Super Mario Bros. 3 ------------------- Copyright 2005 Brian McPhee Author: Brian McPhee (Kirby021591) E-mail: Kirby0215@aol.com Originally Created: June 16, 2005 Most Recent Update: June 16, 2005 Version 1.0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------Table of Contents--------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 1* Introduction* Navigation* Storyline* Items & Points* Enemies* Map Screen* Controls* Section 2* World 1* World 2* World 3* World 4* World 5* World 6* World 7* World 8* Section 3* World 9* Minimalist Quest* Toad's Houses & Bonuses* Coin Ships* White Toad's Houses* 1UP Tricks* Tricks and Glitches* Two Player Battle Mode* NES/SNES Differences* FAQ* Section 4* Credits and Legal Information* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 1*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= =============================Introduction*============================= ======================================================================= It's good to be back! When I started writing this on June 9, 2005, I had just returned from my six day absence. Yes, a trip to California (home of the whopper!) was in order, and much time was lost. But, I did learn some things... As US residents might know, airport security has been considerably increased since that fateful day some years ago in New York (we all know what I'm referring to, right?). As a result, I have learned that Game Boy Advances DO go off in metal detectors. Oh, I won't forget that any time soon... Anyways, I'm rambling about things you probably find pointless; let's get on with the show! This guide is for the ultra-popular Super Mario Bros. 3, the best-selling NES game ever created. Of course, what would an introduction be without a review? Completely opposite this game, it would be short, boring, and have no items of interest. SMB 3 was released after the sometimes confusing Super Mario Bros. 2, and it was just in time. At the peak of Mario popularity, this game returned to traditional hop-and-bop game play that we know and love, but it all happens in massive worlds, filled with optional routes and bonus levels. Unlike Super Mario Bros., SMB 3's environment affects game play (i.e. desert levels have quicksand, etc.), and a slew of new enemies were introduced to populate these environments. Some, like the neglected Boom-Boom, never saw the light of day again after SMB 3. Some, like the Boomerang Brother, were left floating in the Nintendo limousine for ages until they saw a re-release (in the case of the Boomerang Brother, in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, released fourteen years later), while others, like Thwomp and Boo, got their big breaks and introductions to an adoring public in this game. Even bosses are changed, and the result is... muddled. While it adds depth to the game - instead of having Bowser decoys at the end of every world as a boss we have new bosses with new takes on things - I can't help but hate those Koopalings intensely. A nice addition to Mario's universe was items and suits. For instance, Mario can become Raccoon Mario and take to the skies when he finds a Super Leaf, or he can don the Frog Suit to instantly become an agile swimmer. He can even parade about as a Hammer Brother, chucking hammers and all! Even though this is the best-selling and most popular NES game of all time, it is odd that hardly any of its new features remained in the Mario series. The Super Leaf was better-suited as a cape, Nintendo thought, and much of SMB 3's legacy was erased for the purposes of Super Mario World, the "sequel." In any case, while I don't like it quite as much as the original Super Mario Bros. that graced our television screens in 1985, the game that came out five years later as the sequel to the sequel is a terrific final act to the "Mario Trilogy." So, whether you are playing the inevitable GBA re- release or if you dusted off your NES to take Mario for a spin, this game is for you. It reminds us of a simpler time, when games were more difficult and had to be beaten in one sitting, back when game play took priority over graphics (although the graphics on this game are perhaps the best on any NES game released). Let the nostalgia flow! By the by, should you happen to see this guide on any site other than GameFaqs and affiliated sites (like GameSpot), then please inform me via e-mail. With your help, we can put an end to plagiarism... of this guide. Thanks a million, my friend. I know, this intro needs to end, but I'm experimenting with this guide. Some people on the message boards complained that I had a dull layout and formatting style. Why, I wondered. Well, the asterisk system is here to stay, and I won't do anything THAT extreme, but I am now separating paragraphs with an entire line, which should be evident in the Introduction. I officially started this in my Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith guide, but note that it was no mistake. I will stick with the asterisk styles for all guides in the future, but I am now going to give them decorative borders and such. Also, sub- sections now have boxes around them, and I have several other little decorate knickknacks thrown in to make it more visually pleasing. I am taking comments on the layout to see if it's really that much superior. My guides should be easy to read and not completely dull as far as visuals go, and I'd like feedback. This summer, I'm going to try to spruce up some formatting problems in previous guides (not all, just a few) if possible. So, I'm open to suggestions. Tell me what you think (in comparison to old guides). Think I could use improvement over this? I'm all ears! Thanks to all those who give their opinion, good or bad. ======================================================================= ==============================Navigation*============================== ======================================================================= As you'll learn in pretty much any guide, there are ways to navigate past all the junk, err, text I include at the beginning of a guide, and it does not involve scrolling down with the Page Down Button. No, I refer to the only way to fly, the keyboard. If you just happened to press CTRL (Apple on a Mac) and F, you can make a Find/Search tool pop up. Type in the name of the section (the asterisk, the *, distinguishes the name of the section from times I might use that name is text. For instance - navigation, introduction, World 9. Now try not to use your CTRL and F! *Cackles*), click Find/Search, and you'll be brought to each time that text is used in the document - namely the Table of Contents. Click it again to go down to the beginning of that section. Not so appealing to the eye, but it gets the job done. Hope that helps. ======================================================================= ==============================Storyline*=============================== ======================================================================= The first game to refer to the King of the Koopa as Bowser... SMB 3 is one of Mario's first shots at a good storyline. Though remarkably similar to other adventures of his, there is a twist toward the end (totally predictable, but still, at least they tried). In fact, it is quite impressive that the game has so much storyline built into it - what with letters and kings and ships and all. After all, most NES games don't even hint at their plots. So, this isn't superb, but it's an early sign of good plots to come. Here's a summary, my own words. +---------------------+ | Story Summary | +---------------------+ The Mushroom Kingdom, the peaceful nation that Mario and Luigi saved, has enjoyed a period of tranquility for some time now, but times are not good anymore. The King of the Koopa, King Bowser, has invaded the Mushroom World, the name of the collective regions lying around the Mushroom Kingdom's central atrium. Bowser has sent his seven children, the Koopalings, to the regions of the Mushroom World to cause mischief and conquer the sub-kingdoms (the states, or provinces) of the Mushroom World. Bowser is, no doubt, surrounding the Mushroom Kingdom for an all-out invasion. To conquer each region, each of the seven Koopalings has stolen the magic wand of the kings who rule there, transforming them into animals so that they cannot lead their sub-kingdoms. Mario and Luigi being the good-natured plumbers that they are have set out to return the kings to their normal states. With words of encouragement from the princess and Toad, they are off to prevent the Mushroom Kingdom from being surrounded. What? No princess to be rescued? Well, I guess not. And I guess Bowser was too chicken to invade the kingdom himself! Ha! But seriously, where did those kids come from? Oh, now that's an awkward silence... In any case, here's a list of the characters. +-----------------------+ | Game Characters | +-----------------------+ Mario: It's-a Mario! Mario is the mascot of Nintendo, and he's an Italian-American plumber (at first, he was depicted as a carpenter, but that changed in Mario Bros. because Mario could use pipes) originally said to be from Brooklyn, New York. In his first game, Donkey Kong, Mario was known as Jumpman, quite appropriately. Mario was named after the landlord of the Nintendo of America building after his arcade classic release (Donkey Kong), and the name stuck ever since. Because of the bad graphics on the early arcade games, Mario was forced to have certain characteristics. To make it look like Mario's arms moved as he ran, he wore overalls. Because they couldn't animate hair and mouths, he had a hat and a mustache. And, since red is one of the easiest colors to generate, he took that color. Mario was instantly popular, and he went on to star in Mario Bros., an arcade game. It introduced his brother, and in it he and said brother were defeating enemies in the sewers of Brooklyn (although later, in Super Mario World 2, it was changed that Mario and Luigi are from the Mushroom Kingdom, not New York). This is Mario's biggest adventure yet (it's his third, so that wasn't hard to do), and it would define a franchise and still attract players for over twenty years after being released. Luigi: Luigi's name could be mistaken for the Japanese word "ruiji," which means "similar." This is quite appropriate, as Luigi is Mario's younger brother who looks almost exactly the same. Though his mustache is smoother and he is taller and thinner than Mario, he is essentially just a change of palette in the originals, including this game. Luigi made a distinction between himself and his glory-hog brother in Super Mario Bros. 2, though. In it, Luigi had a better jump. In the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2, though, Luigi was a slow vegetable-picker. In the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi's shoes had less friction. Still, Luigi is not his own character, and the eternal understudy remains in obscurity as Player 2 for a long, long time. Eventually, toward the end of the N64, Luigi started becoming serious (that is, he became recognized as an important character in Nintendo). In Paper Mario, Luigi was a big joke, but he wrote in his diary (which Mario could read) that he wanted to get a game with his name in the title. His wish came true, as the release game for the Game Cube, which came out only months after Paper Mario, was Luigi's Mansion. In it, Luigi won a mansion in a contest he didn't even enter, and Mario had gone to check it out, but he never returned. When Luigi goes looking for him, he finds the mansion haunted, and a mysterious spirit has kidnapped Mario. Luigi rescues Mario by overcoming his fear of the dark, which Luigi still supposedly has today. Of course, Luigi did get one other chance to save Mario. It was an edutainment (education + entertainment = edutainment) title called Mario is Missing, in which Luigi had to use his advanced knowledge of world geography to find his brother. Really, it was more of a slap in the face than a great chance to shine. While Mario and Luigi are basically the same in Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi can be controlled by Player 2. Princess Toadstool: In Donkey Kong, Mario's first game, Mario tried to rescue the Lady, later named Pauline (Pauline was a popular movie-era name for damsels in distress). Well, their relationship was short- lived, as they broke up as soon as Mario started rescuing Princess Toadstool in Super Mario Bros. Toadstool, princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, is the only person who can undo some nasty Koopa magic in Super Mario Bros., but later Bowser starts kidnapping Princess Toadstool for no reason. In fact, it has been suggested in both Paper Mario games that Bowser is actually in love with Toadstool, which explains why he'd abduct her so many times. Seriously, Bowser, get a life! Princess Toadstool is abducted quite often, and Mario always has to rescue her. Although he strayed once to rescue Princess Daisy of Sarasaland (it's like "I can't believe it's not butter"; Daisy and Toadstool are almost exact look-alikes), Mario has remained true to this princess through and through. Toadstool often accompanies Mario on vacation, such as the ones in Super Mario World and Super Mario Sunshine, although they usually end in her getting kidnapped by some lunatic. And, in Super Mario 64, the princess and the plumber got on a first-name basis; Toadstool signed a letter inviting Mario over for cake as Peach, her first name. However, because this was a Toadstool game, I will refer to the pretty princess in pink as Toadstool and not Peach, though they are the same person. In Super Mario Bros. 3, Toadstool routes Mario on and sends him letters with items in them once he's liberated each world. Toad: If you've ever played a Mario game, Mushroom Retainer was the original name for Toad. Toads are the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom and the subjects of Princess Toadstool (hence the name "Toad"), but seven of them from the court of the Mushroom King were abducted by Bowser and thrown into his castles as dummies to lead Mario down the wrong path. Each time you rescue one, they say "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" In Super Mario Bros. 2, Toad was actually a playable character. With bad jumps but quick vegetable- picking skills, he was a filler character, really. Toad also was playable in Wario's Woods, the last game for the NES, in which he took down Wario, one of Mario's many enemies. Aside from games like Mario Party, Mario Kart, and all of Mario's sports titles, Toad is not otherwise playable. A while back, some began to question Toad's masculinity. To show that Toad was indeed all man, they introduced Toadette, a female version of Toad. On a side note, Toad is even more cowardly than Luigi, even since before Luigi's Mansion when Luigi was supposed to be a coward. Super Mario RPG shows one of the earliest signs of Toad's not-so-commendable bravery, in which he let Croco just zip by without fighting at all. Still, he's polite. In Super Mario Bros. 3, various Toads in the Mushroom World give Mario and Luigi items and bonuses in their houses. Of course, they are not THE Toad, Toadstool's loyal subject. The Koopalings/Koopa Kids: Ah! These wretched things are in this game? Ugh, if I had known I'd have brought a paper bag or something. I feel sick! Okay, I need to control myself... The Koopalings are Bowser's seven children that simply appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3 to be bosses. Unfortunately, we thought they went down with their ships (pun!) in Super Mario Bros. 3, but they survived. The Koopalings, seven in all, are stationed at airships in the game to bar your progress. Even after this game, they reappear in Super Mario World as bosses and in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga eons later, and Larry Koopa appears in Super Mario Sunshine (when FLUDD scans Mario). Later on, the Koopalings were replaced by a rightful heir to the Koopa Royal Line throne - Bowser Jr. Even more mind-boggling than their reappearances is the rather self- suggestive question of the origin of these children. I think that it proves beyond all doubt that Koopas can reproduce asexually. And, as it turns out, Bowser is creative with names. Because the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 3 did not give these cretins names, Americans were responsible for their oh-so-clever titles. Below I'll list their names, and what American pop culture reference is made (Ludwig von Koopa is what tipped people off to these losers being named after signers and news reporters). They are listed in order of how you fight them in Super Mario Bros. 3. Larry Koopa: Larry King Morton Koopa Jr.: Morton Downey Jr. Wendy O. Koopa: Wendy O. Williams Iggy Koopa: Iggy Pop Roy Koopa: Roy Orbison Lemmy Koopa: Lemmy of Motorhead Ludwig von Koopa: Ludwig von Beethoven Larry King is (or was. That guy must be retiring pretty soon, as he is quite old) a CNN talk show host, Morton Downey Jr. was also a talk show host in the 80's, Wendy O. Williams was a singer in the 80's band the Plasmatics, Iggy Pop is a singer from another 80's band of the same name, Roy Orbison was also a singer (responsible most notably for the songs "Pretty Woman" and "Only the Lonely"), Lemmy was the name of a singer in the band Motorhead, and Ludwig von Beethoven was a famous, rather deaf composer that lived from 1770-1827. Interestingly enough, many of them behave like those they are named after (for example, Roy Koopa wears sunglasses, and Roy Orbison often wore them, too). So, this clearly shows that Bowser is an MTV-watching pop junkie. In any case, directed at all the Canadians, Europeans, etc. reading this guide, you can thank the good old USA for these wonderfully crafted names. God bless America! Bowser: Bowser joins the ranks of Donkey Kong, Wario, Wart, Smithy, Cackletta, Tatanga, Grodus, King Boo, and others as one of Mario's archrivals, but Bowser is by far the biggest, baddest, and the most frequent of them. King Koopa was first introduced to us in Super Mario Bros. as the captor of Princess Toadstool. The ruthless "King of the Koopa" used his black Koopa magic to turn the residents of Mushroom Kingdom into horsehair grass, stones, and even coins, and he abducted Princess Toadstool to prevent her from undoing the spell (she was the only person who could reverse its ill effects). He was thwarted by Mario, or possibly by Luigi if you were playing a 2 Player Game, and Bowser fell into obscurity for a very brief time. That's because Super Mario Bros. 2 featured Wart in a Mario version of Doki Doki Panic, also known as American Super Mario Bros. 2. But, Bowser came back in force in Super Mario Bros. 3, and this time he brought the whole family. The Koopalings, all his wretched offspring, invaded many kingdoms in the Mushroom World, transforming their kings into animals using their wands. They flew around in warships and Mario was forced to defeat all his children and liberate the kingdoms. Bowser has persisted, now kidnapping Toadstool just for the sport of it (or, as Paper Mario would have us believe, possibly because of his secret crush on Princess Toadstool...). Bowser is Mario's recurring enemy, but the two worked together in Super Mario RPG (Bowser's castle was invaded, and it was to their mutual benefit to defeat the invader). Bowser is depicted in some games as a cunning mastermind (like in Super Mario 64), and in others like a buffoon (pretty much any Mario RPG game). He's a very dynamic character, that wily Koopa. In this game, he has used his children to fight. Is he somewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom? Boom-Boom: Like Birdo in Super Mario Bros. 2, Boom-Boom is an overused boss of all fortresses in the game. Resembling a Koopa that runs around while facing the screen with flapping hands, Boom-Boom is not too intimidating. Still, he pops up as the most frequent "boss" in the game, though I shall call him a mini-boss in the game. Three jumps to his cranium will flatten him and let Mario topple the castle, but he just doesn't run around aimlessly. After each hit, Boom-Boom increases speed. He learns to fly and use spikes in later battles, and different obstacles can obstruct the arena or reduce traction (in the case of World 6). He has not reappeared since his debut game, and it is just as well. He's probably in court trying to get his name changed as you read. And those are all the significant characters in the game. Now, that was completely optional and not important to game play; let's move on to the juicy stuff. Yeah, I'm talking 'bout items and points, both signatures of Mario's early games. ======================================================================= ============================Items & Points*============================ ======================================================================= Although SMB 3 features all the classic items, it introduces many new items (or "suits") as well as the ability to use items on the map so that you start the next level with them. Some items can even affect the map itself. So, here goes. +-------------+ | Items | +-------------+ Super Mushroom: Getting these transform regular Mario into Super Mario. In this form, Mario is twice as tall and it takes two hits to make him lose a life. One hit reverts him back to normal Mario. Fire Flower: This changes Super Mario to Fire Mario, also known as Fiery Mario in early games. If hit in this form, Fire Mario reverts to Super Mario. Super Leaf: The new power-up in the game, these are brown leaves that transform Mario into Raccoon Mario. In this form, Mario has a tail and raccoon ears, and he can fly, too. Run forward until the flight gauge at the bottom of the screen is full and jump. Mario will take off flying. He can also hit things he's level with by utilizing his tail. Raccoon Mario turns back into Super Mario when hit. Magic Wing: Think of this as an ultimate Super Leaf. Not only does it transform you into Raccoon Mario, but it gives you perpetual flight by keeping your power meter constantly full. As a result, you can fly over entire levels with this useful item. There are many ways to get it, too. Aside from letters and Hammer Brothers, you start with 28 Magic Wings when you beat the game and restart. Starman: Getting these make you into Invincible Mario from any status. As such, you sparkle and will be invincible for a short period of time, able to plow through enemies and kill them by touch. Nifty, eh? 1UP Mushroom: Acquiring these green versions of Super Mushrooms give Mario or Luigi an extra life. Coin: The official currency of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario gets an extra life when he collects 100 of these. Furthermore, they have mystical properties. For instance, getting certain numbers of coins in various levels earn you items, and you get entire ships of coins by collecting coins in some levels. See "Coin Ships" and "White Toad's Houses" for those details. Tanooki Suit: Tanookis are raccoon-like creatures from Japanese mythology. In this state, Mario has all the properties of Raccoon Mario, but Tanooki Mario can transform into a statue, thus hiding himself from enemies. Frog Suit: This makes you become Frog Mario. As such, you can swim in any direction by simply using the D-Pad. Or, if you need to swim more quickly, press A to move on faster. Hammer Brother Suit: Yes, Mario can become his most feared generic enemy, the Hammer Brother, by wearing a suit. Remember, folks, the power lies in the clothes. Hammer Brother Mario throws hammers by pressing the B Button. He can throw at most two hammers at once. In this form, he can also duck into his shell-helmet (a shellmet) to become fire-proof. Kuribo's Shoe: Kuribo is the Japanese name of Goomba. In Level 5-3, you can claim this item from Goombas inside the shoes, letting Mario march forward, stepping on anything without a hint of damage. Music Box: These "useful" items put to sleep Hammer Brothers on the screen, holding them in place for you. Anchor: Use this to prevent the Koopalings' airship from moving on the map. Not too great, but it has its moments. Hammer: Getting these lets you destroy a rock on the map screen to let you explore a new part of the world you're in. Jugem's Cloud: This mysterious cloud, which resembles the one used by Lakitu, lets Mario skip over a level. Be warned, though, that it does not let you beat the level, meaning that you cannot go back after skipping it. Magic Ball: Defeating Boom-Boom in mini-fortresses earns you one of these, which topples the fort. Furthermore, the Locked Door on the map will be unlocked by getting this. Magic Whistle: This mystic whistle that resembles a flute can be sounded on the map to summon a wind to carry you into World 9. It is here that you can warp to different worlds, completely skipping some worlds. There are very few in the game, though. See "World 9" for details on warping. ? Block: These blocks, which bear a question mark on them, contain coins and other items inside. Jump into them from below to knock an item loose. Note that when a ? Block contains a (1UP) Mushroom or Starman and you hit it, the item goes in the opposite direction you're facing. That is, hit it while looking right and it goes left, and vice versa. This is important to know. Switch Block: I will call these P Switches throughout the guide. Stepping on these has strange effects, usually turning blocks into coins and vice versa. They are blue half-capsules with P inscribed on them. The gray type can also make doors appear, as well as transform certain Piranha Plant variations into coins. Jump Block: These are white blocks with musical notes on them. If you jump on one, you'll bounce upward, sometimes letting out an item. The red type can really send you for a loop. Grab Block: These are shining blue blocks that can be grabbed and used like Koopa shells, only they don't ricochet. They will eventually disintegrate if you hold them for too long. You can have up to 28 items at a time. If you get a twenty-ninth item, it will displace the twenty-eighth item. But, items are only one aspect of the game. You also collect points, which have a few functions, such as getting N-Mark Spade Spaces to appear on the map. Here's how you can get points. +-----------------------+ | Point-Gathering | +-----------------------+ 1) Power-up items give you 1000 points when you get them. Coins give 50 points, too (100 when gotten from ? Blocks). When you smash bricks, you get 10 points (not worth your time). 2) If you kick the shell of an enemy and it hits an enemy, you'll get points that increase with each you hit. That is, if it sails through enemies, you'll get 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 points for each enemy defeated. After that, you get 1UPs. 3) If you stomp on multiple enemies without landing on the ground, you get points. Like in # 2, you get 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, and a 1UP for each following enemy you land on. 4) There are special coins that you can collect - those left behind by enemies caught in the last screen when you beat a level. The first is worth 1000, the second 2000, the third 4000, the fourth 8000, and each one after that nets you a 1UP. 5) All enemies are worth a set number of points. It differs with the enemy, and a select few enemies give different number of points depending on how they are beaten. 6) You get 50 points for each second left on the clock at the end of a level. For example, if you beat a level with 243 seconds left, then you get 12150 points. And that's how to earn points. Because there are many more levels, the number of points you get for doing things like smashing blocksyou're your time have been radically reduced from Super Mario Bros. Note that coins gotten in the N-Mark Spade Space game do not give 100 points, and that power-ups used on the map do not earn you points. Now, onto the main source of points - enemies. ======================================================================= ===============================Enemies*================================ ======================================================================= Super Mario Bros. 3 features a whole mess of new enemies, some of which made it into future games regularly, like Thwomp. Then you have enemies like Muncher, who appeared in Super Mario World and looked promising, but did not appear regularly in Mario games afterward. Muncher seemed to be a real regular, even appearing in Super Mario RPG some time later, but quickly died out of Mario games when the N64 hit the market. But, others like Rocky Wrench never appeared again after Super Mario Bros. 3. In any case, there are LOTS of enemies in this game, and it shows. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name Notes: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the setup for each entry. Pretty plain and simple, huh? Yes, well, get ready for a list to rival all lists - the enemy list in Super Mario Bros. 3. Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a bit... ======================================================================= Enemies ======================================================================= Angry Sun Notes: Curse this enemy. Appearing only twice in World 2 and World 8, this is a small sun-shaped enemy with an angry face (hence the name). It is unbeatable and will dive down at you repeatedly, dogging you throughout the entire level. Naturally, it's best to avoid them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Baby Cheep Notes: This is a small red fish that swims out of Big Bertha's mouth. An aquatic tackle is its only offensive maneuver, and fireballs are your only maneuver. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Big Bertha Notes: Oddly, the same name is given to some cannons in Super Mario RPG. Anyways, Big Bertha is a female fish, quite large at that, sporting red scales. Although you can't touch her, her main attack is indirect. She released Baby Cheeps from her mouth to attack you. Big Bertha herself can be killed with fireballs, though. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Blooper Notes: Coming back at you from Super Mario Bros., Blooper has had a slight name change (it was originally "Bloober") and some plastic surgery to improve its looks. These squid-like enemies swim around the water, hovering over you menacingly. It is safe, however, to stand on the ground; they never hover down to touch bottom. Fireballs, which are not extinguished in water for some reason, will make this enemy fried calamari. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Blooper & Blooper Babies Notes: Sometimes, responsible chaperone Bloopers have four miniatures, called "Blooper Babies" in Paper Mario (which is how I named this enemy). This is a tricky enemy. They can all be roasted with fireballs, though doing it can be a task. The babies either huddle together by their mother, presumably, or they spread out in trails to extend their reach. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob-omb Notes: Walking bombs from Super Mario Bros. 2, the only SMB 2 enemies to make it into the sequel. Its only attack is exploding (other than walking into you), which can be triggered in two ways: stomping on it or letting its timer hit zero. Either way, it will detonate with a small radius. If you want, you can throw the Bob-omb into another enemy or just away from you. Unfortunately, due to the side view of the game, you cannot run from the explosion like James Bond. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Boo" Diddly Notes: Diddly, who is later renamed just "Boo," marks the first Boo to ever appear in the Mario series. Despite its hillbilly surname, Boos populate fortresses as mostly undefeatable enemies. Tanooki Mario's statue stomp, Invincible Mario's touch, and Hammer Brother Mario's hammers can defeat them, but nothing else can. They are ghosts of the Mario variety, and they will shy away when you look at them directly. But, when your back is turned, these backstabbers charge you. So, either avoid these menaces or use your ultra attacks on them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Boomerang Brother Notes: A variation of the Hammer Brother, these upright Koopa Troopas throw two boomerangs at once with expert skill. Of course, fighting them at close range is deadly; try to use projectile attacks, like fireballs. If you cannot, then a tail whip or a jump are both successful tactics, though they are risky to pull off. Aside from its weapon of choice, you can tell a Boomerang Brother apart from other brothers because it is green. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Boss Bass Notes: Big Bertha's mate, I assume, these are large red fish that chase you while you're in the water. Boss Bass doesn't have Baby Cheeps in his mouth, though, which allows him to swallow Mario whole. This qualifies as instant death for you, making Boss Bass a formidable aquatic foe. Note that it can make small jumps out of the water to reach you. Don't become a meal for Boss Bass. Instead, let it fill up on fireballs aplenty. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bullet Bill Notes: Returning from Super Mario Bros., Bullet Bills are black missiles with faces that just so happen to be modeled after the faces that some jets were painted with in World War II. They can be defeated by jumping on them, or using every other type of attack other than the tail swipe or fireballs. If you stand next to a Bullet Bill Blaster so that you touch it, no Bullet Bills will be fired. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Buster Beetle Notes: They act and look just like normal Buzzy Beetles, save their lighter shells, but they are much more dangerous. If there is a block in sight, they will grab it and hurl it at you, quite a dangerous tactic. This block-throwing somehow compromises their fire-proof shells, meaning that they can be defeated in any way. Their shells are left behind afterward just like Koopa Troopa shells. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Buzzy Beetle Notes: Fire-proof relatives of the Koopa Troopa, Buzzy Beetles wander around in search of Mario, who he walks into. There is a wide array of methods at your disposal for beating them, but jumping on them makes them retreat into their shells. You can then kick the shells like you would kick a Koopa Troopa's shell. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cannonball Notes: An alternate for the Bullet Bill, these are often fired from blasters at you. They are just what they sound like - round, black balls. The gigantic kind can be beaten with any attack but fireballs, although only jumps can destroy the miniatures. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Chain Chomp Notes: Another enemy introduced to the Mario scene in this game is the Chain Chomp. A round, black head and a chain tethering it to a wooden post, Chain Chomps are unstoppable. They enthusiastically jump at you, and will eventually break their chains if you stick around for about 150 seconds. You can touch their chains, but not their bobbing heads. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cheep-Cheep Notes: Later in the Mario series, this fish is renamed without its hyphen. Either way, these are small fish, always female, with red scales and orange fins. It tries to swim into you, which is its only form of offense. Cheep-Cheeps are easily defeated with fireballs thrown by Fire Mario. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Colossal Green Koopa Paratroopa Notes: The name of the World 4 variety of Koopa Paratroopas, these are large and green flying Koopa Troopas. It hops along, probably due to its weight, and tries to hit you. Pretty much all forms of attack defeat it, but stomps turn it into its grounded counterpart, the Green Gargantuan Koopa Troopa. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dry Bones Notes: The skeletal remains of Koopa Troopas made their debut in Super Mario Bros. 3. Walking skeletons, they are "immortal," in the sense that they cannot be killed permanently. If you jump on them, they crumple into a pile of bones. The only way to truly rid yourself of these pests is to statue stomp them, hammer them, or to touch them as Invincible Mario. The possibilities are endless! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Flame Thrower Notes: This is cutting it close as an enemy (it's really more of an obstacle). Openings in Bowser's ships can spew flames that will hurt you. Statue stomps can destroy them, but only if they point up or right. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiery Brother Notes: A new version of the Hammer Brother, these enemies have mastered both Mario's jump and his skill in handling fire. Although they seldom appear, they are red Koopa Troopas standing upright that, living up to their name, shoot fireballs. For some inexplicable reason, they are weak to fireballs (just like Mario), despite their affinity toward them, as well as tail whips and jumps, neither of which are recommended. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Fire Chomp Notes: Chain Chomp - Chain + Fire = Fire Chomp. Yes, these are far worse versions of the Chain Chomp. Their tempers are on fire, they breathe fire, their chains are lit on fire, and you can't touch the chain. Of course, they are somehow weak to every attack you have, but they respawn when you revisit the area. If they use up every link in their chain, they will self-destruct as a last measure to kill you. Fire Chomps are all the more menacing due to their ability to float through the air. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Firesnake Notes: Remember the flame chains from Super Mario Bros.? These are them, essentially, only unleashed. They are long, segmented chains of fire, but they can pass through walls and floors in an effort to find and destroy you. Only a tail whip at the hands, err, tail of Raccoon Mario can defeat them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Giant Goomba Notes: World 4 features gigantic Goombas. Are they a cut above your normal minion? No, actually. Bigger doesn't mean better in this case, as they can be beaten in all the ways that normal Goombas can (that is, every form of offense known to man). The only "advantage" that this enemy has over its lesser counterparts is that you have to jump a little higher to squash it. Good for you, though, because it's a bigger target. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Goomba Notes: As Goombella puts it in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Goombas are the minions of minions. It's true; the disposable grunts of the Koopa Troop are a squad of endless brown creatures that could be mistaken for evil mushrooms. Weak in every sense of the word, Goombas are supposedly traitors of the Mushroom Kingdom. They walk around, usually to the left, and can be stomped (the traditional way to beat them), flamed, hammered, touched with invincibility, tail whipped, and just about everything else. They do have the honor of being the first enemy to appear in Super Mario Bros., though. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Green Gargantuan Koopa Troopa Notes: World 4's giant version of the Koopa Troopa is just that - an increase in size to the normal Koopa Troopa. There is no real difference at all. They walk around aimlessly, falling off cliffs if any are present and turning if they bump into something. Bigger bodies doesn't necessarily mean bigger brains or more wrinkles. I suppose that it's shell is easier to use, though. It's easy to stop in place, that is, once you kick it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Green Koopa Troopa Notes: Koopa Troopas are the backbone of the Koopa Troop. The green turtle appeared as "Shell Creeper" in Mario Bros. before the Koopa Troop ever existed, but let's not get into that. Koopa Troopas are very interesting enemies. The green type is less intelligent than the red type, as it marches forward no matter what. It might fall into a pit, bump into something and be forced to turn, or walk right into a fireball, but it will not stop. An assortment of tricks work on these generic baddies, but the best is the jump. Afterward, the Koopa Troopa's shell will be left, and you can pick it up. Try tossing it into enemies or hitting ? Block you can't jump beneath. These enemies might've appeared in more games than even Goombas... I wonder... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Green Koopa Paratroopa Notes: That's right; Koopa Troopas come with wings, too. Since the green type is admittedly simple-minded (I bet it would succumb to the Jedi Mind Trick...), Koopa Paratroopas haven't quite mastered flying. As a result, they just flutter around aimlessly, turning if they bump into something and dropping if they reach a cliff. In large groups, they can be dangerous, but they're generally easy enemies. You're able to beat them in all the ways that you can beat a Koopa Troopa, but jumping on them makes them revert to a normal Koopa Troopa. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hammer Brother Notes: Always born as twins, Hammer Brothers make a return to Mario's world in Super Mario Bros. 3, and what a return it is! Now given their own "space" on the map screen, Hammer Brothers also get plenty of cousin baddies in various brothers, such as the boomerang-wielding Boomerang Brother or their heavyweight cousins, Sledge Brothers. In any case, these were the toughest enemy in Super Mario Bros., and they haven't lost their sting after a five year absence in the US. These are upright Koopa Troopas, orange/brown in color, that throw hammers in arcs at a rapid pace. The best way to defeat them, since they are usually found on rows of blocks, is to run under the arc of hammers and hit the block they're situated on. Otherwise, jump on them when they aren't hammering you, flame them, or give them a slap with your tail. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hot Foot Notes: These flames are born from candles in later fortresses of the game. They walk around in pursuit of a portly plumber, although they are weak to all the "special attacks" - statue stomp, hammers, and invincibility touch. Of course, they are otherwise invincible. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Jelectro Notes: Only appearing in Level 7-4 and 3-5, these are black jellyfish with an electric charge. Appearing in large groups, Jelectros are some serious roadblocks. Since they can't be defeated, don't try. Just swim past them and hope for the best. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Kuribo's Goomba Notes: "Kuribo" is the Japanese name for Goomba. Anyways, these are Goombas inside large boots. By jumping into them from below, you can claim the boot (Kuribo's Shoe, the item is called) to become Kuribo's Mario. Sadly, these awesome enemies only appear in Level 5-3. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakitu Notes: One branch of the Koopa family leads to this mystic turtle riding a cloud. It wears glasses and throws Spinies at those below. Defeat it by jumping on it (if you can reach it) or by using projectiles. Lakitu will eventually return after being beaten. He has an endless supply of Spiny Eggs, too. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Lava Lotus Notes: Underwater plants, these shoot one to five fireballs out at a time. Don't mess around with them unless you're Tanooki Mario and you have good timing with the statue stomp. Otherwise, swim past them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Missile Bill Notes: Like Bullet Bills, only these missiles flash and home in on you. If they don't hit you in two goes, they will just leave the screen, but you can deal with them more safely by jumping on them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mugger Micro-Goomba Notes: Dropped from Para-Goombas, Mugger Micro-Goombas try to latch onto Mario. Apparently, the extra weight is too much for the hearty plumber to bear, causing a drastic reduce in speed and jump. Press buttons frantically to break free of them. They are designed to keep you still while the Para-Goomba that dropped them swoops down for a hit. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Muncher Notes: These are black plants that are busy smacking their lips together in hopes of getting a bite out of you, and they are always found in large groups. Munchers are absolutely invincible - there is no attack that can defeat them. Kuribo's Shoe and Starmen can be used to pass their fields, but there is another way to "beat" them. An item, the gray P Switch, can be used to turn them into coins that can be collected for points. So, if you have one on hand, make use of it. Otherwise, find a way to pass over them safely. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Nipper Notes: White versions of Munchers, Nippers can walk around. If you try to jump over it, it will try to jump up and nip you from below (ha, ha, what a punny name). Tail whipping and fireball-throwing are your options, but they should just be avoided. As a note of interest, this enemy appeared later in Super Mario RPG. In Pipe Vault, there were pipes filled with white plants that could steal your coins if you landed on them. However, since they were stationary, they may've been stationary Nippers or white-colored Munchers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Para-Beetle Notes: This is a red, winged version of the Buzzy Beetle. It cannot be stomped nor flamed, but tail whips, hammers, and a touch of Invincible Mario can defeat it. Most of the time, though, it's a necessary enemy; it can be used as a steppingstone. Para-Beetles only appears once in the game - Level 5-6. But when they appear, they appear in force. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Para-Goomba Notes: Although their name is not hyphenated in future game, Para- Goombas are Goombas with wings, which makes them slightly better. The light brown type is most deadly; it drops Mugger Micro-Goombas onto the ground to keep you in place before diving in for an attack. The dark brown type hops around, much like green Koopa Paratroopas did in Super Mario Bros. Although any attack can defeat them, a jump will de-wing them, making them normal Goombas. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Pile-Driver Micro-Goomba Notes: Small Goombas that reside under large blocks. When you least expect it, they jump onto you to attack. All attacks save fireballs (for some unknown reason) can defeat these pint-sized pains. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Piranha Plant Notes: A common enemy, these are carnivorous plants that emerge from pipes to take a bite out of everyone's favorite Italian-American plumber. If you stand right next to or on top of their pipe, they will not come out. A slight variation of the Piranha Plant is the type that comes from above out of upside-down pipes. In Super Mario Land, these are called "Headstand Pakkun," Pakkun being the Japanese name for Piranha Plant. In any case, these upside-down Piranha Plants will emerge to hit you even if you're next to or under their pipes. Tail whips, fireballs, invincibility, statue stomps - quite a few things kill them. However, you'll just pass them the majority of the time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Piranhacus Giganticus Notes: Clearly a reference to the beginning of each Wily Coyote cartoon in Looney Tunes, this is a Latin-sounding name for giant Piranha Plants in World 4. Being bigger, they are larger obstacles and, I suppose, tougher enemies. Still, they are just an inflation of your normal Piranha Plant, and act in the same way. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ptooie Notes: It's a walking Nipper-like plant (some come confined to pipes) that keeps two spiked balls levitating above its head. Of course, touching these spiky balls will harm you, and fireballs, tail whips, and other special attacks will kill it. Avoiding it is your best course of action, though. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Podoboo Notes: The magical protectors of Bowser from Super Mario Bros. return to an adoring public. This time, though, these fireballs that hop from lava can be beaten with hammers, invincibility, and the statue stomp. Unfortunately, Podoboos now populate mini-fortresses, but not just their lava. Advanced versions can jump from the ceiling and then ascend back up when they've reached the bottom of the screen. They are especially dangerous because you cannot predict where they will jump from. Avoid these. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Giant Koopa Troopa Notes: World 4's cream-of-the-crop infantry unit, these are huge Koopa Troopas with red shells. Slightly smarter than their green brethren, they will walk in straight lines and turn if they bump into something, but they will turn if they reach a cliff, unlike the green type that foolishly march to their deaths in pits. Other than that, they have all the properties of Green Gargantuan Koopa Troopas, including their kickable shells. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Koopa Troopa Notes: Not only are they red turtles, but they act exactly like Green Koopa Troopas. The difference? Red is smarter than green. Green, which plunge into pits as soon as they walk near the edge, is rather stupid. The red type is smarter; they turn around when they reach an edge. Still, they aren't THAT smart, since they think they alone can stop the almighty plumbers. All attacks will work, but jumping on them gives you access to their shells. Have fun bowling down enemies. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Koopa Paratroopa Notes: Add the wings and what've you got? Bibidi-babadi - oh, wait, wrong, um, place... Red Koopa Paratroopas are simply red versions of the green Koopa Paratroopa. However, they are smarter (remember?), and thus have more control than the green type. That is, they can actually fly, whereas the others can merely make short jumps. Anything goes here, but jumps turn them back into Koopa Troopas (red). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Rocky Wrench Notes: Like a proto-Monty Mole, these are Koopas of some kind that pop out from hatches in tanks and ships to throw wrenches at you with an expert's precision. The brown type must be stomped only once to defeat it permanently, but the other types will respawn after each stomp. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Roto-Disc Notes: These are small white orbs of energy that orbit around a fixed point. Their goal is to block your path. Unless you're wearing a suit that doesn't revolve around frogs or you're invincible, these guys cannot be beaten. Just avoid them (it's usually quite simple). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sledge Brother Notes: The other version of the Hammer Brother doesn't fall far from the tree. Large, green Koopa Troopas that stand upright, they both throw hammers in arcs and jump. Of course, since they are native to World 4, their jumps cause shockwaves to spread, stunning you. A great combination, huh? Try to keep you in place as they hammer you silly... In any case, fireballs are your best bet. If you are Fire Mario, then run under the arc of hammers when they let up and tail whip them. If that doesn't work, then jumping on them will. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike Notes: A green turtle, it spits spiked balls at Mario. Since they usually come in pairs, wait for the second to be shot before stomping it. Any attack works, though. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiny Notes: These are red turtle enemies with spikes related to the Buzzy Beetle. Their spiky backs make them immune to Mario's jump power, but they are still weak to everything else. Spinies appear endlessly as they hatch from the red Spiny Eggs thrown by Lakitu. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiny Cheep-Cheep Notes: A Cheep-Cheep with spikes on its back that is found in Level 7-4 alone. Though it is faster than regular Cheep-Cheeps and it is black, the spikes are really useful. Seriously, you can't jump on enemies underwater, anyways. What's the point? Fireballs can defeat them if you're Fire Mario and you're in the neighborhood. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiny Egg Notes: Lakitu throws these down endlessly. When they touch ground, they hatch into Spinies ready to attack. But, for the brief time that they are in the air, they are known as Spiny Egg enemies. Every attack other than jumps can defeat them. There is also a green version of the Spiny Egg that does not hatch into a Spiny. Instead, it rolls around in its egg to attack. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Statue Notes: These did make the cut for Super Mario World, but they never went anywhere from there. These Bowser duplicates of stone are found above the beaten road, shooting down beams of death below. Run under them for a quick fix. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Stretch Notes: An eerie white bar that two Boos occupy. Of course, you need to jump off this block from time to time, which means that it's considerably dangerous to stand there. Stretch can be defeated in all the ways a Boo can be, but that's not normal dress. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Thwomp Notes: A large blue block that drops from the ceiling with a nasty disposition. If you approach it, you'll set it off, causing it to drop down and crush you. But, if you make it drop and then dodge the block of doom, you can pass it as it is rising slowly. And of course, if you want to risk it, Mario is able to run faster than it can drop. It is not completely invincible, though. Oddly, statue stomps, hammers, and invincibility can kill the rock. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Venus Fire Trap Notes: A small version of the Piranha Plant that must be akin to Volcano Lotuses in Super Mario World, these enemies can shoot up to three fireballs in either direction to attack you. It's weak to tail whippings and fireballs, not to mention special attacks, though it is best left avoided. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- And those are all the non-boss enemies in the game. Now, technically speaking, Blooper is named "Bloober." Blooper & Blooper Babies is named "Bloober with kids." Boom-Boom is named "Boom Boom." Roto-Disc is named "Rotodisc." But, for the sake of current Mario games, and because this game is most likely going to be played on either a GBA or an SNES, I use these "current" names. +-----------------------+ | Causes of Death | +-----------------------+ Aside from enemies, there are a few other ways that Mario and Luigi can be killed. They are: - If you fall into a bottomless pit, quicksand, lava, etc., you will lose a life. Boss Bass's mouth will also cause instant death. - If you are hit by an obstacle or an enemy as regular Mario, you lose a life. Super Mario turns into regular Mario when hit. If hit as Fire or Raccoon Mario, you revert to Super Mario. - If you run out of time on the clock (which actually ticks faster than one second per every actual second), you lose a life. - When you lose all life, you get a Game Over. Getting this means you have to start all over (unless you're playing on the SNES or GBA, in which case you can save your progress and restart at the beginning of the world you were in). And that's how you can lose lives. Of course, you want to survive long enough to liberate the Mushroom World, right? Try not to lose lives if you can help it. ======================================================================= ==============================Map Screen*============================== ======================================================================= One of the first NES games to feature a map that one could access levels from, Super Mario is again revolutionary. Afterward, games like Kirby's Adventure mimicked the idea, as did some other games. Possessing a map, the levels are all spaces, and not all the same type. Here, I will explain all the different types of spaces as well as explain the bottom bar on the Map Screen. But first, the spaces. +-----------------------+ | Spaces & Panels | +-----------------------+ Start Panel: This is an orange/red space with the word "START" on it. You always start from here in a new world. Circular Space: These are just spaces you can stand on at intersections in the map to take new routes. Also, the airships of the Koopalings can retreat to any of these spaces if you fail to retrieve the Magic Wand the first time you board the ship from the castle. Similarly, Hammer Brothers can also move to these spaces, but only one at a time. Airships can move to any they choose. Action Scene Panel: These are numbered spaces with black backgrounds and a white number in the lower-right corner. The fine majority of levels are contained in such spaces. Clear Panel: When you beat an Action Scene Panel, it turns white and features a letter on it. If beaten by Mario, the iconic M shows up. If it was Luigi who beat it, his lesser known L is shown. Bonus panels turn different colors when cleared. Object: Sometimes, an object like a pyramid or a tank is accessible as a level. They are not numbered Action Scene Panels, but you can still enter them. I will give each "Object" a name based on what it represents in the guide. Spade Panel: These are white panels with a black spade on the front. In remakes, this is a blue space with black spades rotating about the front. The game is a slot machine-like where you must stop the parts of a trisected so that they line up to show a complete picture. Depending on what you line up, you get a different amount of 1UPs that range from 2 to 5. Please see "Toad's Houses & Bonuses" for information on this game. N-Mark Spade Panel: Every time you get 80,000 points, this appears on the map. It is a white card with a black spade on it, on which is an N, also white in color. This is a card-matching game. For details on always winning, see "Toad's Houses & Bonuses" of this guide, Section 3. Toad's House: These are mushroom-shaped houses where locals of the world live. Eager to liberate their land, they will let you take a treasure (an item) to help you along your journey. More information on these houses can be found under "Toad's Houses & Bonuses" in Section 3 of this guide. Mini-Fortress: I will call these "fortresses" in the guide. These are yellow/orange (gray in all remakes) structures that are levels. In it, you must defeat Boom-Boom, the guardian there, and use the Magic Ball you find to unlock a roadblock on the map. Locked Door: These are arches with locks in them. They can be unlocked only by getting the Magic Ball inside a fortress. Only then can you access whatever they were guarding. Rock: The name of the numerous roadblocks that can be destroyed with the Hammer item, these often block another space or make for good scenery. Hammer Brothers: This looks like a helmeted and upright turtle carrying a hammer. It is also one of the only spaces that can move. They can only move to any of the adjacent circular spaces, though. In these spaces, you fight a Hammer Brother (World 1, 3, 5, 6), a Boomerang Brother (World 2), a Fiery Brother (World 2), or a Sledge Brother (World 4). They come in pairs most often. Beating them earns you an item. In World 7, Piranha Plants are the "Hammer Brothers" there, and different trap levels act as "Hammer Brothers" do in World 8. Coin Ship: Meeting special requirements turns Hammer Brothers' spaces into these white ships on the map. They contain bonus levels with tons of coins, and to learn how to make them appear, see "Coin Ships" in Section 3. Fortress: I will refer to these as castles in the rest of the guide. Here, the king lives, but he has been transformed into an animal by the Koopalings. It is from here that you can board the airship of the Koopalings for the first time. Airship: The flying ship of the Koopalings is heavily guarded by more guns than you can shake a stick at. If you fail to reclaim the Magic Wand from the Koopaling on board, the ship will move to one of the circular spaces on the map where you can challenge them again. +-----------------------+ | Your Status Bar | +-----------------------+ And at the bottom of the Map Screen, as well as any action screen, they show a status bar. He is my best ASCII art rendering of it (I've been practicing). +---------------------------------------------+ +------+------+------+ | W O R L D # |> |> |> |> |> |> ( P ) $## | | | | | | | | CARD | CARD | CARD | | | | #1 | #2 | #3 | |( M )x # 1 9 1 6 7 2 5 O 000 | | | | | +---------------------------------------------+ +------+------+------+ Using all my best ASCII art skills, I've created the above diagram. Love it? Hate it? It makes no difference. Here's my explanation of the chart. First, in the upper-left hand corner, is the phrase "WORLD #." Replace the # with the number of which world you're in. For instance, if you're in World 5, it would read "WORLD 5." Then, to the right of it, is what's called your Power Meter. When you run, it fills red. When it's full and you're Raccoon Mario or Tanooki Mario, you can jump and jump repeatedly to fly. Then, right of it is your coin count. Replace the ## with the digits. For instance, if you had ten coins, it would read "$10" on your bar. Then, in the lower-left hand corner of the screen is an oval with either M (if you're Mario) or an L (if you're Luigi) in it. Next to it is a number. This is your life count. For example, if you had five lives, it would read like so "( M )x 5" on your bar. Right of it is a series of seven digits with your score in it. To avoid confusion, I just gave a random score - 1916725 - in the diagram. Now, this is an impossible score to have, but it looks better than having all number signs there. Then, to the right of that, is your time. In the Map Screen, it is automatically 000, but it actually ticks down in the levels. Run out of time and you will lose a life. Then, to the right of them are empty slots where cards are put. At the end of every level, you get a card bearing a Mushroom, a Fire Flower, or a Starman. For more details on this and how to assure all Starmen are gotten, see "Toad's Houses & Bonuses" in Section 3. And now you know everything you need to before playing the game. Well, almost everything. In the next section are the controls. They should help quite a bit. ======================================================================= ===============================Controls*=============================== ======================================================================= With good, solid controls, Super Mario Bros. has always been renowned for its great, innovative game play. Really, every other game on the NES has copied its jump-and-stomp style. So, after an interesting detour in Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA), Mario returns with a better selection of controls than ever. While the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, a few new controls have been added. Let's get to it! --------------------- Basic Action Controls --------------------- D-Pad: The Directional Pad (the +) can be used to move. Left and Right make Mario move in the corresponding directions. Up can be used to climb vines and enter doors. Down can be used to duck and enter pipes. When Hammer Brother Mario, ducking makes Mario retreat into his shell, making him fire-proof. If you are wearing the Frog Suit, then this alone can be used to swim through the water. Select: Use this to choose 1 Player or 2 Player Game. Start: This pauses and un-pauses the game. A Button: The most used button in the game, perhaps, it is used to jump. The longer you hold it, the higher you jump. Also, use this to swim forward when underwater. B Button: Hold this to run. When you are Fire Mario, you can press this button to shoot a fireball. As Raccoon Mario or Tanooki Mario, press this button to use a tail whip. When Hammer Brother Mario, press this button to toss a hammer forward in an arc shape. Like fireballs, you can only throw two at a time. ----------------- Advanced Controls ----------------- Gap Dash: A move of Mario's since Super Mario Bros., and a useful one at that. When there are one-space pits, do not try to jump over them. Instead, Mario can just dash over them (hold B to run). It's a very useful tactic in some areas. Sliding: If you are on a slope, you can slide into enemies by ducking (Down). It's quite a useful tactic in some areas. If there is a ramp at the end, you can jump off the edge at the end to make a long jump. Grab: When you see a shell, you can lift and carry it by approaching it and pressing (or holding) B. Release B to release whatever you're holding. This is great for positioning the shell just right for an attack. Flying: As Raccoon Mario or Tanooki Mario, you are able to fly. Run forward (hold B) until your power meter is full. Then jump (A) to take into the air. To remain in flight, press A more (this wags your tail). And to hover down, press A repeatedly to keep your tail extended, giving you a slow descent. Statue Stomp: If you press Down and B at the same time as Tanooki Mario, you'll transform into a statue (this was an ability of the Tanooki, a mythical Japanese creature). As such, enemies won't detect you and you can drop onto enemies forcefully. However, you can stay in the statue state for only five seconds or so on end. ------------ Map Controls ------------ D-Pad: Scroll through the item bar and move Mario in the corresponding direction. A Button: Use this to select an item in the item bar or to select a space to enter if it is enterable. B Button: Use this to bring up the item bar. It can also close it. - ----- - And those are the controls of Super Mario Bros. 3. All basic controls also apply to the Two Player Battle Mode. Now, let's get to the best part, the walkthrough! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 2*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= ===============================World 1*================================ ======================================================================= Grass Land is the first region of the Mushroom World that we will liberate. Appropriately, it is also the easiest. Small as it is, though, it contains two large secrets (see "World 9" for details), and it is a wonderful introduction to the game, despite the fact that it's almost the smallest world in the game. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |C = Castle | |F = Fortress | |H = Hammer Brothers Relative Location | |L = Locked Door | |o = Circular Space | |P = Spade Panel | |S = Start Panel | |T = Toad's House | +---------------------------------------------+ 1--o--2--3--o | | | | | | --S--o o--4--T L | World 1 - Grass Land o--F--P | | o T--o---H-C | | 5--o--6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad's House 1: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 2: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Spade Panel 1 Hammer Brother 1: Starman ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ | Level 1-1 | +-----------------+ Go right to find a Goomba, your first enemy. Stomp on it to defeat it (or just skip it if you'd like) to find two ? Blocks to your right. Hit them from below for two coins. When you get 100 coins, you get a 1UP. Jump onto the pink block to the right and use it to hit the high- floating ? Blocks for a coin and a Super Mushroom, which I will call "Mushrooms" from here on out. Take it to become Super Mario. In this form, you can sustain two hits before losing a life and you are twice as tall as normal. To the right is an enemy called a Venus Fire Trap, related to the Piranha Plant. It rises up from its pipe and shoots a single fireball in your direction. If you stand next to the pipe, it will retreat into it. Jump onto the pipe and jump right to hit another ? Block for a coin. Now jump right onto the blocks there and drop to the green block the turtle is on. This red-shelled turtle is called a Koopa Troopa, the backbone of the Koopa Troop. Jump onto it and it will retreat into its shell. Pick up the shell with B and then walk right. See the ? Block on the ground there? Release B to send the shell into the block. Out comes, assuming you managed to stay as Super Mario, a Super Leaf. Now, you have two options. ROUTE 1: As Raccoon Mario, you have many new abilities. Press B to swing your tail around, which can defeat enemies. Raccoon Mario's other advantage is flight. Go right and defeat the Goomba and Para- Goomba with jumps or tail whips. Then, stand back at the ? Block you got the Super Leaf from, and take off running (hold B to run). When you see a trail of coins leading to the upper-right, jump and press A repeatedly to fly upward. Neat-o! Follow this trail of coins to clouds in the sky, but land on a pink block. Take the three coins here on the block and hit the ? Block while looking right so that the 1UP Mushroom inside goes right. Claim it for an extra life before going right to more coins. When you have them all, go left to the edge of the clouds. Take off from there to fly until you see a pipe to land on. Take it down to find coins in the shape of a 3 (for Super Mario Bros. 3). Upon exiting, go left to find a Koopa Troopa (red) and some yellow blocks. ROUTE 2: If you aren't Raccoon Mario, go right of the ? Block and hit the other one for a coin. Now, defeat the Goomba to find a Para-Goomba, a winged version of the enemy (still weak, though). If you jump on it, it loses its wings and becomes a normal Goomba. Skip them and go right A wave of Koopa Paratroopa, winged versions of the Koopa Troopa, are bounding forth to crush you. Get on the ground, let them pass over you on the blocks, and then go right to another ? Block. Hit it for a power-up (a power-up is any item that changes your form - a Mushroom, a Super Leaf, or a Fire Flower). Now go right to a few small stones you can jump on. Jump right, pass two Piranha Plants, one of which is a Venus Fire Trap, and you'll reach a series of blocks by a Koopa Troopa of the red variety. REJOINED: Jump onto the Koopa Troopa and kick its shell to the left. It should carve out an opening in the blocks. If you hit the overhanging one, a P Switch (blue) will appear. If you jump on it, all the blocks here turn to coins. Collect them all before going right. Jump through the opening in the pipes, go right past the pipe, and then proceed to a black screen. This is the end of the level. If you jump into the flashing slot, you'll get a card. Three cards get you a 1UP if they don't match. Three Mushrooms get you a 2UP, three Fire Flowers a 3UP, and three Starmen a 5UP. Jump into the card to complete the level! Congrats on your first level completed. +-----------------+ | Level 1-2 | +-----------------+ Grass Land really lives up to its name here. Go right up the hill and jump to a pipe. See the Goomba coming up the hill? If you stand on the hill and press Down, you can slide right into it. But, jump before you reach the end as not to slide into a pit. Hit the ? Block there for a power-up, and then use the block to jump to the horizontal pipe above. Out the right side are endless Goombas coming and to the right of it is a Para-Goomba. Defeat or avoid both. Then go right, not collecting any coins. If you are Super or Raccoon Mario, run right and duck to slide under the blocks (if you're regular Mario, just walk under it). Jump to hit the left block, making a P Switch appear. Jump on the switch to make the coins there turn into blocks. Jump from them to the pipe, which you should take down to a group of coins. Notice the music; it is from Level 1-2 of Super Mario Bros. In any case, go left through the pipe to emerge outside. Go right from there to reappear by the pipe you just took. Avoid the Venus Fire Trap and go right past two Goombas to reach a hil. Jump to the top and defeat the Para-Goomba to the right. Now bounce on the second Jump Block (the white block with the musical note in it) to knock down a power-up. Take it and go right to a Venus Fire Trap and more Jump Blocks. Jump right to a pipe and stand there. Face left and jump into the bottom of the Jump Block overhead for a Starman, which goes right. If you take it, your jump changes into a flying somersault and you become Invincible Mario! As such, you can touch any enemy (most, at least) and kill them instantly! Run right past a series of enemies, plowing through them, until you reach a light brown Para- Goomba flying overhead. It drops enemies called Mugger Micro-Goombas. Named for their skill, they latch onto you to slow you down. Just run right past them to find the card, the end of the level. +-----------------+ | Level 1-3 | +-----------------+ A level famous for its secret, see "World 9" for those details. Start by going right and jumping on the Koopa Troopa here. Grab and hold the shell (it will come in handy later). Release into the enemy to the right and then bounce up the Jump Blocks to a red Koopa Troopa. Kick its shell to the left and watch it clear out a path for you. One block contains a power-up, and the right ? Block a coin. Also, if you jump just right of the leftmost ? Block, you'll make a red Jump Block appear. Bounce on the top and press A as you go up to reach "coin heaven." Here, collect coins on the ground as the screen scrolls right. If you are Raccoon Mario, you can take off into the skies when you see the third series of coins and hit a block surrounded by coins for a 1UP Mushroom (make sure to hit it while facing left). From there, go right some more to reach a pipe. After possibly collecting all 57 coins (22 around the 1UP block, and 35 along the ground), take the pipe at the end to fall to the normal level. Simply go right to the card, the end of the level. +-----------------+ | Level 1-4 | +-----------------+ This, as is Level 1-3, is an optional level. But, if you collect 44 coins or more in this level, something special might happen... See "White Toad's Houses" for more details. This is one of the few levels that scrolls to the right constantly, making you move with the screen. Jump right onto the blocks there and then jump onto the wooden plank floating in the air (if the clouds weren't enough, then surly that's proof that there's something wrong with this level...). Jump through the six coins here to land on the blocks to the right. Jump right when you can, and be sure to drop to the lower level. Face left and hit the block left of the upper-right block for a 1UP Mushroom, which will slide right. Now defeat the Koopa Troopa and grab its shell. Jump right onto the upper block and release the shell (be careful not to be hit when it bounces back) for a 1UP Mushroom. Now jump right to a wooden plank. Be sure to line yourself up with the row of coins and then drop down until you have them all on the plank. Then jump through the opening. Hit the two blocks above the opening if you are Super Mario or better. The second one in this stack contains several coins. Now continue right to see a Koopa Paratroopa floating up and down. Jump onto it, pressing A after you land to bounce off of it through the coins, and land on the pipe. Take it down to appear by a Boomerang Brother. You've encountered them before, but that was in 1-3 when you killed it with a shell. They throw boomerangs, up to two at a time, although almost any attack can kill them. For now, though, just avoid them and go right to the card. Mission complete! +-----------------------+ | Toad's House #1 | +-----------------------+ Normally, I will not cover this as a level (I list this sort of information below the map), but I will now because it is World 1. Here, a local Toad has this to say: "Pick a box. Its contents will help you on your way." Gifted speaker though he is, he has a simple but helpful game for you to play. He'll let you take the contents of a chest for your use, but you don't know what you'll get (in this house, anyways). Here's how it works. There are three chests, and three treasures are shuffled within (in this case, all the power-ups). You can pick one (press B to select a chest) and keep the item inside. To use it, press B on the map to bring up the "item bar." Select an item with A and you can use it on the map so that you begin the next level with it. As I show below the map, this is how you read this information (I will not review this in each world). Toad's House 1: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 1 says that they randomly shuffle three items, which are a Mushroom, a Fire Flower, and a Super Leaf. Easy, enough, right? Note: I feel I should record this observation. If you use a fireball from Fire Mario within a Toad's House, it will appear green. Green fireballs are trademark of Luigi, although Luigi used red fireballs in this game. It's probably just a discoloring glitch, but it is interesting nonetheless. Luigi first used green fireballs on the N64 in Super Smash Bros. +-------------------+ | Spade Panel | +-------------------+ Again, I will not normally cover this type of space, but I will for World 1 because this is the first time you'll play it. A local Toad will let you play a game to try to earn extra lives. He has this to say: "Line up the pictures and get a prize! You only get one try." Pictures of a Mushroom, a Fire Flower, and a Starman have been trisected (cut into three equal parts), and they are now moving in a horizontal slot machine manner. Your job? To make a complete picture, of course! Press A to stop the top layer first. Then A for the middle and then A for the bottom. If you have lined up a perfect picture of a Mushroom, you get a 2UP. Fire Flowers earn you a 3UP, and Starmen earn a 5UP. You know what to aim for. Also, an N-Mark Spade Panel might appear. It's a Spade Panel with a white N in the middle of the spade. If it does appear, Toad has this to say: "Flip over any two cards and see if they match. You can only miss twice!" Just flip over cards and hope for matches. You get whatever you get to match (that is, match two Fire Flower cards, you get a Fire Flower, and so on). For details on always winning, please see "Toad's Houses & Bonuses" in Section 3. +---------------------------+ | World 1 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ Throughout the Mushroom World, Bowser has set up fortresses to cut off transportation in the region. Guarded by a fierce warrior, inside is a key that can unlock a roadblock on the surface. Forts tend to be fairly difficult, or at least in later worlds. Of course, it is very easy this time around. Proceed to the right and hop up the stairs. Do not just jump over the lava here. Within it is a Podoboo, a living fireball. It will jump upward and then descend back into the lava from which it came, dangerous to the touch all the way (also, falling in the lava will instantly kill you, just like pits). As it is falling, jump over the pit. Repeat this for the next few gaps and you'll reach a ? Block. Be sure to face right and hit it for a power-up. This time, assuming you were big, it is a Fire Flower. If you take it, you'll become Fire Mario. In this form, press B to shoot a fireball forward. Fire is harmful to most enemies. Now jump over the next few gaps to reach a hallway. Ahead are enemies called Roto-Discs. They revolve around a fixed point (the orb), but they are very easy to bypass in this fortress. Walk by when they are not in the hallway and then go right to a lava pool. When the dual Podoboos are both descending, jump the gap to another ledge. Here, jump when the Roto-Disc is down. You'll reach a ? Block by a Dry Bones, the skeletal remains of a Koopa Troopa. If you hit the ? Block, you can get a Super Leaf. The Fire Flower is actually better for defeating an enemy ahead; don't take the leaf unless you are utilizing a certain secret in this fortress (see "World 9" for details on this secret). Dry Bones cannot be permanently destroyed in your current condition. If you jump on it, it will crumple up into a pile of bones, but it will rise from the dead (well, it's already dead, actually...) shortly afterward. In any case, go right to a doorway. Press Up on the D-Pad to take it. The ceiling, which is conveniently lined with spikes, is falling into the floor. Walk forward so that you're under the alcove above and stand there until the ceiling starts to rise. Jump over the next two gaps and run right to the wall. Stand there to avoid being crushed. Take the door when you can. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom Go right to find... AAAAAAAAAHHH! It's a monster!!! Looking like a turtle with flapping arms, a spiky back, and some sort of cloth over its eyes as if it were a Teenage Mutant Ninja Koopa, it is truly terrifying (the nightmares just don't stop...). Luckily, we can defeat this beast quite easily. As it runs toward you, jump on its head. Momentarily flattened, Boom-Boom flaunts its spikes before chasing you again, this time faster than before. It might even jump across the room to hit you (if you're far away enough). Jump on its head again and it does the old spike pattern. This time, Boom-Boom is fast. It makes me wonder what he's on... Jump on him one more time like last time and the Magic Ball appears. You can also beat him with five fireballs if you're Fire Mario. Grab the Magic Ball to complete the level. The Locked Door on the map is now destroyed. Huzzah! +-----------------+ | Level 1-5 | +-----------------+ Your first underground level, featuring the sewer music of Super Mario Bros. You start sliding down a slope, pummeling the Buzzy Beetles foolish enough to try to hike up it. You land in a pool of water with coins over it (take them). Now go right to find a reverse Piranha Plant (it's going down! Take a picture of this!) and a Buzzy Beetle. Jump on the Buzzy Beetle, which behaves just life a fire-proof Koopa Troopa, and kick its shell into the Piranha Plant for a double whammy. Now go right to a fork in the road. Decisions, decisions... Take the upper path, but stop as soon as it leads to open air (outside the tunnels). Jump against the left edge of the opening to reveal a red Jump Block. Bounce on it to reach... coin heaven! As usual, collect the 35 coins on the ground. If you are Raccoon Mario, you can fly up after the third set for 22 more coins and a 1UP (be sure to face left when you hit the block!). Take the pipe at the end to fall back into the level. Go right to a slope. Slide down it, right through a Koopa Troopa, and you'll reach a tunnel. Take it, avoiding a Venus Fire Trap and two Piranha Plants as you go right. At the end, jump and press Up to enter the warp pipe here. Now go right to nab the card! +-----------------+ | Level 1-6 | +-----------------+ A level reminiscent of 1-4... Curses... Jump to the right and take the coins above the Koopa Troopa. Kick its shell to the right so that it defeats the Koopa Troopa below the ? Block, and then jump to the block. Hit it for a power-up, jump onto the block, and jump right twice to the platform on the line. Jump right across the Jump Blocks to bounce off a Koopa Paratroopa (red). When you land, defeat the green Koopa Troopa below that was fenced in, and be sure to use its shell to break the blocks on either side of the "fence." Now hit the block above the rightmost bush for a 1UP Mushroom. Now that you have it, jump right to a fork of sorts. Jump to the upper path (the lower path is almost suicidal), of course, and walk to the gap ahead. Fall down to the block there, from which you should jump to the plank to the right. Ride it to some coins, avoiding a red Koopa Paratroopa, and you'll have to jump off to a pair of blocks at the end. From there, jump right (you don't have to bounce on the Koopa Paratroopa, but you can if you'd like) to reach the black border. Dodge a Koopa Troopa and nab the card. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #1 | +-------------------------+ You must've noticed this little guy wandering around the map. He started in front of the Castle, but he could be anywhere by now (well, in the general area). After defeating him, be sure to stop at the Toad's House near here, too! This is a simple brawl with a Hammer Brother. Throwing hammers, two at a time (in Super Mario Bros., they threw more like six at a time), they are somewhat dangerous alone. Run under their arc of hammers to be below them (that is, assuming they jumped to the upper level). The best way to beat them is to run under their block and hit it, knocking them off. Now, Fire Mario can be useful in defeating them from a distance. If you can get in close, Raccoon Mario's tail whip will also work. And if you really, and I mean REALLY, stink, then you can use a Starman before the fight. It all adds up in the end, of course, because the prize for winning is a Starman. Before taking it, though, hit the rightmost block for a Fire Flower. Then take the treasure chest that appears for winning. +-----------------------------+ | Larry Koopa's Airship | +-----------------------------+ Now that we've cleared all the levels, we can advance to the Castle. There, the king has been transformed into a dog (a Cobrat if you're playing a remake)! Toad explains this like so: "Oh, it's terrible! The King has been transformed! Please find the Magic Wand so we can change him back." Yes, how embarrassing for the king of Grass Land. Accept their challenge and Mario will embark on a dangerous journey. The airship of Larry Koopa, Bowser's youngest child (I won't even comment. Too easy), is docked at the castle, and you can take the anchor up to the bow. We must fight our way to Larry Koopa, the mischievous conqueror Grass Land! By defeating him, we can retake the Magic Wand and transform the king back into his original state. Airships are, quite simply put, a whole load of gunpowder slapped onto a wooden frame. As the screen scrolls right automatically, you'll be forced to dodge a series of cannonballs and Bullet Bills, both of which can be defeated by jumping on them. Bullet Bills are the smiling missiles fired from Bullet Bill Blasters. Cannons fire cannonballs, which I refuse to capitalize, even if it is an enemy. Go right past two cannons to reach a B. B. Blaster. Stand on top of it until a cannonball is fired at you. At that point, jump right to the wooden cylinder here and duck on the right side. When possible, jump right over the Bullet Bill Blaster. As the screen expands, hit the ? Block for a Fire Flower (or a Mushroom). If you're Raccoon Mario, ignore it. Otherwise, take it. Make sure to take it when the rotating cannon to the right is pointing diagonally. Then, when it faces horizontally, drop below the block and run to the right cylinder. When the cannon is horizontal, jump the cylinder and go right. Now, when you can, go right and stand by the Bullet Bill Blaster. Then, as the screen scrolls to the right, jump to the pipe and take it down to the arena... of DOOM! Okay, I'll never do that again... in this guide. Boss: Larry Koopa Quite a simple boss, really. | | With an arena like so, this is a very easy | | fight. As it begins, the dread Larry is | | opposite you. In his hands is the Magic | __ _ | Wand, and you must beat him to save Grass |___| | |________| Land. Larry's only attack is waving the wand at you to cast three "magic rings" at you. You can jump to avoid those. He has no other abilities beside that. To hurt him, just jump on his head. After retreating into his shell and making some disgusting sound, he jumps to a different part of the arena. No worries, though. You can jump on his head again. He repeats it, the music becomes more intense, and one more jump beats him. Alternately, you can flame him ten times as Fire Mario for the same effect. His shell spins around and he jumps out of the room, dropping the Magic Wand as he flees. Take it to beat the level! Oh yeah (said in Kool-Aid guy voice)! The screen flashes and you drop from the ship to the Castle. The king is back to his good old self again. After thanking you, he gives you a letter from the princess, his superior, I'd bet. "Greetings, If you see any ghosts, be careful. They will give chase if you turn away. I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you. Princess Toadstool." Inside is a Magic Wing, a fantastic item. When you use it, your power meter stays full for the whole level (it also turns you into Raccoon Mario). In this way, you can just fly over an entire level. Use it when difficulty arises. ======================================================================= ===============================World 2*================================ ======================================================================= We can now move on into the expansive Desert Land, the second region of the Mushroom World. Far tougher than that piece of cake, World 1, this world has a fortress with ghosts! Don't worry, though. Things are still relatively easy. Oddly, Mario isn't affected by the heat at all, although I think the sun may get to him... +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |[ = Pipe 1 | |] = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 1 | |C = Castle | |F = Fortress | |H = Hammer Brothers Relative Location | |L = Locked Door | |o = Circular Space | |P = Spade Panel | |Q = Quicksand (Level) | |R = Breakable Rock | |S = Start Panel | |T = Toad's House | |Y = Pyramid (Level) | +---------------------------------------------+ P--o--2 o--o T--H--4--oR--o--T | | | | | | | o--o o o 3--o--Q o o | | | | | | | World 2 - 1 F--o--o--[ o C o H--o Desert Land | | | | | | o T--] oR-o 5 o--Y o | L | | | --S--o--o--o P--o--o--H ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad's House 1: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 2: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 3: Pre-Selected Contents : Frog Suit Spade Panel 1 Spade Panel 2 Hammer Brother 1: Music Box Hammer Brother 2: Hammer Hammer Brother 3: Magic Whistle ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ | Level 2-1 | +-----------------+ The desert is a mean, jerk-of-a-place. Go right and a block will try to jump on you. Jump on it instead and continue right to face two more such blocks. Be sure to stop along the way for a Mushroom/Super Leaf in the ? Block. Now go right to slightly rising pillars, all of which have those jumping blocks on them. Jump them before they can jump you, of course. Afterwards, hit the ? Block to the right for a Starman! Run, Mario, run! Plow through a Firesnake, those linked flames, and other enemies, until you reach a series of Jump Blocks. Bounce up them to the purple piping. It is around here that you're Starman should wear off. Defeat the Goombas present and go right to find two blocks. Bump into the left one for a power-up. Now, on the ground, jump between them to hit a Jump Block. Bounce up onto the purple pipe to the right. Just waltz on over to your right until you drop to ground. If you want to risk it, you can break the block in the piping to jump into it, collecting coins and avoiding Firesnakes as you go. If not, just go right to find two Piranha Plants and a jumping block. Destroy the latter and get onto the right pipe. Take it down when the Piranha Plant is out to a secret room. Hit the P Switch present and then take the pipe above. When you emerge, collect the coins and defeat the jumping block. Now go right to the black screen. Defeat the jumping block there first, and take the card second. +-----------------+ | Level 2-2 | +-----------------+ Play the Spade Panel game before coming here, of course. Also, note that you want to get at least 30 coins in this level to unlock a little secret... See "White Toad's Houses" in Section 3 for details... Start by going right up a hill. Defeat the Goomba and then jump over the quicksand to the right (in the quicksand is a Venus Fire Trap capable of spitting two fireballs at once). If you run fast enough, you'll bump into a block holding a Super Leaf or a Mushroom. Take it, jump right onto the pipe, jump over the quicksand, and avoid the fireballs of the Venus Fire Trap. Upon landing, you'll come across some water. In it are green fish called Cheep-Cheeps. Since you want to collect coins and avoiding enemies equals good, it is best to get onto the wooden plank here. It floats over the water with only Koopa Paratroopas and blocks to get in your way. Hit any blocks you can for coins (the first two you duck under contain them, but not others). Be sure to hit the P Switch for major coinage, too. At the end, take the pipe to the black border. Collect the card and be proud. +---------------------------+ | World 2 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ Princess Toadstool warned us of ghosts. Her letter is misleading, though. Magic Wings do nothing to ward off ghosts; don't use it. This level introduces two very popular enemies, as you will soon see. Go forward to find three Dry Bones. Jump on them or jump over them; just get past them. Then, you'll come across a large blue block with a grim face. This is a Thwomp, which would find itself a home in many Mario games in the future. It crashes down as soon as you get close, and then it slowly rises. As it rises, run under it to more Dry Bones. Defeat them and go right to find another Thwomp. But, right of it is another new, very popular enemy, "Boo" Diddly. In later games, the name was changed to just "Boo," and I will use this name for the remainder of the guide. As the Thwomp rises, jump past it. Boo is just hovering there. But, if you should turn your back to it, it will "give chase," as Toadstool put it. So, instead of standing there, let's run right and take a pipe up to a new room. Of course, walls do not limit Boos; he can still chase you if he wants. So, we mustn't tarry here. Go right to find a spiked floor and a Thwomp hovering menacingly above it. Jump to the edge of the ledge and wait for Thwomp to drop. Run right quickly and jump to the gray block shining there. If you can duck beneath it and hit it before Boo attacks, you'll get a power-up (or if you wag your tail to hit it as Raccoon Mario). In any case, when you pass, run right to just make it under three Thwomps and reach a door. Take it to a really new room. Lowering spikes and Boos. What a lovely combination. Wait for the spikes to begin rising and run right to the opening. Repeat the process, but turn around immediately afterward to stare down the Boo. This time, as the spikes lower, jump onto the block that borders it. Hop along these blocks, jump to the next, and then hop to a door. Take it to meet the master of the fortress. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom This is exactly the same as last time, only Boom-Boom is gray this time. Jump on his head three times. After each jump (except the third, of course), Boom-Boom increases speed and shows his spikes. If you are far enough away, it'll try to jump to you. In any case, you'll beat this easy boss for the Magic Ball. Take it and the fortress is toppled. It also unlocks the Locked Door on the map. Talk about cool. +-----------------+ | Level 2-3 | +-----------------+ Visit the Toad's House using the pipe before coming here. Go right by a Firesnake and you'll reach a red Koopa Troopa. Stomp it and then lift its shell. Stand on the ? Block above (the left one) and release it. Take the power-up from the right block and then hit the other ? Block for a coin. Go right to similarly stacked blocks (in a pyramid shape, of course). Hit the right ? Block for a Starman! As Mario would say, yahoo! Run right, plowing through those enemies to reach a third pyramid. Jump to the top, bust through the blocks, and hit the ? Blocks for a power-up leaning on the Super Leaf side of the tree. If you are Raccoon Mario, get onto the base of this pyramid and take off running into flight. Fly up to some blocks with a P Switch on them. Hit the switch and drop down into a whole mess of coins! Collect all that you can (one coin that seems solid contains a 1UP Mushroom when hit from below) before going right past a series of jumping blocks. Hit the Koopa Troopas' shells into the blocks. They will collect for you many coins, as well as carve a path to a pipe. Take it down to the black border. Run right to take a card. +-----------------+ | Quicksand | +-----------------+ Notice a sun in the upper-left corner. It seems a little agitated. Go right, jumping over a quicksand pit, and then jump right again. Avoid the attack of a Venus Fire Trap, jump clear over a Koopa Paratroopa, and continue right to another quicksand pit. Jump over it when the two Venus Fire Traps are down and not dangerous. Continue right to find a tornado (this could possibly be a Tweester, the name for certain tornadoes in the Mario universe). Jump into it and you'll fall through to the ground. Go right to some blocks. Here's where it gets ugly. The sun starts to rotate violently. It is now Angry Sun, an unbeatable enemy who will dog you throughout the rest of the level. Run right, avoiding a Koopa Paratroopa and dodging the Angry Sun as it swoops down to attack you. Jump another quicksand pit after a Koopa Paratroopa and dodge the Angry Sun a few more times to reach the card. Take it to end this level! Talk about sunburns (pun!). +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #1 | +-------------------------+ The Hammer Brother here is no Hammer Brother. It is actually a... Boomerang Brother! Gasp! It is actually quite easy to beat. If you are Fire Mario, it is made even easier; you can just roast it from a distance. If not, wait for it to throw two boomerangs. Then, jump over it and stomp it. Avoid any boomerangs as they return and you'll have won. If you are really horrible, a Starman might also be beneficial. The reward for beating this Boomerang Brother is a Music Box. When you use this item, all Hammer Brothers on the map freeze in their current positions (they go to sleep). Very useful, huh? +-----------------+ | Level 2-4 | +-----------------+ Be sure to visit the Toad's House while you're here. Now, either this or Level 2-5 is unnecessary for reaching the castle. Really, 2-5 is a better pick because you access the Pyramid, a Hammer Brother, and a Spade Panel, but it's your choice. There are two possible ways to complete this level. I will cover both. ROUTE 1: The recommended route is this one. You must be Raccoon Mario to make use of it. Go right, defeat the Para-Goomba, and then run left, taking off into flight. Bust through the block column to reach an upper area. Neat-o. Go right until you see a pool of water with an opening into it. ROUTE 1 (Continued): Fall in and bust the blocks to the right of the opening (be wary of the Cheep-Cheep) for a P Switch. Jump out of the water and hit it. Now collect the coins before the time runs out. Now go right to a series of aerial coins. Eventually, you'll come to a fork in the road. At first, take the lower route, hitting every block for a coin. Then backtrack to the fork and take the upper route, collecting all the coins as you go. At the end, bounce on the Koopa Paratroopas to reach some blocks in the air. ROUTE 1 (Continued): Collect coins without busting blocks if possible. Then hit the second block from the left, the upper one, for a P Switch. Hit it, collect the coins, and then go right to some Jump Blocks. Drop through the opening there. Wait for the switch to wear off if it hasn't yet and then collect the coins in the openings. When you have them all, go right to the border. Now continue right to jump over a Boomerang Brother to the card. Mission complete! ROUTE 2: The far less glamorous route, take this only if you don't have a Super Leaf. Go right and defeat the Para-Goomba. Stomp on the Koopa Troopa ahead, grab its shell, and toss it into the ? Block. Immediately afterwards, jump to the ? Block for a power-up. If it is a Super Leaf, go back and do Route 1. Go right, grabbing the shell of a Koopa Troopa, and then kick it right to a ? Block. It's a power-up. If you get the Super Leaf, then return back and use Route 1. If you're still being stubborn and you're set on Route 2, then I will guide you through it. ROUTE 2 (Continued): Go right past a Boomerang Brother/Koopa Paratroopa combo. You'll reach another Boomerang Brother shortly after. Stand right next to the block and wait for two boomerangs to pass. Now jump either over the brother or onto him before jumping right over a gap. Hit the ? Block for a Mushroom or a Super Leaf (duck if it is a Super Leaf until you can get it), but be sure to avoid the fireballs of a Venus Fire Trap. Now go right past a final Boomerang Brother to reach little alcoves filled with coins. Collect them all and go right to a border. Avoid the Boomerang Brother here and take the card. +-----------------+ | Level 2-5 | +-----------------+ Ahead is a feared enemy, the Chain Chomp. It enjoys some popularity, but it is not a real regular in the Mario scene (not as much as Boo, for instance). If you're brave enough, you can hit the ? Blocks for a power-up and a coin, but it is very stupid and risky. Jump over it and get onto the blocks. If you stick around the Chain Chomp for about 150 seconds, it breaks free of its "post," and it is truly fearsome. Jump to the top of these blocks and then leap right to a Koopa Troopa of the red kind. Defeat or pass it and go right over a gap to another Chain Chomp. Kill the Goomba and then jump to the next blocks, hiking up them past Goombas below. At the end, you'll reach two Koopa Troopas. Use one's shell to hit the block to the right for a coin. Now go right to another Koopa Troopa. Hit its shell to the right, causing a chain reaction that hits a block and makes a vine grow, just like a beanstalk! Jump to the vine and climb it by pressing Up on the D-Pad. At the top, hop left along the clouds for coins. You'll reach a pipe, too. Take it to a secret room. If you are small, hit the rightmost block for a Mushroom. Then hit the central block for a P Switch. Bust blocks to reach it and press it. Collect the coins and then take the pipe down. When you emerge, go right to some blocks. Hit them for a power-up and three coins. Now drop right to a black border where you can claim a card guarded by a Chain Chomp. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #2 | +-------------------------+ Make sure to use the Spade panel before coming here. A Boomerang Brother is your opponent here. Run forward after two boomerangs are thrown and they return. Then, a simple jump will do the trick. But, there are easier ways to accomplish this. You could flame them as Fire Mario, get in close as Raccoon Mario for a tail whip, or touch them as Invincible Mario. However you choose to beat them, the reward is a good one - a Hammer. With it, you can break through a rock on the map. Do not use it yet, though. I will instruct you on using it to the maximum effect. +-----------------------+ | Toad's House #3 | +-----------------------+ I do not normally discuss Toad's Houses, but this one is well-hidden and quite worth your time, I assure you. You should have a Hammer from your last Hammer Brother battle. Get to the circular space in the upper-right corner, just right of 2-4, and use the Hammer. This creates a path to a Toad's House. Notice on the map the oasis is in the shape of III, which is "3" in Roman numerals. That stands for Super Mario Bros. 3, of course. Inside the Toad's House, Toad is giving away good treasure. However, this isn't your shuffled Mushroom- Fire Flower-Super Leaf junk we normally get stuck with. No, all three chests contain a Frog Suit. Below is a little explanation of the Forg Suit's uses. +---------------------+ | The Frog Suit | +---------------------+ You've just gotten the Frog Suit. When worn, you become Frog Mario, an agile swimmer. Although ungainly on land (you can't even walk straight when you have it on land. Instead, you hop forward), it provides a huge jump. But, more importantly, it is great in the water. In the water, Frog Mario can control his swimming just by using the D-Pad. And, if you need to swim faster, just press A quickly. Frog Mario can even resist strong currents. Do not use it yet, though. It really comes in handy in the next world. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #3 | +-------------------------+ There is also a Hammer Brother here, and it's a toughie. These aren't Hammer Brothers, though. Oh no, these are far harder. They are Fiery Brothers, and they spit fireballs at high speeds. To make matters worse, there are two. The best way to beat them is to come with a Starman. Invincible Mario has no trouble at all teaching these hotheads (pun!) a lesson. Alternately, if you're a daring fighter, jump onto the first brother's head and bounce off of it onto the second. A bit harder, but it works well. If you are Fire Mario, you can shoot them before they shoot you. Raccoon Mario can tail whip them, too, but it isn't advised. There's almost no way you could get close enough to use it. When you win, you receive a great item - the Magic Whistle. Use it to reach World 9, Warp Land. From there, you can access several other levels. Use it if you don't want to trek through every single world. There are three Magic Whistles in the game. To find the other two, see "World 9" in Section 3 of this guide. +---------------+ | Pyramid | +---------------+ Back on track, a pyramid is all that stands between us and the Castle. Jump onto the steps and take the door to enter it. Inside, go forward to a Buzzy Beetle on some stairs. Grab its shell and throw it into the fenced off area. Then hit the ? Block for a power-up. Now go right to find a three-way fork in the road. Take the middle path with a Buzzy Beetle's shell in hand. Launch it into the stacked blocks and then run or slide under the opening you've created for yourself. Jump on the pipe and then jump left. Go left and then jump right. Use the shell of the Buzzy Beetle to hit the stack to the right. Afterward, slide or run under the block and stop. The discolored area - three blocks away from the wooden block here - has a block there. Hit it, jump onto the block, and then jump to the pipe, which you should take up. Here, jump onto the ? Block and bust the block above it. Collect all the coins along both levels before returning to the bottom. Then slide under the block and hit it for a P Switch. Hit it, collect the coins, and then take the pipe out of this bonus area. Jump onto the slope to the right. Take it up, but tread cautiously. On the roof, two Buzzy Beetles are waiting to fall onto you. On the ground are two Buzzy Beetles as well. Avoid the roof ones when they fall and slide, but you use one shell from a ground beetle to hit the stack of blocks to the right. Run/slide under the opening to a pipe. After the Piranha Plant, take the pipe at the end to the surface. To the right, just left of a Boomerang Brother, is the card. +---------------------------------+ | Morton Koopa Jr's Airship | +---------------------------------+ There's nothing left to do now but see the king. As Toad so thoroughly explains, he has been transformed into an animal. In the NES version, it's a spider. And in future remakes, it's a Hoopster, the ladybug enemies from Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA). So, Mario boards the green ship of Morton Koopa Jr., the second-youngest in the family. We must defeat him if we are to restore the king to his original form. Drop down to the lower level as soon as the screen expands and duck there to avoid some Bullet Bills. When the screen expands enough, jump past the Bullet Bill Blasters to the right. Jump onto the upper ledge and stand left of the diagonal cannon. When the screen expands enough, drop right and stay there until it continues to the right. Pass a series of Bullet Bill Blasters to reach a ? Block. Hit it for a Mushroom or a Fire Flower. Then jump to the crates to the right. As the screen lowers, the path of the Bullet Bills curves downward. So, it is safe to drop to the floor as the screen is lowering. Then, as it begins to rise and after the blasters to the right have fired, jump up the crates to reach safety at the top. Go right to see Rocky Wrenches. I'd bet that the Monty Mole evolved from their image. They come endlessly to throw - you guessed it - miter saws, err, wrenches at you. Jump over them, jump on the hatches to knock them down (they'll rise again, though). Now, avoid some more Bullet Bills until you go right to a pipe. Take it down to meet your destiny. Boss: Morton Koopa Jr. | | Morton is just as weak as his little | | brother, Larry Koopa. Although it's more | __ __| bumpy than Larry's, his battle tactics are | __ __ | | | exactly the same. Aside from tackling you |___| | |__| | | with his massive body, Morton can use the stolen Magic Wand to cast three magical rings at you. Jump to avoid these, and you'd might as well land on Morton's head, his weak point. Three jumps to the head will defeat this tubby Koopa Kid, although ten fireballs do the same things. Three hits and he spins about in his shell before fleeing, dropping the Magic Wand in his flight. Take it to fall back to the king, who is now back to his good old self. Like before, he has a letter from the princess for you. "Greetings, You can stomp on your enemies using a Goomba's shoe. I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you. Princess Toadstool." She gives you Jugem's Cloud, an item that lets you bypass an entire level - not beating it, though. So, you can advance in one direction, but there's no turning back after that. Her little tip here is actually used in World 5, quite a ways off. In any case, let's move on to the next world. ======================================================================= ===============================World 3*================================ ======================================================================= It goes from one extreme to the next. Grass to sand to water... Water Land is the originally named world that sprawls across the screen. Filled with watery levels, it's the perfect chance to use your Frog Suit. Man are you going to hate this world... It has two forts, nine levels, and a whole ton of options, plus a considerably harder boss than most. Here's where the difficulty really increases from the other worlds. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |[ = Pipe 1 | |] = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 1 | |( = Pipe 2 | |) = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 2 | |{ = Pipe 3 | |} = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 3 | |B = Bridge | |C = Castle | |D = Dock | |F = Fortress | |H = Hammer Brothers Relative Location | |L = Locked Door | |o = Circular Space | |P = Spade Panel | |R = Breakable Rock | |S = Start Panel | |T = Toad's House | +---------------------------------------------+ T--o--o--3 TB-oB-o--6--o--7--o D--T | | | | B | 2 o 4--H 8--o--P--F | | | | | L P--T World 3 - o P--F--o--o o o--9--{ ( | Water Land | | | | D--T--P 1 o-L] 5--oR-o--o--D C--o--} | | --S--[RPR--H--) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad's House 1: Pre-Selected Contents : Frog Suit Toad's House 2: Random (3) Contents : Fire Flower, Super Leaf, Frog Suit Toad's House 3: Random (3) Contents : Fire Flower, Super Leaf, Frog Suit Toad's House 4: Random (3) Contents : Fire Flower, Super Leaf, Frog Suit Toad's House 5: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Spade Panel 1 Spade Panel 2 Spade Panel 3 Spade Panel 4 Hammer Brother 1: Hammer Hammer Brother 2: Starman ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ | Level 3-1 | +-----------------+ You start right out in the water. When you float down, go left and you'll sink to a ? Block, a Fire Flower if you're Super Mario or higher. Take it, as it will be very useful, and swim back up to the starting point. Swim right and you'll pass a pipe as well as a Blooper. These squids will try to slowly descend to you. But, they are weak to fireballs! After defeating two, you'll reach a large opening. Swim right to a pipe and jump out of the water and onto the top of it. We're taking a shortcut! Go right to a little alcove containing a ? Block (Mushroom or a Fire Flower), and then go right out of it to water. The other option involved swimming through the lava globs of a Lava Lotus, a transparent plant that is related to the Piranha Plant. This is by far superior. When you land, simply swim right along the top of the water. A Blooper with Blooper Babies is below, but it won't reach you. One final Blooper will try to swim into you, but a quick fireball will kill it. Now take the pipe out of here to reach the black border. Below this pipe was a 1UP Mushroom and some extra coins, but they are rather difficult to get. So, just go right and grab the card. +-----------------+ | Level 3-2 | +-----------------+ See the water below you? Treat the water as a pit, because falling into it will kill you. How, you ask. Give it a second, and a Cheep- Cheep swims from the left and starts swimming beneath you. Unless you have fireballs, it will hit you. But that's not the real terror of the deep I'm talking about. This level's just practice for that. Jump right across the planks to reach some falling platforms in the shape of a D on its side. If you stand on them for long enough, they fall. Take note of this. Now hit the ? Block for a power-up, either a Mushroom or a Fire Flower, and then jump right onto the plank. Duck under the first obstacle and then jump over the rest, including Cheep- Cheeps that launch themselves at you. Then, at the end, jump to falling platforms with a coin block over them and then jump right to another plank to begin the process again. You just have to avoid Cheep-Cheeps leaping out of the water for a short time before you see some yellow bricks above. Jump onto them and jump from them to the block just left of a pipe. Wait for the Venus Fire Trap to retreat into its pipe before taking it yourself. Go right here, avoiding one final Cheep-Cheep, to find the black border. Take your card and be thankful that the level's over. +-----------------+ | Level 3-3 | +-----------------+ Be sure to stop at the Toad's House before coming here. It will automatically give you a Frog Suit, which aids you in swimming. I don't recommend using it here, though, because it's not a submerged level. Instead, it's much worse. Remember that "terror of the deep" I was talking about. Well, the terror of the shallows is even more deadly. It is a bloated Cheep-Cheep named Boss Bass. It hops out of the water in an attempt to swallow you whole, and it results in instantaneous death. And to make matters worse, the level's floor continually dips into the water while Cheep-Cheeps make aerial enemies out of themselves. Note: If you are Fire Mario, use a fireball on that pathetic Boss Bass. It's a big help. Start by leaping across the gap to the right. If you fall in the water, you're as good as dead. Jump across the floor to the other side, avoiding a Cheep-Cheep as it jumps, and then leap right onto a Jump Block. If it is a Mushroom, ignore it; you can't get it safely. If not, take what you can and run right, wary of a Koopa Troopa along the way. At the end, jump right until you reach a high stack of blocks you can stand on safely. When the flipping platform to the right has just spun about, jump onto the right side of it. As it spins, it will fling you right onto the ground. Cool! Now grab a block and use it to hit the Koopa Troopa to the right. The other can go to Boss Bass if you have good aim. Hit the block above for a Mushroom or a Fire Flower and run right. Jump across the blocks, ignoring the tempting coins if you're wise, and you'll reach a spinning platform. Jump from it to the pipe to the right, which you should take. Jump right onto land when you surface and take the card in the black border. +---------------------------+ | World 3 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ A new look for forts... This is a maze fort, the worse kind. Go right to find a Roto-Disc and a Dry Bones. Let the latter come to you. Stomp it before you run right when the Roto-Disc is up. Jump onto the block when it is to the left, and then go right to avoid a second Roto- Disc. Now take the stairs up, drop to a pipe, and proceed right to a Thwomp. As it rises, run under it, and you will reach a hallway filled with doors and other enemies. The first, second, third, fourth, seventh, and eighth door all lead to the same place - a trap room filled with water. When you land, swim left, hitting ? Blocks along the way for power-ups (either Mushrooms or Super Leaves). To exit this room, swim to the leftmost pipe and enter it. It leads to the point right before the Thwomp, the pipe there. Any other pipe in the pool of Cheep-Cheeps room leads to the Thwomp, too, by the way. The fifth door leads to the pool room as well, but it leads to a block with a 1UP Mushroom in it. Hit the block while facing left and take an extra life for yourself. The ninth and final door leads to a room filled with coins. First, jump to hit invisible coin blocks to the right in the openings. Then jump above the door to hit another coin block (invisible). Use it to reach the fenced off coins. Take the door back into the hallway afterward. But it is the sixth door that you want to enter to beat the level. It leads to a staircase to another door. Take it and go right to find... Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom A persistent fellow, huh? Boom-Boom has learned a new trick this time, even though the battle starts off normally. Jump on his head once the rumble begins. Stunned but not out, Boom-Boom does something totally unexpected - he sprouts wings and begins to fly around the room. Either hit him as he swoops down or try to hit him as he first starts to fly upward. Then it's just one more hit and Boom-Boom goes boom. Take the Magic Ball and do an obnoxious victory dance over his sorry, beaten body, 'cause we just owned him! +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #1 | +-------------------------+ This is our first battle with a duo of Hammer Brothers. It is fought much like many encounters are in Super Mario Bros. They will start throwing arcing hammers as usual from the tops of two rows of bricks. Wait for them to jump up so that neither one of them is on the ground. Then run forward and jump to hit the block that the lower Hammer Brother is on. This defeats one. Wait for the upper one to drop down to the lower level and then bust its block. The reward for victory is a Hammer. You can use it to destroy a nearby rock blocking a Spade Panel, but I recommend keeping it for later use. +-----------------+ | Level 3-4 | +-----------------+ If you hurry to the slope to the right, you can slide through two Goombas. Afterward, go right to a Piranha Plant. Jump over it and then over the water patch to the right. Now head right to a Venus Fire Trap. Jump over it to hit the ? Block. If it's a Mushroom, duck right next to the pipe until the Mushroom comes to you. Afterward, jump from the block to the hill and slide down the slope. At the end, the hill curves upward for a ramp. Jump off it at the end to reach another hill (if you didn't make it, you'll land in the water. Hit an invisible block against the hillside to the right and use it to reach the hilltop). Slide down it to reach two ? Blocks. Hit them, stomp the Para-Goomba quickly to avoid spreading Mugger Micro-Goombas, and slide under the blocks (or run if you're small) to hit the second one. A P Switch appears! Hit it. A whole mess of silver coins appear, which I advise you collect. Afterward, go right, wary of the Venus Fire Trap, and hit more blocks for a power-up and coins. Continue right to some blocks. You can hit one for a 1UP Mushroom, but it's the least of your concerns. Overhead comes a Lakitu, an old enemy from Super Mario Bros. It throws down Spiny Eggs, which will roll at you. So, getting the extra life can be complicated. Go right, jumping over gaps and ignoring blocks, until you can take a card from the black border's slot. That was a refreshing level after all that water nonsense. +-----------------+ | Level 3-5 | +-----------------+ Step into the water and swim right to wooden blocks. See those black jellyfish? They are rare enemies called Jelectros. They are basically underwater mines that cannot be passed; let's swim downward. Uh-oh! It's Boss Bass! No, it's Big Bertha, which isn't quite as bad. She doesn't try to eat you, but she releases Baby Cheeps to attack you. When she's to the right, swim down. After passing a pipe, swim to the top, avoiding Bloopers and other underwater enemies, until you come to a stack of wooden blocks. Swim downwards, avoiding Jelectros and hitting the central ? Block for a power-up, to reach a pipe to the right. Drop down under it and swim right to reach a gang of Jelectros. Swim past them and then get on the ground. See the Big Bertha? Get right under her and walk right. When she's facing the left side of the screen and when the Cheep-Cheep overhead is to the left, swim upwards and enter the pipe. Jump onto the bobbing wooden plank to the right and continue right to take the card from the slot. Oh yeah! +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #2 | +-------------------------+ We just have two simple Hammer Brothers. This one, though, has the potential to be dangerous. If you are small Mario and if this Hammer Brother is in a watery area on the map, then a pool of water will make things difficult on the bottom of the screen. If that's the case, then use fireballs or a Starman to beat them. Otherwise, just defeat these simple Hammer Brothers like you did the last. The reward this time is a Starman. +-------------------+ | Dock & Boat | +-------------------+ This is on the map, but it's well-worth your time. You have the Hammer from the first Hammer Brother, right? Well, use it on the Rock right of Level 3-5. This opens the path to a dock that you can take off from. All you have to do is ride the boat to the island to the right, which contains two Toad's Houses and two Spade Panels, much better than one Spade Panel. But that's not all. If you get off this island and sail further right, you'll reach another isolated Toad's House. Also, be sure to visit the Toad's House to the upper-left of Level 3-4. Enjoy. +-----------------+ | Level 3-6 | +-----------------+ It's a side-scrolling level that pushes you. To make matters worse, there's hardly any stable land at all. Jump right onto some falling platforms. If you continually jump off of them from each landing, they won't give up on you. Hit the ? Block while facing left for a power-up, by the way. Then, jump right to a wooden plank. When you can, jump clear over the spinning platform to the falling platforms. Now you have options. Jump to the plank to the right. Using tail whips or the Koopa Troopas' shell, you can hit blocks ahead for coins, but you must be moving right constantly. Use a Grab Block to hit another brick (on the lower leve) that contains a Super Leaf or Mushroom. Happy coin-collecting. After a Koopa Paratroopa, you'll reach three Grab Blocks. Throw one into the block to the right for a P Switch. Hit it, collect coins quickly (the leftmost one can be hit for a 1UP Mushroom), and get onto the upper level (beware a Koopa Paratroopa bounding through here, though). Then jump to the blocks ahead, from which you should jump to the spinning platform. Fall to the pipe and take it down. Jump past a Koopa Paratroopa and nab the card. You have done well, grasshopper. +-----------------+ | Level 3-7 | +-----------------+ Jump to hit the ? Block overhead. Below is an enemy called a Spike. It is weak to everything, but it can launch two spike balls at you. So, go right and stomp a Spike. Now jump the gap to the right and jump onto the platform to reach the blocks to the right. Jump right onto the summit to the right. From it, jump right to send a Koopa Troopa's shell at a Spike, and then jump right to a pipe. Now jump right to a Koopa Troopa, which you can hit to defeat two Spikes and get a power-up from a block. Then hit the upper blocks for coins. If you are Super Mario or better (you must be if you just got the power-up. If you need another power-up, go right to a blue pyramid. Hit the second block for one, and then return to the vine), jump into the upper-left block to make a vine grow. Take it up to some clouds, and follow them to a P Switch and many coins. Afterward, go right to the vine's block. Stand on it and jump right to more clouds. Above the central one is an invisible Jump Block; jump there to make it appear. Now bounce on it to reach coin heaven! Collect a series of coins as the screen slides right. At the end, take the treasure from the chest for a Jugem's Cloud. Now that's bang for your buck! Jump right to a blue staircase with Spikes aplenty on it. +-----------------+ | Level 3-8 | +-----------------+ In this level, try to collect a minimum of 44 coins. You might get a nice prize... See "White Toad's Houses" for details on this and more. NOTE: If you are Fire Mario, you can defeat Boss Bass with a fireball. Most unfortunately, this level is modeled after 3-3; the floor dips into the Boss Bass-infested water from time to time. Jump onto the block to the right and stand there until the ground begins to rise up. Jump right, sending the shell of the Koopa Troopa into the blocks. A vine grows; get on and take it up to a Jump Block. Hit it for a power-up. Now jump right to a stack of blocks. If you remove the lower two (you can only do this as Super Mario or higher), you can hit this block for coins. From it, jump right to several coins and a Koopa Troopa. Use its shell to hit the blocks and kill Boss Bass. Climb the vine that results to avoid Boss Bass, who re-spawns afterward, and then jump right to a group of coins. Hit the block hovering in the air to the right to make a vine grow. Now go right afterward to a fork in the road. If you are Fire Mario, then take the lower route. Fry Boss Bass each time he reappears and collect the coins. Otherwise, take the upper route to a pipe. You emerge on a bridge. Run right on it to reach the card slot that marks the end of this level! +---------------------------+ | World 3 Fortress #2 | +---------------------------+ If you play your cards right, this is actually an unnecessary level. That is, if you beat 3-8 right after 3-6 and then go to 3-9, but it is of little importance. If you want to play this level, be my guest. Jump into the pool of water ahead and take the pipe. I can see where there is going... An underwater fortress... Go right when you emerge, or are submerged, and you'll find a Roto-Disc. Swim past it and the Cheep-Cheeps that follow to find a ? Block. Hit it for a power-up. Swim right by another Roto-Disc. After avoiding the high-flying Cheep- Cheep, take a pipe down to another room in this fort. See these white bars? They're called Stretches. Two Boos occupy them and run over the surface to try to hit you. Swim under the first two, being careful not to enter the suction pit below, and you'll reach a new hallway. The Stretch here has no partner; it is safe to walk under the bottom half of the bar ahead. Then you'll reach two bars positioned so that you can just barely swim between them. Do so to reach a pipe. Mario sure can hold his breath for a long time... Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom Air! Oh, yes, and this loser. I guess three beatings wasn't enough. Let's take him out! Two blocks in the air serve as "obstacles," but they do nothing. To beat Boom-Boom, jump on his head. Then, as he recovers, jump onto his head before he sprouts wings and takes to the ceiling. Otherwise, you'll have to jump his head when he swoops down to attack you. A final hit (he loses wings after the second jump) on this speedy reject will make him explode. Take the Magic Ball he was guarding and the Locked Door goes down. Hooray. We beat an unnecessary level... +-----------------+ | Level 3-9 | +-----------------+ This level is alternately known as "World 3, Version 2.0 - Explosives Land," due to extreme explosives concentration. Go right off this starting block to a stack of blocks. Jump it and go right to see a Bullet Bill Blaster and bricks. If you can, bust a hole in these bricks and walk along the top. The only "desirable" brick to hit is three block widths away from the blaster - a power-up. Make sure to avoid the Mugger Micro-Goombas, while you're at it. One way or another, you'll go right past the blaster to meet a new enemy, the Bob-omb. Introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA), they are the only enemy from that game to appear in this game. Anyways, they walk around and will explode eventually if given enough time. If you jump on them, you can pick them up and throw them. But, they will explode shortly after being stomped. In any case, go right to the upper route, which is much easier. Now drop right at the end. Go right to some Jump Blocks surrounded by Grab Blocks. Grab your way into the caged-off area so that you can hit the middle block, which is a power-up. Now go right to a Koopa Paratroopa that you must lift blocks to reach. After de-winging and de-shelling it, go right to a pipe. Remove the blocks around it to go... underwater, of course! Swim right past Cheep-Cheeps to reach a pipe. Yes, take it! Thank goodness that was short. Surfaced, let's go right to take the card from the slot. +-------------------------------+ | Wendy O Koopa's Airship | +-------------------------------+ Take the pipe near 3-9 to reach the castle, which has a lovely waterfront view on its own private island. The poor king of Water Land has been transformed into a turtle, ironically (he's been transformed into a Dino Rhino, the large fire-breathing dinosaurs from Chocolate Island in Super Mario World, in the remakes). Upon boarding an appropriately blue bow, the quest for the Magic Wand begins. Jump right over the wooden cylinder to reach three Rocky Wrenches who will reappear after being stomped. Avoid their wrenches, which slope upward as the screen does so, and avoid the Bullet Bills of the blaster to the right. Now go right to rising cylinders while avoiding cannonballs. Be sure to drop below the cannons when you can (lest you be crushed as the screen scrolls right), and then go right to jump by the Bullet Bill Blaster. Jump left to hit the ? Block for a power-up. Now jump right, hopefully onto the safer upper level. Walk along, avoiding all forms of projectiles, and jump over the B. B. Blasters releasing flames below. Now, afterward, jump right over the cylinder to three Rocky Wrenches. Defeat them as they appear and jump right to a pipe. Take it down to the boss. Boss: Wendy O. Koopa | | Bowser's only daughter, Wendy is still way | | tougher than either Larry or Morton. She | | starts the battle by casting a ring-shaped | | blast that will ricochet about the room. |__________________| Don't just watch out for her, but for her attack; it can hurt you. Other than that, though, Wendy is a pushover. She jumps around the room to attack, and is beaten with three stomps on the head. Luckily, the room is large enough that her bouncing attacks do hardly anything; most of the time they're too far up to matter. So, jump on her head when the coast is clear. After a leap to the other side of the room, she adds another blast, which either looks like a bracelet or a lifeguard's inner tube (because this is Water Land) to the mix. Stomp her again and a third blast is added, but only one more jump is needed. All spells dissipate and she flees the ship, leaving a Magic Wand behind. Alternately, you can give her ten fireballs to chew on, which is a superior method; she will only cast one ring. Either way you choose to do it, it must be done. Note that we have now seen three different shell colors - green, gray, and pink, respectively. Anyways, take the Magic Wand that she drops and return it to the Mushroom King of this land. After saying exactly what the Grass and Desert Land kings say, you get a letter from Toadstool. "Greetings, The White Block contains magic powers that will enable you to defeat your enemies. I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you. Princess Toadstool." ======================================================================= ===============================World 4*================================ ======================================================================= Giant Land is quite an interesting place. It's my personal favorite world, because everything, including enemies, is HUGE! Yes, it makes for a very cool playing experience. Fortunately, though, the map isn't quite as big as Water Land. So, let's get started. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |[ = Pipe 1 | |] = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 1 | |( = Pipe 2 | |) = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 2 | |C = Castle | |F = Fortress | |H = Hammer Brothers Relative Location | |L = Locked Door | |o = Circular Space | |P = Spade Panel | |R = Breakable Rock | |S = Start Panel | |T = Toad's House | +---------------------------------------------+ World 4 - Giant Land --S-[ T--6--o--o (L-F--H--3--o--2 | | | | | | o C--oL-H--F H--o o--P T o | | | | | | ) P--5--o--o o--4 TR-]--1 | T ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad's House 1: Pre-Selected Contents : Tanooki Suit Toad's House 2: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 3: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 4: Random (3) Contents : Fire Flower, Super Leaf, Tanooki Suit Spade Panel 1 Spade Panel 2 Hammer Brother 1: Jugem's Cloud Hammer Brother 2: Starman Hammer Brother 3: Magic Wing ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ | Level 4-1 | +-----------------+ Take the pipe right of the Start Panel to enter this level. Also, note that you can reach the Spade Panel by the pipe only if you have a spare Hammer from either World 2 or World 3. Now, you might not get the theme of this world just by looking at the map. You'd guess something like "Island Land" or "Rock Land," but neither of those come close. Upon starting the level, it becomes clear. This is Giant Land, and everything but you is larger than life. Go forward to see two Piranhacus Giganticuses. Jump onto their pipes when they are down to reach a ? Block. Hit it for a coin and then go right to a Koopa Troopa. Even though they have their own name (Green Gargantuan Koopa Troopa), I will just call them "Koopa Troopa" for convenience. Well, kick the shell of your big buddy right to bust a brick and make a space for you to hit the ? Block for a power-up. Also, notice a Giant Goomba to the left. Same as normal, just bigger. Now jump right to a pipe. A Koopa Paratroopa is bounding forth. With its gigantic frame, it can barely move let alone fly. Defeat it if you'd like and jump into the water. Swim through it to reach a Giant Goomba and another Koopa Paratroopa. Defeat them both, hitting the blocks for coins and a power-up (from the ? Block). Then go right through an opening to an enormous pipe. Jump from it to the cloud to the right. Defeat the Koopa Troopa on the next cloud over, too. Then head right past a few more to a pipe. Avoid the fire of a noticeably small Venus Fire Trap, and then enter the pipe before your gargantuan friend can get in the way. Run right to the black border. Take the card to end this level. Gone but not forgotten... +-----------------+ | Level 4-2 | +-----------------+ This level could yield a special prize if only you collect at least 22 coins in it. For more details on this, see "White Toad's Houses" in Section 3. Curses... It's a 3-3 style water level. Jump right onto the large pipe. You should know that you can jump on the Cheep-Cheep if you'd like to. Now steal the pipe from the Koopa Troopa ahead and use its shell to defeat the Cheep-Cheep and other "Red Giant Koopa Troopa." Then jump to the pipe of the Piranhacus Giganticus when it is down, and to the next pipe after that. Take the Grab Block on the edge and launch it into the ? Block to the right, releasing a power-up. Now jump onto the cloud and wait for the land to rise. Jump right past another Venus Fire Trap to reach a P Switch at the bottom of a high stack of blocks. Hit it, collect some coins, and hit the ? Block to the right. It's a Starman! Yipee (*clicks heels twice as jumps*)! Run right with it, plowing through those sorry bums they call enemies, and you'll reach a pipe (be sure to collect coins along the way, though). Take it to the black border, which just so happens to contain the card. Fancy that. +-----------------+ | Level 4-3 | +-----------------+ Go to the Toad's House before entering, just to be safe. Go right to find... a Sledge Brother. Picture normal Hammer Brothers only green, tubbier, and having the ability to cause stunning quakes each time they jump. If you can't get by here, a Starman will help you greatly. Otherwise, you need to get by two of these titans to reach a pipe. I suggest jumping on them after they throw their hammers, but it's up to you. That's where the level really begins. Now that we're underground, let's walk on over to the right. Three Buzzy Beetles are here to give you trouble, and one comes from the ceiling for a surprise attack. Lucky for you, one shell driven into their ugly faces can beat them all in one swift shot. From there, jump right to a few coin blocks guarded fiercely by a Buzzy Beetle. Defeat the wimp, hit the blocks, and then bounce off a Koopa Paratroopa (bite size) to the right for some coins. You'll land below a Buzzy Beetle on the roof, but it's easily avoided. Jump right to a lone ? Block. Hit it while facing right and you'll get a power-up. Then jump right to a tunnel, where a Spiny will attack you from the roof. A Buzzy Beetle from the ground will also assail you. Just avoid them. Jump right to another tunnel, complete with Spiny on the ceiling. Now jump right to a new tunnel. Hit the blocks above for a 1UP Mushroom that will go right. In the meantime, avoid enemies to the right while you hurry to catch the mushroom in time. Once you have it, jump right to a small set of platforms. At the end, take a pipe up to a black border. Run right to find the card. What a day! +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #1 | +-------------------------+ As you well know, Hammer Brothers aren't your run-of-the-mill pipsqueaks here in Giant Land. They are massive Sledge Brothers, whose jumps rock the earth and whose tremors paralyze you in place. They also throw hammers. My suggestions? Well, this one is a loner, making him pretty easy to beat. He'll stand there and throw one hammer. Run up to him under the hammer and jump on him. Mission accomplished! Alternately, use a Starman or a Fire Flower. But if it does jump, jump as well. That way, you won't be stunned by its landing. The reward for beating this guy is a Jugem's Cloud. Nice. +---------------------------+ | World 4 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ Go right up some stairs. See those candles? The flames? They are "Hot Foots," annoying flame enemies. They chase you as soon as you pass. As for the Thwomp, it moves horizontally. Lucky for you, Mario drops faster than it can. Go right now to trigger a Hot Foot and a Thwomp. As the Thwomp glides back into place, jump to the top of the block stack. Now go right to five pipes. There are two options now, but I'll guide you to the easiest. Take the third pipe from either side down to an "underground" section. Follow a Dry Bones to the right and stomp it when a second appears. Stomp it, too, and go right to four ? Blocks with a Boo in the distance. Hit these blocks for a power-up, and then go right to the wall, turning to face the Boo as you do so. Jump three spaces away from the wall to hit an invisible block. Jump one space to the right to hit another one. Use these to reach the ground to the right, on which you should quickly enter a pipe. Go right to reach... him. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom This is your basic mini-boss fight, no wings attached. The only hindrance is a badly placed platform in the air, but it's nothing, really. Lure Boom-Boom to the sides of the platform and jump on him. He increases speed and comes at you again. Two more stomps and one more increase-speed cycle and the Magic Ball is yours! Use it to destroy the Locked Door on the map. +-----------------+ | Level 4-4 | +-----------------+ Go to the Spade Panel while you're here and the Toad's House afterward. Anyways, drat. This is one of those terrible water levels where everything's huge. Lakitu starts above you, chucking his Spinies. Jump on him to defeat him and stop the Spiny storm. Now, go right to a ? Block. Hit it for a power-up, and then return to the block. Stand on the left edge of it, press A, and then hold left to swim off of it. You'll be sinking so quickly that you will pass through the current of a pipe, taking you to a pipe you can go up into. First, go into the compartment to the right and hit the block for a P Switch. Hit it and collect the silver coins like crazy! Then swim right and hit the block that makes the floor of the other compartment complete. Out comes a P Switch. Collect the others coins beforehand and then use the switch. Collect gold coins like crazy! Then go right to a pipe. Take it. Rise up to the surface. Lakitu is back, and you want to stomp him. Defeat him every time he returns and continue right across the top of the water to a pipe. Take it out of here. Go right to take the card. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #2 | +-------------------------+ A repeat of the last enemy, Hammer Brother # 2 is a lone Sledge Brother with a bad attitude. Run forward under its arc of hammers. It will throw one hammer, giving you an opportunity to jump on it. If Sledge Brother-bopping isn't your cup of tea, then use a Starman or a Fire Flower. Both provide easy ways to defeat one. Just don't waste invincibility time being stunned. The reward this time is a Starman. +-----------------+ | Level 4-5 | +-----------------+ Jump right to a stack of blocks, avoiding or defeating a Koopa Troopa and a Koopa Paratroopa of the large variety as you go. At the bottom of this pyramid stack, jump on the turtle here and knock its shell into the block to the left. If you hit the ? Block now, you will get a power-up. Jump right over a Piranhacus Giganticus's pipe to reach Bullet Bill Blasters. These are especially tricky because they also fire Missile Bills. They are "homing" in a way, because they turn around to make a second round before they go off-screen. Hit the central ? Block for a power-up on the Fire Flower side of things, but then get onto the ? Blocks' tops. Use them to avoid the blasters until you reach a Piranhacus Giganticus. Jump from it to the block to the Piranha Plant, and then get atop the blaster to the right. Jump from it to hit the block above to make a vine start to grow. Jump to the blaster to the right and then jump to the vine to the left. Take it up to a pipe. Inside this room, hit the ? Block for a Tanooki Suit! I will explain the full uses of this later, but treat it as a Super Leaf for now. Hit the P Switch you uncover from another block to get some coins. Then take the pipe out and hover down (press A repeatedly to hover) through a plethora of coins. At the end, you'll take a pipe to the black border. The card is just steps away... +-----------------+ | Level 4-6 | +-----------------+ An interesting level to say the least. Go forward to find a Koopa Paratroopa bounding down the path. Clip its wings and get it in its shell. Lift the latter and toss it into the cage to the right to create an opening (or, if you're Super Mario or better, jump into the blocks to create an easier entrance). Inside, hit the rightmost block on the upper level you can hit for a 1UP Mushroom (be sure to be facing right when you do so). Take it graciously. Jump the gap to the right for coins and then jump onto the pipe. To the right, defeat a Koopa Troopa, go right to hit a ? Block for a power-up, return left, and enter the door after crushing two Giant Goombas. The door leads to... normal-size stuff! Go right past two Goombas and jump the gap to hit a ? Block for a coin. Continue right and bump into the second block up to let loose a Starman. Get onto the blocks and run right to take it. Run right, plowing through enemies (note that the third space over from the second Piranha Plant you'll see ahead contains a 1UP Mushroom in an invisible block), until you see a door in a block above you. Take it to Giant Land again. Go right past a Koopa Paratroopa and a Piranhacus Giganticus to reach Koopa Troopas on two blocks. Hit the left two blocks for coins, and then jump right onto the shell of a Koopa Paratroopa. Afterward, go right to the black border. Just watch out for a Koopa Paratroopa along the way. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #3 | +-------------------------+ It's just your usual Sledge Brother. You know the strategies! Use a Fire Flower or a Starman if you're really bad, but a simple jump to the head will do after they throw a hammer. Your reward for beating this enemy is a Magic Wing. +---------------------------+ | World 4 Fortress #2 | +---------------------------+ Be sure to clear the Spade Panel and Toad's House by Level 4-5 and 4-6, respectively, before coming here. This level must be beaten to create a bridge to the castle. Fortunately for us, it isn't that hard. Take the stairs to a pool of lava. Jump right onto the falling platform and jump repeatedly to keep it up. Jump right to another one and then right to a third. Hit the ? Block, grab the power-up, and defeat the Dry Bones if you have vendetta against skeletal Koopa Troopas. Now jump right to another platform and then to another. Immediately bounce off of the Dry Bones to reach the next platform; it is impossible to jump to it naturally. Then jump right a few more times to reach a hallway with stable floors. Go right, defeating Dry Bones as you go, until you see a block. You can reach it by bouncing off of a Dry Bones. Hit it to make a gray P Switch appear. Coins form in a rectangular shape around what would make a doorway... Press Up there if you want to take this route, which is long but rewarding. If you want to cut to the chase, take Route 2, outlined below. ROUTE 1: Jump on the ! Platform to the left to be lifted up to a row of wooden blocks. Jump on another ! Platform if you want. When you jump, you change its direction depending on which way you're facing. Or, you could just jump to the Piranha Plant's pipe and take another ! Platform up. Take the right pipe when you emerge to reach a power-up ? Block of the Fire Flower sort. Then take the pipe to the right of it. When you emerge, take the pipe to your right to an ! Platform. Guide it up, then left (jump while facing left to make it start going in that direction), then up so that you go through the opening away from the Piranha Plant, then right, then up through the opening, and then jump to the pipe. Take it already! ROUTE 1 (Continued): You fall to a room with a few coins in it. Take them and then jump to the pipe. Do not take it, though. Instead, stand on the edge and jump upward to hit a block for a coin. From it, jump left to hit another block. From the new block, jump left to hit a block for a 1UP Mushroom. Now take the pipe. ROUTE 1 (Continued): Hit the large ? Block for three separate 1UP Mushrooms. SCORE!!! But wait, there's more! If you are Raccoon Mario, stand on the right side of the room, run left, and take off flying against the left wall. You'll break through to a room containing 30 coins. When you're done collecting or if you didn't go, take the right pipe at the bottom afterward. ROUTE 1 (Continued): You emerge in a hallway. Defeat three Dry Bones and run past a Roto-Disc to reach the mini-boss. ROUTE 2: Jump on the block to the hallway, going past Roto-Discs and a few Dry Bones to reach the mini-boss afterward. I suggest that you let Dry Bones come to you before running past Roto-Discs; Dry Bones can complicate matters. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom A few blocks scattered around the room obstruct your jumping space, but it's no big deal. Stand on a block, fall on Boom-Boom. Lather, rinse, repeat. Three hits on the increasingly quick turtle will give you the Magic Ball, thus creating a bridge to the castle. +-------------------------+ | Tanooki Suit Uses | +-------------------------+ You've likely already gotten one of these from either 4-5 or Toad's Houses, but I should explain them now. Tanookis are mythical creatures in Japanese mythology - raccoons that can transform into statues. In this form, Tanooki Mario has all the abilities of Raccoon Mario and more. First, if Tanooki Mario is hit (this applies to all suited Mario transformations), he reverts to whatever form he was in when he donned the suit. Furthermore, if you press Down and B at the same time, Mario becomes a statue for about five seconds. In this form, enemies cannot detect you and you can drop on enemies forcefully. This is called a "statue stomp." Use the suits when you feel it necessary. It's really quite nice. +----------------------------+ | Iggy Koopa's Airship | +----------------------------+ The king has been transformed into a dinosaur. In remakes, he's Donkey Kong Jr., Mario's nemesis from the game of the same name back in arcades. Either way, we need to turn him back into his good old self with the Magic Wand, which means we need to face Iggy Koopa in combat on board his airship. Jump right when the screen expands onto a Flame Thrower. Stay there until you see three coins that you can grab. Now drop down to the floor and collect the coins there. Now, to the right are more Flame Throwers to avoid, but it's quite simple. When the flames are down, jump over them. Continue along this path, avoiding Flame Throwers, until you see a Rocky Wrench above. When the screen expands, you should be able to jump onto the upper deck and hit a ? Block for a power-up. Then jump onto the Flame Thrower to the right. Stay on it until the screen expands enough that you can leap right onto a wooden platform. Stay there until you can step down to a wooden platform to the lower-right, and then jump right past another Flame Thrower. Walk up these "stairs," wary of Flame Throwers all the way through, to reach the pipe that leads to the shipmaster. Boss: Iggy Koopa | | Iggy is a blue-shelled Koopa with what | | would appear to be a bad comb-over. He's |__ ___ | the middle child (if you don't count the | |___ | |_ | eighth Koopaling, Bowser Jr., who debuted | | || | |____| in Super Mario Sunshine many years later). His fighting style is in no way unique. He basically copied Larry and Morton, but he's mixed things up a bit. First, he has the bumpiest arena yet, and he can fire two sets of magic rings at you in succession. But, stomping him should not be problematic. After each bonk on the head, his jumps' height increases. Still, he is fairly easy. Three hits or ten fireballs will make him flee, dropping the Magic Wand in his flight. Take it. Mario will drop through the floor and reach the castle. The king is restored back to his normal, rather odd-looking self, and he gives you a letter from Princess Toadstool. "Greetings, The thief who stole the Whistle has escaped to the east side of the Sand Dunes. I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you. Princess Toadstool." Actually, she's giving us a hint for World 2. We're past it. Coincidentally, she gave us a tip for World 5 when we were in World 2. Anyways, she gives us a Magic Wing to help us survive the upcoming world. It'll be quite useful if you think about what the next world represents... ======================================================================= ===============================World 5*================================ ======================================================================= At first, this seems to be a pretty short world. You might not even understand what its theme is at first. But Sky Land is much more expansive than you'd think. The map might even give some of it away. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |[ = Pipe 1 | |] = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 1 | |C = Castle | |F = Fortress | |H = Hammer Brothers Relative Location | |L = Locked Door | |o = Circular Space | |P = Spade Panel | |S = Start Panel | |T = Toad's House | |W = Tower & Tower's Pipe (Level) | +---------------------------------------------+ Ground Portion o--2--T 3--H | | | | 1 [ ]--o o--W | | | o-LF--o o--H | | | --S o--P--o World 5 - Sky Land T | W o--5 | | | oL-o--4--o P | | P--o--F--o--7--o | | | C--o--9--8 H--T--6 The Sky Sector ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad's House 1: Pre-Selected Contents : Tanooki Suit Toad's House 2: Random (3) Contents : Fire Flower, Super Leaf, Tanooki Suit Toad's House 3: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Spade Panel 1 Spade Panel 2 Spade Panel 3 Hammer Brother 1: Starman Hammer Brother 2: Magic Wing Hammer Brother 3: Music Box ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ | Level 5-1 | +-----------------+ Coming at you is a strange version of the Buzzy Beetle called a Buster Beetle. All you have to do to defeat it is hop on it. But, they are dangerous in the respect that they can throw blocks at you if any present themselves. Now go right after that to hit a block for a power-up (if it's a Mushroom, take it quickly before it slides right to a Chain Chomp). TRICK: If you are Raccoon Mario, this shortcut will aid you greatly. If you clear all the bricks with a tail whip, stand as right as you can without falling victim to the Chain Chomp, run left, hopping over the block, and then taking off into flight, fly over the wooden block. You'll enter a pipe. Take the next pipe to the right outside, where you can bust the blocks here for four 1UP Mushrooms in total. Nice! Return inside the pipe room and fly up, but duck before you jump, so that you can fly into the area above and be sucked into the wall. Now a treasure chest is at your feet, and it contains a Music Box. What a way to finish a level, right? Now we must trek up a series of platforms with Chain Chomps. The second is guarding a ? Block that can be used to get a Super Leaf (to get it, bait it forward and then run right. Exit this compartment through the breakable block above). If so, return to the start of the level and do the trick there. Continue right, jumping over a Chain Chomp, to reach a stairway. Defeat a Buster Beetle as it climbs down the stairs, and then you'll see white plants called Nippers. When you jump over them, they jump up to try to nip you. Hit the ? Block above you for a coin, and then jump right over the plant, collecting three coins as you go. Then jump over two more Nippers to reach a series of ? Blocks. Hit the third one from the left for a... Starman! As Invincible Mario, run right, flipping through the air and trouncing the enemies. Nippers will be destroyed, Buster Beetles will be run over, and you will reach the border. Jump to the card over a Nipper for a level completed. +-----------------+ | Level 5-2 | +-----------------+ We appear to be on some sort of white material - snow, perhaps. In any event, take the pipe down to the underground. You fall right down to a Jump Block. Now, there are two possible paths to take from here. ROUTE 1: Bounce to the next Jump Block to the right to knock a power-up loose. Fall down to get it. As you fall, you'll pass through a series of coins and land in water. Take the middle pipe here to advance. ROUTE 1 (Continued): You fall down into a pool of water that is home to a Cheep-Cheep. Get out to the right and dodge block thrown by the Buster Beetle to the right. Now go right past two Piranha Plants, one of which can be killed by using the Grab Block, and you'll reach a slope. Don't slide down it, though. Walk down to find a Buster Beetle positioned to pelt you with a block. Stomp it once it has fired, and then go right to Piranha Plants. ROUTE 1 (Continued): Pass them as well as a Venus Fire Trap to find another deadly Buster Beetle by three coin block. If you stand in place, it will not hit you, though, assuming you stand right by the blocks. Defeat it afterward and move on to a Grab Block. If you can throw a block at the lower one before it throws one at you, you will defeat it first. Now defeat more Buster Beetles in between Piranha Plants to reach a pipe. Take it up and go right to take the card from the black border. ROUTE 2: You'll fall onto a Jump Block. Bounce right onto another one and then right onto a brick block. Climb up these blocks, but be sure to stop when you see a platform that's longer than the others; two Koopa Troopas will drop onto it. Then take a pipe up to the outside. Slide on the slope here through two Goombas and jump at the end to another slope. ROUTE 2 (Continued): You'll come to a pipe; take it. You'll come to a large room with giant ? Block in the middle of it. Hit the leftmost block for a power-up in case you aren't Super Mario or better and bust the blocks to reach the ? Block, which contains three 1UP Mushrooms. Now take a pipe out of here. Hit the blocks for coins to the right (the one on the ground also holds a coin. Get it by knocking the shell of the Koopa Troopa into it). Now take the pipe to the right. When you emerge, move beyond the hills to the black border where there card is in wait. +-----------------+ | Level 5-3 | +-----------------+ Be sure to visit the Toad's House before this for a guaranteed Tanooki Suit. Now, this level is one of the best in the game. It features the almighty and unstoppable Kuribo's Shoe, what is undoubtedly the best power-up in the game. It is unfortunate, though, that Kuribo's Shoe is limited to this level alone. In case you were wondering, "Kuribo" is Japanese for "Goomba." Take the pipe down to appear in the level. For a twist on things, this level expands to the left. Genius! Jump left to hit a ? Block when the Spiny is away for a power-up. Jump to the pipe with the Venus Fire Trap in it and you'll find a Kuribo's Goomba, a jumping Goomba in a green shoe. Wait for it to get on a block and then hit the block, knocking the Goomba out. Now jump into the shoe to become Kuribo's Mario. Only Invincible Mario could put a dent in this form. Hop left across a field of Spinies and jump some pipes to reach more enemies you can bounce on and defeat, including a Bob-omb. You'll come to a field of Munchers, invulnerable plants related to the Nipper. But, you can hop across them as Kuribo's Mario, hitting the blocks above for a 1UP Mushroom and coins as you go. Now hop across the tops of Piranha Plants to reach a pipe to the left. We're headed right now. Jump along the enemies, collecting coins and defeating enemies (there's a Kuribo's Goomba along the way can use to renew your status as Kuribo's Mario if you lost it). Now jump right over Munchers, collecting coins, getting a power-up from a ? Block, until you come to one of the only enemies that can threaten you - a Venus Fire Trap. Dodge its fireballs, wait for it to retreat, and jump onto the pipe. Now you can peacefully continue right, defeating all enemies and collecting all coins, to reach a pipe. Take it to reach the black border and the card. Unfortunately, you cannot stay as Kuribo's Mario, even if you did keep it until the end. This is a sad day indeed... +---------------------------+ | World 5 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ Although it's an unnecessary level, you could've chosen to play it instead of 5-3, which would be stupid because you wouldn't experience Kuribo's Mario, but that's up to you. Be sure to play the game on the Spade Panel before you come here, by the way. Go forward to quite the obstacle - a Podoboo jumping upward while a Roto-Disc orbits around an orb over the lava. When the Roto-Disc is to the right and the Podoboo is down, jump across the lava pool, but stop yourself lest you skid under a Thwomp. If you are Super Mario or better, you can bust the bricks here, leaving the second from the left intact to use as a steppingstone, and jump up to a Super Leaf. Either way, go right to a staircase with two Roto-Discs on it (really quite easy, though). Stop at the end due to a hidden Thwomp ahead. Hit the left block by the Thwomp for a power-up. Now go right past dual Roto-Discs. Good ducking skills can save you here. Now go right to an opening with a Boo in it. Run against the right wall and face left. When the Roto- Disc comes around, jump to avoid it. When the Thwomp is rising, jump onto the orb of the Roto-Disc and duck there if you're big. Wait for the timing to be right and pass right through a mess of Thwomp and Roto-Disc to reach another wall. Stand against it and wait for the Thwomp to start rising. If the Roto-Disc isn't in the way, jumping under it to see a pool of lava. Leap across it to a bunch of blocks. See the Thwomp ahead? Hop onto the platform beneath it and then quickly jump right away from it, deftly avoiding its fall. You'll come to a door that you can take to find the dungeon master, so to speak. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom It's just like your first fight with him. Nothing in the air, no wings to be unleashed, and speed increases after every hit but the last. Jump on him three times, take the Magic Ball, and bust out a cool catch phrase, preferably a pun, that relates to the situation. All that beating Boom-Boom did was create a bridge that can be a shortcut past 5-1 and 5-2, but it isn't that good, really. Right now, there's nowhere to go but up. Shall we? +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #1 | +-------------------------+ We're back to normal Hammer Brothers again. Run forward under the arc of their hammers and jump to hit the block they're on to knock them off, thus beating them. Wait for the upper Hammer Brother to jump down to the lower level, and then beat him like the other. If you can't beat them with your natural jumping prowess for some reason, use a Fire Flower or a Starman before coming here. It should make life easier. The treasure they were guarding was a Starman. You'll have to squeeze it into your item bar, am I right? +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #2 | +-------------------------+ This time, a Magic Wing is at stake. The fight is just like the last. Run forward, jumping into the bottom of the block the first Hammer Brother is standing on, and then wait for the second to lower himself to the lower block row, and then hit its block to defeat it. Alternately, beat them from a distance with fireballs as Fire Mario or use a Starman to pummel them as Invincible Mario. In whatever way you defeat them, you'll win a Magic Wing for yourself afterwards. +-------------------------+ | The Winding Tower | +-------------------------+ Well, the dead-end path leads here. Let's scale the tower! This basically is a fortress, only way easier. Go forward and avoid a Roto- Disc series, hitting a ? Block for a power-up along the way, to reach a pipe up to the next level. Just go left past two Thwomps. It's as simple as that. Then take a pipe up. We are now outside. Jump right, wary of a jumping block from World 2, and wag your tail (if you are Raccoon Mario) against the central block on the turret to the right of the starting one for a 1UP Mushroom. Now jump right to a wall. If you're Raccoon Mario, wag your tail against the side blocks for coins. Then take the pipe up. Ahead, avoid a Thwomp and a Roto-Disc (ooh, fancy) to reach a pipe past a spike bed. Do you really need me to help on this level? Take the pipe up to the left. Jump right and hit the blocks for coins. Then hit the brick block to make a blue vine grow. Interesting... Climb it up to two clouds. Then take the pipe there up. Level complete! Welcome to the real Sky Land! +-----------------+ | Level 5-4 | +-----------------+ Go right and hit the ? Block for a power-up. Note that you can fly over this level completely (it is rather self-explanatory; fly off from the first cloud. Land. Fly), but I'll assume you don't. Jump into the spinning platform to be flung right onto another platform (alternately, stand on the ? Block and jump clear over the platform). Repeat this to the right (or just jump over the spinning platform) to reach a somewhat tricky part. Jump onto the platform ahead. It will tilt depending on where you stand. Jump repeatedly and make sure to leap right onto the spinning platform as it is spinning so that you land when it is still. Jump right again and then land on a cloud. Stand back, run forward, and jump right over the spinning platform to three wooden blocks. Now jump over these blocks, which create a waterfall for some reason (so this is how it rains...), and you'll reach more spinning platforms. Jump onto the first, jump to the second as it spins to land when it is still, jump to the third, and then jump to the fourth like you did the second. Now just jump to the cloud and in the pipe you go. Here, a Lakitu above is throwing down Spinies to stop you at the black border. Let it throw down four and then take the card. All enemies turn into coins, earning you 15000 points and a 1UP. Pretty nifty, eh? +-----------------+ | Level 5-5 | +-----------------+ Collecting coins in this level might earn you a special prize... Try getting at least 28 coins to make it happen. See "White Toad's Houses" for details on this. The ground is made of falling platforms. Quite simple, really. Go forward, defeating two Koopa Paratroopas, jumping all the way, to find a Para-Goomba dropping Mugger Micro-Goombas. Defeat the former as soon as possible. Now, go back and take the shell of a Koopa Paratroopa. Go right to the stack of three wooden blocks and stand on it. Now release the shell. It will hit the block, earning you a power-up, and then bust the bricks here. Take the second pipe to fall through several coins and find a large ? Block. Hit it for a Tanooki Suit! Now take the pipe out of here. You'll land with a Fire Chomp coming at you from the left. It shoots several fireballs at you and then self-destructs. To defeat it, just stomp on its head (the large black ball). Now break through the blocks here and hit the leftmost brick block for a coin. If you were hit, there are two power-ups in the area - the right block and the wooden blocks to the lower-right that can be bumped into you. Both provide you with either a Mushroom or a Super Leaf. But, don't take them unless you were hit, or you'll lose your status as Tanooki Mario. Note: If you go left, you can earn more coins. Jump past a Para-Goomba and a Piranha Plant to reach a series of coins over falling platforms. Collect them all, position yourself on the leftmost block, and let it fall. Jump off once you've taken the coin from below. Now repeat the process until you've gotten all the coins. Afterward, go right back to where you exited the pipe. Now go right past more falling platforms and enemies to reach the black border that marks the end of the level. Neat-o! +-----------------+ | Level 5-6 | +-----------------+ Be sure to visit the Spade Panel and Toad's House before coming here. This is an... interesting level. It introduces you to Para-Beetles, red- shelled Buzzy Beetles with wings. As the screen scrolls right, they fly left. Although certain suits have powers that can defeat them, you need their help. Jump onto their backs to cross gaps. Ahead, it is rather optional. Jump on the Para-Beetles to reach the three coins above if you want them. Then you'll have to jump across them to cross enormous gaps to reach a ? Block that can be hit for a power-up that's rather risky to get. Afterwards, use a Koopa Paratroopa or Para-Beetles to reach a Jump Block. Bounce on it to reach coins above and land on the wooden block to the right. Repeat this with the next Jump Block, but this time you'll land on brick blocks. If you stand on the lower level and hit the second block from the right on the upper level, you'll hit a P Switch. Use it to collect coins and pass platforms (beware a Fire Chomp) with the greatest of ease. At the end, take a pipe to the black border. Let Lakitu throw four Spinies onto the screen before you take the card. The four Spinies earn you 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 points, respectively, and Lakitu will give you a 1UP as they are turned into coins. A great way to make use of enemies (that's what this level is all about!). +-----------------+ | Level 5-7 | +-----------------+ You can either beat this level or 5-6, or both if you want points. Either way, stop at the nearby Toad's House afterward. Also, this level is home to an odd area. If you take the first pipe you reach down, you'll find an area with a P Switch. If you hit it, and if you have used a Magic Wing, you can fly up to collect many coins. Also, this level is an "invincible level," meaning that it is possible to play through it as Invincible Mario completely. It's a neat trick, and I will explain which blocks to hit for replacement Starmen, although it's up to you to go through as quickly as possible. You must use a Starman before entering for it to work. Go forward, defeating a Koopa Troopa, and jump over a few blocks to reach three ? Blocks. Hit them for coins, and then go right to find a wooden block. Jump into it to defeat the jumping block atop it (it also gives you a Mushroom or a Fire Flower). Now go right, jumping up a series of blocks (jumping included) to reach a Venus Fire Trap surrounded by coin blocks. Go right to reach a Lakitu followed by some Bullet Bill Blasters. Jump over them and then run right as quickly as possible to outrun Bullet Bills and Spinies and reach a pipe. Take it to reach the black border. A Lakitu is here to hit you. If you let its Spinies accumulate to four and then take the card, you'll receive 15000 points and a 1UP to boot. Hooray for Lakitu! STARMAN ROUTE: Run forward and hit the ? Block for a Starman. Ahead, hit the first ? Block in a set of three for another Starman. Now go forward to reach three blocks by a Venus Fire Trap. Hit the block above for another Starman, and then zip right as quickly as your little plumber's feet can take you to reach a pipe at the end of the level. Now take that card and rejoice! +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #3 | +-------------------------+ Aside from a change of scenery (you fight on clouds), there's nothing special about these twin Hammer Brothers. Stay put for now as they throw hammers in arcs. When they jump so that one is on the upper layer and one on the lower, run under their hammer fire and jump to hit the block the lower Hammer Brother is situated on. He'll be knocked off and defeated. Then wait for the other to jump down. Repeat the process to win yourself a Music Box. If only you could sell items... +---------------------------+ | World 5 Fortress #2 | +---------------------------+ Jump right across the lava to a block, and then jump to the pipe. Take it down to more lava. Jump two bridges over, waiting for Podoboos to be down before jumping, and stop. The next two bridges have reversed Podoboos; they fly down from the ceiling to hit you. Wait for them to start rising to jump across the gap. Now stop at the bridge with six ? Blocks on it. There are Podoboos on either side of the blocks; tread cautiously. Hit the first five blocks for coins, defeating a Dry Bones as you go, and hit the sixth for a... Starman! Run, Invincible Mario, run! After defeating Podoboos and possibly a Boo, you'll reach two ? Blocks that the power wears off at. Hit the blocks for a power-up (face right as you do so), but don't go forward past the blocks until the reversed Podoboo rises. Then jump right over another Podoboo as it drops to reach a bridge laden with Podoboos, reversed and normal, jumping over and under it. Also note the presence of a Boo. Pass a Podoboo, stop, and face the Boo. Repeat this until you can take a pipe up. Go right to find everyone's favorite... Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom He's got a trick up his non-existent sleeves, but it's just as bad as his health is going to be in a few moments. Stomp on him. Upon recuperating, he grows wings. You can either jump on him as he rises up to the ceiling or as he swoops down. It's really just a difference in time; both are very easy. Then he starts to run about like a madman. Just give him the old one-two-jump and he's out like a light. Use the Magic Ball, please. +-----------------+ | Level 5-8 | +-----------------+ Have you visited the Spade Panel yet? If not, I recommend doing so. Start by jumping over a gap to the right and hitting the blocks here for three coins and a power-up. Jump right three more clouds to reach another sky-walker (yet another not-so-obscure Star Wars reference), Lakitu. With irritating Spinies aplenty, he'll really make life tough. Jump right across the clouds to reach a ? Block. Jump to it and give Lakitu a taste of your shoe from there (jump on him! Make him swim with the fishes! No, wait, Mario isn't that kind of Italian...). Then take the power-up from the ? Block. Everyone wins! Jump right across a few more clouds to reach a pipe in peace. Well, take it. Lakitu is back! This time, though, he serves a purpose. Go right by the card slot and let the big Spinies fall. When four of them can call that screen their home, take the card. Not only will you get a card and five coins from the enemies, but you will get 15000 points, a 1UP, and a brand new car! Well, maybe not so much the last one... +-----------------+ | Level 5-9 | +-----------------+ The only thing between us and the king's castle... And it's a side- scrolling level filled with jumps. The screen starts scrolling to the upper-right. Jump onto or over the Koopa Paratroopa to reach another cloud, and then jump up a series of wooden planks. They are pretty standard until you reach a horizontally moving one. Jump onto it and then jump left while going up, curving right as soon as you're out from under the platform to land on it. In other words, jump like a backwards D, starting from the bottom. When you land, take it up to more planks. A Fire Chomp assaults you as you rise, and it's either you or it. Jump onto it and bounce off of its shiny head to land on a platform to the right. Another Fire Chomp can be used shortly afterward to reach the next platform. Then it's another horizontal platform and one more vertical one to reach a pipe over a cloud. Take this pipe to the end of the level. Of course, a Lakitu decided it wanted to mess with us at the end. Run right to the card slot and let it throw four Spinies. Then take the card. You'll get 15000 points and a 1UP because they were on the screen when you beat the level, turning them into coins worth major points. Now that's more bang for your card. +---------------------------+ | Roy Koopa's Airship | +---------------------------+ The king has been transformed into a crown-wearing vulture! In remakes, he's an Albatross, the bird enemies from Super Mario Bros. 2. It's up to Mario to deliver the Magic Wand to its rightful owner. And to that, we'll have to whoop what is the second-toughest Koopaling in the game. So, Mario boards the airship. It's a revival of Larry Koopa's ship - tons of gunpowder. Go forward to a cannon and a Flame Thrower. Avoid both their attacks and keep your eyes peeled for two cannons appearing in the lower-right corner. When it's safe, hit the ? Block for a power-up. Then just right by a Bullet Bill Blaster to find several cannons. Stake it out in a corner, jumping when appropriate, until you can jump over a wooden cylinder to reach a depression. Duck there to avoid a Bullet Bill Blaster, and then move on to reach eight diagonal cannons (!). It might be beneficial to you to bounce off a cannonball above the cannons. After one last Bullet Bill, take the pipe down to the boss. Boss: Roy Koopa | | This pink-shelled heavyweight is the hard- | | est Koopa Kid by far so far, resembling | | Morton Koopa Jr. (only Roy wear a pair of | __ ____ | shades). Roy's jumps are just like those |__| |__| |____| of a Sledge Brother; his jumps paralyze you in place with their shockwaves. But, aside from that considerable advantage, he's just like his brothers. He has low jumps, meaning you can jump on him easily as he's coming at you. His strategy is to stun you and then shoot his magic attack, which will end the battle in seconds. So, when he jumps, you jump. Either use ten fireballs or use the recommended three jumps to his head. He does a double-jump each time he is hit; watch out for that. He flees when defeated, leaving behind a Magic Wand for you to take. The king is restored to his normal, old geezer form, and we get a letter from Princess Toadstool. "Greetings, Be careful in the Ice World. The creatures trapped in the ice will come to life if warmed. I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you. Princess Toadstool." How sweet! We get a Jugem's Cloud and some good advice as we head off to my least favorite world, # 6. ======================================================================= ===============================World 6*================================ ======================================================================= Terrible, eerie music on the map, low traction, many levels, THREE fortresses - Ice Land has got it all. It's even named after a real country! I guess they could've called Grass Land Green Land and Water Land Fin Land (fins of a fish). But, back to my ramblings. Hopefully, you will dislike this world, thus proving your sanity. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but this is no World 4, let me tell you. This is almost as big as Water Land, but Water Land cheats with all of its boating space. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |[ = Pipe 1 | |] = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 1 | |( = Pipe 2 | |) = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 2 | |C = Castle | |F = Fortress | |H = Hammer Brothers Relative Location | |L = Locked Door | |o = Circular Space | |P = Spade Panel | |R = Breakable Rock | |S = Start Panel | |T = Toad's House | +---------------------------------------------+ World 6 - Ice Land T )--oL-o | | o--2--o-R] o--o--o 9--o--o | | | | | | --S--o--1--P F--HL-o--( o--6--o F--o 8--o--o F--oL-o--o--o--C | | | | | | | | | [ o--o--3 P--4--o T H--HR-o--7 o--o--10 | | | | | o--5--o--o--P--o ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad's House 1: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 2: Pre-Selected Contents : Hammer Brother Suit Spade Panel 1 Spade Panel 2 Spade Panel 3 Hammer Brother 1: Hammer Hammer Brother 2: Jugem's Cloud Hammer Brother 3: Starman ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ | Level 6-1 | +-----------------+ Already you can get a feel for the slippery terrain in Ice Land. Go forward and hit the ? Block for a power-up. The enemy to the right is a Ptooie, Piranha Plants that balance spiked balls above their heads. Jump this one when the ball descends. To the right is a walking one. Jump under its spiked ball when it goes sky-high to reach a Piranha Plant. Jump onto its pipe and go right to a Venus Fire Trap. Afterward, go right to two more Ptooies. Jump through their spiked balls when they rise simultaneously to reach a ? Block with a coin tucked inside. Now jump right to a few icy blocks. Hit the ? Block above them for a power-up, and then go right for six coins that are guarded by two Ptooies' spiked balls. After it is one final Ptooie. Stand on the lip of its pipe as you wait for the spiked ball to rise, and then jump between the ball and the plant. Now just skid right to the card that ends this level. +-----------------+ | Level 6-2 | +-----------------+ Make sure you stop at the Spade Panel before coming here. Jump right from the starting platform to another platform. As you must've noticed, this is a side-scrolling level. When the screen opens enough, jump right to an ice platform. Stay there until you can see another platform to the lower-right. Jump to it, grab the Grab Block, and slide it into the ? Block to the right for a power-up. Jump on the clouds ahead to bypass the huge stack of brick blocks. After that, just jump along the platforms, collecting coins as you go, to reach a humongous stack of wooden blocks. Jump up clouds as the screen scrolls upward to get to the top. Then jump over it to reach solid platforms. You'll soon reach one with two Grab Blocks on it. Use these to hit the brick block above them for coins. Then jump right to a Koopa Troopa and right again to another platform. The screen starts to scroll to the lower-right now. Jump down the platforms through three coins to reach a Koopa Troopa. Defeat it, wait for a cloud to come your way, and then drop from it to the wooden blocks to the right. Jump right to another block platform to a cloud to a pipe. Take it down to the black border. Go right to find the card that ends this level. +-----------------+ | Level 6-3 | +-----------------+ You must do this or 6-2. Either way, raid the Toad's House and Spade Panel afterwards. Jump to the Jump Blocks to your right. Bounce off of them to a wooden platform to the right, which you should duck (or stand if you're small) on to pass under a Grab Block stack. Jump from it to the platform above, on which you should take the shell of a Koopa Troopa. Jump right with it and cast it into a ? Block for a power-up. Now jump carefully across the gaps to collect six coins. When you reach the Koopa Troopa, defeat it, and then jump over the Grab Block stack to your right. Grab the shell of this Koopa Troopa and launch it into the brick block to the right. A vine grows! Climb it to a Jump Block, and bounce from it to a pipe! Take it to reach a giant ? Block that can be hit for a Tanooki Suit. Once you have it, stand against the right wall and take off flying as run left. Fly upward, break through the blocks as you fly, and you'll reach a chamber with thirty coins in it. Take them all, drop to the lower level, and take the pipe out of here. Jump and hover to the right (hover by pressing A repeatedly). You'll land on a thin stack of Grab Blocks. Jump right from there to a brick block, and drop from it to a wooden plank. Duck there to get under the Grab Block stack. Now jump right, bouncing off Koopa Paratroopas, to reach the black border. Take a card and be proud. The level is over. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #1 | +-------------------------+ It's your normal Hammer Brother pair - with a twist! Yes, the ground is covered in an icy veneer that makes you skid, but it should not concern you. Just run under their arc of hammers and hit the block they're standing on, just like all the previous times. If this challenges you, try using a Starman or a Fire Flower for easy victories. To the victor go the spoils, and that's a Hammer this time around. You can use it to break the rock near the pipe. If this Hammer Brother moved toward you, this could effectively allow you to skip 6-2 and 6-3. Or, you could save it to use later to bypass Level 6-7. +---------------------------+ | World 6 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ Drop right onto the floor and then jump onto the platform to the right. It takes you past several Podoboos you must jump over and a power-up in a ? Block. It then passes over a long bed of spikes before beginning its descent. A Hot Foot will try to drop onto you, but it's nothing a simple move to the left or a jump (or both!) can't handle. Then you'll just have to jump or duck to avoid Roto-Discs. Make sure to hop off the platform before it hits the spike bed. Otherwise, you couldn't take the door to the right. Ahead are two Roto-Discs orbiting the same orb. Simply walk up to the stack, jump onto the orb when you can, and then go right to a ? Block. You can hit it for a power-up (either a Super Leaf or a Mushroom). Now go right to two Roto-Discs circling around ? Blocks. One contains a Starman! As Invincible Mario, run right to a door. Take it! Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom If you're still Invincible Mario, just tackle Boom-Boom to end the battle rather quickly. It's pretty cool because the Magic Ball will appear upside-down afterward. Alternately, you'll have to jump on his head (it's a wonder he doesn't suffer from severe head trauma...) three times. The second stomp encourages him to grow wings. Either crush him before he can take to the skies or use the blocks in the air to reach him while he pointlessly flies back and forth above. One more stomp on a swifter Boom-Boom will give you the Magic Ball. Use it to destroy the Locked Door on the map. +-----------------+ | Level 6-4 | +-----------------+ Take a shot at the Spade Panel game before coming here. Jump to the other side of the ledge, jump back to the falling platforms, take the coins, and then jump back to the white ledge to the right. Now jump right onto the spinning platform as it spins so that you land on it when it's still. Jump from it to the Grab Block to the upper-right to another spinning platform if you want to risk it for the coins. If not, just jump right to a wooden block. Jump right to see a few Goombas. Let them march themselves into a chasm, but follow them until you're below the brick block. Hit it while looking right to make a 1UP Mushroom pop out. Take it and then take the stairs back up. Jump right onto an icy ledge. From there, jump to a wooden plank to the right. Ride it around, taking coins and a power-up as you go, until you're satisfied, at which point you should jump to a wooden plank to the right. Jump from it to a pair of wooden blocks to two wooden planks. Ride them to a P Switch. Hit it! You fall down through a series of coins. Run right, collecting coins by using sliding ducks under the platforms, until it wears off. You should have passed a Fire Chomp along the way and reached three coins. Jump into the spinning platform at the end to be flung toward the black border. Take the card and rejoice; the level is over. +-----------------+ | Level 6-5 | +-----------------+ You now have a choice - do either 6-5 or 6-6. 6-5 is clearly the better choice because it gives you access to a Toad's House with an awesome item inside, but I'll let you choose for yourself. In any case, this is a very singular level; you can move beyond the black border to continue the level. So, this is easier than it might seem. Set up like an icy version of the Pyramid level in World 2, enter the pipe to be underground. A Buster Beetle ahead runs away from you (keep running!). Follow to a point; you want to enter the pipe ahead. Hit the ? Block for a power-up. Go back down afterward and take the pipe back up to hit the ? Block again for another power-up. This means that you're guaranteed to be Raccoon Mario. Now go left through the pipe in the power-up room. If you get hit at any time, return to that pipe to become Raccoon Mario. It is necessary for beating the level. Immediately tail whip the Venus Fire Trap that pops up. Now hike up the slope, trek down the stairs, and hide behind your brick block shield. Defeat the Buster Beetle afterward and take a Grab Block in your hands. Use it to defeat two Buster Beetles ahead. Now go back right to a Koopa Troopa. Grab its shell after jumping on it and stand to the right. Run left to fill your power meter and then fly through the opening above the Grab Block stack. You'll reach two Nippers. Use the shell to defeat them and create a path to a pipe. Use this pipe top reach the black border, the end of the level. Be sure to pay the Toad in the Toad's House a visit after this! +-----------------+ | Level 6-6 | +-----------------+ Go forward and take the pipe. You'll drop down to a fork in the road. The high road is better than the low road here. Take it, avoiding a Spike as you go, to find four pools of water a Cheep-Cheep jumps in and out of. Past these two menaces, though, is a ? Block containing either a Mushroom or a Fire Flower. After taking one, hopefully the Fire Flower, return to the low road. A Cheep-Cheep and several Piranha Plants/Venus Fire Traps reside here. There's also one Spike to take note of. And don't be fooled by slopes. Do not slide on them or you'll crash into a Venus Fire Trap. Just pass through these parts peacefully, unless you have the power of flames, to reach the water. Drat. Swim right to a Cheep-Cheep. Defeat/avoid it and then swim upward to a pocket of air (not that Mario needs air). If you jump one space from the right wall, you'll hit an invisible block for a 1UP Mushroom. Return to the depths. Swim right, taking the upper route, to reach even more water and Cheep- Cheeps. Swim along the top of the water to reach two ? Blocks, one of which is a power-up of the Fire Flower variety. Swim through a gap after that to the right and sink down slowly to a wooden block. Swim right now to enter a tunnel. It's filled with Piranha Plants that will come up to bite you even if you're on top of their pipes; swim cautiously (or set them on fire). You'll come out to land shortly after that. Defeat a few Spikes ahead with jumps or fireballs to reach several Cheep-Cheep pools. If you defeat that fish, you can go right to a pipe. Take it up, defeat a Spike to the right, and then advance to the black border to finish the level. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #2 | +-------------------------+ Same deal as before. There's ice on the ground, two Hammer Brothers on different brick rows, and then there's you. Run forward, busting or jumping into whichever block the lower one stands on, and then do the same for the other one when it jumps down. If you still can't seem to beat them, try using a Starman or a Fire Flower before entering. It should make things a little easier. Your reward is a Jugem's Cloud. +-------------------------+ | Hammer Brother #3 | +-------------------------+ This is just like the Hammer Brother duo. Wait for them to be on separate brick rows. Run forward under hammer arc. Hit block they are standing on. Repeat when the other jumps down. Take prize - a Starman. If you don't beat them that way, then fireballs from Fire Mario or a touch of Invincible Mario will do the trick. And, after this little brawl, a Spade Panel is your for the taking before playing 6-7/busting a rock with a Hammer. +-----------------+ | Level 6-7 | +-----------------+ A minimum of 78, yes, SEVENTY-EIGHT, coins must be gotten in this level to win yourself a special prize. What is it? Why not check out "White Toad's Houses" for the details on this and other levels like this. It's a side-scrolling level, everybody. Jump forward to three falling platforms. When you see three more, stand on the rightmost one of the second set and let it fall. Jump before you die to get three coins and land by a ? Block. Hit it while looking right and take a power-up. Quickly stand on a falling platform to let it plummet downward. Jump to the group of four falling platforms to the right and fall on the third one through six more coins, jumping to the platform to the right. Just beware a Fire Chomp in the area. Collect three more coins to the right using the fake-fall technique we used earlier, and then jump right to the Grab Block, above which are three more coins. This all adds up to 15 coins so far. Jump forward, collecting three more coins from a fake fall, and jump right to a coin block. Hit it and then take three more coins from a fall (22). Jump right to find three coins in the air - take them (25). Hit the brick block for an additional coin and then jump onto the falling platforms to the right (30). Fall through here for four more coins and then jump to the ? Block to the right. It must be a Fire Flower if you hope to get the required amount of coins. Go right now, collecting several more coins, which I think comes to (41), and you'll reach a pipe. Fall on a falling platform and jump to two Jump Blocks to reach and take it. Here's where it all comes together. You fall onto many frozen coins. Collect all of them by flaming them, then hitting an invisible block left of the iced-over money for a coin, and then go right to finish the level. Hopefully, you got enough to have 78. +---------------------------+ | World 6 Fortress #2 | +---------------------------+ An ice fortress... Note that the whole place is frozen on the ground, meaning that every step will be a slippery one. You are very liable to skidding here. Go right under a Boo, turning around once you've passed it, and drop through a horizontal Thwomp's opening. When you land, go right a bit to a ? Block. Hit it for a Mushroom/Super Leaf, and then scale the Grab Blocks to a horizontal Thwomp. When it is slowly moving right, jump to the hallway and get past the frozen block quickly. Then drop through the hole ahead when the Thwomp is returning to its post. Go right to trigger a Thwomp above. Jump onto the Grab Block on the edge and wait for your motion-sensitive friend above you to be moving to the left. As soon as he is past, jump upward and run right (either running under the blocks or sliding under them, both of which are easy thanks to the icy floors). Now just go right and jump to two Roto- Discs. When you can, step under the ? Block (even as Super Mario or better, they won't hit you). Then jump to hit the block, releasing a Mushroom/Super Leaf. Now go right to trigger a Thwomp. Jump up and start going right, but turn to face left. You'll slide past two Roto-Discs, facing a Boo as you go, and you'll hopefully stop before you fall to a Thwomp. As it is returning to its original position, drop through and go right slowly. A Thwomp will fly at you, which isn't that bad unless you're running. Wait for it to start moving right and jump to a door. Take it to the mini-boss. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom The common dungeon master drops in from a ledge against the right side of the room. Two other blocks are placed to obstruct your jumps, but they are not bothersome at all. They are placed there to let Boom-Boom make jumps and bounce off of them. In other words, they're there because the programmers didn't want to actually program Boom-Boom to make unpredictable jumps; they just stuck in some blocks to make him do it automatically. In any case, he just runs around sliding with you. Because he slides very quickly, do not go under his ledge; he'll ram into you. He has no flying stunts to speak of, and three stomps or five fireballs will do him in. Take the Magic Ball afterward to create a bridge on the map to connect some pipes, and then throw the ball straight down to the goalpost. The crowd goes wild! +-----------------+ | Level 6-8 | +-----------------+ Somehow it's spring or summer outside. Lift a Grab Block and let it slam into the ? Block to the right for a power-up. Then jump over the Ptooie to the right when the spiked ball is down. Alternately, you could use a Grab Block to defeat the Ptooie. Then go right to a Koopa Troopa. Grab its shell and let it bulldoze through a hill of Nippers. Watch the points stack up - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000, and then the Koopa Troopa shell should outpace you. Now go right to find several Spikes. Jump over them and you'll reach the Buster Beetle brigade. First, use a Grab Block to hit a ? Block for, like the last block, either a Super Leaf or a Mushroom. Then let another Grab Block mow down a few Buster Beetles ahead. Go right to a large H spelled out with Grab Blocks where you can defeat another Buster Beetle. Now go right to a hill. Slide down it and jump at the ramp at the end to land on the grass. Run right to reach the black border where you can find the card and finish the level. +-----------------+ | Level 6-9 | +-----------------+ There are two very different paths through this level. One is extremely easy, and for this reason I will not cover the long, boring, unrewarding water route. There is an interesting glitch in the game that I call the "wall kick glitch," named after Mario's famed wall kick introduced in Super Mario 64. We'll be using it here (if you don't want to use the glitch, then a Magic Wing will get you to the same place). Walk forward to a pipe. Stand on the edge and then run forward, jumping against the ice wall. As soon as you make contact with the wall (and I mean the very instant), press A and Up at the same time to perform a second jump. This gives reliable results for me. It should for you, too. It might take some practice, but you'll get it eventually. You want to use the wall kick to get on top of the ice wall. Walk forward to reach what seems to be a dead-end. Instead of jumping over it, though, grab the Grab Block and push it forward. Now walk forward for a 1UP Mushroom. You'll fall down and be able to go right to the card slot to finish the level. Now there's a good level. +------------------+ | Level 6-10 | +------------------+ Either do this or 6-9 (I'd recommend 6-9, but it's your choice). Jump forward to a Koopa Troopa. Use it shells to hit the next Koopa Troopa before proceeding right to reach a ? Block and two more Koopa Troopas. Defeat them with their own shells before going right to see a huge brick stack. Get ready for major coinage. Lift a Grab Block and knock it into the first brick block left of the giant block stack. This causes a vine to grow. Take it up and hit three brick blocks for a P Switch. Hit it and dive into the coin mountain to the right! When it's over, go right to find three frozen coins and three ? Blocks, one of which contains a power-up. If you're Fire Mario, melt the ice to the right for three coins (just don't melt the Munchers' ice). Then go right to more coins. Melt them if you can and collect the riches. Then go right to jump a gap (don't melt the ice of the Munchers, obviously) to reach a coin paradise. Collect them if you can, wary of Buster Beetles, and then jump right to a Grab Block. Jump right of it onto a spinning platform (jump when its still and then quickly jump off to the right). Take the shell of this Koopa Troopa, run right, and jump to the card. You'll earn yourself a coin and 1000 points by bringing the shell along for the ride. +---------------------------+ | World 6 Fortress #3 | +---------------------------+ Note: If you run forward as Raccoon Mario and start flying over the first conveyor belt, you'll reach a platform with a 1UP Mushroom in a block over it. Resist the urge to jump for the first few steps. Go forward until you're out from under the spiked ceiling to reach two Roto-Discs orbiting an orb. Get onto the orb and jump right to a conveyor belt to another orb. A Boo is to the right; turn around to bait it to you, and then turn right when it's right by you. Jump over it when the opportunity presents itself to another conveyor belt, and mad dash across it to jump to a Stretch's bar. Hit a ? Block for a power-up there if you dare... Then jump right over another Stretch's bar. Stare down a Boo ahead of you. Then run right under a Stretch, jumping to the orb a Roto-Disc is circling, and then stepping onto a conveyor belt. Try to stop yourself from running into the Thwomp and run under it as it rises. Then go right on another conveyor belt by another Roto-Disc. You'll reach dual Roto-Discs orbiting about dual Stretches. When the coast is clear, jump to the right side of the Stretch's bar to the next Stretch's bar. Jump over the ghost head and then leap right over a spike bed to reach a door. Take it, please! You'll drop down to a room with three Boos and a rising floor. Run right and turn around to look at all three at once to keep them still. Just wait for a door to become level with you and take it to the... Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom With five different blocks in the air, jumping space is at a premium. Still, Boom-Boom is easy. He doesn't even attempt to fly. Get onto the middle block and wait for Boom-Boom to run below you. Drop onto him, set yourself up again, and repeat this twice to earn yourself the Magic Ball. Take it to unlock the final Locked Door of Ice Land. +-------------------------------+ | The Hammer Brother Suit | +-------------------------------+ It is time to discuss the amazing Hammer Brother Suit that you might've gotten from the Toad's House after 6-5. In my opinion, it's the best suit in the game. It operates somewhat like Fire Mario. Walk around dressed as a Hammer Brother and press B to throw hammers. You can have two out at once, and hammers can kill almost anything in one shot. But wait, there's more! If you duck as Hammer Brother Mario, you will retreat into a fire-proof helmet for a few seconds. It's a wonderful addition to any item collection. +-----------------------------+ | Lemmy Koopa's Airship | +-----------------------------+ The unfortunate king of this barren wasteland (unfortunate because he is the king of THIS world) has been transformed... into a seal (he's a Monty Mole in remakes)! Look how he balances the crown on his nose playfully! Only by defeating the demented (that is, more demented than the rest) child of the Koopa Royal Line can we win back the Magic Wand and restore him to his normal self. Ahead is a bolt platform. You can either jump on it and hop continuously to cross the gap (the same type of platform was modeled after this in Super Mario RPG in the Factory area), or wait for the screen to expand and make a running leap over this crazy contraption. Jump onto the next bolt platform and wait until you can see the next. Jump to it afterwards and then jump to land to the right when you can. Ahead are Flame Throwers blocking your path. Wait for them to stop spewing flames to continue over/under/by them. You'll continue up this path to reach two ? Blocks, the left of which contains either a Mushroom or a Super Leaf. From there, you must pass one final Flame Thrower to the right to reach the pipe leading to the boss room. That was a surprisingly easy airship... Boss: Lemmy Koopa | | Just like in Super Mario World, Lemmy | | mimics his little sister, Wendy. And, | | judging by all official artwork, his star- | | branded balancing ball, and his behavior |__________________| in Super Mario World, we're supposed to realize that not everything is right in his head. In any case, his room is flat to allow for rolling space because he feels the need to roll on a ball. He is quite easy, too. He has difficulty turning and will start by releasing one ball to bounce about the room. You can stomp on them to stop them momentarily, but don't waste your energy. Just jump on Lemmy three times to beat him. After each stomp, he releases a new ball into the mix. He rarely uses the Magic Wand. After three stomps, he will flee, dropping the Magic Wand in his flight. Lemmy can also be beaten with ten fireballs, which has the added bonus of him only using one ball to ricochet about the room, but it hard to connect with his actually body because he stands on that ball of his (was it intended to be a fireball shield?). In any case, Lemmy is easily beaten, and Mario falls down to the ground to find the king back to his good old self, big though his nose is (it does look like that of a seal...). And he was holding a letter from the princess for you. "Greetings, I am well. Please retrieve the Magic Whistle hidden in the darkness at the end of the Third world. I have enclosed a jewel that helps protect you. Princess Toadstool." That's her longest letter yet. As for the Magic Whistle, she is referring to the one hidden in Level 1-3, not World 3. See "World 9" for the details. As for the jewel, it is a Magic Wing. We have quite a collection now, hmm? Let's move on to liberate the last region of the Mushroom World! It is guaranteed to be the hardest. ======================================================================= ===============================World 7*================================ ======================================================================= Pipe Land... This is truly the worst world in the game. Although it's a plumber's paradise, it's filled to the brim with warp pipes. It's so confusing! As a result, a little change was in order. Look at the Map Key to see my new pipe system exclusive to this world's legend. You think it was fun making this map? Well it wasn't! Also, Piranha Plants are the new Hammer Brothers. Also, this is my least favorite world. It just plain stinks, people. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |@ = Connecting Pipes | |$ = Connecting Pipes | |% = Connecting Pipes | |^ = Connecting Pipes | |& = Connecting Pipes | |! = Connecting Pipes | |? = Connecting Pipes | |/ = Connecting Pipes | |C = Castle | |F = Fortress | |L = Locked Door | |N = Piranha Plant | |o = Circular Space | |P = Spade Panel | |S = Start Panel | |T = Toad's House | +---------------------------------------------+ S--o--o & @ F--P--6 7--o--/ | | | L | | | | ? World 7 - 1--$ @ T !--N--o--^ / P--o--8--T | Pipe Land $--& o--4--P--o--5--? !L-9--o--F | | | | | 2--% ^ 3--% T C--o--N ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad's House 1: Random (3) Contents : Mushroom, Fire Flower, Super Leaf Toad's House 2: Random (3) Contents : Frog Suit, Tanooki Suit, Hammer Brother Suit Toad's House 3: Random (3) Contents : Frog Suit, Tanooki Suit, Hammer Brother Suit Spade Panel 1 Spade Panel 2 Spade Panel 3 Piranha Plant 1: Magic Wing Piranha Plant 2: Mushroom ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------+ | Level 7-1 | +-----------------+ Enter the door. It's a terrible, vertical, looping on the side level. Jump onto the first pipe and then jump left to oust a Koopa Troopa of its position. Hit the ? Blocks for coins, jump right, and you'll be faced with a fork in the road. But, you can actually take either. When you emerge, drop left when the Piranha Plant is retreating, go left when the other Piranha Plant is retreating, and then take the pipe above. When you emerge, go left to take the left pipe up. Then, go right and jump on the Koopa Troopa to knock its shell into the ? Blocks for a power-up. Jump up the platforms here to reach a wooden block. When the coast is clear, jump through the opening above. Remember, the sides loop; the Koopa Troopa will walk through the right side of the screen and appear on the left side, and vice versa. Now jump onto the pipes when the Piranha Plants are in to reach a Jump Block. Bounce on it to the pipe to the right, and then jump to the Jump Block to the left. Bounce to some wooden blocks from it and then enter a pipe. You'll take it up to a wooden frame. Jump on the first Koopa Troopa, grab its shell, and walk into the second Koopa Troopa. Then go left, jump onto the block, and jump over the Koopa Paratroopa to reach the pipe. Take it to the black border that marks the end of this level. +-----------------+ | Level 7-2 | +-----------------+ A minimum of 46 coins is required to unlock a special prize in this level. What is it? Why not check out "White Toad's Houses" for details? You'll be glad you did. Also, be sure to stop at the pipe right of the pipe you took from the first island to reach the island with the Toad's House on it before coming here. Also, for coin- collecting, you should use the Frog Suit. It's a desert level. Go forward and jump over a Nipper. Use a Grab Block from the pipe to defeat it and use the other to defeat the Nipper on the next pipe over. Ahead, use a Grab Block to hit the first ? Block for a power-up, the next for a coin. Now, go right to a pipe, the one that the Nipper was on, and take it down. Swim left, not hitting any brick blocks as you go, and you'll reach a P Switch surrounded by coins. Collect them all and hit the P Switch. If you're Frog Mario, swim right and collect the coins from the bricks as quickly as possible. Return to the surface. Jump right across a series of pipes to reach a green Koopa Paratroopa. Defeat it, keeping it in its shell. To dispose of the shell, walk up to a surface, standing so that you touch it, and release the shell. Now, jump up to fill the entire upper area with Jump Blocks that were invisible. Now take the right pipe down to a power-up. Take the left pipe now back to water. Go left to enter another pipe to return to the surface. Now go right (if you jump off the seventh Jump Block, a 1UP Mushroom appears) to a series of Piranha Plant-infested pipes. When you reach a particularly low one, take it down. Take the next pipe and then go right to the black border's card. +-----------------+ | Level 7-3 | +-----------------+ This is an "invincible level." Hit the first block for a Starman. Hit the first block and run right to slide down a hill to four ? Blocks. Hit the lower-left one for a Starman to continue this cycle. Run right and slide down a hill through some Koopa Troopas. You'll reach four more ? Blocks next. Hit the lower-left one for a Starman and go right, sliding down the hill and jumping off the ramp, and hit the brick block for a Starman (the above ? Block contains a power-up). Now go right to hit a brick block for a P Switch. Get some coins with it if you have the time. Run right and hit either brick block for a Starman. Then run right to the black border, jumping for the card at the end. If you wait for Lakitu to throw four Spinies, you can finish the level for a 15000 point boost and a 1UP thrown in, too. +-----------------+ | Level 7-4 | +-----------------+ Of course, play the Spade Panel game before coming here. If you start that level as Raccoon Mario, you can fly over the wall to the right to find two 1UP Mushrooms. But, you'll have to take the pipe here regardless. It's an underwater side-scroller. Oh, joy. Swim right with the Spiny Cheep-Cheeps over the Lava Lotus's balls of lava to reach a ? Block. Hit it for a power-up and then swim right past a Big Bertha to see a Blooper with Kids. Avoid it as the screen rises to include Jelectros. Swim through this mine field of Jelectros to reach a Big Bertha. Hover there for a while to avoid her, and then swim right when you can to another Blooper with Kids to join the current one. Now fall to the floor and swim over the "coral" when you can to hit a ? Block for a power-up. Afterwards, swim right over a Lava Lotus to reach a Big Bertha and a few Spiny Cheep-Cheeps. Avoid all of them and enter a pipe to the right to find the black border and finish this level +-----------------+ | Level 7-5 | +-----------------+ Take a pipe down to the underground. Defeat the Koopa Paratroopas ahead and go right to a pipe. Take it to another room. Take the pipe here to another new room. Defeat three Bob-ombs coming your way and jump in the openings to the right (use a Grab Block to defeat the Koopa Troopa) to fill them in with coin blocks. Now go all the way right and jump up to hit a few blocks for coins. Now take the right pipe to a power-up. Get it and then hit the opening to the left for a coin block to appear. Take the pipe back down. Jump onto the upper level to the left and take the first pipe to the left that you find. Jump here to make a 1UP Mushroom appear. Let it go to the next opening over, take the pipe down, take the next pipe up, and then collect the 1UP Mushroom. Now jump out and go left to the leftmost pipe. Take it down, collect the power-up from the ? Block, and then return to that upper room through the pipe second from left. Go right when you emerge to the rightmost pipe in the room. Take it down. Three Koopa Paratroopas can be found to the right. Defeat them and move onto the right, where you can either bounce off an enemy or make a running jump to the pipe. When you emerge, go right, taking the low route to a Bob-omb. Do a ducking jump to deal with it and go right through several Grab Blocks to a pipe. Take it down, go right, fill in all the spaces above with coin blocks by jumping there, and then go left past a Spiny to a pipe. Take it up and go right along the upper route by going right, filling in several coin blocks there, returning left, jump from the Koopa Troopa platform to the high platform, going right, and taking the pipe down. Now go right and take this pipe up. Now go right and take the card from the slot. +-----------------------+ | Piranha Plant 1 | +-----------------------+ Instead of Hammer Brothers, this world has Piranha Plant action. And let me say that it pays to come as Invincible Mario or Fire Mario. Go right and make running leaps onto each Venus Fire Trap pipe. Jump right when the Munchers to the right are down and quickly move to the end. Now jump right under a Venus Fire Trap to reach... more Venus Fire Traps! If you can make it past their barrage of fireballs, you'll reach a small pipe. Take it down to a treasure chest with a Magic Wing inside. Yep, that's the reward for playing this considerably harder "Hammer Brother." After this, be sure to raid the nearby Toad's House. +---------------------------+ | World 7 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ A fortress made of brick blocks... If you are regular Mario, you need to become big. To do this, follow the below paragraph. Then rejoin us one paragraph below that. BECOMING SUPER MARIO: Go right to a door that you should enter into the "real" fortress. All enemies are absent; don't worry. Just run right to find a doorway. Take it to enter a room full of lava. Jump right, hit the blocks, and then jump left to a ? Block. Hit it for the power- up. Now return to the first room. Head under the gray platform and count four blocks to the right. Jump there to bust through two blocks to hit one for a P Switch. This is going to be good! Hit it and either jump down through the coins (take a door twice to return to the room) or enter the door on the gray blocks. You must do the latter to advance in the fortress. Take the first pipe to the right to fall through several coins and reach a gigantic ? Block that contains a Tanooki Suit. Cool! Now go right up the pipe and then take the pipe to the right. You're in the power-up room from before (in "BECOMING SUPER MARIO"). Jump down from the pipe and hover left to a door. Take it and then run left to the left wall. Turn around and start running right to take off to flight. At the point where you take off (near an orb a Roto-Disc would normally circle), fly straight upward to a pipe. Take it up and walk right to the mini-boss. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom Who else, right? Stomp on him once and he grows wings. Stomp him again and he drops to the floor (either jump on him as he swoops down or as he takes off). One more hit will do the trick. Sue the Magic Ball to create for yourself a path to a pipe (a shortcut) and a road to a new pipe. Aren't you just bursting with excitement? +-----------------+ | Level 7-6 | +-----------------+ Play the Spade Panel game before coming here (that goes without saying). Another annoying Pipe Land level is coming at you. Go forward to a door. Enter if you dare... It would seem that you're stuck, but remember that this is a wrap- around level; walk left to appear to the right. Now head up these stairs to reach six coins and two ? Blocks. Hit the blocks for one coin apiece, and then walk left to appear to the right. Bounce off the Jump Block onto the ! Platform. Navigate upward until you reach a ! Platofmr below a spiked block. Move out of the way of things as it rises until you see a horizontally moving platform to the left. Jump onto the ? Blocks above it and then jump back to the upward moving platform outline. Ride it up to a <- Platform, and take it under the ? Blocks. If the power-up you want to get was a Mushroom, it should slide right to you. At the end, drop down and jump onto the ! Platform to the right. Jump on it and navigate (change direction by jumping on it) up through an opening in the spiked ceiling above. Ditch it for a <- Platform to the right and take it to a ! Platform. Ride it up to jump to one to the right. Jump from it to the ? Blocks to the left and jump right over a block stack immediately afterward. Jump to a ! Platform above and ride it left past a Piranha Plant. Then redirect it to the right so that you can take a pipe up. Go right upon emerging to take the card from the slot. +-----------------+ | Level 7-7 | +-----------------+ You have a choice to beat 7-7 or 7-8 now. While 7-8 is clearly better (you have access to the Spade Panel and a Toad's House), it's up to you. If you are Raccoon Mario here, you can fly upward onto the block to hit an invisible block for a 1UP Mushroom. But, you'll still have to take the pipe here. Go right past two Piranha Plants to find a Starman. Starting now, you must be swift. Run right onto a field of Munchers and hit the ? Block for a Starman (if you're small; you can stand to skip it if you're Super Mario or better). Then go forward to another ? Block that you can hit for a renewal Starman. Use it to run right, leaping through two pipe openings, to reach another opening. Leap through it and quickly and hit the ? Block for a Starman (this one in particular is difficult to make it to). Now run right, ducking/running under a pipe and jumping once more to reach a pipe. Take it to the black border and the end of the level. +-----------------+ | Level 7-8 | +-----------------+ After this level, stop at a Toad's House and the Spade Panel nearby if you haven't already done so. Go right and jump over the initial Piranha Plant to reach four ? Blocks. Hit them all for coins and then make a running leap onto the pipe to the right when possible. Now go right onto another pipe. You must time your jumps ahead very well. Jump as the Piranha Plant (ground) to the right first starts to go down. Repeat this again to the right and you'll land by three ? Blocks, the leftmost of which contains a Starman. Yahoo! Run right as Invincible Mario, plowing through enemies (the lower-left brick block ahead is a power-up) to reach a Nipper, a Piranha Plant, and a Ptooie. Wait for the Ptooie's spiky ball to rise and for the Piranha Plant to be up to run right through them. You'll come to another Piranha Plant; jump over it. Then hit the coin brick ahead. When the Ptooie is over the right pipe and the Venus Fire Trap is down, take the first pipe down yourself. Jump across the stairs jump left when you can to a gigantic ? Block. Hit it for a... Hammer Brother Suit! YES! Press B to throw hammers as Hammer Brother Mario, and duck to become fire-proof. That's all there is to know. Now go right and take the pipe up to two Ptooies. Crush them with your hammers and go forward to a Venus Fire Trap. Use your hammers of doom to destroy it, too, and then jumps over it to some Nippers. Let them taste your steel before you hit the ? Blocks for coins and the block between the two upper ? Blocks for a 1UP Mushroom. Then go forward to the black border. Finish the level up and show off your Hammer Brother Suit to all your friends! +-----------------+ | Level 7-9 | +-----------------+ It's a pipe maze... How appropriate. Go forward to three Jump Blocks. Unless you're still Hammer Brother Mario (in which case do not get any power-ups), hit the middle block for a power-up - either a Mushroom or a Fire Flower. Then bounce up through the hole above, jumping through the next, to reach a Para-Goomba. Defeat it so that you can jump through the next hole, too. Go left through a few Grab Blocks to reach another hole. Jump through it and go right on the top of the pipe structure to reach two Goombas. Defeat them as they come to reach a few wooden blocks. Jump across them and jump to the top of the structure. Stop at five Jump Blocks. From there, move left through a few Grab Blocks to reach a hole. Jump through it and remove the Grab Blocks to the right. Drop under them and go right to a Koopa Paratroopa. After defeating it, head right to three ? Blocks. If you want a power-up, hit the central one for either a Mushroom or a Fire Flower (if it's the latter, do a running leap while ducking to reach it). Now go right to a hole. Fall through and go left to bust a brick. Lift the Grab Blocks, go left down a hole (enter the compartment above for three coins if you want) and defeat the Para-Goombas. Go left to bust another brick and find many coins (jump in a space with no coins for a 1UP Mushroom). Return to the Fire Flower/Mushroom you could've gotten last. Jump through the hole near there and remove a few Grab Blocks to the right. Bust a brick above, collect coins, and jump up to go right to a few wooden blocks. Go right to a few Grab Blocks. Take them, go left to some more, take them, and drop through the hole. Go left for many coins, go right to a few Grab Blocks, and then jump through the hole. Enter the pipe to the right to reach the black border and the card that marks the end of the level. +---------------------------+ | World 7 Fortress #2 | +---------------------------+ Make a running leap onto the pipe to the right. Bait a Boo toward you (defeat-able with hammers) and then jump over it to the pipe to the right. Jump to the orb of a Roto-Disc to the right afterwards and then to another pipe after that. You'll reach another pipe after that. Jump from it to the lower pipe to the right. This next part is tricky. Wait for the Piranha Plant to the upper- right to rise and then wait for a second. Hop onto the pipe ahead and make a quick jump right to avoid a Thwomp. The Piranha Plant should be lowered by now. Otherwise, you can fake out the Thwomp by jumping forward and then pulling back (this is easier, in my opinion). You'll reach another pipe and another Boo right after that. Bait the Boo toward you and then look at it to keep it there. Now jump to the pipes to the right (only the first and third pipes are home to a Piranha Plant), from which you can jump right. Jump through the dual Piranha Plant pipes as soon as they both lower. Avoid the fire of a Venus Fire Trap, jump right onto its pipe, and then jump to another pipe. Hit the ? Block and quickly jump onto it for a power-up. Jump onto the next pipe ahead (nothing's in it). Now, jump forward and pull back to bait the Thwomp down. As it rises, jump onto the pipe it guards and then to the next pipe. Lure a Boo to you and then turn around to keep it put. Jump to a pipe to the right and another Boo comes at you. Jump over it to the gray platform to the right. Now drop down and take the pipe. The hard part of the fortress is over. Let two Dry Bones come to you. Defeat them and then slide under the block, stopping at the end to avoid a Roto-Disc. Ahead, bait a Thwomp down and slide under the block as it rises. You'll come to a staircase that finally leads to the... Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom His hopes of beating us are only a "pipe" dream! Oh, what a pun! The crowd goes wild! The only things in the air are three blocks. He does not fly, either. Stomp on him three times (remember, he picks up speed after each hit) to get the Magic Ball. Now, only one action scene stands between us and the airship, the end of this miserable world. +-----------------------+ | Piranha Plant 2 | +-----------------------+ Make a running leap onto the Piranha Plant's pipe. Now make your way across the Munchers' pipes to the right (or just jump to the Venus Fire Trap's pipe to the right) until you reach the pipe of the enemy mentioned in the parenthesis of this sentence. Then you'll reach the pipes of several other Venus Fire Traps before a Muncher field. Use the Jump Blocks to cross, and take the tall pipe at the end down to reach your reward for this less-challenging Piranha Plant scene - a Mushroom. What a rip-off! +----------------------------------+ | Ludwig von Koopa's Airship | +----------------------------------+ It is my displeasure to inform you that the king has been transformed into a (*shudders*) Piranha Plants. In remakes, he transforms into the lovable Yoshi from Super Mario World. In any case, let's restore him back to his normal state so that all of the Mushroom World will be liberated. And that includes this awful Pipe Land. Go forward to see a bolt platform. But, we aren't taking it over that Flame Thrower. Instead, stand against the scrolling screen and wait until you can see the next Flame Thrower. Leap across the gap and land on the bolt by the Flame Thrower. Then jump right to solid ground. Drop to the ? Block for a power-up to the right, and then jump back up to the upper level. Again, I recommend jumping to the bolt by the Flame Thrower. From it, you can jump to the blue cylinder to the right. Jump to the next Flame Thrower's bolt, wait for the screen to expand, and jump to solid ground to the right. A few Rocky Wrenches and a sliding duck brings you to a bolt platform. Jump to the next cylinder when you can to bypass the bolt, and then leap onto the next Rocky Wrench. Get onto the upper level, jump across a few platforms, and you'll reach three bolt platforms. Jump to the second, jump to the third, and then jump to the cylinder. Beyond it is the pipe that leads to the wild-haired, turquoise-shelled, final Koopaling of the game. Boss: Ludwig von Koopa | | Bowser's eldest son, Ludwig takes the most | | after his dad. In Super Mario World, he | | even breathes flames. His fighting style | ___ ___ | is unique to only Ludwig, but it borrows | | |___| |__| from each other Koopaling except Wendy and |___| Lemmy. That is, he can two rows of magic waves at once (a la Larry, Morton, and Iggy), and he can shake the ground with each jump (a la Roy). You want to make this a quick battle or you're history. Jump on him right away. He'll do a double-jump after being hit, and then fire his magic at a stunned Mario. Jump repeatedly to avoid the shockwaves and then land on his wide-eyed head. Definitely the hardest of the bunch, three stomps or ten fireballs (nearly impossible) will win it for you. Take the Magic Wand - the last in the game - and you'll fall down to the king! Everything is going so well, I can't wait to read that letter from the princess. What's this? It's a letter from.................. BOWSER!!??!!!?!!? He's Luke's father? Wait, no, not that. He has this to say: "Yo! I kidnapped the princess while you were running around. She's here in my castle, if you dare to try and rescue her. Ha ha ha... King of the Koopa" Say it isn't so! He's leading us to our death because we beat up his invasion forces (and his children), no doubt, but we must stop at nothing to rescue Princess Toadstool. To rescue her, we'll have to trek into the very kingdom of the Koopa Troop. Can Mario (and possibly Luigi) rescue Princess Toadstool? ======================================================================= ===============================World 8*================================ ======================================================================= Welcome to Dark Land, the many part world where Bowser has set up his entire army, mostly mechanical, to defeat you. It's the toughest world by far, but we must brave it if we want to ever see Princess Toadstool again. Was it his plan all along to kidnap Toadstool while we were stopping his children, leaving him plenty of time to set up his defenses in Dark Land? It was a victory for him no matter what - if his children lost or won. For us, it is a defeat either way. But, we can still turn the tables. Remember these words, grasshopper... Not even an entire army can compare to the might of a lone plumber. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = Action Scene Panel (Level) | |[ = Pipe 1 | |] = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 1 | |( = Pipe 2 | |) = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 2 | |{ = Pipe 3 | |} = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 3 | |< = Pipe 4 | |> = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 4 | |/ = Pipe 5 | |\ = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 5 | |` = Pipe 6 | |' = Pipe Linking w/ Pipe 6 | |A = Tank Brigade (Level) | |BC = Bowser's Castle | |F = Fortress | |L = Locked Door | |o = Circular Space | |S = Start Panel | |V = Naval Fleet(Level) | |X = Trap (Level) | |Z = Air Force (Level) | +---------------------------------------------+ World 8 - Dark Land The Lava Lake [ L PART I S ( o | | | o--A--o--V The Graveyard ) | PART II <--Z {L-o | o--X--X--X--] The Darkness >--o `--o--o--o | | L PART III o--1 F--o } | | 2--/--o--o--o--\ Bowser's Castle PART IV '--AL-o--o--o--BC ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------Bonuses-------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Trap 1: Super Leaf Trap 2: Super Leaf Trap 3: Super Leaf ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------Walkthrough------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: This goes without saying for all levels in the game, but I should at least say it here. I am guiding you through the game with the bare essentials - no fancy item uses. But, if you want to use a Magic Wing to fly over a level or use a Jugem's Cloud, be my guest. For the less experienced especially, this is a challenging world. Also, note that you can skip the trap levels. It is random when you have to play them. So, sometimes you'll pass right over them, while other times you'll be forced to play them. Keep this in mind as you play. +----------------+ | The Tank | +----------------+ Bowser's gone all out. A tank brigade is our first obstacle. Go forward and jump onto the first tank, standing over the hatch should a Rocky Wrench appear. Then jump right past the diagonal cannon to the right ands stay there is safety until the screens scrolls to a cannon firing Bob-ombs. Jump past it and onto the cannon to the right of it. If you stand on the edge, you'll automatically hit the cannonballs as they come. Then jump right to another cannon. Remain there until this tank has wheeled itself out of the screen. Two Rocky Wrenches man the next tanks. Jump onto their hatches, avoiding Bob-ombs and projectiles as they go, to reach a third Rocky Wrench. Crush it (the dark brown type don't respawn), wait there in safety, and then jump right onto the large cannon you see. Jump from it to the next Rocky Wrench. It should be easy to jump onto the next Rocky Wrench. Then slide (or run) under a ? Block, hitting it for a power-up. And I recommend doing it before the cannon to the right appears. Then jump onto that cannon, defeating the Rocky Wrench you see there. After two more cannons, find a good time to leap right onto the head of another Rocky Wrench. Jump again to yet another Rocky Wrench. Dispatch that foolish soldier to jump right to another Rocky Wrench. Let it taste your boot, and then jump right into the melee of Bob-ombs. Throw one into the other, jump onto the next tank's cannon, and remain there. A gigantic cannonball will be fired at you, but you should be safe where you are. Get onto that huge cannon and jump right of it to a pipe. Take it. The "mini-boss" of this level is a blue Boomerang Brother. Since it has no boss music, I will not treat it as one, though. If you are Fire Mario, then give it a fireball. Otherwise, let it throw two boomerangs, and let them pass its body. Then run and jump onto it. A chest appears containing a Starman. Take it to finish the level. +-----------------+ | The Fleet | +-----------------+ It is Bowser's naval fleet sailing across pools of lava. Jump onto the Rocky Wrench ahead. From it, jump to the top of the cannons to the right. If you are super-fast and rather foolish, you can run down and hit a ? Block for a power-up. Leap right onto the head of the Rocky Wrench. Then jump right onto the next Rocky Wrench, soaring right over a group of Bob-ombs. Now you must jump to the next ship. If you cannot make the jump, then bounce across on a cannonball. When you land on the bow, jump onto the next few cannons, and then onto the Rocky Wrenches that follow. A huge cannon is ahead, and we must board a new ship. Upon landing, duck to avoid the cannonball behind you, but then jump to avoid a giant cannonball. Get onto the cannon, jump to the next level, and then jump over three cannons firing a barrage of cannonballs. When you land, go right to a giant cannon. Let two Bob-ombs ahead explode, let the cannon fire, and then leap to the pipe. Take it to... Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom He's not the hermit we thought he was; he leaves the fortress every now and then. Boom-Boom has a clear, flat, Koopaling-style room. And not only that, but he's also incredibly easy. Jump on him. He will pick up speed. Jump on him again. He will pick up speed. Jump on him again. He will explode. Take the Magic Ball to clear a Locked Door on the map, and then take the pipe there to a new section of Dark Land, the Graveyard. +-------------------------------+ | The Hammer Brother Trap | +-------------------------------+ Walk onto what I like to call the "bed of coals." A hand, probably that of those buried here (there are skulls all around. It must be a Graveyard!), pulls you down into this accursed level. It's Hammer Brother city here, and all his cousins are here to play, too. Walk forward to engage a Fiery Brother. It doesn't fire with machine gun-speed like those we fought in World 2, luckily; run forward, jump the fireballs, and then stomp it. Now go forward to find a Hammer Brother duo. Wait for them to be on separate levels before you run in and hit whichever blocks they're standing on. Hit the second's block when it jumps down. Then hit the other blocks for a power-up and four coins. Now go right to a Boomerang Brother. When it throws a boomerang, jump onto it. Then you'll come to a Sledge Brother. Jump immediately to avoid being stunned on this bridge of lava, and jump onto its head when it has thrown a hammer. A pipe to the right leads you to a treasure - a Super Leaf. +------------------------+ | The Podoboo Trap | +------------------------+ This is a trap level that revolves around Podoboos. It's actually quite easy. Go forward and wait for a Podoboo to fall into the lava. Jump through the coins and onto the platform. Repeat this ahead. Now, to the right are dual Podoboos. When the right one rises, the left does as well. So, wait for the left one to start falling and then jump over the gap. There is no Podoboo in the next patch of lava (it was designed to make you waste time). Now jump over the next Podoboo as it falls to another platform. Repeat this twice to the right to reach a pipe. Take it up to open a chest for a Super Leaf. +----------------------------+ | The Cheep-Cheep Trap | +----------------------------+ This level is reminiscent of Level 2-3 in Super Mario Bros., only Cheep-Cheeps are flying out from lava, not water. Cheep-Cheeps are leaping out at you, making this is a rather difficult level. If you're really bad, then why not give Invincible Mario a go? Get onto the bridge and run forward to two ? Blocks. Hit them for coins or skip them, and then jump right across a series of platforms, avoiding Cheep-Cheeps all the way through. Hit the next ? Block you come across for a power-up. Then duck-slide under the next block stack. Jump over the next one, too. Now jump right across more platforms to an M spelled out in coins (for Mario, of course) to reach a pipe. Take it to a treasure chest containing a Super Leaf. Happy day! +-------------------+ | The Airship | +-------------------+ More like "airships." The Magic Wing seems to have been made for this level... If you do use it, do not fly too high up or you will die, though. Jump from the first ship to the second to the third to the fourth. Rocky Wrenches and Flame Throwers are going by so quickly they make no difference. Now jump to the next, avoiding/defeating another Rocky Wrench, and continue the pattern. A "landmark" is the ship with the large crate and dual Flame Throwers; use the crate or blasters to reach the next ship. The only other thing to worry about as you go is skidding into Rocky Wrenches. If you are small Mario, it is safe to stand next to a Rocky Wrench; their wrenches will fly over you. Otherwise, duck or destroy them. At the end, you'll reach a pipe. Take it to the most popular mini-boss in Super Mario Bros. 3! Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom You know the drill; stomp him, stomp him before he flies, and then stomp him again. He explodes, you take the Magic Ball, and the Locked Door is downed. And remember, it is best to stomp on him as he takes off into flight, but you can also stomp him as he swoops down. Now we can explore the region that gives Dark Land it's name. +-----------------+ | Level 8-1 | +-----------------+ There are two possible routes to take. The first is far superior, but it requires you be Raccoon Mario. The second is your normal walking through the level. ROUTE 1: If you take off flying from the start (you should have at least one Super Leaf from the trap levels), you'll reach a P Switch. Hit it to collect several silver coins. ROUTE 1 (Continued): Now take off and fly right. Hover down to a pipe when you come across one and take it down to a gigantic ? Block. Hit it for three 1UP Mushrooms, and then take the pipe out of here. Run along here to fill your power meter. Fly right as far as possible and then use your tail to hover to a pipe. One Piranha Plant is all that stands between you and the end of the level. Route 2: Jump across the pit to the right, hit the ? Block for a coin, and then get on the pipe of the Venus Fire Trap. Then drop to the ? Block (you can hit it for a power-up) to the right, from which you need to jump across several pipes. Dual Venus Fire Traps make it tough, but you can avoid them completely by standing on the left edge of the second pipe. Then go right to two rows of bricks. The second brick from the left on either row contains coins. Get on the top and jump right to the high Bullet Bill Blaster. ROUTE 2 (Continued): The ? Block contains a Starman if you can collect it. Then go right to a small tunnel filled with Bullet Bill Blasters with a Boo to the right. Hit the brick above the blaster for a 1UP Mushroom (the rest contain coins), and then go right to a black box. Turn around to stare down the Boo from there. The ? Blocks above you and to the right of you contain coins only. ROUTE 2 (Continued): Jump to the top of the Venus Fire Trap's pipe from the adjacent block. Then go right to find stacked Bullet Bill Blaster. Bounce from one Koopa Paratroopa to the top of the blasters. If you dare drop in for the coins, there's an invisible block above the third hedge from the right. Then go right to find a Jump Block. ROUTE 2 (Continued): You must do a running hop onto the Jump Block to launch yourself to the pipe. Then jump right to the pipe of a Piranha Plant when it's dwon. Go right to the "black border" that blends in so well to finish the level. +-----------------+ | Level 8-2 | +-----------------+ This is a strange level, but at least there's some contrast in colors. Go forward to a pit of quicksand. If you go right, you'll eventually tangle with an Angry Sun. So, let's drown in the quicksand! But, wait, we don't drown; we fall down into a secret room! Go left to a pipe. Take it down to a staircase. Hike up those steps, hit a brick block for a power-up, and then take the pipe back up. NOTE: If you go right, you'll find a pipe with 100 coins tucked inside! No joke! They both lead to the same pipe; you must decide what is more important to you - a power-up or 100 coins. No brainer, right? Of course, the 100 coins require Raccoon or Tanooki Mario to collect them all. You'll reappear by a few Venus Fire Traps. Wait for the one to the right to lower and then head up the hill. Take the coins and then slide down that slope! You'll come to a Koopa Paratroopa, but you can just jump over it to bounce on two Jump Blocks. You'll come to the end-of-the-level card. Take it and be proud. It's the last card in the game. +---------------------------+ | World 8 Fortress #1 | +---------------------------+ This is a very unique fortress. It may not be symmetrical, but one door on one side can be entered to appear by another door on the other side. As a result, there are many different ways to complete the fortress. Mine covers all the power-ups you'll need. Go forward past two Roto-Discs. Head past them to reach a brick above a door. Hit the brick for a power-up, and then go right past more Roto-Discs and a Dry Bones to see a Roto-Disc circling by a door surrounded by an H of brick blocks. Break through the blocks (need a power-up? Enter the high door to the left, return, and then go back to the power-up from earlier, the first one we got) and take the door. Jump instantly! Otherwise, you'll be on a conveyor belt to your death in a pool of lava. Jump right to a stable ledge when the Podoboo is down. Now go right on conveyor belts past Podoboos to reach a Thwomp. Let it crash down, run right over the gap, and hit the ? Block for a power-up. If you want to be fully powered-up to Raccoon Mario, you can take the door the Thwomp is guarding, return, and hit the ? Block again. Now you must jump across conveyor belts to the right to reach a gray blocked platform with a door on it. Enter to find a P Switch. Hit it and run right, collecting coins and avoiding Boos, Roto-Discs, a Thwomp, and reaching a door. Take it. When you appear in a new area, run right and drop down as the Thwomp slowly moves right. Jump over it and go left to a few bricks. Hit them for a P Switch, and then enter the first door to the right. Enter and exit it quickly to get power-ups so that you're at top form. Then repeat the P Switch deal, but this time go right to a door on a gray block sticking out of the wall. Enter, wait for the switch to wear off, and duck. You'll pass under a few spikes on the conveyor belt to reach... Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom It's a slight twist with the conveyor belt, but he's still very easy. He doesn't do the wing trick, for one. Since you're probably Fire Mario from getting the power-up from before, you can either nail him with a fireball five times or beat him like normal - three jumps to the noggin. He will then explode, and the Magic Ball will be carried right on the conveyor belt. Take it to destroy the Locked Door on the map. HUZZAH! +-----------------------+ | The Second Wave | +-----------------------+ We're up against the tank again, with airships above to shoot cannonballs at you from above. Jump onto the first tank and then to the second. Move right to jump over three cannonballs to reach a cannon that shoots Bob-ombs. When one explodes to destroy the others, jump to the cannons to the right and get on top of them. A tank of Rocky Wrenches lies ahead. Stomp them once to defeat them permanently, and then move onto the ground. After avoiding a few cannonballs from the airship above, jump onto the tank. Jump past cannons when you can to see one shooting Bob-ombs. Let one explode before you jump right, possibly bouncing off a cannonball, to land by another Rocky Wrench. Defeat it, jump right, and take the pipe. Mini-Boss: Boom-Boom It's the final Boom-Boom in the game. You can't help but pity that persistent loser. Jump onto him once the rumble begins. He'll then sprout wings and try to fly upward. Stomp him before he can do so, or stomp him when he swoops down later. Let him feel your boot one last time. He will explode, leaving the last Magic Ball in the game behind. Take it to destroy the last Locked Door in the game. The path is clear now. We can proceed to Bowser's Castle... +-----------------------+ | Bowser's Castle | +-----------------------+ This is a long, confusing castle. It is quite appropriate for the last level of the game. Without a guide, you could easily fall victim to the time limit (well, maybe I'm exaggerating). But, we must find our way to evil King Bowser if we are to rescue Princess Toadstool. Also, we just generally hate Bowser. Let's-a go! Go forward to find a Statue. It shoots a laser at high speeds at a 45- degree angle. Run under these Statues as fast as you can to reach a staircase. Take it up and walk forward to... huh? You're taken up the shaft above by a blue platform. Jump off at the top and go right to a falling platform. Take it down, holding right as you fall, to land in a hallway. Run right by a Hot Foot and jump onto the staircase. Take the stairs up by the Roto-Discs three to reach the top. Once there, jump in the upper-right corner for a 1UP Mushroom. Now take the stairs down to a hallway. Go right in it to find several falling platforms. Jump across them, wary of the Podoboos, to reach four hallways. The bottommost one is 1, the one above it 2, above it 3, and the topmost one is 4. # 2 and # 4 are the different paths for proceeding in the castle to the boss. 1) This leads back to the entrance. Don't take this hallway. 2) Go right past a few Roto-Discs to reach a Thwomp. It will come at you; jump over it. Use a falling platform (hold right) to reach a new area. Jump right past the first Podoboo patch, and then jump right to the Roto-Disc's orb. Now jump right to another platform and then to another one. From it, take the door. Go right to find a room filled with Statues. However, only the first one is dangerous. Avoid its laser and then pass the others, getting a power-up from the ? Block along the way, to reach a pit of lava with a few blocks hovering over it. As you jump across them, though, Bowser will start breathing flames to hit you. Yes, even though he's in a different room, he can still attack. This is actually from Super Mario Bros. At the end, take a door to the boss... 3) This leads to a power-up. You can then take a falling platform down to the second choice. 4) To get in here, stand on the upper-rightmost block and let it fall a bit before jumping into the hallway. Ahead is a Statue. Jump over the first one, but the others are harmless. When you reach lava, jump across a few fallen platforms to reach a door (as you jump, Bowser sends flames your way. Avoid these). Take the door to the boss... BOSS: BOWSER Not only did Bowser get his name from this game, but he also got his look - red mane, yellow spikes, etc. - from this game. Before, he was called Koopa. He had white spikes, he was tiny and bald, and he looked as though he could be some shriveled old man. In any case, Bowser's arena of doom (for him!) looks like so: _ _ |_|_| | D | +----------------------------+ _ _ _|_ | | Picture Key | |_|_| |_|_|_| |----------- | |_|_|----------------------|_|_|_| | |_|_| = Metal Blocks | |_|_|_|_|----------------|_|_|_|_| | D = Door | |_|_|_|_|_|_|--------|_|_|_|_|_|_| | - = Breakable Brick | +----------------------------+ There are three ways to beat Bowser. First, there is the normal way in which Bowser defeats himself. Stand in the center so that you're above all three layers of brick blocks. After firing a few flames, Bowser will make a tremendous and surprisingly swift jump to crush you. Run right or left to avoid it. Bowser will shatter one layer of bricks below him. Now get in the depression he formed. The instant you see him jump, hop out and run. He is now two layers in. One final time and he will pass through the floor! Note that if you are Super Mario or better, you can duck when he tries to crush you. He will not hurt you. After a long fall, Bowser is defeated. Then, there are two other options. You could fire around 25-35 fireballs to defeat him. Yes, he's a toughie. Alternately, the other way to defeat him requires you be Hammer Brother Mario. Depending on how dead-on your aim is, he will take anywhere from three to ten hammers to defeat (the easiest way to beat him by far, but still, he's quite strong). GLITCH: A useful, little-known glitch for beating Bowser is not one you'd expect. If you get to the arena before Bowser Raccoon or Tanooki Mario with a Magic Wing, try to fly above the right wall. Go left to the edge, and then go right to fall into the arena. For some strange reason, Bowser won't be able to breathe fire. Do an obnoxious victory dance, throw in some pun about him "going down" or something like that, and move over to the door. Enter to find Princess Toadstool in her room. "Thank you. But our princess is in another castle!... Just kidding! Ha ha ha! Bye bye." They now show the credits, showing each land and enemies you faced - Goombas in Grass Land, Boomerang/Fiery Brother in Desert Land, Blooper with Kids (as Frog Mario) in Water Land, Boss Bass in Giant Land, Koopa Troopa (as Tanooki Mario) in Sky Land, Bob-ombs and company in Ice Land, Piranha Plants (as Hammer Brother Mario) in Pipe Land, and then Bowser in Dark Land. Then it's The End. Short credits, huh? Personally, I find the ending to be a let down. Toadstool does not talk like that! She doesn't pretend to be a Toad! CONGRATULATIONS! You beat the game. But, since there's no saving after The End on the NES, you can play again to experience it all over again! Try seeing how quickly you can beat the game, or try to get everything. Super Mario Bros. 3 is a huge game, and I think you'll greatly enjoy a second play-through... maybe even as Luigi... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 3*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= ===============================World 9*================================ ======================================================================= Some would argue that World 9 - Warp Land - isn't a world, but I beg to differ. After all, it says "World 9" in the lower-left corner. But, what is this Warp Land I speak of, and how does one reach it? All will be explained here, folks. +---------------------------------------------+ | MAP KEY | +---------------------------------------------+ |# = World Pipe Warps To | |o = Circular Space | +---------------------------------------------+ WELCOME TO WARP ZONE! o--2--3--4 World 9 - Warp Land o--5--6--7 o--8 To access World 9, you need to use a Magic Whistle, a very rare item. Only three exist in the game - two in World 1 and one in World 2. Depending on what world you warp in, you are taken to different areas. Use it in World 1 and you'll have the option of warping to World 2, 3, and 4. Use it World 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 you can go to World 5, 6, or 7. Use it in World, 7, 8, or 9 to warp to World 8. But, how does one get a Magic Whistle? There are three, and they are found like so: 1) In Level 1-3, get to the black border at the end. Turn around and go left to a white block with a red-shelled Koopa Troopa on it. Dispatch the Koopa Troopa and then duck on the block. Eventually, you will fall through the block! Yes, you'll be behind the background hedges. Run right, jumping an enemy as you go, to run behind the black border at the end of the level. Keep going to enter a hidden Toad's House. The Toad there will give you the Magic Whistle. Quite nice of him, huh? 2) This is found in World 1 Fortress # 1. Get to the end of the first room as Super Mario or better. Hit the ? Block for a Super Leaf to become Raccoon Mario, and then defeat the Dry Bones to keep it inactive and out of the way for a while. Walk right against the wall there, turn left, and take off. When your power meter is full, fly upward into the opening , holding right so that you're flying against the block mass above, until you land and can walk right. Go right until you can no longer, press Up, and you'll go through a doorway. You fall down into a room with a treasure chest that contains the fabled Magic Whistle. This particular whistle is the only one that Toadstool does not make reference to in her letters. Note that this destroys the Fortress, but not the Locked Door. Not that it really matters, of course... 3) A Hammer Brother in World 2 has this Magic Whistle, but you might not see it. There's good reason for that, though. When you get the Hammer from a Hammer Brother duo in World 2, save it (don't use it to reach the Spade Panel that is obvious). When you can, go up a few spaces from the Pyramid to the upper-rightmost circular space. Use the Hammer there to destroy a Rock. Go right now to find a Toad's House and a Fiery Brother duo that can be defeated for a Magic Whistle. Knowing this, it should be easy to reach whichever world you need to. They had to put something like this in the NES version so that you could beat it in one sitting (there's no save on the NES version). And if you wanted to do a speed test, see the next section for details. ======================================================================= ===========================Minimalist Quest*=========================== ======================================================================= For all those speed demons out there, or for all those lazy video gamers, I've got you covered. It is possible to reach World 8 in just four levels. How's it done, exactly? Well, it should be rather obvious, but I'll explain anyways. 1) Beat Level 1-1. 2) Clear Level 1-2. 3) Play Level 1-3, but don't use the normal exit. Instead, get the Magic Whistle in this level (see above section for details). 4) Skip the Spade Panel and Toad's House to play the World 1 Fortress #1. Instead of fighting Boom-Boom at the end, though, find the secret exit by getting the Magic Whistle. 5) Go no further. Use the Magic Whistle. You will now have a choice of either visiting World 2, 3, or 4. Pick none of them, though. Instead, use your other Magic Whistle to warp here in World 9. You'll be brought to a warp to World 8. Take this warp. Now you just have to clear the various levels of World 8 to beat the game! Yes, it is possible to beat the game in a reasonable amount of time. The only disadvantage to this is that you'll have no items and few lives in the hardest world in the game. Only experts can pull it off. Good luck. ======================================================================= =======================Toad's Houses & Bonuses*======================== ======================================================================= There are several bonuses in the game. Here, I'll give strategies for winning these bonuses - Toad's Houses, card-collecting, Spade Panels, and the N-Mark Spade Panel. +---------------------+ | Toad's Houses | +---------------------+ There isn't much to say, really. Toad's Houses can give you any of these items: Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Super Leaves, Frog Suit, Tanooki Suit, or the Hammer Brother Suit, differing on which house you visit. Some special houses also contain a Magic Whistle, Anchors, and Magic Wings. Just visit these places, pick up a chest, and take your prize. +-----------------------+ | Card Collecting | +-----------------------+ You must've noticed that you get cards with either a Mushroom, Fire Flower, or Starman on them by now. If you get three non-matching cards (for instance, two Mushrooms and a Starman), you'll get a 1UP. If you get three Mushroom cards, you'll get a 2UP. Three Fire Flowers earn you a 3UP. And three Starman cards, the most desirable, earn you a 5UP. But, there is a way to guarantee you get a Starman card. When you reach the black border, run forward so that your power meter is full. Jump at a 45-degree angle into the slot, passing through the lower-left corner of the box. You'll get a Starman, even if it wasn't flashing on that. This should help in getting extra lives. Also, note that you can "share" cards with your partner in a Two Player Battle. +-------------------+ | Spade Panel | +-------------------+ The lining-up pictures game is rather easy to play, but there is no surefire way to win. Three pictures - Mushroom, Fire Flower, and a Starman - are cut into three. The three parts scroll across the screen and you must stop them to line them up. If you can complete a picture of a Mushroom, you get a 2UP. Fire Flower pictures earn you a 3UP, and a 5UP goes to the lucky soul that can match up the parts of a Starman. Just press A to stop the scrolling and hope for the best. 50 % of the pictures are Mushrooms, 25 % are Fire Flowers, and the remaining 25 % are Starmen parts. So, it's easier to get Mushrooms to line up, but the chances of lining up pictures of Fire Flowers and Starmen are very slim. Good luck. +-------------------------+ | N-Mark Spade Game | +-------------------------+ This is the most interesting game by far. The N-Mark Spade Panel appears every time you get 80,000 points. When you go, you'll play a card-matching game in which you can win a 1UP, a Mushroom, A Fire Flower, a Starman, 10 coins, and/or 20 coins by simply matching the cards that feature those pictures (you do not get points for collecting items in this game). You are allowed to make two mistakes. If you do, the game disappears, but you'll pick up playing the same game the next time it comes to town. You'll get any one of eight sets of cards, which is random, and I have diagrams below of each possible setup. +-----------------------------+ |CARD KEY | +-----------------------------+ |10 = 10 Coins | |20 = 20 Coins | |FF = Fire Flower | |SM = Mushroom | |ST = Starman | |UP = 1UP Treasure Chest | +-----------------------------+ +-----------------+ | Pattern 1 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |FF| |10| |UP| |FF| |UP| |SM| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |ST| |SM| |20| |ST| |SM| |10| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |ST| |FF| |20| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| +-----------------+ | Pattern 2 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |FF| |20| |SM| |ST| |UP| |FF| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |UP| |FF| |10| |SM| |20| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |SM| |10| |ST| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| +-----------------+ | Pattern 3 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |FF| |ST| |UP| |FF| |20| |SM| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |10| |SM| |20| |UP| |SM| |10| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |ST| |FF| |ST| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| +-----------------+ | Pattern 4 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |FF| |ST| |UP| |FF| |UP| |SM| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |10| |SM| |FF| |ST| |SM| |10| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |ST| |20| |20| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| +-----------------+ | Pattern 5 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |SM| |FF| |20| |FF| |10| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |20| |UP| |SM| |10| |UP| |FF| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |ST| |SM| |ST| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| +-----------------+ | Pattern 6 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |SM| |FF| |UP| |FF| |ST| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |20| |ST| |SM| |10| |UP| |FF| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |20| |SM| |10| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| +-----------------+ | Pattern 7 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |SM| |FF| |20| |SM| |10| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |FF| |UP| |SM| |10| |UP| |20| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |ST| |FF| |ST| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| +-----------------+ | Pattern 8 | +-----------------+ __ __ __ __ __ __ |UP| |SM| |10| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |SM| |10| |ST| |20| |20| |FF| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| __ __ __ __ __ __ |ST| |UP| |FF| |SM| |FF| |ST| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| Notice that the right three cards in the bottom row is always a Mushroom-Fire Flower-Starman combo. So, how does knowing what these are help you? I've made some simple instructions for determining which pattern you have. +---------------------------------+ | Determining Your Card Set | +---------------------------------+ Check the card in the upper-left corner. I) If it is a 1UP Treasure Chest, you have Pattern 8. II) If it is a Mushroom, then match the Mushroom to the card third from the right on the bottom row. Now select the second card from the right on the upper row. A) If it is a Starman, you have Pattern 6. B) If it is 10 coins, match with the card to the lower-left of the 10 coins card. Now select the second card from the left on the lower row. If it is a Mushroom, you have Pattern 5. If a Fire Flower, you have Pattern 7. III) If it is a Fire Flower, match it with the card second from the right on the bottom row. Then select the second card from the left on the upper row. A) If it is a Starman, then match the Starman with the lower-rightmost card. Now select the second card from the right on the upper row. If it is a 1UP Treasure Chest, then you have Pattern 4. If it is 20 coins, then you have Pattern 3. B) If it is 10 coins, you have Pattern 1. C) If it is 20 coins, you have Pattern 2. Be sure to clear out some spaces in your inventory to gain three new items. Hopefully these instructions will help you to identify your pattern and claim all of the items for yourself. Everyone wins! ======================================================================= ==============================Coin Ships*============================== ======================================================================= In World 1, 3, 5, and 6, it is possible to transform the Hammer Brother into a ship of coins with two Boomerang Brothers at the end. It is likely that you won't get this on a normal play-through unless you try, as certain conditions must be met. +----------------------+ | The Conditions | +----------------------+ - As I said earlier, it only works in World 1, 3, 5, and 6. - You must finish the level with a coin total that is a multiple of 11. The following numbers only work: 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, and 99. - The ten's digit in your score must match the number in your coin count (for instance, the ten's digit is 7 and your coin count is 77). Or, you could have the ten's digit in your score be five more or five less than the coin count's number (for instance, ten's digit is 2 and coin count is 77). - Now you must finish the level. If the ten's digit of your score is equal to the ten's digit of your coin count, finish the level with an even time. If it is five under/over, finish it with an odd time. - The coin ship will go away if you die on it. Also, if you meet these requirements again, the Hammer Brother will transform back into the coin ship. +---------------------+ | The Coin Ship | +---------------------+ The ship is a side-scrolling "level" filled with coins. Run forward on the lower level, jumping through the platforms for coins, and then jump over the cylinder to the right. Collect coins to the right, jump to a pipe, and take it down to a duo of Boomerang Brothers. Defeat them and take your prize. This is, after all, the replacement of the Hammer Brothers. ======================================================================= =========================White Toad's Houses*========================== ======================================================================= In the first seven worlds, collecting a certain amount of coins in certain levels will create a Toad's House painted white. Inside are prizes you can get, and some are well-worth the trouble. Here, I will list where to collect coins, how many to get (at least), and what the reward is in the White Toad's House that will appear. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level Minimum Coin Requirement: Prize: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Above is the setup. Below is the list. Let's go! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level 1-4 Minimum Coin Requirement: 44 Prize: Magic Wing ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level 2-2 Minimum Coin Requirement: 30 Prize: Anchor ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level 3-8 Minimum Coin Requirement: 44 Prize: Magic Wing ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level 4-2 Minimum Coin Requirement: 22 Prize: Anchor ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level 5-5 Minimum Coin Requirement: 28 Prize: Magic Wing ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level 6-7 Minimum Coin Requirement: 78 Prize: Anchor ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Level 7-2 Minimum Coin Requirement: 46 Prize: Magic Wing ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- And there you have it, folks. Try your luck to see if you can win a fabulous prize! Good luck to all, and to all a good night! ======================================================================= ==============================1UP Tricks*============================== ======================================================================= Just like in the original, there are several ways to get 1UPs continually by making use of the point system. There are a few good places to do these, and I'll mention where in each. +-----------------------+ | Endless Airtime | +-----------------------+ The idea here is to bounce off enemies perpetually to rack up points. The ninth enemy will yield a 1UP, as will each enemy after that. This can be done in several places. You must be Raccoon Mario to perform any of them. The first is Level 1-2. Go to the pipe that produces Goombas endlessly (right) and jump on one, being sure to bounce off and slowly tail-descend to another Goomba produced. This is rather difficult to do because Goombas are produced so slowly, though. A slight variation lies in Dry Bones at the beginning of World 2 Fortress 1. Round up the first three Dry Bones, be Raccoon Mario, and stomp on one. Bounce up, hover down, and stomp on the second. Do the same for the third. By the time the third is hit, the first should revive, allowing you to continue the cycle endlessly. The same can be done for multiple Koopa Troopas or Koopa Paratroopas, but it is considerably trickier. Another variation of the idea can be performed in 3-7 and 5-4. In 3-7, get to the point where you must kick a Koopa Troopa shell into a block to make a vine grow. Stop the shell by stomping it, bounce to the vine, and drop down to the shell, repeating this endlessly. The game does not register the vine as ground, which is why it works. Of course, this take much longer than other tricks, and it's rather hard to do, even as Raccoon Mario. But a far harder trick lies in 5-4. Hit it a Koopa Paratroopa, bounce onto the spinning platform, and repeat. If you can manage to repeat this like a good pro should, you'll rake in the 1UPs. +-----------------------+ | Lakitu to Coins | +-----------------------+ A few levels have Lakitu follow you at the end of them. Let him escort you to the card. Then have four Spinies be thrown down to your position. Take the card. The four Spinies earn you 15000 points and Lakitu turns into a 1UP. Pretty nice, eh? +-------------------------+ | Fortress of Coins | +-------------------------+ The idea here is to collect at least two lives, die, and repeat. That's a net gain of one life. The best application of this is in World 7 Fortress #1. Find the P Switch in the first room, hit it, and fall through the coins. Take a door and repeat until the time runs out! You'll earn several extra lives from the coins (it depends on whether you're Raccoon Mario or not), but you'll lose one from the timer. That means that you can return to the fortress and keep on doing it to your heart's content. When satisfied with your life count, move on to actually beat the level. It's great for replenishing lives you might've lost while getting to World 7. +-------------------------------+ | Endless Line of Enemies | +-------------------------------+ When a Koopa Troopa (or any other enemy's) shell is launched into several enemies, it builds up points until the ninth enemy onward gives a 1UP Mushroom. Well, where is one going to find an endless supply of enemies? A Lakitu and a Bullet Bill Blaster, of course! 3-4 and 3-9 both have each in them. In 3-4, bring a Koopa Troopa shell from a slope to the point where Lakitu appears and there are two blocks on the ground to fence in your shell. Throw the shell between the blocks and let the Spinies of the Lakitu be thrown down there, thus defeating them for more and more points that become 1UPs. This runs the risk, however, of a Spiny being thrown at you. 3-9 has no such risk. If you take the first Koopa Troopa shell you find and throw it between two Bullet Bill Blaster ahead, the shell will bounce continuously, defeating any Bullet Bills launched, for points and eventually 1UPs. A very handy trick, it is, much easier than the endless airtime trick. Unfortunately, because you do not bounce after landing on a shell, it is impossible to replicate the awesome 1UP trick in Super Mario Bros. where you got about 1UP per every two seconds. But, we don't have a bad selection here, either. ======================================================================= =========================Tricks and Glitches*========================== ======================================================================= This section will cover the myriad tricks and glitches, as the title says, of Super Mario Bros. 3. Here goes. On a side note, thanks to The Mushroom Kingdom web site (the address is http://www.classicgaming.com/tmk/tmk.shtml) for providing most of these glitches. An excellent site on everything Mario-related that I first noticed when referred there in the guide of spacepope4u. - In several locations, it is possible to duck on a platform and fall behind the scenery. This is intended in Level 1-3, but elsewhere it's a glitch. If performed underwater, you'll be "invisible," although air bubbles still rise up. - The kings give different thank you messages depending on what suit you're in. Yes, it's true. I have them listed below. As it turns out, not even kings can resist the Hammer Brother Suit. "Oh, me! Oh my! You've been transformed! Shall I change you back with this wand?" - Frog Mario "Thank you, kind raccoon. Please, tell me your name" - Tanooki Mario "Hey, you! Can I borrow your clothes? No dice? What a drag!" - Hammer Brother Mario - In Level 7-8, enter as Tanooki Mario and get to the gigantic ? Block with the Hammer Brother Suit in it. Hit it so that the suit is bouncing about, and when it is about to hit you, press Down and B to turn into a statue. If done correctly, you'll have some properties of Tanooki Mario, but you'll be in the Hammer Brother Suit. Unfortunately, this transformation cannot go down pipes, which means that you can't exit the level in this state. - If find a pipe that you can take down as Tanooki Mario, stand on the top and press Down and B to turn into a statue and go down the pipe simultaneously. If you do it correctly, you will turn gray as Tanooki Mario and turn into a statue when you come out of the pipe. - Strangely, fireballs change color in different settings. In Koopaling chambers, they appear whitish gray, and in Toad's Houses they appear green. This is only in the NES version, though. - It is possible to duplicate Grab Blocks. If you and a Buster Beetle try to lift the same block at the same time, you will both lift the same Grab Block, meaning that you pulled a Grab Block out of a Grab Block. - You can go down the side of a pipe, but it won't work out very nicely. You must be Super Mario, and you must be willing to sacrifice your game (you will be frozen in the level after doing this). In 3-9 and 7-5, there are pipes with Grab Blocks on the right side of the pipe. Lift and throw away the bottom four Grab Blocks in the stack, leaving only the fifth. Now, go to where the Grab Blocks were and duck. Jump, hold left (while still holding down). You'll enter the pipe from the side! And when you come out, you're behind the scenery. You can scroll right, shooting fireballs from random locations, and you won't die, even if the timer stops. The only way to stop this odd glitch is to turn the console off. - This is an odd glitch found in Level 5-7. When you reach a Venus Fire Trap, take the pipe down to a strange area. When you reach a gray ledge, hold Down to fall behind the scenery. If you return to the pipe and take it up, you'll be Invincible Mario for the rest of the level (or until you take a pipe down), but you won't have gotten a single Starman. - Oddly, jumping/flying too high, especially in a side-scrolling level, over the screen results in death. I guess the air's too thin for a plumber who can breathe underwater... - If you stand one block away from a pipe or block and throw a shell, it will pass right through you without hurting you. If you stand touching a pipe or any other solid material, the shell will disappear. - It is possible to make Boom-Boom fly out of a fortress. But, he won't return, meaning that you won't get the Magic Ball, meaning that you'll have to wait for time to expire to win. To do this, be Raccoon Mario (or Tanooki Mairo) and be in a fortress where Boom-Boom flies. When he starts flying, start flying as well, and fly up in a corner. When Boom-Boom swoops in on you, dodge his attack. He'll go straight through the edge of the screen and fly off. - There are two places in Bowser's Castle where it is possible to pass through the walls. For the first, get to the point after the Roto-Disc staircase where there's an invisible 1UP Mushroom in a block. If you stand below the block and duck and jump onto it, you'll pass through the wall to the right. In either room before Bowser, if you use a Magic Wing to duck and fly onto the last Bowser statue and then stop ducking, you'll pass through the wall right of it, too. - As you probably know if you read my guide for Bowser, there is a way to handicap him. When you reach the door that leads to his room, stop. You should have a Magic Wing and be Raccoon/Tanooki Mario to do this. Fly up to the left wall, get on the edge, and run right to fall into the arena. Try as he may, Bowser will not be able to breathe fire. - This is an understandable glitch that somewhat reveals how Bowser is programmed. If you stand on a non-breakable block and Bowser jumps, and then you move right to a breakable block, timing it just right so that Bowser lands on the breakable block, the block will not break. - Bowser is only dangerous when stomping you and if you touch his lower half; Bowser's lower half can be walked right through if you're regular Mario. This is why Super Mario must duck to avoid being damaged by a stomp. It is surprising that there are so many Bowser and Bowser's Castle glitches... - When you beat the game and start playing again, you'll begin with 28 Magic Wings! Yes, that's your full inventory! With them at your disposal, you can skip any and all levels that give you trouble. Those are the glitches and tricks I've found in Super Mario Bros. 3. But, that doesn't include some other tricks and glitches covered under the various "bonus" parts of Section 3. Check there to see if you can learn anything else new. ======================================================================= ========================Two Player Battle Mode*======================== ======================================================================= There is an option for playing with two players in Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario and Luigi (Player One and Player Two, respectively) alternate turns as they work together to beat the game. But, let's say Mario clears Level 1-1. Then Luigi is passing over 1-1. If Mario presses A, then a battle begins to claim each other's cards and turn! It also works in reverse on any other level. In Super Mario All-Stars, there's an option for playing these battles outside of the main game. +---------------------+ | The Objective | +---------------------+ The game itself is a huge reference to "Mario Bros.," the arcade game that Mario and Luigi first starred in together. Mario and Luigi start on opposite sides in the sewers of Brooklyn (where they hail from originally, although Nintendo has since changed them from Brooklyn residents to Mushroom Kingdom-born citizens. A group of baddies have infiltrated the sewers and are now running amuck. Plumbers as they are, it's up to Mario and Luigi to clean up this mess. But, I guess that glory-hog Mario wants to take all the credit, or Luigi wants to shine for once, and so they are competing with each other. In any case, Mario and Luigi compete to see who can defeat the most enemies (the first to five), or who can survive the longest. +-------------------+ | The Enemies | +-------------------+ Mario and Luigi wouldn't be here without these guys. There are only a few enemies in these sewers, but beating them is trickier than your usual Goomba. You defeat all enemies by hitting them from below (jumping into the block they're standing on). This applies to all enemies but the Fireball. Then you must bump into them to defeat them. If they are not bumped into soon, enemies will eventually right themselves (they can also be righted with another blow from beneath). If you let them right themselves, they will be faster upon righting. Alternately, hitting the POW Block (you can hit it up to three times between you two) will defeat any enemies on the ground. Fireball: These appear when the competing players take too long to clear out the enemies. They are indestructible obstacles that appear from pipes, and they are designed to take out a brother to end the game. Fly: Hopping out of the pipe, these look like what they sound like - flies. Since they are hopping, they might dodge the POW Block. It's probably the middle difficulty in the game. Lobster: This is the hardest enemy in the game. It requires two hits to knock it onto its back. After one hit, it increase speed. Spiny: This is the most common enemy in the game is the Spiny. These walk forward in a straight line (remember, the screen wraps around!) and require one hit to be defeated. Note that the last enemy in the game will change color and increase speed to make it harder. Defeat any five of these enemies to win. +---------------+ | Purpose | +---------------+ Battling does serve a few purposes. Some of them can be cooperative, while others are for fun/being mean. - If you jump on the other player in a battle, one of their cards will pop out of them and bounce about the screen. You two can use this to your advantage to get better sets of cards. For instance, if Player One has a Starman and a Fire Flower and Player Two has two Starmen, then Player One could "give" Player Two the Starman card so that Player Two could get a 5UP. - The winner gets the next turn. So, if it's Luigi's turn and Mario wins the battle, then Mario steals Luigi's turn. This can be useful if one player can't beat a level or if you want to be a turn-hog. - And of course, it's just fun to fight. This is why Super Mario All- Stars has a separate mode of play devoted to this. Also, you can use this to vie for superiority or reach a Toad's House before your friend, etc. It has many more competitive purposes than cooperative ones. And that's all there is to know about Two Player Battles. Have fun duking it out! Bop him, Mario! ======================================================================= =========================NES/SNES Differences*========================= ======================================================================= For one reason or another, Nintendo decided to change a few things in the remakes of this game. Super Mario Bros. 3 was included on Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES in 1993, and it was later re-released on the GBA as "Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3." Why and how they chose all these crazy numbers and ways to re-release these classics on Super Mario Advance games is beyond me, but they did. Since I haven't played SMA 4, I can't identify any differences. So, this will cover the NES to SNES differences. - Obviously, the graphics are better. The graphic changes are less noticeable for Super Mario Bros. 3 than other Mario games because it started with such exceptional graphics. - On the title screen, the "TM" has been moved to the "Bros" from the "3." - A great change, the opening "cinema" now has music. It really adds a lot to the scene. - Speaking of music, letters now have music added to them. - There's a 2 Player Battle Mode in All-Stars that can be accessed at any time. - Controller 1 can no longer pause Player 2's game. - Upon starting the game, you'll have one more life than you would on the NES. - Originally, Luigi used Mario's sprite touched up a bit. Now Luigi actually looks different - taller and thinner. Similarly, the Mario Bros. now have darker skin. And now everything looks smoother and rounder. - The Spade Panel is blue and the spade rotates about its cover. - Several things, including fortresses and enemies, have changed somewhat in color. - A white block in 5-7 has changed color. - Three coins have been added near the beginning in 2-2. - The water level is lowered in 4-4. This makes it a lot harder to reach the bonus room at the beginning without the Frog Suit, but it can be done. - The background of the status bar is a darker shade of blue (this goes for several things in the game), and it's been divided into another box; "World #" and the life count are now boxed off. Also, the $ sign on the status bar has been replaced by a coin icon. - On airships, you can hear thunder and see lightning in the background. - When you start a level, it now says "Mario Start!" or "Luigi Start!" based on who you're playing as. This is from Super Mario World. Also, when you enter a level, the screen goes black in a circular shape, not a rectangle like in the original. - Cards at the end of levels are now colored (Starman cards are yellow, etc.). In fact, things in the black border now have color instead of being white outlines. - Cleared levels now have colored letters on them based on who beat them. The same goes for the oval-shaped M or L by your life count (it is now colored red or green). - In the original, fireballs appeared different colors depending on where you used them. They turned white in the arenas with the Koopalings and green in Toad's Houses. Now they are universally red. - When hit in a suit, the outline of the suit leaves your body. Before, it just disappeared in a little poof of white smoke. - A few enemies make new noises now. Podoboos and Hammer Brothers are two good examples of this. - Coins now sparkle, as do Action Scene Panels. - Just like in Super Mario Bros. 2, doorways are now doors. - In Toad's Houses, you can now take a chest even while Toad is still talking. Speaking of which, Toad resemble his Super Mario Bros. 2 self more now. Toad's Houses even feature different items. - Mushroom Kings are now different animals. They are listed below (World) NES/SNES). 1) Dog/Cobrat (snake enemies in Super Mario Bros. 2) 2) Spider/Hoopster (ladybug enemy in Super Mario Bros. 2) 3) Turtle/Dino Rhino (fire-breathing rhinoceros from Super Mario World) 4) Dinosaur/Donkey Kong Jr. (ape from "Donkey Kong Jr." in the arcade) 5) Vulture/Albatross (bird enemy from Super Mario Bros. 2) 6) Seal/Monty Mole (mole enemies from Super Mario World) 7) Piranha Plant/Yoshi (dinosaur ride debuting in Super Mario World) - For some reason, the names of the kingdoms have been changed. Grass Land stays the same, but Desert Land is Desert Hill. Water Land becomes Ocean Side, Giant Land is now Isle of Giants, and Sky Land is just "Sky." Ice Land remains the same, but Pipe Land is now Pipe Maze. Dark Land is newly named as Koopa Kingdom. And World 9 is not officially named Warp Land. - The timer no longer works when going between pipes on the map. - The ending scene that shows the various worlds is changed. - And of course, the game is now on the SNES with different controls and the works. And, you now have the ability to save your game, making things loads easier (you can beat it multiple sittings)! And those are the differences between the NES and SNES versions of the game. Not too much was changed, fortunately. Oddly, I enjoy playing the NES version much more than the SNES version. ======================================================================= =================================FAQ*================================== ======================================================================= FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions." In other words, read this section before e-mailing me a question because I do not want to answer the same thing over and over. Chances are, your question is listed or covered here. Question: Why do you always say Super "Mario" and such? Luigi's in the game, too, you know! Answer: I know. It's just that Mario is the default character and he is used more often. And really, Mario and Luigi are just pallet swaps. So, anything Mario can do Luigi can do. Question: Do you really have to play all eight worlds? Answer: No. You can reach World 8 in just four levels. See "Minimalist Quest" for details. Question: Hey! I turned off my game when I was in World ___ and now I have to start over! Why is that? Answer: This game, despite the fact that it was released in 1990, has no save feature. So, you're going to have to work back up to wherever you were. Remakes of the game do have save features, though. Question: How do I beat [insert level number/boss name here]? Answer: Please see the appropriate section for that. Question: Why can't I perform a glitch you listed? Answer: Well, you might be doing it wrong, but the more likely explanation is that you're playing a remake. The SNES and GBA versions have mended quite a few glitches from the original. Question: Do you have to get points to beat the game? Answer: It isn't mandatory, but it is helpful. You can play the N-Mark Spade Panel game by getting points, and some point-collection methods can earn you 1UPs. But, I wouldn't go out of my way to earn points if I were you. Question: You like Super Mario Bros. more than THIS? Answer: I said so, but I guess I'd debate with myself over this. It really depends which version you're playing. For some strange reason, I just can't stand the SNES version of this game. The NES version, on the other hand, is a little 8-bit piece of heaven. So, it really depends what system we're talking about. Question: How do you get Anchors? Answer: In White Toad's Houses in even-numbered worlds except World 8. See "White Toad's Houses" for the details. Question: Your maps are incorrect! My Hammer Brothers were in different places! Answer: Well, that's not really a question, but I'll run with it. You see, Hammer Brothers move around every turn to different circular spaces. So, my maps aren't incorrect, they just don't change magically to reflect your game's map. Question: "Warp Land" is not its own world. Answer: Yes, it is. Why else would it say "World 9" in the corner of the status bar? Question: How can I contact you? Answer: By e-mail only. The address is Kirby0215@aol.com (caps don't matter). Please do not send chain letters, "tags," petitions, spam, flames, or intentionally stupid questions. Include the phrase "Super Mario Bros. 3" in the subject line, and try to spell things as well as you can so that I know what you're talking about. I do NOT accept IM's or personal questions like a/s/l and junk like that. Be as specific as possible in your questions. And please read the FAQ before sending me e-mail. That way, we can save both of us some time. Question: Can I use your guide on my site? Answer: No, no, no, no, and NEVER! Stop asking, because the answers don't change. Question: What games do you have guides written for? Answer: Quite a few. This is my thirty-fourth one (I know what you're thinking), and it will soon complete my Mario binge (interrupted by Star Wars). So, I have guides for the following games: listed in order of my writing them: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 1, Sonic Heroes, Mario Kart: Double Dash, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, Super Mario 64 DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, Mario Power Tennis, Mario Party 6, Paper Mario, Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Land, Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan), Super Mario Bros. 2 (American), Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and now one for Super Mario Bros. 3. Two 3's in a row! Or, you could use the below URL to see an up-to-date list of my guides by system. http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/46879.html Question: What games are up next? Answer: Well, I'm going to cover Super Mario All-Stars next, and then I think I'll finally cover a Zelda title. Oracle of Ages/Seasons or A Link to the Past/Four Swords are all good candidates, and those are the only three titles I will need to have a guide for every English- language Zelda game, not counting the CD-i ones and other minor remakes. Then, we'll see what way the wind blows, now won't we? There are a few Kirby titles I should do (after all, my contributor name is "Kirby"021591, and yet I haven't covered a single Kirby game), but maybe other games will catch my eye. Or maybe I'll pull a Star Wars Episode III and do something totally unexpected (because no one thought I'd do that game for # 33. In fact, no one even made a prediction period). Now onto the best part of the walkthrough. Yes, I might say that I write guides just to write the legal sections... SO GOOD! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 4*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= ====================Credits and Legal Information*===================== ======================================================================= I bet everybody just skipped down here to the best section of the guide - the legal section. I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Let's do this crazy thing! First, the credits, because everyone wants to know who helped me write this guide, right? Let's take a look. First, thanks to me, myself, and I. I wrote the guide, etc., and I'm allowed to be as egotistical as I want to be. The man! The myth! The legend! Second, a big round of applause for the only way to fly - Nintendo! Yes, they simply all-out-rock. They made this game, they invented home consoling, and they continue to be the most innovative company in the video game market. Thanks a million, big N! Third, who could forget GameFaqs? My guides have found a happy home on the site, and it's always been the best FAQ web site on the Internet. Recently, some other folks have helped me out. Here's who and what they did for the guide. The Mushroom Kingdom web site, found at http://www.classicgaming.com/tmk/tmk.shtml. You just can't beat them when it comes to Mario. I found several glitches in that section of the guide from their site. Spacepope4u, a contributor here on GameFaqs. I admit to being a great fan of his Mario Series Character Guide, and I write him with various tidbits, etc. regularly. Anyway, I learned a bit about Mario's origins, mostly name origins, from his guide. It was a pleasure reading it. So, let this thanks for information like "ruiji" that evolved into Luigi's name and so on. Also, for creating a truly entertaining guide. Check it out if you haven't, because it is great. It is nearly impossible to find an encyclopedia of Mario characters that goes as in-depth as his guide does, and for that I thank him. That's all for now, but the list could grow. Now, onto the truly best part of this guide - the legal section. First of all, I take no credit for the creation, distribution, production, idealizing, or in any way making this game. That honor goes to Nintendo, not me, and I do not deny this. Second, this document is Copyright 2005 Brian McPhee. Third, this may not be reproduced in part of in full under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. To phrase that first item legally, all trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. To make it clear for those of you who might having problems absorbing information, no one but the website GameFaqs may use my guides on their sites, books, magazines, etc. THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! Oh, yes, I'm typing... See the way I buttered you up with the credits, and then I got your attention with the legal section announcement, but I stood and delivered from the first uttering of legal nonsense! I can feel the adrenaline! But, this is not a time for happiness. This is a time for weeping bitterly all over your keyboard and monitor. Yes, the guide is ending now. You knew it would happen eventually... Thanks for reading, and may I say that it was blast writing this guide. It's not every day that you play a piece of history on the NES, and it's not every day (for most people) that you're writing guides for games as good as this. So, let's not say good-bye. Instead, let's say a far superior good-bye catch phrase. Yeah, I Houdini out of these guides with style, and there's nothing more stylish than an ultra-cool off-the-chain and totally awesomicular good-bye phrase. Brace yourself, and could I get a drum roll, please? Here it comes... See ya later.