Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan)
---------------------------
Copyright 2005-2006 Brian McPhee
Author: Brian McPhee (Kirby021591)
E-mail:
[email protected]
Most Recent Update: January 29, 2006
Originally Created: May 23, 2005
Version 1.0
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---------------------------Table of Contents---------------------------
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Section 1*
Introduction*
Navigation*
History*
Storyline*
Items & Objects*
Points*
Enemy List*
Controls*
Section 2*
World 1*
World 2*
World 3*
World 4*
World 5*
World 6*
World 7*
World 8*
Section 3*
World 9*
World A*
World B*
World C*
World D*
Section 4*
Warp Zones*
Minimalist Quest*
1-Up Trick*
Bonus Rooms*
FAQ*
Section 5*
Credits and Legal Information*
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=======================================================================
=============================Introduction*=============================
=======================================================================
Hello everybody! I prolong my Mario walkthrough binge with this guide
for Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan). For those of you just checking this
guide out to see what geeks do in their spare time, Lost Levels was a
game originally only released in Japan. It was a much more difficult
version of Super Mario Bros., that classic NES launch game, and harder
titles appeal to Japanese audiences. However, Nintendo thought better
of it when it came time to pass this onto Americans, and so they
released Super Mario Bros. 2 (in Japan, called Super Mario Bros. USA).
As a result, North Americans and Europeans never saw The Lost Levels
until 1993 when an absolutely terrific game came out for the Super
Nintendo. Of course, I refer to Super Mario All-Stars, which contained
souped-up versions of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super
Mario Bros. 3, and The Lost Levels. Well, it’s time to review the game.
Usually, I don’t like merciless games that are as hard as this, but I
found this to be very enjoyable. Actually, I think this game is better
than the original Super Mario Bros. It lasts longer with five new
worlds, it has great replay value, and it is based on SMB. The music
is very nice, just like the original, the backgrounds are well-done and
intricate, the game play is solid and simple, the graphics are good for
their day, and I give this game a ten out of ten. Unlike many hard
games, I actually felt motivated to pick up the controller and keep
playing after I got a Game Over. Obviously, the same must be true of
you. After all, you needed this guide, now didn’t you?
By the by, if you see this or any other of my guides on any website
other than GameFaqs.com or its affiliates, please contact me as soon as
possible. With your help, we can put an end to plagiarism… of this
guide. Thanks a million, my friend.
=======================================================================
==============================Navigation*==============================
=======================================================================
The asterisks (*) placed next to each section title actually do serve a
purpose. If you press CTRL and F on your keyboard (Apple and F if
you’re using a Mac), a search/find box pops up. Type in the text you
want to look for in the document and click Search/Find to go straight
to it. Well, if you enter a section name, asterisk and all, and look
for it, you’ll be taken first to the Table of Contents and then to the
beginning of that section. In this way, I can avoid using numbers and
codes for navigation (how messy…). But seriously, the asterisks are
there for decoration.
=======================================================================
===============================History*================================
=======================================================================
Although I summed it up nicely in the Introduction, I’d like to teach
you a little something about this game’s background.
In 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System (the NES) was released, and
its premiere game was Super Mario Bros., who had become classics
already in the arcade. It became an instant success, and Nintendo
wanted to keep the gravy train rolling. So, in Japan, they quickly
released Super Mario Bros. 2 in 1986 for the NES. When it came time to
release it in the USA and later Europe, though, Nintendo had second
thoughts. Super Mario Bros. 2 was just a much harder version of SMB,
and they thought it was too difficult and repetitive for western
players. Still, Nintendo wanted to release a sequel to Mario while it
was hot, and they did so. In place of Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan),
they released Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA). SMB 2 USA also has an
interesting history. They didn’t have time to wait, and so Nintendo
simply took an unsuccessful game in Japan called Doki Doki Panic and
changed the sprites of the characters and a few other objects and added
a boss. Well, though Doki Doki Panic was a flop in Japan, it was a hit
just because it featured Mario.
But, how was it that The Lost Levels ever reached Europe and North
America? It came in a bundle of old games in 1993 on the Super
Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) called Super Mario Bros. All-Stars.
Also, the American Super Mario Bros. 2 eventually reached Japan.
Dubbed Super Mario Bros. USA, it was like a cultural exchange. On All-
Stars, it was called “The Lost Levels” because we had never played them
before. But, the official name for the game is Super Mario Bros. 2
Japan, even though I will refer to it as The Lost Levels throughout
this guide.
The more you know!
=======================================================================
==============================Storyline*===============================
=======================================================================
This game shares the same plot as Super Mario Bros., and it is not
spectacular. Still, it doesn’t have to be. So, here’s a summary of it
all.
+---------------------+
| Story Summary |
+---------------------+
The Koopa Troop, or the “Turtle Empire,” has invaded the Mushroom
Kingdom. Using their black Koopa magic, they’ve transformed its
peaceful residents into stones, coins, and even horsehair plants. And
the only one who can undo the magic – Princess Toadstool – has been
kidnapped by Bowser, King of the Koopa. But, fear not (I know you were
on the edge of your seat), for two brave heroes, who just so happen to
be plumbers, have heard of the kingdom’s plight. They now try to
defeat Bowser and rescue Toadstool so that the Mushrooms (the people of
Mushroom Kingdom) can assume their normal forms. Lets-a-go!
Bravo! It must’ve taken a whole five minutes to make that up. But
seriously, folks, let’s review the star characters, shall we? For the
sake of antiquity, I will use the old names here.
+-----------------------+
| 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 (Mario Segali) 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 the sequel to Mario's biggest adventure ever,
and it would confuse people about the American and Japanese version of
Super Mario Bros. 2 for years to come.
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.
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.
Mushroom Retainer: 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.
Bowser: Bowser is the King of the Koopa Troop. In this game, that
makes him "Bowser, King of the Koopa." Bowser is Mario's main
adversary in the majority of his games, and Bowser got his start here.
Bowser uses black Koopa magic in Super Mario Bros. 3, too, to transform
the Mushroom Kings into animals, but Bowser stops using magic there.
Ever since childhood, Baby Bowser has been trying to defeat Baby Mario
(quite pathetic, really), as was depicted in Super Mario World 2.
Bowser fails nonstop, but that doesn't mean he won't give Mario a good
challenge. He's the boss of every level in this game (actually,
there's only one real Bowser boss. In Worlds 1-7, a normal enemy is in
a Bowser costume to fight, and the real King of Koopas is in World 8),
but he varies things up in Super Mario Bros. 3. In it, his seven
children - those annoying Koopalings - are the guardians of the
different worlds. They each fail miserably, so Bowser rearranges their
order of fighting Mario and pits them against the heroic plumbers in
Super Mario World, in which they fail again. It would seem that the
Koopalings died (we can hope), but they reappeared as mini-bosses in
Bowser's Keep in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Larry Koopa made
a brief cameo in Super Mario Sunshine (at the beginning, when FLUDD
scans Mario). Koopalings aside, Bowser has one other child, and he
favors that one, obviously. It is Bowser Jr., not to be confused with
Baby Bowser (the infant self of Bowser) or Koopa Kid (a Mario Party
Bowser clone). Bowser Jr. was Bowser's partner in crime in Super Mario
Sunshine. So, whether Bowser abducts Toadstool for the heck of it, or
whether he secretly harbors a crush for her, we won't really know for
sure, but at least we can pull the ax switch to make Bowser fall into
lava. Priceless...
Yes, that was, for the most part, extracted from my Super Mario Bros.
guide. Now, on with the show.
=======================================================================
===========================Items & Objects*============================
=======================================================================
To increase difficulty, The Lost Levels introduces new challenges,
among them the Poison Mushroom. Other items have been modified to make
them harder to use. But, they serve much the same purpose that they
did in Super Mario Bros., and most are very easy to manipulate.
Magic Mushroom: Yes, "Magic Mushroom" is a term for hallucinogenic
mushrooms (just one of the many drug references in this game). In
remakes of this game, they are called "Super Mushrooms." In any case,
these make Mario larger - twice his normal size. If Mario takes a hit
from an enemy while large (when he has a Magic Mushroom, he is called
Super Mario), then he shrinks back to his normal height (regular Mario).
Poison Mushroom: This is a purple version of the Magic Mushroom.
Unlike friendly Mushrooms in this game, this will actually hurt you if
you touch it. Avoid these if you can, as it can kill you if you’re
small. In the guide, I’ll tell you which block not to hit.
Fire Flower: If Mario picks up one of these while Super Mario, he
becomes Fiery Mario (in later games, this transformation is called
“Fire Mario”). His clothes change color and he is suddenly able to
shoot fireballs by pressing B on the controller. In this form, he is
Fiery Mario but will still transform into small Mario if hit by an
enemy. Most enemies are weak to fire, including Bowser, but some
advanced ones aren't.
Starman: Using this, Mario becomes Invincible Mario for a short time.
As Invincible Mario, you can die only by falling into lava or down a
pit, and you can run into any enemy to defeat them instantly. It is
only temporary, mind you.
1-Up Mushroom: These are green versions of Magic Mushrooms, and they
increase the number of lives you have by one. Your lives are your
retries for if you die in a level. If x is the number of a World
(either 2 through 8), then there will be a normally secret 1-Up
Mushroom in Level x-1 if you got every coin in (x-1)-3 of the previous
world.
Coin: Coins are scattered throughout levels, and collecting 100 coins
gives you an extra life.
Jumping Board: I will probably call this a spring or a jump pad in the
guide. Jump on this to spring upward. Press A at the top of the
spring's bounce to go super-high. Some jumping boards in this game
send you extremely high so that it takes near ten seconds just to get
down. Be careful on these.
Vine: Vines come out of certain blocks like beanstalks. You can climb
up them just by jumping to the side. They usually lead to something
good…
And those are all the items in the game. Only the Poison Mushroom is
new, but the jumping board has been changed in some places. Note that
I will refer to the Magic Mushroom as the “Mushroom” in this guide.
Also, the names have been kept as they were in Super Mario Bros. I’m
not sure if Nintendo made name changes for items in The Lost Levels
when it was first released in Japan or not, but I’ll keep these old
names even if they did.
=======================================================================
================================Points*================================
=======================================================================
Points are good for keeping track of high scores and sometimes for
getting 1-Ups. There are tons of different ways to earn points, and
I’ll cover them here.
1) Each enemy you defeat is worth a certain number of points, differing
with the enemy and sometimes on how you beat it. See the below section
for those values.
2) You get 50 points for smashing brick blocks. When you're Super
Mario or Fiery Mario, you can break brick blocks open. Coins are worth
200 points apiece.
3) If you jump on a Koopa Troopa, you can kick the shell afterward at a
line of enemies. For each enemy it hits in a row, you get 500, 800,
1000, 2000, 5000, 8000, and then a 1-Up each time afterward per enemy
in that order.
4) Rather difficult, but it is possible to continually kick Koopa
shells to keep Mario airborne and pick up points for each time. Each
time you bounce off the same shell, Mario gains points in this order:
500, 800, 1000, 2000, 5000, 8000, and then a 1-Up for each time after
that.
5) At the end of a level, there is a flagpole. Depending on where you
land on the flagpole, you get a certain number of points. In some
levels, it is possible to jump clear over the flagpole, might I add.
Below is a diagram of the flag showing where to jump for a certain
number of points.
_
(_)
||
5000 ||
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2000 ||
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800 ||
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400 ||
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200 ||
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100 ||
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+---+
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6) Depending on your time, you get points for how much time is left on
the clock. If t represents the total number of seconds remaining on
the clock, then the formula for calculating the number of points is
50t = Points, or 50 x t = Points.
As this shows, some things are more worth your time for points than
others. For example, busting brick blocks may be foolish, as that is
several seconds each worth 50 points you're losing to get just 50
points.
7) At the end of a level, when you reach the flagpole, fireworks are
launched. Each is worth 500 points, and the number of fireworks
displayed is based on the number of seconds on the clock and the number
of coins you have. If you the ones’ digit of your coin count matches
the ones’ digit of your timer, then you will get fireworks, but the
number of fireworks varies. If your last digit of the timer and the
last digit of your coin count match and are even, you will get six
fireworks. That’s 3000 points. If odd, they give you three fireworks
(1500 points).
8) You get 1000 points per every power-up (Mushroom, Fire Flower) you
get.
9) Not really a method for getting points, but there is another
flagpole trick for earning points. If you have a multiple of 11 in
coin count (either 00, 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, or 99), and you
finish a level at the flag with your time ending with one of those
digits (for example, if you have 11 coins and you finish a level with
201 seconds, because 1 is the end of 201), then you get a 1-Up instead
of points. Interesting addition to the game, is it not?
=======================================================================
==============================Enemy List*==============================
=======================================================================
All the enemies from Super Mario Bros. appear in The Lost Levels, and
vice versa. Two enemies, however - the Bloober and the Piranha Plant –
have had small changes. Here’s a little run-down of them, listing how
many points you give (these point values are as of Super Mario Bros.,
and I assume that they are the same in this game as they are in it).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Enemy Name
Notes:
Points:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Above is the setup for each enemy entry. I list them in the order that
the Super Mario Bros. manual lists them.
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Little Goomba
Notes: Apparently, these are Mushroom People who betrayed their kingdom,
and Bowser turned them into these brown mushroom-looking things. Jump
on them to defeat them (or use any other type of offense, really).
Goombas are a real staple of Mario games, appearing in tons of them.
Points: 100 PTS.
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Koopa Troopa (green)
Notes: These enemies appeared in Mario Bros., an arcade game before
this one, as Shell Creepers. They're back, now members of the Koopa
Troop (in this game, it refers to the Koopa Troop as the "Turtle
Empire"). This is a really idiotic enemy; it will go left until it
falls off a cliff or something similar. If you jump on him, he (always
male soldiers) retreats into its shell, and you can kick the shell into
other enemies by touching it. However, it can ricochet off pipes or
bricks and hit you, so be warned.
Points: 100 PTS
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Koopa Troopa (red)
Notes: The manual of this game calls this enemy chicken, meaning that
it is a coward. No, this enemy is just smart. It is a red version of
the Koopa Troopa, and the only difference between the two is
intelligence. This one will pace back and forth on one platform
instead of falling off the edge like its green brothers do.
Points: 100 PTS
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Koopa Paratroopa (green)
Notes: This is a winged version of the green Koopa Troopa, and it out
of control. It hops around instead of constantly flying to try to jump
on you, but you can jump on it to de-wing it.
Points: 400 PTS
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Koopa Paratroopa (red)
Notes: By far the most effective airborne enemy, this is a smarter and
redder version of the green Koopa Paratroopa. It can control itself
instead of just bounding forward like its green counterpart, and it
will turn right or left to cover an area again if it needs to.
Points: 400 PTS
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Buzzy Beetle
Notes: This is supposed to be a tough enemy, but it isn't that hard.
Buzzy Beetles are Koopas, but they are a different breed of them. They
are short with dark, fire-resistant shells. But, if fire doesn't faze
them, then you can at least jump on them. When you jump on them, they
leave behind their shell for you to kick.
Points: 100 PTS
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The Hammer Brothers
Notes: By far the hardest enemy in the game, these come in pairs (they
are always born as twins) most of the time. They throw hammers at you
from afar, and this makes them nearly invincible to jumps. The safest
way to beat them is to use fireballs, but you could also just run under
them (they jump at times to get a better throwing range).
Points: 1000 PTS
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Spiny
Notes: These are similar to Buzzy Beetles in characteristics, but they
are opposites in weakness. Spinies have spikes on the top of their
shells, but they are weak to fire. And, they always come in packs,
since they are thrown down by Lakitus.
Points: 200 PTS
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Lakitu
Notes: These are Koopas, but a slightly different branch of the family
than your normal Koopa Troopa. They ride clouds and dog Mario
everywhere he goes, only retreating at the very end of a level if he's
in it. He throws down Spiny's eggs, and he's usually just out of reach
for Mario's jump. However, he can be defeated by jumping on him,
though you'll rarely get the chance.
Points: 200 PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Piranha plant
Notes: Piranha Plants (I will always capitalize their names in the
guide, and the same goes for Cheep-Cheeps, Spiny's Eggs, and Mushroom
Retainers) are pipe-dwelling man-eating flowers. Because they have
sharp teeth in their mouths, they cannot be jumped on, and they emerge
from pipes unexpectedly. Only fireballs can set these menaces straight.
In this game, there are also red Piranha Plants that are a little
bolder. They’ll stay up even if you stand right next to them.
Points: 200 PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Spiny's egg
Notes: Lakitu does not drop actual Spinies. He really drops their eggs,
and they hatch into Spinies when they hit ground. You can send
fireballs at these to defeat them, so there is really hardly any
distinction between normal Spinies. Do not jump on them.
Points: 200 PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheep-cheep
Notes: Always female, these fish come in two colors - a dark grayish
shade and bright red. Sometimes these fish are found swimming in the
water, where they can be defeated via Fire Flower. When they are in
water, they swim straight forward, so you can avoid them fairly easily.
However, at other times, they will be flying out of the water to hit
you. They come endlessly, so just run to the finish and hope for the
best. When out of water, they can be jumped on.
Points: 200 PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bullet Bill
Notes: These are fired from Bullet Bill Blasters, which are not
considered enemies in this game. They are black missiles with faces,
and they are resistant to fireballs. Jump on them if you'd like, as
that's the only way to beat them. They come endlessly from Bullet Bill
Blasters in certain levels.
Points: 200 PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bloober
Notes: After this game, they started being called "Bloopers," which is
a better name, in my opinion. Bloobers are squids that float through
the air menacingly) or chase you in the water, much more menacingly.
The only way to defeat them is with a fireball, or with a jump if its
out of water.
Points: 200 PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Podoboo
Notes: Podoboos are enemies, but they cannot be killed. In Bowser's
Castle, always the fourth level in a world, these sometimes jump out
lava; they are little fireballs. Nothing can harm them, and they
sometimes form chains that I will call flame chains throughout this
guide. They jump out at certain timed intervals, so you should know
when to jump a pit of lava.
Points: NA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bowser, King of the Koopa
Notes: This is a large turtle-dragon found at the end of every world on
a bridge over lava. He is the leader of the Koopa Troop and Mario's
most regular rival, though you only fight him once throughout this
entire game. Yes, in World 1-7 the Bowser you're fighting is actually
a decoy - a costume manned by a common enemy. So, in reality, the
bosses of each world are...
World 1: Little Goomba
World 2: Koopa Troopa (green)
World 3: Buzzy Beetle
World 4: Spiny
World 5: Lakitu
World 6: Bloober
World 7: Hammer Brother
There are two ways to kill Bowser (well, you don't "kill" him, but to
defeat him). The most common way is to bypass the Koopa King and hit
the axe switch behind him, causing the bridge he's on to collapse,
dumping Bowser or his doppelganger into the lava below. Alternately,
if you have a Fire Flower, you can fire Bowser up until his costume
breaks and the enemy inside falls into the lava, or until the real
Bowser keels over and falls in the lava (in the case of World 8-4).
Each time you fight Bowser's decoys and himself, he has a new strategy.
He always spits fire, but he can also throw hammers, jump on you, and
manipulate Podoboos. I have strategies for beating this guy at the end
of each world's guide. You only get points for beating Bowser if you
use fireballs. As a side note, Bowser's first appearance is really
quite lacking. In later games, he gets awesome red hair, his spikes
become yellow, he doesn't look so weak or thin, and he just looks all-
around way cooler. He even gets a voice in Super Mario Sunshine (which
is VERY disappointing. Bowser sounds like an idiot in that game).
Points: 5000 PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
And those are the enemies. However, there are other ways to die, too.
Care to know?
+-----------------------+
| Causes of Death |
+-----------------------+
-If Mario bumps into an enemy, then he dies. If Super Mario or Fiery
Mario bump into one, then they simply become regular Mario. Invincible
Mario can kill anything when he runs into it.
-If you hit a shell of any type of Koopa (Para)Troopa or a Buzzy Beetle
and it ricochets back at you, you die.
-If you fall down a pit or get sucked into a suction pit found in some
water levels, you will die instantly whether you're invincible or not.
-You are given 400 seconds to complete each level, but the timer ticks
more than one second per every actual second. In any case, you die
instantly if your timer hits 0.
- If you complete a level with more than 128 lives, or if you die with
129 + lives, you will get a Game Over. See “1-Up Tricks” in Section 4
for the reasons behind this.
Now that we know what not to do, let’s see how not to do it.
=======================================================================
===============================Controls*===============================
=======================================================================
Unlike Super Mario Bros., in which Luigi was just a change of pallet
from Mario, the brothers now have different strengths and weaknesses.
Personally, I prefer Luigi, but Mario has stellar controls, too.
Because I do not own The Lost Levels in its original cartridge for the
NES, I’ll just assume that the controls are the same in this game as
they are in Super Mario Bros.
+---------------+
| Control |
+---------------+
D-Pad: The Directional Pad has four directions - left, right, down, and
up. The latter has no use, but left and right will make Mario move in
that direction. Down can let him duck or take a pipe down (if it can
be taken down).
Select: The only use for this is picking a 1 Player Game or a 2 Player
Game at the Player Select Screen.
Start: This pauses the game, but it can also be used to pick a game
type. Press Start again to end the pausing sequence.
B Button: Hold this to make Mario run faster. As Fiery Mario, pressing
this repeatedly will let Mario shoot fireballs (they come from his
hands, not his mouth). You can have two fireballs on the screen at any
given time.
A Button: Press this to jump. This is Mario's greatest asset (his name
was originally Jumpman). The longer you hold it, the higher you jump.
Also, when underwater, Mario can use this to
swim. If not, he sinks.
+-----------------------------+
| Brotherly Differences |
+-----------------------------+
Mario plays much like he does in Super Mario Bros. That is, he has
good speed, traction, and jumps. The only difference now is that he
bounces higher after jumping on an enemy. Luigi, on the other hand,
has been greatly differentiated from his brother. First, Luigi can
jump higher than Mario can, and he bounces even higher off of enemies.
This is his greatest strength, and the real reason why he’s easier to
play as in some levels. On the other hand, he’s slower than Mario and
he has bad traction (that is, he skids a lot when you try to stop). In
some stages, it is easier to use one than the other. So, when you get
a Game Over, try switching between them. You may be pleased with the
results.
And now, let us move on to the actual walkthrough. Good luck. You are
going to need it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
/ \
/ \
||----------------------------Section 2*-----------------------------||
\ /
\_________________________________________________________________/
This is the walkthrough section. But, I have an important note here.
In the guide, I will always use Mario instead of Luigi unless I state
otherwise. This is because of his superior jumping ability. Let’s
make this clear, everyone: unless I specifically say we’re using Luigi,
we will use Mario. Because of his speed and better traction, it is
much easier to avoid traps and enemies, whereas Luigi’s high jumps can
be difficult to control and you’ll find him a tad unresponsive because
of his slowness.
=======================================================================
===============================World 1*================================
=======================================================================
This is a grassy land with sewers beneath it. It’s a real easy
introduction to the game (well, easy for this game’s standards). It is
also home to a warp zone, but I won’t discuss it here. See “Warp
Zones” for that.
+-----------------+
| Level 1-1 |
+-----------------+
Run forward and jump over the oncoming Koopa Paratroopa. The green
type cannot control its movements; it just bounds forward mindlessly.
Ahead you’ll see a red Koopa Troopa on the blocks above. To beat it,
jump to hit the block it’s on. The second block from the left contains
a Mushroom. To access it, hit a block that it passes over as it slides
right. Now that you’re super, go right and hit all the ? Blocks but
the central one. It contains a Poison Mushroom, which will actually
hurt you if you touch them. Now go right over the Piranha Plants (they
come up periodically, but cannot be beaten with mere jumps. Only
fireballs can defeat them; wait for them to go down and pass over) and
drop down onto the trio of Goombas. These enemies are the backbone of
the Koopa Troop, or at least the grunts of it.
They walk forward mindlessly and rather slowly. One jump defeats them.
Now continue right and hit the first brick block for a Starman. This
makes you Invincible Mario, and now you can pass through enemies and
defeat them on contact. Run right and jump to the upper level when you
can. Continue right and you’ll fall to some ? Blocks. Double back
left and drop down to plow through the Koopa Troopas here (don’t hit
the third ? Block from the left; it contains a Poison Mushroom). Now
continue right, pummeling the Koopa Troopas and K. Paratroopa as you
run right until you reach a pipe (it should wear off about then). Wait
for it to start lowering, jump onto the pipe, and then jump onto the
bricks. Jump right now onto ground and defeat a Koopa Troopa heading
your way. Then jump onto the pipe and drop right to a red Koopa Troopa.
Kick its shell right and hit the rightmost ? Block for either a
Mushroom (if you got hit along the way) or a Fire Flower. With it, you
are Fiery Mario. Now jump right with it and roast the Koopa Troopa as
well as the Piranha Plant. Fry the Goomba next and then hop onto the
staircase. At the top (these always mark the end of a level), stand as
far back as you can and then take off into a huge jump to reach the
flagpole. The higher up you go, the more points you get (ranging from
100 to 5000). Congrats on beating your first level.
+-----------------+
| Level 1-2 |
+-----------------+
After a brief cut scene in which Mario walks into a pipe and then drops
in, this level begins. To bypass something on the ground, he’s going
under it, you see. Take care of the Koopa Paratroopa coming your way
and then run forward to jump across a gap to a small staircase. Now
jump over or onto the pipe and then drop down onto the Goombas (notice
how they are blue when underground. In later games, this brand of
Goomba is called a “Gloomba”). Now you’ll face a small problem if
you’re Super or Fiery Mario. If small, just run under the overhang.
If large, run up to as close as you can get without stopping and crouch
(press down on the controller) to skid right underneath. Jump onto the
pipe from there and drop right.
See this enemy? It is called a Buzzy Beetle, and it is immune to
fireballs. Other than that, it is essentially the same as a green
Koopa Troopa. Jump above it to hit an invisible block. Using it, get
onto the roof and run right, jumping any gaps you may reach, until you
see a red elevator platform. As soon as you see them, drop on and drop
down to the bricks to the right. Jump the gaps and enter the pipe.
Now outside, go right onto the stairs and jump for the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 1-3 |
+-----------------+
Note: It is advised that Luigi be used for this level.
Run forward and jump onto the first platform you see. Now jump to the
elevator platform to the right. Let it sink down a bit to raise the
other platform and jump to the right one. Now jump to the ledge to the
right and jump onto the red Koopa Troopa. Kick its shell to the right
to defeat two more Koopa Troopas and then drop down to the bridge.
Here, a tricky enemy is present. It is a Bloober, but it is aerial.
Jump under it while you can and head right past a red Koopa Paratroopa
to an elevator platform. Ride it right and jump to the platform here.
Quickly jump to defeat the Bloober and then collect the coins. Jump
right onto the elevator platform, let it lower, and then jump to the
right one and then to the ledge to the right. From it, drop down to
the blocks and then jump to the ledge. Go right on it, defeat the
Koopa Troopa, and then jump to hit the ? Block for a power-up (either a
Mushroom or a Fire Flower). Take it and use the top of the ? Block to
jump right onto land. Now take the adjacent elevator platform to a
pulley platform system. Stand on the first one to lower it and then
jump to the second one to reach the nearby ledge. Jump right from it
to another ledge and then stand back as much as you can. Run forward
and jump for the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 1-4 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is recommended for this level.
At the end of every world (the fourth level, that is), you must enter
Bowser’s castle, where Princess Toadstool may be held captive. Run
forward and you’ll see what I call a flame chain. These are many
Podoboos strung together to form a flaming, rotating chain that is
lethal to the touch (unless you’re Super or Fiery Mario, of course).
When it is up, jump right onto the platforms here and hit the ? Block
for a power-up (only Luigi can reach it). Now jump right under a flame
chain and jump to the upper platform here to the right.
Avoid the flame chains and then jump right to small set of stairs.
Head up it and walk forward under these flame chains (there’s a rather
tricky Koopa Troopa here, too) until you reach the near end. It is
here that fire starts being sent. These are the flames of Bowser, and
it signals that you are near to the King of the Koopa. Head right
further now, jump over flame chains and lava pits (obviously, falling
in lava will instantly kill you) to reach a short hallway. Jump onto
the blocks as fire is sent your way and jump across the blocks to
reach… the bridge.
Boss: Bowser
The fierce King of the Koopa is the evil King Bowser, and he has
awesome boss music (if you’re playing the Super Mario All-Stars version
of the game, that is. On the NES, he has no music). Because this is
the first boss fight of the game, he has two attacks only. First, you
cannot touch him or you will die. Second, you cannot touch his flames
or you will die. Now, Bowser attacks by jumping and breathing fire.
Both are easy to avoid, but not necessarily so when trying to attack
him. It may occur to you that it is odd that Bowser can be beaten so
many times and still come back for the next castle. Well, you aren’t
really fighting Bowser! Yes, you’re fighting a decoy meant to throw
you off the real Bowser’s fake. This one is a Goomba inside of a
Bowser costume.
So, you can overheat the Goomba inside and burn the costume by flaming
it as Fiery Luigi. You get 5000 points for it. If not, you can beat
Bowser in only one other way – you must hit the axe switch behind him.
The easiest way to do this is to run up to him and wait for him to jump.
Run under his massive body and jump to the axe. If you are Super Luigi,
you can just run into Bowser. You’ll be invincible for a second or so,
allowing you to just run right and hit the switch. Or, if you really
want to do it the fancy way, you can jump onto the elevator platform
and drop onto the axe switch (I do not recommend this; it is rather
risky because Bowser will jump to hit you). Hitting the axe switch
makes the bridge crumble, and Bowser will fall into the depths of the
lava below. When you win, you walk right to find the princess! No, it
is actually a Mushroom Retainer, better known as Toads in recent games.
It speaks:
“Thank you Luigi! But our princess is in another castle!”
Or, if you’re Mario, it thanks Mario. That search was in vain, but at
least we liberated World 1 from Bowser’s troops. Now we move on into
unknown territory, into World 2.
=======================================================================
===============================World 2*================================
=======================================================================
It is here that Lost Levels differentiates itself from Super Mario Bros.
Yes, it is true that the levels have been different so far, but World 1
in both games had the same grassy/sewer theme. In the original, though,
World 2 was a watery world with a bridge leading right as the third
level. In this game, World 2 is a nighttime series of levels similar
to World 3 in Super Mario Bros., but with a hint of water in all three
levels. Either way, the difficulty only increases here in this dark
new zone of the Mushroom Kingdom. Put your game face on, Mario!
+-----------------+
| Level 2-1 |
+-----------------+
Run forward and jump onto the staircase and then to the bridge over
some water below. A flock of Koopa Paratroopas are now bounding
forward to attack you. Bounce over them and you’ll reach three ?
Blocks at the end. Hit the central one for a power-up and the others
for coins. Now get onto the ledge and jump onto land to the right.
Here, hit the central brick block for a Starman. Go Invincible Mario
go! Run forward, jumping across the Piranha Plants to reach safe
ground and then drop to an elevator platform, which you should take
right to a new island in the water. Here you’ll find a jumping board,
pretty much the ultimate type of it, too.
Jump on and press A at the peak of its bounce to get catapulted into
the air. Go right while in the air to the brick blocks to the right.
Now drop right to the ground and you’ll see some ? Blocks. Do not hit
the leftmost one (it contains a Poison Mushroom). Instead, go right to
a jumping board. Bounce on it and hold right while in the air to land
on ground. Avoid or defeat some approaching Koopa Paratroopas of the
green variety and head right to see three Goombas passing down the
staircase. Defeat them and hop up the steps to the top. From there,
step back and leap into the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 2-2 |
+-----------------+
Note: It is nearly impossible to beat this level as Mario; be sure to
use Luigi.
Defeat the Koopa Paratroopa coming your way and run forward to a
Piranha Plant. From it jump right past three Goombas and a pair of
Piranha Plants to reach some Koopa Troopas. Jump onto them and then to
the blocks to the right. Wait for the Piranha Plant to withdraw into
its pipe before jumping onto it and then dropping to the ground.
Defeat the Koopa Paratroopas and Koopa Troopas to reach a block to the
right. Jump from it to the staircase and take it down to jump to a
pipe. Make a running jump to the right from there and you’ll land on
the blocks there. Crush the Goombas beneath your boots and run right,
letting the Koopa Paratroopa fall to its doom in the pit. Now jump to
hit the brick block for a Starman!
As Invincible Luigi, run right through the Piranha Plants and the other
enemies until you reach two Brick Blocks in the air succeeding a piped
Piranha Plant. Hit the upper one for a power-up, the lower one for
coins. Now jump to the pipe to the right and defeat the Koopa Troopa
to the right. Now, jump around the top to hit an invisible block (it
is located about thrice, that is three times, the width of Luigi away
from the edge). When you’ve hit it, jump onto it (this is where Mario
falls short; he cannot jump onto it without using the pipe, which is
almost impossible to reach now) and then jump to the pipe above. From
it, leap right to the ground and defeat the Koopa Troopas. Now pass
right over a pipe and some enemies to reach blocks. Let the Goombas to
the right walk themselves into the bottomless pit here and then jump
right onto the staircase. Now jump right to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 2-3 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is better suited for this level then Mario.
Run forward and jump onto the bridge. Defeat the trio of Koopa Troopas
and then jump right onto the mini-bridge there. It is here that this
level becomes a lot like 2-3 in the original Super Mario Bros.; Cheep-
Cheeps start flying up from the water below. Cheep-Cheeps, called just
“Cheep Cheeps” in later games, are fish that can jump out of water for
short times or inhabit the deep. Run right and jump onto the bridge,
avoiding the descending Cheep-Cheeps, and jump over Koopa Troopas when
necessary.
You’ll soon come to four ? Blocks, the upper-left of which contains a
power-up, as well as Koopas on the ground and a Bloober in the air.
Run right as either Super Luigi or Fiery Luigi and jump to the upper
ledge. Then jump across a short series of bridge platforms to reach
ledges. Jump from them to the bridge below and to the right. Defeat
the Koopa Troopa here and jump onto the ledges. Step back on the upper
one and let loose ahead to jump to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 2-4 |
+-----------------+
Note: Use Luigi for this level, as his jump will aid you greatly.
Run forward and jump up through the small shaft to land on a Koopa
Troopa. Kick its shell through the narrow space to the right and it
will charge through three Goombas. Now fall through that narrow space,
holding right on the D-Pad as you do so, to land on safe ground. As
you walk forward you will encounter five Koopa Troopas of the green
sort. Kick the first one’s shell into the others and jump over the
shell as it ricochets back at you. Afterwards, walk forward to the
flame chain. Wait for it to be at 9:00 and jump onto it.
Swiftly jump to the right over the pool of lava and take the stairs up
(at the top, you can jump to hit an invisible block containing a power-
up). Here, it is better to take the lower path. The first lava pit
has a living fireball called a Podoboo in it. It jumps up periodically.
Wait for it to get into the air and then dash forward. If you’re fast
enough, you’ll pass right over the lava pits. At the end, jump up onto
safe ground and jump right to the left edge of the platform there when
the Podoboo is down. Now wait for the flame chain to the right to be
pointing right to run forward and jump onto the block there. Wait for
the flame chain to turn downward and run forward on the block, running
over the lava pit and stopping at the next platform. When the Podoboo
is down, jump across the gap to the platform there. Cross the next gap
when the Podoboo is down to reach the bridge…
Boss: Bowser
The same old bag of tricks, but differed slightly. As always, try
roasting this fake’s costume if you are Fiery Luigi. As it turns out,
this is simply a Koopa Troopa dressed as Bowser to lure you way from
the real Bowser. If you are Super Luigi, run into Bowser and then run
forward after that to reach the axe. Still, if you are small Luigi,
run under Bowser when he jumps and hop up to the axe switch. Either
way you slice it, you will win. Alternately (this is the way the game
suggests you beat Bowser), if you are Super Luigi you can jump through
the brick blocks and then use the elevator to drop past Bowser and then
hit the axe. No, this is too difficult and definitely not worth it.
When he is deep-fried, Luigi heads right to rescue another Mushroom
Retainer.
We have freed another Mushroom Retainer and World 2 is no longer
Bowser’s territory. Still, if we are to revert the people of Mushroom
Kingdom back to their regular forms, we must save Princess Toadstool.
We will now search for her in the icy World 3…
=======================================================================
===============================World 3*================================
=======================================================================
A winter wonderland! Well, not quite. It is snowing, but it certainly
isn’t wonderful. It also introduces the dreaded Hammer Brothers. But,
after the wintry area, we reach sunshine and a water level! It makes
no sense… Let’s get started.
+-----------------+
| Level 3-1 |
+-----------------+
Walk forward and what do you know? A new enemy and its duplicate
appear before us throwing hammers. These are Hammer Brothers, the
strongest enemies in the game. Wait for them to jump to the upper
block row and then either run under them or jump to hit the block
they’re standing on. When you’ve beaten them both, jump to hit the
lower blocks. One contains a Starman. As Invincible Mario, run right
and jump through a Piranha Plant to reach some ? Blocks. The rightmost
one there contains a Poison Mushroom (you can touch it when invincible,
though).
From there, jump to hit the leftmost upper ? Block for a power-up and
then run right on them to reach it before it falls into the pit (if
it’s a Mushroom). Now jump across it to reach a gray pipe. Lo and
behold, you can take it down to a bonus room! Don’t take it, though,
as it will lead to a warp zone back to World 1. Instead, go right of
the pipe and use the brick block to jump to the upper layer of blocks
here. Run right from there and bounce across the Koopa Troopas (and
Koopa Paratroopas) to reach a Bullet Bill Blaster. These fire missiles
called Bullet Bills, which can be defeated by jumping on the flat part.
Anyways, hit the leftmost ? Block for a power-up if you want (though it
is rather risky) and you’ll reach some pipes to the right. Jump across
them, Koopa Troopa and all, to reach a jumping board by a Koopa Troopa.
Don’t jump on either, though. Just go right to the stairs and jump
across them to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 3-2 |
+-----------------+
Suddenly it’s sunny and spring outside, and Mario proceeds through a
pipe into an underwater area. Yep, it’s the first water level of the
game. Controls are a bit different now. First, any enemy can hurt you
from any angle. Second, you can move in any direction, and you can
swim upward by repeatedly pressing the A Button. Also, pretty much all
aquatic enemies can be beaten with fireballs if you’re Fiery Mario.
Swim forward to find a Bloober swimming about. As long as you stay on
the ground and walk forward, it will not hit you (they never sink low
enough; it simply isn’t in their programming). Now continue walking
forward on the ground. See those fish above you? They come in green
and red.
They are Cheep-Cheeps, the underwater kind that swim forward aimlessly.
Just continue forward on the ground, swimming over the suction pits by
pressing A furiously, and you’ll come to a staircase. Swim upwards to
lead the Bloober away and then sink down to the right over the stairs
and then onto the ground. Swim over the obstacles to the right, get
high up, and continue swimming over the seaweed, and you’ll soon reach
a red Koopa Paratroopa (well, if Mario can hold his breath indefinitely,
then so can they). Swim up when they are down and go through the
little opening. Avoid the oncoming Cheep-Cheeps and sink down to
ground. Wait for the Bloober to pass by and then swim up over the
seaweed (possibly coral reef).
Swim over the enemies below to reach more seaweed to swim over. Let
the Cheep-Cheeps above pass you by and continue on the ground until you
meet two Bloobers. Quickly swim at the top past them and drop down to
a pipe here. Take it to the surface and run right to the staircase
that precedes the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 3-3 |
+-----------------+
Run forward and jump onto the upper ledge where you should defeat the
Koopa Paratroopa and its grounded counterpart. Now head right on the
ground to even more Koopa Troopas before you reach a ledge. Jump up
them and over a pipe complete with Piranha Plant to reach a pulley
platform. Set on the first one to let the right one rise and then jump
to the second. When you land, take the nearby jumping board into the
skies. Go right in the air and you’ll land (or should land) on a few
ledges past an elevator platform system.
Upon landing, jump to the upper ledge and then defeat the red Koopa
Troopa there. Jump right onto the Koopa Paratroopa, bouncing off of it
to the elevator platform, and jump from it over the Piranha Plant to
another platform to a ledge. Use the upper blocks here to cross safely
over the Piranha Plants below and get onto the ledge. Now jump right,
bouncing on a Koopa Paratroopa, to reach the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 3-4 |
+-----------------+
This is a pretty tricky level. In this castle, if you take the wrong
route, you’ll have to start all over again. From the start, drop down
over the lava to the right and jump under the block to the next
platform. Now jump down to the lower route here and head right to a
Piranha Plant pipe. Go right over it and continue down the low path.
You must be small for this section. Run straight forward, not stopping
for anything (note that there is an invisible block containing a power-
up in the last little column, but don’t get it).
Avoid the Podoboo and run over the lava to reach a Piranha Plant’s pipe.
Jump onto it and then jump to the upper blocks. Take the upper route
here and drop down through the opening you come to. Jump around below
where you fell to hit four invisible coin blocks. Hop onto them and
jump from them to the upper block path. Run forward on them and you’ll
come to a flame chain. Wait for it to go down and run across this
upper path, avoiding another flame chain as you go, and fall to the
platform in the lava to the right. Jump to the bridge to your right.
Boss: Bowser
First, if you somehow made it here as Fiery Mario, you can set the
costume of this Bowser impostor afire. Just flame him until it keels
over, revealing the true enemy to be a Buzzy Beetle. If not, then
you’re up against Bowser with a brand new batch of traps. First, the
whole elevator junk leading to the axe is gone. Now you must use one
of the normal strategies against Bowser. Then there’s a Podoboo (just
one) toward the left side of the arena. Bowser will still use his
signature flame breath, though. So, if you’re Super Mario, run into
your archrival and then walk into the axe. If small, run under him
when he jumps and hop to the axe switch. Easy, huh? When you win, you
go right and rescue another Mushroom Retainer.
Though just a fake Bowser was guarding another servant of Toadstool’s
royal court, we have at least loosened Bowser’s death grip on the
Mushroom Kingdom by ending his rule in World 3. So, let us move on to
the next world in hopes of finding Princess Toadstool there. On the
road again!
=======================================================================
===============================World 4*================================
=======================================================================
This world introduces us to a slew of new enemies – three, to be exact.
It returns to the familiar grassy, sunny level theme that we all enjoy,
but it’s our toughest challenge yet…
+-----------------+
| Level 4-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: This is Luigi’s cup of tea; use him.
Run forward to find three new types of enemy and a variation of a pre-
existing enemy all in one screen. Let’s run through them, shall we?
First, notice the Piranha Plants are red. This means that they are
faster, will emerge from their pipes even if you’re standing right next
to them, and that they look meaner. Then we come to that thing in the
sky. That’s a Lakitu, members of the Koopa family that ride clouds and
throw down another enemy – Spiny’s Eggs. Spiny’s Eggs are spiky and
can be defeated only by fire, but they only exist for a short time.
When they touch ground they become Spinies, Koopa more closely related
to Buzzy Beetles than Koopa Troopas. They are resistant to jumps due
to their spiky shells, but they are weak to fire (just the opposite of
Buzzy Beetles). Lakitus can be defeated by jumping on them, but you
hardly ever get the chance.
Now, back to the guide through the level. Get onto the first pipe and
quickly jump over the first brick block column before the Spinies crowd
on the ground. Run right over a brick stack and then a pipe with
Piranha Plant to reach several ? Blocks. Lakitu retreats momentarily.
Hit them all, including the last, for coins and a Mushroom or Fire
Flower. Now, notice the jumping board to the right. It is red, not
green. That means that it won’t send you up as high. Run forward,
jump onto it, and bounce across the water (this is rather difficult).
It is odd, but I find a good way to time it right so that you jump at
the peak of the spring’s bounce (this is the only way to get across) is
to say “seventy” rather quickly as you go. The time it takes to say
that just about equals the time it takes for the spring to reach the
top.
When you cross, run right to a short staircase (not the flagpole one).
Jump on Lakitu there to get rid of him for the time being and then drop
right. As you go, you’ll reach three ? Blocks. Do not hit the
rightmost one; it contains a Poison Mushroom. Use them to jump to the
next pipe and then run right to two ? Blocks. Hit the right one for a
power-up and then jump to the pipes to the right. Drop from them and
continue right to three more pipes. Get onto the brick block, jump
onto Lakitu, who rejoins you now, and bounce right to the Goomba on the
staircase. Jump right to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 4-2 |
+-----------------+
It’s Bullet Bill central over here. Run right to find two blasters on
top of each other. Get on top of them and drop into the fray to hit
the ? Block for a power-up if you want to REALLY risk it. From there,
jump the next blasters and hit the leftmost block in the trio for a
Starman. Huzzah! Run right, pulverizing your Buzzy Beetle opposition,
and jump when appropriate.
You should end this Invincible Mario spree when you reach a green pipe
with a red Piranha Plant in it with a row of ? Blocks to the right that
has Bullet Bill Blasters (2 in all) beneath. Run right over the ?
Blocks and you’ll come to a Hammer Brother after a red Koopa Troopa.
Wait for it to jump and run under it, jumping to reach the upper route.
Jump over the Hammer Brother you come to and you’ll land past a Piranha
Plant’s pipe. Jump onto the blocks here in the air and then jump right
into the flagpole after you’ve defeated a green Koopa Paratroopa with
control.
+-----------------+
| Level 4-3 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is the best choice for this level. In fact, it is nearly
impossible for Mario to make one of the jumps that this level would
require him to make.
Run forward and jump a large gap to reach a red spring. Bounce on it
(remember the “seventy” trick) and you’ll reach an elevator platform.
Quickly jump to the platform heading right and then onto the pulley
platform. Go right from there on another elevator platform, jump over
a red Koopa Paratroopa, and you’ll land on ground. Jump as far right
as you can from a running jump to land on a red Koopa Paratroopa and
bounce up to another ledge.
Now drop down to the elevator platform to the right, hit the ? Block
for a power-up, and then use that block’s top to jump right. Bound to
the next ledge and then to the elevator platform to the right. It is
here that Bullet Bills start getting fired from seemingly nowhere.
They won’t stop, by the way. Jump to the next elevator platform and
then to the next ledge, avoiding Bullet Bills as they come. Then jump
to the elevator platform and from there jump across the gap to safe
ground. Bounce on the red Koopa Paratroopa to the block in the air
before jumping to the next one. From there, jump right into the
flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 4-4 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is the best option here.
Jump forward to reach some ? Blocks, a flame chain, and a Koopa Troopa.
This flame chain is special, though; it is the super-long type. When
it is at 3:00, jump onto the ? Blocks and run right, jumping over our
turtle friend, and then drop onto the stone floor. Jump right into the
hallway and defeat the three Goombas coming your way while avoiding the
flame chain. At the end of the hallway, jump to the block when the
ultra flame chain is at 3:00 and then to the other platform and then to
the hallway. Here, wait for the Koopa Troopas to come down and then
beat them with the domino effect shell-kick. Now, see the flame chain
above? Jump onto it when it is at 10:00 and then jump into the hallway
right of it. Jump onto the descending elevator platform here and then
onto the floor you go.
Pass under the flame chain and run forward to find a Hammer Brother.
Gasp! Run into the arch made by its hammers and then jump under it
when it jumps. Now run forward under the blocks. Jump through the
flame chains in a tricky little maneuver when you can to reach the
middle hallway and run forward. At the end is an invisible power-up
that is very bad; if you hit it, you’ll fall down into the lava below.
So, drop down to the lava and hold right on the D-Pad to land on safe
ground. Note that it is here that Bowser starts sending fire your way.
Now on the lowest route, defeat the upcoming Koopa Troopas and go right.
When Bowser doesn’t have fire on the screen and when the Piranha Plant
has been up for about a second, run forward and jump to its pipe. Then
jump to the platform hovering above the lava and then to the next block.
Jump to the next platform and then over a Podoboo to find the bridge…
Boss: Bowser
Run forward over the flame chain if you’re small and then run under the
massive king’s body and jump for the axe switch. If you’re Super Luigi,
jump over the flame chain and run into Bowser. Now that you’re
invulnerable for a second, jump to the axe switch. Or, if you’re Fiery
Luigi, roast this fake’s costume until they die, revealing that it was
really a Spiny in disguise. Now Mario can move on to the Mushroom
Retainer, the fourth we’ve rescued, but alas, no Toadstool.
Even though we were led down the wrong road again, World 4 is now safe
from Bowser’s troops. Let us press on and begin our quest again in
World 5, the true snowy world.
=======================================================================
===============================World 5*================================
=======================================================================
Unlike World 3, World 5 actually does boast all ice levels, not just
one. It is daytime, too. With all the enemies introduced to us
already, there are no surprises here, just challenges.
+-----------------+
| Level 5-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is recommended for this level.
Run forward and defeat the Buzzy Beetles by jumping on the first one
and then knocking its shell right. Hit the ? Blocks for coins. Now go
right under the Piranha Plant when it is up and stop afterward. When
the Piranha Plants withdraw into their pipes, jump to the next platform,
and repeat this until you’ve crossed the gaps. Now go right, bouncing
off the Koopa Troopa onto the Bullet Bill Blasters, and then go right
to the pipe, which can be taken down for a bonus room. Stand on the
pipe, collect the coins, and then take the pipe to the surface. Now
take the stairs up and use the wind here to jump across the platforms
and reach land. The wind stops at a Bullet Bill Blaster.
Past it, stand on the lip of the lower pipe and wait for both Piranha
Plants to come out at once and then go into their pipes to run right.
Now jump over the next two Piranha Plants and then bounce over the next
off of a Koopa Paratroopa. Jump another one and proceed right to three
more Koopa Troopas. From there, keep going right until you reach a
block. Jump from it to the staircase and then take it up and jump over
two Koopa Paratroopas. When you land, go right to find a brick wall.
Jump on the Koopa Paratroopas here and you’ll bounce to the top.
Alternately, there are two invisible blocks that you can hit to reach
the top. From the top, you’ll reach a Piranha Plant’s pipe. Jump down
from it to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 5-2 |
+-----------------+
Uh-oh. Mario’s heading into the sewers. When you land, head right
under the Piranha Plants and then jump to the next layer. Don’t hit
all the ? Blocks (second from the right has a Poison Mushroom in it).
Instead, defeat the Koopa Troopas and head right along this upper path
down an extensive hallway until it opens up to the second pipe with a
Piranha Plant in it. Drop down to the pipe and then jump back to the
upper layer where you must defeat only a Koopa Troopa (red). Now jump
to the next pipe and hit the block above it (the one to the upper-right,
just before the bricks begin to drop down a few levels) for a 1-Up
Mushroom. Ah-ha! These are so rare…
Quickly drop down and rush right up the stairs and over two Piranha
Plant-infested pipes to reach a Koopa Troopa. Beat it down and run
under the next Piranha Plant, jump into the air just as the 1-Up falls
to intercept it. Now jump to the upper path and go right to find
elevator platforms on ropes – these are real Donkey Kong-style
elevators. Take them across the gap and fall down to the ground where
all the coins are. Now when the Piranha Plant to the right lowers
itself into the pipe, jump to it and then jump right to the block there.
Wait there for the Piranha Plant to rise and then run right over the
gaps and into the warp pipe. Tada! Now you’re outside. Walk right
and use the stairs to jump to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 5-3 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is the best choice for this level.
Walk right and step on the platform. It activates and begins its
scroll to the right. Follow it, jumping over the first Piranha Plant,
and then jump onto a red Koopa Paratroopa here to bounce straight up to
a pipe. Take it down to a bonus room! Run forward through the coins
and enter the pipe. When you emerge, jump right to a ledge and then
jump to the pipe to the right. From there, jump to the pulley platform
system and to the ledge. The Bullet Bills start coming now. Jump to
the elevator platform to the right and wait on it. Use either the
Koopa Paratroopa or the Bloober to reach the ledge. Now jump across
the platforms to the right (they lower when weight is applied) and
you’ll reach another ledge. Jump across the pulley platforms to the
right and then the block to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 5-4 |
+-----------------+
Jump right onto the platform and then to the next platform. Jump from
this platform to the next, wary of Podoboos, and then to the next
platform with the flame chain looming over it. When it’s down, jump to
the next flame chain and then to the brick block. Now jump to the next
platform when the flame chain is at 9:00 and then jump to the blocks
over the lava to the next platform. Wait for the flame chain to be up
and then jump to the upper platform. Let the Podoboos fall and then
pass by the coins and stopping at the end. Drop to the next platform
when the flame chain residing on it is at 9:00. Jump right when the
Podoboo isn’t a threat and cross the lava.
Drop down to the lower route and pass under the flame chains before
jumping to the next block, which has one of those darned (in lieu of
another word) flame chains. Jump from it to the next block, which is
plagued by a Podoboo, and then drop to the massive flame chain here
when it is at 12:00. Wait for it to lower and jump to the next block.
Go right now Bowser finally starts breathing fire. Go right a bit more
until you can see the flame chain and jump the gap to the block. Fall
into the gap and run forward over the gaps to reach the staircase
before the bridge…
Boss: Bowser
This time, Bowser’s got the works. He can spit fireballs, there’s a
Podoboo, and blocks here obstruct your jumping ability. Here’s the
run-down. If you’re Fiery Mario, just flame him until the costume
breaks, revealing this to be a fake. Yes, a Lakitu was placed in
charge of the siege of World 5. If you are Super Mario, run into
Bowser and then jump to the axe switch. Then, if you are small Mario,
you have the toughest job. Wait for him to jump, standing close enough
that the Podoboo makes no differences as you wait, and then run under
his falling body to jump to the axe. Either way, you will have finally
beaten this terrible castle, but only to find a Mushroom Retainer.
World 5 did not harbor the real Bowser or Toadstool, and we must press
onward. But, we leave a free land behind us, free from the tyranny of
the Koopa Troop (disregard the whole monarchy thing). Perhaps World 6
will be a bit more rewarding.
=======================================================================
===============================World 6*================================
=======================================================================
This is a grassy land with a lot of mountains in the background and
many shrubs and bushes. But, it is not a forgiving world… Really,
it’s very much like World 7 in the original Super Mario Bros.; it has a
normal level, a water level, and then a bridge level before a castle.
+-----------------+
| Level 6-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: This level is most easily beaten as Luigi.
Walk forward and hit the blocks the Buzzy Beetle is on to find a
Mushroom (if it’s a Fire Flower, just jump through the blocks and take
it). Knock it down to you by hitting the block it is sliding right on
and then go right as a large Luigi. Hit the rightmost block here for a
Starman! Hurrah! As Invincible Luigi, run right through several
enemies, including a Hammer Brother, until you reach a pipe. Jump at
the side to hit an invisible block and then jump onto it to reach the
top. Drop down onto the Bullet Bills to the right and then jump to the
stairs to the right.
Run under the Hammer Brother and Piranha Plant as you go over the
Piranha Plant below and you’ll reach two Koopa Paratroopas. Bounce
from them to the upper row of bricks and hit the ? Blocks (one contains
a Poison Mushroom toward the right, while one toward the left contains
a power-up) for coins. Fall at the end and jump right when the Piranha
Plants are down and you’ll reach some stairs. But alas, they’re not
the ones that mark the end of the level. Wind starts to blow, aiding
your jump. Hop onto the first platform and then leap right to the
second. From there, jump to the mini-stairs to the right and go right
onto the elevator platform between the two Piranha Plants over the gap.
When it is near the right end, jump to the pipe and then to land.
Finally! The wind stops blustering. Jump right as the Piranha Plants
go down and make your way up these stairs severed by the pipes. At the
top, leap right into the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 6-2 |
+-----------------+
A watery level… I suggest using Mario. Swim forward over the reefs
and sink down to the ground after you pass the third one. If you
remember, Bloobers cannot hurt you when you are on the seafloor. Now
swim right, staying low in the suction pit to avoid the Bloobers, and
then get onto the ground to the right. Swim right under the Cheep-
Cheeps and you’ll reach an elevator platform series. Don’t let them
push you down into the suction pit. Rapidly press A over them to get
into the opening, avoiding the Cheep-Cheep and Bloober as you do so.
Now pass over the coral reef or seaweed to the right and sink down to
the ground.
Let the enemies pass and then swim right into the opening, paying
careful attention to not be drowned by the elevator platforms coming
down. Now drop down and swim right over the suction pit to find a
Koopa Troopa of the red variety. Swim over it and then continue
swimming over the suction pit to reach land. Wait for the Cheep-Cheeps
to pass above and then swim forward, getting onto the green block when
you come to it, and taking the lower route beyond the elevator
platforms. Now swim right through one final mess of Bloobers, a Koopa
Paratroopa, and Cheep-Cheeps to reach the pipe out of the water. When
you surface, go right onto the staircase and then jump for the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 6-3 |
+-----------------+
Solid control is great in this level, which is why Mario is the wise
choice. Jump onto the stairs ahead and then to the next block. And so
it begins. Cheep-Cheeps now begin launching themselves from the deeps
below to hit you. Run forward, jumping to the next bridge and then to
the next, as you avoid the rain of fish. After that is a short series
of bridge platforms. If you jump onto the Koopa Paratroopa beneath
the ? Block, you can bounce into the block. Now continue right,
jumping the bridges, to reach real land. Hit the brick block here for
a power-up. Jump to the next ledge and then to another series of small
platforms. Then to the right, jump onto the Koopa Paratroopa when it’s
relatively high and you’ll bounce to the ledge. Jump to the next one
and then jump right, bouncing off the Koopa Paratroopa there, to land
against the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 6-4 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is the best candidate for beating Bowser this time around.
This is one of those newfangled pick-the-right-passage-or-start-over-
again castles, just like 3-4 was. Jump to the block to the right and
then jump across the lava to reach a Piranha Plant. Jump over it and
then take the lower route after it. When the flame chain is at 9:00,
run under it and jump the small pool of lava to reach another pipe with
a Piranha Plant in it. Go past it to find a Hammer Brother. This one
is a bit tricky, though. When he jumps, jump yourself onto the upper
path and then the uppermost path. Either that or jump through his line
of fire when you first see him (he’ll start the battle off by jumping
and throwing a single hammer, your perfect chance to jump over him).
Run right on this uppermost path over a Podoboo and past a flame chain
before dropping down to the pipe of the Piranha Plant below. Jump over
it and take the more dangerous lower route. Piranha Plants are
attacking here. Wait for the first to withdraw and run under it. Then
jump to the lip of the next pipe, running over them when they are down.
Jump to the next block and then drop into the lava (that is, onto the
elevator platform concealed in it). Now jump onto the next flame
chained block and then onto the elevator platform. Take the lower path
here. Run over the lava when the Podoboo is up and then stop
immediately afterward.
A gargantuan flame chain is rotating here. Wait for it to be at 9:00
and run under it. Continue running on this lower path until you see
lava (stop then). It is here that Bowser starts heating up the place.
Look into the lava to see an elevator platform and jump to it. When
you can, jump right onto the stone path and then run forward on it to
jump onto the elevated platform. When flames pass by, drop down and go
right onto the bridge…
Boss: Bowser
Well, King Koopa is very innovative this time. Aside from a Podoboo
and the usual fire-breathing, Bowser has picked up a new hobby –
throwing hammers. Yes, he’s quite good at it, and you’ll die if you
don’t beat him quickly. First, if you’re Fiery Luigi, stand your
distance and burn up that costume to reveal the true master of World 6
was a puny Bloober. But, if you are Super Luigi, run into the behemoth
and then jump for the axe. If small, as you likely are, immediately
run close to Bowser so that you’re too close to be in his hammer’s
range. Wait there for him to jump forwards. Then run under him and
pull the axe out. The bridge collapses and brings Bowser into the lava
pool, thus defeating him. Luigi now goes right to free more Mushroom
Retainers.
Though we did not find Toadstool, we had the pleasure of defeating
Bowser and taking back even more of his conquered land. Now there are
few places left where Bowser could be hiding. Let us travel to World 7
now in hopes of defeating the king and freeing the princess.
=======================================================================
===============================World 7*================================
=======================================================================
It’s a grassy nighttime world with blustering winds. Nothing new here
as far as themes go… Still, this is one of the toughest worlds yet,
but definitely not harder than a few of the previous worlds. Are there
any tricks you haven’t seen yet? You’d better believe it. Plus, it
brings back a few of the old but challenging traps of yore.
+-----------------+
| Level 7-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi should be used in this level.
Walk forward and jump between the Piranha Plants’ pipes as they are
both withdrawn and then go right. The wind starts blowing now. Defeat
the Koopa Troopas and then step back before leaping over the abyss and
landing on the ground. Now jump to the pipe and avoid the Piranha
Plants to get by the next three and to safety. Alternately, get onto
the first pipe, jump left and then pull back to the right and pass over
them safely. Now go slightly right and jump onto the block row above
the water. Now Bullet Bills are being fired at you. Jump over them
and the upcoming Piranha Plant to the next brick block. What do you
know? Cheep-Cheeps are coming now, too. They’ll stop soon, though.
At the end, bounce on the Koopa Paratroopa here and take the pipe down
to a bonus room (the aerial pipe).
Here, run right under the Piranha Plants, jumping for coins if you want
to risk it, and passing through the pipe at the end. When you emerge,
go right to find a Koopa Paratroopa and to let the wind start blowing
again. Just go forward past a series of enemies that is broken by two
Bullet Bill Blasters. Jump onto them and then across the gap you go.
At the end, jump onto the pipe and take it down to another bonus room.
Here, just run right and collect the coins. At the end, take the pipe.
When you surface, a Koopa Paratroopa and a Hammer Brother come at you.
Use the pipe to jump over these enemies and reach a Buzzy Beetle. Run
past it, jump to the block and then to the Bullet Bill Blaster, and
then jump from the next block to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 7-2 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is the better brother in this level.
Walk forward and jump onto the elevator platform to start taking it
across the water. Jump to hit the ? Block for a power-up midway and
then get back onto the platform. Jump off the platform to the Koopa
Paratroopas, which you should bounce off of to land on the pipe. Take
it down a bonus room, collect the coins, and then go forward to a pipe.
When you surface, walk forward to find a Lakitu, its pets, and a green
Koopa Paratroopa. Lucky for you, though, you can jump on the latter to
bounce off of and hit the former.
Now head right to a set of mini-stairs. From them, jump to the first
block with the flame chain and then to the second. From there, jump
right to the pile of blocks and defeat the Lakitu there (it sure is
flying low to the ground). Now jump right to another set of stairs to
defeat another Lakitu and then move on to another block. Run forward
when the flame chain is down and jump to the elevator platforms, which
you can reach by bouncing off the Koopa Paratroopa. Take them to a
pipe, which you can jump to the flagpole from.
+-----------------+
| Level 7-3 |
+-----------------+
Note: Use Luigi this time around.
A tad tricky, but not hard at all. Run forward and jump onto the
spring. When airborne, hold B and go right. You’ll land on a ledge.
From it, drop to the next jumping board and spring up on it. Again,
hold B and hold the D-Pad to the right. Stop when you come to the next
jumping board and fall to it. Remember that you’re more in the left
half of the screen than the center. When you land, spring again to the
next jumping board. Hold right and continue forward to another jumping
board. Take off from it and hold right to land by another one. Hold
right and you should land on a ledge with several coins on it. Jump
across these platforms, with only two tricky flame chains along the way,
and the wind stops at the next flame chain. A few jumps across blocks
from there and you’ll reach the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 7-4 |
+-----------------+
An interesting beginning for a Bowser’s Castle level this is. Run
forward and jump over the flame chain to a narrow hallway. Drop into
the lava below and onto the platform there, and ride it right to
another hallway. From there, avoid another flame chain and jump across
a series of Donkey Kong (the arcade game that was Mario’s debut game)
styled elevator platforms to another hallway. Run forward, jump to the
ledge to the upper-left, and stand in the corner. When the flame chain
passes you, jump onto the upper-right ledge and go forward to a
platform. Defeat the Koopa Troopas as you go and advance to the right.
Take the upper path here and jump off at the end over the Buzzy Beetles
to reach two more.
Now jump up these steps and drop into the depression. Stand in the
left corner and let the flame chain pass you. Then rush to the right
corner and jump out of the depression. Defeat the Buzzy Beetles in
this one if you want and then do the same in the next depression as you
did in the first. Now Bowser begins to use fire. Drop the next block
and jump when the Podoboo is down to the next block. Hop across them
until you reach the end of the aerial ones and you see a platform in
the lava. Jump to it when the flame chain is down and then jump into
the hallway to reach the bridge.
Boss: Bowser
Attack! Bowser’s pulling out all the moves this time. He’s got
hammers, flames, and a flame chain. Still, he can be beaten with some
shrewd battle tactics. As always, if you’re Fiery Mario, flame this
doppelganger to reveal the true master of World 7 – a Hammer Brother
masquerading as Bowser. But, considering that it’s quite unlikely that
you maintained fiery status this entire time, you may be Super Mario.
If that’s the case, run forward and into Bowser. Now pass through his
body and hit the axe switch. If you’re small Mario, you’ve got the
worst lot in life. Run forward past the flame chain and stand close to
Bowser so that his hammers fly over you in their arched path. When he
jumps forward, run under his massive body and jump for the axe. If you
hit the axe, the bridge crumbles and Bowser’s fake falls into the lake
of lava here. Mario proceeds right to find none other than the seventh
of the seven Mushroom Retainers. Another dead-end…
All of Toadstool’s royal court is restored… except for her! We have
now liberated seven of the eight worlds, which means that Bowser can be
hiding the princess in only one place – World 8. Thank the process of
elimination…
=======================================================================
===============================World 8*================================
=======================================================================
The super-tough World 8 is a grassy land filled with huge gaps and many
of Bowser’s elite enemies. He’s really set up his stronghold here, and
it’ll take the best of players to beat this world. Well, either that
or many retries… But, an interesting little twist in Level 8-2 leads
to a sky battle in 8-3…
+-----------------+
| Level 8-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: Make sure to use Luigi in this level.
Go right past a Piranha Plant and down below the many ? Blocks here.
Launch the first Buzzy Beetle’s shell at the enemies ahead and then go
forward, hitting the blocks for coins and a power-up. Do not hit the
second from the right block, though, as it contains a Poison Mushroom.
Now walk forward past the Koopa Paratroopas and other lingering enemies
to reach a stack of blocks. Stand on it and jump right to three more
enemies. From them, the wind will help you jump to red Koopa
Paratroopas to the right. Take them across the gap and you’ll land by
a Piranha Plant. Now go under the Piranha Plant, avoid the Bullet
Bills, and kick the shell of the Buzzy Beetle here into the Hammer
Brother to the right to make short work of it.
Now go under the Piranha Plant and go right to another pipe. Jump over
it and get onto the first block stack. Run right here and jump off the
edge to land on the Koopa Paratroopa and bounce to safe ground. Well,
it isn’t that safe considering the presence of a Hammer Brother. Wait
for it to jump and run under it, making sure to also jump over the
Piranha Plant. Now jump onto the brick blocks, avoid the hammers of
the next Hammer Brother, and duke it out to continue right onto the top
of a pipe. Jump down to another pipe to the right, jump to the block,
and then to the next pipe. On the ground, hit the brick block for
coins if you’d like and then jump from there to the next pipe to the
block to the pipe to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 8-2 |
+-----------------+
Go right to a pipe and jump from it to the elevator platform. From it,
jump to the brick block to the right (power-up) and land on the ground.
Now head right past several more enemies and you’ll reach a pipe. Get
on it and jump over the gap to the right. Ahead is a difficult spring
setup. Jump on, say “seventy” to yourself, and press A to jump just as
you finish the last syllable (this is a good trick for timing bounces
well). Land on the brick stack to the right and jump over the water.
Get under the next brick block after that for a Starman. As Invincible
Mario, run right through the dual Hammer Brothers and then take the
pipe down at the end to a bonus room.
Run right in it, taking the coins if you dare, and taking the last pipe
at the end. When you emerge, you’ll find yourself back in an earlier
portion of the level! Gasp! Hmm, it seems there’s a secret somewhere
along the way. Go right and spring onto the stack of bricks and then
jump to the other side of the pool of water. Now go right to where I’d
normally instruct you to get a Starman. Don’t, however. Instead, jump
onto the Koopa Troopa to bounce into the brick block it hovers below.
Whoa! A vine grows from the top. Jump up to it and Mario will climb
it. Welcome to heaven… err, never mind. Jump from the clouds to the
flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 8-3 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is the best candidate for this level.
This level is the first one (chronologically) to take place completely
in the skies on clouds. Go right and jump onto the elevator platform,
as well as this low-flying Lakitu. Jump right from it and then bound
up to the upper platform. Now step back and making a running jump to
the right. You’ll land on an elevator platform. Quickly defeat the
Lakitu here and drop to cloud to the right. Jump right here and onto
the red Koopa Troopa on the stacked blocks to reach Lakitu again (he’s
a persistent little cloud-flier, now isn’t he?). Now go right and jump
over a Hammer Brother or run under it (note that there is, like in 8-2,
an invisible block containing a Poison Mushroom a little ways before
the Hammer Brother).
Jump over or run under the next, wary of the invisible block, and
you’ll come to a stack of blocks. From it, jump right over the pipe
and run right to a jumping board. It is not needed, though. If you
jump when they are low enough, you can bounce off a Koopa Paratroopa.
When you land, two more Hammer Brothers await you. Jump over them or
run under them if the opportunity presents itself. At the end, jump
around for an invisible block. It contains a Poison Mushroom, but you
must hit it all the same (also, hit the one left of it containing a
coin). Jump to the first block and then to the pulley platform system
to the right. Set on the first platform to raise the second and then
jump right to the flagpole, bouncing on the red Koopa Paratroopa to go
higher if you so desire.
+-----------------+
| Level 8-4 |
+-----------------+
It’s the final level, and we must face Bowser in his sky castle.
Princess Toadstool is at the end of this set of deadly traps and
enemies. Because it boasts tight jumps, a swimming section, and an old
rivalry, Mario will be the hero today. Let’s go!
Go forward and drop onto the floor below. Now stand back and jump
forward over the lava. When you land, pass under the flame chains and
you’ll reach another pool of lava. Wait for the Podoboo to lower and
the flame chain to be at 2:00 to jump to the block. Get onto the lower
step and bounce on the Koopa Paratroopa to the brick above the pipe.
Drop to the pipe to the right with the Piranha Plant in it and wait for
the enemy in the left pipe to lower. Jump to it and take it down to
reach the second section.
It’s an underwater room… in a castle. I guess Bowser can come here
with the kids when he wants to take a dip. Yes, he does have children
(eight, in fact). Anyways, drop right to the ground and walk that way
until you reach the wall. Wait for the flame chain to point away from
the right and swim up to the hallway. Swim through it, passing over a
flame chain and then falling onto the ground to avoid a Bloober, and
then swim right past another chain to reach the pipe that leads to the
third section.
A short section indeed. When you enter, fall left and jump to the left
in the open space for an invisible block wielding a power-up, most
likely a Mushroom. Now, as Super Mario, jump right and onto the blocks
above the pipe. Jump right to lure the Piranha Plant out and then pull
back to land on the stone platform. As it lowers its head back into
the pipe, drop down and hold left on the control stick to get onto it.
Now take the pipe to the part # 4.
Jump right over the lava pool and do not hit the ? Blocks. The third
from the left contains a Poison Mushroom. Now, defeat the oncoming
airborne Bloober by jumping between the pipe and the blocks and then go
forward to a Koopa Paratroopa. Defeat it and jump to the pipe to the
right. From it, jump right to the platform in the lava and take it
forward onto the platform (make sure to run forward onto it or it won’t
work) in the lava before jumping up to the long flame chain. Now go
forward through the hallway to see Koopa Paratroopas. When you can,
jump forward to the block there and get on top of the pipe. Jump up
for a hidden block (a Fire Flower or a Mushroom) and then take the pipe
to the next section.
Run forward and jump the Piranha Plant’s pipe to reach… BOWSER!!! Holy
Toledo! And yes, it is the real guy. If you’re Fiery Mario, you can
flame it until it keels over. Or, if you aren’t, you can run under it
when it jumps or try to jump over it. When you pass the king, complete
with his own boss music, run right to an elevator platform. Jump to it
and then fall to the edge of the platform here with the Piranha Plant
over it. Wait for it to go up and then jump right into the hallway.
Avoid the Buzzy Beetle and continue forward to the bridge…
BOSS: Bowser, King of the Koopa
This is the ultimate clash of good and evil – Mario vs. Bowser. And I
assure you, it is the true Bowser. First, if you are Fiery Mario, you
can still overheat Bowser and defeat him like any of his decoys. If
you are Super Mario, run into Bowser and then hit the axe. If not, you
have a few things to look out for. First, he has a flame chain above
the bridge as well as low overhangs to obstruct your passage. Then
there’s him with his flame breath and hammers. Run forward into his
arch and then wait for him to jump forward. Run under him and grab the
axe switch. Yes! Bowser falls into the lava, and we have defeated him
once and for all (yeah right)… Now proceed to find the princess in a
cage. If you are small, you get a Mushroom. She kisses you, turning
Mario’s eyes into hearts. And then the princess speaks:
“Thank you Mario/Luigi! The kingdom is saved! Now try a more
difficult quest… Push Start”
Though we have liberated all of Mushroom Kingdom and you have beaten
the game, there are still five more worlds left for you to beat. Can
you handle the ultimate challenge?
CONGRATULATIONS! You beat the game, and a hard game it was. But,
there’s still more challenge left. There are the letter worlds and the
legendary World 9…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
/ \
/ \
||----------------------------Section 3*-----------------------------||
\ /
\_________________________________________________________________/
=======================================================================
===============================World 9*================================
=======================================================================
If you are able to beat the game without using warp zones, then you
will enter this mysterious world. You have one life to get through
this world (which is actually surprisingly easy), and it is pretty
strange. This is optional, but good luck to you all the same. I
recommend using Mario for this entire world, by the way, especially
since you should have beaten 8-4 with him.
+-----------------+
| Level 9-1 |
+-----------------+
Walk forward and go up the steps. Take the pipe to appear in the
watery level 9-1… Swim forward over the Piranha Plant and a Koopa
Paratroopa to reach a Bullet Bill Blaster. Swim right past it and the
elevator platforms and then go right under the Piranha Plant and then
swim over the Piranha Plant after that. Swim right when the next
Piranha Plant is up and then swim up to the top of the water. Continue
swimming up and right for the remainder of this underwater portion.
Below will be myriad other enemies, including Goombas and a Lakitu.
The only difficulty comes when you pass the Hammer Brother and you see
Bloobers. Lakitu retreats; sink to the bottom and then swim right
under the Bloobers but over the Buzzy Beetles to reach the flagpole
after a set of underwater stairs.
+-----------------+
| Level 9-2 |
+-----------------+
We’re still underwater… This level is actually unbelievably easy for
such a difficult game. Swim forward, over the Piranha Plant, and then
sink down so that you’re still above the suction pit. A Lakitu comes
in to throw Spinies at you. To avoid them? Just swim forward along
the bottom. Eventually, the ceiling opens. From there, just swim
forward for the rest of the level. You’ll have to use your better
judgment to pass one Piranha Plant and then you reach the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 9-3 |
+-----------------+
We’re in the castle of World 9, even though we’re outdoors. But don’t
let the combination of Bowser’s Castle music and a ranch-style outdoors
theme throw you off. Go forward past a spring (no enemies so far…
This is kind of creepy…) and then make a running jump to reach the
brick block. Hit it to make a vine appear and take it up to a short
bonus round in the clouds. Run forward and jump into the pit at the
end to reappear a bit later in the level. Take the stairs up here and
pass over the lava in them until you reach the pipe. From there, jump
through the hole in the ceiling and walk forward right over Bowser, who,
oddly enough, can walk through the stairs to throw hammers and breath
fire, and you can jump right to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level 9-4 |
+-----------------+
This is just a congratulatory level. The blocks are arranged to be
Japanese characters spelling something out (reader kankokuriori tells
me that the phrase is basically the English “Thank you!” written in
katakana, a Japanese script). The only thing in your way is a Bloober
and a Podoboo. Just cruise along the top of the level to reach the
flagpole.
Now, you are a super player. I’m not sure what the message in 9-4 said,
but you have beaten World 9. Feel proud!
=======================================================================
===============================World A*================================
=======================================================================
If you used warping, you will go to World A immediately after rescuing
Princess Toadstool in World 8. If you did not warp, you’ll go to World
A after beating World 9. Either way you get there, World A waits as a
new difficult world that Princess Toadstool just challenges you to play.
Really, it’s not that bad. Neither is World B, World C, or the last
world, World D.
+-----------------+
| Level A-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: Let Luigi give this level a shot.
I feel like I’m playing Battleship… Go right and let the Koopa
Paratroopa pass. Jump into the fray with the Koopa Troopas here and
hit the upper gap in the brick row for a power-up. Take it and go
right. Jump onto the bricks to the right to be as high as you can and
then run right, jumping into the distance to land by a brick block
containing a 1-Up Mushroom.
From it, jump right to the ? Blocks that two Hammer Brothers are staked
out on (luckily, you can pass over them) and jump right over the Koopa
Troopas here. Continue right to a Piranha Plant and then jump over it.
Run right past it and you’ll avoid a Piranha Plant as you pass under
Hammer Brother enemies. After it, jump up the stairs and go right past
two Piranha Plants and to a jumping board by some Koopa Troopas.
Instead of using it, though, jump onto the lower Koopa Troopa and pass
through the opening from there. Now bounce up the staircase to the
flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level A-2 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi will take this one.
Run forward and bounce on the jumping board to hit a block with a 1-Up
Mushroom in it on the ceiling. Now run right, keeping the mushroom on
he screen, and jump over the elevator platforms to let it fall to you.
When you land, go right and take the lower hallway. Pass over the
Piranha Plants here and then take the stairs up to an elevator platform.
Enter the upper if you’re small (lower if you’re big) and pass under
the Piranha Plant (over the Piranha Plants if you’re big). Jump to the
elevator platforms. Here’s your chance. If you were big, you had
multiple opportunities earlier to get onto the roof. But, if you’re
small, you can jump from the elevator platforms (if you’re timing is
good) to the roof. Now walk forward, drop down at the first pit you
come to, and take the horizontal pipe out of here. When you surface,
take the stairs to the right up and then jump for the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level A-3 |
+-----------------+
Well, this is a cloudy version of those accursed bridge/Cheep-Cheep
levels. Also, the wind goes on and off. Basically, all you have to do
is run forward, jumping when necessary. Aside from constant Cheep-
Cheeps, you’ll face aerial Bloobers, Koopa Paratroopas of either color,
and nothing else. Really, just run forward and jump over clouds until
you reach a jumping board that can take you to the flagpole. Just
Mario’s speed, huh?
+-----------------+
| Level A-4 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi should do this level.
Ooh, the first letter castle. Like the rest of this world, it isn’t
nearly as tough as it’s cracked up to be. Walk forward and jump onto
the platform to the flame chain. When the Podoboo to the right is down,
jump to the next platform with flame chain. Jump from it there and hit
the ? Block (if you dare) for a power-up. After it, jump right to one
of those huge flame chains on steroids that it faster and much more
hazardous than the others. When it is down, quickly jump from its
platform to the next and then into the hallway. Run under the flame
chain and then fall down to the ground here.
When the Podoboo ahead is down and the flame chain is at about 2:00,
run forward and jump over the lava pit. Take the stairs up here,
defeat the Koopa Troopa if you’d like, and then go right. When the
Podoboo is falling or not there, drop to the platform in the lava. Now
jump over the Podoboo-laden lava to reach a block in the lava. Run
right from there and pass under the Bullet Bills to reach one on the
ground. Jump over its missiles and run right. It is here that Bowser
starts interfering with your progression using his trademarked flames
of doom. Go right from there, wait for the flames to be down, and then
leap over this Bullet Bill Blaster to reach the king on his bridge…
Boss: Bowser
Bowser is sporting his standard fire-breath and his less standard
hammers like normal, but this time it’s just you and him; no Podoboos
or flame chains to weigh you down. Run forward into his arch of
hammers and wait for him to jump. Sprint beneath him and jump for the
axe switch, if you’re small. If you’re Super Luigi, run into the titan
and then hit the axe switch. Still, if you’re Fiery Luigi, just heat
him up. Any way you beat the fellow, you will pass right to rescue the
Mushroom Retainers again. Ugh, these guys need to hire body guards.
We have successfully cleared World A, the first of these four
mysterious worlds that Princess Toadstool has challenged us to. Can we
clear World B, the second of these strange regions in Mushroom Kingdom?
=======================================================================
===============================World B*================================
=======================================================================
Just your average, everyday plains level. It also contains a water
level. It is rather easy, really.
+-----------------+
| Level B-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: Use Luigi.
Go forward and jump onto the ? Blocks (they’re just coins, anyways).
Jump from them to the pipe to the next pipe. Now, if you’re small, you
can get between the two brick blocks to the right and hit the upper one
for coins. Now jump to the pipe and fall off of it. Defeat the two
Koopa Paratroopas ahead of you and hit the ? Blocks for two coins and a
power-up. Now jump right and jump off of the pipe to the fourth brick
block of the upper column from the left to reveal a vine. Jump through
the bricks and jump to it to take it. This is what people call “coin
heaven.”
Go forward and jump on the cloud. Jump for coins, fall to the ground,
and run forward for more coins. Repeat this to get the maximum number
of coins possible before you jump into the opening at the end. When
you emerge, go right a bit to jump in the first two spaces opened by
the lower brick row. This makes them filled with invisible blocks.
Now get onto the second row and jump to bust the fourth from the left.
It’s a Starman! Grab it from the top of the row and jump right onto
the ? Blocks. Jump to the pipe and keep going right until you reach a
large gap flanked by Piranha Plants. Get on the first pipe, leap to
the second, and then jump up these blocks to reach the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level B-2 |
+-----------------+
Mario walks forward into the pipe and so another water level begins.
Swim forward and enter the hallway. Swim out of it and quickly rise to
the top of the water. When you pass over the stairs, sink to the
bottom. Walk forward until the oncoming Koopa Troopa becomes an issue.
Then you should swim up and over the next stack of blocks. Sink down
to the bottom again and swim forward over the suction pit to the reef.
Swim over it quickly and sink down again. Now, when the coast is clear
(pun!) of Cheep-Cheeps and Bloobers, swim forward and then rush through
the reefs until you reach a stone structure with coins on it.
Past it are elevator platforms going down, of course, that you need to
swim under to make it across the suction pit alive. Then you’ll come
to a large rectangular series of blocks. Take the lower, coin-filled
route at the risk of Cheep-Cheeps and suction pit to land on the ground.
Now, notice the long flame chain ahead. How does a flame chain work
underwater? Never mind that, though. Stand a safe distance from it
and wait for it to be at 8:00. Run! Or, swim! Either way, you should
just barely make it. Be sure that there are no Cheep-Cheeps
complicating things. After that, just swim over another suction pit to
find the pipe out of there. Take it, climb the stairs, and jump for
the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level B-3 |
+-----------------+
Note: As it involves many jumps, Luigi is the better pick for this
level.
Go forward and jump onto the ledge. Bounce from the Koopa Paratroopa
to the pulley platforms and then go right to a sinking elevator
platform and then to one that moves under a ? Block. If you are small,
hit it for a Mushroom. If not, jump onto the block and then jump right
to the platform there. From there, jump to the ledge to the right and
then to the block in the air (a lot easier than using the jumping board,
eh?). Now bounce off of either Koopa Paratroopa to land right. Jump
to the block above you and stand back on it.
When the Piranha Plants ahead are down (really, when the second one is
lowering itself), dash forth and jump to its pipe. From it, jump to
the platform to the right. Now the Bullet Bills start coming. Jump
from that elevator platform to the next ledge to the next. From it,
jump forward to a pulley platform that you may not be able to see just
yet. Jump right of it to another pulley platform to an elevator
platform, careful to avoid the Bullet Bills, and you’ll land on a ledge.
Use a Koopa Paratroopa ahead to bridge the gap. Now step back and leap
forward to the next ledge (you were supposed to use the Bullet Bill,
but Luigi can make the jump on his own). From there, just jump right
for the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level B-4 |
+-----------------+
Go forward and jump from the stairs to the blocks in the lava. Jump
across from them and to the pillar to the right. Jump over the Piranha
Plant’s pipe and go right to a flame chain. When it is down, run right
and jump across the lava to land on some ground there. Wait for the
adjacent flame chain hovering over you is at 3:00 and jump on. Jump
from it to the hallway and walk forward to a hole. Drop in on the
elevator platform, ride it right, and jump upward. Now go forward and
stop. The puzzle begins.
Or, so you thought. Just keep going forward on the bottom level and
you’ll eventually reach an end to it all. Bowser’s flames about three-
fourths of the way there should have alerted you to this. Now, at the
end, drop from the Piranha Plant pipe and wait for the flame chain
ahead to be at 8:00. Jump onto the block (also, be sure that Bowser’s
fire has passed) and then into the hallway from it. Go forward to the
bridge…
Boss: Bowser
Boy, the levels sure are short now. Bowser is up to his old tricks.
He throws hammers, he has flames, and he has his giant’s pro-football-
player-and-part-time-cashier’s body, but Mario can take him. After all,
he’s a plumber. There are no tricks this time (that is, no Podoboos or
flame chains), just two people fighting. First, if you are Fiery Mario,
just roast this wannabe. If not, but you are still Super Mario, run
forward and tackle Bowser. You’ll get hurt, but you can then move
right along onto the axe. But, if you are small, run forward and get
into his “arch of hammers.” Wait for him to jump forward to try to
crush you and then run under the brute’s mammoth body. Jump for the
axe switch and… HUZZAH! The bridge crumbles and Bowser falls into his
own muck, err, lava. But, when Mario goes to find Toadstool, he finds
only Mushroom Retainers.
The second of these strange letter worlds has been freed. Now Bowser
has lost eleven of his conquered territories, and he has only two left.
Is World C home to the greatest of his fortresses? We will find out
shortly.
=======================================================================
===============================World C*================================
=======================================================================
No! It’s a nighttime zone with snow! Really, snow wouldn’t be so bad
if it didn’t just welcome every Hammer Brother and his brother into it.
It usually isn’t Bowser’s style to set up his grandest castle in the
snow, though, that reptile. But, after C-1, we enter a normal
nighttime area with grass. But, despite the confusing theme of this
world, once question remains: is Toadstool here? Let’s find out, shall
we?
+-----------------+
| Level C-1 |
+-----------------+
Run forward and under the Koopa Paratroopas here to reach two Piranha
Plants. Stand on the lip of the right-side-up one and wait for it to
lower. Run forward now, not hitting the second ? Block from the left
(Poison Mushroom Alert), and jump the gap after that to reach more
Koopa Paratroopas. Now go right past them and jump to the second row
when the Piranha Plant is up. Hit the ? Blocks, one of which contains
a power-up, and then get onto the pipe to the right. Jump to the
second and then atop the third. Go forward to three rotated pipes and
pass under the first two. Then stand below the space between the
second and third Piranha Plant so that you can defeat the Koopa
Paratroopa when it comes.
Now go right under the third and over the fourth. Run forward to the
gap, jump, and bounce off of the Koopa Paratroopa to get across. When
you land, run forward to meet a Hammer Brother. Step back, let it come
forward, and then run and jump over it. When you pass it, jump under
the Piranha Plant ahead and you’ll land on icy ground. Bounce on the
Koopa Paratroopa here and go forward on the brick blocks. Fall down,
beat down that Buzzy Beetle, and take the stairs and pipes to the
flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level C-2 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi is good for this level.
Get onto the staircase and jump onto the Bloober. From the platform
here, jump right to another one. Cheep-Cheeps are flying… Run forward
and jump the bridges and ledges until you reach a series of small
platforms. Carefully traverse them and you’ll reach a ledge. To the
right is a single block. Jump to it and then to the other block to
your right. Step back and launch yourself over the chasm and to the
ledge.
Or, if that doesn’t work, try jumping from the ledge to the block to
the block to the ledge quickly to build up speed to make it across.
When you do, jump forward onto a Koopa Paratroopa and bounce off it to
a ledge. Now, see the green jumping board? Use it and go forward to
land on the second ledge you come to. Jump to the elevator platform to
the pulley platforms from it. Set on the first to raise the second and
then jump from the second to the high ledge to the right. The flagpole
can be accessed by a single jump now.
+-----------------+
| Level C-3 |
+-----------------+
Go forward and use the jumping board. Stop when you come to the first
ledge and drop to it. Defeat the Lakitu from there and use the jumping
board again. This time, wait to get a clear shot upward and then
spring right. You’ll want to land on a narrow ledge. Spring up from
there and go right to land on another spring. Bounce up from there and
go right until you land on two adjoined ledges. Lakitu retreats now
(jump for joy!), by the way. Bound onto the pipe to the right and then
to the jumping board to the right.
Use it to go right to another jumping board. Use it to land on a brick
block. Jump right to another brick block and then to the next, flame
chained one when it is low. Jump to the next quickly and then to the
safe block. The wind is still blustering… Bounce from the Koopa
Paratroopa’s back to the block and then hop along the blocks. And now
the wind finally stops blowing. Jump right when the flame chain is
down. Now jump right into the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level C-4 |
+-----------------+
Hmm, what an interesting name for such a terrible castle (C-4 is an
explosive)… It is also quite similar to an earlier castle (7-4 ring a
bell?), just as a few other of these letter levels were. Run forward
and you’ll come to a hallway with two flame chains in it. When they
are down, run over them. Now drop down the hole to an elevator
platform and ride it across the lava. Now go right, avoid the flame
chain (you will want to be big later, and there is a power-up in an
invisible block above the flame chain), and jump across these tiny
Donkey Kong-style elevator platforms on ropes. You’ll reach another
hallway at the end.
Go forward, jump to the overhang, and stand in the corner. Let the
flame chain pass you and jump over it to the right. Now go right,
defeating the Koopa Troopas as you do so, and you’ll reach a fork in
the elevation. Take the upper path and stroll along while Buzzy
Beetles frustrate themselves as they search for you. Now jump up the
stairs to the right and stop when you see the flame chain. Look!
Those clever programmers put a block in the way of the safe cranny in
here. When the flame chain is at about 11:00, run forward and crouch
in the right corner to remain unscathed by the flame chain. Now go
right, jumping the Buzzy Beetles’ pit, and you’ll find an even more
challenging flame chain.
Due to the strategic block placement (curse you, programmers!), you
will get hit if you were big by these flame chains automatically. If
you are small, you can get by it, but it’s difficult. Run forward and
leap in one fluent motion and you should just barely make it through.
After that, jump a series of small platforms (watch out for a Podoboo
jumping around near the start). Bowser starts to flame-breathe right
now. At the end, jump right to a platform with a flame chain and then
jump right into a hallway that leads to the bridge.
Boss: Bowser
King Koopa throws hammers, breathes fire, and he can jump, not to
mention his flame chain on the bridge. Yep, he’s really got it made in
this joint. Too bad we have to give him the boot. If you’re Fiery
Mario, which is quite impossible without using cheat codes, just roast
him. If you’re Super Mario, equally impossible, run into Bowser and
then jump to the axe switch. If you’re small Mario, which is in the
realm of possibility, run forward past the flame chain (it shouldn’t
come into the equation) and get into the arch of hammers. When Bowser
jumps, run under him and hop to the axe switch. The bridge crumbles
beneath Bowser’s awesome weight and he plunges into the lava. Burn!
But, all we rescued was a Mushroom Retainer.
We have now defeated Bowser in every territory but World D, and almost
all of Mushroom Kingdom is free now. Bowser must be hiding in the
thirteenth (what an amazing coincidence!) world, D for Doom (who writes
this junk? Oh yeah, I do…). Let us make haste! This last world
promises to be the toughest of them all.
=======================================================================
===============================World D*================================
=======================================================================
This is a lot like World 8, but a bit harder and not as sky-themed.
Princess Toadstool, who we’ve already rescued, just has to be in D-4,
the castle of this crazy land. Can Mario and Luigi use the power of
teamwork and friendship to reach Bowser? Probably not, but they can
still reach Bower (just cut out that teamwork/friendship jazz).
+-----------------+
| Level D-1 |
+-----------------+
Note: Use Luigi in this level.
Of course, World D is a haven for Hammer Brothers. Run forward to find
two of them. Jump beneath them to defeat them. Get on the lower level
and run forward, jumping so that you bounce from the Koopa Paratroopa
to the stairs. Now avoid the Bullet Bills and jump right across the
brick blocks. On the third one, you can jump to the upper-right to hit
a block containing an invisible 1-Up Mushroom. Take it and go right
onto the ? Blocks to take down the pipe. It’s a bonus room! If you’re
Super Luigi or Fiery Luigi, jump through the blocks and hit the left
one for a power-up, as well as the other coins.
If not, hit the lower blocks to collect the lower coins and take the
pipe out of here. When you emerge, go right and jump onto the block.
Hit the brick block for a power-up and then jump on top of that block.
When the Piranha Plant is lowering and the Koopa Paratroopa is at its
rightmost position, jump to bounce off the winged turtle to the pipe
and then jump right to a Hammer Brother. Run past it, run past another
Hammer Brother, and you’ll reach a Bullet Bill Blaster mounted on the
ground. After it, run right under the Piranha Plants (you can run over
the gap) and then jump onto the pipe at the end. Jump up these blocks
and then to the flagpole you go.
+-----------------+
| Level D-2 |
+-----------------+
Note: Luigi yields the best results for this level.
Go right and walk up the stairs. At the top, defeat the Koopa Troopa
and then continue along the upper block row. Fall down at the end and
go forward, avoiding or engaging (reader’s pick!) the Buzzy Beetles and
Koopa Paratroopas. Run under the pipe and jump the gap. After jumping
under a few more pipes (it should be obvious to know when to jump), and
run right to find a Bullet Bill Blaster plus green Koopa Troopas. From
the top of it, step back and make a running jump to the block row to
the upper-right. Take the pipe here down to a bonus room. That
probably says something in Japanese…
I’m not quite sure what, though. Take the pipe out when you have
harvested the coins. When you emerge, go right over some Piranha
Plants to find two rows of bricks. Hit one of the upper ones to make a
vine come out. Ooh! Bounce from the Koopa Paratroopa to the vine and
you’ll reach another coin heaven. At the end, you’ll fall back down to
the pipe we took earlier. Don’t take it this time (it is a good
infinite loop for coins, though). Instead, jump right onto the ground.
Look, the pipe you emerged from! Continue past the two rows with the
vine and you’ll reach a jumping board. Remember the “seventy” trick?
Use it here to land on the block. Now jump to the flagpole.
+-----------------+
| Level D-3 |
+-----------------+
We’re just outside Bowser’s fortress. You can see the walls… Go
forward to face an onslaught of Bullet Bills. Jump from blaster to
blaster (the brick block along the way contains a power-up, but it is
not worth your life) to find a Piranha Plant pipe. Skip over it and go
right to the Hammer Brothers – yes, brothers, two. Jump over them as
you go and you’ll encounter a Bullet Bill Blaster. Run up to it, jump
on, and then jump right to go under the Hammer Brothers in the hallway
(hopefully).
When you escape them, you’ll appear by another series of Bullet Bill
Blasters. Jump over them to reach a jumping board (red). Utilize it
in jumping the stack of bricks. You land by a Hammer Brother. Run
past the fiend and past a Bullet Bill Blaster stack. After them is
another lethal Hammer Brother. After it is another and then a Koopa
Paratroopa! NO! Run right of them to reach a staircase built of
Bullet Bill Blasters. At the top, jump right to the flagpole. You’re
going down, Bowser!
+-----------------+
| Level D-4 |
+-----------------+
Note: Since Mario got to take down Bowser the first time, let’s let his
underappreciated little brother take down Bowser the second time.
This is the ultimate test of valor. We must defeat Bowser now once and
for all (again, yeah right), or Mushroom Kingdom will never have true
peace! Enter Luigi!!! Bowser, you haven’t a hope to survive. Let’s
rumble!
Drop down from the stairs and inch toward the lava to see one of those
extended flame chains. Stand back and jump just as the flame chain
passes the 8:00 position. Then run forward under the next flame chain
to jump the Podoboo-infested lava to another flame chained platform.
Jump to the Koopa Paratroopa ahead of here and bounce up to a block
over a pipe. Jump to the pipe to the right and then jump right to the
aerial pipe. From there, jump right to the elevator platform and then
to the stone floor in the lava. Run down the hallway when the flame
chain moves and you’ll reach a dead-end with a Piranha Plant pipe in it.
Take this pipe to part two.
You’re outside! This must be Bowser’s playground or something. Let
the Hammer Brother approach you and then jump over him from the pipe.
The wind starts to blow. Jump the pipe and then the two Koopa
Paratroopas you come to. Skip over the aerial Bloober and jump over
the block to land by another Bloober and a Piranha Plant. Jump between
the two and run up the stairs to jump to the flagpole! No, just
kidding. Jump at the end to a Piranha Plant.
You come to a bonus room. Just run forward, collecting the coins as
you do, and you’ll come out to the castle.
Walk forward to find… Bowser! And he’s Mario’s father! No! Okay,
that isn’t true, but still, press on. Just go under him. All he’s
guarding are ? Blocks. Now jump the Piranha Plant’s pipe as you defeat
three Bloobers and go right (you’re running from Bowser, see?). Up
these stairs, a Hammer Brother will confront you. Defeat him quickly
or just run and then drop into the lava to the right when the elevator
platform is down to ride it up to the top hallway. Go right, fall into
the hall (avoid the Podoboo) and you’ll reach the bridge. It is time
to fulfill your destiny.
BOSS: Bowser, King of the Koopa
He has a flame chain on an overhang to prevent you from jumping. He
also throws hammers and spits fire if you are too far away from him.
If you are Fiery Luigi, stand away from him and flame Bowser until he
falls into the depths of his lava. If you are Super Luigi, run forward
and right into tyrant Koopa. You’ll be invulnerable for a brief time,
letting you jump right to the axe switch. But, if you are little Luigi,
run forward and into the arch of hammers of the great king. When he
jumps, run under him and take the axe switch. YES! I think I will now
quote Mario in Super Mario 64. So long, King Bowser! The bridge
collapses and drags Bowser down into the lava with him. Mario goes
right to find Toadstool in a cage, and you get a Mushroom (and a kiss).
She is now truly safe, as is the Mushroom Kingdom. She speaks:
“Thank you Mario/Luigi for restoring peace to our kingdom. Hurrah to
our hero, Mario/Luigi! Push Start”
CONGRATULATIONS! You really did beat the game this time. And a hard
game it was. Feel proud, my fine friend, feel proud. Now you can play
it again to get a better score. Oh, and Toadstool so should’ve said
“Huzzah,” not “Hurrah.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
/ \
/ \
||----------------------------Section 4*-----------------------------||
\ /
\_________________________________________________________________/
=======================================================================
==============================Warp Zones*==============================
=======================================================================
So, what are “warp zones?” Well, scattered around the various worlds
are pipes that say “Welcome to Warp Zone” over them. These pipes can
lead forward or backward in the levels. For example, a warp zone in
Level 1-2 lead sot World 4, but one in Level 8-1 leads to World 5. So,
if you want to skip some tough levels, or if you are a point demon,
warp zones can greatly aid you. This section is devoted to covering
all of them, good and bad. Let’s go!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World __
Location: Level ____
Notes:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The setup is above. Below is the list.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World 2
Location: Level 1-2
Notes: In this sewer level notorious for its warp zones, the most
obvious leads to World 2. You have multiple opportunities to get onto
the roof. One of these ways is covered in the guide (see “World 1” in
Section 2). In whatever way you choose, get onto the ceiling and run
right, jumping gaps, until you pass the exit pipe. Keep walking and
you’ll fall to this pipe.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World 3
Location: Level 1-2
Notes: Near the very start of the level, just past the Goombas I
mentioned as “Gloombas” in later games, you’ll find a Buzzy Beetle in
between a pipe with Piranha Plant and a blue staircase. If you jump
above the Buzzy Beetle, you can hit an invisible block. Hit the block
slightly right of it above to make a vine pop out. Take it up to an
outside area. Run forward, jumping up the ledges, and you’ll reach a
staircase that turns out to be a warp zone.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World 4
Location: Level 1-2
Notes: There is yet another warp zone to be found in these sewers. If
you take the path to reach the warp zone to World 2 (that is, get on
the roof and run right), you’ll come to two Piranha Plants before the
pipe to World 2. Take the first one’s pipe down to a secret area. Go
forward and hit the rightmost ? Block for a power-up. Now get on top
of those blocks and jump right across the lava from the platforms to
the pipes to land. If you are big, get hit. You have to be small for
this part (if you crouch-slide, you’ll fall into lava). Run forward
over the lava ahead and go forward to a red Koopa Troopa. If you jump
above it, you’ll hit an invisible block. A little ways to the right
and up a tad more is another block. Now jump from it to the top of the
brick wall to the right and you’ll fall down to the warp pipe to World
4.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World 5
Location: Level 8-1
Notes: In this level, count the number of Hammer Brothers you pass.
After the third, enter the next pipe that is right-side-up to enter a
water area. Swim right in it and you’ll come to a pipe. When you
emerge, you’ll find the warp pipe to the right. This is a painful warp
zone…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World 6
Location: Level 5-1
Notes: At the near end of the level are three red Koopa Paratroopas.
It’s the first trio of these you see in the level, a bit after the
windy part of the level. By it are two brick rows. Hit the rightmost
brick and a vine comes out. If you cannot break the bricks (that is,
if you are small), bounce off the Koopa Paratroopa to reach the vine.
When you take it, there’s a short coin heaven bonus before you drop to
a staircase. Go right to find that it’s actually a warp zone to World
6.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World 7
Location: Level 5-2
Notes: Simple enough… You have several opportunities to get on the
ceiling. The easiest time to do this is at the elevator platforms.
Jump from them to the roof. If you keep running along the ceiling,
even past the normal exit pipe, you’ll reach this warp to World 7.
Nifty, but not nifty enough, considering the other warp zone…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World 8
Location: Level 5-2
Notes: Get to the area just before the Donkey Kong-style elevator
platforms. See the rightmost block in that floating structure? You
need to hit it. To do this, I find it easiest to stand on the elevator
platforms and jumping left as they rise. When you do hit it, a vine
comes out. Use the platforms now to reach the vine and climb it up to
an outside area. Run along the ledges here and you’ll reach a
staircase that is actually a warp zone to World 8. Neat-o!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World B
Location: Level A-2
Notes: Hmm, how do you think we get to warp zones in sewer levels? Of
course, get on the roof and run right past the warp pipe. If you
follow the guide, you can reach the roof a bit before that awful Hammer
Brother. When you get on the ceiling, run right past the normal exit
pipe and you’ll reach the warp zone to World B.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World C
Location: Level A-3
Notes: This is pretty simple. If you jump the flagpole at the end of
the level by using the jumping board, run right to a warp zone pipe to
World C.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warp to World D
Location: Level B-4
Notes: Yes, the programmers even stuck a warp zone in Bowser’s Castle.
When you reach the end of the area that is a trick (that is, the area
that looks like it’s one of those repetitive parts where you must take
the correct route to get by), you’ll see a pipe. Take it down and
you’ll reach a staircase that hovers over the warp pipe that leads to
World D.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
And those are the warp zones! We will use them to our advantage in the
next section.
=======================================================================
===========================Minimalist Quest*===========================
=======================================================================
In Super Mario Bros., you can beat the game with only playing a fourth
of the levels. In Super Mario World, you can beat the game with only
finding twelve of its ninety-eight goals (if you count Front Door and
Back Door). Even Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 are
loaded with warp zones (in Super Mario Bros. 3, you can skip to the
very last world from the first). So, naturally, it is the genes of
Mario games that most of the levels are unnecessary. As it turns out,
this is true. It is possible to skip most of the game’s 52 levels.
Here’s a guide on how to do it.
1) Beat Level 1-1.
2) Play in Level 1-2 and use the warp zone to World 4 (see above
section).
3) Beat Level 4-1.
4) Beat Level 4-2.
5) Beat Level 4-3.
6) Beat Level 4-4.
7) Beat Level 5-1.
8) Play in Level 5-2 and use the warp zone to World 8 (see above
section for details).
9) Beat Level 8-1.
10) Beat Level 8-2.
11) Beat Level 8-3.
12) Beat Level 8-4, unlocking the letter worlds and skipping World 9
altogether because you warped earlier.
13) Beat Level A-1.
14) Play in Level A-2 and use the warp there to reach World B.
15) Beat Level B-1.
16) Beat Level B-2.
17) Beat Level B-3.
18) Play in Level B-4 and warp to World D when there.
19) Beat Level D-1.
20) Beat Level D-2.
21) Beat Level D-3.
22) Beat Level D-4 and you’ve beaten the game with as little effort as
possible! Congrats!
So, as you can see, it is possible to complete the game in only 22 of
the 52 levels, just a bit more than 42 % of the game. This game does
not allow for supreme laziness like Super Mario World, but it still
lets you beat the game lazily.
=======================================================================
==============================1-Up Trick*==============================
=======================================================================
Here’s a little tip for getting “infinite” 1-Ups. In reality, it is
safe to have only up to 128 1-Ups, or 127 if you really want to be
secure. To find out why, see the bottom of this section. But, if you
just want to know how to get major 1-ups, see below.
Though there are many tricks, the best way to get multiple 1-Ups is
found in Level 1-1. Early, huh? Alright, he’s the run-down. You can
do it almost at the start of the level.
1) Go right so that you can see the caged Koopa Troopa above you. Get
the Super Mushroom from it (hit the second block from the left and
knock it out). Make sure that you can still see all the cage.
2) Now let the Koopa Troopa recuperate and start walking around. Get
it so that it is walking on the fourth block from the left and then hit
the third block so that it’s stranded.
3) Hit the first block from the left and jump onto the block that
contained the Mushroom.
4) From there, break the blocks overhead, leaving the cage looking like
so:
+---++---+ +---++---+
| || | | || |
+---++---+ +---++---+
+---+ +---+
| | | |
+---+ +---+
+---+ +---+
| | | |
+---+ +---+
+---+ M R +---+
| | / K | |
+---+ L T +---+
+---+ +---+ +---++---+
| | | | | || |
+---+ +---+ +---++---+
M/L stands for your position, RKT stands for red Koopa Troopa.
5) Jump a bit to the right. The upper block should knock you down onto
the Koopa Troopa. If you land on it, you will land on it, bounce up
repetitively, and then be juggled upward in the column of space between
where you two were standing. Each time you land, you’ll bounce back up
(if done successfully). Eventually, you’ll start getting constant 1-
Ups. Then you can keep doing it until the time runs out. Do it again
if you’d like, though it can be risky. This trick is really cool if
you do it correctly.
+----------------------+
| The 1UP System |
+----------------------+
That’s how all you can get “infinite” 1-Ups. But, be warned that you
can never have more than 127 lives at any given time. Well, you can
have 128 lives at once, but you have to die when you have 128 lives to
keep playing. If you have one more than 127, then you actually have -
128 lives, which is less than 1 (meaning you get a Game Over). Why is
that?
The NES is an 8-bit system, which means that it can hold 256 unique
values in a basic memory units. These units -128 through 127 in Super
Mario Bros. 2 (Japan) Now, think of these values as being on a circle
(they actually are arranged this way).
------------------------------------------------
| -1 | 0 |
| -32 | 32 |
| | |
| -64 | 64 |
| | |
| -96 | 96 |
| -128 | 127 |
------------------------------------------------
The negative values are on the left half of the circle, and the
nonnegative values are on the right side of the circle. When you gain
a life, you go clockwise on the circle. So, if you have 127 lives and
you gain one, you go over the line to the negative half. When you lose
a life, you go counter-clockwise on the circle. So, if you have -128
lives and you die, you have 127 lives. The game checks your life count
each time after you die and each time you clear a level. So, it is
safe to have -128 lives as long as you don't beat the level with that
number, or you'll get a Game Over.
For this reason, the SNES incarnation of this game has a maximum number
of lives set at 128.
- Thanks to D.Hawkins, whose guide explained quite well what I was
dieing to know – why can’t you go over 128 lives.
Also, as a note of interest, the game does not use numbers like “11”
for your life count. Instead, they use the crown system of numbers.
So, you may not be able to tell how many lives you have. 128 lives
looks like a horizontal E over a red line next to a blank box with blue
zigzag lines running from the left corner to the right side. The SNES
version of this game, though, actually does use number values.
=======================================================================
=============================Bonus Rooms*==============================
=======================================================================
Scattered about the worlds are pipes that can be taken to underground
areas filled with coins called bonus rooms. Here I have diagrams of
them to help you in getting the most out of them. After all, 100 coins
make for a 1-Up.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #
Location:
-Diagram-
Notes:
=======================================================================
Above is the setup, and below is the list. But, before that is the key.
+--------------------------------------+
| BONUS ROOM KEY |
+--------------------------------------+
|B: Brick Block |
|F: Floor Block |
|E: Piranha Plant |
|L: Bullet Bill Blaster |
|C: Coin |
|H: Coin Block |
|I: Invisible Coin Block |
|+: Power-up Block |
|<: Poison Mushroom Block |
|>: Invisible Poison Mushroom Block |
|P: Pipe |
+--------------------------------------+
=======================================================================
Bonus Room # 1
Location: 1-1, 2-2, 4-2
+-------------------------------+
| |
|B + B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B P|
|B P|
|B P|
|B I P|
|B P|
|B P|
|B > I P|
|B C C C C C C C C P|
|B P P P|
|B C C C C C C C C C C P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+-------------------------------+
Notes: There are two invisible blocks here that you can use to reach a
power-up. Other than that, the coin placement is self-explanatory.
When you’re done, take the pipe out.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #2
Location: 2-1, 3-1
+-------------------------------+
| |
|B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B P|
|B B P|
|B B P|
|B B P|
|B B P|
|B B C C C C C C P|
|B B B B B B B B H P|
|B B B P|
|B B B P P P|
|B C C C C P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+-------------------------------+
Notes: If you’re small, you can just run under the low overhang. If
you’re big, you can break through the blocks to take the coins. After
that, just exit via the pipe.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #3
Location: 1-2, 3-1
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B P|
|B P|
|B B H B P|
|B B B P|
|B B B P|
|B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B P|
|B B C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C B P P P|
|B L P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Notes: A Bullet Bill Blaster here only slightly complicates things.
Run forward, jump upward for the coins, hop over the Bullet Bills it
fires, and you’ll reach a rectangular block formation before the pipe.
If you’re Super/Fiery Mario/Luigi, you can break through the lower
block to hit the upper coin block before you exit by means of pipe.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #4
Location: 5-1, 7-2
+-------------------------------+
| |
|B + B B B B B B B B H B B P|
|B P|
|B C C C C C C C C P|
|B P|
|B B C C C C C C C C B P|
|B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B P|
|B P|
|B P P P|
|B P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+-------------------------------+
Notes: If you’re Luigi, a simple jump will make you up to the platform
with the coins over it. If you’re Mario, run forward to the pipe and
then turn around quickly to jump to the platform. From there, collect
the coins, hit the coin block and power-up block, and then exit with
the pipe.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #5
Location: 5-3, 7-1
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B H P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B P P P|
|B C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Notes: Basically, you’ll fall and run forward through coins. If you’re
big, you can break the block at the end to hit a coin block. Other
than that, this is just a huge, straightforward hallway.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #6
Location: 7-1, 8-2
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B P P P P P P P P P|
|B P P P P P P P P P|
|B P P P P P P P P P|
|B P P P P P P P P P|
|B P P P P P P P P P|
|B P P P P P P P P P|
|B E E E E P|
|B C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C P|
|B P P P|
|B P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Notes: Depending on your personality – whether you take risks or not –
you will or will not collect all the coins. The Piranha Plants will
emerge to try to hurt you occasionally. If you’re a daredevil, jump to
the pipe and take the coins. If not, just take the ones between the
pipes for safe crossing. When you’re satisfied with your coin count,
take the pipe to the right out of there.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #7
Location: A-1, D-1
+-------------------------------+
| |
|B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B P|
|B B C C C C C C B P|
|B B B P|
|B B C C C C C C B P|
|B B + B B B B B B < B P|
|B P P P|
|B P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+-------------------------------+
Notes: An interesting mix. There’s a power-up and a Poison Mushroom
here, and the coins are all caged in. If you’re big, bust through the
brick blocks and take the coins. If you’re small, jump into the lower
bricks to take the coins on the lower level and then move on.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room #8
Location: C-1, D-4
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B C C C C B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B C C C C C C C C C B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B H B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B P P P|
|B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B C C C C C C C C C P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Notes: Just your average hallway-style bonus room. Run forward, take
the coins, and jump into the coin block along the way for even more
gold. Exit when you’re done.
=======================================================================
Bonus Room # 9
Location: World D-2
+-------------------------------+
| |
|B B B B B B B + B B B B B P|
|B P|
|B P|
|B B H B P|
|B C C C B B C C P|
|B B B P|
|B C C C B B C C P|
|B B B B B B B B B P|
|B P|
|B P P P|
|B P P P|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
|F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F|
+-------------------------------+
Notes: I think that the blocks form a Japanese character, but I’m not
sure if that’s true or what they would say if it was. If any case,
jump onto the platforms, collect the coins, and then hit the upper
block row’s power-up block. Now that you’re guaranteed to be big,
break the lower block to reach a coin block. Exit when you’re done.
=======================================================================
=======================================================================
- A big thanks to GameFaqs writer Austin Angelus, also known as
Charizard06, whose excellent ASCII drawings allowed me to model my own.
And there you go. Hopefully, these diagrams will help those of you
lost in bonus rooms. There are two other types of bonus room, though.
There’s a short underwater stretch (self-explanatory) and a cloudy area
called coin heaven filled with coins. Both are rather obvious.
=======================================================================
=================================FAQ*==================================
=======================================================================
We’ve already made it to the FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions.
Acronyms are so amusing, don’t you think? But seriously, here’s where
I answer questions I get too often that I’m tired of answering. Please
read this before you e-mail me. Chances are your question is answered
here.
Question: What is the difference between Mario and Luigi?
Answer: Mario controls just like he did in Super Mario Bros., but he
bounces higher from enemies. Luigi bounces even higher, jumps higher,
and has worse traction (he skids).
Question: Can I play with a different character for a level that you
didn’t suggest?
Answer: Yes, you can. It is possible for either character to beat any
level, but I always recommend one of the brothers over the other to
make things easier. In reality, I prefer Luigi because of his jumping
prowess, but some might favor Mario. If you noticed, I divided the 52
levels up evenly between them; each brother gets 26 levels apiece. But,
they are strictly optional, and you can beat the levels in any way
you’d like.
Question: What are the main differences between the Super Mario All-
Stars (SNES) version and the original Super Mario Bros. 2 Japan
(Famicom Disk System) version?
Answer: We can thank kankokuriori for this information. Well, in the
original, you could never switch between a character once you chose one
unless you beat the game and it restarted. Furthermore, Worlds A-D
weren’t readily available in the original. Instead, you had to (note
that the game could save then) beat the game EIGHT TIMES to get eight
stars to appear on the title screen, and then you can finally access
the levels (you see, even in giving the game to the rest of the world,
Nintendo toned down the difficulty!).
Question: Where can I get this game?
Answer: Well, not too many places. It was released only in Japan at
first, and you might be able to find it there (I’d imagine it would be
hard, though, considering that it’s nineteen years old now in 2005 when
I wrote this guide). But, there are other sources. If you own a Super
Nintendo, I enthusiastically recommend “Super Mario All-Stars” or
“Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World,” both of which contains
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan) under the title “Super Mario Bros.: The
Lost Levels.” The Game Boy Color game Super Mario Bros. Deluxe has
this game on it (entitled “Super Mario Bros. for Super Players”). And,
the future might hold re-releases still. But, if this doesn’t appeal
to you, there’s always emulation. Please don’t ask me about it, as it
may or may not be illegal where you live or at the time that you read
this guide (laws change as time goes by). Basically, emulation is
playing a computerized version of a video game, usually with lesser
graphics, without having to pay for the actual cartridge, thus ripping
off Nintendo’s (and others’) hard work.
Question: What is this “seventy trick” you refer to in the guide?
Answer: It’s a dumb technique I came up with to tell when to jump off a
board to get maximum height. The time takes to say “seventy,”
beginning when you land on the jumping board and ending when you take
off, is about the time you should wait before jumping off a spring. I
only mention it in a few places, though.
Question: How do I beat Level _____?
Answer: See the guide, please.
Question: How do I unlock World 9, and do I need to beat it to unlock
the letter worlds?
Answer: As far as I know (in the SNES version, anyways), you can play
World 9 just by not using warp zones through Worlds 1 through 8. As
for the letter worlds, you access them by beating World 8, and it makes
no difference whether you beat World 9 or not.
Question: How come you didn’t say what the Bowser decoys were in the
letter worlds? And what about World 9?
Answer: Because the true identity of the decoys changes from game to
game. For the first seven worlds, the Bowser decoys are the same in
the NES and the SNES. Strangely, though, the letter worlds have
different fakes. Here’s a list, the first the setup, the rest the
actual phonies. World D is divided into two parts because you
encounter Bowser twice in that castle.
World __: Disguised Enemy in NES/SNES
World 9: Real Bowser/Real Bowser
World A: Little Goomba/Koopa Troopa (red)
World B: Koopa Troopa (green)/Cheep-Cheep (green)
World C: Buzzy Beetle/Bullet Bill
World D (1): Spiny/Real Bowser
World D (2): Spiny/Real Bowser
Question: How can I contact you?
Answer: By e-mail only. My e-mail address -
[email protected] (caps
don't matter) - is listed here and at the top of the screen. My IM
name is the same, but I do not accept IM's. If you still want to try
your luck that way, then you're in for a ton of frustration. I'm
frequently away from my computer and I don't respond to IM's even if I
am on it. Furthermore, please put "Super Mario Bros. 2 Japan" or “The
Lost Levels” or something to identify the game in the subject title so
that I know what game you need help with. Please spell things as
correctly as you can and do not write in slang (I can handle most of
it, but writing things like IAALTRFTS, for example, are not
understandable by any human being, including myself). Furthermore, do
NOT send me Spam, chain letters, "tags," which are essentially the same
thing as chain letters, or any personal e-mails (like a/s/l and that
sort of thing). I don't have the time to get to know everyone, I'm
afraid.
Question: Can I use your guide on my website?
Answer: No, no, and never. See my legal section for details.
Question: What games do you have guides for?
Answer: This one is my thirty-first. Can you believe it? I'm even on
GameFAQs's prolific dork list. I mean, I'd have to spend all my spare
time in the past year writing these guides! I know what you're
thinking... I have walkthroughs written for each of the following
games: 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 and you're reading my
latest one - Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan). But for a list of all the
guides I’ve written for (that’s current), check out this link:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/46879.html
Question: What’s up next?
Answer: Well, I plan to write a guide for Super Mario Bros. 2 (American)
next, and then Super Mario Bros. 3. After that, I might pursue the
Super Mario Land series, but I have really been neglecting the Zelda
series (a while back I was sure I’d write guides for the Oracle games,
but I haven’t yet). Also, I plan to write more guides for games of
different genres or starring characters other than Mario or Link (I
should write at least one guide for a Kirby game considering that my
contributor name is “Kirby”021591). I do a lot of variety, you know.
But, that’s the future, meaning the far-off future (when I run out of
Zelda games to write guides for…). Right now, I’m greatly enjoying
myself writing for Mario games, and I don’t plan on stopping any time
soon.
And now that that’s over, let’s move on to the fantabulous legal
section. Oh, this is what dreams are made of…
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
/ \
/ \
||----------------------------Section 5*-----------------------------||
\ /
\_________________________________________________________________/
=======================================================================
====================Credits and Legal Information*=====================
=======================================================================
Let’s get this over with. That is, I sarcastically pretend to like
this section in all my walkthroughs, but let’s just get one thing
straight, pal: I hate writing these sections. Let’s just extract from
an earlier guide.
Reading legal sections is about as fun as watching a slow-motion
foreign-language film about the making of boxes in black and white.
First, though, the credits. Yes, I know that everybody is dying to
know who helped me write this. Let's get started, shall we?
First, I'd like to thank myself for writing the guide, playing the
game, and for posting it. The man! The myth! The legend!
Second, a big round of applause for Nintendo. They made Mario and this
game, and this guide wouldn't be around without them. Also, plaudits
go to them for compiling five great Mario games on Super Mario All-
Stars + Super Mario World for the SNES. I used it to play The Lost
Levels, and I couldn’t have without it.
Third, let's all thank GameFaqs, the great site that is the only place
where you can find my guides. Without them, you wouldn't be reading
this.
Recently, some more people have helped me out. Here's a list of who
they are and what they did.
kankokuriori, for telling me some differences between Super Mario Bros.
2 (Japan) for Super Mario All-Stars, which I used to write this guide,
and the original Japanese version of the game for the Famicom Disk
System. See one of the FAQ questions for details. Also, for providing
the meaning of the block formation in 9-4.
Charizard06, for I modeled my bonus rooms drawings after his.
D.Hawkins, as he explained quite well in a guide of his how the 1-Up
system works (the circle).
Brian Sulpher, because I modeled my flagpole after his in his guide for
Super Mario Bros. He sure knows how to use ASCII. Thanks, Mr. Sulpher.
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 regularly. Anyways, I learned a bit about Mario’s origins,
mostly name origins, from his guide. It was this guide that I started
using some of his information for Mario character bios, as well as
other characters’ bios, 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 it for now, but I'm sure that list will grow. Now for the legal
section. If you're really obsessed with my guides, you'll know which
one I copied the legal boilerplates out of.
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 2005-2006 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.
And that’s a wrap. Well, I had a blast writing this guide. Yes, I say
that about every guide, but I mean it every time. But, all things must
come to an end, including this walkthrough. So, it’s been real, but
now we have to go. I won’t cry if you won’t. Okay, I’ll cry anyways!
Just, err, got to pull myself together here… Now, let’s not say good-
bye. Instead, let’s say my completely tubular catchphrase, the one
that I use at the end of every guide. It’s withstood the test of time,
it is the eternal Houdini, it rocks the world on a regular basis! Yes,
I refer, of course, to that one signature, trademarked, and you’d
better believe it’s patented little string of words. I’m tired of
waiting! Let’s get to it! Drum roll, please… Kirby out. Fine, I
admit that’s definitely not it. Here’s the real one.
See ya later.
