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SUPER MARIO BROS 3.
Nintendo Entertainment System
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WHISTLE LOCATION FAQ
By Colin Moriarty
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Table of Contents | |
.... .. ........ | Version Information |
| ....... ........... |
I.) Introduction & Copyright Information | |
II.) "The Fundamentals" | Version 1.0 |
III.) Whistle Locations | Released May 24, 2007 |
IV.) In Closing... | |
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------------PART ONE ( I ) | Introduction & Copyright Information------------
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This document (Super Mario Bros. 3 Whistle Location FAQ) is copyrighted to
Colin Moriarty (CMoriarty), the author, (c) 2007. Nothing in this document can
be reused or redistributed without proper credit given to the author, and the
document must be presented in full if used. When I was a 14 or 15 year old FAQ
writer, I would promise to come get you if you broke my rules. I'm 22 now. I
don't have the energy to deal with you if you steal my document, put it on
your website without permission, or plagiarize my work (or present it as your
own in full... even worse). Just do the right thing... or the Karma Police
will surely get you.
As of now, the only two websites that have permission to host this FAQ are:
IGN FAQs |
http://faqs.ign.com
GameFAQs |
http://www.gamefaqs.com
If you're not the above list, I would appreciate it if this document didn't
appear on your website. If it's that important that it does, then you'll have
to find my e-mail in this document in order to ask me. I promise it's
somewhere close by... but I've learned my lesson writing many FAQs that,
frankly, I'd rather not be bombarded with e-mail.
And now, an introduction. Who are you, Colin Moriarty? Why are you writing a
FAQ for a well-covered game that's seventeen years old? And why only about
Whistles? Why not cover the whole game?
Well, friends, allow me to answer those questions (and perhaps even more!) My
name is indeed Colin Moriarty. I began writing FAQs for GameFAQs when I was a
fourteen year old tenth grader. That was in 2000. I'm a 22 year old college
graduate who has been writing strategy guides as a profession since 2002 these
days, and sadly I haven't written a FAQ since that same year. Although I get
paid to write (for the beautiful behemoth that is IGN.com), I had an amazing
burst of motivation when I moved into my new apartment with some friends after
college graduation.
You see, we have a 60" television and a top-loading NES hooked up to it with a
plethora of games. I really want to write FAQs for some of them, to get back
to my roots, but in reality, I won't be able to cover them all. The way I
figure it, after about five years of not writing any sort of FAQ, I needed to
start somewhere. So I started with a game I was familiar with, and a topic
that was very specialized and, surprisingly, had yet to be given any attention
by other FAQ writers. I may one day write a FAQ for the entire game, but for
the time being, I highly recommend Brian Sulpher's FAQ/Walkthrough. Not only
is he a fellow IGNer, he's a damn good FAQ writer. You can find his
FAQ/Walkthrough here:
-
http://faqs.ign.com/articles/431/431493p1.html -
So here is my brief FAQ on finding the Whistles in the game (also known as
"Warp Whistles"... but called "Whistles" exclusively in this FAQ). The
function of the Whistles in Super Mario Bros. 3 is really quite basic - by
acquiring them, you enable yourself to literally travel across the game,
skipping entire worlds in the process. It ruins the experience of playing the
actual game if you've never played it before (and I recommend you beat the
game in its entirety at least once before using Whistles at all), but they're
especially cool to have if you want to blow through the game, access a
favorite world, attempt a speed run or show your friends something interesting
in the game. Unfortunately, not everyone knows the location of the Whistles,
and that's where this FAQ comes in. I hope it helps!
(Oh, and about my e-mail address... if you really need to e-mail me with a
question, comment, or request to use the FAQ on your website, my address can
be found below... the only place in the entire document!)
-Colin Moriarty (
[email protected])
May 24, 2007
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--------------------PART TWO ( II ) | "The Fundamentals"---------------------
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In reading this FAQ, I'm assuming that you know how to play the game.
Therefore, I'm not going to insult you in this brief section of my equally-
brief FAQ. Instead, I'm going to tell you what you will need (or need to
understand) in order to acquire the Whistles, whether you want all of them, or
just one.
Knowing how to fly as Raccoon Mario or Luigi is an absolute must. It has never
ceased to amaze me how many people I've played the game with who "know how to
play" and yet can't make Mario or Luigi fly no matter how hard they try. This
is an absolutely vital skill to have in order to obtain the second of the
three Whistles. So first and foremost, know how to utilize the Raccoon skill
to the utmost degree!
Secondly, be certain you're proficient enough to take Mario and Luigi "behind
the scenes," an especially important skill when getting the first of the three
Whistles. What does this mean, exactly? Well, as you will read in the next
section of this short FAQ, you must take Mario or Luigi behind some scenery in
the game while still dodging enemies and being sure you go unscathed the rest
of the way through the stage. This will bring you behind some semi-obscuring
objects (like bushes) and much more detrimental wholly-obscuring objects like
blocks and platforms, where you won't be able to see your character at all. Be
sure you're confident enough in your skills to control your character when you
can't see him... if this is something you can't do, then you're not going to
fare very well when getting the first Whistle.
And finally, you're going to want to know your environment. This pertains
primarily to the third and final Whistle in the game, located in the second
world, where you'll need to access a secret area in order to obtain your final
Whistle. This area is located in the northeast corner of the second world...
more information on that in the next area. If you're not confident enough in
your skills to obtain a Hammer from a wandering Hammer or Boomerang Brother
and then use it in a really bizarre place in order to find a secret area
you've probably never seen before (if you're reading this FAQ, anyway), then
don't bother with the third Whistle. That doesn't even begin to mention the
Fire Brothers you're going to have to fight in order to obtain your third
Whistle... but again... more on that in the next section.
In all cases, it comes down to proficient skill. This makes things especially
tricky, because if you're reading this FAQ you're probably not the most
skilled Super Mario Bros. 3 player... but if you're skilled in the game, you
won't need this FAQ. Quite the quandary if I do say so myself!
Okay, on with the real "meat" of the FAQ - the Whistle locations!
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-------------------PART THREE ( III ) | Whistle Locations--------------------
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This is the "really important" section of the FAQ - the location of the
Whistles themselves. Can't you just feel the excitement!? There are three
Whistles in the game, and they will each be explained individually, separated
by name (and named after their location). Easy enough, right? Oh, and enjoy my
beautiful ASCII art. I know that you will.
WORLD ONE / STAGE THREE
----- --- ----- -----
Mario/Luigi Status: Any
Difficulty: Easy
You can grab the first Whistle very early in the game. In fact, the stage
where the Whistle is located has the potential to be only the third stage you
encounter in the entire game! It's located on the third stage of the first
world, and here's how you get it.
Begin the stage by heading right. Jump on the turtle enemy you come near as
you go right, and grab it when it retreats into its shell. Then, throw it at
the Boomerang Brother to your right to easily take him out without having to
bother with directly fighting or avoiding him. Beyond his location is a
collection of blocks and music boxes, with some coin boxes and an enemy turtle
mixed in. You can do whatever you want here - the point of interest on this
stage is well to the right.
Continue rightward, killing enemies as you hurdle over the various pillars
that block your way. When you come to a gap in the ground and another
Boomerang Brother beyond it, you're in the right place. Slay the Boomerang
Brother and head to the right, over another small gap. A collection of seven
boxes will appear - they kind of look like this:
_________ __________
| | c c c | |
|_________| _________ | |
c | | _________ | |
____T____ |_________| | | | |
c |XXXXXXXXX| _____________ |_________| | |
_____________ |XXXXXXXXX| | | | |
| | |_____________| | |
|_____________| | |
| |
b b b b b b b b T G |__________|
____________________________
| |
| Legend: |
| b = Bush (background)|
| c = Coin (foreground)|
| G = Goomba* (enemy) |
| T = Turtle (enemy) |
| X = Important Loc. |
|____________________________|
* - This Goomba is of the flying variety
and may begin his airborne launch elsewhere.
As indicated by the above Legend, X quite literally marks the spot for us. The
third block platform from the left, colored white, is where we need to be.
Clear the platform of the Turtle and coin, then stand in the middle of the
platform. Regardless of which version of Mario or Luigi you happen to be, you
still must duck down (by pressing down on the controller, even as little Mario
or Luigi). Don't move, just hold down and stay still. If done properly and for
long enough, your character will fall through the block into the backdrop,
behind the bushes indicated by "b" in the figure above. You still must avoid
enemies as you run rightward through the rest of the stage (just jump over
foes). Once you get towards the blacked-out end area of the stage, you'll
actually go behind it instead of in front of it towards the prize box and the
end of the stage. This will bring you to a secret room with Toad and a
treasure chest. Open the chest to claim your first Whistle! (If you're behind
the black backdrop and nothing is happening, try pressing up on the d-pad when
you're confident you're all the way to the right behind the backdrop).
WORLD ONE / FORTRESS
----- --- --------
Mario/Luigi Status: Raccoon
Difficulty: Moderate
Getting the Whistle in the Fortress is a little more difficult than acquiring
it on stage three in the first world simply because, unlike the first Whistle,
there are some prerequisites to getting the second. You must have the ability
to fly (hence be in Raccoon Mario or Luigi form) before approaching the area
where you need to act to get the Whistle.
Thankfully, the route to our location gives us two coin boxes that can give
even a little Mario or Luigi a Mushroom and subsequent Raccoon Tail even if he
enters the Fortress in his small state. That's good news for us! Now, let's
get that Whistle!
Start by heading rightward. You'll come across some lava pits - don't fall in!
Instead, jump over each, avoiding the fireballs that will come up from below
to get you. As you head rightward, you'll come across the first coin box that,
when hit, will surrender a Mushroom if needed (otherwise, it'll be a Fire
Flower, which is also okay to get, but unnecessary). If you're small at this
point, you MUST get the Mushroom and remain big for the duration of our
mission.
As you continue rightward, you'll encounter a thinning pathway that will have
some rotating fire obstacles to [easily] avoid. Simply keep running rightward,
but remember! - you MUST be at least "Big" Mario or Luigi in order to have a
chance at this point to successfully acquire the Whistle. If you're not, jump
into some lava or kill yourself (in the game, of course) in some other manner
to try again.
Keep your composure as you head rightward, jumping over more lava-spewing pits
and rotating fire obstacles. Veterans of the game can easily conquer this
area, but if you're a self-proclaimed "n00b" then you'll want to take your
time. Watch for the lava getting fired up from the pits, avoid the obstacles,
and keep on keeping on! When you finally get to the far right of this initial
area of the Fortress, you'll come to a very important location, as seen below
in some beautiful ASCII art.
!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx ____________________________
xxxxxxx | |
xxxx | Legend: |
x | C = Coin Box* |
C x | D = Door** |
x | L = Lava (deadly) |
x S D x | S = Skeleton (enemy) |
xx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | x = Floor (safe) |
xxLLLxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | ! = Destination |
|____________________________|
* - This Coin Box will have the ** - DO NOT go into this door
Raccoon ability within as long or you will lose your chance
as long as you're in "Big" status. to acquire this Whistle.
As seen above, the series of exclamation points represent the area you want to
get to, which is above your field of vision on the television. What you want
to do here is take out the skeleton wandering around the platform, keeping in
mind that he will be resurrected after several seconds (so you have to act
quick!) Go to the far right, near the door into the next area. Carefully run
to your left while holding down B to get speed. Bump into the leftmost block
near the lava pit, and then fly upwards towards the exclamation point, fly up
and off screen, and then jamming your way to the right. If don't correctly,
you'll be sitting pretty atop the Fortress. Go rightward, then press up on the
d-pad. This will bring you to a room with a small treasure chest. Guess what's
inside!?
(If for some reason you don't have the ability to fly by the time you get to
this area, but are "Big" Mario or Luigi, you should certainly use the coin box
on the ASCII map above to get the ability to fly posthaste!
WORLD TWO / FIRE BROTHERS
----- --- ---- --------
Mario/Luigi Status: Any.
Difficulty: Moderate
Unlike the first two Whistles we encounter as we traverse the first world, the
third and final Whistle takes more effort to acquire. Thankfully, it's not TOO
much effort, but the third Whistle is not an item you're going to acquire in a
few minutes.
Basically, you must go to the second world (the "desert world") and begin to
beat the stages as you would in a normal non-Whistle game. As you go through
the first stages on the left side of the map, just play the game as you
normally would. You don't need to start paying attention until you get to the
east side of the map. The east side of the map, with the secret area I'm about
to talk about (the location of the Whistle), is below in yet another fine
example of ASCII art (or not)...
O--[4]---O !X! -> --[M] ____________________________
| | | | |
[D] O O | Legend: |
| | | | 4 = Stage Four* |
| | | | 5 = Stage Five* |
O [C] O O---O | C = Castle |
| | | | | D = Desert Stage |
[5] O--[P] [F] | F = Fire Brothers |
| | | M = Mushroom House** |
| | | O = "Rest" Areas |
O---O----O | P = Pyramid Stage* |
| !X! = Rock to Destroy |
|____________________________|
* - Depending on the location ** - In case you're curious, you'll
of the Hammer Brothers in the get a Frog Suit here almost every
area, you may or may not have time you visit. Pretty nifty!
to complete these areas in
order to obtain the Whistle.
Initially, you can only reach the east side of the map via the desert stage
(marked with a "D" on the left side of the map above). After beating that
stage, you can begin to be more mobile, and you'll notice that two wandering
Hammer (or Boomerang) Brothers are mobile along with you. You'll need to fight
both in order to make one of them surrender a Hammer, which will be added to
your inventory. This is a key item in finding the Whistle, so don't squander
it!
Instead of using the Hammer on the rock on the south end of the map, use it on
the rock in the northeast corner of the map (seen above as "!X!").
Theoretically, the placement of the rock that needs to be destroyed means that
you only have to get through the Desert and Stage Four (mandatory) and then
wherever you have to go to reach the Hammer Brothers (making the time it takes
to get this Whistle vary from game to game, essentially based on the luck of
the draw. Where will the Hammer Brothers go? Nobody knows.)
Once on the other side of the rock, make sure you're AT LEAST Big Mario (if
not Fire Mario, et cetera), and then work your way southward. Stop by the
Mushroom House if you're so inclined to pick up a special, non-related item,
and then walk into the stationary Hammer Brother icon at the south end of the
secret path. The foe here isn't a familiar Hammer Brother or Boomerang
Brother, however, and there's not just one foe. You'll need to fight two Fire
Brothers (Hammer Brother-like characters that throw fireballs like Fire Mario
and Luigi, not lethal hammers or boomerangs). Kill them by jumping on their
heads while dodging their projectiles. When both are slain, a little treasure
chest will then appear. Within is the third and final Whistle. Sweet!
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-----------------------PART FOUR ( IV ) | In Closing...----------------------
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Well that's it, folks! I hope you enjoyed my brief little FAQ on the Whistle
locations in Super Mario Bros. 3 on the greatest videogame console of all-
time... the Nintendo Entertainment System! Any questions, comments (or
whatever) can be sent to the author, Colin Moriarty, via the e-mail address
near the top of the document.
(c) Colin Moriarty, 2007.
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(c) 2007 | Written by Colin Moriarty (CMoriarty)
