is a very easy way to get out of this fortress and there is a slightly more difficult way. The easy way is getting the game's second warp whistle. You have to have a leaf to get it though. There is one by the door leading to the next area. When you get to the end of that first room, you'll see a door. Leave the door alone and crush the skeleton turtle, then get a running start and fly up and to the right. If you make it, go until you can't walk any farther, then press up. Inside the door is the warp whistle, and once again, getting it completes the level. If you have to go the long way, you can avoid injury by the spikes by hiding in the small alcoves when they drop down. When you reach the door, you reach Boom-Boom. Three hits will do him in. When you beat him, the lock will break outside, even though going in that direction is completely pointless. NOTE: If you exit the fortress by getting the warp whistle, the lock will not break. Meh. World 1-5 --------- This level will be over a lot quicker if you get the pink musical note located past the two pipes with piranha plants. At the beginning, slide down the hill to take out the four Buzzy Beetles. At the second pipe (the vertical one where the small green piranha plant comes out), take the high road and get the pink musical note. It is invisible, but two red dots should tattle on its location. If you have a leaf, get the 1-up. Once back in the cave, go to the end, avoiding the two piranha plants by the exit (your only real danger). It is the general old-school gamers' consensus that taking the pink note block route will make this level a lot faster. World 1-6 --------- Another level that can be over quicker if you just do what I tell you. Have a leaf, of course, because this is a sky level (somewhat). There is a green ledge with two pillars consisting of two bricks on it. Among all these bricks are a 1-up (same location as the first 1-up in 1-4), and a 10-coin block (the two-brick pillar on the right, top block). Now, at this high ledge where you can drop down to a moving platform, get a running start if you have your leaf and fly to the exit - don't try to get all the coins you see, as your flying ability will probably run out before you make it to the exit. Fly as high as possible to ensure your safe landing. If you don't have a leaf, take the moving platforms at the bottom, but watch your jump when going to the last one. It can be tricky. Level 1-Castle -------------- The small cannons here are utterly harmless provided you don't get in the way of any cannonballs. The Bullet Bills, while fast, are equally easy to elude. The only item on this airship is a Fire Flower (or a mushroom if you're small Mario/Luigi). If you have a leaf already, don't get it; otherwise, take it. Larry Koopa is easy to kill. His wand's magic moves too slow to get you, assuming you don't dawdle and you focus directly on your target. When you jump on him, run under his shell and hit him when he's conscious again. The king, who was previously a dog, will thank you after three hits on Larry and the return of his wand. The Princess, locked away in Bowser's castle, will also send you a letter rewarding you with another P-wing. World 2 - Desert Land DESERT LAND MAP AS = Angry Sun P# = P stands for pipe, and there will two of each number to indicate which pipe leads where. PY = Pyramid R = Rock (will only be mentioned if directly in something else's path) SH----o----2 o----o MH----o--4----oR--o--MH | | | | | | | | | | | | | | o---o o o 3---H---AS H H | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | F----o----o--P1 o C o o----o | | | | | | | | | | | | o MH---P1 oR--o 5 o---PY o | L | | | | | | | | ----X---o----o---o SH----o--o----o World 2-1 --------- Watch out for the Micro-Goombas inside the brick. They jump at you but can be easily eradicated with one jump. The real annoyances here are the Firesnakes, but they can either be taken out with the Starman or totally avoided. The first question block in this level is a leaf, by the way. Run with the Starman until you get to the first purple metal area. Between that one and the second one are two wooden blocks. Fall between them and jump to reveal a hidden musical note block. If you jump on the new musical note block and bounce off the wooden block to the left, you'll reveal a leaf. Go back up to the top of the first purple metal area and charge up your flying meter from the right. Flying to the left you'll discover a pipe blocked off by bricks. If you go in it and hit the P switch you'll get a few silver coins. The exit pipe drops you off at the end of the level. You can go in the pipe nearest to the exit and hit that P switch, then exit the room to find more silver coins, but it isn't really worth it unless you get an extra man out of it. World 2-2 --------- Another White Mushroom House opportunity, but this time you need 30 coins to get it. It's not worth it, seeing as how you get the oh-so-useless anchor out of it. You don't exactly need the P-Wing to get the anchor, if you would even want it, that is. Having a P-Wing helps, but a leaf will also get the job done. This level is extremely straightforward. The first wooden block you see gives you a leaf, if you have the P-Wing it shouldn't matter if you get it or not. When you clear all the quicksand pits and make it to the water, here's where you have your shot at the mushroom house. Just hit the P-Switch in the row of two blocks and get all the coins made from bricks first, then get the other coins after that. Either way you do it, the end result is a White Mushroom House containing an anchor. Thanks to Robert Glass for tips there. World 2-Fortress ---------------- If you have time and patience, you can get multiple 1-ups here. With a leaf equipped, let the three skeleton turtles group themselves together. Crush one by jumping on him, but hold A and float down to the second one. When you repeat this with the third one, the first one will come back to life, and the chain keeps going so long as you can keep Mario in the air. Emulator users take note: this is far easier with a controller than it is the keyboard. When you go up the pipe to the next floor, pass the Thwomp when he moves up. The shiny silver brick contains a leaf (or a mushroom depending on your size) which isn't worth the trouble. Charge past the other four Thwomps ahead and they won't hit you. The spikes in the next room are easy to pass too. Don't get hit by ghosts though. According to Toadstool, they "give chase" when you turn around. They can be annoying to move around, especially in this area. Once through the door, Boom-Boom takes the same three hits as before. When you get the ?-orb, the fortress and lock come crumbling down, and you have access to a Mushroom House. World 2-3 --------- Unless you feel like getting into a fight, avoid the Firesnakes here. There is a leaf above the first block pyramid and a Starman above the second one. Take a running leap and start flying from the bottom ground of the second pyramid if you have a leaf. Way, way up there is a purple P switch. Fall to the ground to start rolling in dough. You notice a brick that didn't turn into a coin - it's a 1-up. For the pipe at the end, let the turtles take care of all the bricks. The Angry Sun ------------- One of the few miscellaneous levels in the game, this is actually quite easy unless you don't know how to deal with the whirlwind in the middle. If you're having a hard time with it, a running jump will let you break through the wind's force. Once you get past the whirlwind, the sun starts chasing you. This is my serious answer to you: when he swoops down, kill him with a turtle shell and make a mad dash for the exit. Really, it's all that easy. World 2-4 --------- Easy level if you have a leaf, and one is available at the beginning. If you don't have the leaf, go get it and fly up against the left side of the level. If you break all the bricks and make it up there, there is a massive coin heaven that extends all the way to the end of the level. There are two P switches also, so break as few bricks as possible. The last musical note block on the way down spouts out a leaf when hit. World 2-5 --------- Watch out for the Chain Chomps at the beginning. They can extend their reach quite a distance, so make a broad jump over them. When you come to two red turtles, carry one of their shells and release it on the pile of bricks nestled between several wooden blocks. The one farthest to the left is a beanstalk. Climb up it and drop off to the left. Jump across the rows of clouds to get to a pipe with an odd brick arrangement inside. The very middle block at the bottom of the brick pattern (not the one closest to the ground, the one up from that) is a P switch. If you break too many bricks it won't be worth getting. Once outside, there is a leaf in the question block to the far right. Get it and float over to the end of the level, avoiding the Chain Chomp below the card. World 2-Pyramid --------------- Go in the door and avoid all the Buzzy Beetles you see. Even though the first question block is a leaf, don't get it unless you absolutely need it. Of the three platforms you can jump to, leap to the middle level and break the brick wall with either your tail or Buzzy Beetles. From the pipe, go up, left, up, and right to find another brick wall that you should use the same breaking procedure on. The two white dots above you signify an invisible coin block. Jump to reveal it so you can go into the pipe. Outside, there is a purple P switch in the bottom lone brick. Get all the coins before hitting it, then hit it and get the coins that remain. The pipe will lead you back inside. Move to the right and watch out for the Buzzy Beetles when they fall off the ceiling. Their shells will roll at you. Jump over them (or pick them up if you need them to get to the exit) and eliminate the brick wall to make it to the last pipe. You can either kill the Boomerang Brother outside or maneuver around him to the exit. ****GETTING THE THIRD WARP WHISTLE**** If you defeated the Boomerang Brother that gives you a Hammer, use it on the rock at the top of the screen. It will break, revealing a Mushroom House that gives you a guaranteed Frog Suit and another Hammer Brother. These two are Fire Brothers, and they move pretty fast with their fire. When you beat them both, you'll earn the third warp whistle (also the last one in the game). Level 2-Castle -------------- Similar in difficulty to the first airship, except there are Rocky Wrenches to thwart you, and the Bullet Bills outnumber the normal cannons. There is one flower available if you lose your leaf or Frog Suit or whatever you're using or if you came in as Super Mario. Morton is just the same as Larry, except his terrain is a bit more elevated. It's nothing to give him the old head-stomp three times and save the king. World 3 - Water Land WATER LAND MAP DB = Drawbridge BT = Boat D = Dock MH--o--o--3 MHDB-oDB-o--6B-o-7--H D--MH | | | | D | | | | | B | 2 o 4---H 8B-o-SH-F2 | | | | | L SH--MH | | | | | | | o SH--F1--o---o o oB9-P3 P2 | | | | | D--MH--SH 1 oLP1 5---oR-o-o-D-BT DB C---o--P3 | | X--P1RSHR-H-P2 World 3-1 --------- Once again, Nintendo has provided an easy escape for their gamers. First hold to the left side of the screen at the beginning and move down to find a flower, which is an essential item for this level. If you go back up and swim all the way to the right to the wooden wall, then jump out of the water and hold right, you can walk along the top to another flower (which you shouldn't need) and eventually the other side of the level. Go down into the bottom area with the musical note blocks and the Lava Lotus. All the way to the right is a brick surrounded by coins. The brick contains a 1-up. Let the current push you up, and be prepared for a Blooper ambush. Face left when the current takes you up and fire at the Blooper when you see it. Outside is a horizontal pipe leading right to the exit. World 3-2 --------- If you have a Frog Suit, you might want to use it here. If you go down in the water and stay low enough in this level and the next one, then you stay below the Cheep Cheeps and Boss Bass and cruise at top speed through the level. Fortunately, Toad's House prior to this level has Frog Suits available, and you can do this trick with ease. You can thank Michael Malleson for making this shortcut available to the public. There is a chance here for repeated Starmen, but the short invincibility time plus the fact that you're above water makes it not worth it. If you want it though, start the chain reaction by bouncing off the wall of wooden blocks after the Donut Lifts. Donut Lifts are pink donuts that shake when you stand on them and then fall. Riding the platform all the way across to the end is the best strategy. It is easy to recognize the red Cheep-Cheeps' pattern. They do two small hops and then a big one, at which time it is best to jump on them and kill them. Don't concern yourself with the flower in the bottom righthand corner at the end. When you go through the pipe to the last screen, be aware that there is still one red Cheep-Cheep left. World 3-3 --------- If you have a Frog Suit, stay low in the water here and swim below Boss Bass. If not, you had better watch your back around him. Boss Bass swims around, swiftly patrolling the area below your feet and waiting to eat you whole. No matter your status (raccoon, frog, what have you), Boss Bass can take one of your lives in one chomp. Obviously, since he snaps at you when you're close to him, STAY ON HIGH GROUND! There are plenty of opportunities to do this. The most notable comes from the P switch hidden in the brick next to the two white bricks. White bricks can be picked up and thrown into objects, hint, hint ;) If you need to get Boss Bass off your back for a little bit, basically anything fired or thrown at him will lighten your load temporarily. A well- placed fireball, turtle shell, or white brick should do the trick. If you're feeling especially adventurous, there is a 1-up far to the right of the pipe that leads to the exit. Unless you have a leaf and can float over there, there is a good chance that Boss Bass will eat you on your way to get it so you had better be well-prepared! World 3-Fortress (1) -------------------- Aaugh, fortress #1 ... that's never a good sign... There are nine doors inside the fortress that lead to different places. Three of the doors will keep you on safe ground; the other six will have you plunging into a pond full of Cheep-Cheeps. Here's the lowdown on the door situation: The sixth door is the one that leads to Boom-Boom. Unless you use a P-Wing here, which would be utterly senseless, only the sixth door will get you on the way to Boom-Boom. The ninth door leads to a room apart from the water. There is a containment area with coins in it. If it looks hard to get into, there are several invisible coin blocks that will aid you. The fifth door will lead you to a 1-up. Stand on the left tip of the ledge so that your feet hang over and then hit the brick. If you hit it from the left side, it will travel to the right and you will be able to get it easier. The bottom line is that the sixth door takes you to Boom-Boom, so don't test every door seeing where it takes you because doors 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 send you splashing into a lake, and you don't have time to test all the doors anyway. World 3-4 --------- Altogether this is a totally useless level that is a waste of your time, but if you feel that you must go to it, there are a few points of interest. This place is full of sloping hills. The second one you come to can be part of a fun little trick. Start from the top and kill all the Goombas by sliding, then when you come to the "ramp" part of the hill, hold A (jump) and B (run) for a stellar jumping effect that will put you at the top of the hill without dealing with that annoying green Cheep-Cheep! (If you miss and land in the water, there is an invisible coin block up against the wall to help you out.) The only other things to get in this level are a P switch that unveils some silver coinage and a 1-up in a row of bricks. Around the time that you reach the 1-up comes a Lakitu who throws green Spiny eggs. Green Spinys never open; their eggs roll along the ground and if you're in the way they hit you - they don't go into that funny tracking business. It's pointless to kill Lakitu, so run away from him. The exit isn't far from where he appears. As for getting flowers and leaves, both are in this level, so you can walk away with either one if you get past the Lakitu without getting hurt. But real quick, a note from R. Deland Smallwood IV: If you're patient and willing, you can create a 1-up factory. Off the third slope from the start (the one with three green Koopas), spare the last for time being. Killing the hanging Venus flytrap - same area as the P-switch - is a huge plus for your survival. Go on until you cross into the area where Lakitu would start to hover, and head back with him tailing behind. Knock the surviving Koopa into its shell, and carry it to where the P-switch was. Have Lakitu drop off some of his eggs and kick the Koopa off. As it ricochets in between the wood blocks, whatever eggs are in its way turns to 1-ups for you. The eggs, for the majority of Lakitu's attempts, will never hit you, since the pipe is causing them to deflect off and into the line of fire. Bail out when you're back to small Mario, or the timer reaches 100. World 3-5 --------- Don a Frog Suit for this level. It will help you reach a veritable treasure trove, but you can only reach this promised land if you are wearing the Frog Suit! You also have to make sure you keep it on or you can't get through the bubbles shooting up from the pipe. Although bulky and unwieldy on land, you'll swim as gracefully as a fish with the Frog Suit. Stay low in here so you'll know when the pipe comes around. Some enemies to avoid include Big Bertha (an underwater version of Boss Bass who can't swallow you whole but can shoot her babies out at you), Blooper, and Jelectro (an invincible jellyfish). When you reach a row of seven coins next to a pipe, that's the one you're looking for. Go into the pipe and HOLD RIGHT ON THE D-PAD OR YOU'LL MISS THE HUGE QUESTION BLOCK!!! Inside the question block are three 1-ups that you definitely won't want to miss. When you get them, go inside the silver pipe at the bottom. It's okay to lose your Frog Suit from here; in fact I suggest losing it so you don't have to deal with it on land. World 3-6 --------- This is a side-scrolling level, so if you still have the Frog Suit from 3-5, lose it here by getting the flower just up ahead. The flower is not the greatest item to have here - for all the bricks that sit on the ground, it's best to be Raccoon Mario. Trudge along until you come to a choice between the high road and the low road. Take the low road and hit the leftmost brick with a white brick or your tail. The blue P switch will make it possible to take either path and put you closer to the end of the level. Watch out for the rotating ledge at the end. Jump onto it near the end of its spin so you land on it when it stops. If you step on it while it's spinning you'll get thrown in a random direction (I've actually been tossed right onto the pipe before). Also keep an eye out for the green Para-Troopa at the end. World 3-7 --------- John R. Jones gave me a better solution to this level, so I decided that in the interest of convenience I'd stick it in just so you have an easier time beating it. Here, in the words of Mr. Jones, is the solution: "Midway through the stage is that setup of bricks with a vine (beanstalk) leading to the clouds. If you jump off the vine, but go RIGHT instead of left, you'll land on a lone cloud platform. Jump in the dead center of it to make a Note Block (of the pink variety) appear, and you're off to a coin bonus. The landscape here is different than that of the coin bonus in world 1-3 and 1-5, and there is not 1-up at top center. But this particular bonus leads to a Jugem's Cloud and the end of the level... by taking the cloud from the small chest, of course." Thanks, John. That's a load off on me. World 3-Fortress (2) -------------------- Unlike the previous fortress, this one is all water. Get the flower at the beginning - a valuable asset in this level indeed. Shoot any Cheep-Cheeps in your way and go into the first pipe. The Stretch ghosts here are a great nuisance to your free movement. Swim under the first two and over the third one. The only part of Stretch that hurts you is his head. You can walk freely about the rest of him. Amazingly, the pipe after the Stretch ghosts leads to Boom-Boom's room. You know how to handle him. World 3-8 --------- Boss Bass is coming back at you in full force, but there's barely any high ground to keep you safe this time. Keep a flower handy in your inventory and equip it before going into this level. Fireballing Boss Bass will only keep him away for about five seconds, and sometimes the land sinks so low you'll wonder if you're going to survive! A few beanstalks are placed in the level to keep you out of the deep end. Best of all, you can fire fireballs at Boss Bass from the beanstalk! At the end when you see the high road and the low road by the wooden platform, take the high road and you won't have any worries at all. Also, finding 44 coins in this level will yield a white Mushroom House with a P-Wing. World 3-9 --------- Definitely the most complex level yet. Bob-ombs and Bullet Bills are your main worries. Bob-ombs can be picked up and kicked around, but be careful, they WILL blow up in your hands if you hang onto them too long. White bricks are plentiful in this level too, and they can be used to effectively defeat the majority of your enemies. Be aware of the 1-up near the pipe to the far right. When you go in the pipe to the far right (it's surrounded by white bricks), there are two paths. The one to the right offers a quick, safe, and easy exit. However, if you choose to journey to the left, you must prepare to test your patience. It would be best to have a flower here. Kill all the Cheep-Cheeps in your way with the fire, and when you come to the pipe near the blue-block wall, skip it. It leads outside to way too many Bullet Bills and Bob-ombs. Instead, go over the wall and find another pipe. Hold right on the D-pad when you enter, because the enormous question block inside will reward you with a Frog Suit for your trouble. Try beating the next airship with this little suit on for a neat trick. You can swim to the exit once you have the Frog Suit. ****IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE BOAT**** You will earn a Hammer from one of the Hammer Brothers in this world. You can use it to break the rock blocking the canoe and you can go paddle happily along on the canoe getting extra lives and items, but this will only provide temporary pleasure. If you use the Hammer now, your stomach will hurt when you realize what you will have missed out on ... mwa ha ha ha ha! World 3-Castle -------------- Actually, if you keep the Frog Suit from 3-9, you'll find that its jumping capabilities are well-suited to this airship. You just have to also be nimble enough to avoid all the cannonballs and Bullet Bills. This is especially the hardest in the area after the Rocky Wrenches. Here's the best way to keep your Frog Suit: At the three cannons after the Rocky Wrenches, go under each one after it shoots its cannonball. Jump up to the Bullet Bill cannon and hang up against so it can't fire at you. Make a small leap on top of it. When the next cannonball comes down from above you, hold A when you jump on it to find relief above all the gunfire. After all the cannons comes an area with a blue screw-looking device above two fire blowers. It's futile to stay above them on the screw, so hop down into their area, but stay out of each fire blower's range. Jump up over the top of the screen at the next wall and bound over the Rocky Wrenches. If you made it all the way with the Frog Suit, congrats! Beat Wendy for a special thank-you from the king. If not, just go in and beat her and get the boring old normal offer of gratitude. Wendy is the hardest of the Koopa Children to defeat. Her rings move around the room in a diagonal pattern, and after you jump on her twice, she starts jumping really high - way higher than Mario could ever go in his Frog Suit. World 4 - Giant Land GIANT LAND MAP X--P1 MH--6--o--o P2LF1---H--3--o--2 | | | | | | | | | | | | o C---o -HBF2 H---o o--SH MH o | | | | | | | | | | | | P2 SH--5--o--o o--4 MHRP1--1 | | MH **Where the hole is just to the right of the castle, a bridge will appear there when you beat the second fortress. ****WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE HAMMER, HMM???**** If you heeded my advice or you just aren't looking at this and you didn't take the boat in Water Land, saving the Hammer pays off here. Go in the pipe to the right of the starting point. When you come out of the pipe, there will be a rock behind you that is blocking a red Mushroom House. Any of the treasure chests inside will yield a Tanooki Suit. The Tanooki Suit gives Mario the ability to turn into a statue. Just hold Down and B for temporary petrification that keeps enemies from hurting you. Otherwise, it's like having a leaf that turns you into a whole raccoon instead of giving you the tail and the ears. World 4-1 --------- Every enemy in this world is gigantified, but they are all still just as easy to defeat. There is only one part of this level that is truly interesting - a room filled with three 1-ups. Once you find the second leaf in the level, break as many bricks around you as possible and fly up. If you can get inside the wooden area filled with water, swim all the way to the pipe on the far left. Here's the point where I was grievously mistaken in previous versions of this walkthrough: there are only two extra lives in the place with the two Big Berthas, not three as I stated prior to this. There is one in each row of bricks. The brick on the floor next to the pipe cannot be broken. Thanks to Robert Glass for this important correction of my mistaken statement. After leaving this room, jump out of the water and head right to the end of the level. World 4-2 --------- If you want an anchor, you have to get every single coin in this level, and you can't do it by hitting the P switch the first time you see it. Go on ahead and get all the coins that are already there. THEN go back and get the P switch. The star will help you greatly in warding off the massive barrage of Cheep-Cheeps. World 4-3 --------- Two Sledge Brothers guard the entrance to this level. If they jump on the ground while you are standing you will lose your footing due to the tremors they cause and leave yourself extremely susceptible to attack. You can take out the first one, but try to clear the second one by jumping on the huge cloud and over him. Both pipes lead to the same cave. Inside, jump over the Spinys and Buzzy Beetles that fall off the ceiling and come at you. Unless you have the floating power of the leaf you will have to use the flying turtles to get across some of the wider gaps. Watch out for the two wooden blocks at the end. You can bounce off them and easily fall into the abyss. World 4-Fortress (1) -------------------- The candle flames will follow you much like the ghosts if you turn your backs to them. It all cancels out though because the Thwomps move to the side to hurt you instead of falling on top of you and making noise. This also makes them much easier to dodge. When you get to the row of five pipes, the middle one will take you to a cave with a power-up in it. Use the red and pink dots as guides for finding the invisible coin blocks. The pipe you come out of is right next to Boom-Boom's lair, and there is a platform in the middle of the room that makes him easier to jump on in case he starts flying. World 4-4 --------- You should have an extra Frog Suit from Water Land in your arsenal. Take it and move down with it when you land in the water. The Frog Suit allow you to paddle past the forceful bubble current and into the pipe on the left. There are two P switches in this room that provide a decent opportunity for a 1-up or two. When you leave the room, stay as low as you can and swim fast to avoid Lakitu's air attacks. He won't be a problem as long as you keep him out of your sight. World 4-5 --------- Even though it can be skipped, it is probably to your benefit to play this level. Once you get past the huge turtles, you'll be faced with a lot of Bullet Bill cannons. Some of these fire Missile Bills, a flashing variant of the Bullet Bill that can turn around and come back to hit you. When you cross the first pit, you'll just barely be able to see a brick at the top of the screen. Use one shot from the cannon to bounce up and hit it. Use another to get to the beanstalk on the top. Inside the pipe you are rewarded with a Tanooki Suit. Forget about getting the silver coins and make a running float to the exit. World 4-6 --------- In this level you will actually have an opportunity to turn the giant enemies into normal-sized people that you are more capable of hitting. Find a black door and go in it to make the change. There are two of these - both are located in pink background blocks. Two 1-ups can be found in this level. The first one is hidden among the bricks in the hollow square of bricks at the beginning. The second one is nestled among a group of invisible blocks between two pipes. The third one from the right is the 1-up. When in this level, making the enemies smaller is definitely to your advantage. If you intend on keeping your Tanooki Suit, watch out for the green bouncing turtle at the end. He'll take you down if you're not on the lookout for him. World 4-Fortress (2) -------------------- There is a lot you can get in the fortress. You have to know what you're doing though. Lava will kill you no matter what condition you're in - even if you've got a Starman equipped. The Donut Lifts and skeleton turtles don't make it any better on you, so skip all of it and go to the hall of gray blocks. Look around here for an invisible door. If you can't locate it, a P switch to the right will make a door outline out of silver coins to make the hunt easier. You'll get your first taste of directional platforms in this area. You'll become better acquainted with them once you get to Pipe Land. If it has an arrow pointing in a direction, it will take you in that direction. Direction platforms with a light bulb will start out moving up, but will change to the appropriate direction that you need to go when you jump on them once. Take them up to the pipe that curves around and puts you on top of another pipe. Walk off of that pipe and go in the one that leads up. Ride the directional platform around the piranha plant and go in the pipe at the top. Prepare to hit the mother lode. Inside the huge question block are three 1-ups, but if you'll notice, there are bricks in the ceiling to the left. If you have the leaf or the Tanooki Suit, fly up and crush them. There are plenty of coins up here, hopefully enough to provide a fourth extra life. When you exit the treasure chamber, a lot of enemies (three bone turtles and a Rotodisc) will surround you. Move over to the right to make it to Boom- Boom's residence. The usual three hits will let you out of the fortress. World 4-Castle -------------- There is not much here that will thwart you except a bunch of fire blowers. There is one Rocky Wrench who is actually quite the little wrench chunker, but you can easily elude him by navigating the lower level. It won't be too much to get through this except on the last part. Unless you can amazingly make it to the upper level, you'll have to make your way up through three fire blowers, each firing up at different intervals. For the easiest time, jump up to the second step after the bottom one stops, then wait until both the middle and top one are in view, and jump when they are both off. If you lost any power-ups here, there is a question block that proffers a mushroom or a leaf just before you meet up with Iggy. Iggy is extremely easy to beat, except that he is much like Wendy in that he starts taking huge leaps once you hit him twice. Keep him on the lowest part of the ground to keep your hassle to a minimum. You have enough Tanooki Suits, I would bet; try beating this airship with one for a simple, but different thank-you message from the king. World 5 - Sky Land **Here I will post the surface map before the surface levels. Once you beat the spiral tower, scroll down to the sky levels for the sky map. SKY LAND SURFACE MAP ST - Spiral Tower o--2--MH 3--H | | | | | | | | 1 P1 P1--o o--ST | | | | | | o F1--o o--H | | | | | | ----X o--SH--o World 5-1 --------- There is a really easy way out of this level and there is a really long way out of this level. The easy way can be achieved with a P-Wing. At the beginning of the level, fly up until you see a pipe. Go in and start ducking and flying at the same time. If you fly through the tiny narrow passageway and let go of the down button, you'll be pushed to a room with a music box, an item that will put Hammer Brothers to sleep so you don't have to fight them for a few levels. Getting this will end the level. The long way is ... well, long, and there's not much to be had from it, but if you are forced to take this path, here is the solution. Jump up all the steps, dodging the Chain Chomps you first met in the Desert Land. There are also some small white piranhas along the way that smack their mouths, as if trying to stave off an appetite. They want to eat Mario. They will jump up to take a bite out of him if he tries to clear them by jumping. In the row of six question blocks, a Starman is in the fourth. Get it and haul to the exit. Wait, you were wondering what that one area is below the path? To get there, you still need a P-Wing, and you still need to go in the pipe at the start of the level, but this time, go in the pipe in the lower right corner. You will end up in the area below the normal path. There are a few extra men to get a hold of down here, so if you don't want the music box but you don't want to deal with all the Chain Chomps and white piranhas either, take this path. Regardless, keep an eye peeled for the white piranha at the end. He can be easily eradicated by getting the card. World 5-2 --------- Another place that will reward you for using a P-Wing, but unlike the last level, you can also easily reach this area with a normal leaf. There are several exits to this level. Go in the pipe at the beginning and start floating when you fall out. If you hold to the right, you can easily make it to a series of platforms that lead you up. When the two green turtles fall into the area below the pipe, break a brick that releases them and you can make it into the pipe. There is another pipe here that you will probably not want to miss. Slide down both hills and kill all the Goombas, then go in the pipe. There are three 1-ups in the large question block and a flower in the brick that hangs out from the square. When you go in the pipe to exit the three-extra- lives room, you'll end up on the other side of the hill. Go to the pipe at the end and you will have a straight path to the end. If you don't make it to the bonus side, you'll have to take a long, horrible, stupid path that you shouldn't have to endure and easily don't have to. All the Buster Beetles down here can throw white bricks at you. If you stay close to them and duck, they will throw the white bricks completely over your head and you can jump on them when they are vulnerable. Dealing with them is not difficult, but it is a waste of your time and is a senseless method when you consider how easy it is to take the good way. World 5-3 --------- YES! THE KURIBO'S SHOE LEVEL! Get one of these and never let go of it. You can do basically anything you want to when you are the possessor of Kuribo's Shoe. To get one, just get a Goomba who is inhabiting a Kuribo's Shoe on top of a brick and then crush the brick with him on it. You can jump on top of nearly anything with Kuribo's Shoe. You can kill Spinys, Bob-ombs and (get this!) piranha plants simply by jumping on top of them. You can walk on the black Muncher plants, allowing you access to a previously impossible-to-obtain 1-up. Once you have Kuribo's Shoe, don't let anyone mess with you. Just hightail it to the end of the level. It's a crying shame that they don't let you keep the shoe - if they did I'd find a way to keep it forever :) World 5-Fortress (1) -------------------- Believe you me, this level is not worth the effort it takes. There is one special room here, but the reward is not worth the P-Wing it takes to get to the pipe. You can fly up to a red pipe that leads to an antechamber with an up-arrow coin formation. Two 1-ups are hidden in invisible coin blocks that can also only be easily reached with the P-Wing. Odds are you will lose that P-Wing when you leave due to the incredibly haphazard layout of Thwomps and Rotodiscs. Boom-Boom lies in the door all the way to the right. Skip this level entirely unless you are a fanatic that has to beat everything. Spiral Tower ------------ Lengthy but not difficult. The first room is full of Rotodiscs that are easy to evade. The second room is full of Thwomps that are easy to evade. When you reach the pipe in the Thwomp room, you will be led to some mock brick towers. The middle brick on the second tower contains a 1-up that can only be gained with a raccoon tail. Keep your eyes open for the Micro-Goombas that are hiding in some of the bricks. If you fly over the last tower with a P-Wing, there is a 1-up on the other side over the wall. There are also several 10- coin blocks in the wall next to the pipe. The airship trick works on this world, and the brick tower is an easy place to aid you. (see the Secrets and Extras section). The next room is the only truly difficult part of this level. Suavely move past when the Thwomp is moving up and the Rotodisc is not in your path on the jump over. The pipe to the right leads to another room with an interesting lighting arrangement. I used to think they could come to life and kill you - when I was about nine :p You can't go back through the blue pipe when you get outside. Climb the blue beanstalk in the brick to make it to the sky area. SKY WORLD SKY MAP MH | | P2* o--5 | | | | | | oL-o--4--o SH | | | | SH--o-F2--o--7--o | | | | | | C--o--9--8 o-MH--6 * P2 is not listed on the surface map because it leads back to the Spiral Tower. World 5-4 --------- Do not come in this level without a leaf or a Tanooki Suit on. There is a leaf at the beginning in case you need it. You can avoid all the mess involved with trying to maneuver around the spinning platforms. Get a running start from the beginning ledge and fly up to a thin cloud with coins on it. There is a second one just like it. Get a running start from that thin cloud and fly till you can't go any farther to the right. When you go in the pipe, let Lakitu drop four Spinys in the area where the card is. When you hit the card, the massive enemy kill will give you a 1-up. World 5-5 --------- Not only does Sky Land allow you to get the mysterious airship, you can also get the White Mushroom House with the P-Wing AND a Tanooki Suit in this level! Yes! Near the beginning of the level you find two pipes blocked off by bricks. You can't go in the first one, but the second one has a large question block that yields a Tanooki Suit. Just fall straight down to get all the coins. You will have to backtrack for these next coins. Seven are above the Donut Lifts and seven of them are below. Let the Donut Lifts drop enough for you to get the coins while also making sure that the Micro-Goombas don't inhibit your jumping ability. There are three more coins in coin blocks to the left. After that is familiar territory, so turn around and keep going right. Kill the Fire Chomp and then find the place with wooden blocks and bricks. Crush the two bricks and jump inside. The only coin block is the one on the left. You now have obtained every coin in the level and can go to the exit to pick up your P-Wing. World 5-6 --------- There's a reason they let you skip this level. If you've just gotta play it though, here goes. Use the Para-Beetles (this is the only appearance in the game, BTW) to elevate yourself and jump to the others more easily. They will take a slight dip, but fly upwards after that. A leaf will be invaluable to you here. You'll be mostly safe when you get to the wooden blocks, although it would be advisable to get rid of the Fire Chomp. At the long row of bricks where you meet the Fire Chomp, the next-to-last brick is a P switch. This will make it easier to make it to the pipe leading to the exit. Once again, the Lakitu-and-four-Spinys 1-up trick works here. World 5-7 --------- I've decided to use R. Deland Smallwood's input on this level as well. His idea is much better than mine. You might want to try it with a Starman going in. Although it doesn't start this way under normal circumstances, this is one of those levels that I like to call "Star Streaks" (3-2, 7-5, for example). You'll find extra stars in the first two trios of question blocks (first block of each of the three- some), to the immediate right of the Venus Flytrap's pipe, after the second huge set of blocks (again, after the Venus Flytrap), and above the exit pipe coming from the land portion. There are areas on the land which can continue this in both of their coin blocks; however, I do not really recommend it (since you can't get back to the sky through the pipe) unless... You might want to try it using a P-wing. In the land part of that area, use it to fly up top and hit a P-switch to collect the transformed coins. But there's more: With the P-wing, fly over to the extreme right. When you go to the wall, you can fly over it - it's too high without the item - and go straight to the end without having to go through that crossfire. Warning: Lakitu will be waiting. World 5-Fortress (2) -------------------- **In the Mario All-Stars version of this game, there is lava on both the ceiling and the bottom of the level. There is no lava on the ceiling in the NES version but the fireballs still come out of the ceiling. Jump to the pipe at the beginning and go to the place with a skeleton turtle and the six question blocks. The last one is the Starman that you should take and run like the wind. When it runs out, watch out for the ghost following you. The only difference between Boom-Boom here and Boom-Boom everywhere else is that here you have to jump over a lava pit to get to him. World 5-8 --------- All seems well and it looks like there's nary an enemy to be found, except for this REALLY ANNOYING Lakitu. If you want my advice, here it is: No matter what items you lose in the process, make a blind run for the pipe. This is not a long level. You can make it. There is another Lakitu 1-up trick at the end. Do not try to outmaneuver the Lakitus. They know where you are, and they will throw Spinys on top of your head. Therefore, making a mad dash trying to outrun him is almost the best idea I can give. Hey, it works :) World 5-9 --------- Since you move up, up, and even further up throughout this level, you can use a P-Wing to avoid all the enemies, but I'd call that cheating. Here's the real strategy: Eventually after moving so far up these moving platforms, two Fire Chomps will each try to sneak up and get you from the bottom. It's impossible to maneuver around both them and the fire they blow out you, so kill them both when you have the opportunity. This is also not another long level, but there is no sense in making a mad dash like you did in World 5-8. World 5-Castle -------------- The most taxing airship yet. Make sure you have a leaf so you can move slower and more carefully. This is the first airship to kind of be a hodgepodge of all the airship obstacles that you've seen up until now. At the beginning you'll see a small cannon and a fire blowing contraption. You'll really have to watch out at the end with the wall full of cannons. It is very hard to dodge all this cannon fire without losing your power-ups. Don't try any funny stuff like trying to beat it with a Frog Suit. To get past the wall near the end the easiest, try to get on top of the wall full of cannons by caroming off of a cannonball. Roy is the most annoying of the Koopa Kids yet. He has the ability to create earthquakes much like the Sledge Brothers from Giant Land. Of course when he jumps (his jumping ability is pretty sorry) he'll make the tremors, but he'll also cause the deadly seisms when he bounces inside his shell after you hit him. You'll have to jump twice in a row because if you even stay on the ground for half a second, you'll lose your balance and not be able to walk, thereby getting the smack laid on you. Hit him three times just like all the other Koopa Kids and you'll walk away happy. World 6 - Ice Land ICE LAND MAP MH P2-o o | | o--2-oRP1 o-o--o 9--o--o | | | | | | X-1-SH F1BHL-o-P2 o--6-H F2Bo 8-o-o F3B-oL--oB-oB-o--C | | | | | | | | | P1 oB-o-3 SH--4-H MH o-oR-o-7 o--o-10 | | | | | o--5-o-o-SH-o World 6-1 --------- Go into the level with a leaf (not a P-Wing, a leaf). Get a running charge and fly up until you see a door on a high wooden platform. There is a large wall of bricks inside this door. Jump up to the high level in the room and slide under the large ice blocks until you find a P switch. When you hit, run and duck at the same time to make it back to the wall of bricks that is now a wall of coins. When you leave, you'll be dropped off near the end of the level. Use your tail to pound the winged Goomba and the Ptooies, piranha plants who can blow spiked balls in the air with their breath. Some can walk and some stay in pipes. They can beaten with the raccoon tail too. World 6-2 --------- All this level is jumping from moving cloud to moving cloud. There is nothing even remotely difficult in relation to this level. The screen will scroll fast up and down at various points, but this is all made easy with the fact that they provide a leaf if you don't already have one. When you get to the wooden wall with a brick behind it, the screen scrolls so that the brick will quickly fade from view. If you use the clouds to jump up there, you will reveal a 1-up if you can find it. World 6-3 --------- A slight change in the end-of-the-level has been added here. Kudos again to R. Deland Smallwood for his great tips. Even though this level doesn't scroll like 6-2, the jumps you make will have to be a little timelier. The leaf will help you significantly here, and they even provide one early on into the level. Or, if you want to, you can skip it altogether. When you get to the part with one brick followed by two bricks, hit the first brick. A white beanstalk will pop up out of it. Climb up it and jump from the musical note block to the wooden block and from the wooden block to the inside of the pipe. A Tanooki Suit is inside, along with the same room of coins to the upper left from a few levels back. When you exit the treasure room, you will come out the same pipe you came in :( Once you get the Tanooki suit, you can make this a bird course: you can fly right on by to the end. After you get the coins, use that same long strip to get to the P on your meter. Stall for a split second, and go up the pipe; DO NOT FLY INTO IT. When you come out, immediately fly to the right, and then take the landing you would normally do. If everything goes right, you'll land right on the ending runway. Should the P not hold when you leave the secret room, however, go back down and run it up again. World 6-Fortress (1) -------------------- If you still have the Tanooki Suit from 6-3, stay as a statue while riding the small platform. In the statue form you will kill both fireballs and Rotodiscs that run into you. Jump off when you see the door to the right. Use the statue form in the next room to kill or at least not get hit by any Rotodiscs in your way. The next room is the everlasting Boom-Boom's den. If you got all the way to Ice Land, I shouldn't be having to tell you how to beat him. World 6-4 --------- If you go to the right where the brick is, there is an extra man in that brick, but ignore it. There are easier ways to earn lives. Skip past in and go to the moving platforms. All of these in this level are on a set path indicated by the black lines that they travel on. When you come to the P switch on top of bricks, hit it and start running. Running will help you avoid the Fire Chomp up ahead. Float through the passage with the last rotating platform if at all possible; the last one can easily toss you in the pit right next to the exit. World 6-5 --------- Although you can skip this level, I for one would not recommend it. The reward you will reap from this is unbelievable ... **drool** Oh, right, the level. First of all, you won't be able to beat this level unless you have flying ability and a turtle shell. When you enter the pipe that leads you into the cave, go in the first pipe to the right if you don't have a leaf yet, then exit the pipe to the left. Go in the first pipe to the right anyway, even if you don't need the leaf. It makes this faster. Whack the piranha plant, then get rid of the Buster Beetle who seeks to throw white bricks at you. You can then stomp on the turtle and take him up through the hole to the left. You need the turtle to get rid of the annoying white jumping piranhas. (Ah, now you see...) In all reality, this level is WAY easier with a P-Wing. If you have a Tanooki Suit that you don't want to part ways with, don't worry. What you're about to get is far better than any Tanooki Suit... World 6-6 --------- You can either take a P-Wing over the wall to the exit of this level, or you can do it the hard way. I have the list the hard way or I'd be considered lazy. Go in the pipe. If you've used your Hammer Brother Suit, you can fire at everybody with hammers. Otherwise, take the upper fork in the path and get the flower at the end. When you go back down, hit one of the wooden blocks to reveal a Starman. Run with it until you get to the water. The first chance you get while swimming, go up. There is a hidden 1-up near the wall on the snowy shore. Keep moving to the right. Eventually you will get out of the water. All you have to do from here on out is either avoid or kill the piranha plants, Spikes, and the one Cheep-Cheep that hops from pond to pond. World 6-7 --------- To get the white Mushroom House in this level you must collect every single coin in the whole stinking level. That's 78 coins, and you need both a leaf and a flower to get them all. Here's what to do: First of all, to get this Mushroom House, you will need to come into the level with a flower and keep it throughout the entire level. Walk across the two sets of three Donut Lifts. When you see what looks like two coins below one of them, it's actually three. Jump at the last moment so that you grab the third coin and make it to safety. Do not get the leaf in the question block. Stand on the Donut Lift ahead to move on. You will kind of have to anticipate when the Fire Chomp is about to come up. Keep jumping and tossing fireballs and you will probably hit him before he has a chance to do anything to you. Let the Donut Lift fall so you get the coins below. The rest of the level pretty much involves letting Donut Lifts fall so you can get the coins below. Kill the second Fire Chomp when he appears. When you get to the end of the level, you'll see why you needed the flower. Thaw all the coins out of their ice habitats with fireballs and kill the turtle trapped inside. Getting the coins from the previous area and all the coins in the ice amounts to 77; an invisible block to the left brings the total to 78, earning you a white Mushroom House and (bleah) an anchor. World 6-Fortress (2) -------------------- I hope you still have your Hammer Brother suit for this level. Equip the Hammer Brother suit if you still have it, then go in. The coolest part of this whole level is, you can kill Boo Diddlies and Thwomps with the hammers! Awesome! Make sure your movement is balanced so you don't slip off the ice. It doesn't take that much work to aim hammers and ghosts and monsters. I am not positive that the hammers will kill Rotodiscs. Best of all, one hammer kills Boom-Boom! No way! If you don't have the Hammer Brother suit, the level provides a leaf. When you beat this fortress, a bridge connects the mainland and a small island with a pipe. World 6-8 --------- Wow. A surprisingly warm level in the ice zone. It must be like Antarctica was back in the dinosaur days or something. If you have a P-Wing, use it here and find a pit in this level. If you go to the left, you can fly in the green hill area! Just a fun trick, nothing particularly productive will come of it. If you have the Hammer Brother suit on, I recommend keeping it that way. Kill or avoid the white piranhas as the situation calls for you to. When you see a Buster Brother pick up one of the white brick, hurtle over to him and jump on him before he gets a chance to throw it. They shouldn't get much of an opportunity to. This is a really short level - there's no need to explain the rest of it. World 6-9 --------- This level is easy as long as you stay on the top level where the Munchers are. Stay up there and keep running along until you see a very high question block. There is a P-switch in it. Look for the red dots that signify a hidden block and hit it. When you hit the P-switch, the Munchers turn to coins! Run along and avoid the piranha plants, then jump in the pipe in the ceiling at the end. If you want some nice prizes, equip a Frog Suit and stay in the water until you find pipes with a current shooting from them. The one at the end will have some special power-ups in it :) World 6-10 ---------- Good place to have a flower. Most of this level's coins are sealed in ice, and you will need a flower (which is provided twice) to thaw them out. The Munchers are also sealed in ice - be careful that you don't free them as well. Also, you will not be able to access some of the pipes without a flower. The rest of the level is business as usual. Avoid the Buster Brothers and watch out for the one spinning platform and you'll have no trouble at all. World 6-Fortress (3) -------------------- Not ANOTHER one! Don't worry, it's easy if you're focused. A leaf would probably be the best thing to have here, unless of course you still have a Hammer Brother suit on, which can be used to kill the Boo Diddlies, Stretches, and Thwomps. The biggest problem in the first room is with the conveyor belts, which will be extremely pesky once enemies start apppearing near them. The second room sends you in a freefall to the bottom. You will have to wait for the floor to rise so you can enter the door to the right. Avoid the three Boo Diddlies until you get into Boom-Boom's lair. From there you know what to do. World 6-Castle -------------- Be prepared for this airship. It is not hard, but you will have to move with the most precise timing. There are no real enemies on the ship - only fire blowers, and they are all easy to move past. You can run and jump past most of the blue screws. If you can't, however, jump on them repeatedly to keep them moving. Lemmy is like Wendy in that he shoots stuff from his wand (green bouncy balls instead of rings), but he is easier because you can jump on the balls without getting hurt. Maneuver around them and jump on him three times to turn the seal on the throne back into the king. World 7 - Pipe Land PIPE LAND MAP \/ - Piranha Plant Level S--o--o P3 P2 F1-SH--6 7--o--P7 | | | L | | | | P5 1-P1 P2 MH P8-\/--o-P6 P7 SH--o---8--MH | P1-P3 o--4-SH--o--5--P5 P8L-9---o--F2 | | | | | 2-P4 P6 3-P4 MH C---oB-\/ World 7-1 --------- Go in the door and then go in the pipe on the far right. The piranha plants alternate when they come out of their pipes, so kill them if you can; otherwise, find an open spot and go in the vertical pipe next to the leftmost one. Again, when you come out of the winding pipe, go in the pipe on the left. Keep going up to the end of the level using the musical note blocks. There is a room full of coins available to you if you have a leaf. The exit is just above that room. World 7-2 --------- To get the white Mushroom House here, you're going to have to get the coins produced by the P-switch. It will more than likely require you having a Frog Suit. Unless you can swim fast enough, you won't be able to get the Mushroom House without a Frog Suit. Go in the first pipe wedged way down low between the cliffs. If you swim all the way to the left, you will find the P-switch. Hit it and get the coins above it, then swim REALLY fast to the right and get all the coins. You can't get the Mushroom House if you don't get all the coins. When you come out, you will go down into an area that you can't jump out of because there is a solid row of invisible musical note blocks. Backtrack once you've made the bridge. There is a hidden 1-up located above the bridge if you feel like getting it. From there, avoid the piranha plants and go on to the end of the level. World 7-3 --------- A short level, but difficult without the special trick here. There is an opportunity for continuous Starmen, and Lakitu will make your life so much rougher without them. Hit the first one, then run/slide/jump to the bottom of the hill and hit the bottom left block in the group of four. The path to the third star is identical to the path to the second. Avoid the red Spinys and narrow pits when running to the next star. Jump from the pipe with the piranha plant and hit the brick below the question block (which holds a flower) to reveal the fourth star. Skip the brick with the P- switch that reveals some silver coins and advance to the fifth star, which is in a brick to the upper left of a horizontal Goomba pipe. It's a safe run to the exit after you get the fifth star. World 7-4 --------- This is why the people who made this game put in the Jugem's Cloud. It would be nice to have some kind of projectile item for this level (i.e. a flower or a Hammer Brother suit). You'll notice the black spike-topped Cheep- Cheeps that cruise through the water at an accelerated pace. Either kill them or let them bypass you. Move past the Lava Lotus before it releases the lava pods. When the level starts to move up, kill the Blooper with its babies before it can release them if at all possible. Float carefully through the field of Jelectros. It will be hard to get through in one piece if you don't have a flower or hammers because of the Big Bertha up ahead. When the level descends back to the bottom, it's almost the same as the beginning. Advance carefully to the pipe at the end and congratulate yourself on beating this level. World 7-5 --------- All pipes lead to the same area, so just go in one. I'll describe all areas of the level in separate sections in a nifty chart I devised. o---------------------------------------------------------------------------o |ROOM |WHAT TO DO | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |First |Skip or kill the bouncing turtles and go in the pipe to the | | |right. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Second |Just go to the right. There's nothing in here of value. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Third |A bit tougher. Get rid of all the Bob-ombs first, then kill | | |the two green turtles with white bricks. The two holes in the | | |floor above have hidden coin blocks. Go in the second pipe | | |from the left. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Fourth |There is a 1-up hidden in this room above one of the pipes. If| | |you want it, get it. If not, you can go in the pipe to the far| | |right to get to the fifth room, or if you have the raccoon | | |tail, you can skip directly to the sixth room. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Fifth |Avoid or get rid of the turtles, then make a running jump to | | |the platform below the pipe. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Sixth |Move along the top ledge, then jump to reveal four invisible | | |blocks. Go back to the top level and go in the pipe to the far| | |right. You will have to come back to this room in just a few | | |moments. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Seventh |Go to the bottom and make the bridge out of hidden question | | |blocks. Go in the pipe just to the left. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Sixth |Kill the turtle with the white bricks and make your way back | | |to the pipe on the far right. | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| |Seventh |Walk across the new bridge to the pipe that leads to the exit.| o---------------------------------------------------------------------------o First Piranha Plant Level ------------------------- This level is so short it will blow your mind. You just have to be careful. Make a running leap to the first pipe to get on it. When you come to the Munchers, you'll see that they alternate coming out of pipes. Advance slowly so you don't get eaten alive. (What are those flecks of crap coming out of their mouths?) Get past the other piranha plants and go in the short vertical pipe. You'll be rewarded with a P-Wing, and the level will be over. World 7-Fortress (1) -------------------- You will need to be able to fly to beat this level. Fortunately, they provide you with a grand opportunity to do just that. Find the gray metal blocks just in front of you and crush bricks until you find a P-switch. Hit it and jump to the left. Go in the door and then go in the pipe in front of you (the vertical one). If the P-switch isn't timed out yet, wait for it. Get the Tanooki Suit in the large question block at the bottom. You will come out the same pipe you came in through, so go in the one to the right. Go to the door to the lower left. In this abandoned room, fly along the ceiling looking for a pipe. It's somewhere near the left end. It might even be particularly useful to own a P- Wing at this point. In fact you should have gotten one in the level just before this one (the piranha plant level). Boom-Boom is in the vertical pipe. He starts flying after you hit him once, so keep him grounded and you'll beat as easily as you have before. World 7-6 --------- In this level you will have the ability to move instantaneously from the left side of the screen to the right, and you will make use of the directional blocks that you might have encountered in Giant Land. Remember that to make the ones with light bulbs change direction, you have to jump on them. There is nothing very noteworthy to say about this level. The directional blocks will always take you in the direction you need to go. You can elude the piranhas almost too easily. Follow the level-given map to the exit and you should have no troubles at all. World 7-7 --------- To conquer this level, you will have to use the continuous Starman trick, but it's quite a bit harder than it was in World 7-3. It's easy until you see the Munchers. Get the first Starman and start running. The first one is easy to get, but you will have to duck while running to get it. The others are harder to get because of the pipes that you have to jump through to get to them. They let you skip this level for a reason. World 7-8 --------- There are a lot of piranha plants in this level. To avoid some of them, fly up from the beginning. You can barely make it to an area with eight coin blocks (nothing valuable). If you want, get the Starman at the bottom and start running. Be careful the whole way through, particularly at the end where you see the little white piranhas. The one on the brick ledge shoots fireballs when you get too close. Just past that one is the exit. If you have a choice between levels 7 and 8 (which you do), choose 8. Not only do you not have to deal with 7, you can access a Mushroom House! Yeah! World 7-9 --------- To get through this maze as quickly as possible, follow these directions to the letter: Go to the right with the musical note blocks (the middle one yields a flower), then go all the way up and to the left. Skip the first hole with the wooden blocks and go in the second one to the right (there are musical note blocks in there as well). Then go to the left and wait on the green turtle if he hasn't passed. After him you'll see three question blocks, the middle of which contains a flower. Go to the right and up. Either snag the coins or take the white brick path and go to the upper right. Go through all the white bricks in your path. When you get to the question block with yet another flower, take the trail down and go to the right. The pipe leading to the exit is right in front of you. World 7-Fortress (2) -------------------- Make your way across the lava and the pipes. A piranha plant appears out of almost every one of them. In some cases it is better to let the Boo Diddlies follow you so that you can make some jumps more safely. A leaf is of the utmost help here. In the first brick you encounter, there is a Starman, but it will probably bounce away too fast for you to obtain it. Lure the two Thwomps you meet to the bottom so you can continue crossing. A leaf is provided near the end, but it is more often than not too little, too late. The last pipe is the one you need to go in, and you will have to curve around from the top ledge to make it. In the next room, avoid the Rotodiscs and Thwomp. To the right is Boom-Boom. Stay on the three small bricks to avoid getting hit. Second Piranha Plant Level -------------------------- This is just a short level to sidetrack you before you make it to the castle. You can clear all of the Munchers at the beginning. Get momentum off all the musical note blocks to make it to the exit. You will be rewarded with a mushroom when you open the treasure chest. World 7-Castle -------------- Have a leaf or a Tanooki Suit for this level. You don't have to get on any of the blue screws except for one, and it is at the very end. The leaf is useful for floating from surface to surface and taking out what few Rocky Wrenches are located here. Just move from area to area and you shouldn't have any problems. Ludwig von Koopa is the hardest of the Koopa Kids to defeat. It's good to have a leaf here because he shakes the ground when he jumps and when he's in his shell form after getting hit. Float down at the peak of your jump to avoid his earthquakes and land on him if possible. Three hits will kill him just like the others, but when you beat him, you'll get a letter from Bowser saying he's got the Princess in his tower. On to the last world... World 8 - Dark Land T - Tank Level B - Boat Level ** As with Sky Land, I will display each map and the legend for new symbols as you come to it. DARK LAND 1ST MAP P2 L S P1 o | | | o--T--o---B Tank Level ---------- You will be overwhelmed by the barrage of cannon fire here unless you are ready to do this thing. Once you clear the first tank, the rest are easy to get on top of, and most have a dark brown Rocky Wrench in a hole waiting to chunk wrenches at you. Unlike most Rocky Wrenches, they are eradicated after you stomp on them once. Be sure to be on the lookout for cannons that release Bob-Ombs. If you don't have one yet, get the leaf located on the first tank with a propeller. Most of the tanks from here on out have propellers on them. Watch out for the large cannon at the end that fires a massively large cannon ball. I wouldn't suggest jumping it, otherwise you'll get caught in its line of fire. Duck under it and then move on. The pipe to the exit is just after the large cannon tank. It's easy in there - all you have to do is take out a light blue Boomerang Brother. When you win, you'll get a Starman and you'll have beaten the level. Boat Level ---------- To avoid some heartache, follow this solution, modified slightly by the great Robert Glass. He's informed that not only can you swim under the second boat, but the first and third as well! You have to be fast to make it under the first boat - speed off the side first and tap A repeatedly while holding Right to stay afloat. The second boat can be passed on the underside, and at the third boat, you can jump onto the tip at the end from the water when the boat bobs low enough. Swimming under all the boats frees you from the agony of large cannonballs and Rocky Wrenches, but there's no avoiding the ubiquitous Boom-Boom at the end. Defeat him to pass on to the next world map. DARK LAND 2ND MAP H - Hand Level (where the hand drags you in) A - Airship Level P1 | P4--A P3L-o | o---H--H--H--P2 Hand Level 1 ------------ This level is full of Hammer Brothers, and right at the beginning is a Fire Brother, which you haven't seen since Desert Land. Jump him and go kill the two normal Hammer Brothers. On the bridge you'll meet a Boomerang Brother and a Sledge Brother. Kill the Boomerang Brother, but jump over the Sledge Brother and go in the pipe. You'll get a leaf, which will be especially useful for the airship level up ahead. Hand Level 2 ------------ This level couldn't be easier. Just jump to each bridge and avoid the fireballs and the lava. You'll earn another leaf for beating this level. Hand Level 3 ------------ This level is full of Cheep-Cheeps that soar through the sky at you like they so annoyingly did in the first Mario game. Run and don't worry about power- ups. Concentrate on the leaf at the end and you'll make it. Airship Level ------------- If you have a P-Wing, use it and fly over the entire level. If you don't, at least have a leaf. The walkthrough below is for those using the leaf or some other power-up. The level scrolls at an accelerated pace. Don't worry about any of the Rocky Wrenches. Any one of them that you hit should be accidental. Later on, you will have to make running jumps to get to the airships. Make sure you don't get hit by the fire blowers too. When you go in the pipe, take Boom-Boom out to lunch. A lock will open up when you beat the airship level. Go through the first pipe on the first map to access the newly-accessible pipe. Unfortunately, there's a lock on the other side right now. DARK LAND 3RD MAP P4--o P6--o--o--o | | | o--1 F--o P3 | | 2-P5--o--o--o--P5 World 8-1 --------- Don't come in this level without a leaf. Get a running charge (kind of difficult in that small space) and fly up and to the right until you see a pipe. Inside are three 1-ups. Slide down the slopes and go in the pipe in the bottom left corner. From there, it will take precise jumping ability to make it through the rest of the level. Use either the red turtle or a Bullet Bill to reach the top of the Bullet Bill cannons, then execute running floats until you get to the end. Or, for alternate easiness, read Anton Berglin's take on the level: Fly up to the pipe where you get the 1-ups. In that room, charge up your P-meter until it's full and flashing, then jump up out of the pipe. You should still be able to fly upon exiting, and can escape the level without any obstacles in your path. World 8-2 --------- An old archenemy makes his reappearance in this level: the Angry Sun! He's a lot harder to avoid in this stage, as you have to go up and down hills and across a pit with only musical note blocks to help you across. However, there is a way to escape his wrath. Sink all the way to the bottom of the first quicksand pit in the level. You have a choice of going in the pipe to the left or the one to the right. The one to the left has a 1-up, but you could possibly also earn one off of coins if you trek to the right. You come out of a pipe near the end of the level in any case. Avoid the piranha plants and slide on your butt down the hill if you want to have some fun. Bounce across the pit to make it to the exit, and you'll never have to deal with the Angry Sun! Whew! World 8-Fortress ---------------- If you have a leaf, give yourself a pat on the back here. Go in the first door you see and smash the brick wall to the right. (Even if you don't have a leaf, you can get one if you go through this door and go to the left.) Go in the safety hole below the Thwomp and smash those bricks when it's safe. Go as far to the right as you can. You can make it to the end of the level provided that you keep your leaf. Find the Thwomp that moves sideways and go to the left of him. There is a gray P-switch. Break through the brick, hit the P- switch, and go all the way to the right. Stay low so you don't get hit by the spikes when you move along the conveyor belt. Boom-Boom is as easy as ever. DARK LAND 4TH MAP KC - Koopa Castle P6--T--o--o--o--KC Tank Level 2 ------------ This level is not difficult - standard tank-and-cannon-and-Rocky-Wrench-and- Bob-omb fare. Jump on all the Rocky Wrenches (thankfully the one-hit variety) and avoid all the Bob-ombs. Fortunately, there are no large cannons that fire 10-ton cannonballs at you. The tanks stop when you reach the end. Fight Boom- Boom for the last time and you'll have access to Koopa's Castle. Koopa Castle ------------ Either run past or fly over the statues at the beginning - they fire lethal death lasers at you. Stand at the foot of the hole leading up and you will ride a light blue platform. Force the Donut Lift at right to fall, but hold to the right or you'll fall in a pit and lose a life. Maneuver carefully to the top of the stairs. To the right of the top step is a hidden 1-up. When crossing precariously along the Donut Lifts above the lava, you want to make sure to make it to the door at the top. This will lead to the room before Koopa. Only the first statue in this room fires a laser, so jump early to scale the figurine. You'll see fireballs coming at you from a mysterious source ... what game does THAT remind you of? :) In the next room is Koopa. You can fight this one, or, if you fly over the wall (P-wing only), you can fight a much easier version of him that doesn't blow fire at you. The trick in either case is to get him to fall through the bricks, which you will do by moving when he is about to jump on you. Wherever he jumps first, make that the area where he's going to plummet to his death. All you have to do is avoid his fireballs and get out of his way (although if you duck or are small and he lands on you, you won't be affected - only his top half hurts you). Once you do this three times, he will fall through the floor and you can through the door to see the end. Three or four hammers can also do the trick to kill him. Thanks to Michael Malleson for the top half glitch and hammer idea. Congratulations on beating Super Mario Brothers 3! COOL SECRETS AND EXTRAS ======================= Since I know so much about this game that is meant to be kept secret and found on your own, I figured I would share the wealth and let you know some of what I have found that will make your experience much better. 28 P-WINGS Beat the game once and your inventory will be packed to the hilt with P-Wings when you start over. HAMMER BROTHER AIRSHIP TRICK This takes meticulous attention to detail to make it work. In worlds 1, 3, 5, and 6, you can turn a Hammer Brother into an airship that is filled with coins amounting to about three 1-ups (four if you enter with about 90 coins). Here's how to do it: in any level in the four aforementioned worlds, get enough coins to make the amount a multiple of 11 (22, 33, 77, etc.). Make the next-to-last digit of your score the same as the number in the amount of coins. The easiest way to accomplish this is by smashing bricks. Finally, when you beat the level, the timer has to stop on an even number. If all these criteria are met, one of the Hammer Brothers on the map will turn into the airship! At the end of the airship, you'll have to beat a Boomerang Brother, and you will receive a Starman when you beat him. Not bad! EASIER KOOPA I mentioned this in the walkthrough. If you keep a P-Wing in the last level all the way to the end, you can fly over the wall to the left and fight an easier Koopa that doesn't shoot fireballs. DIFFERENT THANK-YOU'S If you are wearing one of the three suits (Frog, Tanooki, or Hammer Brother) when you complete an airship level, you can get a different message of gratitude from the king. They are as follows: Frog ---- Oh me, oh my! You've been transformed! Shall I change you back with this wand? Tanooki ------- Thank you, kind raccoon. Please tell me your name. Hammer Brother -------------- Hey, you! Can I borrow your clothes? No dice? What a drag. WHITE MUSHROOM HOUSES Certain levels will allow you to get special items from a mystical white Mushroom House if you get a certain amount of coins in a given level. Although I specifically denote when you can access a white Mushroom House in a level, I will tell you the levels where you can access them and the amount of coins needed to reveal them. You will get a P-Wing in odd-numbered worlds and an anchor in even-numbered worlds. 1-4: 44 coins 2-2: 30 coins 3-8: 44 coins 4-2: 22 coins 5-5: 28 coins 6-7: 78 coins 7-2: 46 coins CARD GAME PATTERNS REVEALED! Yeah, you know, the annoying spade with an N that pops up every time you get 80,000 points. Well, listed here are the eight sets of cards that will let you get all the prizes available through this game. Here is the legend for the eight sets: ** Each symbol is composed of three letters. FLR - Flower STR - Starman 1UP - Extra life 10C - 10 coins 20C - 20 coins MSH - Mushroom Pattern 1 Pattern 2 --------- --------- FLR STR 1UP FLR 1UP MSH 1UP MSH 10C MSH FLR STR 10C MSH FLR STR MSH 10C MSH 10C STR 20C 20C FLR STR 20C 20C MSH FLR STR STR 1UP FLR MSH FLR STR Pattern 3 Pattern 4 --------- --------- MSH FLR 20C MSH 10C STR MSH FLR 1UP FLR STR STR FLR 1UP MSH 1OC 1UP 2OC 20C STR MSH 10C 1UP FLR STR FLR STR MSH FLR STR 2OC MSH 10C MSH FLR STR Pattern 5 Pattern 6 --------- --------- FLR 20C MSH STR 1UP FLR FLR 1OC 1UP FLR 1UP MSH 1UP FLR 10C MSH 20C STR STR MSH 20C STR MSH 10C MSH 1OC STR MSH FLR STR STR FLR 20C MSH FLR STR Pattern 7 Pattern 8 --------- --------- FLR STR 1UP FLR 20C MSH MSH FLR 20C FLR 10C STR 1OC MSH 20C 1UP MSH 10C 2OC 1UP MSH 1OC 1UP FLR STR FLR STR MSH FLR STR STR MSH STR MSH FLR STR And finally, how to deduce which pattern you have: Flip over the fifth card on the first row. If that card is a 1-up, flip over the third card in the first row. If it is not a 1-up, you have Pattern 5. If it is a 1-up, flip over the second card in the first row. If it is a Starman, you have Pattern 1; if it is 10 coins, you have Pattern 6. If the fifth card in the first row is 20 coins, you have Pattern 7. If it is a flower, you have Pattern 2. If it is a Starman, you have Pattern 4. If the fifth card in the first row is 10 coins, flip over the last card in the second row. If it is 20 coins, you have Pattern 3; if it is a flower, you have Pattern 8. There you have it! That's how to tell which setup of cards you have. Thus concludes this portion of the Definitive Super Mario All-Stars FAQ. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE LOST LEVELS =============== SECTIONS -------- I. Basic Concept II. Controls III. Item Summary IV. Enemy Summary V. Level Walkthroughs Worlds 1-8 VI. Level Walkthroughs World 9 VII. Level Walkthroughs Worlds A-D BASIC CONCEPT ============= Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels is basically a continuation of the first Mario game that we in the States never got to experience when it was first released. This is what people are talking about when they refer to the Japanese Mario 2. What we call Mario 2 and they call Mario USA is in actuality a total rip-off of another Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic (or something like that). Therefore, since we never got to play this game upon its release, these 52 new levels were "lost" to us - ergo, the "lost levels." Gameplay in it is almost exactly as it was in the original, with minor changes peppered throughout. Again, you travel through a linear set of worlds in order to save the Princess Toadstool/Peach/whatever you call her, facing Bowser at the end of every set of four levels. It is much harder this time around, however. Terrain is tougher to cross due to certain elements that have been added, such as wind and the new, improved, and slightly tweaked springboard. All in all, its spirit remains in the original, and every enemy from the first game is back to get you. The satisfaction you will feel upon beating this game will be great. CONTROLS ======== Control here remains similar to the original Super Mario Bros. game, but there are some minor changes needing to be addressed. Since it is a painstaking process to have to go through all the controls from the first one, seeing as how they are for the most part identical, I will only mention those changes which stand out in this game. Select ------ -> Cho