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**** Super Mario Bros. 2 ****
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Copyright 1988 Nintendo
Author: Jason Guay
Email: ninjay(at)hotmail(dot)com
Version: 1.1
Written: January 2011
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Table of Contents
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A. Introduction
B. Controls
C. Characters
D. Items
E. Walkthrough
F. Warps
G. Enemies
H. Bosses
I. Tips and Fun Stuff
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A. INTRODUCTION
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Basically, Mario and pals (Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool) find their way
to the world of dreams, where the Subcons used to live in peace. Unfortunately,
a well-dressed frog named Wart stole the dream machine, and it is up to our 4
heroes to defeat Wart, rescue the Subcons, and bring dreams back to everyone.
On a personal note, this is one of my favorite games of all time, as it is
largely responsible for the imagination I have today. It has always been a
unique game in the series, and whether you are one to love it or hate it, it
will always hold a special place in my still-childish heart.
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B. CONTROLS
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Left - Move left
Right- Move right
Up- Enter door
Down - Duck, hold to power Super Jump
A - Jump
B - Pull, throw, hold to run
Start - Pause
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C. CHARACTERS
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Mario
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Pulling Power: ***
Jumping Height: ***
Mario is the most well-rounded character, and is ideal for those new to the
game, or simply an easy pick if you don't have any particular obectives.
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Luigi
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Pulling Power: **
Jumping Height: ****
Luigi has a slightly slower pulling speed, but makes up for it with his high
jumping. He is a good pick for levels where you need to reach high places,
or if you want to sail over enemies heads to clear sections of a level (where
possible). Luigi is also the only one who can reach certain shortcuts.
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Toad
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Pulling Power: ****
Jumping Height: **
Toad has the shortest jump height, but makes up for it with his fast pulling
speed. Ideal for players who like a fast character.
Pulling Power: *
Jumping Height: *** (but can hover)
Princess has the slowest pulling speed, and her jump height is not the best,
but she is the only character to have a hover ability. She is a great pick for
levels that require precise landing/jumping, or for crossing large gaps.
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D. ITEMS
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Vegetables
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Vegetables are the main item in the game and can be found by pulling up the
patches of grass found throughout the game. Vegetables vary in size, color,
shape, and type depending on the level in which they are found, but they all
serve the same purpose: being used as projectiles against enemies.
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Potion
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Uproot a Potion as you would a Vegetable. Throw it wherever you want to cause
a door to appear. Enter the door and temporarily enter subspace, where you can
collect Coins and Mushrooms. Once in subspace, you can only stay on the screen
you were when you entered the door, so choose where you throw the Potion
wisely!
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Mushroom
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Mushrooms can be found in subspace, and increase your life bar by one hit when
picked up. There are two Mushrooms in every level (except 2-1 and 6-2), which
allows you to increase your life bar from 2 to a maximum of 4. Mushrooms,
however, are found in very specific points in the level, so part of the
challenge is knowing where to throw that Potion!
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Coin
----
When in subspace, uproot grass patches to collect Coins. For every Coin you
collect in a level, you will get one chance at a slot machine at the end of
that level, in which you can win extra lives. You can only pull up Coins in
two separate subspace sessions - if you go through a Potion door twice and pull
up coins both times, any subsequent attempts will yield Vegetables instead of
Coins.
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POW Block
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Picking this block up and throwing it will instantly kill all ground enemies on
the screen. If a jumping enemy (such as Tweeter) is in the air as the POW
Block hits the ground, it may survive the impact. These items can be found out
in the open.
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Bomb
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These can be uprooted like Vegetables, or thrown by enemies. They can be
picked up and thrown repeatedly, but will explode soon after starting to flash.
The explosion from a Bomb can kill enemies and destroy breakable rocks, walls,
and floors (as well as hurt your character).
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Turtle Shell
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Throw the Turtle Shell to have it slide along the ground and wipe out any
enemies in its path. It will disappear once it hits a wall or obstacle (or
falls into a hole). This item is uprooted like a Vegetable.
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Stopwatch
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Uproot five large Vegetables to find a Stopwatch and temporarily freeze all
enemies. Take advantage of this time to speed ahead in the level, or to easily
kill enemies to get a Heart.
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Heart
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Hearts float up from the bottom of the screen for every few enemies you kill by
throwing things at them. Collecting a Heart replenishes one lost hit from your
health bar, so try and kill easy enemies when low on health.
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Cherries
--------
Cherries are in plain sight and can be collected simply by touching them, and
can also be collected in subspace. Collect five Cherries to make a Starman
appear.
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Starman
-------
A Starman will float up from the bottom of the screen for every 5 Cherries you
collect. Touching a Starman will grant your character temporary invincibility.
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Mushroom Block
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Unlike most items in the game, these square mushrooms can be picked up and
thrown repeatedly. Not only are they a reuseable weapon, but they can be
stacked to reach greater heights, can block enemies and projectiles, and have
other uses which will be covered in the Walkthrough.
---
Key
---
Keys are found in plain sight, and are necessary for opening a door with a lock
on it (by pressing up while standing in front of the locked door while holding
the Key). Be careful, though, as holding onto a Key will have Phanto come
after you, so keep throwing it and picking it back up as you take it to its
destination.
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1-Up
----
1-Ups can up uprooted like Vegetables. As one would expect, finding a 1-Up
grants you an extra life.
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Rocket
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Once in a while, uprooting a vegetable will actually put you in a Rocket...
surprise! There is nothing to do but allow it to take you to the next part of
the level.
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Crystal
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Pick these up to open the Hawkmouth leading to the end of the level. Sometimes
they are just there for the picking, but other times you will have to defeat
Birdo to get them.
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E. WALKTHROUGH
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The following is a description of how to get through each level in order. The
Walkthrough also describes how to get every single Mushroom (there are 2
Mushrooms in every level except for 2-1 and 6-2). Additionally, each boss will
be mentioned and described, shortcuts will be revealed, and warps will be
covered as we go.
=========
1-1
=========
So begins the adventure! You start falling down from a door in the sky, so
simply make your way all the way down and enter the door found there. Make
your way right, running into Shyguys and Tweeters. Almost immediately you will
see vine, so climb up top and pull the right-most patch of grass on that ledge
to find the first Potion. Drop it on the same ledge and enter it to find the
level's first Mushroom.
Keep moving right to find your first POW Block, use as desired. Make your way
across the long log, and then use the falling logs to cross the waterfall. You
will see a ledge with another POW on it - pull the patch of grass just to the
left of it to get a 1-Up. On the ground pull the next two patches of grass to
find a Bomb and a Turtle Shell - I guess this is to allow you to become
familiar with some items. Keep moving right and enter the door. Once inside,
climb up the vine to the left.
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Path 1:
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Move right to find a door right away, and enter it. Upon exiting, pull up the
first patch of grass to your right to find a potion. Drop it right there to
find the second Mushroom. This is probably the best area to farm coins; do so
by re-entering and exiting the door to make the Potion keep coming back, and
placing it to the right where the most grass is. When done, keep moving right
and climb up the vine. Keeping making your way up by jumping from platform to
platform and climbing vines (or riding Hoopstars up). Once on top, move right
to reach the boss.
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Path 2:
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Move left and jump over the hole to take a shortcut. Jump up top, pull the
grass to find Bombs, and drop them down where the ladder is, timing them so
that they blow up the wall as they fall. Make your way through the door, jump
over the wall to the left, and keep going left to reach the boss.
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BOSS: Pink Birdo
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Simply jump on the eggs that Birdo spits out, pick them up, and throw them back
at him. Three hits will take him down, then grab the Crystal he holds to open
the Hawkmouth and enter to end the level.
=========
1-2
=========
This level starts you off with a Pidget hovering overhead. Jump to the higher
ledge and wait for Pidget to swoop down, then throw him off to take control of
his magic carpet. Quickly move to the right while avoiding Beezos and make it
to solid ground. The leftmost patch of grass contains the Potion, the first
Mushroom will be inbetween the 2 vases. Speaking of vases, the one on the left
contains a 1-Up. The one on the right contains the Key you will need to open
the door to the right. Carry it to the door and enter.
Once inside, avoid the Snifit and use the Bombs (found in the grass patches) to
take down the stone wall blocking your path, then climb up the ladder. The
grass patch just to the right of the ladder contains the Potion, and the second
Mushroom will be on the lower level past where you are, so be sure to use Bombs
to clear the path before actually entering the Potion door, or you're screwed.
Keep moving right to find a door, and enter it.
Here you will notice a lot of grass - jump on the ledge above the door and run
left to find a patch of grass with a Potion. Bring it back to where all of the
grass was so you can get a respectable amount of coins (save your coin pulling
for here both times). Keep moving right to reach the boss.
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BOSS: Pink Birdo
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Once again, a standard Pink Birdo. Same deal; hit him with 3 of his own eggs
and he's done.
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CHEAP SHORTCUT:
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If you select Luigi or Princess for this level, you can skip a big part of it.
As soon as you hop on Pidget's carpet at the beginning, move to the right as
fast as possible, avoiding the Beezos, and stay as high up as possible. If you
are fast enough, you can jump at the last second and soar to the upper level,
completely bypassing the key, locked door, and whole inside part!
=========
1-3
=========
Make your way right and find two patches of grass, the one on the right
contains the Potion. Throw it on the spot to find the first Mushroom. There
are tons of Cherries at the beginning of this level, so it is easy to bag a
Starman if you so desire. Keep moving right and jump from platform to platform
while avoiding the Trouters, then use the falling logs to cross the next gap
and land on the upper ledge. Here there are 5 large Vegetables, so pulling all
5 will yield a Stopwatch. Keep going right to find a door, enter it.
Once inside, climb the chain right off the bat. You will see 4 Mushroom Blocks
stacked; take as many as you need to build a ledge to keep climbing up (don't
forget to Super Jump). Climb to the top while avoiding the Sparks to find a
door, inside of which you will find a Key. Take the Key and fall back down,
going past the door you first entered. When you start to free fall (right
after the Grey Snifit), stick to the right so you land near the locked door
(there are spikes to the left). Use the Key to enter the locked door.
Keep moving right and simply jump from platform to platform while avoiding
Sparks. There are a lot of Cherries in this area too, so rack them up for a
Starman if you're having trouble. Further right you will actually find the
Crystal just sitting there. Pick it up and enter the Hawkmouth to face the
boss.
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BOSS: Mouser
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Use the patches of grass to find Bombs, and use them to take down the wall to
the right. Once clear, go through to find Mouser, jumping around on his
platform and chucking Bombs. You will need to hit him with 3 Bomb explosions,
so get Bombs up to him any way that tickles your fancy. My personal trick is
to simply stand against the lower left wall - very often he will throw a Bomb
directly on top of you, which is a quick way to pick one up. Run underneath
his platform and lightly jump just high enough so that you can drop the Bomb up
onto it - doing so in the middle usually lands a hit. After three hits he'll
go down, so just enter the door that appears to end World 1!
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WARP:
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Right before entering the door to go to the inside portion of the level, there
is a small structure with several grass patches around it. Pull the leftmost
one on ground level to find a Potion. If you carry it all the way to the
right, you will find a vase to the right of the door. Throw the Potion, enter
the Potion door, and then go down the vase to warp to level 4-1!
=========
2-1
=========
We are now in the desert somehow! Move right, avoiding the first Cobrats in
the game. Pull the very first patch of grass find the Potion, and drop it on
the spot to find the level's only Mushroom. Keep moving right to be introduced
to quicksand; just keeping jumping to stay on top, or to get back to the
surface if you are sinking. Avoid the fire-shooting Panser, get across more
quicksand, and enter the pyramid.
Now you will have to dig deep through the sand. If you dig straight down in
these parts, the Shyguys will catch up to you, so what you want to do is move
left or right after every few chunks you dig, just to slow them down. Just
keeping digging down until you reach the ladder, avoiding the inconvenient
Snifit on the left. Once at the bottom of the ladder, enter the door to face
the boss.
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BOSS: Pink Birdo
----------------
Another Pink Birdo here, but the difference is that there is a hole on either
side of his arena. Just hit him with three of his own eggs while avoiding the
holes to take him down as usual, grab his Crystal, and exit the level.
=========
2-2
=========
Exit the initial cave to get back outside, and move right. Pull the very first
patch of grass to find the Potion, the Mushroom will slightly to the right
(between the last patch of grass and before the vases with the Cobrats in them.
Speaking of vases, there is nothing of interest in any of them (a Shyguy and a
Turtle Shell), so just skip 'em all. Keep moving right to face more Cobrats,
Beezos, and quicksand. Soon you will see a door underfoot, go inside.
The parch of grass at the bottom right contains a 1-Up, so pick that up. The
other 3 contain Bombs, so use them to take down the wall to the left. Go left
and pull the middle patch of grass to find a Potion; drop it on the spot to
find the second Mushroom. Go back right and exit the door. Once back outside,
keep moving right and get past the Cobrats, Pokeys, and Pansers, and then climb
down the vine reach a digging part.
As you are digging, collecting Cherries is a good idea as invincibility really
helps here. When you reach a fork in the path, stay right as it is the way to
the door (left leads to nothing). Getting past the Snifit can be tough here;
if you are not invincible, try and dig on top of him until you can pick him up
and throw him away (or into a Shyguy). Alternate digging to the left and right
to slow down the pesky Shyguys, and exit the door at the bottom to reach the
boss.
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BOSS: Red Birdo
---------------
Oh ho ho, our first Red Birdo! You will notice that this variation can spit
several times sequentially, and not all of his shots are eggs, but harmful
fireballs. Avoid the fireballs and pick up the eggs and hit him three times to
take him down. An easier way can be to take Mushroom Blocks from below up to
him to hit him, which allows you to ignore his projectiles altogether. Oh and
by the way, if he shoots and egg that hits a wall and falls down, it can
actually hurt you as it falls (cheap shot!!).
=========
2-3
=========
Climb up the ladder and pluck the very first patch of grass to the right to
find the Potion. You will actually want to move as far left as possible with
it, and drop it around where the Pink Shyguy is; the first Mushroom will be on
top of that little structure. Keep moving right to find a door way up high.
Getting up there with Luigi is easy (Super Jump), but the others may need a
boost. Use a Beezo as a stepping stone to get up by luring one into
approaching you at an appropriate height, then jumping on top of him.
Once inside the door, you will find lots of grass. Pull the patch just to the
right of the door to find the Potion, and drop it on the spot to find the
second Mushroom. This is obviously a good place to rack up coins, so it is
wise to do so twice in this room. Keep moving left and avoid more of the same
desert enemies until you reach a pyramid. Go on inside.
You will have to freefall left or right; I suggest right as you can collect 2
Cherries and a POW Block, while left contains nothing. Either way, make your
way back down to reach the digging part. Notice the Phantos and locked door,
yup, we will have to dig for our Key. Nothing too different about this digging
part, except that there is another fork, but this one has no wrong way, as the
door can be accessed from either path. Enter the door to get the Key, and then
jump back up through the sand and use it on the locked door.
In this next section there is nothing too interesting so just make your way
right past the enemies until you find the Crystal. Grab it and keeping moving
right to enter the Hawkmouth and face the boss.
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BOSS: Triclyde
--------------
Despite his fearsome appearance, this guy is not too hard. Just grab a
Mushroom Block and jump to the high platform, you will be clear of all of his
shots. Make a long throw from this same platform to hit him. If you are about
to be hit by his fireballs as you are picking up a Mushroom Block, jump to the
small leftmost platform and let them pass under you before going back down.
Three hits and he is dead, then enter the door that appears to end World 2!
=========
3-1
=========
Upon starting, move right to find a door and enter it to reach a huge waterfall
which you will soon find to be hard on the eyes. Climb up by jumping from
cloud to cloud until you reach a Pidget. Hijack his flying carpet and use it
to fly straight up. Stay in the middle to avoid all Beezos and line yourself
up with the vine, then climb up.
Use a Mushroom Block to take out the Grey Panser, then notice that there are 2
patches of grass on a thin platform. Get there by jumping onto the lower right
cloud, then jumping back left onto it. The patch on the left contains a
Potion, so drop it on the spot to get the first Mushroom (it will be more or
less under where the Panser was).
Keep moving right and use the Mushroom Block to take out the Red Panser, then
further still use anything you can to take out the pesky walking Pink Panser.
Climb down the ladder and uproot the leftmost patch of grass to find a Potion.
Move as far left as you can, and drop the Potion there. To get this Mushroom,
you actually have to enter the Potion door, quickly climb the ladder and drop
to the right. Climb back up the ladder and move right to reach a door; enter
it to face the boss.
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BOSS: Red Birdo
----------------
Same deal, but the hole to the left makes him slightly more dangerous. There
are 2 Mushroom Blocks behind him which can be used, or his own eggs, your
choice!
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WARP:
-----
At the beginning of the level (after going through the first door), instead of
jumping up the clouds, you can actually fall safely down. Stay in the middle
to land on a small structure with a door, go inside. You will find a ton of
grass, but the sixth patch from the right contains a Potion. Move right until
you see the vase, then throw the Potion, enter the Potion door and go down the
vase to warp to Level 5-1! If you go through the door that is already to the
right of the vase, you will taken back to the beginning of the level (you know,
if you change your mind I guess).
=========
3-2
=========
Holy crap, an Ostro! Just make your way right past the Ostros, Beezos, and use
something to take out the Grey Panser. Stay on the high road and go as far
right as possible. On the little structure, pull the leftmost patch of grass
on the upper level to find a Potion and drop it here, the first Mushroom will
be against the wall. Next, use the Bombs in the nearby patches of grass to
take down the breakable floor, and go down. Climb down the ladder to reach an
underground section.
This is actually a semi-puzzle. To the left, you will actually notice two
levels, breakable walls, and grass with Bombs in them. What you actually want
to do is get through to the left on the lower level, but if not done properly
you could run out of Bombs, or not be quick enough. On the upper level, use
the leftmost Bomb to blow up the wall to the left, this will give you access to
2 more Bombs. Use one of these to run down and blow up the first wall on the
lower level. From here, use Bombs as far away as possible from the next wall
on the lower level each time, to make sure you have enough time to get each
Bomb to each wall. If you screw up, just go back up the ladder and climb back
down to reset the section. Once clear, move left, bypass the Tweeters, and
jump up to the ladder.
Once back up, simply move left, avoid the Grey Panser's fire, and climb down
the next ladder. Jump across the few holes, then climb up another ladder.
Once above, move left and climb down yet another ladder. This underground part
is trickier. You have 3 patches of grass with Bombs in them, and you must drop
them in a timed way so that they blow up the wall on the left as they fall.
Hold on to the Bomb until it flashes for about half a second before dropping.
If you mess up, exit and re-enter. Once though, head left of the next ladder
to find some trapped Porcupos. The leftmost patch of grass contains a Bomb;
use it to blow a hole in the breakable floor on the right. Then pluck the
rightmost patch of grass and drop it in the middle of the room, the second
Mushroom will be in the little area you blew open. Bactrack right to the
ladder, climb up, and enter the door on the left to finally reach the boss.
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BOSS: Red Birdo
---------------
Our friend returns. This time, there are Mushroom Blocks to his left that you
can actually pick up and then Super Jump back up to hit him, but I'd say it is
simpler to just catch his eggs and chuck them back at him (hopefully by now you
have mastered the art of landing on moving objects). Once he's done, grab the
Crystal and go down and to the right and enter the Hawkmouth to end the level.
---------------
CHEAP SHORTCUT:
---------------
Select Princess, and move right at the beginning of the level. Early on you
will run into 2 POW Blocks on ground level. Pull one up to get to the lower
level, then move left to find a large gap. Take a running start, then jump and
float left. You will make it to the other side, then run as far left as
possible to reach the ladder past the Grey Panser, skipping a lot of the level!
=========
3-3
=========
Exit the door just to the right to get back outside. Move right to get your
first taste of Albatoss. Of the first 4 patches of grass, the rightmost one
contains a Potion, so drop it in place; the first Mushroom will be on the
pillar just to the left of the grass. Keep moving right while avoiding the
Ostros and falling Bob-ombs, and enter the door on the large brick wall.
Once inside, there are 3 patches of grass to the left of the door; the one in
the middle contains a Potion. Carry it left until you reach the ladder (look
out, those Ninjis are a pain), and drop it just to the left of the ladder. The
second Mushroom will be on the upper level. Now, if you enter the door just to
right of the bottom of the ladder, it will lead to a height you can't reach, so
don't bother. Instead, climb the ladder and make your way to the right and
enter the door there.
This is a funky part. You will notice mini vases that constantly spawn Red
ShyGuys, and you will have to make your way up to the top. However, you can
actually walk through one side of the screen to end up on the other side, kinda
like in Pacman. Use this to your advantage to make your way up to the door on
top (I tend to just constantly sprint right while jumping over anything in the
way). Inside the door, grab the Key (I always found those two dancing Sparks
up top funny). Now, bring the Key all the way back down through the Shyguys to
the bottom door. This time, it is easier to keep running left and throw the
Key often, not only to clear some Shyguys but to get Phanto off your ass. Once
through, make your way back to the locked door to the left of the ladder and
enter. Beware!! If you throw the Key and scroll it offscreen, it will
disappear and you will have to get it all over again.
Here you will have to climb series of plus-shaped platforms while avoiding
Sparks everywhere. Eventually you will reach a door on the right, so enter it
(climbing the ladder will once again lead to a height you can't reach. Make
your way up, watching out for the falling Tweeters. Climb the chain, and stay
as high as possible while you move from chain to chain to the right, avoiding
the Pansers' fire. Enter the door up top past the Grey Snifit.
Keep climbing up from platform to platform among the Sparks. There is a little
box-like structure with a patch of grass in it which contains a POW Block, this
is useful for clearing all Sparks on the screen and getting a Heart if needed.
Collecting Cherries will help in this section too. Keeping climbing up to
reach a ladder, and climb it to enter a door leading outside. Run to the
right, and pull up the lone patch of grass to find a Turtle Shell. Throw it on
the upper platform and follow it to (hopefully) wipe out all of the Ninjis in
your path. Keep going right to find the Crystal; pick it up and enter the
Hawkmouth to face the boss.
------------
BOSS: Mouser
------------
Mouser is back, and this time he's a little tougher. First of all, he takes 5
hits instead of 3, and second, there is a Spark zipping around the room. This
Spark makes it hard to stick to the lower left wall and wait for a Bomb to land
directly on you, so I suggest standing slightly to the left of Mouser's
platform and jumping up to intercept the Bombs as he throws them so you can
catch them mid-air. If you're lucky, one of Mouser's Bombs will conveniently
take out the Spark. Besides that he is pretty much the same, so just take him
down, enter the door that appears, and end World 3!
=========
4-1
=========
Welcome to the ice world! As you may guess, waking on icy surfaces will make
you slip, so for this first part just slide to the right and jump over the
oncoming Flurries. At one point you will find a single patch of grass,
carefully jump down to it and pull it up to find a Potion, and drop it on the
middle of the upper platform at that point to find the first Mushroom. Once
you reach the end of this section, you will reach a non-slip surface. Pull up
the leftmost patch of grass on the upper level to find a Potion and drop it on
the spot - the second Mushroom will be to left of the non-slip surface (before
entering the Potion door). Now fall down to the lone patch of grass in the
lower right area to uncover a Rocket, and move on to the next section of the
level.
This section has you once again simply running to the right on an icy surface,
but now you will have to get past not only Flurries but Autobombs as well
(watch out for the fire they shoot). Eventually you will reach the Crystal
just sitting there, so grab it and enter the Hawkmouth to end the level. No
Boss!
=========
4-2
=========
Climb the icy vine just to the right of the start to reach another series of
airborn icy platforms. This section really tests your reflexes, as you must
move right against a merciless onslaught of Beezos and Flurries. You don't
want to go so fast that you can't see what is coming, but you want to have
enough momentum to keep sliding forward while jumping and ducking to avoid the
enemies. Once you make it past this gauntlet, a door awaits, so enter it.
Whales! Some of these whales shoot streams of water from their blowholes which
are harmful if touched from the side, but safe if you are on top of them. Just
to the left of the door is a small whale with three patches of grass on its
back (interesting). The leftmost patch of grass contains a Potion, so drop it
to find the first Mushroom perched on the tail of the same whale. Now make
your way to the right from whale to whale. Use their water streams to get up
to the high road to collect some always useful Cherries. You will also
eventually reach three pillars with grass on them. The highest pillar (on the
right) has a lone patch of grass which contains a Potion, so dropping it here
to pull up 6 coins off of the other two pillars is not a bad idea. Keep moving
right to land on a safe spot with a patch of grass. Pull it up to find a
Rocket, which takes you to the next section.
Here you will find an Autobomb with a Shyguy riding it, and a long floor of
spikes. What you want to do is throw the Shyguy off of the Autobomb, pull up
the single patch of grass (it contains a Potion), and then jump on the Autobomb
to ride it safely across the spikes. On the other side is solid ground with
Porcupos, drop the Potion here to find the second Mushroom. Afterwards, enter
the door to face the boss.
---------------
BOSS: Red Birdo
---------------
This is another standard Red Birdo fight, except the fun twist is that you have
to battle him on an icy surface, making it harder to land on his eggs. Take it
easy and hit him three times as normal, then grab his Crystal and enter the
Hawkmouth to end the level.
-----
WARP:
-----
In the section of the level with the whales, move right until you reach the
Potion on the pillar as mentioned above. Hold on to it and keep going right,
you will eventually see a vase on a lower platform underneath a long ice
platform. To get to it, drop down to the whale just to the right of the vase
and then jump across. Drop the Potion, enter the Potion door, and then slip
down the vase to be warped to Level 6-1!
=========
4-3
=========
Climb the vine and enter the door to end up outside. Now this is interesting,
a Birdo just hanging out with no Crystal. First of all, pull up the leftmost
patch of grass to find a Potion, and carry it completely to the left and drop
it. The first Mushroom will be atop the highest (middle) ice pillar. Now back
to the Birdo. While it is tempting to clean his clock, you actually need to
ride one of his eggs to the right across the long body of water. Land on a
rocky surface, then jump right to reach a door behind a large brick wall, enter
it.
Once inside, you will have to climb to the top on a series of icy platforms,
avoiding spikey floors and Flurries coming down from above. If you haven't not
iced by now, Flurries really follow your movements relentlessly, so use this to
your advantage to stay below them and guide them into falling down past you.
This is especially true right before reaching the door; there are several rows
of ice platforms with Flurries on them; try and get them all to slide to one
side at the same time then safely jump up on the other side to reach the door
and enter it.
Back outside, you will find 2 patches of grass and another door. Pull up the
grass on the left to find a Potion, and run to the left to find cloud
platforms. Use them to jump on top of the tower, then across to the right
tower and drop the Potion on the right end of it to find the second Mushroom.
Beware, you can safely jump on the upper ledges of the tower roof, but not in
the small crevaces between them. Get back down and enter the door on the
right.
Once inside, you will see a couple of Shyguys. Hop on top of the red one to
safely make your way across the spikey floors below, then free fall, grabbing
as many Cherries as possible. You will land at a door, so enter it to find a
Key guarded by 2 Flurries. Avoid them and take the Key back outside the door,
then continue going down. Despite the icy floors and Flurries, this is not so
bad. You will soon find the locked door, so use the Key to go through.
Once again, end up outside, walk right, and enter the next door (but beware, a
Beezo will zip right at you). Inside, you will find the Crystal to the right,
so grab it and enter the Hawkmouth to face the boss.
------------
BOSS: FryGuy
------------
This is one of the unique bosses in the game, in that you only face him once.
First of all, you can run to either side of the screen to end up on the other
side, so use that to your advantage. You start up top, and he will be floating
under you raining down fireballs. The only way to hit this guy is with
Mushroom Blocks, so either make your way down and pick up the ones on the
bottom, or pick up one of the two from the top and climb back up. The easiest
way to hit him is by simply dropping them down onto him from the top platform.
Hit him three times to start his second phase.
That's right, this is the only boss in the game to have 2 phases! After
hitting him 3 times, he will split into 4 smaller fireballs that bounce around
the floor. Each one can be killed with one hit from a Mushroom Block, but the
more of them you kill, the crazier the remaining ones will get. To that
effect, the best strategy is to get them to all group together and then kill
all 4 at the same time with a single Mushroom Block. Once this is done, enter
the door that appears to end World 4!
=========
5-1
=========
It's dark out! Move left to find an Ostro, use his Shyguy (or the Ostro
himself) to take out the Red Panser, or simply avoid his fire as you go down
and back to the left through the door. Once inside, pull up the second patch
of grass from the left (the one right on the edge) to find a Potion, best used
for farming coins in this area. Keep moving right and jump from falling log to
falling log. Next, you will have to actually jump from Trouter to Trouter.
Due to the tricky jumps in this level, choosing Princess is not a bad idea.
Soon you will reach solid ground with a small ledge above with 2 patches of
grass on it. The one on the left contains a 1-Up, and the one on the right
contains a Potion. Drop here (or on the ground just below) to find the first
Mushroom, it will be just to the right (before entering the Potion door).
Keep going right and ride the Trouter as it flies up to reach the upper ledge.
Next you will have to jump across 2 falling logs, but what you want to do is
make it across as quickly as possible, and you can actually jump over the
ceiling to the right and land in either of the two crevaces blocked by Mushroom
Blocks. You will want to pick up the one on the right and fall down, then pull
up the leftmost patch of grass (separated from the rest). The second Mushroom
will fall down from the crevace you cleared above (otherwise the Mushroom will
stay blocked). Next, enter the door to face the boss.
----------------
BOSS: Grey Birdo
----------------
This is the final and most difficult variation of Birdo. He has the same
attack pattern as the Red Birdo, however shoots only fireballs and no eggs.
You are given one Mushroom Block, and the only way to take Grey Birdo down is
to hit him with it 3 times. Afterwards, grab his Crystal and enter the
Hawkmouth to end the level.
=========
5-2
=========
Move right and climb up the ladder. Move right to face Ostros and other
enemies, particularly clusters of Hoopstars on palm trees. It is actually
quite easy to take them all out with vegetables or other enemies, so do this to
clear a path through them. Soon you will run into a vase, go inside it and
pull up the patch of grass to find a Bomb. Use this Bomb to break through the
breakable floor and drop to a second level of the vase with 2 Porcupos. Pull
up the right patch of grass to find a Potion, then go back outside with it.
Drop the Potion once outside, the first Mushroom will be on the lower ledge to
the right (before going into the Potion door). Now, go back in the same vase,
and get the same Potion. You will need to bring it farther in the level to
get the second Mushroom.
Keep moving right, and soon you will find that you will actually have to ride
Hoopstars to get across gaps. Soon you will run into a Grey Panser; use the
Hoopstar to the left of him to take him out and keep moving if your hands are
free. If you are carrying the Potion, the easiest way to do this is to float
over the whole deal with Princess. To the right of the Panser is a little hill
with 3 patches of grass on it - drop the Potion here to find the second
Mushroom.
Brave a few more enemies and you will reach a vine, so climb up. As you climb,
you will have to avoid Beezos and Snifits' fire. Then, you will notice that
there are two vines, and you will have to move from vine to vine as you climb
to avoid the Hoopstars. Enter the door up top.
You will find a POW Block, pull it and start free falling. You will have to
avoid all sorts of spikes as you fall, so I tend to stick to the middle then
take the right path, then left, then right again. You want to land as right as
possible because that's where the door is (otherwise it can be easy to fall in
water). Enter the door to face the boss.
---------------
BOSS: Red Birdo
---------------
Again, the Red Birdo that we know and love. The only particularity with this
fight is that there is a Trouter jumping in the way as you fight. If you wish,
you can actually use him as a projectile against Birdo. After 3 hits, grab his
Crystal and enter the Hawkmouth to end the level.
=========
5-3
=========
Climb up the ladder to end up outside. Move right and pull up the first patch
of grass you see on ground level to find a Potion. Carry it to right past the
breakable walls, avoiding the shower of Bobombs being dropped by Albatosses.
Drop the Potion past the series of breakable walls, the first Mushroom will be
between the last breakable wall and the next patches of grass. In these
patches of grass, the leftmost one is a Potion too, so you have two chances to
get this Mushroom.
Hightail it to the right and keep avoiding Bobombs and you will eventually
reach a breakable wall. Use a Bobomb to blow a hole in it, then jump up top to
find more patches of grass. The middle one contains a Potion, so use it here -
the second Mushroom will be in the alcove you blew open with the Bobomb. You
can now use the patch of grass in this alcove to find a Bomb, blow a passage
through the next breakable wall, then go down the ladder (if not, you can
simply go around to the right and back left to reach it).
Just to the left you will find a small vase with a Mushroom Block on it. Watch
out, if you remove the Mushroom Block, Bobombs will come pouring out. You can
use a Bob-omb to break either the breakable floor or the breakable wall to the
left to enter the small area below. Among the patches of grass there is a
Potion (in case you want a few more coins I guess) and some large vegetables,
which can actually be useful in getting a Stopwatch. Make your way left past
the Bob-ombs and Panser and enter the door.
Here you will have to make your way down from chamber to chamber by pulling up
Mushroom Blocks and falling down. Use the first one you pick up to block the
Shyguy vase just below to the left, which is not only extremly useful, but
oddly satisfying. Keep moving down, avoid Sparks, and block another Shyguy
vase. Once at the bottom, move left so you can now climb back up on the left
side. You can carry a Mushroom Block with you to kill Sparks if you are
looking to try and get a Heart back. Now you will have to climb up on a series
of platforms, avoiding Pink Pansers. However, this is another area where you
can walk to either side of the screen to end up on the opposite side, so use
this to climb and avoid the Pansers' fire. Enter the door up top to end up
outside again.
Move right and you will soon find a Pidget. Hijack his carpet and move right,
and you will soon find another, so jump onto this second Pidget and grab his
carpet, then keep moving right (though it is possible to make it to solid
ground with just one carpet). Jump from cloud to cloud, avoiding the Pink
Shyguys and Beezos. Eventually you will reach a Red Birdo, and this level is
interesting in that it actually has 2 bosses. Take down the Red Birdo as you
normally would, grab his Crystal, then enter the Hawkmouth to fight the 'real'
boss.
--------------
BOSS: Clawgrip
--------------
A giant crab that throws rocks at you, who would have known? His rocks hurt
you if they hit you, but they can be picked up. I tend to wait against the
short wall just to the right of the small gap until a rock comes right at me
from low, then jump on top of it (let the high ones just sail over your head).
He takes 5 hits, so smack him with 5 of his own rocks, enter the door that
appears, and end World 5!
-----
WARP:
-----
Select Luigi, and right after you climb the initial ladder, you will notice a
vase overhead. Pull the very first patch of grass you see on the ground to the
right to find a Potion, then go back left, Super Jump up to the vase and drop
the Potion. Enter the Potion door then go down the vase to warp to Level 7-1!
=========
6-1
=========
What do you know, back in the desert. Move right and face Cobrats, Shyguys,
and quicksand. There is a Potion in the first vase you see, so bring it
outside and drop it on the bones to the right of the vase - the first Mushroom
will fall into the quicksand, so grab it quickly! Keep moving right to face
more of the same, and eventually you will come across some cacti with a couple
of patches of grass between them. Pull up the one on the right to find a
Potion, then carry it to the door as far right as possible - this is not easy
due to the Pokeys and Panser. The second Mushroom will be right on top of the
little structure where the door is, so grab it then go inside.
Inside, you will find a crapload of vases. The third one from the left has a
Mushroom Block on it. If you remove it, a Cobrat will jump out and possibly
give you a cheap hit, but if you go inside and dig through the sand inside, you
can find a 1-Up in the leftmost patch of grass at the bottom. Keep moving
right and go into the fifth vase from the right, and dig through the sand to
find a Key at the bottom, so take it back outside to the locked door to the
right, and go inside to face the boss.
-----------------
BOSS: Green Birdo
-----------------
This guy is exactly like the Grey Birdos we have seen earlier, that is, only
shoots fire. Use the Mushroom Blocks to his left to hit him three times, then
grab his Crystal and enter the Hawkmouth to end the level.
=========
6-2
=========
Go through the door to the right to end up outside; night time once again.
Move right until you see 2 Albatosses flying left. Jump onto the higher one,
and ride him back left until you can hop aboard the higher one that is flying
right. Ride him right, and watch out - as soon as you fly past the Panser, a
Beezo will come right for you. Eventually you will find a couple of pillars,
the left one having 2 patches of grass on it. Pull up the left one to find a
Potion and drop it on the spot - the only Mushroom will be on the opposite
pillar. If you take this pit stop for the Mushroom, you will have to ride an
Albatoss back left and either hop on a Beezo flying right, or go back to the
beginning to get the original Albatoss.
Once you get past the area where the first Mushroom was, you will have to
carefully jump over a flock of Albatosses flying vertically (I suggest charging
a Super Jump before they come at you), then avoid a couple more single ones by
jumping then ducking. Soon after you will reach solid ground, so enter the
door to face the boss.
-----------------
BOSS: Green Birdo
-----------------
Same deal as last time - use the Mushroom Blocks around his lair to hit him
three times, grab his Crystal, and enter the Hawkmouth to end the level.
=========
6-3
=========
Climb up the ladder to end up back outside. The first patch of grass to the
right is a Potion, so grab it and take it right. You will soon see two cactus
tips poking out of the quicksand - drop the Potion on the bones to the right of
them, the first Mushroom will be sitting on the cactus tip closer to you. Keep
going right and enter the huge door.
Inside you will find vases that spawn Bobombs, so avoid them quickly, grabbing
Cherries if you feel up to it. Eventually you will find a breakable wall, so
use the Bobombs hidden in the patches of grass to get through. Past the Ninjis
in the sand, you will find more breakable walls and Bombs in the grass
everywhere. Take the high road, and use a Bomb in a patch of grass to break
the first wall. The patch just to the right of this first wall has a Potion,
so don't pull it up just yet (mind you, you can drop it as far right as
possible and it will still work). Use a Bomb to break the next breakable wall
(right), then another to break the single breakable block on the floor - the
second Mushroom will be below inbetween the two patches of grass. From here,
keep bombing right until you reach a vine. Climb the vine to the right to end
up outside.
You will find more vines with Hoopstars on them, so climb up any way you see
fit - there really are many ways you can do this so I won't say that there is
one way better than any other. Eventually you will reach a lone central vine,
so climb up to the next section to a safe cloudy floor. Run to the right to
find a pyramind, so enter its door to face the first of two bosses - a Red
Birdo. Either bring the single Mushroom Block up to him or use his own eggs
against him, your choice. Three hits and he is done, so grab his Crystal and
enter the Hawkmouth to face the 'real' boss.
--------------
BOSS: Triclyde
--------------
He's back, and this time his positioning makes him harder, as he is
precariously perched on a small pillar way up high. What I like to do is
quickly run underneath the platform in the middle of the room, then stack three
Mushroom Blocks vertically on the right edge of this platform - this will block
all of Triclyde's shots. From here, you just have to pick up other Mushroom
Blocks, jump onto the platform, and throw them over the shield you constructed.
He takes three hits, so once he is dead, enter the door that appears to end
World 6!
---------------
CHEAP SHORTCUT:
---------------
This shortcut is actually totally legit, and lets you skip a huge part of the
level! After climbing up the ladder at the very beginning, go left to find
quicksand. Hold left against the wall as you sink untill you start moving
farther left, then keeping holding left while jumping constantly. You will go
underneath the wall and find a door on the other side. Enter it, jump left
across the cloud platforms, and land at the pyramid leading to the Red Birdo.
Wow!
=========
7-1
=========
We are now in the clouds! Jump up to the ladder and climb up. Once up top,
move right. The only challenging part is that Albatosses drop Bobombs which
not only get in the way, but can blow up the platforms you are standing on.
Eventually you will see a Mushroom Block on a cloud; pull up the patch on the
pillar to the left of it to find a Potion. Carry the Potion back left to the
solid platform with three patches of grass on it, the first Mushroom will be
here. Keep going right to find a small building, go inside. Jump up to the
patches of grass and pull up the third one from the right to find a Potion, so
drop it and find the second Mushroom. This is also a great room to farm coins.
What you want to do now is jump on top of the little building and ride the
Albatoss that is flying left. Keep riding it left past the initial ladder,
then carefully jump over a few pillars as you fly. Eventually you will reach a
lone patch of grass between two tall pillars. Pull it up and let a Rocket take
you to the next section.
Run to the right, collecting Cherries as you go. Soon your path will be
blocked by a tall pillar, so go back left on the lower path, then zigzag down
until you reach the bottom. You want to run fast so that the Red Shyguys
coming out of the vase don't catch up to you, and at the bottom you have to
wait for the Pink Shyguy to get close to run over him, as jumping will take you
back up. Keep going right to get past a Ninji and a Snifit, then climb up the
ladder to the right of the pillar that was blocking you.
More clouds here, but nothing too challenging. Simply use the Mushroom Blocks
to kill the Sparks on each screen, then stack them to climb up higher. You
will then find ladders with Hoopstars on them. Climb up to the top (watch out
for the Snifit's fire) to reach a door. Enter the door to fight the boss.
----------------
BOSS: Grey Birdo
----------------
You know the drill! You are given one Mushroom Block, so hit him with it three
times, grab his Crystal, and enter the Hawkmouth to end the level.
---------------
CHEAP SHORTCUT:
---------------
Select Luigi, and climb up the ladder at the beginning. Move slightly to the
right, just enough to get the first Albatoss onscreen. You can actually Super
Jump onto it and ride it directly left to the pillars, bypassing the right
section altogether. Honestly, I personally don't advise taking this shortcut,
as not only do you miss both Mushrooms, but you don't skip that big a part of
the level.
=========
7-2
=========
Here we are in the final level of the game - Wart's castle! Move right past a
few Grey Snifits and then enter the door to the castle. You start on a
conveyor belt moving right. Use the alcoves above to jump over the Shyguys,
and quickly move right to get past the vase that is spawning them. You will
then find yourself on conveyor belts moving left, fight them to go right past
the Ninjis and a vase that spawns Bobombs. Further right you will have to get
past some Grey Pansers, then can either take the path on the upper right chain,
or the lower chain. Each path holds a Mushroom, but I myself have always been
partial to the upper right path.
-----------------
Upper Right Path:
-----------------
Climb up the chain, then move left, avoiding the Spark. You will have to keep
climbing up and carefully avoid several waves of Sparks zipping vertically
among the chains. Just take your time and rest at each chain. Eventually you
will reach three blue platforms with Sparks swarming the top one. There is a
chain on the left and another on the right - taking the one on the left leads
to a door. Go in this door to end up outside, then climb down the ladders.
Avoid the Red Panser and Tweeters, and find another door below. Enter this
door, pull up the patch of grass on the right to find a Potion, and drop it
pretty much in the middle of the room - the first Mushroom is here. Going
back, use a Tweeter to take out the Panser, climb all the way back up, and go
back inside through the door up top.
Now, keep climbing up. You will have to jump up using platforms with Sparks
all over them. This is definitely a tricky part of the level, so just be
patient and wait for the Sparks to be timed so you can make a safe jump. Make
it to the top to find a door, then go inside.
Use the POW Block to wipe out all Sparks on the screen in a single satisfying
move. Climb up the chain on the right and ride the conveyor belt right,
ducking to avoid Sparks on the ceiling. When you see the next chain, climb
down. Hey look, it's a Red Birdo, but he's holding a Key! The conveyor belt
going right makes it hard to land on an egg, so I just stick to the right wall
and land on them before they hit the wall and fall. Hit him 3 times, grab his
Key, then enter the door on the left.
Use the Key to knock the two Sparks out of your way, then move left and use it
to enter the locked door.
-----------------
Lower Path:
-----------------
Once down the chain, you will have to dig through floors of Mushroom Blocks
with Sparks zipping about. The path will often fork, so go left, right, right,
left if you want to get all of the Cherries as you make your way down (although
even if you miss one, you can just jump back up). You can then pick up a fifth
Cherry in the middle for a Starman, then drop down to a door and enter.
Go right past more Sparks zipping between chains and whatnot. Enter the first
door you see and go left to find two patches of grass. Pull up the left one to
find a Potion, so drop it in the middle of the room to find the second
Mushroom. Go back out the door, keep going right past a couple more Sparks,
then find another door, so enter.
Climb up the chain, and you will soon find that you have to climb from chain to
chain vertically, avoiding Sparks in little chambers as you go. There are more
than enough Cherries to get a Starman, which can be helpful. Seeing as how
weaving between the Sparks can be tricky, it is also wise to simply focus on
timing your way up. Keeping climbing straight up and you will eventually reach
a door, so enter it.
This part sucks, as you will have to climb up by jumping from conveyor belt to
conveyor belt, avoiding Shyguys, Sparks and Snifits. One tricky part is when
you find a platform with spikes on top of it, and you can't quite jump up to
the small conveyor belts up against the right wall. If you can't get up with
your character, jump onto the left edge of the conveyor belt just under the
spiked platform and charge a Super Jump as it takes you right, then jump before
you fall off. From there, keep climbing past more Sparks, then finally a
Shyguy and Snifit guard the last part. Climb up the chain up top.
Once up top, take the conveyor belt left and...a Red Birdo. He doesn't have
anything you need, he is just in the way. Either kill him, or get hit and
cheeseball your way past while invincible. Climb the chain to his left, move
right past the Sparks and find a locked door. In order to get the key for it,
you have to fight a Red Birdo in the door further right, as described in the
alternate path. This is where both paths meet.
Once inside the locked door, simply run right, pick up the Crystal that is just
sitting there, and...WHAT THE HELL?? The comforting Hawkmouth is now coming
after me?? Well, use to the Mushroom Blocks to the left to hit him three
times. Thankfully, he is not too hard, as he just floats from side to side -
avoid and hit. After three hits, he will open his mouth as usual, so enter and
fight the final boss.
----------
BOSS: Wart
----------
Here he is! Wart stays on the right side of the arena, shooting streams of
bubbles that will not only hurt you, but will destroy any Vegetables they touch
(even ones you are holding). You have to catch the Vegetables that pop out of
the funnels in the middle of the room and hit Wart with them. However, you can
only hit him when his mouth is open - I guess this is to suggest that you are
feeding him the Vegetables that he hates so.
I find the easiest way to catch a Vegetable is to carefully drop down to the
lower level and stay against the left wall, which can prevent may shots from
reaching you. Then, wait for a Vegetable to come out of the leftmost funnel,
its even better if it flies out to the left. Seeing as how it is hard to hit
him with his mouth open (as he is shooting bubbles at that time), an easy trick
is to jump onto the platform in the middle of the room, then jump over him to
his right. He can't turn around or back up into you, giving you all the time
you need to place a shot. He takes a total of six hits, and after you defeat
him, enter the door that appears to see the ending!
============
Ending
============
Watch your character enter the next room, and pull the cork off of a vase. Out
fly the Subcons! In a moment of celebration, we watch as the Subcons carry
Wart right offscreen and beat the crap out of him. On this screen, we also get
to see how many levels each character completed. Finally, we see Mario
sleeping, showing how the whole game was a dream, to go with the whole 'dream'
theme I guess. Mario wakes up for a second, goes back to sleep, and then we
are treated with the cast of characters scrolling vertically. After Wart
cackles one last time, the words 'The End' are written out, and that's it!
That ending music still gives me goosebumps...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
F. WARPS
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
1-3 ----> 4-1
-------------
Right before entering the door to go to the inside portion of the level, there
is a small structure with several grass patches around it. Pull the leftmost
one on ground level to find a Potion. If you carry it all the way to the
right, you will find a vase to the right of the door. Throw the Potion, enter
the Potion door, and then go down the vase to warp to level 4-1!
-------------
3-1 ----> 5-1
-------------
At the beginning of the level (after going through the first door), instead of
jumping up the clouds, you can actually fall safely down. Stay in the middle
to land on a small structure with a door, go inside. You will find a ton of
grass, but the sixth patch from the right contains a Potion. Move right until
you see the vase, then throw the Potion, enter the Potion door and go down the
vase to warp to Level 5-1! If you go through the door that is already to the
right of the vase, you will taken back to the beginning of the level (you know,
if you change your mind I guess).
-------------
4-2 ----> 6-1
-------------
In the section of the level with the whales, move right until you reach the
Potion on the pillar as mentioned above. Hold on to it and keep going right,
you will eventually see a vase on a lower platform underneath a long ice
platform. To get to it, drop down to the whale just to the right of the vase
and then jump across. Drop the Potion, enter the Potion door, and then slip
down the vase to be warped to Level 6-1!
-------------
5-3 ----> 7-1
-------------
Select Luigi, and right after you climb the initial ladder, you will notice a
vase overhead. Pull the very first patch of grass you see on the ground to the
right to find a Potion, then go back left, Super Jump up to the vase and drop
the Potion. Enter the Potion door then go down the vase to warp to Level 7-1!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
G. ENEMIES
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Shyguy (Red)
------------
This is the first time Shyguys were introduced in a Mario game! These enemies
just slowly walk along, falling off of any ledge they walk off of (even if it
kills them). However, this also means that they can potentially follow you
more closely.
-------------
Shyguy (Pink)
-------------
These are exactly the same as Red Shy Guys, except the Pink variety will not
foolishly walk off any ledge they are on, making them more of a patrol unit.
-------
Tweeter
-------
This guy is very similar to a Red Shyguy, except he actually hops along instead
of simply walking, making him slightly more of a challenge to jump on and pick
up (but not much).
-------------
Snifit (Pink)
-------------
Snifits are exactly like Shyguys, except that they have the ability to shoot
projectiles. The pink variety are just like Pink Shyguys, walking and turning
around before falling off of a ledge, and they freeze every once in a while to
get a shot off.
-------------
Snifit (Red)
-------------
The red variety of Snifits behave just like Red Shyguys, in that they walk and
fall off and ledge they reach. Like Pink Snifits, they will pause every few
seconds to get a shot off.
These Snifits are possibly the most annoying variety. While they remain
stationary, they constantly jump on the spot, shooting much more often than the
other Snifit varieties. The random nature of their shooting pattern combined
with the fact that they are often placed in inconvenient locations make them a
respectable obstacle.
-----------
Beezo (Red)
-----------
Beezos are basically Shyguys with wings, with the goal of flying into your
character and poking with their spear. The red variety usually swarm an area,
and will actually curve onscreen, specifically aiming for your character.
The pink/grey/green variety of Beezos don't alter their path to home into your
character like the red ones do - they stay on a predetermined horizontal path.
However, they are quicker and don't give you as much of a heads up as to where
they will attack from, making them test your reflexes more.
-------
Ninji 1
-------
This dark, star-shaped character is very aggressive, and will run and jump at
your character relentlessly. Take them out any way you can!
-------
Ninji 2
-------
The calmer cousin of Ninji 1, this variety simply jumps up and down on the
spot. It varies the height of its jumps, but is still much easier to deal with
than Ninji 1.
------
Pidget
------
This mysterious bird rides a magic carpet in a side to side pattern until
swooping down in an arc. As he swoops down, jump on top of him and pick him up
to hijack his magic carpet. Beware - not long after you gain control of his
carpet, it will fade away and disappear, so don't dilly-dally.
-------
Bob-omb
-------
These can walk around as independent enemies, be thrown by Albatoss, and can
even be uprooted like a Vegetable. Shortly after they start flashing, they
will explode, and have the exact same effect as a Bomb's explosion does. If
you uproot one like a Vegetable, throw it immediately, as it will explode
almost right away.
--------
Hoopstar
--------
These ladybug-like creatures climb up and down on vines, and speed up when you
are lined up verticaly with them. They can be picked up and thrown like many
enemies, but you can also simply stand on top of them to hitch a ride.
------
Phanto
------
This red and white mask will awaken and start floating after you as soon as you
pick up a Key. Drop the Key, and he will float away. Phanto cannot be touched
or picked up.
-------
Trouter
-------
These fish jump vertically out of the water. They can be picked up like most
enemies, or used as stepping stones to cross large gaps.
------
Cobrat
------
These red snakes can pop out of the ground or vases and run around, spitting
small projectiles. Some Cobrats actually stay in vases while spitting at you.
------------
Panser (Red)
------------
Pansers are plant-like creatures that spew fireballs. The red variety remains
stationary and shoots fireballs outward in an arc. While they cannot change
the trajectory of their shots, they can shoot in whatever direction your
character is. Pansers cannot be touched or picked up.
------------
Panser (Grey/Green)
------------
Like the Red Pansers, the grey/green variety remain stationary, except that
these ones shoot vertically, creating an inconvenient obstacle to progression.
------------
Panser (Pink)
------------
These guys are particularly nasty. Not only do they have the same arcing shot
pattern as the Red Pansers, but they are actually mobile, walking and falling
off ledges to home in on your character. Yikes!
-----
Pokey
-----
This is the first time we saw Pokey, another character to remain in the Mario
series for years to come. This tall cactus-like creature hurts as much as any
other enemy, but the top of his head is still safe. Pick him up and throw him
section by section to get rid of him, or hit him with a projectile.
-----
Spark
-----
This black and white electrified ball skims along walls, ceiling, floors, or
any platform they are on. They can range in speed from slow to very fast.
They cannot be touched or picked up, and must be killed by other means.
------
Flurry
------
These white snowy creatures slip and slide quickly across icy surfaces,
following you to try and ram into you. As if icy surfaces weren't annoying
enough already...
-------
Porcupo
-------
These are slow porcupines that don't do much besides get in the way. They
cannot be touched or picked up, and must be killed by other means.
-----
Ostro
-----
These ostrich-like birds can carry Shyguys and run quickly. After picking up
and throwing their Shyguy pilot, you can actually do the same to the Ostro
itself!
--------
Albatoss
--------
These red birds fly horizontally and throw Bob-ombs. While they cannot be
picked up or thrown, you can safely land on top of them and hitch a ride.
--------
Autobomb
--------
These mechanical devices are piloted by Shyguys and shoot fireballs while
rolling along the ground. You can safely hitch a ride on top of them, but they
cannot be picked up.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
H. BOSSES
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Birdo (Pink)
------------
Birdo is a dinosaur-like creature that would later go on to show up in other
Mario games over the years. He (she?) moves slowly and jumps on the spot, and
spits eggs horizontally out of his (her?) mouth. Jump on the moving eggs, pick
them up, and throw them back at Birdo to defeat him (her?). Three hits will
take him down.
-----------
Birdo (Red)
-----------
This guy (girl?...ok enough of that) is just like Pink Birdo, except can shoot
eggs more sequentially (either shooting just one, two in a row, or three in a
row). Not only that, but he will randomly spit a fireball instead of an egg.
Either focus on landing on the eggs as they come, or hit him with Mushroom
Blocks if they are provided (or enemies if any are present). Three hits will
take him down.
--------------------
Birdo (Grey/Green)
--------------------
This guy is exactly like Red Birdo, except shoots ONLY fireballs. The only way
to take him down is by using anything found in his lair, be it Mushroom Blocks
or enemies. Three hits will take him down.
------
Mouser
------
This giant mouse wears cool shades and throws Bombs like its going out of
style. Use his own Bombs against him by picking up (or having him throw them
directly on top of you) and throwing them back up onto his platform. It takes
3 hits to take him down (or 5 the second time you face him).
--------
Triclyde
--------
This three-headed snake spits fireballs like nobody's business. Use Mushroom
Blocks to hit him 3 times, and he'll be toast.
------
Fryguy
------
This fireball flies around the screen and spits fireballs down. After hitting
him with Mushroom Blocks 3 times, he will split into 4 smaller fireballs that
jump around the ground. Throw a Mushroom Block at each small fireball to
extinguish it (it is actually possible to hit several in one hit). Beware -
for every small flame you kill, those still alive will get faster and more
aggressive.
--------
Clawgrip
--------
This giant crab stays in a small area and hurls rocks at you. Wait for the
rolling rocks to slow down before jumping on top of them and picking them up,
and then throw them right back at him. 5 hits will take him down.
---------
Hawkmouth
---------
This is actually the bird head that opens at the end of each level after
collecting the Crystal, leading to the end. However, he is listed under the
boss section because just before facing Wart, he will actually come after you!
Thankfully, he is not too difficult. Use the Mushroom Blocks provided to hit
him three times, avoiding his slow, floating motion pattern.
----
Wart
----
The final boss of the game. The crown-wearing giant frog will will spit
streams of bubbles at you, and hates Vegetables. Use the Vegetables that fly
out of the machine in his lair (by letting them land right on top of you) and
throw them back at him. You can only successfully hit him when his mouth is
open, so time it right. 6 hits will defeat him, and end the game!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
I. TIPS AND FUN STUFF
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Slot Machine
------------
Didn't put it anywhere else, so I'll put it here: During the slot machine game
at the end of a level, matching three of a kind will score a 1-Up, but so will
simply getting a Cherry in the first square. Getting Cherries in the first and
second squares will get you a 2-Up, while getting Cherries in all 3 squares
will get you a 5-Up!
--------------
Cherry Exploit
--------------
Collecting Cherries in the normal world will make them disappear from subspace,
but the opposite is not true! To that effect, if you are about to drop a
Potion with Cherries nearby, go in the door and collect them in subspace first,
then return to the normal world and collect the same ones a second time. This
helps when aiming for a Starman quickly.
-------------------
Not Really Mario 2?
-------------------
As many people know by now, this game is not the actual Super Mario Bros. 2.
The real Super Mario Bros. 2 is almost exactly similar in appearance to the
original Super Mario Bros., besides being much harder and having a few new
features. Being deemed too difficult for North American audiences, this game
only made it over much later, being included in Super Mario All Stars on SNES
as 'The Lost Levels'. This game is also now available for purchase on the Wii.
The game North America knew as Super Mario Bros. 2 is actually based heavily
off of a game called Doki Doki Panic, with the 4 characters reskinned as Mario
characters (as well as numerous other changes throughout the game).
There are two mistakes in the credits of the original NES version of the game:
The first being that Ostro and Birdo's names are switched, and the second being
Clawgrip's name spelled as 'Clawglip'.
----------------------
Birdo the Crossdresser
----------------------
In the manual of the original game Birdo was described as someone 'who would
rather be a girl'. This is probably the first crossdressing reference to
appear in a Nintendo game.
Not all of the characters in this game lived on in the Mario series, but Wart
actually makes a cameo in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the original
Gameboy! He and a couple of underlings teach Link the third and final song of
the game, bearing the name 'Mamu', which apparently is Wart's Japanese name.
=====
Legal
=====
This walkthrough is copyright property of Jason Guay, and cannot be used freely
in any way without permission.
For any information, questions, additions, comments, or anything else, contact
me at: ninjay(at)hotmail(dot)com.
