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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic/Changes

There are several changes from Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic to Super Mario Bros. 2, although the gameplay at large remains unchanged.

General changes

 * Character selection: In Doki Doki Panic, you can still choose from among four characters, but each character's progress through the game is tracked independently. While each character can beat the game, you will not witness the true ending of the game until all four characters have completed the game.  While you can change characters at any point after you die, the next character you choose can only continue from the furthest point in the game that they have completed.
 * Game saving: Because Doki Doki Panic was released on disk format, your progress through the game could be written and saved on the disk. Since you have to play through the game four times, once with every character, in order to see the true ending, saves were a must so that you were not required to play the entire game four times without shutting the machine off.
 * No running: In Doki Doki Panic, the B button is only used for picking up object or enemies, and throwing them. In Super Mario Bros. 2, the B button is also used to make your character run, just like in the first Super Mario Bros. game.
 * No shrinking: While primarily a cosmetic alteration, the characters of Doki Doki Panic have no "small mode" like the characters in Super Mario Bros. 2 do. Therefore, when you are reduced to one health point, you will not shrink, and when you gain a second health point, you do not grow.
 * A new boss: In Doki Doki Panic, you will face Mouser not twice, but three times in the game. In Super Mario Bros. 2, the third Mouser was replaced with Clawgrip, who does not appear in the original Doki Doki Panic.

Audio and visual
In contrast to the gameplay, a lot of visuals and sound effects within Doki Doki Panic were changed in the transition to Super Mario Bros. 2. The following is a list of features that were changed.

Other changes include the following: Sounds were also altered from the original version to the western release.
 * 1-Ups: In Doki Doki Panic, when a player uproots a 1-Up from the ground, they appear as the face of the player in question. In Super Mario Bros. 2, this was changed to a singular 1-Up mushroom that is identical for everyone.
 * Mushroom Blocks: The Mushroom Blocks of Super Mario Bros. 2 did not originally resemble mushrooms at all. Or blocks for that matter.  They were a series of masks that the players would pick up and toss around.
 * Albatoss animation: In Doki Doki Panic, the wing flap of the Albatoss was only animated across two frames. Several in-between frames were added in the western conversion to give Albatoss the far smoother animation that he has today.
 * Ambient animation: In addition to the animation of the grass explained in the table above, several other animated objects from Super Mario Bros. 2 were motionless In Doki Doki Panic. This includes the leaves on the vines, the cherries, POW blocks, bomb fuses, and the surface of water.  On the other hand, many of the waterfalls in the game animated at a much faster rate In Doki Doki Panic, and were slowed down for the western release.
 * Doki Doki Panic had shorter scores for the character select music and the overworld theme. Sub-space and invincibility music was entirely different.
 * 1-Ups originally made the same noise upon completing a level. This was changed to the traditional extra life noise from Super Mario Bros.
 * Several things generate different noises, including enemies when they are picked up and thrown, Birdo, Rockets, POW blocks, collecting cherries, potions/lamps, entering a door, gates opening, getting hit, whale spouts, and Stopwatches.


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Super Mario Advance

Super Mario Advance is an enhanced remake of Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Game Boy Advance, released as a launch title in 2001. The game was developed by Nintendo R&D2, and is based on the Super Nintendo remake of Super Mario Bros. 2 included in the Super Nintendo compilation game, .

Super Mario Advance introduces several new features, such as:
 * Multiplayer mode available when up to four Game Boy Advances are connected with a Link Cable.
 * The addition of /Robirdo/, a robotic Birdo acting as the boss of World 3.
 * The addition of the /Yoshi's Challenge/ (in which players may revisit stages to search for Yoshi eggs).
 * A point-scoring system
 * Graphical and audio enhancements were added in the form of enlarged sprites, multiple hit combos, digital voice acting, and such minor stylistic and aesthetic changes as an altered default health-meter level, boss-order, backgrounds, the size of hearts, Princess Toadstool being renamed to the now-standard "Princess Peach," and the inclusion of a chime to announce starmen, were also added.

Super Mario Advance also includes an enhanced remake of Mario Bros., which has updated audiovisuals and Mushroom Kingdom-based enemies replacing the generic creatures of the original (Spinys taking the place of Shellcreepers, for example); this game would be included in all three subsequent Super Mario Advance titles and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

Super Mario Advance was a best-seller, and it became one of the Game Boy Advance's first three Player's Choice games (along with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3).

See the /New features/ page for differences between Super Mario Advance and earlier versions of Super Mario Bros. 2.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Super Mario Advance


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Super Mario Advance/New features

While Super Mario All-Stars consists of ports that are nearly identical to their original counterparts besides the obvious audio and graphical enhancements, Super Mario Advance has new features to discern it from its earlier variations.

Enemies and bosses
Note that some official strategy guides may have different names, tending towards what the Game Boy Advance version has.

title: Super Mario Advance/New features


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/Walkthrough

Super Mario Bros. 2 is played linearly through 7 worlds and 20 stages. It is possible, however, to warp ahead if you know the locations of the secret Warp Zones.

The game keeps track of how many times you select each character. The character (or characters) who is chosen most often is given special recognition at the end of the game. If you manage to use all four characters exactly five times, you can earn recognition for every character. In addition to helping you complete the tougher sections of this game, this walkthrough will also recommend which character you should use in order to take advantage of each character's strengths, as well as to have every character recognized.

 * Recommended characters
 * World 1-1: Toad
 * World 1-2: Luigi
 * World 1-3: Mario
 * World 2-1: Toad
 * World 2-2: Toad
 * World 2-3: Mario
 * World 3-1: Princess
 * World 3-2: Luigi
 * World 3-3: Luigi
 * World 4-1: Toad
 * World 4-2: Princess
 * World 4-3: Princess
 * World 5-1: Princess
 * World 5-2: Mario
 * World 5-3: Luigi
 * World 6-1: Toad
 * World 6-2: Luigi
 * World 6-3: Mario
 * World 7-1: Mario
 * World 7-2: Princess

Beginning the game
Turn on the game, press Start on the title screen, select your character, and begin World 1-1!


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 1-1

If you're trying to complete the game so that every character plays an equal number of times, then the best choice for this level is Toad. No one character stands out in this level, but there are some good coin grabbing opportunities in Sub-space and Toad's grass lifting speed will help you earn a lot of chances for the bonus game at the end of the level. The only problem Toad has is clearing the jump over the waterfall in Map C to reach the shortcut. Make sure he's running super fast.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A
Climb mountains, cross valleys and oceans, and brave the darkness. You're off on a wild and crazy adventure. Some powerful enemies are waiting for you to appear, so watch your every step!

If you're new to the game and just starting out, give each character a try and get to know their movements at the very beginning of the game. Once you pass through the door below, the real fast-action run starts. The first area will be an easy win.

In Super Mario Advance this map is entirely different. You begin by climbing down cloud stairs. A large blue Shyguy is the first enemy to appear. The grass to the right is a turnip. If you want, you can pull it up and kill the Shyguy with it. The other two patches of grass are hearts. The bottom platform is a springy yellow carrot.

Part 1

(1) Enter Sub-space. Climb the ivy to reach the hilltop. Grab the grass closest to you, and you will be rewarded with a potion that sends you into Sub-space. When you get there, look for a power-up Mushroom.

(2) Jump carefully As you approach this waterfall, you'll see two logs falling at different intervals. You can get to the other side by hitching a ride on them, but watch out. Timing is critical; don't jump until you see the tip of the first log. Watch your footing as you cross over to the other side.

Part 2

Starman to the rescue: By the time you collect the fifth cherry here, you will summon Starman, who will float up from the bottom of the screen. Catch him to activate a limited period of invincibility. In Super Mario Advance this can lead to extra lives! Continue running to the right, and you will encounter new squads of enemies that you can plow through. Hit enough of them, and you will start earning extra lives for your trouble.

(3) Discover another route. Pass through the door labeled B and you will arrive at the bottom of Map C.  On the second floor, the door C takes you to the bottom of the vine that leads to Map D, but by blasting the wall to the left, you can take a shortcut to Map E.

A second mushroom. Once you exit through door C and return to this part of the map, you will find a potion in the first tuft of grass to the right of the door. Deposit it between the patches of grass to the right to find the second Mushroom, as well as a great opportunity to collect coins for the Bonus Game.

Another short-cut. It's even possible to by pass Map C altogether! You will see a Tweeter bouncing around the outside of door B. Pick him up and drop him on the log bridge to the left. Then jump on top of him and squat down for a Power Jump. When Tweeter makes a really high jump, leap off of him to the ledge above. If you ride him to the left, you will arrive near some grass that contains a 1-up!

Map C
Advanced 1-Up: In the original version, there's nothing perched on the ledge at the bottom of the waterfall. But in Super Mario Advance you'll find a 1-Up mushroom surrounded by a bubble. Hit the bubble using the two vegetables and the Ninji in order to reduce it and eventually eliminate it, and collect the 1-Up to boost your cache of extra lives.

More advanced 1-Ups: In Super Mario Advance after you climb up the vine, you'll see a group of five Ninji hopping up and down before the exit. If you manage to hit all five Ninji with a single vegetable, you'll earn an extra life. And the best part is, whether you succeed or fail, you can climb down the vine and climb back up again and try as many times as you like!

(4) Dash across the waterfall. Pretty soon you're going to run up against a roaring waterfall. Any one of the characters should be able to cross it, some more easily than others, and find a shortcut to the mini-boss. Just be sure that you are running fast before you jump; miss the other side you'll lose a life, even if your health meter is full.

(5) Blast the wall away! You can't get to the shortcut until you blast through this wall. Pull out the patch of grass on your right and you'll get a bomb. When it starts to flash, throw it. Be careful though, if you're timing's not right, the wall will still be standing. Once you gain access to door D, pass through it and you will arrive on the right side of Map E. From there, you'll need to leap up to the top of the mountains, and run to the left, even though your character will disappear off the top of the screen.

Map D
The grass sprouts in Sub-space will reveal coins you can use after each stage to play the Bonus Game and earn extra lives. You only get to grab coins from Sub-space twice in each world, and there are better Sub-space areas later in this stage to grab more coins. As long as you don't grab a single grass sprout/coin, it won't count against your two chances, even if you grab a Mushroom in Subspace.
 * Coins in subspace

(6) Beware of Hoopster. You'll start at the bottom of this map, and you'll need to jump your way up to the vines at the top. Power jumps are helpful here. Once you reach the vines, watch out for Hoopster when you leap from one vine to another. If he's above you, he won't let you climb up. But he can help; jump when he's below you and get a free lift.

Map E

Have a heart: In Advance, you'll find two hearts floating above the clouds that you can collect in order to boost your health before you head into battle with Birdo. You'll also find another heart buried beneath a patch of grass just above the exit gate.

(7) Birdo: the first mini-boss. Birdo sometimes, but not always, spits eggs to attack you. If you want to beat this bothersome bird, hop on top of a flying egg and pick it up by pressing the B button. Once you've caught the egg, stand a safe distance away and wait for your chance to strike. Hit her three times and she'll release the Crystal Ball that lets you pass through the mouth of the gate and advance to World 1-2.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 1-2

Give Luigi a shot at this world. Luigi's vertical leap will be especially useful on two occasions. First, it will help you land on top of the troublesome carpet riding Pidget with ease. Second, it will let you take advantage of a time saving shortcut that no other character can use.
 * Balanced character selection

Now Mario's adventure really takes off. Just climb aboard the magic carpet and it's up, up, and away with Mario. Right after you start your adventure in this area, you will find yourself in the sky. Consider your option. There is only one smart way to go; you must take the flying carpet away from Pidget. Later, when the going gets tough, try using bombs, They will make a big difference. New passages, new enemies and a lot more fun and adventure await you.

Part 1

(1) Board a flying carpet. After you pass through the Hawk Gate, you'll see Pidget flying over the mountains. Be patient and wait for him floating above in the air. If you move carelessly, you'll fall off the cliff. When he gets close, jump on top of Pidget's head. You don't have to land precisely in the middle. You will be able to control the carpet by using the D-Pad after you toss Pidget overboard. You won't be able to go anywhere without this carpet. But you'll have to move quickly; you'll only get to ride it for 10 seconds! In Super Mario Advance, don't forget to use the carpet to get those hard out-of-reach coins that sit in the sky before you reach land.

(2) 1-Up and a Key are inside the jars. They may appear to be two ordinary jars, but they're far from it! Look inside. If you press Down on the D-Pad while you stand on top of the jar, you can enter inside of it. In the left one, you find a 1-Up. In the right jar you'll find a key that opens door A on the right. You can also get a mushroom here; use the nearby potion to create a door to Sub-space between the two jars. Just don't grab any coins while you're here.

A Super (Luigi) Shortcut. If you'd like to avoid collecting the key and exploring map B entirely, it is possible, but only with Luigi. If you prefer, pick up one of the Ninji and drop it back down close to door A. Then jump on top of him. Squat down to store energy for a power jump, and then wait for Ninji to leap high in the air. When you are flashing and Ninji is at the height of his jump, press the A button and Luigi will soar to the top of the platform above, allowing you to proceed directly to the end of the level. It is also possible to get this with other characters by riding Pidgey far enough or by a power jump on top of a Ninji, but it is by far easiest with Luigi.

Map B
The majority of items you will find in the cave of this area are bombs. Use them wisely. First, pull up the grass around you, and set a bomb on top of the block of the first wall. Stay away and wait for it to explode. The explosion should open a hole just big enough for you to get through. Don't relax too much because a bullet from the right might hit you. After you climb the ladder, you'll find another dead-end to your right. Use a second bomb to make an opening.
 * Using bombs effectively

(3) Grab Starman and make tracks. There are a couple of cherries near the entrance to map B. If you already collected two cherries from outside, and grab the cherries in here, you'll summon Starman. Wait until he rises above the ground, and collect him to make yourself invincible. Knock Ninji and Snifit out.

(4) Sub-space. There's a mushroom to be found here, but the rocks are in your way. Use two bombs to destroy the walls and step down with the potion in your hands. Enter Sub-space, and the Mushroom will be yours. Make sure you don't grab any coins.

Part 2

(5) Use the potion wisely. Once you exit map B, jump up and run to the left, and you'll find a potion by a Snifit (see part 1 of map A.)  Take the potion, move right, and use it at the place where you see all the grass. If you were patient and did not grab any plants before, you'll have a great opportunity to collect a lot of coins. Return to map B and immediately exit to repeat the process a second time!

(6) Do the mini-boss toss. Birdo is the mini-boss of World 1-2. Remember how you beat her in World 1-1 by hitting her with eggs? You can defeat her the same way, with three hits. On this world, you also have the option of using the key found earlier within the level instead of waiting for Birdo to launch eggs.

After defeating her, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 1-3

This is the last stage of World 1. Congrats! You're doing great. This area starts with a horizontal scroll, changes to a vertical scroll, and then goes back to a horizontal scroll. Cross the waterfall to reach the tower. While in the vertical scroll, you can't open the door far below unless you get the key from the top room. Climb all the way up to find the magic key, and drop all the way to the bottom. In the end, you'll run into Mouser—not a friendly guy.

After two whole stages, it's finally time to bring Mario out to play. There's no section of the map that any character is particularly well suited for, but Mario's combination of speed and jumping ability will come in handy during the tough boss battle at the end of the stage.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

(1) Now you're in Sub-space. See that potion at the foot of the bridge? Grab it and use it on the spot to enter Sub-space to collect a Mushroom. Watch out; from here on you're going to run into many dangerous and troublesome Trouters. It's a good idea to keep your health meter high.

Cross the river. Now you will encounter three consecutive log rides. Prepare yourself for three waterfalls in a row, with plenty of logs to keep you hopping. This is the toughest jumping you have faced yet, and each one is more difficult than the next.

Part 2

(2) The long haul for life. There is a potion under the log bridge to the right. But if you try to use anywhere in the vicinity, you won't discover any mushrooms. Instead, grab the potion and take it back to the top of the hill by the waterfall. Enter Sub-space here and you'll find a Mushroom as well as five coins. The potion that you collected has one other use in this world.

Map B

(3) First, take the key! This map of this tall tower is split in half, with the top shown to the left, and the bottom shown to the right. You enter map B through the door A which lies roughly in the middle of the tower (visible on the right map.) When you arrive, start by climbing all the way up to the top room, collect the key behind door B, and carefully head back down the way you came. Door C is locked at the bottom of the tower. Be careful as you fall down. Stay to the right, as you will find a bed of spikes on the floor to the left.

Switching back and forth between Map B and Map C will give you some incredible opportunities for extra lives. In Map B, a single Ninji guards a patch of grass above the door to Map C, while four of his buddies hop around on the ledge to the left. Grab that grass to discover a POW block, and throw it to the ground for a 1-Up. Then head to Map C, and toss the POW block in the center of the platforms for at least one, but probably two more extra lives. When you're done, head back to Map B and repeat the two steps as often as you like!
 * Powerful Advance 1-Ups

Once you take a key, Phanto will come to life and chase after you in hot pursuit. He will chase you no matter where you travel, even after you escape from a jar or room where you collected the key. Don't worry; if you drop the key down on the ground, Phanto will give up his chase until you pick it back up again. Don't press your luck in a tight situation. If need be, drop the key for a moment, and don't grab it again until the coast is clear.
 * How to escape from Phanto

Map C

(4) Beware of Spark! Although sparks were once an ally of Mario in his battle against Donkey Kong Jr., they are no friend of his in the World of Dreams. You'll find lots of them in map C, and they're all hoping to zap you. Snifits and Tweeters occupy the platforms in the middle of the map. Use the POW block to shake things up. After a corridor of Ninjis, you'll find the Crystal Ball that is usually horded by Birdo right out in the open. Does this mean you won't have to face a boss battle? No such luck.

Boss: Mouser

Blast Mouser! Mouser is the ruling boss of World 1. Defeating him is the first step toward bringing peace back to the World of Dreams. Use some bombs to help Mario and crew get through the wall. Then stand on the floor below Mouser, to the left side, and catch the bombs that Mouser throws. You don't have to press any buttons, just get under the bomb and you'll catch it. Deposit them back on the platform where he is standing before they explode. Catch Mouser three times in the blast, and he's done for.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 2-1

There are new dangers here: quicksand that sucks you down if you stand still and stacked bricks that block your path. You'll have to dig your way out through the sand, and it's not so easy. These are just a couple of many hair-raising problems and challenges. Don't sweat it! Keep going. You'll make it if you're fast, smart and a little lucky. Here's a clue to remember. Don't stop unless you have a good foothold.

Now that you're in a new environment, you must learn how to watch out for the many traps of the World of Deserts. You're bound to run into the snaggle toothed Cobrat. Also, beware of Panser's fire attacks. Few characters shine in any world as much as Toad shines in the Desert. No one can dig through the sand quite as fast as he can.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

(1) Wrong jar. OK, you've defeated the Cobrat and entered the jar. What's wrong? There's nothing inside but a Snifit and a Shell. Don't worry, those shells will turn into useful weapons if you take them outside.

(2) Sub-space. See the four patches of grass? The one on the left is the potion. Use it here, enter Sub-space, and take the mushroom and coins. Your life meter can never be too high. Mushrooms are precious items in the tough World of Deserts. If you don't find them, you'll regret it later.

Part 2

(3) Heave Shyguy at Panser! Panser is spitting flames at the top of the steps. Be careful! Look for Shyguy below, pick him up and throw him at Panser. Now you can get by safely.

Dangers abound in the World of Deserts: Cobrats live in the jars of the deserts. Watch out, they sometimes emerge from the jars to spit bullets. If you stop in the quicksand, you'll start to sink and lose jumping power. Just keep moving. Panser blows fire at you to block your way. Defeat it by tossing a Shyguy at it.

Map B

(4) Leave the hole digging to Toad! It's time for Toad to show you how fast he can dig a hole! Press the B button repeatedly to dig into the soft sand and move downward. Dig holes and go down to the ladder. But watch out for Shyguy—he's coming at you from the side. If an enemy attacks you from above, escape by moving right or left. Resume digging when possible.

(5) Take a cherry and keep going. Cherries are buried in the sand. If you picked some up in map A, you'll meet Starman here. Grab him, and you can dig your holes with no trouble at all. If you eliminate all your enemies, you may even earn hearts.

Expect these snakes to pop out of nearly every jar you see. Knocking them out is easy enough—just leap up on top of their head, then lift them up and throw them. They're perfectly sized for knocking out several enemies, especially if you can hit a Pokey in the process. They count as four enemy hits, and may earn you a heart.
 * Cobrats

Map C

(6) Look for attacks from behind You'll never guess who's the mini-boss of World 2-1. It's Birdo again, but this time there are some big gaps to fall into if you're not careful. Toad is a great pick for this battle, since he can lift the eggs very quickly. It's the same strategy as before: jump on an egg, pick it up without falling into a hole, then throw it back at Birdo. But be careful—if you're timing is off, and you're too late in lifting an egg, you'll fall straight down into the canyon below. Three hits and she's history. Don't relax too much after defeating Birdo. Two canyons requiring long jumps await you in front of the gate.

Grab the Crystal Ball, carefully aim your jumps, and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 2-2

The World of Deserts seems extremely difficult when you are not used to it. World 2-2 is not that different from the level that you've just come through. It's a continuation of World 2-1, only the jars are closer together, the quicksand is faster, and you have a smaller area to move around in. There are some new dangers, like jars with armies of Cobrats and a deceptive path on map D that leads to a dead end. Just keep moving and be careful of the Shyguys. If you haven't selected Toad as your character yet, now would be a good time!

Once again, when it comes to the desert, no one is as equipped to deal with its perils and dig through the sand as Toad. It's not a bad idea to lean on him in this world. You may find some of the vertical jumps challenging, but it's nothing that Toad's Power Jump can't overcome.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

A rare quiet moment. From the gate, you start off in a secluded cave. Take a deep breath, and when you're ready, advance through the door to the desert beyond.

Part 1

(1) Sub-space. The potion lies in the first patch of grass you see in World 2-2. Don't wait, use it and get the mushroom and coins from Sub-space.

Part 2

(2) Bounce off the bones! This quicksand is definitely quick! No matter how much you press the A button, you're still in trouble. But all is not lost. Leap on the bones falling down and quickly jump to the other side. Just watch out for the Cobrat attacks on the other side. Run to the entrance to Map C and head for the underground. In Super Mario Advance, you'll likely need the assist from the bone platform in order to reach the A-coin perched above.

(5) Beware of Pokey! This is going to be as bad as it was in World 2-1. Cobrats are pouring out of the jars nonstop, spitting bullets at you as they come. Either jump on their heads, throw the Cobrats down, or hide in one of the rooms of a jar. Try to steer clear of Pokey. He can do a lot of damage. If you mess with him, go for his weak spot; the segment closest to the ground.

(6) Speed to Safety. Don't relax just because you made it past that river of Cobrats. There's trouble ahead up at the top of those stone steps; double trouble! Two Pansers are waiting to give you a flaming hot welcome. If you can't find anything at the bottom of the stone steps to cool their jets, your best bet is to "hot foot" it to safety. However, in Super Mario Advance, you'll have to be brave in order to find and collect the A-coin situated between the plants.

Map C

(3) Blast a wall. Before you do anything, drop down to the bottom of the right side of this map. Pull out the lone grass that you find down there, and get a 1-Up. On the ledge above and to your right, you will find three bombs. You must be quick in order to use them. Pull them out of the ground and immediately squat down for a Power Jump. Then drop them off in front of the wall just before the explode.

(4) Sub-space. Where's the potion? Try the second clump of grass from the right. Go into Sub-space for coins and a mushroom.

Map D

(7) Get Starman's help! Remember in World 2-1, how you could grab cherries while you dug your way down through the sand to get Starman? Do the same thing right here. Just take him along with you, and get going with an invincible Toad!

(8) Zig-Zag! Maybe you weren't able to get Starman. Oh well, in that case, don't dig your hole straight down. Try zig-zagging your way instead, and Shyguy won't be able to touch you. They never learned the zigzag maneuver.

(9) Always take the passage on the right. The end of map D divides into two passages. Take the right one. The left one leads down to a dead end, and you'll get stuck climbing all the way back up again. The right one will lead you to door C with no problems.

While knocking out Pokey is a good way to save your life in Super Mario Bros. 2, it can actually increase your life in Super Mario Advance! You can collect at least one 1-Up on this stage by grabbing a Cobrat from a Jar, then knocking out a Pokey while also knocking out at least one additional enemy, such as another Cobrat. The Pokey alone is like knocking out four enemies, so each enemy added to that is worth an additional 1-Up.
 * Pokeys for life

Map E

(10) Use the Mushroom Blocks. There she is again, Birdo, the mini-boss of World 2-2. Collect one of the Mushroom Blocks, and use a power jump to reach the ledge in the upper right. Enter her arena, and throw the mushroom block to hit her from above. Hit her three times and you've got her beat. Be careful though; at this stage, Birdo starts shooting fireballs! She will spit fireballs once during every sequence of three, so be careful not to jump early before you know what the projectile is. Also, you cannot duck underneath them if you are on the same ground height as Birdo.

After beating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 2-3

You've finally made it through World 2. Congratulations! On the map you will find such tricks as quicksand that traps you or places where you need to dig deep into the ground. Even though you've come this far, you won't have it easy. Don't let your guard down. Triclyde has three heads and spits flames from every one of them. Talk about bad breath!

Even though Toad is the master of the Desert, it's time to give him a rest. You've got a powerful boss fight ahead of you, so it's time bring out the all-star, Mario. Mario is no slouch in the Desert either, and he'll be able to stand up to Triclyde's scorching attack.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

(1) Sub-space. Climb up the ladder from where you begin this stage in the underground and pull out the clump of grass on your right. There's the potion. Create a Sub-space door on the hill to the left and get a Mushroom, but avoid the coin.

(2) It's not so easy to get inside here. This is tough. Jump on Beezo's head, jump again, and go to the door at the top of the hill. Go into this room, get the potion, and open a door to Sub-space. You'll get one Mushroom and a pile of coins. As long as you did not collect a coin near the first Mushroom, exit the room and reenter to create another door to Sub-space and collect even more coins. Remember, you can only collect coins from two of your visits to Sub-space, so make those visits count.

Part 2
On this stage you'll need to do a little hitchhiking on the backs of the Beezos to reach high platforms. The Beezos fly too fast for you to stay on, so you'll have to leap off quickly before you fall off. Soon you'll meet the Albatoss, and he can carry you as far as you want to go.
 * Hitch-hiking

Play it safe. You got Beezos to worry about in the air and quicksand to worry about on the ground. Most of the quicksand can be avoided by safely jumping from one cactus or bones to another. Wait for the Beezos to fly by, and then make your move.

Map B

(3) Get them all with POWs! After you enter the door of map B, go down to the right. Use the POWs on the Shyguys. In Super Mario Advance, this move should be enough to earn you a 1-Up!

(4) Take a key and they're all yours. In the middle of map B, you'll come to door C which leads to map C, but it's locked! If you want to get in, you'll have to go through door D at the very bottom of map B, take the key, and come back up again. But watch out—Phanto will come to life and come after that key. And he never gives up trying to get exactly what he wants!

Part 1

One last chance for Starman. Whether you're close to revealing Starman, or starting over from scratch, you'll have another opportunity to summon him here if you dig down into the sand for the cherries. Once you've made him appear, collect him and scoot below the Panser on the top of the hill while you're invincible. Of course, if you're playing Super Mario Advance, you'll want to reach the top of the hill in order to collect the fifth and final A-coin.

Part 2
Grab the lone Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate to face the boss.

Boss: Triclyde

Defeat Triclyde! Triclyde is a three-headed Cobrat that spits fireballs. You'll need equal portions of smarts and courage to finish off this slithering serpent. On the floor is a stack of Mushroom Blocks. Use the blocks to build a wall to guard yourself from Triclyde's fireballs. Then grab one of the Mushroom Blocks from the bottom and carry it up to the top platform. Jump up and throw it at Triclyde. If you fall to the floor below, don't panic, you return to safety behind the wall that you built. Hit Triclyde three times and you'll knock him out. You'll also find a Tweeter bouncing around on the floor which you can use as a weapon against Triclyde in a pinch.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 3-1

Surprise, surprise! In this world, you'll come across a huge waterfall. Do you dare brave a climb to the top? A big waterfall is no problem if you hitch a ride to the top on a handy flying carpet passing by. It might be a bit tricky to convince Pidget to leave, of course. Stay in control—one wrong step and you're in the drink. Or consider this: if you drop down to the bottom—carefully—you can enter a secret room at the very bottom.

Finally! After being kept on the side lines for two whole worlds, now is the time to bring the Princess off the bench. Her skill at controlling the duration of her jumps will help her come in handy here. Not only that, but there is a shortcut that only she can take advantage of!
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

No secrets here. Now that you've transitioned out of the World of Deserts, you can take a nice stroll to the hills in the background that lead to the giant waterfall. Pass through door A.

Map B
What do you think of going down the waterfall before you go up? This may sound crazy at first, but wait! Before you go up the cloud stairs, try going down the falls. It takes a lot of control to drop right into the center and make a perfect swan dive to the island at the bottom. If you're using the princess and find that you're veering off course, you can press and hold the A button to make her float in mid-air while you adjust her position. If you make it, you'll find a secret entrance to the island, a whole bunch of vegetables, and…

(2) Onward and Upwards! Climb the cloud stairs, but be careful. Check out who's up at the top waiting for you. It's Pidget! Use the trick you pulled in World 1-2 to get on top of him. Then see how high you can go. Keep your eyes peeled for a climbing vine. Don't delay, you only get to ride the carpet for a limited time and if time runs out, you'll find yourself falling back to the clouds. In Super Mario Advance, be sure to use the carpet to assist you with A-coin collecting.

All your platform climbing skills will be tested on this stage, with several groups of clouds to traverse in order to reach your goals. There's a leap of faith to make at the beginning of this stage that will land you in the best possible place to grab coins, especially if you've got Toad's awesome lifting strength.
 * Cloud Hopping

This stage also features the second warp in the game, which will take you to World 5. Read the spoiler below to learn how to find it.

Map C

(1) You're in the money. Inside the secret room, there's a potion hidden in the grass. If you pick it up and drop it down among the rest of the grass, you can enter into Sub-space and earn a lot of cash. Then exit back out through door B and back in again to repeat the process one more time. In the original version of the game, you won't find any Mushrooms down here, while in Super Mario Advance, if you drop the potion and create a door down here, you are in fact likely to find a new hidden mushroom. The potion may also have one other use…

It turns out that if you pick up the potion and drop it by the jar next to the door that leads back to door A, and enter into Sub-space here, you can use this jar to warp all the way ahead to World 5-1.
 * A secret warp

Map D

(3) For royalty only? If you are playing the game with the Princess, pile up Mushroom Blocks on the left side of the cloud and jump from there. You'll find secret door D, which will lead to the back side of the boss's room in map E. If you're a particularly good Luigi player, he can also make this shortcut work. However, even if you're using Mario or Toad, the truth is that you can still use this shortcut, it will just take an extra bit of dangerous work to do so. To the left of the vine are a series of small egg-shaped clouds. They're not big enough for you to stand on, but they will support a Mushroom Block. If you can chuck a Mushroom block to the left, so that it bounces off the larger egg cloud and hits the smaller egg cloud behind it and comes to a stop, you have now created a small but usable platform to leap towards. Once you're through door D, pick up some bombs to blast the wall down and run across the ceiling to the Birdo mini-boss fight.

(4) Sub-space 1. The potion on this small hill might be hard to get. Drop a Mushroom Block on the gray Panser above to stop the rain of fire. Then collect the potion and drop it on the hill or the clouds to the left to find a much needed Mushroom.

(5) Sub-space 2. Getting the second Mushroom will take as much planning as the first. You'll find the potion only be descending the ladder. However, you won't be able to climb back up while you're holding the potion. Drop the potion off to the left of the ladder so that when you enter Sub-space, you can climb up the ladder and grab the Mushroom that is hiding out on the ledge.

Advanced 1-Ups: in Super Mario Advance, the hidden mushroom in Map C may not have felt like a huge discovery, but you'll find something else that might surprise you inside of a newly placed jar right around location 5. If you step inside and climb down the ladders, you'll find a set of Sparks circling the lower portion of the jar along with an interesting ball on the platform. Though it's quite large, you can pick this ball up, toss it, and get it rolling. As it does, it should start to crush the Sparks, ultimately leading to one or two extra lives. And you can exit the jar and return as many times as you like.

Map E

(6) Birdo Again! Birdo has gotten really sneaky now. She spits eggs in quick, tricky motions. The Princess has to move fast and dodge with skillful squats and jumps to avoid disaster. You can tell Birdo is tired when she spits out three eggs in a row. When you see the third egg fly, move fast! She's just taking a breather. Or you can jump behind her and use the two Mushroom Blocks as a weapon against her.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.

Shortcut A-coin: whether you used the shortcut to reach Birdo or not, Super Mario Advance tests just how good of a Mario player you really are by placing the fifth A-coin near the entrance to the secret passage. If you took the normal route to reach Birdo, don't forget to jump from the top of the gate to the ceiling, and run across to the right in order to reach the last coin and complete your collection.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 3-2

Welcome to World 3-2. You'll need strong legs in this terrain because you'll be running up and down a lot of ladders as you go from the surface down to the second floor of the underground and back again. Here, the only way to get to map C is by going up and down the ladders between maps A and B. Watch out for sneak attacks and make plenty of headway by blasting off your bombs where necessary. Blast your way through walls that stop your forward progress.

It's not Luigi's jumping ability that you will be taking advantage of in this stage, but rather his ability to take the stage at a measured pace. His jumping will help you out as you cross the surface of map A, but once you drop down the ladders, you'll need to rely on your own skills more than his.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

Beezos and Panser. A swarm of Beezos is hovering around the start. You may have a tough time handling them. Try jumping to safety. Smack in the middle of the above ground scene you'll encounter the hot-headed Panser. This guy can do big damage. He spits fireballs. In this case, fight fire with vegetables.

Part 2

(1) Don't take this POW! You'll run into many enemies in map A and you'll be tempted to use the POW. But hold it! If you drop to the underground, you'll never make it to Sub-space on the right. Even in Super Mario Advance, where these two small POWs are replaced by one big bouncing POW, don't risk missing out on the precious mushroom.

(2) Sub-space 1. Pull up the Potion hidden on the far right and drop it right back down. Once you're in Sub-space, look to your left, near the wall, and you'll see a Mushroom. Take the two coins too, but watch out for Snifit; he'll attack you from below when you return from Sub-space. Take care of him, and then use the bombs to your left to help you destroy the blocks that cover the entrance to the underground.

Part 1

(3) Make headway with a bomb. Make every blast count as you bomb your way to your goal. Use the bombs above you to destroy the first and second walls. Use the ones below to destroy the third and fourth walls. Watch out when the bombs explode! After all, you don't want your own trick to backfire. In Super Mario Advance, you can also throw one bomb at the newly-added bricks on the right ledge to reveal a roulette basket.

Part 2

Hardly a shortcut. It won't save you much time or trouble at all, but Luigi or the Princess can make the leap from the bottom of ladder D to the bottom of ladder E without the need for the trip to the surface.

(4) Don't get hurt! This wall will crumble if you know how to use your bombs. It won't be easy though, because this is one tough wall. Time your throw carefully.

(5) Sub-space 2. Now you've finally cleared the underground. Good! Before you enter Sub-space, be sure to destroy the floor on the right with a bomb—if you want the Mushroom, that is.

Map C

(6) Defeat Birdo. It's a cinch to defeat Birdo here. You already know how. Just throw the eggs she spits back at her or use the Mushroom Blocks on your left, and it's good-bye Birdo. If you remove a Mushroom Block from Birdo's platform and fall to the ground, you can use the block as a stepping stone to reach Birdo.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 3-3

Here you'll find a whole bunch of vertical rooms. You'll have to go up and then travel down to get inside. But stay sharp, because you're going to meet up with lots of Sparks. Watch your step at the very end. Mouser (or Robirdo if you're playing Super Mario Advance) is waiting for you!

You're not done with Luigi yet. Normally you choose Mario for these intense third areas of each World, but Luigi has some tricks up his sleeve that can dramatically cut down the amount of time you spend here. And he's plumber enough to take Mouser on too.
 * Balanced character selection

Map B

(1) Sub-space 1 and Double POWs! Here in map B, you'll find something really weird. If you have a POW inside Sub-space, and Sub-space disappears, you'll get two POWs! Don't forget to take the Mushroom before lifting the darkened POW up high. You'll still be holding on to the copy when you return.

Map C

Which door will you choose? There are three—count 'em—three doors here. Which one should you pick? The center door has a dead-end. The door on the left is locked. Now the door on the right has potential. There's a key at the top. Get to the top floor and take the key. Then try using it to unlock the door to the left.

Max out your lives in Advance: Super Mario Advance adds a score to the mix, along with the possibility of earning extra lives by defeating enough enemies with one attack. This makes it possible to use the new super sized POW block at the entrance to map C as an effective way of maxing out your lives. Run left until you see some Ninji and Sparks, then toss the block and chase after it. You'll earn plenty of points and some extra lives as well. Then exit out back to map B and return to repeat the process all over again.

(2) Sub-space 2. There's a Mushroom hidden above door E. You can get to the Mushroom if you drop the Potion between the door and the ladder, but look out for Ninji and Spark. They will do everything they can to give you a hard time. If it helps, you can use a POW to do them in.

Map D
(3) Shyguys pop out of the jars. Bad news is heading your way fast. Shyguys are coming out of the jars one after another. Don't even try to tangle with them. Move sideways and go up and down the steps to avoid them.

(4) Find what you've been looking for. Here's the key that unlocks door E in map C. When you take it from the Key Room, Phanto will come after you. You must work fast to get the Key and avoid taking damage. Drop the Key when necessary, and keep an eye out for marauding Ninji. Be careful: If you drop the Key and move off-screen, you may have to track it down all over again.

More extra life advancement: Another opportunity to earn extra lives in Super Mario Advance can be found at the top of map D. Pluck out the grass next to door F for a Shell. Carry the Shell down and toss it next to door C. The Shell will bounce back and forth, taking out all of the Shy Guys that fall into the pit. Soon you'll start earning extra lives. Stand in a safe place and the action for up to 99 extra lives.

This stage has several tall rooms with lots of platforms that will test your skills. Using the "wraparound" in some rooms will be useful. Walk off the right side to appear on the left side and vice versa. If a POW block is available, you can wait for several enemies to build up in an area and use the block to eliminate them all at once.}}
 * Platform Mania

Map E

(5) A Super (Luigi) shortcut. If you enter this room through door D in map C, you will arrive at the bottom of the map. After scaling to a certain height, you will find that you have no choice bu to turn around and try a different route. Unless, that is, you are Luigi. If so, grab the Ninji that you find at the bottom of the room, and carry him all the way up to the dead-end. Then set him down next to the wall, and jump on top of him. Squat down and charge up for a Power Jump, and leap off Ninji's back at the height of his jump and you move ahead directly to door G. Don't bother going through the door, just keep climbing. With this trick, you don't even need to collect the key from map D!

(6) Beware of those hot flames. Uh-oh, check out these two dangerous Pansers on the platform below. Stay on your toes or they'll hit you. Just keep moving, and don't hesitate. Cross over pronto, and you'll make it to the chains on the right that lead to door H.

Map F

(7) Take your time, but keep moving. If you used the key, you'll start at the very bottom of this room by door E. Sparks really know how to fly, and they are after you! Your best escape plan is to make small, steady jumps. That should keep you at least one step ahead of them. When you reach door G, you'll have to pass through to map E since climbing any higher will result in a dead-end.

(8) Take a breather here. Hidden in this little patch of grass is a POW. Use it to get that Spark out of your way for good. And don't forget to pick up some cherries on your way. An appearance by Starman will help make the next few seconds of your climb hassle free.

(9) There's the goal! Congratulations! You've made it to the exit to map G. It wasn't easy getting here, but now you're really getting close to your goal. Keep up the good work!

Map G

Turtle power. Although you find a Turtle Shell in the lone tuft of grass after you arrive in map G, you may be surprised at how ineffective it is against an army of leaping Ninji. They have to be down on the ground in order to get hit, so don't assume the shell will wipe out all them. Be prepared to jump. At the end, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.

Original Boss: Mouser

(10) This is it: your last face-off in World 3! Now it's time to make peace in World 3. But first you'll have to deal with an old enemy. The mini-boss is Mouser, but you know how to deal with him from World 1-3. Catch the bombs and let him have it with six of them (or five in Doki Doki Panic.)

Super Mario Advance Boss: Robirdo
That's right, if you reach the end of World 3 in Super Mario Advance, you won't be facing off with Mouser again. Rather, you'll face a brand new boss known as Robirdo. As a rather large mechanical version of Birdo, it is similar to Birdo in that it spits out eggs for you to catch and use against it. However, that's where the similarity ends. Every now and then Robirdo becomes very active, revs up, and tries to crash into the wall with you in the way. The best way to avoid this kind of painful collision is to jump up into the air and hang on to the chains that dangle from the ceiling. A lot of your time will be spent waiting for Robirdo to regain its composure after rebounding off the wall. Every now and then, Robirdo will jump into the air and slam back down on the ground, causing an earthquake. This rumbling will stun you if your feet are touching the ground, so be sure to jump before Robirdo lands. It takes five egg tosses to knock Robirdo off its feet.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 4-1

The fourth world that Mario and crew enter is encased with ice. Watch your step, because it's slippery! If you fall, there's nothing to save you here. To make things worse, enemies like Flurry, Autobomb, and your old pal Shyguy will be on your heels. Got any ice skates?

The first stage of World 4 is a rather horizontal jaunt across the ice. No special jumping skills are required, and Toad's speed can be a bit of an advantage here. Just be careful not to rush with Toad, or you may go flying into an enemy. This marks Toad's fourth outing, so you'll only be using him one more time after this.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

No traction. Slippery is definitely the one word that best sums up map A. Get a feel for how your character moves on the ice. You'll need to stop well in advance if you don't want to crash into an enemy. Better yet, jump in the air. Surprisingly, you have better control when your feet are off the ground than on.

Part 2

These little snowballs seem very attracted to you, as if connected to you by a rubberband. If you're above them you can "lure" them toward a hole by moving left and right above the hole until they fall into it. This can be useful when a Flurry is guarding an item you want to grab on a platform below.
 * Beware the Flurry

(1) Sub-space 1. It's going to take plenty of skill, know-how, and nerve to get from here to Sub-space. Be sure to take potions because you're going to need them as never before. Here's a hint: create doors whenever Flurry is not around.

(2) Sub-space 2. You're finally at the end of map A. Good going. How about taking a quick break to build up your strength? These rocks aren't slippery, so you don't have to worry. Grab the potion from the top and set it down right where you found it. Be careful, ice is still slippery in Sub-space.

Rocket Ride! Now that you've got the Mushroom, it's onto the next world. Hold it—there's no passage! Just grab a handful of grass and you'll find a rocket in your hands. Climb on board and you're off to map B.

Part 1

(3) Get the best of Autobomb. The Autobomb follows you everywhere and shoots flames at you. Here's another hint: get rid of Shyguy and get above Autobomb. And look—Autobomb will give you a lift! This will especially come in handy in Super Mario Advance, where you are required to get a boost in order to reach the A-coin here.

Part 2

(4) Where's the boss? You've made it to the end of World 4-1, and you most likely expected to find a mini-boss such as Birdo waiting for you. No such luck. Don't be disappointed, it was already hard enough getting here. Enjoy the breather. Grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.

Not much advancement: There's very little change in this world between the original and the updated version in Super Mario Advance. The most significant change that you will discover are at these two jars at the end of the world. They aren't much, but you can find some interesting items inside of them if you take the time to explore them.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 4-2

World 4-2 is as challenging as riding whales. In map A, you might have some trouble with all of the Beezos flying at you. The best strategy is to make small jumps and keep moving. At map B, you'll have to walk across the backs of whales.

This is actually going to be the first stage in a three stage stretch for the Princess. You're going to become very familiar with her over the next few worlds. Her ability to really zero in on a landing spot, such as tiny whale tails, will be of tremendous use to you here.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

Advance your lives: only in Super Mario Advance, the room you start in will contain a big POW and several Porcupos. Throw the big POW to knock out all the Porcupos and gain a 1-Up. Then climb up to the next area.

Part 1

(1) Get Flurry! Take care of these pesky Flurries now, or they'll keep coming after you. Even worse, you'll be attacked by them and Beezos at the same time.

Part 2

(2) Hop carefully. The Beezos that fly toward you fly in a very specific pattern. If you practice enough, you can get the timing down and jump over them successfully every time. It takes a few tries to get the rhythm down.

Part 1
Oh my! Hopefully you got the hang of running on ice during the last stage. The trick is to not lose control of your speed—it's hard to stop once you get going. Whales are the new "enemy" on this stage although the only thing you need to watch out for are their spouts. You can land on top of them safely, but don't walk through them.
 * Whales, Beezos, and Flurries

(3) Sub-space 1. Before you go running off to the right, it's worth taking your time to investigate the bit of stage to the left. Here you'll find grass growing out of a whale's back. Pull the left grass up to find a potion. Enter into Sub-space here to find the Mushroom on the whale's tail. This is where the Princess' jump control can come in handy.

(4) Sub-space 2. Although there's a Potion to be found among the rocks, try as you might, you won't find any Mushrooms in the vicinity. That means the best use of this Potion is to collect six coins that can be found in the grass nearby. However, it may have one other use...

Part 2

(5) Rise across the water on the whale spout. The whale spout will carry you up to where the cherries are, but be extremely careful. If you blow it, you've got big problems. The Princess' hang time in the air will be of great assistance here.

Map D

(6) Autobomb and cherries! You can't walk on the floor—it's covered with spikes! Even the Princess can't float over the long row of spikes. Ride on top of an Autobomb instead. You may have to duck down if you're tall to stay on the Autobomb. If you collect the cherries, Starman will show up, but he may not appear in a particularly helpful location. Focus on reaching the other side. It's not a bad idea to bring a Potion along for the ride if you want to get stronger.

Map E

(7) Birdo on ice. Birdo is back, but the battle is on a slick surface. This Birdo has a random pattern of eggs and fireballs, but the fireballs are rare. Jump straight up in the air when her eggs approach, and don't run at Birdo. Wait for her to come to you before throwing an egg, or you'll slide into her and take damage.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 4-3

Once you climb up the ladder and get above ground, you're going to run into Birdo again. This time, she's not meant to be a mini-boss; she's actually there to help you. Jump on one of her eggs and ride it across the ocean. Next, move toward the two towers. Guess who's waiting inside: Fryguy.

While Princess is the worst choice for lifting, she does have a long jump that puts Mario and Toad to shame. And on this stage, that long jump can come in handy for a major shortcut. Luigi can jump the best overall, with a high and long jump combination (not as long as the Princess, but best overall). There isn't a great coin collecting spot, or very many other items to lift, so she's the best pick on this stage.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

(1) Sub-space 1. Here are three ice poles. Enter Sub-space here, and you'll find a Mushroom at the top of the center pole. Bring the potion from where Birdo is and make yourself a door here.

(2) All aboard the Egg Eggspress. Wait! Don't defeat this Birdo—as much as you may want to. You're going to need to hitch a ride on one of her eggs to get across the ocean. Wait on her right-hand side, and hop on top of the next egg that's flying your way.

Part 2
If you're playing with Luigi or Princess, you can skip the first tower and leap to the right of the first door to find a platform with two doors. The right door leads to the boss room, and the left door is the one you'd come out of if you take the long route. The shortcut will cause you to miss out on a Mushroom however (and a bit more, like Ace Coins in Super Mario Advance). Interestingly, no character in Doki Doki Panic can make the jump, since B-button running is not possible.
 * Shortcut

(3) Not for the faint of heart. You'll need an incredible jumper if you plan on bypassing both towers. The Princess or Luigi can make this leap if you're moving at top speed. If you make it, run right ahead to door F.

Map C

(4) The thorny floor is bad news. You will start out on the bottom of the tower (shown to the right) and you must climb and make your way to door C at the top of the tower (shown to the left). About half way up the tower, you'll find a bed of spikes on a platform. If you let yourself touch this floor, you'll be dead before you have time to jump. Take a big detour to the right, then go to the center and climb up quickly.

(5) Jump—but carefully! The floor inside is covered with ice. Not only is the floor slippery, but you also have Flurry diving at you from above. Keep your footing as you try to move fast using avoidance tactics. Be brave, but be careful.

Map D

(6) Sub-space 2. Watch for the two patches of grass on the bridge between the towers. In the patch on the left is the Potion. Take it and go from the left clouds to the top of the tower, and all the way to the right before entering Sub-space. A Mushroom is waiting there for you.

Map E

(7) Step on Shyguy. Now you start at the top (shown left) and must work your way to the bottom (shown right). You'll find another thorny floor. You can't make it the usual way this time. Take the hard-headed approach. Jump onto Shyguy's head and then ride him to the door below.

(8) The Key's in here. Enter this door and you'll be in a room with a Key. Take this Key and go down to the bottom of map E. If you see Flurry, hit him with the Key and he'll be gone.

(9) Unlock the door and scram! As long as you have the Key, you can open this door, which will situate you at the bottom of the right tower. From here, all you have to do is run right through door F, which will take you to map F.

Map F

(10) The calm before the storm. There are only two Flurries (one in Super Mario Advance) and a Crystal Ball in this room. In Super Mario Advance, the grass on the right side of the hawkmouth gate is a heart. Quickly get to the Mast Gate and into the room with the mini-boss. Prepare yourself: this is Fryguy's territory! And you won't believe all the hot ideas he has on how to keep you out.

Boss: Fryguy

Fryguy is one tough customer! World 4 might be a frozen world, but Fryguy is a ball of fire. He's the strongest mini-boss you've met yet.

He moves along the bottom of the room in a figure-eight or arc pattern. This room has a wrap-around effect, so you can walk off the right side to come in on the left side and vice versa. When he spits flames from his mouth, attack with Mushroom Blocks from the upper platforms. If three Mushroom Blocks strike him, he will split himself into four pieces and keep coming at you!
 * Phase 1

As you knock out each of these smaller fireballs, the others will move faster and jump higher, until all four are defeated. It will be difficult to grab Mushroom Blocks from the floor as the final fireballs are bouncing around, so try to move them all up to higher platforms before splitting up Fryguy. Use the Mushroom Blocks skillfully for attack and defense, or you'll never win.
 * Phase 2


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 5-1

World 5-1 may just be the most difficult level in the original Super Mario Bros. 2. It was made significantly easier in Super Mario Advance. You must cross a waterfall that seems to be endless. You can do it by stepping on the logs and Trouters. One false move and you're gone. Concentrate or you're in the drink.

This will be the last stage in the Princess' three stage tour of the game. The precision required by the jumps in this stage demand a level of control that few players possess with any other character. If Mario, Luigi, or Toad overshoot a jump, there's little you can do to correct it. With the Princess on the other hand, it's as simple as floating back to the right spot.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

The easy part: you start out encountering a Shyguy riding an Ostro. It's a good idea to pick up the Shyguy and bring him along with you so you can take out the flame shooting Panser up ahead. Then drop down a level on the right side of the screen, where the vegetables can be seen, and make your way back left. Enter the door to start the real action.

In Super Mario Advance, use the Shyguy to kill the Ostro to get a combo (points and heart power-up), then dig up the giant turnip to take out the Panser. Dig up three of the four remaining vegetables (use a power jump to get back up to the top platform) and take them down by the door and use them to pop the bubble surrounding the 1-Up. Grab the 1-Up, then enter the door.

Part 1
This stage has several gut-wrenching leaps across falling logs along the waterfall. Trouters are common along this waterfall, and you can safely stand on their heads as the leap up, but be sure to jump off before they fall back off the screen. If you're hit from the side or above by a Trouter you'll take a hit, so be careful. Remember that in Super Mario Advance, Trouter can be your friend by giving you an assist when you need to collect A-coins that are placed low on the screen.
 * Logs and Trouters

(1) Sub-space 1. You can get a potion at the entrance of map B with no trouble, but if you're looking for the glitter of gold coins, you'll have to enter Sub-space here. In fact, since there are no other coin grabbing opportunities, you might as well exit back to map A and return again to repeat the process.

In Super Mario Advance, although the grass will respawn, any coin picked up will be replaced by a vegetable while in Sub-space. Also, the second grass patch of the lower five has a giant red Shyguy. You can use this guy to give you unlimited health. Keep him along for the ride; if you jump on a Trouter as it is rising, so you can get a boost, but you take damage, throw this giant Shyguy onto a platform, get the health that appears from him, then pick him up again. To get to point 2 and get both coins, use basic hops and hovers to get from platform to platform and get the top coin. Then jump over to the right platform at point 2. Then, wait for the previous log to come down the waterfall, jump on it, get the coin, and hover back.

(2) Jump on Trouter again and again. You can't get over to the other side without jumping on the Trouter's heads three times in a row. This is the toughest part. Practice until you learn the best timing, and don't give up. The Princess can be the most forgiving when it comes to pulling this trick off.

In Super Mario Advance, there are only two trouters and the gap is smaller. Hop onto the first one, then jump and float across to safety.

Part 2

(3) Sub-space 2. The clump of grass on the left is a 1-Up. The one on the right is a Potion. If you enter Sub-space here, you'll find a Mushroom on the lower rock on the right (in Super Mario Advance, the Mushroom is high in the air, so you'll have to wait for it to fall). You've cleared half of map B already!

(4) Sub-space 3. Whew! You probably had a rough time getting here, but you can't get the Mushroom if you went straight to where the grass and exit door are. Instead, hop to the second log, then power up a jump. Right when it is ready, make a big jump to the right so that you land above the screen on top of the rock. Run and jump over to the right and drop down the right chute/hole to land on top of the Mushroom block. Grab the Mushroom Block and drop down. Throw it out of the way. Then use the Potion below that right chute. This can be tricky to pull off. If you miss the jump to the ceiling, then it's hard to gain a second chance.

Map C

(5) Fight with a Mushroom Block! Here's Birdo again, and this one only shoots fireballs. Birdo fires three fireballs in a row, jumps, then repeats the pattern with another three fireballs. Your only weapon is the Mushroom Block to the right. Fight cautiously—it's more important now than ever.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 5-2

World 5 is a night world. You can see the clouds and stars, but no moon. In the first half of World 5-2, you'll have to cross the vines with Hoopsters. Good luck, it's not easy. After that, there's a drop to the bottom of a very deep valley.

After using the Princess for so many boards in a row, you may have become accustomed to relying on her floating ability to avoid danger. But it's time for a more agile character to take over. The jumps in World 5-2 aren't too dangerous, but you must be able to react quickly to a changing environment. Mario is a good choice for this stage.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

Life up in Advance: in Super Mario Advance, the grass sprouts have small vegetables that you can use to knock out the Big Shyguy and earn a Heart, or you can throw him around to rough him up for a Heart. Then climb the ladder to the next area.

Part 1

(1) Sub-space 1. There's no potion hiding in the grass that you can see above ground. Unfortunately, getting Mushrooms is much more tricky in this world. First, get inside the jar. Then blast the floor with a bomb and you'll see a chamber below. There's the Potion! Grab it, and use it outside the jar. When you return to the world, duck back down inside the jar again, and grab another Potion. Take it along with you for a run.

Part 2

(2) Get past the Hoopsters. Those Hoopsters moving up and down between the trees are bad news. They're not climbing for fun, they're in search of prey like you. You're going to have to get across a small valley. When you make your move, however, ride on top of those Hoopsters. You can even use one to take out the Panser in your way if you're not holding onto a Potion. If you're playing Super Mario Advance, remember that you can use the Hoopsters as elevators that can help you collect hard-to-reach A-coins.

Mushroom hunting madness: If you manage to hold on to a Potion, be sure to use it on the hill just beyond the Hoopsters to find the often-missed second Mushroom. In Super Mario Advance, a patch of grass with a potion beneath has been added, but the Panser sits on top of it. You'll have to defeat it with a Hoopster to get rid of it, but it will save you from having to lug a potion with you.

Map C

(3) Switch vines. At the end of map B, you have to climb up the vine. But look out! On your way, you'll be attacked from the sides by two Snifits and by bothersome Beezos from below. If you see a Hoopster coming while climbing a vine, quickly jump to the other one. It's unlikely, but if a Hoopster happens to be climbing up, hitch a ride to save time.

The addition of a single cloud platform may be very subtle, but there's more. One of the Snifits on the right side of the mountain is guarding a patch of grass that hides a potion below. Grab the potion from under the Snifit and bring it down to the cloud, and drop it off. Step through the door into Sub-space to find a third hidden mushroom.
 * Super Mario Advance Mushroom

In the course of your wild adventures, you will run across a lot of special items which have the power to help Mario and his friends reach their goal. The trick to using these special helpers is to know how and when to activate them. Many of them only work for a certain amount of time. Once you know how to use them, you can plan your attack better.
 * Timed items
 * Bomb: You have 4 seconds before it explodes.
 * Potion: Sub-space only lasts for 6 seconds.
 * Starman: Invincibility lasts for 8 seconds.
 * Stopwatch: Time will stand still for 8 seconds.
 * Pidget's carpet: You can ride for only 10 seconds.

Map D

(4) Go jump off a bridge. You've come to map D, but all you'll find is a POW block in the middle of a dead-end bridge. You might as well take the POW, which will cause you to start falling all the way down. You're really on the right path. Don't relax too much though…

(5) It's dangerous out here! If you drop straight down, you'll land on a thorny spike. You can avoid that by quickly pressing Left then Right on the D-Pad. You won't run into a lot of enemies on this map, but you can get very hurt if you're not careful.

(6) Goal! So you though you'd finally make it to the ground after that long fall, right? Wrong. You've just come to a river with Trouters jumping around. Quickly move Mario to the left side where you have the best chance of landing safely (and to pick up an Ace Coin in Super Mario Advance) then hop across the tiny platforms. Be careful—you'll have to repeat the process if you fall into the water.

Map E

(7) Battle on the bridge. You can't miss the mini-boss in map E. Birdo, with her eggs and flames, is waiting for you. She plans to knock you off the bridge into the water, so get ready. You can defeat her the same way you have before, but be careful not to get hurt here. You can even grab the Trouter that hops up and down and throw it at Birdo for a surprise attack.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 5-3

World 5-3 will be a long one. First of all, Bob-ombs will attack you one after another. So climb up inside the big tree and ride on Pidget's carpet. But brace yourself: Clawgrip, the big crab, will hit you with a rock at the end. Be prepared for a hard fight.

There's no doubt about it, you're going to need a good jumper in this stage, and Luigi will fit the bill nicely. He may not be the fastest, but he will be able to handle everything this world has to throw at him.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

Life up in Advance: in Super Mario Advance, the start room has been altered again. You will face three Shyguys, and a Shell can be found in the grass. Knock out the Shyguys and you'll get at least one Heart, which is all you need for now.

Part 1

Summon Starman. Collect the many cherries in the area to summon your pal Starman. The temporary invincibility Starman grants you when you pick him up will help you get safely through the enemy-heavy and vegetable-free area.

(1) Sub-space 1. If you enter Sub-space in front of the hill, you will find a Mushroom. But watch out for the Albatoss—he'll be dropping Bob-ombs at you from above.

(2) Here come the Bob-ombs! You're being attacked by a barrage of Bob-ombs. They can hurt you by touching you, and they can also explode by themselves. Get away from them by taking small jumps.

At the beginning of Map B, when you climb the ladder, you'll see a jar above. That's the Warp Zone, but you'll need an incredible jumper to get there. Make a Power Jump to the upper platform with Luigi—or another character can jump on an Albatoss if done right. Enter Sub-space with the Potion and go into the jar, and you're off to World 7-1!
 * A secret warp

Part 2

(3) Sub-space 2. You can see the Potion on the hill, but first you must take care of the Bob-ombs and break the wall. If you decide to exit here and enter Sub-space, you'll get a Mushroom and Coins. And who wouldn't want those?

Map C

(4) Bob-omb's blasting services. Pick up the Mushroom Block to release the Bob-ombs, and toss it to the left of the gap in the floor. Eventually, one or two will blow up on top of the blocks, blasting a hole down to the lower area where you can pick up a Potion.

(5) Sub-space 3. Before you get the Coins, use the Bob-ombs from above to create an opening in the floor. Then go downstairs, pull the Potion from the grass, and enter Sub-space.

Plant a plant on the plant. Pull up the vegetable, then toss it at the fireball spewing Panser ahead of door A to put the nasty plant out of commission. If you don't have an item to throw, you will have to use split-second timing to jump over the Panser.

Map D

(6) Plug the jars. You're right in the middle of a gigantic tree. Go down to the bottom and around to the left, then climb all the way to the top branches. On your way, you'll find two jars with Shyguys bursting out of them. This is not as bad as it looks. Just cover them with the Mushroom Blocks. Defeat the Sparks the same way.

(7) Fight or flight? Panser will come down the stairs spitting flames. If you have a Mushroom Block, throw it at him. If not, avoid him. If Panser approaches you from the left, run to the right and you will appear on the left. Lucky for you, the sides of the screen are connected.

In Super Mario Advance, you can find a random item basket at the bottom of the stack of three mushroom blocks at the floor of this tower.

This stage features more of the same types of obstacles and enemies you've been mastering. There's a few Bomb-able walls and a tall room full of platforms to climb. In Super Mario Advance, there's even an excellent place to build up lives that you can set up and leave, because you don't have to press a button while the enemies are getting knocked out one-by-one. Grab the Shell from the first grass sprout and throw it, then leap onto it and ride it back and forth while the Albatosses drop Bob-ombs from above. After the eighth one, you'll receive a 1-Up with each additional one you hit.
 * Familiar Territory

Part 1

(8) A mid-air flight. Ride Pidget's flying carpet all the way to the edge of the cliff on the right. But take care of Snifit first. Then wait for Pidget to fly your way. Once you've seized his carpet, move quickly to the right. In Super Mario Advance, you must utilize the carpet in order to safely collect the final two A-coins of this level. When you come to the log with the grass, you're safe. You may encounter another Pidget. Just ignore him and keep going.

Part 2

(9) Will Birdo stop you? Two bosses will show up in World 5-3. One of them is your old enemy Birdo—you've beaten her many times before. She's a piece of cake by now, right? Don't be too confident. This egghead is smart!

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.

Boss: Clawgrip

Fight rocks with rocks! The second boss is Clawgrip: one of the most powerful bosses. Clawgrip is a mean crab that throws rocks, which you can grab and throw back at him. There's a platform near the center of the room with pits on each side, and small wall on the left side. Stand against the wall and watch for rocks coming your way. You need to determine if the rock is high or low as it comes toward you. Stand still if it's high, or jump if it's low. If it's low you can land on the rock and pick it up. Then move fast, and when you see an opening, throw the rock back at Clawgrip. Five hits and Clawgrip will get knocked back to the sea.

In Doki Doki Panic, you will face a third Mouser instead, which you must hit with seven bombs to defeat.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 6-1

Only two more Worlds remain in your adventure. World 6-1 looks a lot like the World of Deserts in World 2, but you'll run into more enemies and quicksand here. You'll have to look hard to find the key in map B.

Since we're back to a desert like world, it's only natural that we pick the character who works best in the desert. Trot Toad on out for one last tour of the World of Dreams. His fifth and final appearance might be short, but it will be memorable, and you will be grateful for his fast digging skills later on.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

Careful on the quicksand. If you pause when crossing the quicksand, you might start to sink. You can jump repeatedly to pull yourself out of the quicksand. If you don't respond quickly, you'll lose a life.

(1) Sub-space 1. First defeat Cobrat, then go inside the jar. As soon as you pull out the clump of grass and find the Potion, make a door to Sub-space on the bone to the right. The second that the Mushroom appears on the quicksand, grab it before it sinks beneath the surface!

Part 2

(2) Shells in jars. You will see two jars sitting side by side. But after you defeat Cobrat and go in, all you'll find is a Turtle Shell, which isn't too effective a weapon on this stage…

(3) Sub-space 2. Take the potion to the top of the hill between the two cactus plants and you'll get a mushroom in Sub-space. But don't get careless—Pokey and Panser will try to stop you. And they mean double trouble.

Pokey to the rescue: in Super Mario Advance, the A-coins are stashed pretty high up in the air. Even Luigi will have trouble collecting them unassisted. There's no need to strain yourself. Just hop on top of Pokey for an added boost. And when you're done, take out the bottom segment for a huge amount of points.

Map B

(4) Where's the Key? Twenty-one jars?! Where's the key to the door? Try the fifth jar from the right. Take care to avoid the Shyguys that infest the vase until you have the Key. Then you can toss the Key at your enemies. A 1-Up is hidden in the third jar from the left.

Map C

(5) Fire-breathing Birdo! Birdo shows up again, but in this world she can only blow fire. And she's not so hot at that. Destroy her with three hits from the Mushroom Blocks to the left.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 6-2

In World 6-2, get on the back of your enemy Albatoss and start on your loooooong night journey. If you fall off, you're done for. But you can move ahead so much easier this way, compared to leaping across waterfalls on Trouters.

Time to go hitchhiking again. This time you'll need to ride on the backs of several Albatosses. The route that leads to helpful items like Mushrooms has a few obstacles in the flight path, so you'll need an excellent jumper for this World. It's time for Luigi to make his last stand.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

(1) Make it across with a Power Jump. As soon as you enter World 6-2, you may find that the wall before the exit to map B is a little too high for a regular jump. If that's the case, hunker down to charge up energy for a Power Jump, and you'll make it over.

Part 1

(2) Albatoss airlines. Once you come out, you'll find yourself on the edge of a steep cliff. At your feet here is only one clump of grass. That, and an army of angry Albatosses flying straight for you. Get moving and make a daring leap to land smack on their backs. They will carry you toward the goal.

Don't fly unarmed. It's not a bad idea to pull up a vegetable before you jump on an Albatoss and carry it with you. It might come in handy if you're threatened in midair.

Part 2

(3) Sub-space. When you reach the cliff with two clumps of grass, hop off the Albatoss. The potion lies in the patch of grass on the left. Enter Sub-space here and you can get a Mushroom. There's won't be any more Albatosses flying to the right. So when you come out of Sub-space, get on one flying to the left and go back to the start of map B.

(4) Look out—danger ahead! The action at this point in your flight could be tense. You will encounter three Albatosses lined up in a column flying right for you. Jump over them before you collide with them. Luigi can safely make the jump without charging up if you time it just right. For everyone else, it would be a good idea to charge up a Power Jump ahead of time, and be ready to use it when the time is right.

Fly low for A-coins. If you want to grab all of the A-coins, you're going to have to travel along some fairly dangerous routes. Two of the coins in particular are positioned very low in the stage. You'll need to find an Albatoss that's heading back to the left low enough to collect the coins and keep on flying. Of course, you can always just sacrifice one of your lives collecting them if you'd rather just get it over with.

Map C

(5) Mean old Birdo. The mini-boss of World 6-2 is Birdo again. This nasty character doesn't give up easily. She really goes looking for trouble. Meet her flaming throws with the Mushroom Blocks above and below you. Drop two directly from above. Then throw the other at her from the left. That should take care of her for a while.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 6-3

Get through this world, and you can finally advance to World 7, where your ultimate enemy, Wart, is waiting for you! Birdo and Triclyde (or Mouser in Super Mario Advance), the mini-bosses of the pyramid, are guarding the finish line. It's not over! The worst is yet to come.

Only Mario and Princess have turns left, and we're saving Princess for last. Besides, with two tough bosses to face, you're going to want to go with experience. You could take the regular long route this this stage. However, a well hidden and unconventional shortcut can help you bypass more than half of the stage. Either way you go, Mario will make a great choice.
 * Balanced character selection

Map A

(1) Warp straight to map D! After climbing the ladder, you have a choice. You can skirt past most of this level by walking to the left after you climb up from the ladder. What you're standing in is quicksand, and you're sinking. Move to the left, and keep jumping as you do. You'll come through the wall and end up at a door. Enter here and you can go straight to map D. It might not be a bad idea to at least collect the first Mushroom before you take this route.

(2) Sub-space 1. In the grass on the right at the top of the ladder you'll find the potion. Take it, jump across the quicksand, and enter Sub-space on the second bone. There is a Mushroom on the cactus. Don't get careless and drop your Potion on the sand, or it will sink and vanish.

Part 1

(3) Avoid Bob-ombs with a ladder. When you get to map B, Bob-ombs will come out of the jar one after another. You don't need to run away though. Just climb up the ladder and wait. The Bob-ombs will explode by themselves and destroy the jar.

(4) Call Starman! Lot's of Ninjis here! To be safe, don't blow up the wall as you ordinarily would. Instead, use the four cherries you grabbed along the way, destroy the lower wall, and grab the fifth cherry in order to summon Starman. Collect him as soon as you can, and take off!

Part 2

(5) Sub-space 2. How do you get a Mushroom here? First, from the upper level, destroy the rock that stands in your way. Then go down the ladder to the lower level and break the wall. Then go up again, take the Potion, and come down. Give it a try.

Map C

At map C, climb the vines from the bottom all the way to the top. The only things that will help Mario here are the Mushroom Blocks. You may not see many enemies, but beware! If you fall down, you'll have to start all over again from the very beginning.

(6) Climbing hint 1: If you're not good at travelling sideways, you can go up by holding onto the vines on your right. But you'll have to go over three Hoopsters. It's up to you! Which is the worst evil.

(7) Climbing hint 2: Move sideways from vine to vine. Don't hesitate! You won't fall off if you're fast. You can make it by pressing up and to the right or to the left on the direction pad.

(8) Climbing hint 3: There are sniggering Snifits on the cloud. Carefully watch the height of their shots and get close to where they go by Mario's head. Go on up after the shots pass by.

(9) Climbing hint 4: Climb up the vines on your left. If you go to the right where you see the three vines, you'll find three Hoopsters above you. So if you want to play it safe, go to the left.

Map D

(10) Warp back to map A. The warp door to the left of the starting point of map A brings you here. You'll have to face two mini-bosses, one after another, but you may want take this route and avoid maps B and C—they are very difficult! Unfortunately, you won't be able to increase Mario's life meter. Choose carefully.

Map E

(11) Fight without using blocks. Birdo is the first mini-boss. There's a Mushroom Block below you. You can jump on top of the Mask Gate and then jump through the green blocks above it to get to Birdo. Use eggs to defeat Birdo, but watch out for flames.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.

Boss: Triclyde

Who's afraid of Triclyde? Triclyde is the second mini-boss. Check out those seven mushroom blocks on the floor. Remember that stunt you pulled in World 2-3? Build a wall by stacking three of them in a row. This way you'll be able to stay cool even though he's spitting flames. Now fling the blocks you have left at him. You need to bonk him three times.

Super Mario Advance: second Mouser
If you are playing Super Mario Advance, you will now engage in the second Mouser battle that was replaced by the battle with Robirdo in World 3-3.


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A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/World 7-1

Mario's long quest is almost over. Only one adventure left: you must go through World 7-1 to get to Wart's castle in the sky. Now is the time to use the skills you've been building up all along, like riding Albatosses and climbing ladders.

Only two more stages left to go. This stage has some of the most challenging jumps and obstacles yet. The next stage is even more difficult, but we're going to take advantage of the Princess' special floating abilities there, so that leaves only one character left for the task: Mario.
 * Balanced character selection

Part 1

(1) Move ahead right away! This is one rocky road you're travelling. Ninji and Bob-omb will come at you, but don't be afraid. Just keep going. Otherwise, Bob-omb will explode and you'll lose all the ground you've gained. Albatoss will carry Bob-ombs from above, so get to the other side as fast as you can.

(4) Get on the Rocket. After first visiting the far right, you've come to the far left on your Albatoss, but there's nothing here. What gives? Even if you climb the ladder, you can't get up. So get on the rocket, just like you've done before, and blast off. The way things have been going, you can be sure there's plenty of action ahead.

Part 2

(2) Sub-space. See the tuft of grass on the top of the pole? That's a Potion. Take it, back up a little, and use it on the small platform to the left. Don't waste any time; if you're too slow, Bob-ombs will destroy the rocks on the bridge and you'll be trapped.

(3) Bonus Room. You'll come to a small house on the right edge of map B. When you enter the room, you'll find it full of Sparks. But climb to the upper level and pull out the fifth hunk of grass from the left. A Potion! Enter Sub-space and you'll find a pile of coins and a Mushroom.

Go back on Albatoss. So how to proceed from here? Stand on top of this house and wait for an Albatoss to fly to the left. Get on it and fly back. Look out for the poles when you cross the starting point. Jump over it. You're headed for the far left part of the map.

Map C

(5) A maze of clouds. Go all the way down the stair-like clouds and jump to the cloud on your right. One jump will take you back to the upper level. You can also get there by walking right behind Shyguy. Snifits are always annoying. Pick up the Shyguy and toss hit at Snifit to take care of two enemies with one blow. If you don't, be sure to watch out for Snifit's projectiles. You can actually jump over the maze by power jumping from the top of a Ninji if you are using Peach or Luigi.

Map D

(6) Pile up blocks and jump. Pile up Mushroom Blocks and make a Power Jump. This is the only way to reach the cloud above, but the two Sparks are going to give you trouble. Throw blocks and get rid of them before you jump. Don't forget about the A-coin in Super Mario Advance. It's just out of reach without help from the Mushroom Blocks

Map E

Say goodbye to Birdo! You've fought Birdo many times. This will be one of your last meetings. Birdo only spits fireballs in this area, and you only have a single Mushroom Block to attack her with. Try not to jump too much unless you're avoiding Birdo's attack. Hit her three times with the Mushroom Block and she'll be sorry.

After defeating Birdo, grab the Crystal Ball and head through the hawkmouth gate.