Piranha Plants and Bullet Bill are similar

Piranha Plants and Bullet Bill behave in much the same manner. When Mario comes very close to either one of them, they will not attack. In areas infested with these bad guys, keep this in mind for making your plan of attack.

On another subject, you might want to take caution when you enter the bonus Coin Room. The time to clear World 5-1 is only 300.

There are no mushrooms or fire flowers in this level, so be careful if you come here without any powerups.

Part 1

• These flatlands are great for the "Kick and Run" attack. Go for the extra life!

Part 2

• There's a star in the block at the center of the 3 mid-air blocks.

Part 3

• If you collected every coin in World 4-3 or used a warp zone to get to World 5, go for the 1-up mushroom between the wall and the 2-block set.
• The mid-air pipe leads to coin room E.

By air or by sea

Amidst the presence of the Hammer Brothers on this stage, there are two optional paths that Mario may take. Either he can climb a beanstalk to a coin heaven, or he can drop down a pipe and go for a swim, but he can't do both. If money is what you're after, head for the sky.

Part 1

• There's a cannon on the top of the first set of stairs. Use well-timed jumps to avoid this hazard.
• The top set of blocks in this section has a hidden power-up in the far right block.
• In Vs. Super Mario Bros, there is no hidden power-up in the far right block, instead there is another cannon on the bottom.
• The Hammer Brothers must be taken seriously here. After they throw the hammers, they will retreat. They sort of overlap on top of the blocks, and they cannot be defeated when they are in that position.
• The pipe here leads to Swim Area A.
• In Vs. Super Mario Bros, there are bottomless pits by the pipe leading to swim area A.

Part 2

• The space next to the far-right "?" block has a hidden coin. Get the coin, and get on top of the block. Punch the far left block overhead to release the beanstalk which leads to Coin Heaven A.
• In Vs. Super Mario Bros, the far left block only has a power-up instead of a beanstalk. The new beanstalk location is in those other 3 bricks close to the cannon.
• Around the hammer brothers, a star is hidden in the block that's farthest to the right in the top block set.
• There is a 10-coin block hidden at the very end of this section in the block on the left, and a power-up in the block on the right (next section). If you are Super Mario, it will be hard to get underneath, so run and slide under.

Part 3

• You'll find Troopas on top of the floating block in the beginning of this section.
• The lone block contains a power-up.
• In Vs. Super Mario Bros., the lone block is only a hidden block which does not contain a powerup, but a coin.
• When you reach the final steps, be careful with the flying Paratroopas. If you take them lightly, you'll be sorry.

Just like World 1-3 with two important differences.

Bullet Bill is constantly after you in this area. On the islands, he is quite easy to avoid, but not on the lifts! Plan your attacks well. Also, the platforms are smaller than World 1-3's platforms.

Part 1

• Troopas are confined to the top of the first high island, so just kick them off, and you're all set.
• One way to collect the two floating coins is to get to the right island and jump back to the left.
• Before getting the "?" block, get on the lift and get the coins at the top island. After collecting the coins, you can carefully jump down to collect the "?".

Part 2

• Accelerate and jump over the big gap between the islands on the left. Advanced players can practice using Paratroopas as a stepping stone. You can collect more points that way.
• If you are a beginner, it's better to ignore the coins above the lifts. It's very dangerous to jump on the moving lifts, and those four coins are not worth the risk of a fall.

Overcoming the long fire-bars

The long fire-bar is the most formidable obstacle in this level. Because of its length, the blocks around it are not safe to stand on. The only way to clear it is to go for a fast break. If you are desperate for the power-up, punch the "?" and simultaneously jump across.

Part 1

• This fire-bar is twice as long as usual! No matter where you stand on the blocks, it will get you. The only way to clear it is to jump over with precise timing. If you get stuck, jump on the "?" block, and jump as the fire-bar approaches.
• The fire-bars afterward are very close together. Clear them one at a time.

Part 2

• The final fire-bar in this area rotates at twice the speed! If you are Super Mario, ignore the sole coin directly underneath it.
• Beware of the Podoboos that hang around Bowser's draw bridge. Also, there is a platform you can use to jump over him, but there are blocks that increase the risk of being knocked back down, or into a Podoboo. Just run under him or blast him with fireballs.
• In Vs. Super Mario Bros, with the final fire-bar there are lava-pits on each side, after you pass that then cross the 2 pits of Podoboos.