Super Mario Brothers 3 (NES)
Walkthrough

Document written by PyroFalkon ([email protected])
Latest update: 1 November 2003
Current version: 1.1a



+-----------------+
|+---------------+|
||VERSION HISTORY||
|+---------------+|
+-----------------+

v1.1a (1 November 2003)
It's been nearly a year, but unfortunately my site is down for the count.
Luckily, IGN has decided to host my FAQs too, so it's all good. A new copyright
notice is the only change.

v1.1 (26 March 2003)
Added two little tips from readers, both of which concern the very last level.
Check out the section for Bowser's Castle to get the 411, or something.

v1.01a (31 December 2002)
No new information, but I've changed my legal info. I'm now carrying my guide
on my own website; you can find the URL at the bottom of the document.

v1.01 (19 November 2002)
Goodness, I didn't think I'd have to update this, and I certainly didn't think
I'd get a user submission about it. A small note has been added for Castle 7-1.

v1.0 (07 October 2002)
First release, and quite finished.



+-------+
|+-----+|
||INTRO||
|+-----+|
+-------+

I still love this game, even over a decade after its initial release, so I've
decided to write an FAQ about it. I've slaughtered each of the levels before,
and I think it's more fun to slaughter the game piece by piece than using the
warp whistles all the time. Still, I'll cover how to get them, and how to get
the other happy little things like mini-airships.



+-------------+
|+-----------+|
||BASIC STUFF||
|+-----------+|
+-------------+

No, I'm not going to tell you how to fly or what the P-meter is for. The manual
covers that. This is just simple secrets that are peppered through the game.

+------------+
|Mini-Airship|
+------------+

Also called the White Airship, this will take the place of one Hammer Brother
that is wandering the overworld. You can only activate it by completing a few
objectives.

First, you have to be on a world with an odd number. Worlds 2, 4, 6, and 8
won't work. Any stage can be used to activate them, but you need to be careful.
You need to finish the stage with your coins as a multiple of 11, and the tens
digit of your score must match it. So, if you have 33 coins, you need to have
your score end with 30.

There are a few tricks to doing this. Obviously, it should be no problem
getting the required amount of coins. You get 10 points for every brick you
break, so that can get your score to the required tens digit. Then, make sure
you hit the final card when the remaining time is on an EVEN digit. See, you
gain 50 points for every second left on the clock. If you have an even number
of seconds left, then the tens digit will be left alone.

These Mini-airships are EXTREMELY useful. There are acres of coins to be had,
and you can get a happy little one-up shroom by jumping between the first and
second portholes at the end. You'll have to deal with two enemies, but they
shouldn't cause you too much grief.

+-----------------+
|White Toad Houses|
+-----------------+

Toad is EVERYWHERE giving you stuff to help your quest, but his best stuff is
in hidden houses. Every world has one hidden Toad House that will give you a
nifty little item if you fufill a requirement.

To open the hidden Toad House, you need to collect at least a certain amount of
coins in certain stages. The stages are different for each world, but I'll be
sure to point them out as we get to them. The hidden Toad Houses have P-wings
in odd worlds and Air Anchors in even worlds.

+-------------+
|Warp Whistles|
+-------------+

There are three Warp Whistles total scattered around worlds 1 and 2. They allow
you to quickly jump to the next few worlds, if you wish. While I'll list how to
get them, I'll still cover the whole game (of course).

+-------------+
|The Card Game|
+-------------+

For every 80,000 points you score, a little card with an N will appear on your
current world. Touch it to start a card matching game like concentration. For
every pair you get right, you get that item. Two misses will terminate your
game, but after another 80,000 points you can play again. There are only 8
combinations of cards.



+---------------------+
|+-------------------+|
||WORLD 1: GRASS LAND||
|+-------------------+|
+---------------------+

The starting world, only one screen large. Only 6 stages and one castle stands
between you and the airship. A Hammer Brother is there too, but he poses no
threat. Two mushroom houses and a life-up game will start your arsenal.

The stages are all easy, and there two warp whistles to be had here. This is a
great place to get your feet wet and experience having a large fuzzy growth on
your butt.

Normal Stages: 6, plus airship
Castles: 1
Special Stages: None
Brothers: 1
    Hammer Brother
Item Houses: 2
Life-up Games: 1
Main Baddie: Larry Koopa

+---------+
|Stage 1-1|
+---------+

This stage opens with everybody's favorite baddie, Goomba! Say hi, Goomba!

*squish*

Well, that didn't last long.

The four ? blocks above your head are easily reached. The far right one
contains a mushroom. From the blue block should be an easy hop over the Piranha
Plant to another ? block with a single coin. Joy!

Another Goomba begs to be splatted, so take him out. Jump on the red Koopa and
rob him of his shell. Pick it up and launch it toward the ? block on the ground
just to your right. A brown leaf and raccoon tail will be your reward.

This long platform has a few Goombas and a Para-Goomba. Sqaush them all, and
you'll have a nice runway for your first flight. Start running from the block
with the leaf toward the right and fly upward, following the trail of coins.
You'll get to a few clouds, some coins, and a block. Because you'll have more
room to the left of that brick, hit it from the right side, ejecting a one-up
shroom for your pleasure.

Now, from here you can drop down if you want, but there's still stuff to do up
here. Collect the coins over the longer cloud path to the right. Use that as a
runway and fly to the right; you'll need to run back and forth a few times to
build up the speed you need. If you fall, don't worry. Just keep tapping to
slow your decent, and drop to the right. There's plenty of space to land on.

If you fly right from that cloud path, you should find a tall green pipe. Jump
in, and you can get a decent amount of coins (notice the shape of the pattern?
It makes a 3.). Pop out of the bonus room, and you can run to the right to end
the stage, or you can head left for more coins.

In the block formations to the left of the bonus pipe is a block formation.
Ignore the three blocks on the right, where the Koopa is walking, and use your
tail to whack the top-right block of the big group. That will uncover a
P-switch, which will change the blocks to coins. The formations can be reset by
flying into the bonus pipe and popping out again. Because it's so easy to get a
certain amount of coins and points, you should go for the mini-airship while
you're here.

+---------+
|Stage 1-2|
+---------+

Grassy hills. Purrrrrtyyyyyyy...

Make the little hike up the first hill, leap the pipe, and slide down the other
hill. That will take out the one little stupid Goomba who thinks he's cool.
Bust the ? block and grab the leaf that is deposited for you. Get on that block
then, and leap to the T-pipe, and jump to the right. Be careful, there's a
Para-Goomba trotting around there. Smush him, and continue right.

See all those happy coins? DON'T GET THEM. Under the pipe are two blocks. If
you're big, you'll need to do a sliding duck to get them. Bust the one on the
left to expose a P-switch. That will turn those coins to blocks, giving you a
staggered ladder to the pipe. Drop into the bonus room and collect your 20
coins, then exit.

Go right, but STILL don't collect the coins. Bust the P-switch again, and climb
up to the pipe. Don't drop in this time. Jump up from the right side of the
pipe, and you'll nail a hidden block that spits out a one-up shroom.

Now you're ready to go left. Climb the hill and jump over the little mountain.
Be careful, there's a Para-Goomba there to give you grief. Slap him, and bump
the right note block. You'll get a leaf for your trouble. From the top of the
hill, hold down to take out the two Goombas and continue to hold down to duck
the fireball from the Fire Piranha. Climb on the three note blocks; the one on
the right produces a star to let you tear through the rest of the stage
unhindered.

+---------+
|Stage 1-3|
+---------+

Yeah, I know you can access 1-4 and the castle now too, but I'm doing full
coverage, remember? Besides, 1-3 gives you your first Warp Whistle and gives
you access to the mushroom house. Of course, you may want to play the card game
to get some more lives.

A Koopa tries to get friendly with you the moment you start. Reject his
advances and kick the shell to the right. It will take out a Boomerang Brother
with no muss and no fuss. Continue right and hop up on the block structure.
There's a Koopa at the top; shell him, and launch him left, bouncing him off
the note block and making him richochet down to the bottom. He'll probably take
out enough blocks to make two separate structures that look like this...

    XCXX
X       X
X       ?
X?   PXXX
_________

The box I've marked with a C is a coin box that can net you a few good coins,
and the box marked with a P contains a leaf. While you're here, jump just to
the right of the left ? block. You'll trigger a hidden note block that will
launch you into the clouds for the bonus area. Any area that this formation has
a secret. If you can fly up at about the third group of coins, you can find a
one-up shroom.

Once you exit, you'll drop near the end of the stage. Don't exit yet, though.
Head back left until you find a white platform among all the colored ones
(there will be a red Koopa and a floating coin on it). Secure the area, then
hold down on the pad for a few seconds, and you'll drop BEHIND the scenery.
You're not invincible while you're back here, so proceed to the end carefully.
You'll need to move quickly though, you can be back there forever.

Keep running to the right, behind the black of the end of the stage. You'll
automatically enter a hidden Toad House with a single box that will give you
the Warp Whistle. Woo hoo! Your first item!

+---------+
|Stage 1-4|
+---------+

Speaking of items, you've now got access to your first normal Toad House. Grab
a gift, then proceed to Stage 1-4, but be ready. It's an auto-scroller, and
it's the stage here that opens the White Toad House in this world. You'll need
at least all the coins but three in this stage to get your super prize, so
you'll need precise jumping and routes.

Hop to the block bridge, delay until you get the floating log, and collect the
three coins QUICKLY. The log falls after a moment. Continue on to grab a few
more coins, then get ready for another jump. Jump to the first log, then jump
to the second. Allow yourself to fall to the third one then, and hop to the
little two-brick platform. If you hit the second block from the right of the
top row, you can get a one-up shroom. Hop to the next log and leap the blocks
to get another three coins.

Hop again to a smaller, similar block formation. You'll grab three coins in
midair on your way. Hop again and try to go OVER the little set of three blocks
to the four-block bridge. Go to the right edge of it and jump repeatedly;
you'll hit a coin block, and you should bump the Koopa into his shell. Once the
coin block expires, hop and grab the shell (if you don't have a raccoon tail),
and carry with you as you jump to the next log. Carry up as you make your next
jump to a small four-block platform with a block at the end. Release the shell
to bust the stacked block to expose a one-up shroom.

Hop down to the two-block platform and wait for the log. Jump on it, and try to
grab the three coins in that motion. From there, jump to next block platform
and wait for another log. You'll see a line of coins, and you'll need to ride
the log down to get ALL those coins. Get a precise jump to the top of the
three-block stack, then bust the brick directly above your head. Keep jumping
to nail the coin box above that.

Run to the right and hop up on the log. Jump to the next one, and ride it down
to the third one. From there, jump across to the three-block platform. You may
be able to make the next jump without using the Koopa as a trampoline, but it's
safer to. Grab the coins and head down the green pipe.

There will be a Boomerang Brother to the left, but don't worry about him. Just
go right and end the stage, then go to the White Toad House to grab your shiny
new P-wing!

+----------+
|Castle 1-1|
+----------+

The second Warp Whistle is in here, so be ready.

Follow the path right. Each little lava pit has a Podoboo that you need to
watch out for. The ? block you see will give you a Fire Flower. Go for it, and
jump to the next hall. Watch out for the spinning Light Balls, and head down
the hallway. The next lava pit has two Podoboos, but they leap around the same
time, so you shouldn't have too much trouble avoiding them. The next pit has no
Podoboo, but a spinning Light Ball will alter your timing. Make the leap to the
end with ? block, and do not enter the door.

Bust the block for a leaf, then flatten the Dry Bones. Run to the right past
the door, then sprint back left. You should have the power to fly; jam the fly
button up and around to the right. You'll end up off-screen, but you can still
move. Run right until a wall stops you, then press up. You'll enter a hidden
door, sending you to a room with the Warp Whistle. You'll then exit the castle,
destroying it, but the locked door between you and stage 1-1 will not fall.

+---------+
|Stage 1-5|
+---------+

You'll start by sliding down a hill, taking out several enemies in the process,
and dunking in water. Grab the coins, then proceed right. Be careful of the
first blue pipe, because a Piranha Plant is hungry for Mario Suprise.

Blast the Buzzy Beetle, then go right, taking the top path. As you start to
surface, jump against the left edge of the dirt to expose a pink note block.
You'll be dropped back to the dirt when you exit. Head right, and climb the
dirt steps. Slide down the hill to kill the Koopa, then move slowly right. You
should see a Fire Pirhanna in a pipe below, but he WON'T shoot at you if he's
partially off screen. Wait for him to drop back into his pipe, then move on.
Watch out for the first blue pipe that extends from the top, because anotehr
Piranha is waiting for you. Jump into the pipe at the end and head right to
exit the level.

+---------+
|Stage 1-6|
+---------+

You'll need precise jumps here, but it's definitely not as bad as 1-4. Jump to
the right until you find a Koopa at the top of a log with a few coins. Shell
him, then you can kick the shell to the right to hopefully take out the Koopa
running around under the ? block. The block, by the way, contains a leaf.

Hop to the next log, then jump on the moving log traveling along the wire. Hop
to the note blocks, then the hill, then over the Para-Koopa and over to the
next piece of solid ground. Shell the Koopa, and kick him to take out the lower
blocks of both stacks. Do a sliding duck under both remaining blocks to get
some coins. The second block from the right of the top row contains a green
shroom for you.

Head right until you see a block on a wire below. Now, if you have raccoon
power, you can actually fly past this part, soaring over the expansive area to
the end. If not, or if you want to play it safe, drop down to the little log
and hop onto the wired log. Ride it right, and watch out for the Para-Koopa
that appears between the groups of coins.

Hop to the little log platform and tiptoe to the right edge. Wait for the
moving log to appear, and ride it right to the next wired log. Jump right, and
you can grab the card to end the stage. Just be careful, there's a Koopa below
the card.

+---------------+
|World 1 Airship|
+---------------+

Grab the Toad House item and take out the Hammer Brother if you haven't
already, then enter the white palace.

Toad is screaming at you to rescue the King of Mushroom Land, to turn him back
from the Cobra. No problem. The magic wand is on the airship, in the hands of
one of the Koopa kids. Easy as pizza pie.

All airships are auto-scrollers with traps. Proceed with caution, because there
are several cannons that launch crap at you. Jump when you need to, and be
careful of all the big metal things being launched at your head. You'll get to
a ? block that gives you a Fire Flower. Time your next jump so you don't get
smacked by the twirling cannon. Keep moving, and you'll find a silver pipe.
Drop down to engage Larry Koopa.

Now, you can relieve Larry of life in two ways. If you've got fire power, it
will take 12 fireballs to down him. Either way, three jumps on his head will
take him out too.

His attack pattern is really simple. He'll simply walk back and forth, shooting
at you with the wand. Jump his shots and land on his head in the same motion.
When he withdraws, he'll be invincible, and he'll jump in your direction. Dodge
that, and he'll land, popping his head out again. He'll add a jump to his
movement now, but he can't out-jump the great plumbers! Bonk him again, and
dodge his jumping shell. The moment he lands, he'll jump in your direction.
Anticipate it, and wait for him to land, then bonk him the third time. He'll be
defeated, and you can claim the wand as your own. Too bad you can't use THAT in
stages.

The king turns back into being human, and he looks like a moron with that
handlebar mustache. Whatever. Your reward is a letter from Peach (of course,
back then she was just "Princess Toadstool"), and she'll enclose a P-wing with
the message.

Congrats! Now it's time to get sweaty!



+----------------------+
|+--------------------+|
||WORLD 2: DESERT HILL||
|+--------------------+|
+----------------------+

My kingdom for an ice cube. This place will test you with unusual enemies and
expansive areas. No problem, you've had worse... or at least, you'll HAVE
worse.

You'll deal with 5 normal stages. There's also a castle, a quicksand trap, a
pyramid, two card games, three item houses, and three sets of brothers. Don't
let the initial map fool you, there's more there than what meets the eye.

Normal Stages: 5, plus airship
Castles: 1
Special Stages: 2
    Quicksand
    Pyramid
Brothers: 3
    Boomerang Brother (x2)
    Fire Brothers
Item Houses: 3
Life-up Games: 2
Main Baddie: Morton Koopa

+---------+
|Stage 2-1|
+---------+

Go right, but be careful when you get to the bricks. You'll find several that
are actually living, and they're all trying to flatten your head. Dodge them
and blast the first ? block to get a leaf. Keep moving, and you'll find two
more ? blocks. The one on the left has a single coin, whoopie-freakin'-do. The
one on the right has a star, which is great for taking out the Fire Snake more
to the right. Of course, a solid shot with the raccoon tail will kill a Fire
Snake as well.

By that Fire Snake is a block with a leaf. You can use that Koopa you passed to
get it if you want. Jump on the note blocks to get to the top of the pipe
structure. Flatten the two Goombas up there, then use it as a runway and fly up
above the left side. You'll see an orange pipe surrounded by breakable blocks.
Bust through and drop in.

In the bonus room is a simple P-switch. Slam it, grab the blue coins quickly,
then exit. Head left and grab the coin that sitting in the middle of the pink
pipes. Once the P-switch time ends, you can collect the coins down there for a
bonus. Just watch out for the Fire Snake down there!

Bust out, then head right. You'll find a pair of orange pipes, each with a
green Piranha Plant. There is one enemy block in the middle of the complex
block structure. Take him out, then drop into the right pipe. Hit the P-switch,
then exit, and you can collect all those former blocks that became coins. You
can do this over and over if you want until you get low on time. Once you're
ready, go right and end the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 2-2|
+---------+

This stage will net you an Air Anchor if you get all but one of the coins in
the stage. Smack the Goomba, then proceed slowly. A Fire Piranha will spit crap
at you from the quicksand, but remember that if he's partially off-screen, he
won't fire. Wait till he's gone, then jump over the pit. Bump the little log
block for a leaf, grab the coins, and leap past the red pipe.

A pit of quicksand greets you, and a small hop will relieve the issue. Now, hop
on the log and ride it right, grabbing the coins. Bust both of the first two
blocks you see (duck to get them if you're big): one has a coin, and one has a
P-switch. Don't hit it yet, but take real close note of this: DO NOT BREAK ANY
OTHER BLOCK YOU ENCOUNTER. Jump just to the left of the left-most coin of the
last set, and you'll nail a hidden block with a 1up shroom.

Now, swim back left to the moving log again (it will reappear there). Here's
the big picture: hit the P-switch, and after you do, all those blocks will
become coins. You'll need to get EVERY SINGLE COIN there to trigger the White
Toad House. Of course, if you don't care about the Air Anchor, don't worry
about it. But if you do want that item, you'll have to have very precise jumps
and a bit of luck to nab all the coins.

Once you're done in that area, go into the pipe on the far right, then head
right to end the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 2-1|
+----------+

If you have a star, this would be a good place to use it. Either way, it's not
too tough, and you should be able to fly through the first part.

The first hallway before the Thwomp has three Dry Bones. Bash 'em all, then
move slowly until the Thwomp falls. As he rises, pass him. Two more Dry Bones
will challenge you before you reach the next Thwomp. Trigger him and pass him
to find another Dry Bones and your first Boo Diddley. Remember, they only chase
you when your back is to them. Avoid him, and jump in the green pipe.

You'll find yourself on the second floor. Now things get more dangerous. The
spiked floor is a minor issue, and you'll have to get real intimate with the
Thwomp before he's triggered. Get past him, and the block will produce a leaf.
Now, run like hell to the right. Even if you're big, as long as you keep up
full speed, you'll out-run the Thwomps. Take a deep breath for your narrow
escape, then enter the door.

This one has moving spikes that will test your running. You can tackle the
third set by going high, which may be a better idea if you're big. A few spike
things later, you'll find a door. You know the drill here.

Go to the right, and you'll engage Boom Boom for the first time (assuming you
opted to get the Warp Whistle in World 1). When he's hunched over, those spikes
protect him from getting hit by jumps. 5 fireballs will kill him, regardless of
whether he's blocking or not. If he's not, then wait awhile until he
relinquishes the spikes. He'll run back and forth, swinging his his fists. Time
your jump to bounce on his head, and he'll hunch over. Once he gets back up,
repeat. He'll start moving faster now, but you should have an easy shot at him.

Once he's down, collect the ? orb, and and the castle will go down, and unlock
the door near the entrance as well.

+---------+
|Stage 2-3|
+---------+

Climb the little pyramid, but watch for the Fire Snake and Koopa. You can
probably use the latter to kill the former if they arrange themselves far
enough apart. If you're not big, though, you may want to use the Koopa shell to
bust the right ? block at the top, which gives up a leaf or mushroom, depending
on your size.

Go right again, and you'll find another pyramid. Two Fire Snakes will challenge
you, and you can bust the right ? block at the top to get a star. Grab it and
head right. Slaughter whomever you deem unworthy, and hit the left ? block at
the top to release a leaf. Claim it, then run right.

Be careful with this complex block structure, because there are a few block
creatures trying to flatten you. Head right slowly to the next block pyramid.
Stand on the two block to the left of the top, and jump. You'll hit a hidden
note block. Jump on it, and jump right to expose another one. Jump to get some
coins, then hop back to the first note block. Jump to the left this time to
expose a coin block. Hop on that, then jump on the left side to expose another
coin block. Repeat, so you'll have three coin blocks extending from the low
note block. Hop from the top on to the left, where five little blocks are
resting. Bust the top-left one, and you'll uncover a P-switch. Step on it to
convert all those blocks down there to coins. Collect the booty!

If there's a coin you can't seem to collect in the left pyramid, don't panic.
Bust it with a jump or raccoon tail strike, and you'll get a 1up shroom from
it. Go right once you want to, and stomp one of the two Koopas down there. Kick
it and get out of there to start a huge chain reaction that will clear most of
the blocks around the orange pipe and give you decent amounts of cash. If you
have a raccoon tail, you can slap all the blocks on the right edge for coins,
too.

Jump in the orange pipe and go right to end the stage.

+---------+
|Quicksand|
+---------+

Scientists have theorized that, in about a billion years, our sun will explode
and heat up so much that it will burn up the first four planets in our solar
system, including our own. I imagine that if that is indeed true, the people of
Earth a billion years from now will encounter something similar to what you're
about to have to deal with. The stage is rather basic and straight-forward, but
about halfway through, that angry sun in the top-left corner will start trying
to give you a fourth-degree burn.

Okay, if you start this stage with fire power, you'll be able to easily roast
the enemies at the beginning. The first hop is over an empty quick sand pit.
The next one has a moronic Fire Piranha, but he's easy to dodge or fry. A
Para-Koopa will try to stop you as well, but he'll probably have as much
success.

Two Fire Piranhas are in the next pit. Get past them, and head more to the
right. The next sand pit has no enemies, but you can't clear it in one jump. A
Koopa will challenge you, but can easily be taken out. Run to the right, and
get ready to jump, because a tornado will pick you up and carry you backwards a
bit. You'll have to do a full running jump to clear it.

At this time, the sun will begin to get pissed. You can kill it with a
well-aimed Koopa shell shot, though he's pretty easy to avoid. Whether you want
to kill it or not, keep going right. You'll only encounter two enemies, both of
which are Para-Koopas. Keep moving and you'll end the stage.

You now have access to two stages and a Toad House. Grab a gift, then proceed.

+---------+
|Stage 2-4|
+---------+

Yeah, I know that you could complete 2-5 first to get access to the card game.
It's your call, of course, but I always do them in order.

If you come in here with a leaf, you'll be able to take the high, easy road. If
you're at least big, you can take the high road with a quick powerup grab.

If you're big without a leaf, trounce the Para-Goomba that greets you, then go
to the two stacked logs. Eliminate the Koopa on the left, and get the one on
the right in his shell. Kick the shell left; in theory, it will hit the left
stack of blocks and come back right, nailing the ? block to release a leaf.

With raccoon power on your side, run from the edge of the left stack of logs to
the left. Jump at the last second and fly up the left edge of the map. You'll
break some blocks overhead, giving you access to the next floor. Grab the coins
and enter the little pool. A Cheep-cheep stalks the waters, so be careful. Hit
the third block from the left of the right row to uncover a P-switch. Grab
those coins, then get out of the water.

By that time, the P-switch should wear off, making the blocks in front of you
turn back to coins. Grab 'em as you head right. Every single block of the next
platform is a single-coin box. Collect the loot, then jump up there and go nuts
on the other coins.

Go right some more and you come to a small puzzle. If you collect all the coins
you see now, you won't walk away with as much as you can get. Make your way
right, but try to avoid the money for now. Nail the block that's second from
the right, collecting the coin under it too. That will make a P-switch appear.
step on it, and the coins become blocks, letting you get the coins that WERE
blocks. Once the P-switch fades, the current blocks will go back to coins, and
you can get more money. Descend the note blocks, and head back left for more
money (but watch out for the Boomerang Brother). Once you've got your fill of
booty, head right to end the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 2-5|
+---------+

This will be your first experience with Chain Chomps. A solid Koopa shell shot
will blast them to doom, but otherwise nothing short of a star will help you.

With a bit of skill, you can hit the two ? blocks guarded by the enemy, but
they're not worth it if you're already fully powered. Proceed right to find a
Koopa that can serve as a weapon. If you fire the shell left to take out the
Chain Chomp immediately near you, you can hit the little log for a leaf. Keep
going right, and maneuver through the maze of platforms.

Pass the little pool and the pair of Koopas. The block on the ground there is
only worth one coin, and there are much valuable treasures to be had. Keep
going until you find another Koopa, and launch him left, toward that set of
five blocks at the bottom. One will trigger a vine that extends to the sky,
letting you grab some coins in the clouds. They lead to an orange pipe: enter
it.

You'll end up in a bonus room that you need a bit of strategy to solve. The
block in the center, just above the coins, is a P-switch. Before triggering it,
take out the blocks above and beside it, then step on it. If you collected as
few coins as possible, the coins will become platforms, letting you collect the
coins. Once the P-switch wears off, hit the block on the bottom-right corner
for a leaf, then exit the room.

You'll appear high above the ground. The three ? blocks on the left contain
single coins, and the one on the far right holds a leaf. Get what you wish,
then fall. Head right to finish the stage, but be aware of the Chain Chomp
under the card.

Now you can grab the life-up game, as well as the next stage.

+-------+
|Pyramid|
+-------+

Try to come into this one with raccoon power.

Even though you can climb up a bit, there's nothing to be had. Just jump into
the door in front of you.

A Buzzy Beetle will greet you. Eject him and continue on. The ? block you find
contains a leaf. Go up at the fork to eliminate the Buzzy Beetle, then take the
middle fork. Bust blocks with your tail or a shell, and continue on. The pipe
is pointless, so jump from it up to the left. At the next intersection, head
right. Bust through the blocks and jump around near the blue pipe to expose a
hidden coin block. That will be the step you need to actually reach the pipe,
which will lead to a treasure room.

Unlike the last puzzle I meantioned in 2-5, you need to get all the coins now,
or you'll run into trouble. While you're on the top row, jump up from the
fourth block from the right to nail a hidden block, which will produce a 1up
shroom. Once you've got that, nail the sole block at the bottom to unveil a
P-switch. Blast it, then collect the rest of the coins and exit the room.

If you've still got raccoon power, you'll be able to rock the world in this
section. If not, you'll have to carefully jump on a Buzzy Beetle that either
drops from the ceiling (kinda hard) or the one that's walking around (less
hard) to get a shell. Be it by tail or shell, bust the blocks on the right to
exit the hallway. Go to the end to the last blue pipe, and take it to exit the
pyramid. Head right past the Boomerang Brother to finish the stage.

Yes, you can now access the palace, but don't do it yet. From one of the
Boomerang Brothers you've dispatched on the map, you've received a hammer. Go
to the top-right space on the map. You should be beside a rock with a palm tree
on the other side. Use your hammer here.

Pass through the path to find another Toad House and Koopa Brother. Inside the
Toad House is nothing but Frog Suits, which will seriously help you in the next
world. Grab one, then engage the Fire Brothers. If you can take them down,
you'll earn your last Warp Whistle.

Now, you can proceed to the palace with everything accomplished.

+---------------+
|World 2 Airship|
+---------------+

This king turned into a lady bug of all things. Time to get another wand, but I
always wanted to know why we couldn't just use the one from the first world.
Bah, dang magic.

Anyway, this airship is a little more complicated to navigate. It's more
straight-forward, so I don't need to give detailed instructions, but the Bullet
Bills will be hot and heavy from the beginning. Do your best to destroy or
dodge them. The first ? block coughs up a Fire Flower.

When you get to the cargo boxes, you'll have to move fast. Wind your way down
the boxes on the left, then leap up the set on the right. You'll have to dodge
Bullet Bills during the whole process, so step lively.

Once you get back up on the next part of the airship, the screen will level
out. Little moles will pop their heads out to chuck wrenches at you. Bop their
heads to drop them, but note that they'll come back after a moment. No worries,
you're almost done. Jump over the next Bullet Bill cannons and you'll find the
silver pipe that leads to Morton.

Morton is the same as Larry. The only real issue is that he'll jump a little
more than Larry did, although that's mostly due to the shape of the floor.
He'll be down in three jumps or 12 fireballs, and he'll happily give up his
wand.

The king looks like a Patrick Stewart-wannabe with a mustache. He thanks you,
and gives you another letter from Peach. She's given you a cloud this time,
which lets you cross a stage without entering it. Of course, I'm going to
pretend it's not there.

By the way, her comment about stomping enemies using Kuribo's shoe won't come
into play until World 5, so don't worry about it.



+-------------------+
|+-----------------+|
||WORLD 3: SEA SIDE||
|+-----------------+|
+-------------------+

After that frickin' hot desert, it'll be nice to take a dip in a nice cool
lake, don't you think?

This is a huge stage compared to the other two. Check out the stats...

Normal Stages: 9, plus airship
Castles: 2
Special Stages: None
Brothers: 2
    Hammer Brother (x2)
Item Houses: 5
Life-up Games: 5
Main Baddie: Wendy O. Koopa

There's far more here than you may think, although you may actually want to
hold off getting some secrets, but we'll deal with that later.

As you may have guessed, the majority of the stages here are underwater, and
will test your swimming skills. Take care when moving underwater, as you can't
use your raccoon tail, although you can still chuck fire for some odd reason.

Remember, this is another odd-world stage, so the mini-ship will make an
appearance if you do the stuff you need to do.

+---------+
|Stage 3-1|
+---------+

You won't need your Frog Suit here, so save it for later. Once you enter the
stage, immediately drop down on the left edge of the stage. You'll drop to a
little area with a ? block that surrenders a powerup.

Swim back up and head right. A Blooper will challenge you once you pass the
first pipe. Dodge him, then continue on. When you reach the wall, hold up-right
and jump out of the water. You should be able to land on the ceiling (though
you're off-screen). Run to the right and you can grab a Fire Flower from the
little pool. Use the block as a stepping stone to exit the little area to the
right, back into the main lake. Head left to nab a few coins and a Fire Flower.
The Lava Spitter is a slight problem, so watch your swimming.

Continue right. The Mother Blooper and her babies will try to attack. Flame
her, then descend into the little pit. You'll wind up in a room with a bunch of
note blocks. Pass the Lava Spitter and swim into the brick to get a 1up shroom.
Collect your fill of coins too, then go onto the green pipe. The airjets will
lift you up into the main lake again. Shoot the Blooper if you desire, then
enter the pipe on the far right. Go right to grab the card.

+---------+
|Stage 3-2|
+---------+

This stage puts you on moving logs over little lake that can mean certain
death. There's not much room to fall once you're in the water, and if you drop
off the bottom of the screen, you'll hear the famous death music.

So, you'll need timely jumps and running skill to get through this. Start out
by hopping to the logs on the wires to the right. Those donut blocks will fall
after you continually stand on them for a few seconds. Bust the ? block for a
Fire Flower.

continue right and hop on the wired log. Jump into the stacked logs above you
to dislodge a star. Grab it and continue on the wired log. Some of the ? boxes
here out will also produce stars if you've already got one activated (this is
called a continuous star and will be seen in other stages also).

Jump onto the block platform and continue right. A Fire Piranha will greet you,
so wait until he descends, then take his pipe. If you have raccoon power at
this point, you can fly up to the left (above the green pipe) to get a few
coins.

+---------+
|Stage 3-3|
+---------+

You can collect a Frog Suit from the Toad House. You still don't need to worry
about wearing one yet, though.

This stage features an enemy called Big Bertha. If she gets a hold of you, no
matter what your power is, you'll be dead. She can't jump high, but the stage
steadily bobs, bringing you closer and closer to doom.

A P-wing would make this insane easy, of course, but who wants to try it that
way? Go right quickly until you find a note block. Step on it to get power.
Bonk the Koopa, and launch him back and forth at the blocks. With any luck,
he'll pick off Bertha. She'll come back after a moment, but you could use a
break.

Keep heading right and you'll find a spinning platform. Wait till it stops
moving, then do two quick jumps to get passed it. The two blue blocks can be
picked up and chucked like a Koopa shell. You can smack the upper block to
release a Fire Flower. Bertha can be roasted with one shot, but again, she'll
be back after a moment. You can also slam the block on the left to uncover a
P-switch. Trigger it, then run like hell to the right. Stop when you see two
coins just to the left of the spinning platform. Don't collect them, just wait
until they turn to blocks. Use them as a step and get to the spinning platform.
You then need to make a long leap to the right to the pipe.

Now, if you want to take a risk, shoot Bertha, then swim to the right. You'll
find a block with a measly 1up shroom. Blast the next Bertha that appears, then
head back to the green pipe. I don't know, seems that it's too much risk
messing with Bertha to me for only one 1up. Either way, jump into the pipe when
you're ready, and the card is just a stone's throw away.

+----------+
|Castle 3-1|
+----------+

This is a long castle, one with a lot of traps. The first thing you'll be
challenged with is a Dry Bones. Dodge him while you also avoid the spinning
Light Ball. Jump the blue blocks, and you'll be greeted with another Light
Ball. Time your movements to get past it. The silver pipe is a dud, so forget
about it and trick out the Thwomp.

Now you'll enter a long hallway with nine doors. Only three of them lead to
anything worthwhile. First, enter the last door. You'll be in a coin room. Grab
your fill then exit. Head left, and take the middle door (it will be four doors
left of the room you just exited). That will take you to a little blue platform
with a single block. Inch to the left so you can hit it from the left; it will
dislodge a 1up shroom to the right.

Exit through the same door, then enter the first door to the right of where
you're standing. That will lead you to Boom Boom's room. This time, after you
smack him once, he'll sprout wings and fly into you. Try to dodge, and and slam
him three times (or of course with 5 fireballs). Collect the orb to collapse
the castle and unlock the first door. You'll also get access to the first
lifeup game!

You may have encounterd a Hammer Brother by now that coughed up a hammer as a
prize, and you COULD break the rock guarding the second liefup game, but there
are far more lucrative things you can do with that hammer.

+---------+
|Stage 3-4|
+---------+

This stage has the rolling grassy hills of World 1. Slide down the hill to
dispatch the Goombas, then avoid or smack the Piranha Plant. Jump the little
pool, watch out for the Fire Piranha, and bash the ? block for a leaf. Climb up
and slide down the hill. If you jump at the moment you reach the bottom, you'll
actually have the power to clear the pond. If manage to fall in, dodge the
Cheep-cheep and jump against the left edge of hill. You'll uncover a hidden
coin block that you can use as a stepping stone to the hill.

Slide down that hill to eliminate the Koopas. Avoid hitting the ? blocks for
now; instead, concentrate on whacking the Para-Goomba and the Fire Piranha.
After that, do a sliding duck under the low blocks, and hit the one on the
right. That will uncover a P-switch for you to smack, unveiling a bunch of blue
coins in the area. Grab 'em, then hit the ? blocks to pick up a Fire Flower and
more coins. Now, head back to the right. When you find the block platforms, you
can grab a 1up shroom by nailing the block second to the left. However, you
presence will activiate Lakitu, so unless you can take out his Spiny Eggs,
don't bother trying.

Keep moving right, to the card, but don't trigger it yet. If you can wait until
Lakitu can get four of his eggs onscreen at once with Lakitu (a total of five
enemies), then you'll get a 1up once you hit the card.

Now you have access to a big rock, and it's decision time. When you go down the
path after breaking the rock with the hammer you've won as a prize from the
Hammer Brother, you can jump in a row boat. Head right, and you can find
several islands with plenty of item houses and such. However, if you save your
hammer for one more world, you can get a very powerful item. Is it worth it?
You decide.

+---------+
|Stage 3-5|
+---------+

A Frog Suit would be useful here.

Be careful of Big Bertha while you're down in the water. She can't kill you in
one bite, but she does spit a baby Cheep-cheep at you, which get annoying. Grab
coins and dodge enemies, you know the drill.

Keep going right and stay low until you find the third pipe that shooting an
airjet. With the Frog Suit, you can actually swim against the current and enter
it. Hold right the moment you go into the pipe, and you'll fall into a little
path to a huge ? block. It will cough up three 1up shrooms. Exit the room then
through the bottom-right pipe.

Wait until the Mama Blooper moves toward you, then swim past it and the
Electric Jellyfish (sounds like a band), then proceed past the Bertha to the
right. The green pipe will take you out of the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 3-6|
+---------+

This is the stage that will trigger the White Toad House. You will NEED raccoon
power to get enough coins, but as long as you don't get hit, you can get a leaf
by the time you need it.

First, hop across the donut blocks to the ? block (which makes a Fire Flower
pop up) and get to the log. You'll need to quickly hop to the spinning platform
to the donut blocks to the stable log. Bop the Koopa, but don't kick him yet.
Pick him up and right the donut block down. Grab the coins, then launch the
shell so he bounces and triggers the coin block that's down there. Grab the
three coins down there too, then hop up to the next log. Bop the Koopa, grab
the coins, pick up the blue block, and carry it down to the lower level. Chuck
it through the Koopa and into the block, which will trigger a leaf. If you're
hit from here on out, you won't make the coin requirement.

Use the Para-troopa to get to the next log. Use your tail to what all the
blocks you encounter to release coins. Hop from log to log, then drop down to
the donut and blue blocks. Pick one up and launch it right. That will expose a
P-switch. Bust it and collect the coins. Head back right and collect the coins
(when they actually turn back to coins), then jump over to the pipe. That will
you to the exit.

+---------+
|Stage 3-7|
+---------+

I have no idea why THIS stage is in Water Land, but whatever.

Starting out, bump the log piece that you're standing on. That will give you a
leaf. Keep heading right, and smush your enemies. When you see the block set,
ignore it completely for now. Keep going right until you get to the next block
formations. If you hit the log block on the ground just before them, you'll
gain a Fire Flower. After that, bust the top-left block of the top formation to
make a vine reach the clouds. Go hit the box and you'll find a P-switch. Nail
it, then fall off the clouds to the left. You'll be at the first block
formation you saw. The block on the top row, second from the left, has a life
shroom for you.

Now, go back all the way to the right. Hit the second little log piece to
dislodge a Fire Flower. Proceed on to end the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 3-2|
+----------+

You could do well here with a Frog Suit, but it's not entirely necessary.

After jumping in the first pipe, you'll be taken to an underwater hallway. The
Cheep-cheeps and Light Balls are placed strategically enough to cause problems.
Fire power or a Frog Suit should save you, though. Speaking of fire power, hit
the ? block there to get some. Go to the end and jump in the silver pipe to
proceed.

In the next area, you'll have to deal with Boo Bars. They can't hurt you unless
the Boo itself touches you. If you have a Frog Suit on, you can just swim under
the bottom bar and easily get to the next part. Without a Frog Suit, you need
to take the same path, but it will be a little harder to actually do. You'll
encounter another Boo Bar, but this one can easily be dodge with or without a
Frog Suit, simply by swimming high. The next pair of Boo Bars are kinda tough
to dodge. With the FS, you'll need to position yourself between the bars and
Boos and swim slowly right. If you don't have the Suit, tap the jump button so
you stay more or less at the same depth. Take the silver pipe to the end.

Boom Boom is there. He should be easy, especially if you managed to do all that
with fire power. Otherwise, jump on him until he sleeps with the Cheep-cheeps.
Then grab the orb, and blah blah blah.

+---------+
|Stage 3-8|
+---------+

Another stage with Big Bertha, but this one is far more dangerous. You'll
probably NEED fire power for this.

Hop to the right and bop the Koopa. The block on the left makes a vine that
will save you from Bertha. Remember, you can still shoot fire while you're
hanging there. Bump the note block to make it drop a Fire Flower. Grab it, then
move on to the stack of blocks. Get rid of both blue blocks and bash the normal
one to get some coins.

Keep moving and bap the Koopa, then kick him into the block to trigger another
vine. Use it the same way you did last time. Proceed when it's safe, keep
moving to find another block with another vine. You know the technique.

Go on and take the floating log down to the lower section. Get all the coins
and DO NOT HIT THE P-SWITCH UNTIL ALL THE COINS HAVE BEEN COLLECTED. Then hit
the P-switch, run to the right, grab the coins, jump up to the left and get
those coins, then nail the box above your head to get a 1up shroom. Take the
pipe at the end to get out.

+---------+
|Stage 3-9|
+---------+

Go right and blast the the Para-troopa, then proceed right. Watch for the
Pirahna Plant that descends from the green pipe, and continue. Watch out for
the Bullet Bill cannon, and proceed on to find Bob-ombs. Use one to take out
the other if you want, then go on.

Unless you have raccoon power, head across the top path. Keep moving and drop
off the path, take out your foes, and move on. The center note block of the
trio that you eventually find will cough up a powerup. The plain block in the
next group of blue blocks holds a 1up shroom. Clear out the blue blocks and
jump in the green pipe, then go right. Ziz-zag around the Cheep-cheeps, then
take the pipe to leave.

+---------------+
|World 3 Airship|
+---------------+

The king of Water Land has been turned into Barney's nasty cousin. You know how
to rescue him by now, so let's jump on the airship.

There's not much to dodge in the first section, just a lot of timely jumps. The
challenge comes to the S-path, in which you have to dodge three cannons all at
once. Time your runs so you can go between all the cannon balls as they're
being shot at your face. The question mark block contains the fire flower. Now
comes the fun part.

You'll have to dodge four cannons and a Bullet Bill cannon all at the same
time. Rarely do I recommend you are small at all, but it really helps your
dodging if you have no powerups. Once you get through that, you will find your
first screw platform. The way this works is, if you jump on it, the screw will
go right. If you jump and hit it from the bottom, the screw will go left. Get
on it and move it to the right for now so you don't kill yourself on the flame
jets.

Drop down, and proceed slowly to make sure you don't slam into the flame jet
which will greet you. A few jumps later you will find the silver pipe.

Wendy O. Koopa welcomes you by throwing a life saver at your head. Dodge it,
run up, and jump on her head. Dodge the spinning shell. When she gets reset,
she'll throw another candy ring at you. After the second hit, she'll throw a
third ring and do a very high jump. Anticipate both and attack the third time
when you have the chance. Another magic wand will be your reward.

The king looks like he could be Mario's stunt double. Peach's letter has a
music box on it, the most worthless item in the game. On to World 4!



+---------------------+
|+-------------------+|
||WORLD 4: BIG ISLAND||
|+-------------------+|
+---------------------+

Big enemies mean big problems, especially when the sumo-sized Hammer Brothers
create earthquakes simply by jumping. But hey, you're Mario (or Luigi)! You can
handle it!

Normal Stages: 6, plus airship
Castles: 2
Special Stages: None
Brothers: 3
    Giant Hammer Brother (x3)
Item Houses: 4
Life-up Games: 2
Main Baddie: Iggy Koopa

Yes, the world is pretty small. That's fine, though, I don't like spending too
much time here.

+---------+
|Stage 4-1|
+---------+

On the map, if you saved the hammer from World 3, you can break the rock to the
left of stage 4-1 to enter the red Toad House. That will give you a Tanooki
Suit, my absolutely favorite thing in the game. It turns you into a teddy bear
of sorts, and by holding down and attack, you can turn into an invincible
(albeit unmoveable) statue for a time.

Anyway, onto stage 4-1. The first thing you see is a giant happy tooth cloud.
There is nothing of significance around the first pipe, but a giant Piranha
Plant will nip at you in the second. Get past him and bash the Koopa. Blast him
to the right, freeing the box to be hit. Keep moving past the little waterfall.

The ? block there will cough up a leaf. Use it to fly up above the ? block and
a little to the right. You'll find a little secret area with underwater pipes.
Swim all the way to the left (watch out for the Fire Piranha) and jump in the
last pipe. Two of the blocks produce green shrooms for you. Take 'em, then get
out of there.

Continue right and drop off the secret area, back the ground. Keep going right,
hopping over the clouds and Koopas and everything. Keep on moving, and you'll
reach the end in no time.

+---------+
|Stage 4-2|
+---------+

Lowering and rising tides. Joy. At least this stage will trigger the White Toad
House.

Pipe to pipe to pipe... Make your hops, but be careful of the enemies and
jumping Cheep-cheeps. When you reach the blue blocks, launch one to right to
nail the ? block for a leaf. Now things get complicated. If you go right,
you'll see a Fire Piranha guarding the next platform. You have to time your
jump so you begin your leap while he's descending. If you go too early, he'll
spit fire on you. If you go too late, he'll pop up just as you reach him.

Continue on. Just to the right of line of blocks is a P-switch. This is
moderately dangerous with the Cheep-cheep running around down there, so watch
out. Hit the switch, grab the line of coins, then RUN right. Forget about the ?
block for now, just get the coins! Once the switch wears off, come back left
and get the coins. Flying Cheep-cheeps, reminicient of the first two games,
will start coming from everywhere. Hit the ? block this time to get a star, and
run right. The green pipe will take you to the card.

+---------+
|Stage 4-3|
+---------+

Go right and be ready to jump. A giant Hammer Brother will greet you, and he'll
probably be in mid-jump. If he lands while you're on the ground, you'll be
stunned, so jump early. One bop will take him out. Keep moving to find another
one. Dispatch him as well, then go into either pipe to start the real stage.

Jump on the first Buzzy Beetle and hold the shell in front of you. When the
Buzzy Beetle on the ceiling drops down, he'll slam into your shell, killing
both of them. Bop the third one and hold the shell, then jump left. A fourth
Buzzy Beetle guards the ? blocks, so run into him to eject him and the shell
you're holding. All the ? blocks are singles coins, whoopty-do. Use the green
Para-troopa to get an extra spring to the right (you may want to start your
jump from the top of the ? blocks for extra accuracy).

Wait for the next Buzzy Beetle to drop, then leap over him and continue. The ?
block you see holds a leaf. Hop over the spiny and crack the Buzzy Beetle.
Continue right, blah blah blah. Use the red Para-troopa as a trampoline, then
be careful when you land because you'll have to deal with two Buzzy Beetles.
Send them to the great beyond, then hop up to the little logs. Hit the block on
the far left to expose a 1up shroom. Head right (watch out for the Spinies),
and grab your life. Keep jumping right to end the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 4-1|
+----------+

Hot Foots rock!

The flames on the candles, called Hot Foots, will try to kill you. Like Boo
Diddleys, they only approach when you turn your back. Quickly run right and
drop (narrowly missing the horizontal Thwomp in the process). Run all the way
to the right and face left. A Hot Foot from above will drop down to challenge
you. Walk to the left, then jump over the Hot Foot and face left again. That
will freeze both Hot Foots. Then wait until the Thwomp is out of position, and
get up a few blocks.

Jump into the middle pipe to find a little secret area. Go ahead and proceed,
but watch your step. When you reach the high wall, jump three tiles to the left
of the edge to uncover a hidden coin block. Jump on that, then jump on the
right edge to uncover another one. Use them as steps to get out of there.

Once you pop out, run right. This time, Boom Boom doesn't have his own little
room. Splat him take down the castle and unlock the door.

+---------+
|Stage 4-4|
+---------+

Frog Suit. Do yourself a favor and use one.

Assuming you have one, swim all the way down and head left past the airjet.
Jump in the pipe to the left to access a bonus area with tons of coins.

Once you're out, swim right. Stay low to avoid Lakitu and his Spinies. The
first pipe with the airjet is a dud, so skip it and keep moving. You'll
eventually find the pipe to get the heck out of there.

If you beat stage 4-6 first, you can get the Tanookie Suit for 4-5 and the
castle. However, I don't think you should bother wasting the suit this early,
so I suggest you head to...

+---------+
|Stage 4-5|
+---------+

Once you descend the other side of the big pyramid, bonk the Para-troopa and
kick the shell into the giant block to gain access to the ? block with a leaf.
Proceed and dodge those Bullet Bills. The Super Bullet Bills turn around once
they pass you, so you have to wait an extra few seconds.

Keep moving. To get the coins on the cloud, wait for a Bullet Bill to come your
way and spring up there. Keep moving right then, until you get to the Bullet
Bill cannons with a single block high above one particular cannon. Hit the
block and spring up from a Bill to get to the vine you released. Inside the big
? block is... a TANOOKIE SUIT! WOO HOO!!!

Hit the P-switch, grab the coins, and quickly exit. Descend to the right,
collecting blue coins. Move right quickly, because you'll be under heavy fire
here. Go right swiftly to exit the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 4-6|
+---------+

Start by bapping the Para-troopa twice. Pick up the shell and bash the next one
to clear the place for a runway. Assuming you still have the Tanookie Suit,
take off up to the right to find some clouds with coins. You can use the left
set of clouds to get your P-meter up the whole way, so fly up to the right
again and start jamming the jump button to descend slowly, also to the right.
You'll cover a large amount of the stage this way with no danger. Keep going
right and hop across the block platforms. Bop the Koopas if you can, then head
right some more to exit the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 4-2|
+----------+

You need to move FAST here. Climb the stairs and start hot-footing across the
donut blocks. The ? block contains a powerup, but it's not worth it if you have
your Tanookie Suit. However, you can use that block as a foot hold since it's
above the Dry Bones and can't fall.

Keep heading right until you get to solid ground. A Dry Bones will greet you,
but you can flatten it. Keep going right until you find a block. Bump it to
expose a P-switch. Use a Dry Bones to spring up to trigger it. A set of seven
coins appears to the left. Stand in the middle, where there are no coins, and
press up. You'll enter an invisible door to a LONG bonus area.

This is the first time you've seen arrow platforms. Jump on it and ride it up.
Jump to the ! platform now; every time you jump on the platform as you ride it,
it will change directions. Ride it up and left to the next arrow platform.
Whack the Piranha, then jump into the left pipe leading up. It will take you
around a bit. Enter the pipe you end up standing on, then drop down to the ?
block to get a Fire Flower if you want. Hop into the pipe below the ? block to
drop back down, and enter the left pipe again. This time, just walk right and
enter the only pipe leading upwards up here. Once you appear, if you have the
power, step left and jump as high as you can, then whack the Piranha that comes
out. Jump on the ! platform, then ascend between the pipes. Go right, ascend
between the logs, then go into the green pipe there.

Once you're in the next room, get on the orange pipe, and jump on the left side
of it to make a coin block appear. Get on it, and jump up on the left side to
trigger another one. Get on that one, and jump on the left side of THAT. You'll
get a 1up shroom for your trouble. Jump in the orange pipe now.

Now you're in another bonus room. Hit the ? block for three lives. If you can
fly, run from the right and fly against the left edge. You'll break a million
blocks and get into a treasure trove of coins. By now, you're probably running
short on time, so hurry back down and enter the right pipe.

Dodge the Light Ball and sprint right. You'll find Boom Boom, ready and willing
to be smacked. Rock Bottom him, grab the orb, proceed to the palace using the
new bridge!

+---------------+
|World 4 Airship|
+---------------+

The king has become Donkey Kong? I guess the big ape is getting desperate for
cameo appearances.

The first leg of this ship is rather easy. Just make sure you don't get roasted
on the flame jets. Go low when you come to the fork to get a few coins. You'll
have to tangle with vertical flame jets, but you shouldn't have much of an
issue. Hop the little gap and stand on the flame jet until the screen catches
up with you. SLOWLY walk forward; you can duck under the flame jet that comes
from above. Once it turns off, another one will activate in front of you. Wait
until it turns off, and you'll have a split second to move before that vertical
one comes on again.

Get high now (no, not with drugs), and keeping moving right. Dodge the flame
jets and drop down. There is a one-block distance between the vertical flame
jet and the horizontal one above you, and they activate alternately. What that
means is, wait until the vertical one shuts off, then jump JUST IN FRONT of the
horizontal one, which WILL BE ON. You need to be very careful to avoid getting
roasted here. Once the horizontal one cuts, proceed on top of the jet itself.
Drop down beside the next vertical jet, jump it, then proceed slowly. Wait
until the next jet withdraws, then hop up, but be VERY careful because a flame
jet will turn on right in your face. Dodge both of them, then jump in the
silver pipe to finally engage Iggy.

Iggy jumps a lot, so match his movements. He doesn't chuck magic beams too
often, so just match his jumps with your own. His jumps get insanely high once
you bonk him twice, but it's nothing you haven't seen before.

The wand is yours, and Donkey Kong changes back to a fat smilin' dude in
nothing but his underwear. I think the ape was better looking.

Your favorite princess gives you another letter with a P-wing. You're halfway
done to putting an end to Bowser's reign of terror.



+------------------+
|+----------------+|
||WORLD 5: THE SKY||
|+----------------+|
+------------------+

This world is rather large. You've got two sections to deal with, and you have
to deal with a stage to transfer between them. If you lose in the airship, it
can move between both sections, and you'll have to deal with the stage AGAIN to
challenge the airship a second time. So, if you have an air anchor by now, I
recommend you use it now, so you only have to deal with the mid-world stage
once.

Normal Stages: 9, plus airship
Castles: 2
Special Stages: 1
    Sky Tower
Brothers: 3
    Hammer Brothers (x3)
Item Houses: 3
Life-up Games: 2
Main Baddie: Roy Koopa

Luckily, you can have some fun here, because this is the only world with the
famed Karibo's Shoe! Woo hoo!

+---------+
|Stage 5-1|
+---------+

If you come in here with a P-wing, you have two paths you can take in addition
to the normal stage. I don't think either are worth a P-wing, but you can take
them if you want.

Assuming you come in with a P-wing, immediately fly up and to the right, and
you should find a hanging green pipe. Once you go inside, there are two paths
you can take. To go high, do a ducking jump and keep tapping the jump button to
fly while ducking. Trace along the narrow path to the right and get the
treasure box for a really stupid music box, which will also end the stage.

If you take the lower path instead, go into the green path and you will come
out under the rest of the stage. The blocks immediately to your right have four
1up mushrooms in them. Once you get them, fly straight up from the green pipe,
and hit the block on the left to uncover a P-switch. Smack it to make some blue
coins appear below you. Get your fill, then bust through the blocks on the
right side. Nothing else to do but fly to the end of the stage.

If you don't have a P-wing, you'll have to go by land. You're immediately
challenged by something that resembles a Buzzy Beetle. That shell on their back
only protects against fire though, so one jump will put him out of commission.
The first little log piece you see will give you a powerup. Proceed slowly
right, because a Chain Chomp will take a bite out of you if you miss your jump.
The next Chain Chomp guards a ? block with another powerup. He's rather
dangerous to cross though, so be careful if you want to attempt it.

Keep on movin' until you get to the ? block with a single coin. See those
plants with happy smilin' faces? You can torch them with fire or whack 'em with
a tail, but if you try to jump on them, they'll jump up and nip you. So, don't
try to stomp, just get a high jump over them. It's at this point that I miss
the charging jumps from Mario 2. In the next row of ? blocks, the third from
the right produces a star.  Grab it a quickly run to the right, taking out all
your little enemies. Proceed to the end of the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 5-2|
+---------+

Jump in the pipe and press against the right wall; you'll fall on a note block.
If you miss it, I'll cover the alternate path in the next paragraph. If you did
get on the note bock, climb up the blocks, watch out for the green Koopas
because they will drop down, and jump in the green pipe.  Slide down the hills,
then jump in the next green pipe.  BONUS ROOM!!! Hit the block on the left side
for a powerup if you're not already big, then bust through the blocks and claim
your prize from the big ? block. Keep moving right; the ? blocks have nothing
worthwhile in them. The green pipe will take you out of the stage.

If you miss the note block, control your fall so you can get as many coins as
you can. Once you drop into the pool, enter the center pipe. Jump down the
waterfall and proceed right. Remember the first enemy you encountered in Stage
5-1? He's back, and now he can throw things at you. Bonk him and proceed right.
The stage is fairly linear, so you'll just have to do a lot of jumping and
dodging. Keep going to the right until you find the last blue pipe, and use it
to exit the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 5-1|
+----------+

Jump the lava pit, but time it so you don't get smacked by the Light Balls. As
soon as you land, freeze because a Thwomp will flatten you if you keep running.
Get past him and stand under the four blocks.  If you are big, take out the
block second from the right, jump on the block second from the left, and use
the as a stepping stone the rest of the way up. Hit the ? block to get a leaf.
Now drop back down, and duck underneath the Light Ball on the left where you
started. When you are ready, run to the right past the Thwomp, and jump just as
you come to the vertical path. Your P-meter should max out just as you jump,
allowing you to fly all the way up. Take the orange pipe up there for a
treasure room. Charge your P-meter and fly along the area to get a 1up
mushroom. Exit the room.

Go right against the blue block wall, and face left. This will trigger the
Thwomp and keep the Boo Diddley in check. You'll have to jump over the spinning
Light Ball while you're standing here. When you can, jump up on the orange
ball, face left, and duck. When the thwomp moves and the light ball is behind
you, head right. Dodge the next Light Ball/Thwomp combo and proceed past the
lava pits. You'll have to move quick to avoid being smooshed by the next
Thwomp. Enter the door and face Boom-Boom. You know what to do here.

+---------+
|Stage 5-3|
+---------+

After dropping in the pipe, whack the Spiny and use the shell to take out the
Piranha to the left. It's Karibo's Shoe time!  Wait until the Goomba in the
shoe is on the block ledge and hit the block underneath him. That will take out
the Goomba and leave the shoe under your control.

This thing gives you MASS height. You can also jump on Spinies without taking
damage. In fact, try it out on the next Spinies you encounter just to the left.
Keep going and you will find another Goomba with another shoe. Take it if you
want and keep going. The red Nip-nips that you eventually find can't hurt you
if you have the Karibo's shoe. Slam the second block to the left of the ones
over them for a 1-up shroom. Keep going left, and enter the last green pipe.
There is a third Karibo's shoe if you need it. Keep going right, let the
Spinies walk off the ledge, then bounce past two pipes to the row of ? blocks;
the middle one has a fire flower. Use the blocks as a stepping stone to get
past the next pipe. Keep going right, enter the horizontal green pipe, and run
right to grab your card.

+---------+
|Sky Tower|
+---------+

The first section is basic dodge and run stuff that you've dealt with for...
well, however long you've been playing the game. The ? block contains a leaf.
Head up the silver pipe and head left past the two thwomps. Go up that silver
pipe and proceed past the block towers, but be careful; there are jumping
blocks trying to kill you here. Go into the green pipe to go back into the
tower. Trigger the Thomp and time your jump to clear the spike pit without
hitting the Light Ball. A hop, skip, and jump later you'll find a silver pipe
which leads to ANOTHER silver pipe which leads back into the clouds. Go right,
dispatch the koopa, and bump the regular block to make a vine. Ascend it, jump
up on the clouds, jump in the pipe, and that will exit the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 5-4|
+---------+

Now you've found the fun and hard part of this world. Hit the ? block for a
leaf, and fly up and to the right to get a whole crapload of coins.  Fly again
to the right and start jamming the jump button to descend slowly (also to the
right), and you'll find the pipe to exit the stage.

What's that? You don't want to fly through it? Well, okay... Assuming you're
going to do this the hard way and not fly from the beginning, do a running jump
up the starting cloud to leap over the spinning platform. Another jump will get
you over the next one. The next platform teeters back and forth depending on
where you're standing on it. Quickly jump from that to the next platform, then
quickly hop to the next teetering platform to the right. Another running jump
should get you over the spinning platform. The waterfalls are traps because if
you enter them, you'll have to swim like mad not to be dragged to your doom.
Past the waterfalls is another teetering platform. You can skip the first
spinning platform by using the Para-troopa as a spring. However, you will have
to make a jump to the next spinning platform from the teetering platform. This
is the pipe that will take you out of the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 5-5|
+---------+

The entire floor is covered in donut blocks, so you can't stand in any one
place for too long. Move right and whack all your enemies until you get to the
stack of three little logs. Bump the top one for a powerup. Use a Koopa shell
or a raccoon tail to take out the blocks above the second pipe. That leads you
to a bonus room with a Tanookie suit! Go right; the third little log you see
has a leaf in it. Don't get it, you have your Tanookie suit! There's nothing
too major from here on out, just standard enemies.

+---------+
|Stage 5-6|
+---------+

tHIS IS AN AUTO SCROLLER.  oH, WAIT, MY CAPS LOCK IS ON...  There we go.

Anyway, you're going to have to use the flying Buzzy Beetles as stair steps. If
you stand on one for a while, it will start to ascend. You'll need precise
jumps to hop from beetle to beetle. When you get to the note block, the flow of
Buzzy Beetles will end. Hop to the logs and continue grabbing coins. When you
get to the two block platforms, drop to the bottom one and hit the block second
from the right of the top row to make a P-switch. Hit it and proceed right. The
Fire Chomp that challenges you can be taken out with a single jump. By the time
the P-switch wears out, you should be on the logs with the pipe that takes you
out of the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 5-7|
+---------+

Head right; the little log that you see contains a Fire Flower. Climb the block
structure; all the blocks on the top row are jumping blocks. Torch the Fire
Piranha in the pipe and drop down on the logs. The block to the left of the ?
blocks has a 1up mushroom; you can hit that block by inching over the left edge
of the logs. Grab it, then jump in the pipe. Run right; the last set of stacked
logs before the pit has a leaf. If you want to take a shortcut, go to the edge
of the pit near the blue blocks. Run left to charge the P-meter and fly up and
left until you come to a block formation. Bust through a few of the blocks to
get into the clouds. From there, charge up your P-meter again as you run right
and fly over the blue blocks to the end of the stage.

If for some reason you can't fly up there, just proceed to the end and go into
the green pipe. Things get a little complicated with Bullet Bills, jumping
blocks, and Lakitu all having personal issues with you. Wipe them all out and
proceed to the end, where a green pipe will get you to the end of the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 5-2|
+----------+

Jump down the silver pipe and go right past the Podoboos and lava. You
shouldn't have an issue until you come to the ? blocks. The right one contains
a star which will help you blitz the next section quite easily. The next pair
of ? blocks is your next landmark. A powerup is in the left one. Make sure you
don't go too much to the right of that platform because a Podoboo will come
from the ceiling to try to fry you. Once he's gone, make a running jump to the
next platform. Podoboos and one Boo will antagonize you. Get through that and
jump through the silver pipe. Go right to take on Boom-Boom.

+---------+
|Stage 5-8|
+---------+

Hop right to the upper cloud to get the ? blocks. The second one from the right
has a powerup for you. Keep going right and hop from cloud to cloud. Lakitu
will jump you at some point, so take him out as soon as you can. Just survive
through all the hops and Spiny eggs to get out of the stage via a green pipe.

+---------+
|Stage 5-9|
+---------+

Another auto-scroller. This is standard
time-your-jumps-to-get-across-the-platforms fare. Things get a bit complex once
the Fire Chomp starts chasing you, but one bop will do him in. The green pipe
at the top of the stage sends you to the card.

+---------------+
|World 5 Airship|
+---------------+

An Albatoss wearing a crown? Alrighty...

Jump onto the mouth of the cannon, and hold your position until the flame jet
that ignites in your face turns off. Jump on it, then wait for the screen to
catch up to you. Grab a powerup from the ? block and keep going right. Hop onto
the second cargo box, then jump again to get on the Bullet Bill cannon. When
you reach the two cannons bolted to the silver wall, You can hop on them to
avoid damage entirely. Once the screen scrolls enough, do a running jump over
the next diagonal cannon. Quickly jump up from the little pit to avoid getting
trapped by the next diagonal cannon and the spinning cannon. Jump on the blue
bar linking the pieces of airship, then jump right once the screen catches up.
Here, you can use a cannon ball as a spring to get up on top of the silver
wall, keeping you safe from the crossfire of all the cannons and Bullet Bills.
Perform a running jump to get to the silver pipe and descend to the cabin.

You will engage Roy Koopa. Roy is heavy: if he jumps, the whole airship will
shake. If you're not airborne at that time, you'll be stunned, enabling him to
blast you. Hmm... I just realized that the giant Hammer Brothers from Giant
Land were the same way. In fact, you can even beat Roy using the same tactics.
Just stay on the ground until he jumps, then jump just as he's about to land,
and bop his head. He'll be down on three jumps or 12 fireballs, whichever you
choose. Just remember that when he withdraws into his shell and jumps, THAT
will shake the screen too.

Laying the smacketh down on Roy will give you the wand, but not the cool pair
of sunglasses that he stole from The Rock. It's all gravy, though, because you
turn the king back to his former Santa Claus self. The princess gives you a
worthless cloud as a prize. Now it's time to get a bit chilly in Ice Land!



+--------------------+
|+------------------+|
||WORLD 6: ICED LAND||
|+------------------+|
+--------------------+

What's a good platformer without an ice level, complete with ground that makes
you slip?

Normal Stages: 10, plus airship
Castles: 3
Special Stages: None
Brothers: 3
    Hammer Brothers (x3)
Item Houses: 3
Life-up Games: 3
Main Baddie: Lemmy Koopa

A vast majority of the stages here have either ice blocks (with coins or
enemies in them), slippery ground, or both. If you encounter ice blocks, you
can melt them with a fireball to get at their contents, making fire power very
useful in this world. If you're sliding around, you can jump to stop your
momentum. These tips can save you, or something.

+---------+
|Stage 6-1|
+---------+

Bust the ? block for a power up. You'll immediately encounter a new enemy: a
Piranha playing catch with a spiky ball. It bounces low twice, then is blown
sky-high. Time your jump between those high launches to get past him. After
that, you'll have to deal with another one that's walking around on the ground
as well. This time, you'll want to time your jump during the sky-high throws so
you actually have room to clear your jump.

If raccoon power at this point, though, kill that walking Piranha down there
and use the stretch of land between the two pipes as a runway. Fly straight up
to find a secret door to lead to a bonus room. Jump to the upper path and do a
running dive to get under the low ice blocks. You'll find a P-switch... I think
you know what to do here.

Whether you have raccoon power or not, you'll appear at about the same place (a
? block with a leaf, hovering above a set of three ice blocks). You'll have to
deal with TWO ground-based spitting Piranhas here. Hopefully by now you have
some sort of way to take them out, or you're in for an extremely precise jump.
After that, you're only a few leaps away from the card.

+---------+
|Stage 6-2|
+---------+

An auto-scroller with a twist. The ice blocks that are everywhere make precise
jumps even harder than normal. When you get to the blue block, pick it up and
kick it right to blast the ? block for a leaf. Hop, skip, and for the coins;
you'll need a quick jump to grab the coins under the blocks and still have
enough space to get back up.

A moment later, the screen shifts directions, sending you up. Quickly ascend
and get rid of the blue blocks to access the coin block. The screen changes
headings again; move fast on the clouds and logs to get the block with a 1up
mushroom. Continue right to the blue pipe; jump in to end the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 6-3|
+---------+

Jump in the Toad House to pick up the third of the power suits, the Hammer
Brothers' Suit! This nifty little item comes complete with a fireproof shell!
All you have to do is duck, and you'll be immune to anything Fire Piranhas can
whip at you. It also enables you to chuck hammers, Koopa-style!

Anyway, onto stage 6-3. Jump on the note blocks and wait for the moving log.
Jump on it, duck under the ice column, and hop up to the Koopa if you don't
have raccoon power. There's a ? block with a leaf just in front of you. Hop
across the ice columns to get the coins.

Use the Koopa to get to the next note block, then use that as a stepping stone
to get over the next ice wall. Bop the Koopa and pick up his shell, then chuck
him into the single block just to the right of you. A vine will appear and take
you up, up, and away. The note block there simply gives you access to the blue
pipe above your head. Jump in! A Tanookie Suit will be your reward. Grab it,
but don't leave yet. Run left and fly along the left edge of the bonus room to
find an area with a large cache of coins.

Once you exit the bonus room, you'll be right back where you started. Descend
slowly STRAIGHT DOWN from the right edge of the pipe. Go too far right, and
you'll drop to your death. Hop across the ice blocks to the right; the block
you see is a coin block. Drop down from that onto the single ice block, then
hop to the two-ice block platform. A moving log will assist you over the ice
column. Keep moving, and use the Para-troopas to get to the end of the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 6-1|
+----------+

I sure hope you retained your Tanookie Suit from the last level, because it
will severely help you out here. The platform is on a wire and will take you
THROUGH a bunch of Podoboos. Being a statue here will help you survive. It's
more than possible to simply dodge the enemies here if you don't have the
Tanookie Suit, but it's a rather difficult task. The ? block around this route
is pretty much a trap. If you spend the time to get the powerup, the platform
will be long gone by the time you're ready for your jump.

As the platform starts descending, stand on the left half of it but face right.
A Hot Foot is ready to ambush you if you're not looking at him. Once you pass
the first Light Ball, get on the right side of your platform. The Hot Foot will
jump, but he should miss you. The moment you pass the second Light Ball, get
back to the left to dodge the third one. Jump to the right immediately after.
Run to the right and jump in the door.

The twin Light Balls need a bit of timing to get past. The ? block holds a
powerup. Grab it and move right, then slam the left-most ? block for a Star.
Grab it and sprint right. This ? block holds a powerup too. Continue right,
enter the door, squash Boom-boom, and implode the castle.

+---------+
|Stage 6-4|
+---------+

You can get those three coins above you by jumping to the snow hill, then do a
running jump up to the donut blocks.

The spinning platforms you soon encounter ask you for timely hops. Get to solid
ground as soon as possible, but let the Goombas do the lemmings thing to avoid
unnecessary fights. The block you see has a 1up shroom for your collection. The
log-on-a-wire will escort you to get all the coins on the swirly path, but make
sure you're not on the log until it passes under the thick ice column; there's
not enough room to let you pass under it. Logs will be your ground for a few
more jumps.

An exposed P-switch will soon beg to be jumped on. Jump on it and drop through
all the happy coins, then sprint right. You'll have to jump over and through
the spinning platforms, all the while dealing with a Fire Chomp trying to bake
you. Sprint and leap at the end, using the spinning platform as a boost across
the little gap, and you'll get to the end of the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 6-5|
+---------+

A cold stage... a cold, precise stage... a long, cold, precise stage with
enemies that chuck things at you... oy...

This stage is divided into two sections. You need to be able to fly in order to
access the second section, but there are plenty of boxes around. I'm going to
do a more detailed way of describing the area so you can see landmarks and
such. Let's start at the beginning, of course.

Jump into the pipe in the giant ice blocks to get into the meat of the stage.
This pipe cannot be re-entered. Just to the right of it above you is a path
that leads nowhere. You'll face two of the guys that throw things. A few more
steps and you'll see a green pipe. Call this Pipe A, and skip it for now. Past
that is another path leading up. Past that is a row of blue blocks and a ?
block with a leaf. Past that is another path leading up. Then, a short uphill.
Then, more guys that throw things. Then, a downhill. Then, more blue blocks and
a Koopa. More upward paths. Column of normal blocks, staircase up, downhill
into a Fire Piranha, to a horizontal pipe. Call this Pipe B.

Now, here's the nifty thing. Both Pipes A and B lead to the same room and can
be entered from either side. The point is that you need a leaf, and coming to
and from that little room resets all the powerups. So, your goal is to be in
the main section with raccoon power. Once you have the raccoon tail backing
you, clear out the enemies on the ground to get some room to run.

Now, let's deal with the paths. There is a path just to the right of Pipe A.
Fly up that to get some coins, and drop down the other side to be closer to
Pipe B. Now, clear this area, but KEEP THE KOOPA ALIVE! I can't friggin' stress
this enough, KEEP THE KOOPA ALIVE!!! Destroy all the normal blocks, kill the
guys that chuck stuff at you, and get rid of the blue blocks. Now, lead the
Koopa to the little hill and bop him, then run left. Run right, which will
build your P-meter and have you pick up the shell in the process. Fly straight
up that path, and you'll find a little block formation with a pair of Nip-nips.
Without the shell, you wouldn't be able to get through this; kick it to the
right to take out both Nip-nips. Then, use your tail and smack the bricks out
of your way to get into the pipe. That will lead you to your well-deserved
card.

+---------+
|Stage 6-6|
+---------+

Another ice temple stage. Yippie.

Go right on the upper path and go all the way to the right to grab a Fire
Flower. Drop back down to the lower path. See the four logs above you? Bump the
pair on the right to expose a star. Grab it and sprint right. Jump into the
water, stay low as you move right, and ascend when you hit the wall. One of the
? blocks holds a Fire Flower. Grab it, then descend to the depths again. Move
right and stay low, then go into the area with pipes. With fire power, you'll
be able to blaze through this little area. Without it, you'll have to time your
strokes to get through. Only a few wussie enemies stand between you and the
final pipe.

+---------+
|Stage 6-7|
+---------+

Another auto-scroller, with donut blocks and other fun stuff. This is the
special White Toad House stage, and to get the coins, you'll need to ride the
blocks down to the coins, then jump off at the last second to avoid plummeting
to your death. Keep moving along until you get to the first ? block to get a
leaf. The second, the first one after the Fire Chomp, gives a Fire Flower. You
NEED fire power to get enough coins to activate the trigger. You'll eventually
see a blue pipe that will lead you to the end of the stage with coins encased
in ice blocks. Torch them with fireballs, grab your fill, then get the heck out
of there.

+----------+
|Castle 6-2|
+----------+

A horizontal Thwomp blocks you from easy access to the next area. Trigger him,
then drop down. Get a leaf from the ? block, then hop up. That will trigger the
Thwomp. The moment he moves back the other way, jump up to where he was and
continue. Trigger the next horizontal Thwomp, and drop down when it's clear.
The next one will take a running duck, but it should be easy to do. The next
trap is a pair of Light Balls that hover under a ? block with a leaf. Run
forward and turn around so you don't fall off the ice platform, but turn and
face right as soon as you can because a Boo Diddley is waiting to jump you. Two
more Light Balls will be in your way for the next part. You'll also encounter a
horizontal Thwomp, and you'll have to wait until he moves completely to the
right before trying to advance. Once you drop down, run right and JUMP THE
MOMENT YOU CAN GO UP THE LITTLE PATH. A Thwomp is lying in ambush, ready to
slam into you, and you need to leap him in the same motion as getting to the
door.

Here, you'll take on Boom-boom, but he's learned a new trick. First, you have
to bash him once, but delay until he actually drops down to your level. After
that, bop him once, but get ready to jump quickly. As you've probably figured
out by now, Boom-boom normally jumps at you once he recovers. This time, he's
going to try a high jump in place. If you don't get him again quickly, your
timing will be horribly thrown off. Once you finally take him out, you'll have
another orb, and Bowser will have one less castle.

+---------+
|Stage 6-8|
+---------+

Yay! Green grass!

Bust the ? block and spitting Piranha with blue blocks, then move on. Bust the
Koopa, then kick the shell right and follow it at full speed. It will take out
a bunch of Nip-nips and a few other nasties. When you reach the big H made of
blue blocks, get rid of the ones along the left side, then hop up on the top of
the right prong and jump. You'll hit a hidden block that will cough up a 1up
shroom. Take a blue block with you as proceed, and launch it to take out the
Nip-nips. Continue right and use a blue block to break the block directly on
the logs. The other one is a P-switch, but I'm not entirely sure what it's good
for. Anyway, go to the right to finish the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 6-9|
+---------+

Yet another ice temple stage, but make this one easy on yourself and use a Frog
Suit. Stay low; you can actually stay below Bertha by pressing against the land
under her. Once she's out of the way, go past the pipe with the airjet; your
Frog Suit will give you the power to fight the current and take the lower path.
Take the last pipe to get into a treasure room with a few coins and three 1up
shrooms. Trace your way through the pipes to the right until you get to the
wall. Jump up to the little platform to the left. There are two pipes on top of
each other; enter the top one to exit the stage.

+----------+
|Stage 6-10|
+----------+

Advance until you see two pairs of blocks on the ground. Pick up one of the
blue blocks and bust the right normal block to trigger a vine. Don't go up it
yet, though. Continue right to get a Fire Flower from the ? blocks, then keep
going. Use fireballs to free the coins, but don't shoot more than you have to
or you'll free the Nip-nips as well. When you get to the Nip-nips that are
guarding the pipe, free all of them and return to the vine. Climb it up to a
little row of blocks in the clouds. The left-most block of the row of three has
a P-switch. Bust it and sprint right; the Nip-nips you freed will turn to
coins, also freeing the pipe for access. Inside is a nice little bonus room for
you to plunder, including a Hammer Bros' suit! Yay! Hop and fight toward the
right to get out of there.

+----------+
|Castle 6-3|
+----------+

Oh boy, you need some precise jumps to deal with this. Luckily, if you managed
to retain the Hammer Brothers' Suit, you can chuck hammers to whack the enemies
away from you, even the haunted Boo Bars and Thwomps! Once you enter the door,
you'll begin falling. DON'T MOVE WHILE YOU'RE FALLING, because a bunch of boos
are ready to ambush you. Use your hammers to destroy them if you can, or just
don't move if you can't. Jump in the door once you have the chance. One solid
hammer shot (or five fireballs, or three jumps, whatever) will eliminate
Boom-boom.

+---------------+
|World 6 Airship|
+---------------+

This king is a Monty Mole from Super Mario World. He's doped up on Mountain
Dew, running back and forth like a scared little... well, something.

I don't normally advise the use of P-wings, but you may need one in this stage
(although if you still have your Hammer Brothers' Suit, don't use a P-wing, the
Suit is too valuable). If you choose to use one, just fly over everything to
the silver pipe and check out my strategy for the boss fight below.

If you have to go by ground--er, by airship--you'll need some very quick,
precise jumps. The long gaps in the beginning need to be traversed by the screw
platforms you saw several worlds ago. If you stand on any platform for too
long, you'll fall off it, so abuse that jump button of yours.

Once you reach the flame jets, be careful because even your Hammer Brothers'
Suit won't defend against them. You'll need more quick jumps to avoid them and
ascend the stairs to the silver pipe. Advise Lemmy to start writing his will.

Lemmy is a stronger version of Wendy. He's also on a ball, thus increasing his
speed and height, making him harder to hit. He'll open by standing in one place
for a moment. Wait a moment and he'll throw a ball around the room, then he'll
charge at you. Get inside that attack and bop him. The moment you do, he'll
throw another ball in play, EVEN BEFORE SPINNING IN HIS SHELL. Retreat and
dodge both of the balls while waiting for him to reveal himself again. You can
jump on the balls without taking damage, but they won't be eliminated from the
field. Still, that also can give you a boost to get more airborne. Once he
recovers from the first hit, he'll chuck a third ball in play. Now things get
complicated. If you can spare the hit, I'd say you just jump in the moment you
can, your fire/raccoon/whatever status be damned. Of course, if you're wearing
something valuable like a Tanookie or Hammer Brothers' Suit, or if you're small
and can't spare the pain, you'll have to wait for an opening before getting him
again. Using the balls as springs should be give you the edge you need.

I was writing the FAQ when the next scene flashed and I forgot to pause it, so
I have no idea what the king looks like... if someone can come up with a clever
description, toss me an e-mail. I know I could just as easily check him out by
going through the world again, but this is the interactive part of the FAQ.

Anyway, the Princess gives a letter about retrieving the "Magic Whistle hidden
in the darkness at the end of the Third World." Now, there are three problems
with that: First, she means stage 1-3, not WORLD 3 (Water Land). Water Land
doesn't have any darkness anyway. Second, because it's a stage in World 1 as I
said just now, that means you can't go back for it anyway. Third, if you
followed my FAQ, you should ALREADY have it. The princess probably isn't blond
for no reason. Then again, she's become a strawberry-blond lately... I wonder
which is the natural hair color? At least the gift, a nifty little P-wing, is
more than helpful.

Two more worlds to go. I hope you're not claustrophobic, because you're heading
to...



+--------------------+
|+------------------+|
||WORLD 7: PIPE MAZE||
|+------------------+|
+--------------------+

There's more green here than on a seasick sailor's face. It's also as
dangerous.

Normal Stages: 9, plus airship
Castles: 1
Special Stages: 2
    Nip-nip Stage (x2)
Brothers: None
Item Houses: 3
Life-up Games: 3
Main Baddie: Ludwig von Koopa

Piranhas, Koopas, Nip-nips, oh my. They all share one weakness though. Fire
will be quite valuable here.

+---------+
|Stage 7-1|
+---------+

Back in World 5, you had to ascend the clouds. Here, you have to ascend some
pipes. Once you're in the door, you'll be in thin, tall area. There's a happy
catch here; if you run or jump past one edge of the map, you'll appear in the
same place on the other side. So don't think you're limited to only the section
you see. If you have an exceptionally weird jump, try jumping the other way,
and it may be easier.

Anyway, ascend the pipes using the skills you've built up to this point. When
you come to the two vertical pipes, jump into the one on the left. The red
Piranhas below you will alternate going in and out, so drop down once the right
one receeds, and go left once the left one receeds. Jump in that pipe, and if
you've got the Mario physics down, you can actually get on top of the ? blocks
without flying. If you jump above the ? block to the right, you will trigger a
hidden block with a 1up shroom.

Jump in the left pipe now, and continue on. Bust the Koopa and kick him into
the ? blocks. Stand on the left one, and when the shell hits it, you'll get a
powerup. Now, drop down the pipe you just used, then come up it again. That
resets the Koopa so you can get to the middle ? block without being hit. Take
out the Para-troopa and make sure he's eliminated completely. Then, use the
note block to spring to the green pipe on the right. Hit the blocks there, and
jump to the right of them as well to trigger another hidden 1up shroom. If you
haven't killed the Para-troopa, he'll make it a bit tougher to net your extra
life.

Keep going up. Piranhas will force you to make timely jumps at a point soon. If
you have fire power, you'll have an easy time here. If not, watch your jumps.
If you can fly, you can fly up the left side to enter a pipe that leads to a
nest of coins. There isn't another way to get here other than flying, so if you
can't, ignore the gold and move on. Once you come to the log room, follow the
path of coins above to place your jumps, then take the pipe to exit the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 7-2|
+---------+

Desert. Your first landmark is a pair of ? blocks, and the one on the left
holds a Fire Flower. Jump into the next pipe, the one the Nip-nip is dancing
on, and you'll be dunked. Swim left to find some coins and a P-switch. You can
get the first set of coins, but not the second unless you have a Frog Suit.
Keep going right, and enter the far right pipe. A Koopa will challenge you, but
just torch him. If you have to jump on him, be careful, because there is no
room above your head, just a bunch of hidden note blocks. Drop in the right
pipe to snatch a leaf, then return to the underground pool. Swim to the pipe
just to left of the one you came from and go in that. You'll be back on top of
things. Run right and leap onto the note blocks you triggered, then proceed.
Keep an eye on the ground and look for a pipe that leads through the ground,
and take it. That will lead you to the exit.

+---------+
|Stage 7-3|
+---------+

I like this stage. This is a complete sprint, and you can tear through the
whole thing while under star power. Bump the ? block, but don't touch the star
yet. Walk right until you find the first enemy, then grab the star and run
right. The next star is on the left ? block of the bottom row, but it will only
cough up a star if you are under star power. The third one is also on the left
? block of the bottom row. The fourth one is in the regular block under the ?
block. Skip the next regular block, then hit the one to the left of the pipe.
The sixth one is actually in the block to the right pipe, too. Grab 'em, then
do a full-out sprint to the end.

+---------+
|Stage 7-5|
+---------+

No, you're not misreading anything, and no, I didn't delete a stage. See, stage
7-5 blocks a very important Toad House, so I recommend you do it first. Jump
into any of the three pipes to start.

This is a maze, but I've got the solution. Bop the Koopa and eject him, then
enter the next pipe. Bop the two Koopas there, then jump in the next pipe.
Blast the Bob-ombs and Koopa, and enter the far-right path. Hit the ? block for
a powerup, and slam the little gap to make a hidden block appear as a bridge.
Drop back down the pipe, then hop up on the blue blocks. Enter the first pipe
you see, and jump against the right edge of the gap. That will trigger a 1up
shroom that will move left. Quickly drop down the pipe, then enter the pipe
just to the left. The 1up shroom will drop down there for you to collect. Grab
it, then jump up there; that gap does not have a block blocking it.

Go left and drop down the pipe against the far left wall. You can grab a Fire
Flower from the ? block. Jump the blue wall and rush back right. Go back into
the middle pipe above the blue blocks; you know, the one without a block
blocking the gap. Jump up, and this time go right. If you have raccoon power,
you can take a shortcut here by slamming the block. Otherwise, jump down the
green pipe there. Use one of the Para-troopas to get access to the pipe, then
jump in.

Here's the most mazey part. Drop down from the pipe to the right and jump. The
gap will fill blocks. Hop up on the blue blocks and jump to make another
bridge. Run right, leap to the blue blocks, then jump up to the upper path. Run
right, and the bridge you made will assist you across. Fall off the blue
blocks; see the gap to the right of the green pipe? Jump straight up there to
release a 1up shroom. Then, drop in the pipe. Jump down off the blue blocks,
then start jumping to make another bridge. Go left then, enter the pipe you
have access to, and you'll return to where you just were. Clear the way through
the blue blocks and Koopa, then head right along the upper path again. Again
drop in the far right pipe, use the coin bridge you made, and the pipe just
there will take you out of the stage.

Make sure you enter the Toad House you just opened to get a Frog Suit.

+---------+
|Stage 7-4|
+---------+

Use your brand new Frog Suit for this stage to make your life infinitely
easier.

Being underwater is bad enough. Berthas challenge you, along with the electric
jellyfish (that really DOES sound like a band!), but this one is also an
auto-scroller. Proceed slowly, and don't bump any ? block; you don't want to
lose your Frog Suit this early.

Once the screen shifts directions, take that as a signal that the fun stuff is
starting. Stay in the middle of screen, make a few strokes to the left, and
wind your way through the electric jellyfish minefield. Once you're almost
through, a Bertha will try to attack. Wait until she's out of position, then
move around her. The rest of the stage takes precise swimming and maneuvering,
so wind your way to the green pipe to exit the stage.

+---------------+
|Nip-nip Stage 1|
+---------------+

There are two of these stages in the world, and while they're optional, they
have nice prizes if you can survive them.

Come in with fire power. You'll immediately know what you're in for just by
dealing with the first jump. You can't jump up on the pipe from the ground, so
you have to either time a running jump to get there without being hit, or you
have to torch the Piranha. The second pipe is the same way. Jump on it, then
hold your position and glance ahead. You should see a bunch of narrow pipes
with alternating Nip-nips. You have to make quick, accurate jumps to land on
the pipes when they're clear. They can't hurt you as long as their mouths
aren't open, so you can delay a half-second before taking another leap.

Once you're past that, a Piranha will hunt you from the top. Try to roast him,
but you'll only get one shot before you drop down to the lower level. If you
can't take him out, then you'll have to be real careful in your next jump
timing. Also, he'll haunt you as you try to ascend the pipes on the other side
of the gap. Enter the squat pipe to drop down to a room with a treasure chest.
Grab it to claim a P-wing and finish the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 7-1|
+----------+

Come in here while you're at least big.

Blocks, blocks, and most blocks. There's a shortcut to getting through here,
luckily. See the two colums of blocks that come from the ceiling? Count two
rows to the left of the left column and bust through to the top row. You'll
uncover a P-switch; slam it, then jump to the pair of blue blocks. Enter the
white door that just appeared there. You'll come to a room with two pipes.
Enter the left silver pipe to enter a bonus room. Jump in to get a Tanookie
Suit.

Lauren ([email protected]) sends an addition:

####################################################

I feel that you have left out a very important hint in the game! Upon hitting
the P-switch in Castle 7-1 (after you descend the steps, it is hidden
underneath the fourth block, top row) the entire room of blocks turn to coins.
Fall to the bottom and jump around for coins. Once you reach the floor, there
is a door that leads to the blue section of the castle. Enter it and  the door
you come to, and the block room is again filled with blocks that you can change
to coins. Obtaining these coins will up your lives significantly, thus giving
beginners (or just the Mario-impaired) plenty of tries to beat Bowser's castle.

####################################################

Head into the right pipe now, and drop onto the ? blocks. Jump right (not to
the blue blocks on the left), and descend slowly to the door. Enter it, then
run left. Jump after you pass the second dormant Boo Bar and fly straight up.
You'll find a silver pipe on the ceiling; get in to face Boom-boom.

+---------+
|Stage 7-6|
+---------+

Another vertical stage without side borders. Once you're on the ! platform,
ascend quickly. Ignore the ? block, because it only contains a single coin.
Drop to the donut blocks and go left, then go on the up platform. Maneuver
around the spikes, then jump on the <- platform. Stand on it to start it, then
jump over the pipe. Duck under the logs, then jump in the pipe. Ignore the !
platform and instead jump on the <- platform. In the row of ? blocks, the third
from the left holds a powerup. Drop back down to the ! block, then ascend past
the ? blocks and up through the spikes. Now just hop from arrow platform to
arrow platform until you get to the top.

+---------+
|Stage 7-7|
+---------+

All right, this one starts simple and gets REALLY complex. You're going to have
to use continuous star power, like in stage 7-3, but now you HAVE to keep your
star power up, or you won't live very long. Make sure your volume is up, you
don't want to miss the music cues.

To start, jump in the pipe. You'll have to deal with two basic jumps, then
you'll find a ? block that produces the first star. Grab it and run right. When
you come to the next ? block, smack it on the left side so the star bounces
right, but DON'T TOUCH IT YET. Walk right, with the star trailing behind you,
and grab it once the star music fades but before the star power itself fades.
Grab it, then sprint right, then bump the next ? block to release the next
star, and again wait until the music stops before grabbing it. The next star is
in the ? block next to the logs, and you'll probably be out of star power just
as you release it, so don't delay in grabbing it. Sprint right, duck the low
pipe, and leap right to get over the tall pipe. Enter the pipe on the far right
to get the heck out of there.

+---------+
|Stage 7-8|
+---------+

This is another stage that I'd recommend using a P-wing to get through.

If you don't have one, start by running right, and jump over and around all the
Piranhas that challenge you. You'll eventually come to a gap that even Robbie
Keneval couldn't make, what with the Piranhas covering both your landing pad
and the gap TO the landing pad. Luckily, you're not Robbie, you're Mario (or
Luigi), and you can do it... although you may want to torch one plant or the
other first.

Once you get past those, you can bump the ? block above you for a star. Grab it
and run right, to the big white platform. Hold down on it if you wish to drop
behind the scenery, like back in stage 1-3. Hop right (you're still mortal once
you pop out from behind the hills, so hurry), and drop into the section of
hills where a Nip-nip is patrolling. Hopefully you're still in the background,
and if you are, you can run and jump to the next pipe without worrying about
being bitten by the Nip-nip. Of course, you'll still have to deal with the
Piranha plants, so time your jump. The top one, the Fire Piranha, will come out
no matter what, so duck under him and stay RIGHT BELOW HIM to avoid being
torched.

Drop to the bridge and run right. Your speed will take you over the one-tile
gaps, so don't worry. Just make sure to stop on the last one, and jump to the
closest pipe once the Piranha receeds. Hop the gap to the next pipe from there,
then jump over the spitting Piranha and next pipe. You'll soon get to a pair of
Nip-nips, one on the ground, and one on the second row of a block structure.
The upper Nip-nip has a special feature: he spews four fireballs at you when
you approach. They can reach the upper row of blocks, so if you go up there to
avoid him, make sure you stay airborne. Once you get past that, this hellish
stage will be over.

+---------+
|Stage 7-9|
+---------+

Desert, Goombas, Koopas, and a maze of puprle pipes. Fun!

Go right and use the note blocks to get in the structure. Go all the way up,
then turn left at the fork. Jump through the break in the pipes, then jump off
the left side. As you fall, clear away the blue blocks. Repeat, and now you can
take the path you cleared. Drop down, kill the Koopa, and go right and up to
get the coins from the above treasure room.

All right, now get back to the top of the structure. Use the logs to hop to the
next part of the structure and run right across the top of it. Drop, go left,
clear out the blue blocks, drop, follow the path around, drop, go left, money!
Get your fill of coins, then head all the way back to the right, to where the ?
blocks are above you. Hop up to the upper path (where a stack of blue blocks
are at the same altitude as the ? blocks are), break through and go right. Hop
across the log pieces right, break through the blue blocks, drop, there are
coins on the left, go right through the next blue blocks, then keep going right
into the orange pipe to exit.

+----------+
|Castle 7-2|
+----------+

A Hammer Brothers' Suit will give you easy access through this world, because
you'll be able to take out most of the traps and concentrate on jumping.
Remember, your hammers can dispatch Boos, Thwomps, and Piranhas of all flavors,
so use them accordingly until you get to Boom-boom, then smack him too to get
your orb.

If you don't have it or don't want to use it, start by making the long jump to
the first orange pipe and face left. A Boo Diddley will chase you. Turn to face
him once he's rather close, then you can leap over him to the next orange pipe.
The moment you land, face him again to prevent him from biting you. Once the
Light Ball is out of position, jump to the orange ball it's hovering around and
face left. Then wait for the Piranha to go into his pipe before jumping to it.
The Boo will probably be gone now, but still face left just to make sure.

Hop across the orange pipes until you see the Thwomp. You'll need MAD speed
here to avoid taking damage, so try to move quickly. Once you get past him,
you'll be relatively safe. On the next orange pipe before the lava, face left.
Another Boo Diddley will challenge you. Walk back to the blue blocks between
the pipes, then jump over the Boo and face left. That will keep him out of your
way for your next jump over the lava. Make that jump onto the pipes, then hop
to the next one.

Things get complicated with the next obstacle: two Piranha Plants are both
occupying the same bit of land you need to get to. They move at different
rates, so wait until both are gone, then make two quick hops to get past them.
A Fire Piranha in a later pipe will chuck fire at you. Duck its fireballs, then
jump over on its pipe. Jump onto the ? block just in front of you and wait for
the Piranha below to receed into its pipe before dropping down. The block
contains a precious powerup, by the way. Once you have it, hop back onto the
block and use it as a stepping stone to get to the next pipe.

You'll have to make another quick jump to get past another Thwomp situation. Do
so, then as it's rising up, jump from the orange pipe under to it to the taller
pipe to the right. Don't rush this: if you're not confident in your jump, delay
until the Thwomp falls and rises again. You can't delay too long however,
because as long as you're facing left, yet another Boo Diddley will attack.
Once you manage to get to the tall pipe, jump to the next one and face left. A
fourth Boo Diddley will haunt you. Wait until he's close, then face right
again. The third one will start chasing you again. Jump over the fourth one and
the lava in one smooth motion to make it to the blue block platform. Stand over
the pipe below and face left, freezing both Boo Diddleys. Wait until the
Piranha below recedes, then drop off the blue blocks and hold left to fall onto
the pipe.

Run forward to lure the Dry Bones left, then stomp them. You'll need timing
here, but run and drop to slide under the blocks before getting smacked with
the Light Ball. Of course, that was just chicken feed compared to the next
obstacle. Not only do you have to duck the blocks and avoid the Light Ball, but
you need to avoid getting Thwomped as well. To do so, touch the wall to trigger
the Thwomp, back up, then rush forward and dive under the block. You should be
able to ascend the stairs before the Thwomp sets himself and comes back down.

+---------------+
|Nip-nip Stage 2|
+---------------+

Remember the alternating Nip-nips you dealt with in the first Nip-nip stage?
Well, you'll have to deal with it again, but the pipes are narrow, requiring
jumps that are even more precise. Try to leap over them all AND over the
medium-high green pipe. The green pipe there has a Fire Piranha, so the higher
you jump, the better. Run under the pipes coming from the ceiling, then proceed
to the note blocks. Use them to avoid contact with the Nip-nips, then drop into
the longer pipe to claim a Mushroom and clear the stage.

+---------------+
|World 7 Airship|
+---------------+

Geez, it took long enough to get here. The king's been turned into a stupid
Yoshi (is that redundant?), and we have to keep him from eating the whole
castle.

Screw platforms everywhere. More jumps. Ack. If you're not using a P-wing, jump
from platform to platform, and avoid the screw platforms completely if you have
any sort of choice. Remember to use QUICK hops if you need to move the screws
along. There aren't really any exact strategies I can describe here. There
aren't a lot of enemies; the challenge lies in your jumps and avoiding the few
flame jets. The silver pipe lies at the end, as usual.

To take on Ludwig von Koopa, you're going to need even more quick jumps. See,
he's heavy like Roy, so he'll shake the ship whenever he lands from a jump. Not
only that, but he shoots more than the others ever did, and he actually CHASES
YOU as you dance around. Just try to get more airtime than Ludwig, and you
should be able to take him out.

The king gets decked out in Viking attire, and he and his long Belgarath beard
thank you for saving him. Then he says the usual line, "Here is a letter from
the Princess."

Boy, Peach really let herself go... oh wait, that's a Bowser watermark. Cool,
although apparently the king of Pipe Land has no clue how to tell the
difference between a big fat turtle and a flat-chested princess. Bowser
declares that he has commandeered Peach for the time being and challenges you
to rescue her. Ha ha ha. Sounds like a trap to me, and I don't honestly think
Peach is worth it (what exactly does she rule over if all the worlds have
kings?), but Mario does the chivalrous thing and pursues her to Dark Land.

No item comes with the letter. I feel gipped.



+--------------------------+
|+------------------------+|
||WORLD 8: CASTLE OF KOOPA||
|+------------------------+|
+--------------------------+

Dark Land, the home of Bowser. Now that we've spanked all of Bowser's little
Koopa kids, it's time to take on the big daddy of them all... of course, we
have to pierce his traps first.

Normal Stages: 2
Castles: 1
Special Stages: 8
    Tank (x2)
    Battleship
    Fire Stage (x3)
    Airship
    Bowser's Castle
Brothers: None
Item Houses: None
Life-up Games: None
Main Baddie: Bowser Koopa

Lava, fire, and enemies of all shapes, sizes, and flavors will test your Mario
skills to the limit here. Because this is the last world, don't hesitate to use
your suits and P-wings if you encounter a stage that offers serious problems.
You don't obviously want to blow them on a couple of early stages, but if you
just can't seem to get past one particular stage, then use whatever you need
to.

+------+
|Tank 1|
+------+

You'll first deal with a few score tanks with a million cannons all aimed at
your head. Happy happy joy joy! Jump from cannon mouth to cannon mouth so you
kill the cannon balls just as they're fired. There's no real strategy I can
give, just watch your jumps and carefully progress. Jump in the silver pipe at
the end to engage a Boomerang Brother to collect a prize and end the stage.

+----------+
|Battleship|
+----------+

Unlike the map may have lead you to believe, the ships are on water, not lava.
You should have at least one more Frog Suit left over from your trip, so burn
it for this stage. However, even if you don't have it or don't want to use one,
you can follow the same strategy.

Whether or not you have a suit, you'll need to stay on the first ship. Once you
can jump in the water though, do so. If you've got the Frog Suit, hold up and
right to swim against the bottom of the ship. If you don't have the Frog Suit,
start tapping the swim button and hold right. Now, it might appear that when
the ship is at the bottom of its bob, you'll be pushed under and die. Trust me,
though, as long as you CONTINUALLY tap the jump button, you'll be fine. You may
want to use auto-turbo or something if you get too tired or distracted.

Swim like this under every ship that you come to, and you'll soon reach the
end. Jump in the silver pipe to fight a basic Boom-boom. Collect his orb to
clear out the locked door to continue on.

+------------+
|Fire Stage 1|
+------------+

The right, middle, and left pulsing squares on the map on this area take you to
fire stages. There's a chance that a creepy white hand (resembling Master Hand
from the later Super Smash Brothers on the N64) will drag you into the stage,
forcing you to play it. Some people cloud them all because, quite frankly, they
are quite short and almost not worth the trouble. But still, you get a few nice
prizes for taking them on. Get fire power, then enter that first square, the
one on the right, to start the first fire stage. If Master Hand doesn't force
you into it, hit your jump button to manually start it.

You'll start off by fighting a Fire Brother. Jump his fireballs and dispatch
him, then go on to engage a pair of Hammer Brothers. The right block of the
upper row is a single-coin block. The right two of the bottom row are
single-coin blocks as well, and the third one from the right unleashes a
powerup. Advance along the path to engage a Boomerang Brother. Wipe him out,
then keep going to fight a giant Hammer Brother. After he kicks it, take the
pipe to get a leaf, which will also clear the stage.

+------------+
|Fire Stage 2|
+------------+

Jump to the bridges when the Podoboos are out of position, grab the coins,
enter the pipe, claim your new shiny leaf.

+------------+
|Fire Stage 3|
+------------+

Remember back in Super Mario Brothers 1, you had to deal with a few sky-high
levels of small bridges and jumping Cheep-cheeps? Guess what kind of stage you
get to deal with here!

Entering with a star will keep you alive for a large chunk of the place. Keep
running, duck under the low logs, grab the powerup from the ? block, duck under
the next column of logs, jump the next column, and move on. A few jumps later,
you can claim a third leaf and complete the stage.

+-------+
|Airship|
+-------+

This is not like the other airships you've faced. It's far more dangerous.

Once the stage starts, you'll see immediately what you need to deal with. The
airship is really made of little jets with gaps that need to be jumped over to
get to each one. A P-wing would of course be an obscenely easy way to get
through, but we don't do anything the easy way, do we? Well, except for the
battleship stage, that is. Once you get to the end, you'll have to deal with a
Boom-boom to clear the stage.

The next map area is shrouded in darkness, but there's no too many surprises.

+---------+
|Stage 8-1|
+---------+

Ironic that stage 8-1 is the seventh stage you encounter.

There's not much to speak of for awhile. Stay on the ground and use quick jumps
to get past all the enemies. Once you get to the note block, pause. The note
block can't propel you to the pipe. What you have to do is wait for a Bullet
Bill to be fired at you, then use the note block to bounce on a Bullet Bill,
then bounce from it to the pipe. Jump to the next pipe when the Piranha
recedes, then go right to exit the stage.

+---------+
|Stage 8-2|
+---------+

This stage can be a million times easier simply by doing a slightly insane
thing at the beginning. Jump right into the quicksand and hold your position.
Trust me, you won't die. You'll drop down below ground in a tiny room with two
pipes. The one on the left leads to a bonus room with a leaf. The right one
escorts you to a room with a bunch of coins. Choose either, but you can get
only one.

Once you leave your chosen bonus room, you'll end up in the same place: a pipe
late in the stage. Go right, but be careful of the Fire Piranha that greets
you. Ascend the hill, then slide down the other side. Stop your momentum at the
bottom. You're going to have to deal with a very large gap to jump. If you can
fly over it, do so. If you can't, use the Para-troopa as a spring to the first
note block. Bounce from that to the second, then run to the end of the stage.

+----------+
|Castle 8-1|
+----------+

Jump to the next area and press against the blue wall. Duck under the Light
Ball, then jump over the wall. Bust the block for a single coin, dodge the pair
of Light Balls, and grab a Fire Flower from the next block. Keep going until
you find a door surrounded by normal blocks. Break through -- watch out for the
Light Ball -- and enter the door.

The moment you get through the door, jump. You'll end up standing on a conveyer
belt, and if you don't jump immediately, you'll be thrown into lava. Proceed
right and get past the Thwomp (which will require a hell of an accurate jump)
and hit the ? block to the right of him to get a leaf. Make sure you have
raccoon power before you continue on; if you only got a mushroom from the ?
block, take the door below the Thwomp, then immediately come back through. Once
you have a tail, continue right.

Take the second door to the right of the ? block. It'll be the first one you
see once your feet find more blue blocks. Enter it and walk right. See the
P-switch? Blast it, then RUN right. Jump the Dry Bones and keep running. If you
get hit, don't worry about it, just run. Once you reach the end, you'll see a
white door. Enter it.

When you appear, walk right. Dodge the Boo and run past the Light Balls.
Hopefully, you can grab the first coin of the pair, but if you can't, don't
worry. If you missed it, go right and drop near the Thwomp. He'll go fast to
the left. Jump him when he comes back right, and go left. Don't enter the door,
hit the block on the right of the pair. A P-switch will appear. Hit it, and
another white door will appear on the conveyer belt above. Enter it if you want
a Fire Flower. Otherwise, pass it and get to the OTHER white door that appeared
way to the right.

Once you get into that second white door, you'll land on a conveyer belt. Duck
and wait until the P-switch wears off. Keep ducking and the conveyer belt will
take you to the right under the spikes. Dispatch the Boom-boom to get out.

+------+
|Tank 2|
+------+

You're so close that you can see Bowser's ugly castle just in the distance.

A tank guards the front door of the castle. Because a locked door is behind it,
you can't cloud the tank. Grab a piece of equipment you like, like a P-wing or
Tanookie Suit, and engage Bowser's last line of defense.

Like the tank that you opened the world with, a million cannons will be
shooting things at you. Remember to stand on the mouths of the diagonal cannons
to take out the cannon balls the moment they're fired. Concentrate on your
movements, and remember what Peppy says from Star Fox 64: "Never give up, trust
your instincts." Get to the last tank to wipe out the final Boom-boom.

+---------------+
|Bowser's Castle|
+---------------+

This is it! Grab a beer or Mountain Dew or whatever your beverage of choice is.
Get in a comfortable position and relax yourself. You don't want Bowser to get
you while your heart is beating a million times a second, do you?

Well, he's not that scary, but this is certainly a challenge. Before entering
the stage, put on whatever equipment you think will do the job. P-wings,
Tanookie Suits, Hammer Brothers' Suits, Fire Flowers, leaves, anything you
want. Use whatever is the strongest in your inventory.

The stage opens with three Bowser statues that fire laser beams at you. Even if
you do a complete run, there's no real guarantee you'll survive the unless you
fly or jump over them. The best thing to do is go as far left as you can, run
right, and try to jump on the first Bowser statue. From there you can hop
across the top of the them.

Here's a tip from Dave W ([email protected])...

####################################################

In Bowser's Castle, you -are- guaranteed a safe run past the laser statues --
IF you start the level small and get up to the speed where the P flashes. This
may not be of use to those who can beat the level in a few tries, and therefore
don't run out of inventory items. But for those of us who are less skillful, or
just have less practice, it's an important and noteworthy fact -- if you run
out of inventory items, you can get past the statues easily.

####################################################

Once you're past them, ascend the stairs and walk right slowly. When you reach
the vertical path, a platform will escort you to the top. If you miss it, jump
in the door there, head left, jump in THAT door, and you'll be back at the
start.

Once you're on the path at the top of the first room, ride the donut block down
and press right against the wall. You'll land on a little path. Face left, then
wait until the Hot Foot comes close to you, and jump him. Go to the next set of
stairs and face left. Ascend the stairs, watch the Light Balls, and jump the
wall.

C-Aran ([email protected]) adds that before you go down, jump against the
edge of the wall on your right, and you'll get a 1-up shroom. If you have a
P-wing, you can also crouch and fly up into that little area. Once you stand,
you'll actually pass through the wall, and you won't have to deal with the
Light Balls a second time.

If you don't take the above method, descend the stairs on the other side
slowly, because you'll have to deal with the same Light Balls again. Get to the
bottom, and go right.

Use the donut blocks and ascend the room as quickly as possible. Stay airborne,
or you'll be toasty in no time. Wait for the Podoboos to be out of position
before each jump, too. Once you're at the top, hop to the donut block closest
to the brick wall. Now, delay a half-second for the thing to fall, then jump
for the upper path. If you jump before the block falls, you won't have enough
head room to make it. Wait too long, and you won't be able to get there.

If you fall, press right. Run to the end to get a leaf. With raccoon power, you
can just fly to that door. If you can't fly up there, then follow the donut
block near the ? block all the way down. Walk left (it should be easy to dodge
the Light Balls because they're going the same direction as you), drop down and
press right. You'll find another little path going right. Follow it to take a
door, and go left in the new path. You'll be brought back to the start,
unfortunately, but you can get to the ? block again for a leaf.

Anyway, once you take that upper path in the big lava room, you be in a new
hallway. Stay high, because the first statue fires lasers at you. The others
are dormant though, so just make your jumps. Once you get to the bricks,
fireballs will start being chucked at you from an unseen source to the right.
Don't chicken out, you're so close! Jump the fire and lava to the donut blocks.
Another fireball will soon be in your face. Dodge and keep going across all the
blocks, and enter the door at the end of the hallway. It's go time!

The moment you walk halfway across the bricks on the ground, Bowser drops from
the ceiling and challenges you with fire. If you managed to get here with a
Hammer Brothers Suit, just chuck hammers at him until he dies of a concussion.

If you can't do that, then dodge his attacks and wait. He'll eventually jump
above your head, and that's the time to move. When he lands, he'll break
through one layer of bricks. He'll ignore it, face you, and spew more fire
before jumping again. The goal is to make him bust through the bricks in the
center of the floor. After he breaks through three layers, he'll plummet to his
death!

Once Bowser has kicked it, the red door to the right will open in a rainbow of
colors. Enter it to find a sunny little room. A blond chick that looks like
Peach walks up and says... "Thank you, but our Princess is in another castle."
WHAT??? I DID ALL THAT FOR NOTHING??? "Just kidding! Ha ha ha!" Uhg... no
wonder Mario never gets any from Peach, it's lines like that makes him not want
to find out her natural hair color.

Anyway, watch the little happy ending in which the worlds and worlds' names go
past with a few screenshots that were not taken from your actual play, and
celebrate your victory! If you decide to play again without powering off the
system, you get to start again with 28 P-wings in your inventory!



+----------------+
|+--------------+|
||COPYRIGHT INFO||
|+--------------+|
+----------------+

This document is copyright 2002-2003 for J. "PyroFalkon" Habib. If you plan to
use any of it as part of another FAQ, you need my permission first. However, if
you plan to post it on a website or e-mail it to someone or whatnot, you may do
so without my permission AS LONG AS IT IS NOT ALTERED IN ANY WAY. I'd like you
to drop me an e-mail so I know where you're going to take it, but I will not
require you to do so. You may download it or print it at your leisure.

The most updated version will always be found at these sites:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://faqs.ign.com/

Other sites may have up-to-date versions, but check GameFAQs or IGN first.



+--------------+
|+------------+|
||CONTACT INFO||
|+------------+|
+--------------+

If any information is incorrect, or you wish to submit something, please e-mail
me. My address is found on the bottom of the FAQ. Credit will be given where
it's due.

If you submit something to me, I will credit you by the name you signed in the
message body or by the name attached to your e-mail. I will also post your
e-mail address unless you specifically tell me not to.

If you wish to be e-mailed when this FAQ is updated, send your request to me.
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[email protected]

Good luck in Super Mario Brothers 3, and may you smack Princess A-cup
repeatedly for her stupid comment in the ending.

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