World 1 Super Mario Bros. 3

The first world on the wild road to Bowser's Castle may not be as challenging as later worlds, but it's got more than its share of secrets and surprises. Soon you'll be soaring like a Raccoon and spitting fireballs like a flower. Mario is one versatile plumber!

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World 1-1

Mario begins his Koopa-kickin', Goomba-stompin' Mushroom Kingdom quest. Tricks and techniques learned in the first world will come in handy later. Master them all!

  • 1: Bump the block from below to make a Super Mushroom appear. Quickly grab it to transform into Super Mario!
  • 2: Jump on the platforms and take the high road to avoid the Goombas, then drop on the Koopa Troopa.
  • 3: Get the Raccoon Suit. Drop onto the Red Koopa Troopa and kick its shell into the ? Block on the ground to the right to make a Super Leaf appear. Snatch it quickly before it gets away. (If you accidentally kick the shell to the left you can grab it by jumping on it first to stop it, running into it while holding B to pick it up, and then throw it at the ? Block.)
  • 4: Clear all of the Goombas from the straight-away and take a running start to fly into the wild blue yonder as Raccoon Mario. Follow the coins into the sky.

The Physics of Falling Mushrooms

If you hit a ? Block from below, a mushroom may appear. If you hit it on the bottom left side, the mushroom will fall to the right, and vice versa. You can make it go any way you want!

  • 5: Search the clouds for the hidden 1-Up. Hit the ? Block on its bottom-right corner to make the 1-Up appear and slide to the left, where it's easier to collect.
  • 6: After grabbing the 1-Up, use the clouds as a short runway to build up speed and begin flying again. Fly high into the sky and land on the tall pipe. If you fall down, you can use the space at the end of the level to fly back up.
  • 7: The secret area (shown right) is stuffed with gold coins arranged to form the number 3, celebrating Super Mario Bros. third adventure!
  • 8: Jump on the Red Koopa Troopa and kick its shell to smash the blocks. Once the shells has done its drilling, jump and hit the single overhanging block to reveal a Switch Block, then feast on the coins!
  • 9: Watch the Numbers for an Airship Treasure. To make a coin-filled airship appear on the map, finish the level by hitting the goal box when your remaining time is even, your coin total is a multiple of 11 (22, 33, 44, etc.) and the tens digit of your score corresponds to your coin total; e.g. if you collect 44 coins, the tens digit of your score must be 4. If the tens digit of your score is off by 5, you can hit the goal box when the remaining time is odd and still win the prize.

World 1-2

Goombas have infested the rolling green hills of the Mushroom Kingdom. This is your first chance at unlimited 1-Ups! Although the technique is tricky at first, you'll do well to learn it. You're sure to need a few extra Marios for this adventure.

  • 1: Jump for unlimited 1-Ups! Use the pipe that spews a never-ending stream of Goombas to earn unlimited 1-Ups! Jump on a Goomba while holding to bounce high. At the highest point of the bounce, tap repeatedly to slow your descent onto the next Goomba. The first eight Goombas award you more and more points. Stop nine Goombas without touching the ground to earn a 1-Up for each one you flatten thereafter. Don't go underneath the pipe, or the Goombas will stop pouring out. With this method, you can earn as many 1-Ups as you want.

  • 2: Starman Invincibility. Bump the Starman power-up out of the third Jump Block. While you're invincible, simply run into enemies to eliminate them. Be careful; the effects of the Starman will wear off quickly.
  • 3: The Para-Goomba at the end of the stage drops Micro-Goombas that latch on to you and slow your movement. Tap repeatedly to shake them off.

World 1-3

Boomerang Bros. and Koopa Troopas defend the secret location of the first Magic Whistle. Each of the well-hidden Whistles will take Mario to "World 9," the Warp Zone. The first is located in World 1-3, and it's difficult to find by chance. You'll have to take advantage of the background scenery…

  • 1: Boomerang Bros. can be dangerous, so kick Koopa shells to take them out without putting yourself in danger. Fireballs work nicely as well.
  • 2: Stomp the Koopa and kick its shell left strategically to break blocks. Jump to the right of the left block tower to reveal a red Jump Block, then bounce on it while pressing to soar to Coin Heaven.
  • 3: Give the Wood Block a bump from the side to make it cough up a power-up.

  • 4: The First Magic Whistle. Look for the floating white platform near the end of the stage. Eliminate the Red Koopa Troopa on top of it, then squat on the platform for five seconds to fall behind the scenery. Run to the end of the stage to find a secret Toad House. Meet Toad inside, who will reward your cleverness with a Magic Whistle that will allow you to warp to distant worlds!

Coin Heaven

  • 5: A gold lining. Collect all of the coins in Coin Heaven. This screen scrolls automatically. You have no control over the speed at which the screen advances, and you can't go back. If you have the Raccoon Suit, run back and forth to get the speed you need to fly. Above the clouds, in the middle of the stage, is a 1-Up.

World 1-4

Gold coins and 1-Ups abound on a challenging stage of leaps and bounds. The automatic scrolling here makes for a frantic situation! In this world, you have no choice but to move fast, but be sure to look before you leap.

  • 1: Hit the block to make a 1-Up Mushroom appear. You'll have to act fast to nab it—make it easier by hitting the block from the bottom-left to force the mushroom to slide to the right.
  • 2: Be sure to collect the power-up that's hidden in the block at this point. Then don't forget to collect all of the coins from the 10-Coin Block to the right by jumping quickly. To collect all of the coins in the stage, you'll need to be Super Mario. If you're not, you won't be able to break the blocks at point 4 to get at the 10-Coin Block and have a chance at collecting 44 coins.

  • 3: To get at the 1-Up hidden in the block at this point without a Raccoon tail, you'll need a Koopa shell. Hold the shell in your hands while you run and jump across the gap, then throw it at the apex of your jump to ram a block and reveal the mushroom. Grab it quickly, or it will plummet out of your reach.
  • 4: White Mushroom House. Be sure to break the block above and discover the 10-Coin block beyond it. If you can collect 44 or more coins in stage 1-4, a White Mushroom House will appear on the map. Inside, you'll find a rare P-Wing.