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MARIO BROS. FAQ/Walkthrough

Author......................Raging_DemonTEN
Console.....................Nintendo Entertainment System

"MARIO BROS" Copyright 1983 Nintendo
FAQ/Walkthrough Copyright 2002 Raging_DemonTEN

E-Mail [email protected]
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----- Copyright Information -----
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| |
| This FAQ is copyrighted by Raging_DemonTEN in the year 2002. It is for |
| private use only, and cannot be reproduced or sold without strict |
| permission from the author. Permission can be asked for by e-mailing me |
| with the title "LP Permission" at: [email protected]. |
|___________________________________________________________________________|

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| Version History |
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Version 1.2 - New Format
Fixed Enemy Names
Walkthrough Added

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| Table Of Contents |
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| 1).......| Introduction |
| 2).......| Overview And Controls |
| 3).......| Differences Between A-Game and B-Game |
| 4).......| Point Values |
| 5).......| Enemies |
| 6).......| Walkthrough |
| 7).......| 2-Player Tips |
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1. Introduction
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This is the one of the older Nintendo games to come out. Although it was
released in arcades in 1983 as Vs. Mario Bros., it didn't come out on the NES
until 1985. It is a never-ending game like Donkey Kong, in which you keep on
going through the repeating levels until you die, and see if you get a new
high-score. While this may seem boring, Nintendo does it like only they can
and makes it an addictive classic.

I'm writing this guide so you get a better overall feeling for the game,
and hopefully help you out with your gameplay. I just added a phase-by-phase
walkthrough to help you out also. Now that that's cleared up, let's begin
with a quick overview of the game.

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2. Overview And Controls
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The object of each phase is to defeat all the enemies. You do that by
first jumping underneath and hitting the platform the enemy is on top of,
knocking it on its back, then running up to it while it's turned over and
kicking it. Kicking is done automatically. However, if you don't kick it fast
enough, it will come back in a faster, harder-to-beat, blue form. If an enemy
touches you and its not on its back, you lose a life. You start out with 3
lives. Once you defeat all the enemies in a phase, you go on to the next
phase. When you get to a phase that is a multiple of three, there is a bonus
phase instead of a normal phase where you can receive more points.

Controls
+++++++++++
D-Pad - Moves Mario or Luigi
START - Pauses the game
SELECT - Chooses A-Game or B-Game when you begin the game
A Button - Jumps

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3. Differences Between A-Game And B-Game
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The only key differences between the A-Game and B-Game is the time that
things happen. The B-Game is the more difficult one because the fireballs
come quicker and the enemies recover faster. There are no point differences
between the two games.

Differences
+++++++++++++++
A-Game - When enemy gets knocked on its back, it takes 20 seconds for
it to change color and get back up
B-Game - When enemy gets knocked on its back, it takes 15 seconds for
it to change color and get back up

A-Game - Fireballs start to appear 80 seconds after the level begins
B-Game - Fireballs start to appear 60 seconds after the level begins

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4. Point Values
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Since there isn't an actual ending to this game, getting the hi-score is
your main goal. You score points from doing many things, such as collecting
coins and kicking enemies. Below is a list of actions in the game and the
points you get from them:

-------------------------------------------------
| Flipping an enemy | 10 |
| Kicking an enemy off the floor | 800 |
| Hitting Slipice | 500 |
| Hitting a Red Fireball | 1000 |
| Hitting a Green Fireball | 200 |
| Bonus Coin | 800 |
| Collecting all Bonus Coins (1st phase) | 3000 |
| Collecting all Bonus Coins (2nd phase+) | 5000 |
=================================================
| Extra Life - 20000 points |
-------------------------------------------------

Enemy Combos
++++++++++++++

An enemy is worth 800 points when you kick it off a floor. However, if
you can kick more than one enemy off a floor within a short amount of time,
you'll score x2 for the next enemy, and x4 after that, and so on for the
amount of enemies you can kick in the short timeframe. The timeframe is
usually a second, and it can be difficult to get more than two on their back
at a time. An easy way to get a combo is to use the POW block when most of
the enemies are clumped together.

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5. Enemies
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Defeating enemies is the only way to get to the next phase. Once you
eliminate all the enemies in the phase, you've beaten the phase, and move on
to the next phase. You defeat an enemy by first hitting the platform under
it, as shown...

____ _ ____ _
/ | | / | |
-- ---|_| -- ---|_|
---/ ---/
E E <----On back
------------ ------------
You <---Jump here ----> You
---------- -----------

Then, you kick the enemy while it is on its back by running up to it and
Mario/Luigi automatically kick it. You get 10 points for knocking it on its
back, and 800 points for kicking it.

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++ Shellcreeper ++
A.K.A: Turtle
First Appears: Phase 1

Shellcreepers travel in a straight line and in one direction, always staying
on the ground unless moving to another platform. Your basic enemy, it's easy
to avoid and to flip over. It only takes one hit to knock it on its back. Its
shell turns red when it is in its faster form.
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++ Sidestepper ++
A.K.A: Crab
First Appears: Phase 4

Sidesteppers travel in a straight line, always staying on the ground unless
moving to another platform. It takes two hits to knock it on its back. The
first hit will only make the Sidestepper move faster. The expression on its
face turns to a grimace in this faster form.
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++ Fighterfly ++
A.K.A: Butterfly
First Appears: Phase 6

Fighterflies travel in a straight line,, jumping around on the platform and
onto others. Like the Turtle, it takes one hits to knock it on its back. Its
body turns red when it is in its faster form.
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++ Slipice ++

First Appears: Phase 9

In higher levels of game play, you'll encounter Slipice, an iceman who
freezes floors into slippery ice. To prevent Slipice from freezing floors,
punch him from below the same way you would hit a pest. You don't have to
kick Slipice to eliminate him. Kicking him will suffice.
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The Final Enemy
+++++++++++++++++

When there is only one enemy remaining in a level, it turns blue and
becomes its fastest form. This form is extremely hard to kill (especially
the Flies), and you should be extra cautious.

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-- Fireballs --
=============================================================================

After a certain amount of time, depending on whether you are playing the
A-Game or B-Game, fireballs come out. These are extremely hard to avoid, and
are serious nuisances. Fireballs CAN be killed like any other enemy, by
jumping underneath the platform they are floating over. However, due to their
twirling movement, this can be difficult, and another fireball might hit you
instead. It's not suggested unless absolutely necessary.

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++ Green Fireballs ++

Green Fireballs appear on one level of the series of platforms and
travels along this level in a straight line. They have fast movement, but a
minimum amount of bouncing. Your best bet to avoid these is to just move
yourself to a separate platform, either above or below where it appeared.
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++ Red Fireballs ++

Appear on one platform and move around the whole level. They have slow
movement and bounce a lot. Avoid by constantly moving, because they have a
slight homing capability.
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6. Walkthrough
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While there are supposedly an infinite amount of phases in the game, once
you pass Phase 20 they will begin to repeat. The walkthrough below will cover
every phase that will appear in the game, with a strategy for each thrown in.

=============================================================================
-- Mechanics Of A Phase --
=============================================================================

_ ----- _
-------| | | |-------
__/ | | | | \__
------|_| |_|------
---/ \---

------------------------ ------------------------
------------------------ ------------------------

-------------- ----------------- ---------------
-------------- ----------------- ---------------

-----
-------------------------- ! POW ! -------------------------
-------------------------- ----- -------------------------
_ _
----------------| | | |----------------
| | | |
| | \/ <----You start here | |
----------------|_| /\ |_|----------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The enemies come out of the tubes on the top and go down the platforms
until they reach the tubes on the bottom. They enter these tubes and return to
the top, and the cycle repeats itself until you defeat that enemy by flipping
and kicking it. However, if an enemy collides with another enemy on the way
down, both enemies will go in the opposite direction they were heading.

The POW box is right above where you start. If you jump underneath it, it
makes all the enemies go on their back, or if they are on their back,
get back on their feet. However, you only can use it three times in a game,
so use it wisely.

Phases come in groups of three or two, with bonus stages being the last
stage in the group of three. Bonus phase have the same structure as the levels
before it, except there are no enemies and you have 20 seconds to collect ten
coins.

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| Phase 1,2,3 |
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Phase 1 Enemies: Turtle x3
Phase 2 Enemies: Turtle x5

The basic phases which will teaches you the basics of flipping.
Turtles are very slow-moving and easy to flip, with no special moves of
any kind. Don't even come near the POW Box, and just slowly take your time
and eliminate them all.

___________
| Phase 4,5 |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Phase 4 Enemies: Crab x4
Phase 5 Enemies: Turtle x2, Crab x4

Crabs are much faster than the Turtles, so you're going to have to adjust
your strategy a little bit. Play defensively, and wait for the Crabs to reach
the middle ledge before you flip them. Remember to always hit them twice, as
once just makes them go faster. When the Turtles come into play in Phase 5,
ignore them as you'll want to have a slower-moving Turtle as the last
enemy rather than a speedy Crab.

_____________
| Phase 6,7,8 |
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Phase 6: Fly x4
Phase 7: Fly x3, Crab x2

The Flies don't have any speedier version, so relax a little when you
have to face them. In fact, leave them for last, since you'll have plenty of
time to pick them off then. Watch the way the Flies hop. Time your jump and
placement so that you're underneath where they're going to land two hops
away. They get up quickly, so kick them as fast as you can. When you have
Crabs also, get the Crabs first, as their speed travel can mess up your
timing.

_______________
| Phase 9,10,11 |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Phase 9: Turtle x4, Fly x1, Slipice
Phase 10: Crab x4, Fly x1, Slipice
Phase 11: Crab x4, Fly x2, Slipice

The only thing that makes these levels difficult is Slipice. Slipice can
make some levels almost impossible to defeat, especially if it ices up the
platform directly below the top tubes. Watch for this. Otherwise, it's the
basic thing you've been doing for the past phases.

___________
| Phase 12+ |
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
From this stage on, the phases will begin repeating. Most of the time,
phases 8, 10, and 11 are repeated. You'll get into rhythm eventually. It also
becomes pretty boring 30 phases in. Alas, it's only downfall. Good luck and
happy gaming!

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7. Two-Player Tips
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Two-player Mario Bros. is two times the fun (or so Nintendo says..hmmm).
All the same rules apply except you can either fight each other to see whom
gets the highest points, or work together and see the highest phase you two
lovable scamps can get up too. I'll have two sets of tips for the mode of play
you want to do:

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Fight For Points
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- USE THE POW BOX ! It makes the other player jump in the air, giving the
monsters time to get him. Remember to knock some monsters on their back
first so they get up when you hit the box.

- You can push the other player around. Run into him and push him towards a
monster. If you're being pushed, jump so the pusher goes flying forward,
directly into the monster.

- When you get up to the Crabs and Flies, only knock them once so they become
faster and kill the other player easier. However, watch out, because they
don't discriminate between players.

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Work Together
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- Assign jobs. One player knocks the enemies on their backs while another
kicks them.

- Try to stay out of each other's way. You can collide with each other, not
just the monsters.

- When you get to the bonus level, try to share the coins equally so you both
get points.

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| Thanks To.... |
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Kyle Robinson - For information regarding the fireballs
GameFAQs - For continually posting my guides
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Well, I hope you enjoyed my FAQ. This is the first FAQ I've ever written,
so this first guide might turn into a career of many. If you have any comments
or questions about this guide, please feel free to e-mail me at
[email protected].
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(c) 2002 Raging_DemonTEN