Super Mario Bros. 2 ------------------- Copyright 2005 Brian McPhee Author: Brian McPhee (Kirby021591) E-mail: Kirby0215@aol.com Most Recent Update: November 23, 2005 Originally Created: May 27, 2005 Version 1.0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------Table of Contents--------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 1* Introduction* Navigation* History* Storyline* Items & Bonuses* Enemies* Controls* Section 2* World 1* World 2* World 3* World 4* World 5* World 6* World 7* Section 3* World Warps* Minimalist Quest* 1-Up Trick* Mushroom Locations* Doki/SMB 2 Differences* NES/SNES/GBA Differences* FAQ* Section 4* Credits and Legal Information* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 1*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= =============================Introduction*============================= ======================================================================= Huh? Oh, right… Hello, everybody, and welcome to my thirty-second guide extravaganza introduction! Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but this is walkthrough # 32 for me, and it marks the near completion of a long series of Mario walkthroughs. Not only that, but this guide is for the popular North American/European version of Super Mario Bros. 2 on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). Now, since I always abide by my formulaic introduction structure, let’s get right down to the review, shall we? Mario only had a few mainstream side-scrolling quests, and the first three of them (Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3) form the sort of “trilogy” of Mario’s original side-scrolling games. And in the USA, we got to play a slightly changed version of Doki Doki Panic for our second act of this play, and it is indeed a sad one. That is, this game is definitely the worst of the trilogy, and it does not operate like the other Mario classics (though it’s still a good game in its own right). In some series, the sequel is better than the original, like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Donkey Kong Country 2, but such is not the case here. As you may well know, Super Mario Bros. 2 for western civilization is almost identical to a game released exclusively in Japan called “Doki Doki Panic.” It was about a can-do Arab family who needed to rescue the youngest members of the pack in storybook format. Well, Doki Doki Panic was a flop in Japan, attesting to its not-so- great game play. But, when you replace the main character with Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool, voila! It’s a hit! I think this says something about advertising... Still, although this game does feature everyone’s favorite plumber, let’s be honest. This game is weird. You pick up vegetables to throw them at small, hooded figures, and you’re working against a vitamin-deficient frog named Wart. But, the game isn’t nearly as bad as I might make it sound. It features jump-happy heroes and a heroine, a slew of new enemies that have since become regulars in the Mario universe (among them are Pokey, Shy Guy, Snifit, Birdo, and Bob-omb), and very… creative level design. It is also somewhat challenging. All and all, it pales in comparison to the classic Super Mario Bros., but it can still be played with the best of them. By the by, should you happen to see this guide on any website other than GameFaqs.com or any of its affiliates, please contact me at the e- mail address listed at the top of this document. With your help, we can put an end to plagiarism to this guide. Thanks a million, whistle- blowers everywhere. ======================================================================= ==============================Navigation*============================== ======================================================================= You may be wondering what all the asterisks (*) after section titles are for. Well, they are, like, so trendy, but they also serve navigational purposes. That is, if you were to, oh say, press CTRL and F simultaneously on the keyboard, a Find/Search box will be brought up. And, if you were to type in the name of a section, asterisk and all, and clicked the, I don’t know, how about the Find/Search option, it would take you to the first place in the guide where it was used and then the next place – namely, the beginning of that section. The asterisk distinguishes the text from times I might use those words in text (navigation, navigation, navigation). ======================================================================= ===============================History*================================ ======================================================================= I touched upon it in the introduction, but all Mario fans should know this little tidbit. There are actually two versions of Super Mario Bros. 2, an American version and a Japanese version. Here’s a run-down. Super Mario Bros. was released as the premiere game for the NES in 1985. It was a huge success, and so Nintendo wanted to keep the gravy train rolling for as long as possible. In 1986, Nintendo released a game called Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan. As you should know, Japan always gets games before North America and Europe. Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan) was almost exactly the same as the original, though. With the addition of green jumping boards, Poison Mushrooms, and aerial Bloobers, the game was thought too repetitive and too challenging for an American release. To that point, Nintendo decided not to release Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan) in North America and Europe, and yet they still wanted a Mario sequel there. Nintendo was in a pickle, for they were already working on Super Mario Bros. 3 and yet they had nothing to sell in the west. So, they needed a quick videogame to release there, or to release this challenging version of Super Mario Bros. 2 in the US, which they thought would spell disaster for our plumber hero. So, Nintendo settled on the former. They took an unpopular game in Japan called “Doki Doki Panic” and changed the main characters, an Arab family, into the stars of the Mario series, which explains the Arabian feel of the game. They then released it in North America under the title “Super Mario Bros. 2,” just like their Japanese release. Super Mario Bros. 2 (American) was very popular despite its roots in an unpopular game, and Nintendo could move on to Super Mario Bros. 3 now. So, how was it that North Americans and Europeans ever got to play Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan), or the Japanese get to play Super Mario Bros. 2 (American)? The SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) marked a new era in video gaming. As not to forget the old, Nintendo compiled the original Mario trilogy, as well as Super Mario World in some cartridges, and sold it in North America and Europe as a game called “Super Mario All-Stars.” All-Stars contained Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3, but it also contained a game called “Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.” The Lost Levels was the name of the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros., and it was though this medium that the westerners got to play it. Later on for the Game Boy Color, the game “Super Mario Bros. Deluxe” featured SMB 2 (Japan) on it as “Super Mario Bros. for Super Players.” Similarly, the Japanese experienced our Super Mario Bros. as a game entitled “Super Mario Bros. USA.” And so, a cultural exchange brought these games of the same name to two different worlds. How touching… Now you can share this interesting bit at dinner parties. ======================================================================= ==============================Storyline*=============================== ======================================================================= In the original Doki Doki Panic, two children are kidnapped by Mamu, a.k.a. Wart, and it’s up to their family to rescue them from the storybook they are being held captive in. To suit the tastes of American gamers, though, many elements of the story (all of them, actually) were extracted (the same goes for some of the in-game elements, like Arabian lamps that opened doors to sub-space). Now, they are fitting for Mario, though it’s not a particularly good storyline. Here’s a summary. +---------------------+ | Story Summary | +---------------------+ Mario was having a dream one day, err, night. In it, he ascended up many steps of a staircase to reach a door. When he opened it, an entire world spread out before him, and a strange voice cried for help to him. Naturally, Mario had to tell his good friends Luigi, Toad, and Toadstool all about it, and they decided to go have a picnic at a nearby mountain (how spontaneous!). They look at the scenery when they arrive and spy a cave in the distance. Of course, they enter it, and they are all startled to find the same staircase that was in Mario’s dream. They walk up it, open the door, and the world he saw while snoozing earlier expands before them. Let’s go save it! Riveting, isn’t it? As convenient and improbable as it is, this is why we’re saving Subcon, the land of dreams that Mario and the gang wandered into, because Mario’s already a hero and that justifies him saving every land on the map. I’ll now list the characters and give them bios, including the Doki Doki Panic characters. +-----------------------+ | Game Characters | +-----------------------+ Imajin: Imajin is the eldest son of his family, having blue pants and a turban. He became Mario in the makeover of Doki Doki Panic to Super Mario Bros. 2 (American). Lina: Lina is Imajin’s sister. With her pink clothes and floating jump, she obviously became Princess Toadstool in the transformation. Mama: Tall and thin, the mother of Imajin and Lina became Luigi when Doki Doki Panic was translated to Super Mario Bros. 2 (American). Papa: Short, stout, and strong, Papa wears a turban and most likely became Toad when Doki Doki Panic was converted to SMB 2 (American). Mario: It's-a Mario! Mario is the mascot of Nintendo, and he's an Italian-American plumber (at first, he was depicted as a carpenter, but that changed in Mario Bros. because Mario could use pipes) originally said to be from Brooklyn, New York. In his first game, Donkey Kong, Mario was known as Jumpman, quite appropriately. Mario was named after the landlord of the Nintendo of America building after his arcade classic release (Donkey Kong), and the name stuck ever since. Because of the bad graphics on the early arcade games, Mario was forced to have certain characteristics. To make it look like Mario's arms moved as he ran, he wore overalls. Because they couldn't animate hair and mouths, he had a hat and a mustache. And, since red is one of the easiest colors to generate, he took that color. Mario was instantly popular, and he went on to star in Mario Bros., an arcade game. It introduced his brother, and in it he and said brother were defeating enemies in the sewers of Brooklyn (although later, in Super Mario World 2, it was changed that Mario and Luigi are from the Mushroom Kingdom, not New York). This is Mario's strangest adventure yet and it would define Mario as the well-rounded type for years to come, right up into Super Smash Bros. Melee. Of course, he still takes that route today. Luigi: Luigi's name could be mistaken for the Japanese word "ruiji," which means "similar." This is quite appropriate, as Luigi is Mario's younger brother who looks almost exactly the same. Though his mustache is smoother and he is taller and thinner than Mario, he is essentially just a change of palette in the originals, including this game. Luigi made a distinction between himself and his glory-hog brother in Super Mario Bros. 2, though. In it, Luigi had a better jump. In the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2, though, Luigi is a slow vegetable-picker. In the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi's shoes had less friction. Still, Luigi is not his own character, and the eternal understudy remains in obscurity as Player 2 for a long, long time. Eventually, toward the end of the N64, Luigi started becoming serious (that is, he became recognized as an important character in Nintendo). In Paper Mario, Luigi was a big joke, but he wrote in his diary (which Mario could read) that he wanted to get a game with his name in the title. His wish came true, as the release game for the Game Cube, which came out only months after Paper Mario, was Luigi's Mansion. In it, Luigi won a mansion in a contest he didn't even enter, and Mario had gone to check it out, but he never returned. When Luigi goes looking for him, he finds the mansion haunted, and a mysterious spirit has kidnapped Mario. Luigi rescues Mario by overcoming his fear of the dark, which Luigi still supposedly has today. Of course, Luigi did get one other chance to save Mario. It was an edutainment (education + entertainment = edutainment) title called Mario is Missing, in which Luigi had to use his advanced knowledge of world geography to find his brother. Really, it was more of a slap in the face than a great chance to shine. Princess Toadstool: In Donkey Kong, Mario's first game, Mario tried to rescue the Lady, later named Pauline (Pauline was a popular movie-era name for damsels in distress). Well, their relationship was short- lived, as they broke up as soon as Mario started rescuing Princess Toadstool in Super Mario Bros. Toadstool, princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, is the only person who can undo some nasty Koopa magic in Super Mario Bros., but later Bowser starts kidnapping Princess Toadstool for no reason. In fact, it has been suggested in both Paper Mario games that Bowser is actually in love with Toadstool, which explains why he'd abduct her so many times. Seriously, Bowser, get a life! Princess Toadstool is abducted quite often, and Mario always has to rescue her. Although he strayed once to rescue Princess Daisy of Sarasaland (it's like "I can't believe it's not butter"; Daisy and Toadstool are almost exact look-alikes), Mario has remained true to this princess through and through. Toadstool often accompanies Mario on vacation, such as the ones in Super Mario World and Super Mario Sunshine, although they usually end in her getting kidnapped by some lunatic. And, in Super Mario 64, the princess and the plumber got on a first-name basis; Toadstool signed a letter inviting Mario over for cake as Peach, her first name. However, because this was a Toadstool game, I will refer to the pretty princess in pink as Toadstool and not Peach, though they are the same person. In Super Mario Bros. 2, Toadstool makes up for her lacking speed and vegetable-picking abilities by being able to float when jumping. Toad: If you've ever played a Mario game, Mushroom Retainer was the original name for Toad. Toads are the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom and the subjects of Princess Toadstool (hence the name "Toad"), but seven of them from the court of the Mushroom King were abducted by Bowser and thrown into his castles as dummies to lead Mario down the wrong path. Each time you rescue one, they say "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" In Super Mario Bros. 2, Toad is actually a playable character. With bad jumps but quick vegetable- picking skills, he was the best choice to replace Papa. Toad also was playable in Wario's Woods, the last game for the NES, in which he took down Wario, one of Mario's many enemies. Aside from games like Mario Party, Mario Kart, and all of Mario's sports titles, Toad is not otherwise playable. A while back, some began to question Toad's masculinity. To show that Toad was indeed all man, they introduced Toadette, a female version of Toad. On a side note, Toad is even more cowardly than Luigi, even since before Luigi's Mansion when Luigi was supposed to be a coward. Super Mario RPG shows one of the earliest signs of Toad's not-so-commendable bravery, in which he let Croco just zip by without fighting at all. Still, he's polite. Wart: Called Mamu in Japan (this made way to a very clever cameo in Link’s Awakening. The frog that teaches you the Frog Song of Soul in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was named Mamu), Wart is a giant frog, possibly a toad (from which his name is derived, as toads have warts). He hates vegetables but loves giving people bad dreams, and so he built the Dream Machine. Foolishly, though, Wart had the Dream Machine pump out vegetables, his only weakness, right into the arena he fought Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Toadstool in. Silly frog! Another note of interest (a cameo) is found in Animal Crossing. One of the possible neighbors you could have was a toad/frog named Wart Jr. Coincidence? Of course not. In any case, this gangster leads a small army of characters that would someday become Mario regulars. And there you have it. Of course, you don’t need to know any of this to enjoy the game. Let’s move on to game elements, shall we? ======================================================================= ===========================Items & Bonuses*============================ ======================================================================= There are several items found in Super Mario Bros. 2, many original to this game. Let’s list them! +-------------+ | Items | +-------------+ Mushroom: Mario and Luigi’s favorite snack returns as a sort of power- up. In sub-space, dark areas entered by doors from potions, these can be found and used to add an extra mark to your health meter for the remainder of the level. Coin: These items are found in sub-spaces. You can gamble with them on the slots (scroll down to the latter part of this section, which covers the bonus game). Magic Potion: When you find these red elixirs, throw them onto the ground to make a door appear (what else?). Take these into sub-space where coins and Mushrooms can be found. Heart: These are found throughout levels after you’ve beaten so many enemies. They restore one lost mark of your health meter. 1 UP: Mushrooms with “1UP” written on them in white letters let you get an extra life when you lift them. Cherry: These are cherries scattered around the level. For each five you get in a level, you’ll receive a Starman. Starman: When you get your hands on these by collecting five cherries in a level, you’ll be invincible for a short time afterward. Mow down those enemies! POW Block: When you throw these items, all the enemies on the screen are defeated. Neat-o! Turtle Shell: The shells of Koopa Troopas from Super Mario Bros., of course, these can be thrown onto the ground. They slide forward, bulldozing through any enemies in the way. Unlike Koopa Troopa shells, though, they do not ricochet off surfaces. Instead, the dissipate upon hitting walls. Mushroom Block: You can use these in a multitude of ways, including stepping stools, projectile weapons, and shields. They are reusable, too. Vegetable: The most common item around, you can pick these up from the ground and throw them at enemies to defeat them. There are two types – large ones and thin ones. If you find all the large ones in a level (five), enemies freeze in place for a short period of time due to the effects of the… Stopwatch: You get these when you collect five ripe vegetables in a level. Use these to freeze enemies for a short time. Rocket: In the business of advancing you further in the level, you can pluck these from the ground and ride them skyward to a new part of the level. Bomb: These are explosives that can be used to decimate certain obstacles in your way. They’ll aid you greatly during your quest to… well, it wasn’t really explained. Key: These are used to open locks found in levels. When you get one, Phanto, a generic enemy, will start to chase you. To avoid this, lift the key and throw it when Phanto gets close to you. Crystal Ball: Before Hawkmouth, that hawk’s head found at the end of each level, you will find one of these, usually in the possession of Birdo. They are used to beat the level by giving them to Hawkmouth. +---------------+ | Bonuses | +---------------+ Now, what good are coins? Coins can be used to gamble as many times as you can afford at the end of the level bonus, the slot machine. You just stop it and hope for the best. Here are winning combinations. - If you get three of any symbol besides Cherries, you get a 1-Up. - If you get a Cherry in the first slot but not the second, you get a 1-Up. - If you get Cherries in the first two slots but not the third, you will get a 2-Up. - Cherries in all three slots result in a 5-Up. Aim for this! - Any other combination results in nothing but a waste of a coin. Here are a few tips for winning 1-Ups. - If you want to get three-of-a-kind for a 1-Up, timing is key. That is, if you press the B Button in sequence, waiting the same amount of time to press it as you did before pressing it the first time in between each press, you’ll get it. For example, if you wait five seconds to press B the first time, another five the second, and another five seconds for the third try, you’ll get a three-of-a-kind. - The slot machine starts at cherry for the first slot; if you press B immediately as it starts, you’re guaranteed at least a 1-Up from the first cherry you get. ======================================================================= ===============================Enemies*================================ ======================================================================= Super Mario Bros. 2 features quite a cast of characters, and by characters I mean enemies. They are alphabetized, my passion. But, on a more serious note, Super Mario Bros. 2 was rather poorly edited, and as such the names of the enemies shown after the credits are a little off. For instance, it switches the names of Birdo and Ostro and the manual and game disagree over the spelling of “Hoopster” or “Hoopstar.” Also, modern spellings of “Shyguy” and “Bob-Omb” differ, and I will use today’s lingo – “Shy Guy” and “Bob-omb. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Enemy Name Notes: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Above is the setup, below the list. Any questions? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Albatross Notes: This is a flying bird colored red. You can hitch a ride on them (they sometimes travel in groups, making it an easier jump) and can be defeated by throwing items or enemies at them. They often drop Bob- ombs into battle or will try to swoop into you. Anywhere but the tops of their body is dangerous to touch. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Autobomb Notes: These are rolling cannons that shoot fireballs. Pretty nifty, eh? They can have enemies riding them which can be defeated, and the cannons themselves can have items thrown at them to defeat them. According to the manual, it is often called the “bad dream machine.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Beezo Notes: These are flying Shy Guys with pitchforks. The red variation often swoop down from the top of the screen, but the pink variety fly in a straight path. They often come in groups. They can be defeated by throwing items or enemies at them, but I’d just let them pass. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob-omb Notes: An enemy that became popular shortly after Super Mario Bros. 2 was released, Bob-ombs are walking explosives that resemble bombs. They chase you, become angry, and then blow up, in that order. They can also be plucked from underground, but they come out ready to blow. If that’s the case, immediately throw them and run in the opposite direction. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cobrat Notes: These are red snakes that pop out of vases and the ground. Both shoot projectiles at you, but they attack differently. The vase type will rise up and shoot, remaining stationary. The underground variety appears and chases you down as its primary means of offense, but it can also use projectiles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Flurry Notes: These are strange, blob-like creatures coming in packs in World 4 exclusively. Luckily, they have terrible traction, and will often slide on ice into pits or other obstacles, giving you the advantage. Just avoid them. They are too fast to land on, but if you can, they can be thrown. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hoopster Notes: This is a ladybug that crawls up and down vines. They move rather slowly, but will speed up if you are on their vine. A curving jump will do the trick to get above them, but they often have two Hoopsters to a vine. If you can, jump to another vine. In later levels, they climb up tree trunks. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ninji Notes: Although it was never a mainstream Mario character, Ninji did reappear in Paper Mario for the N64 and Super Mario World for the SNES. These are black creatures with white eyes that jump up and down either in place or around the place. You can throw things at them or pick them up. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ostro Notes: Though the game’s unedited credits call Birdo Ostro and vice versa, Ostro is not the pink dinosaur creature that you fight at the end of many levels. Ostro is an ostrich that runs around, usually rode by Shy Guys, to run you over. Ostro cannot be defeated by picking them up, but the riders can be lifted and throw at it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Panser Notes: These are plant-like enemies that shoot fireballs, much like Volcano Lotuses in Super Mario World. The red and white versions are stationary, but the blue can approach you. Red shoots fireballs straight up into the air, while the other two colors shoot them in arcs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Phanto Notes: These are annoying enemies that resemble masks. When you first see them, they are motionless and harmless. Pick up a key, though, and they dog you relentlessly and tirelessly until you drop the key. They cannot be beaten. So, to avoid getting hurt by them, pick the key up, throw it ahead, and pick it up. Repeat this until you’ve used the key and gotten Phanto off your tail. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Pidgit Notes: Though a memorable enemy, these never went mainstream (though one did appear in Super Mario All-Stars title screen). Another hint at this game’s Arabian roots, these are birds that fly magic carpets and chase you down. Like Lakitus in Super Mario World, you can steal a Pidgit’s carpet if you defeat it (pick it up and throwing it off is the best method). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Pokey Notes: This enemy took off immediately as a popular Mario character. These are long, segmented cacti (the plural of cactus) that move around to try to bump into you. If you hit their head with an item, the next segment down becomes the head. Unlike most recent Mario games, however, Pokeys can be defeated in one shot by throwing items or enemies at the lowest segment. The opposite is true in most recent games. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Porcupo Notes: These are porcupine-looking enemies that walk around mindlessly, and their bodies provide natural defense to jumps – spikes. So, unless you want to flee in terror, throw an item or enemy into it to defeat it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Shy Guy Notes: Instant classics, Shy Guys are masked, robed figures (hence the shy part of their name) that walk around aimlessly. The pink type will pace back and forth over a certain territory, usually a platform. The red type will walk in one direction, throwing caution to the wind (that is, they can fall off cliffs and the like). They can be jumped onto easily, and thrown just as easily. So, that leaves one question to be answered: what’s under the mask? Maybe you should check out Luigi’s Mansion for Game Cube… ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Snifit Notes: These are Shy Guys that have nozzles to shoot bullets from their masks. They come in three colors – red, pink, and gray. Reds stand in one place and shoot bullets. Pinks move as they shoot bullets. Gray, though, jump as they shoot bullets. They can be lifted and thrown into pits, or you can throw objects at them to beat them down. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spark Notes: These are orbs of pure electricity that make rounds around whatever platform, wall, etc. that they find themselves on. They cannot be beaten, just avoided. However, they do not seek you out; they stick to their assigned platform unless you do something to remove them (try using Mushroom Blocks). Actually, I lie. They can be defeated only when you are invincible or with POW Blocks. But what’s the likelihood of that? Well, you can also throw things at them. So, I guess they aren’t as invincible as I cracked them up to be, huh? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Trouter Notes: These are fish that jump out of the water to strike you. You can jump across them like platforms, and they can be grabbed. The latter is rather stupid, though, as you’ll be grabbing the only thing between you and a bottomless, instant-death gap. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Tweeter Notes: These are masked birds that bound along the ground, occasionally making larger hops than normal, and are very weak enemies. Throw items or enemies, whatever floats your boat, at them or pick them up to get some use out of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ooh, I’m quaking in my boots now. But, I did not include on the enemy list all the bosses and the sort of boss – Birdo, Mouser, Tryclyde, Fryguy, Clawgrip, Hawkmouth, or Wart. But, enemies aren’t the only way you can die. Here’s a list of things that can hurt or kill you. +-----------------------+ | Causes of Death | +-----------------------+ - When an enemy hits you, you lose a bit of health in your meter. When you lose all of it (when all of it’s white and not shaded), you lose a life. You can have at most four marks on your health meter, and you become small (a subtle Super Mario Bros. reference) when you have only one left. - If you fall into a pit or water, or if you fall from the skies, you will lose a life. - When you lose all your lives, you get a Game Over. You have two continues from there to start back from where you were. - Use all your continues and you’ll have to start the game all over again. So, be warned. Now, to learn how to combat enemies. ======================================================================= ===============================Controls*=============================== ======================================================================= So, what’s to know? Well, besides learning which buttons do what, I’ll also place here a guide to each character’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s right; unlike Super Mario Bros., the different characters actually play differently. Mario and Luigi are definitely the best of the bunch, but Toad and Toadstool have their good points, too. Here are the basic controls. +---------------+ | Control | +---------------+ D-Pad: Left and right move characters accordingly, and down can be used to duck. Ducking can be used to gain power (power squat jumps are in) or to avoid airborne enemies. When on vines, ladders, or chains, you can use up and down for all your vertical movement needs. Up can also be used to open doors. Select: You can use this to choose between Continuing and Retrying when you’ve gotten a Game Over. Start: Select seems to have been replaced by this button. It is used to choose an option, pause the game, and to un-pause the game. A Button: To jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! JUMP! That’s the name of the game, after all. Also, if you hold down until your character flashes and then press A, you’ll do what is called a “power squat jump,” higher than normal ones. The longer you hold A, the higher you’ll jump. B Button: This has a number of uses. First, hold this to run faster. Or, you can press it when over an enemy, item, plant to pick it up. Or, you could use it to stop the slots in the bonus round. Reader’s pick! Now here are the differences in characters. Ver-i-eh-tay. +-------------+ | Mario | +-------------+ Jumping Ability: Mario is world-renowned for his jumping prowess. Still, all that cake and those mushrooms are getting to him; he’s only the second best jumper in the game. Yep, he loses out to his bigger but younger brother, Luigi. Hang Time: Mario doesn’t stay in the air very long. He ranks third as far as that is concerned, making him a pretty average jumper. Picking: Mario’s been throwing fireballs and busting bricks for so long that his arms are pulling machines. He is the second-fastest puller around with very little waiting time. +-------------+ | Luigi | +-------------+ Jumping Ability: In this respect, Luigi really takes the cake. He can jump higher than anyone else, and his bicycle kick adds flair to his moves. Hang Time: Luigi’s bicycle kick gives him the number two hang time in the bunch, and he stays up nearly endlessly. Still, he comes in second in this group. Picking: Luigi falls short here (I’ve fit in two reverse-puns twice now – he takes the cake and he falls short, but Mario does both of those! Oh, burn!). Honing his legs has cost him his arms, and he is the third-best, or second-worst, picker. Expect to wait for a bit if you want to use his mediocre picking skills. +------------+ | Toad | +------------+ Jumping Ability: Short as he is, Toad is the worst of the jumpers in the gang. Pathetic, truly, though most people probably jump twice their height. Hang Time: Toad is a weak jumper, and he has little to work off of. Really, he just goes up and falls. Worst hang time of them all. Picking: Well, he had to be good at something. Stout and sturdy, Toad can pluck things almost instantly. Don’t expect to wait for him. He’s the best in this area. +--------------------------+ | Princess Toadstool | +--------------------------+ Jumping Ability: Toadstool is strong for a princess who sits around and gets kidnapped, but it’s not good enough. She has the third-best jumping ability, just beating out Toad, her subject. Hang Time: Here’s where Toadstool shines. If you hold the A Button after she jumps, you’ll float there for quite some time. Luigi’s bicycle jump hardly compares. As such, she can cover the most distance in one jump and has the best hang time. Picking: She comes in fourth here. I guess she doesn’t get much exercise for her upper body, but Toadstool takes an incredibly long amount of time to pluck a vegetable from the ground or lift a block. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario is well-rounded, but Luigi has got it where it counts – jumping. It’s the most important skill in the game, after all. Luigi is the best of the bunch in my opinion. In Doki Doki Panic, Mama became Luigi, and Mama got to skip Chapter 1 (in the original, the worlds were chapters of the storybook). Clearly, Luigi was made to be the best. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 2*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= ===============================World 1*================================ ======================================================================= The first leg of our strange quest takes place in this introductory zone. Water is abundant and so is vegetation, reminding one of the jungle. Will it be easy? Hopefully, yes. +-----------------+ | Level 1-1 | +-----------------+ Player: Mario You start, just as the storyline would say, falling from a high-up door. When you land, jump right and you’ll go through the screen to the other side. Odd… As you fall, you’ll notice enemies called Shy Guys. They just pace back and forth in a weak attempt to hit you (at least the pink ones do. Red ones, as you’ll see later, will chase you off cliffs). Yes, in Super Mario Bros. 2, notice you have hearts in the left corner. Each hit you take loses you one of your hearts. Run out and you’re done with. So, fall to the bottom to find a door. To open it, press up on the D-Pad. When you reappear, to the right you’ll notice a red Shy Guy. Go forward and lift the first vegetable you find and throw it at it to defeat it. Or, if you’d like, lift the Shy Guys by jumping on top of them and pressing B. Throw them at other enemies for a double-whammy. As you go, pluck all the vegetables to get two ripe ones. At the end of the line of Shy Guys is a Tweeter, masked bird enemies that hop around, basically the same as Shy Guys. Throw a vegetable at it if you’d like, as they behave almost exactly as Shy Guys do (only they hop). Now go forward to find a vine. Stand by it and press up on the D-Pad to climb it. Get onto the ledge, defeat the Shy Guy by throwing it off into the distance, and then lift the first plant from the right. This is a Magic Potion. Drop it onto another plant and a door appears. Enter and you’ll be in what is called sub-space. While there, go right to the Mushroom. Lift it to add a mark to your life meter. Also, if you set it on a plant, you can pluck the plants for coins (used in bonus rounds). Last but not least, jump left for the Cherries, five of which make for a Starman. When you reappear, jump right into the Cherries and then jump to the blow with “POW” written on it. This is a Power Block, called a POW Block. Lift it and drop it to defeat all enemies on the screen. By now at least, a Heart should appear on the screen, resembling a bug of some sort crawling up it. If you take it, you can recover your lost life in the meter (one mark each). Now jump right, pluck the vegetable, and toss it at the Shy Guy to the right. Jump to its ledge and then to the next before lifting the next Shy Guy. Jump onto the wooden bridge and throw the Shy Guy you’re holding at the next one walking. Traverse the bridge, avoiding or throwing a Tweeter off the edge, and you’ll come to a waterfall. Wait for logs to appear about to fall off of it and jump across them to reach the other side. Defeat the Shy Guys here if it floats your boat and go right to the upper ledge by the POW Block. Pick the plant before it for a 1-Up, giving you an extra try for levels if you die, and then use the POW Block. Now drop right through the Cherry and lift the first plant to find a Bomb. Set it down and make it out of there ‘cause that will blow up shortly. The second plant contains a Turtle Shell (a la Koopa Troopa). Slide it forward to plow through enemies. Now collect the next two Cherries. That’s five! A Starman appears, making you invincible. With it, run forward through the enemies until you reach a cave door. Enter it and lift the first two plants to freeze time. Yes, five ripe vegetables will produce a Stopwatch capable of freezing enemies momentarily. It’s great for passing this Ninji here. This variety just jumps, but it can still be a menace. Pass it and climb the vine. At the top, run right and exit the cave through the door (remember, press up on the D-Pad). When you reappear, go right and lift the plant for a Magic Potion. Drop it on the plant to the right and enter sub-space through the door that appears. The Mushroom is to the right, adding a fourth mark to your life meter (they do not remain for the rest of the game, only this level). Also, lift the plants for coins. Now go right and climb the vine. The enemy that was on the vine was a ladybug called Hoopster (also, Hoopstar). They climb up and down vines and can be stood on. When you emerge, jump onto the first Ninji and let him jump to let you jump to the next ledge. Repeat this to reach the next ledge and then jump your way up to a new vine. Climb it and then jump to the clouds to the left. From the leftmost one, jump to the large cloud to the right. Now start up the right vine, jumping onto the Hoopster to let it give you a ride up. At the top, drop left to another vine. Take it up and go right to find the mini-boss. Mini-Boss: Birdo Birdo is now a Mario regular, but there was quite a bit of confusion over her name and gender. At first, Birdo was a transvestite male who liked being called “Birdetta,” though her name was confused with Osto, a generic ostrich enemy you’ll meet later. Now, Birdo is a match for Yoshi and his partner in many recent games. As for beating her, though, this is a common affair. First, Birdo wanders around and spits an egg forward. You must jump onto the egg and then pick it up (B). Afterward, get close and toss it at your enemy, the pink dinosaur. This counts as a hit, and two more will have Birdo beat. When you win, she leaves behind a Crystal Ball. Lift it and enter Hawkmouth, the statue head to the right who opened its mouth. If you got coins, you can play the bonus slot game (see “Items & Bonuses for details on it), and afterward you’ll pick a character for Level 1-2. +-----------------+ | Level 1-2 | +-----------------+ Player: Toadstool Let’s give the Princess a shot. Her special ability is her float. To use it, press A after she jumps to hover in place (you can also move around) for a short time period. Now jump right up these ledges to find a Pidgit. Attesting to the Arabian theme of the game (actually, the theme of Doki Doki Panic), Pidgit is a bird who rides a flying carpet. When he swoops down to hit you, jump onto him and toss him off. Now you control the carpet! Go right and a brigade of Beezos swoop down to attack you. These are just winged Shy Guys with pitchforks. Fly downward or upward to avoid them and make your way right. When you reach land, the carpet will dissipate. Lift the plant you see to find a Magic Potion. Use it, enter sub-space, and get the Mushroom. Now exit, please. Stand on the first vase to the right and crouch (press down on the D- Pad) to enter it. At the bottom, avoid a Tweeter and lift the plant for a 1-Up. Now stand on the edge of the pot, squat, and hold it there for a while. When you flash, release to jump straight up into the Cherry. Now center yourself on the vase and squat to enter. See those masks? You’re about to see more of them. Lift the key you fall onto and jump out of there. One of the masks follows you. It is called a Phanto, and it is one of the worst enemies in the game. It dogs you relentlessly whenever you have a key. Lucky for you, we don’t have far to go. When you surface, jump right over the Ninjis for the Cherry and go right when you land. See the locked door? Press up by it on the D- Pad to enter and use that key. Inside, lift the Shy Guy and chuck him into the Snifit to the right. Snifits are nasty enemies. Although related to the Shy Guy, they have bullet-firing nozzles on their masks, making them quite deadly. Now lift the plants to the right by the breakable wall. A Bomb! Drop it onto the wall’s base and it will blow up. Jump through this hole and quickly run up the ladder to avoid the fire of a Snifit to the right. Here, lift the plants for Bombs and use them on the blocks to the right to blow through them. When you fall, jump right onto the ledge and you’ll be greeted by two running Ninjis. Lift the first and throw it into the second to defeat both at once. Now go right to a ledge you can’t jump to. Actually, you can. This jump, which I showed you earlier, is the “power squat jump.” Crouch until you flash and then jump for extra height. Tada! You’re on the ledge. Now take the door out of here. Lift the plants to the right and throw them at oncoming Shy Guys. Then go right to a cave door. Take it to… Mini-Boss: Birdo It’s the same situation as last time. Birdo is one resilient… thing, now isn’t she? Wait for Birdo to shoot an egg and then jump onto it. Lift it and give it a good toss into Birdo to land a hit. Three hits and Birdo’s down for the count, leaving behind the Crystal Ball. Lift it to open the mouth of Hawkmouth to the right and proceed to the bonus round. +-----------------+ | Level 1-3 | +-----------------+ Player: Luigi Now let’s try out the best jumper in the crowd, Luigi! From where you start, power squat jump to the upper ledge and jump right through a total of four Cherries to land on walking Snifits. Chuck one into the other to defeat them both and then lift the plants to the right before the bridge, one of which yielding a Magic Potion. Use it and go left onto the bridge for the Mushroom. But, do not get the Cherry! Instead, get it to the right in non-sub-space to become invincible out here. Run right to find Trouters, fish that jump out of the water to try to hit you. Just jump over them using Luigi’s famed bicycle kick and you’ll reach a waterfall. Jump across them for a seventh and eighth Cherry and you’ll reach five plants. Lift all of them for five ripe vegetables, giving you a Stopwatch. Use it by jumping right over a gap and taking a Cherry above and then lifting the leftmost plant for a Magic Potion. Carry it to the nearest plant and drop it. In sub-space, gather as many coins as you can by plucking plants. When you emerge, go right past two Ninji and two Tweeters to reach a door. Take it into a dungeon area. Climb the chain to the right as you would a vine and you’ll see a Spark to the left. These orbs of electricity circle platforms to try to hurt you. They cannot be defeated. Continue up the chain until you reach the top. When the Shy Guy is walking right, get onto the platform and jump upward. Now power squat jump to the above ledge when the Spark is out of the way and jump to the left platforms. Climb them up and you’ll come to more Sparks. When they are down, jump up their platforms (the first requires a power squat jump) to reach a door. Take it. Inside is a Spark, a key, and a Phanto. Gulp… Get ready for a great escape. Grab the key and bolt to the door. Run right and fall down straight past the chains and onto the Mushroom Blocks (that’s the name of those funny mushroom things). Rush left past the Shy Guy and fall down to a shaft that another Shy Guy is walking down. Throw the key into it and throw it right again to keep Phanto off of you. Pick it back up and then fall down to the chains, but stick to the right wall. When you land, enter the locked door. Jump right to some ascending platforms and take them up to a tiered walkway. Stay along the top, jumping over the Snifits, and you’ll reach a brick ledge. Carefully cross the next few platforms when the Sparks are down and you’ll reach a hallway. Avoid a final two Ninji and go right to find the Crystal Ball. Lift it and go through Hawkmouth’s mouth… to the boss. Boss: Mouser Mouser is a “bomber of bad dreams that destroys of good dreams.” And, even though he’s a mouse, he thinks of himself as much more, according to the manual. Also, Mouser makes a small cameo in a future Mario game – Paper Mario for the N64. He operates a shop called Little Mouser’s Shop of Dry Dry Outpost where an entire race of mice is modeled after him. In any case, he’s the boss of World 1. Go right under the Spark and pick the plant. It’s a Bomb! Chuck it right and vamoose, Luigi! When you and Mouser have both broken through the wall, you’ll feel an onslaught of bombs coming your way. When one lands, pick it up and throw it back at Mouser. If it explodes on him, he’ll be hit. Once you’ve hit him, wait under his platform for a good opportunity to attack again (he can’t hit you when you’re there). Three hits and he’ll be beaten. The end? Take the door out of here to play the bonus game. Good job on beating World 1! ======================================================================= ===============================World 2*================================ ======================================================================= A world away from World 1 (pun!), World 2 is a desert complete with pyramids and quicksand. But, who is the boss? Mouser must have been the weakest of Wart’s gang, and things will only get harder from here. +-----------------+ | Level 2-1 | +-----------------+ Player: Mario The desert… Go right until you see bones and an enemy pops from the ground to run you down. It’s a Cobrat. This type runs at you and also spits bullets occasionally. Jump onto its head, lift it, and toss it into oblivion. Now jump onto the pile of bones to the right and stay down. A bullet will fly over your head. It came from the vase to the right. A Cobrat, the other type, is in it. This breed is stationary and jumps out occasionally to attack. Jump onto it, throw it away, and go right onto the pile of bones. Look out for bullets from both directions and jump the Shy Guys to more bones. After them is another Cobrat in vase. Pluck it out and send it packing. Then jump right onto the stone structure and lift the first plant for… a Magic Potion! Set it on the plant to the right and then claim your Mushroom in sub- space, as well as some coins. Returning to normal Subcon, go right and notice the sand is being pulled down. This is quicksand, and you’ll die if you get pulled under. Jump repeatedly in it as you go right past cacti until you reach a pyramid. Sitting on it is a Panser, strong plant enemies that spit fireballs. This type shoots them in arcs. Pass under it to find more quicksand. Out of it comes another Cobrat for you to defeat. Do so and hurry right to a pyramid. Enter. It’s time for Mario to get his dig on (I “dig” that!). Press B on this sand to dig through it. Continue this, going down layer by layer, collecting Cherries if you want. The red Shy Guys are expertly placed in this scenario because they will follow you down as you dig. So, it may be a good idea to spread out your digs to make them zigzag and slow down. There’s also a Snifit along the way complicating matters. After it fires, just dig straight down very quickly to avoid it. Or, you could dig onto it to lift it up and throw it into a Shy Guy. Any way you get down, you’ll reach a ladder at the end. Take it down to a door. Mini-Boss: Birdo Wow! Birdo is one resilient pink dinosaur-like thing. Hop over some gaps to the right until you reach her. Now, this is your normal jump- lift-throw affair, but I do have some more useful advice. Birdo is standing on the left side of the arena, giving you very little room to act. So, jump over her and use the spacious right side of the arena instead. She’ll turn around and fight a losing battle against you. Three hits and Birdo’s beat, leaving behind the Crystal Ball for you to lift. Now hop up the platforms to the right and enter Hawkmouth. +-----------------+ | Level 2-2 | +-----------------+ Player: Luigi Jump up the ledges to the right and enter the door. We’re back outside. Curses! Jump right over a hidden Cobrat and some quicksand to reach a few cacti. Jump up them and go right to a vase, Cobrat inclusive. Throw it out and lift the first plant for a door to appear. Take it to sub-space where you’ll find a Mushroom. Now reappear in “normal” Subcon. Lift the other plants to throw out the next two Cobrats. When you have done so, jump right to a lot of quicksand, which isn’t really all that fast. Drop in to avoid a Beezo flying overhead and then jump onto the cactus. From it, jump clear over the other cacti to land on the Cobrat in the vase. Throw it away and stand on the jar’s rim. Leap over the quicksand to the right, as it is super-fast. When you reach the other side, take the door below the cliff you were on when the Cobrat fire is down. Just lift the rightmost plant for a 1-Up. Huzzah! Now, see the vases filled with Cobrats. Get on one and make a leap of faith over the next few. You should pass over an enemy called a Pokey, a walking segmented cactus. They are tough to beat as they require throwing an item or enemy into their bottommost segment for a one-hit kill, and it’s better to just avoid them. When you land, run under the pyramid’s top to avoid the fire of Pansers. Run, Luigi, run! You’ll then reach a beanstalk. You lower yourself into an underground region in need of dig. Here’s the strategy. First, dig straight down for about four spaces. Then run as far away from that spot as you can and dig four more spaces. Continue this to keep the Shy Guys from murdering you. Also, watch out for Cherries, which you should collect, and Ninjis jumping up the layers. And when you reach the fork in the road at the bottom, go right. In fact, stand against the right wall and dig so that you lift the Snifit here. Throw it at the nearby Shy Guy and then dig down to the door in peace. Open the door. Mini-Boss: Birdo Birdo is red now, and she can breathe fire. Ooh, I’m quaking in my boots now. Head right and lift a Mushroom Block. Carry it right, jump the gap, power squat to the next ledge, and then jump left onto the arena. Now launch that block into Birdo’s beak! Really, you have two options for beating Birdo. First, you can lift the eggs and throw them back at her like usual, or you can throw the Mushroom Block. I find the latter is easier because Birdo now has rapid-fire eggs where she launches three at a time, and at least one of them will be a fireball. So, just bash her with the Mushroom Block until the Crystal Ball is yours. Lift it and enter Hawkmouth to the right. +-----------------+ | Level 2-3 | +-----------------+ Player: Mario You start by climbing the ladder to the right to the surface. First, go left to find two Cherries, a ripe vegetable, and a pink Shy Guy. Collect them all and then go right, throwing the Shy Guy at an incoming Beezo. Now lift the first plant for a Magic Potion. Drop it to the left where you saw the Shy Guy and enter the door to collect no coins but do collect the Mushroom. Return right and lift the other four plants for ripe veggies, meaning that you get a Stopwatch to end this Beezo nightmare. When they are frozen, go right and jump up a few to reach the door above. It’s much harder when they’re moving. Take the door and lift the first plant to the right for a Magic Potion. Enter sub-space, take the Mushroom, and then exit sub-space. Exit the cave, reenter it, and then reenter sub- space. Lift the other tufts of grass for… major coinage! Do it again if you’d like. Now, to avoid a pummeling by Beezo, lift the second plant to the left of the door you enter by for a ripe vegetable. Repeat this until you have a Stopwatch. Now exit the cave and run right like a madman! You’ll pass cacti and bones until you reach two Cherries that should provide you with a Starman. With them, run right through a Pokey and Cobrat to reach the pyramid. Enter if you dare… You’ll reach two paths you can fall down. I recommend the right, as it contains two Cherries. When you reach the bottom, lift the POW Block and drop it to defeat the enemies. Now fall down to reach a Tweeter over some dig-able sand. You know the drill; dig down a few spaces, move away, dig, move away, dig, and so on. Collecting Cherries to get a Starman is also quite helpful. When you reach the door at the bottom, take it. Inside is… a key and Phanto. When the Spark is to the side, jump upward, grab the key, and run through the door. Luckily, going up is a lot faster than going down. Take the right route and start jumping like crazy. Dodge the Phanto as you climb and use the key on the locked door to reach… Boss: Tryclyde Tryclyde is a three-headed snake who, according to the guide, impressed Wart with his power and cunning to join his gang. Still, we haven’t reached Tryclyde yet. Shall we? Grab the Shy Guy nearby and run right over the sand to reach an opening. Throw the red Shy Guy you’re holding against the lower pink Shy Guy to make a path for you to run under the Panser. Now jump right over the cacti and then to the Cobrat. Pluck it from its pot and then take it down. Avoid the Shy Guy and lift the plant for a POW Block. Do not use it, though. Take it back to the surface with you and drop it to the right when you see the dual Cobrats. Now lift the Crystal Ball that was between them and go right to Hawkmouth. Take it to the real boss fight (even though the boss music was already playing). This “outsider” that is now a helper of Wart has a spelling error in the credits, calling it “Triclyde.” Either way you spell it, this guy makes Mouser look like a mouse. But do not fear. There is an easy way to beat this creature. First, go right to see the mighty Tryclyde, whose heads launch fireballs at you. Jump to avoid them and a Tweeter falls down to the ground. Drop there and lift the Tweeter, jumping back up the ledges until you can toss the Tweeter clear over the menacing beast. It will bounce off the wall, hit Tryclyde, bounce back up, fall down, bounce up, and fall again to land three quick hits on the snake. And that’s just enough to deliver Tryclyde to an everlasting sleep. Or is it? Enter the door with victory intact. ======================================================================= ===============================World 3*================================ ======================================================================= We are getting ever closer to the wicked Wart, having already defeated two of his minions. Our trek through the desert has taken us to the mountains, and we are so close to the clouds you could almost touch them. We are closing in on Wart’s fortress. What defense lies here? +-----------------+ | Level 3-1 | +-----------------+ Player: Toadstool I know we haven’t used Toad yet, but Toadstool is the best choice for this level. Walk right and jump across the gap to enter the door. Jump up these clouds, first. Simply avoid the Shy Guys and you’ll reach a Pidgit at the top. Jump onto its carpet when it swoops down and displace it. Now fly upward past the Beezos and you’ll reach a vine. Take it to the sky. Here’s an awesome shortcut that only Toadstool can use. Go left of the vine to find a large gap. Stand back and then run forward into a jump. Float over it and you’ll land by a door. Use it to be all the way to the mini-boss. Take a Bomb and drop it onto the wall to the left to blow it up. Now leave the other Bomb and jump onto the stack of breakable blocks to the left. Power squat jump from them and pull left a bit to reach the roof. Walk left over it and fall down to Birdo, that pesky monster. Skip straight ahead to the mini-boss below. For those of you who don’t want to use my awesome shortcut, I’ll guide you through the level normally. Go right of the vine and lift a Mushroom Block to throw at the Pnaser to the right. Now pluck the weeds to the right to find a Magic Potion. Drop it here and take the Mushroom from sub-space. We’ll resume when you return from sub-space. Go right of that ledge and pass over some cloud ledges to reach a Mushroom Block. Throw it into the Panser to the right and then continue right to reach a hallway. Lift the pink Shy Guy and throw it into the moving Panser to the right (the pink Panser). Now take the ladder down and pull up the first tuft of grass for a Magic Potion. Throw it to open a door and then collect the coins from the sub-space. When you reappear, pull the plants up for ripe vegetables until you get a Stopwatch. As time is frozen, take the ladder up, pass by the Panser and Shy Guy, both pink, and take the door to the mini-boss. Just go right to find her. Mini-Boss: Birdo Either way you get here, shortcut or not, you’ll square off with Birdo. This is the red sort that shoots flames, you see. Jump onto the eggs if it spits them and then grab it, retreating to the right edge of the platform to the left. Stay there until the coast is clear and then toss the egg into Birdo to land a hit. Two more will defeat it. Use the Crystal Ball and go through Hawkmouth. +-----------------+ | Level 3-2 | +-----------------+ Player: Toad Yeah, let’s give this little guy a chance to shine! When you start, an Ostro comes riding at you. These ostriches are usually ridden by Shy Guys. Toad has weak jumping skills but awesome lifting skills. Lift the Shy Guy lightning quick and throw it into the Ostro to defeat it. Now go right, jumping across the pillars and avoiding Beezos, and grab an unripe vegetable from the pile. Take it with you to find a stationary Panser to the right, the kind that shoots flame straight up. Defeat it with your vegetable and go right past two Ostros and a Snifit to reach a ledge (actually, lift the first Snifit you see to throw at the second Snifit below the ledge). Lift the first plant for a Magic Potion and drop it here. Take the Mushroom and the other three plants for coins. When you return from sub-space, go left and pick up a Bomb. Drop it onto the breakable blocks and then fall through when they blow up. Now go left to a ladder, which I suggest taking down to a cavernous area of several routes. Jump left over the gap and climb the ladder. Grab the leftmost Bomb plant, drop right over the edge and onto the lower level, and toss it left into the rock wall to blow a path in it. Now climb the ladder again, take the rightmost plant, and drop down to the lower route. Sprint left and throw the Bomb against the wall again. Now use the two remaining Bombs on the lower route to blow up paths through the two remaining walls. Before continuing, climb the ladder to a POW Block. Grab it and use it to defeat three Tweeters to the left. Now climb the ladder down, go left, power squat jump to the ladder, and climb it out of here. Just go left to another ladder and take it down. Here, jump across the platforms and Shy Guy to reach a ladder. Take it up to emerge on the surface. Now go left and take the ladder down. Man, this is getting repetitive. Drop to the upper route with all the Bomb plants and lift one. Stand right next to the edge and wait for the Bomb to flash for two seconds before dropping it. It should blow up the two middle blocks in the stack, letting you pass through (if you waste all your Bombs, just exit and reenter this screen). When you pass through, you’ll reach a ladder, but don’t take it just yet. Instead, go left to find four Porcupos, porcupine enemies that cannot be jumped on. Pick up the leftmost plant, a Bomb, and use it to blow up the right blocks that cover the right two Porcupos. Now lift the rightmost plant for a Magic Potion. Use it and enter sub- space. If you blew up the blocks correctly in Subcon, the Mushroom should be accessible in sub-space. Take the coins from the plants, return to the normal world, and go right to a ladder. Take it up to the surface. Go left to a door and open it to reach the mini-boss. Mini-Boss: Birdo Who else? And, since we’re this far into the game, Birdo is red (go left to find the arena). Here, I suggest standing against the right wall and waiting for Birdo to fire. If it is an egg, jump onto it and grab it, then retreat to the upper ledge until the barrage stops. If it is fire, just jump it and wait for the next egg. When the barrage does stop, drop down, hit Birdo, and then go back to the right wall. Repeat this until victory is yours and so is the Crystal Ball. Lift it and then go left to some Mushroom Blocks. Lift one to fall through, throw it away, and go right to Hawkmouth. +-----------------+ | Level 3-3 | +-----------------+ Player: Luigi Go right to some tiers. Hop up them and take the door to the outside world. Air! Calm now, go right and stop at the POW Block. Overhead, a large bird called an Albatross flies overhead to drop a Bob-omb on you. Two new enemies in one sitting… Albatrosses are just large birds that fly out of reach and drop enemies for the most part. Bob-ombs are walking explosives that will chase you until they’re fed up, blowing their tops and their bodies. Now go right and pick the rightmost plant for a Magic Potion. Go left to the POW Block and drop it there. Enter sub-space, take the Mushroom, collect the coins, and reappear in normal Subcon for another aerial attack. Lift the POW Block and take it right to drop when you see an Ostro and a Bob-omb. When they are all defeated, go right to a door. Take it inside a dungeon, just like in Level 1-3. Pluck the first plant to the left for a Turtle Shell. Slide it forward to plow through those Ninjis. Now pick the second plant to the left of you for a Magic Potion. Carry it right until you see the locked door and then drop the potion by it. Tada! In sub-space, climb the ladder and take the Mushroom. When you reappear, go right to the ladder and climb it to a Ninji pair. Throw the first into the second to defeat both in one shot. Now bound right across the Spark-ridden platforms to reach a door. Enter and jump up the ledges here, avoiding the Shy Guys that come from the pots, and you’ll reach a door. Take it to a key. Grab it and run! Out the door, run left through one side of the screen to appear through the other (you can throw the key to shoo away the Phanto) until you reach the door. Take it and throw the key left as you go to reach the locked door. Use the key and hurry in. Jump onto the first cross-shaped platform and jump right of it to the blue blocks. Duck in the right corner until the Spark passes and then power squat jump to the left onto the floor there. Now, wait for the Spark to start traveling up to go under this + platform and then jump from the blue platform to the ladder against the left wall. Jump from it to the other + platforms to reach another ladder to the right. Climb it, jump onto the square-shaped platform to the left, and then jump to the door. Take it, of course. Start jumping up the ledges, grabbing the first Tweeter to throw at the second, and you’ll reach a chain. Start up it, avoiding the fire of Pansers to the right, until you reach the top. From here, drop right to the next chain, climb up, drop to the next, and so on until you start up the rightmost chain. Jump from it to floor that a Snifit is guarding. Defeat it if you so desire and take the door. This is a complex dungeon… Jump left onto the blue block, wait for the Spark to start going down, and then crouch. When the upper Spark is going left, power squat jump up onto its platform. Collect the two Cherries and then jump right onto the platform here for a third Cherry. Now jump left into the alcove for two more Cherries. That’s five! Take the Starman that appears and you can beat up the Sparks! Or, you can pluck the plant by the fourth and fifth Cherries and drop the POW Block to defeat them! I suggest you save the POW Block for when you reach the platform with two Sparks on it as you ascend up them. When you reach a ladder, climb it to a door. Boss: Mouser Pluck the plant to the right for a Turtle Shell. Kick it right to slide through five Ninjis and then head across the bridge to reach the Crystal Ball. Use it and pass through Hawkmouth’s clamped beaks to reach the boss. Mouser, the “bomber of bad dreams that destroys good dreams,” that proud mouse who thinks he’s more than just a rodent, is back! The only real difference between this fight and the first is that a Spark is now circling around the wall, slightly complicating matters. First, run under the platform Mouser is on and wait for him to throw a Bomb (one) onto the upper ledge to the left. When he does, jump left, grab it, and then toss it into the middle of his platform. If the explosion hits Mouser, he takes one hit. Now, aside form green highlights that were pink, Mouser has changed in one other way: he takes five hits now. Do so and a door appears, marking your victory be creating a path to World 4. Now, I’ll reveal that we won’t fight Mouser again. But, in the original Doki Doki Panic, you fought Mouser three times. To make the game less repetitive, they changed the boss of World 5 from Mouser to another enemy, but who? More importantly, who is the master of World 4? ======================================================================= ===============================World 4*================================ ======================================================================= Drat! I hate this world, and you should, too. It’s an icy world where your traction is decreased (so is the enemy’s). Not too fun at all. Let’s go! +-----------------+ | Level 4-1 | +-----------------+ Player: Toad Go forward an enemy called a Flurry, little white blobs with terrible traction, will try to run into you. Jump it and then jump right over a gap (you’re over water, meaning Trouters will jump occasionally. Keep that in mind). Wait on the upper platform for a Flurry to charge over the edge of the platform to the right and then jump onto it. Jump to avoid more Flurries and go right until you see two tiers of ice path with a plant on the lower one. Let the Flurries kill themselves, drop to the lower level, and then create a door with the Magic Potion from the plant. Take the Mushroom and collect the coins from the plants until you reappear in Subcon. Go right past a Trouter and a Flurry to reach more running across ice and Flurry-jumping action until you reach land. Pluck some vegetables, one of which is a Magic Potion. Drop the Magic Potion and enter sub- space to take another Mushroom for your own, plus a few coins to boot. Now, in Subcon, drop to the lower level the rightmost plant is on and pick it to find a… rocket? Toad rides it up into the sky where you must fight the mini-boss shortly. That was a short level, as the mini- boss music is already playing. Go right past some stone floor to reach the ice. As you go, a new enemy approaches you. It’s an Autobomb, large rolling cannons that shoot fireballs at you. If you jump onto it, grab the Shy Guy riding it, and throw it at the Autobomb, you can defeat them both. Now continue right, jumping from the stalagmites over the Flurries and Autobombs. Make sure to grab one Flurry at the end so that you can always throw one at an oncoming Autobomb. At the end, take the stairs up and drop down to an icy veneer over what appears to be sand. Lift the Flurry and cast it into the Autobomb charging you. Continue up the stairs to reach a Crystal Ball, and then use Hawkmouth. +-----------------+ | Level 4-2 | +-----------------+ Player: Toad Go forward and climb the frozen vine up to a main screen of the level. As you go right, an onslaught of gray Beezos. This type of Beezo flies straight forward from the right edge of the screen. And they hurt. Walk forward slowly so that you can make your short hops over the Beezos as they come and have a little time to react. When you first reach the two Flurries, let all the Beezos pass by and then throw the Flurries into each other. Now continue forward, ducking or jumping when appropriate, until you reach a door on clouds. You see, Toad was the best choice because of his low jump, whereas Mario, Luigi, and Toadstool’s jumps were so high that they were more liable to get hit. Now take the door. You appear above a whale. Go left onto a small whale and lift the leftmost plant for a Magic Potion. Drop it there and take the Mushroom from the whale’s tail. Now return to the Subcon and jump right onto the first whale. Note: If you die after collecting coins twice, you can repeat the cycle of Magic Potions and coins over and over for more coins until you want to finish the level with your life intact. Continue until you’re satisfied with your coin count and your life count. This is a good way to get gambling money for the slots. When the water spout is not up, pass right on its back and jump to the tail of the whale. Jump to the next whale, stand over it spout’s hole, and then ride it up to a Cherry. Jump right to the icy platform and jump right through the Cherry to another whale. Now jump from it to dry land to the right and make your way to the second ledge. Lift the rightmost plant for a Magic Potion. It can be used in the same manner as the first by dropping it on the leftmost whale for a loop of coins (see the note above). Now go right onto the whale’s back. Use the water to reach a Cherry and then repeat on the next whale (only on the next, you’ll want to throw the Snifit into the deep). Now you should get a Starman. Run right through whale’s water and Shy Guys until you reach a dead-end. Use the water spout to reach the block above and go right along it (there’s one Flurry to look out for) until you reach a lone plant. Pluck it to be rocketed up to a new screen. We just “skyrocketed” in elevation. Ha, weak pun. Go right and drop into the alcove for a Cherry. Now throw the Shy Guy off the Autobomb, but do not destroy the Autobomb. First go right and pluck the plant for a Magic Potion. Carry it onto the Autobomb and ride across the spikes for four more Cherries (Starman!) and the exit. Or, if you found the Autobomb too difficult to mount, you could always ride the Shy Guy across the spikes. At the end, avoid the Porcupos and drop the Magic Potion onto land. Take the Mushroom there and, when you reappear in normal world, go right and take the door to the mini-boss. Mini-Boss: Birdo Who’d you expect? Power squat jump onto the ledge to the right and then jump right onto the edge of an icy platform. It’s red Birdo, and she’s angry. Stand there and wait for her to launch an egg. When she does, jump and grab it swiftly (you’re Toad, remember?), and then jump over any more eggs or fireballs she fires. When she pauses, throw the egg at her. Now fall back to the edge of the ice (the left edge, that is). When you’ve struck her three times with her own eggs, take the Crystal Ball and go right between Hawkmouth’s sturdy beaks. +-----------------+ | Level 4-3 | +-----------------+ Player: Toadstool Go right, climb the ladder, and take the door to the outside world. Look! It’s our old chum, the pink version of Birdo! How you doing, Birdo? In any case, jump onto the ledge above her and take the plant for a Magic Potion. Head left all the way, use it on one of the lower stalagmites, and then power squat jump to the Mushroom in sub-space. Now return to Birdo. Take the cave door you came through and then go back through it to the outside. Take the Magic Potion and hold it. Jump over her and stand to the right. When she fires an egg at you, stand on it and ride it right over the water to a stone platform. When you land, use the Magic Potion, and then pick the plants for major coinage. Now get on the top tier of the stone formation and jump right onto a bridge. Take this route if you want a shortcut. The upshot of this is a quick path to the boss of World 4. Unfortunately, you’ll face him with only three marks. So, take it at your own risk. Run forward to a door, but do not take it. Instead, make a running jump to the right and float over the water (this can only be done as Toadstool) to another bridge. Ignore the first door and enter the second (watch out for a Beezo). Now that’s a shortcut! Or, if you want to play through the level normally, take the first door you come to. This is just a long, vertical tower filled with ice platforms and Flurries. All you must do is jump up them, hover in place to let Flurries run right under you, and then continue jumping upward until you reach a door. Take it to be outside. Go right, lift the plant for a Magic Potion, and then go left to two clouds. Jump across them (power squat jumping to the second) to get on top of the castle. Jump across its top until you reach the rightmost piece of roof. Set the potion there. Take the door into sub-space, claim your Mushroom, and return to regular Subcon. Drop left and take the here to return to the fortress of World 4. Jump onto the first red Shy Guy you see. He will across the spikes for you. Ride him down all the way to a door, which you should take. Inside, defeat the Flurries by slamming one into the other. Then take the key and run! Go right and run down these tiers as quickly as possible. Phanto will be chasing you, and a few Flurries will make life difficult for you. Throw the key into the Flurries to 1) defeat the Flurries, and 2) keep Phanto off your back for a while. When you reach the descending platforms, just run across them to the locked door, holding the key the entire time. At the end, use the key on the locked door. You’re outside. Go right, avoid the Beezo, and take the door. Boss: Fryguy Go right and lift the Crystal Ball to open Hawkmouth’s beaks. Welcome to Fryguy’s chamber, the fiery boss of this icy world. Fryguy is a living flame who was, according to the manual, given life to by Wart. So, is this Wart’s son? Either way, prepare for an easy fight. First, grab a Mushroom Block. You’ll fall down to the floor, and so you should quickly jump back up the top platform. Stand on the left side, jump, and hover there. Face left. When Fry Guy swoops in to the left beneath you, drop the Mushroom Block onto him. This way, you’ll avoid his lame fire-dropping attack and hurt him all at once. After three hits, Fryguy seems defeated, but he divides into four smaller versions of himself. They will chase you, making it easy to lure them into one of the depressions on the ground (that is, lure them onto the floor and between the left wall and the three Mushroom Blocks there). Grab a Mushroom Block, hover over them, and drop it onto them to defeat them all in one fell swoop, err, drop. If you don’t hit all of them, just grab another Mushroom Block to throw at it. Afterward, take the door out of World 4. What does fate have in store for us in the next new world? ======================================================================= ===============================World 5*================================ ======================================================================= This seems to be a nighttime version of World 1 as far as theme is concerned, but maybe a bit more tropical. It’s much more difficult, of course, as we are nearing Wart’s fortress. Who was it that asked us to save them, and why? We can find out only if we play through this, the fifth world. +-----------------+ | Level 5-1 | +-----------------+ Player: Luigi Go right to find an Ostro with Shy Guy on top. Lift the Shy Guy, leaving the Ostro to fend for itself, and walk right to find a Panser. Throw the Shy Guy into the killer plant to beat them both. Now go right, fall to the lower ledge, and jump left across the ledges to a door. Take it, Mr. Green. Go right and do not pull on the first grass tuft; it is a Bob-omb waiting to blow up. But, do pull the second for a Magic Potion. Keep it for now; don’t use it yet. Jump right over the gap and up the ledges to reach an underwater waterfall with logs rolling off it. Jump across them, avoiding the Trouter between the third and fourth log, and stop when you reach land. Jump across the next gap by hopping across Trouters. Jump over the next gap with Luigi’s awesome jumps and then jump across the Trouters again to reach a platform with two weeds on it just hanging in the air there. Use the potion there and enter sub- space. First, collect the coins by pulling out the plants. Then jump left for the Mushroom. When you reappear in Subcon, lift the plants for a 1-Up and another Magic Potion. Use Trouters and rolling logs ahead to get onto the final log. Jump from it to the roof to the right and then fall into the second hole there. Drop the Magic Potion, enter sub-space, and claim the Mushroom as your own. Then, in Subcon, pull the Mushroom Block you’re on from under you to fall to the floor below. Lift the first plant for yet another Magic Potion! Use it, collect the coins from sub-space, and use the door to the right when you find yourself in Subcon once more. Mini-Boss: Birdo Though this is supposed to be green Birdo, it looks more like gray to me. Either way, this type of Birdo spits only flames at a rapid pace. Run under the platform it’s on and jump for the Mushroom Block. Take it and let Birdo fall to the ground below. Stay on the little elevated tier of land the Mushroom Block was on for safety. When you’re ready, throw the Mushroom Block onto Birdo. She is stunned! Jump forward and land on the bewildered beast’s head. When it stops, drop down from the head and retrieve the Mushroom Block, jumping into the air afterward to avoid her flames. Now stand in the left corner, jumping the flames easily, until you have a chance to toss the block into her. Hit! Now you must retrieve it once more using the head-fall technique. One more blow and you’ve won the toughest Birdo fight yet. Take the Crystal Ball and go right to Hawkmouth. Mission complete. +-----------------+ | Level 5-2 | +-----------------+ Player: Toad Climb the ladder and take the door out of this cave. Go right to find three Hoopsters climbing up and down the trunks of these trees, as well as an oncoming Ostro. Repeat this to the right and then power squat jump up to a ledge with a vase on it. Crouch on it to take it down and then fall down to the bottom of it. Pick the Bomb from the tuft and drop it on the ground to create a path downward. Here, lift the plants for a ripe vegetable and a Magic Potion. Avoid the Shy Guy and Porcupos here as you make your way out to drop the Magic Potion right outside. Take coins from the plants and then fall to the Mushroom. Now return to Subcon. Go right, jumping the Porcupos below to land on an Ostro. Fling the Shy Guy rider off and go right. Ahead are two trees with one Hoopster to each. Do not pick the plant at the foot of the second tree, though; it is a Bob-omb ready to blow. Instead, ride the second Hoopster up and jump right onto the ledge there. Now jump across the next few Hoopsters, but stop when you see a Panser. Let the Hoopster before it rise all the way before you jump over the Panser and land on the pillar right of it. From there, jump onto the ledge to the right and pick the third plant on the little platform here for a POW Block. Use it on a Porcupo and an Ostro to the right before you climb a vine to the very right into the sky. Beezos occasionally attack you here, but you’ll be so slow that they won’t hit you. Go up the first vine you start on until a second vine becomes available, which is the one you should take. The only real danger on it are Snifit bullets, but you can dodge them if you wait for them to pass. At the top, drop to the right vine and then onto the cloud. Go right to the door. Prepare for a fall. The diagram below should show you what this screen is like and how to move. Note that this is a rough estimate (it’s hard to count blocks when you’re falling), but it should be accurate. +-----------------------+ | PICTURE KEY | +-----------------------+ |W = Wall | |- = Bridge | |D = Door | |P = POW Block | |T = Trouter | |Falls = Waterfall | |^ = Spike | +-----------------------+ WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WD WW WW------P------WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW^ ^WW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW^ ^WWW WWWW WWWW WWWW^ ^WWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW ^ WWWWW WWWWW W WWWWW WWWWW W^ WWWWW WWWWW^ WW WWWWW WWWWWW WW ^WWWWW WWWWWW W WWWWW WWWWWW W WWWWW WWWWWW W WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW^ WWWWW WWWWWWW^ WWWWW WWWWWWWW^ WWWWW WWWWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW ^WWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW WWWWW ^WWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWWW WWWWW WWWWWWW WWWW WWWWW WWWW WWWWW WWW WWWW WWW WWWW WW WWW WW WWW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW WW ^WW WW WWW WW WWW WW WWWW WW WWWW WW DWWW WWWWW- - - WWWWW WWWWW T T WWWWW WWWWW Falls WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW WWWWW Fall, avoiding the spikes, and land toward the right so that you’re above the door to exit by. When you do, you’ll reach… Mini-Boss: Birdo Thankfully, it’s not that gray/green nightmare from before. This time, we’re fighting a red Birdo. First, you fight over a bridge, meaning a Trouter is below. When the Trouter jumps upward, grab it and toss it into Birdo. This gets it out of the way and it lands a hit. Then stand just right of the hole in the bridge and jump onto the eggs Birdo spits when they come. If it’s a fireball, just jump over it. Wait for Birdo to let up in her fire and pelt her with it. One more such shot will have her beat. When you win, go right into Hawkmouth’s gaping mouth. +-----------------+ | Level 5-3 | +-----------------+ Player: Mario Note: If you want to reach the warp point, use Luigi. Otherwise, use Mario. See “World Warps” for more information on this. Go right and take the ladder up to the surface. Lift the first plant to the right for a Magic Potion. Now jump right through a rain of Bob- ombs from Albatrosses and then drop the Magic Potion at the end when you see all the planted veggies. In sub-space, collect coins and the Mushroom. Then take all the plants but leave the left one for last. It is another Magic Potion, which can be used there for more coins. Now return to Subcon. Run right past more Bob-ombs until you reach a block wall. If you lead enough of them to it and throw them into it, they’ll blow it up for you. Now, inside, throw the Bomb plant here against the wall to the right to blow it up. There is now a path to the ladder, but we want to make one small detour first. Use a power squat jump to get on top of the ledge above and lift the middle grass tuft for a Magic Potion. Drop into the first compartment you used a Bob-omb to open and use the potion there to reach the second Mushroom. When you reappear, go right and take the ladder down. Go left and avoid the Bob-ombs to reach… a Panser. Throw one of the bombs at it and then go left to a door, which you should take into the fortress. You come out to a Spark that looks like it’s on amphetamines; it’s moving faster than any you’ve ever seen before. Go right and lift the Mushroom Block when it’s safe and fall down and continue grabbing Mushroom Blocks and working your way down until you hit bottom. From here, run left and get onto the stack. Jump up to the wooden platform here and hop up them past Spark and Bob-omb to the top. Stand on the Mushroom Blocks to the right and power squat jump upward to a wooden platform. Since this section wraps around, let the pink Panser come out you and then go right through the opening to appear on the other side of the screen to avoid its fire when it gets close. Continue up this path until you reach a door. Take it. Mini-Boss: Birdo Go right to some plants and pluck them for four ripe vegetables, which should be enough to get a Stopwatch. Run right, grab a Snifit, defeat it, and then wait for the effect to wear off. Now let the Pidgit fly toward you and jump onto it. Throw off the Pidgit and fly right onto a red platform. Avoid some Beezos coming at you and then jump across the cloud platforms. As you go, lift Shy Guys to throw at the next Shy Guys and you’ll reach red Birdo. Easy! Stand to the left of it and jump over fireballs, gather eggs, wait for her to stop, and throw them at her. Do it three times over and you’ll win, getting the Crystal Ball. Lift it to make it disappear. Now go right to Hawkmouth. Boss: Clawgrip Clawgrip, called “Clawglip” in the credits of the game, is a crab skilled at throwing rocks. Jump right until you see the beast. Stand by it, ducking as you do so, and you’ll observe its crazy mannerisms. It throws a boulder (or attempts to), but it bounces to the left against a wall. That’s when to jump to the boulder and hoist it up above your head. Jump right now onto the steps before the monster and wait for it to be grabbing a boulder to jump and hurl the boulder against its tough shell. Five of these hits will defeat Clawgrip. I guess he was just “crabby.” Ha! Well, at least you didn’t have to fight a Mouser again, the original fifth boss in Doki Doki Panic. ======================================================================= ===============================World 6*================================ ======================================================================= We’re back in the desert, and it’s tougher than ever. This is the last world before Wart’s fortress, and stragglers will be terminated. Strap on your game face, my friend, ‘cause this is going to hurt. +-----------------+ | Level 6-1 | +-----------------+ Player: Toadstool Jump right and float over a Cobrat to a pile of bones. Hover right onto another Cobrat that pops out of the ground and then to one in the vase. Throw it out and take the vase down. At the bottom, pluck the plant for a Magic Potion. Don’t use it here, though. Jump out and hover right onto the bones. Use the Magic Potion there and take the Mushroom that falls into the sub-space before it is absorbed by the quicksand. When you reappear, a Pokey will be coming at you. Jump and hover over it to some cacti, non-moving, and continue hovering right over all this super-mega-quicksand until you head up a small ledge after two potted Cobrats. After them are two more Pokeys to float over. Then throw down the Magic Potion by the structure to the right, claim the Mushroom, and pull up the plants for coins. When out of sub-space, enter the structure by the door. Go right and lift the Mushroom Block over the vase. Take it down and fall to the bottom. Dig your way down to find a 1-Up among the plants. Now exit that jar and enter the fifth jar from the right. Inside, dig down past an inactive Phanto to reach a key. Dig it up, grab it, and jump your way out of there. When you emerge, jump right over the jars and Mushroom Block, throwing the key before you land. Keep throwing it until you reach the locked door. Take it to the mini-boss. Mini-Boss: Birdo Go right, lift a Mushroom Block, and jump up the steps until you can see it – green Birdo. Unlike the first one, this actually does appear green. Luckily, though, you can defeat it with ease. First, jump right and hover over Birdo. When you’re to the left of her, drop the Mushroom Block square onto her head. Ouch! Then land on the head, avoiding the fire the entire time. Power squat jump left, fall down to the Mushroom Blocks when the fire is clear, and grab it. Repeat the process until Birdo, green as she is, is beaten. Take the Crystal Ball to open Hawkmouth’s beak to the right. +-----------------+ | Level 6-2 | +-----------------+ Player: Toadstool This is an EASY level. At the very beginning, an Albatross is flying below you. Drop onto its back and fly right. For the rest of the level, just power squat jump and hover over enemies and obstacles, always returning to the Albatross’s back to continue flying right over otherwise impassable gaps. At the end, take the door to the mini-boss. Mini-Boss: Birdo An easy mini-boss for an easy level. Even though Birdo is green, the odds are stacked in our favor. Immediately upon entry, run forward and drop into the pit. Here, Birdo’s flames will just barely pass over you, letting you stand there in safety (because Birdo is on a platform). When she lets up, jump onto the Mushroom Block on the ground and lift it. Now, when Birdo is close, stand back and throw the Mushroom Block into her. She will be stunned for a second. Jump back and grab the Mushroom Block. Hit her again and then jump up the platforms until you are on the one right over the arena. When Birdo steps under you, drop the other Mushroom Block on the platform onto her, landing the third and final hit. Lift the Crystal Ball and jump right to Hawkmouth, now open. +-----------------+ | Level 6-3 | +-----------------+ Player: Toad Jump upward and take the ladder out of here. Now, I highly, highly recommend you take the shortcut here. It cuts out the great, great majority of the level, and this level is awful. So, here’s how to use the shortcut (this will be the main guide). Go left and get into the quicksand. Hold left on the D-Pad and keep sinking until you can pass under the wall here. Now press A repeatedly to stay alive and continue under the wall to reach a door. Take it, jump across the clouds, and then enter the pyramid to the right. Now skip down ahead to the mini- boss paragraph below. If you choose not to use the shortcut, here’s a brief description of getting through this lousy place. Basically, go right repeatedly past hordes of monsters until you reach a cave. Enter it and use Bob-ombs to blow up a series of walls to lead to an exit to the cave. After that, ascend a huge vertical series of vines filled with Hoopsters until you reach the clouds. Then go right to a pyramid, which you should enter for the mini-boss. That’s the highly condensed version. Mini-Boss: Birdo Jump right and pick up the Mushroom Block. Crouch and power squat jump to the upper path here. Quickly give that red Birdo a piece of your mind – a block in the face. Now stand left on the edge of the hole (the left edge) and catch two eggs to throw them back at Birdo. Presto! Use the Crystal Ball and pass through Hawkmouth to the right. Boss: Tryclyde Get ready to fight! Go right, jump onto the ledge, and then drop onto the Mushroom Blocks. Rush right onto the rightmost block and stand there (Tryclyde’s fire cannot hit you there). Grab the block and duck. When the fire is passing, power squat jump and launch the Mushroom Block straight into the beast. Then get the second Mushroom Block and get to the right edge. Power squat jump to hit Tryclyde again. Then use the third Mushroom Block in the same way to land the final hit on the beast. That’s the last time we fight it… Now use the door to pass into World 7. ======================================================================= ===============================World 7*================================ ======================================================================= We are outside the sky fortress of Wart, the evil conqueror of Subcon. Though only two levels long, it features some of the toughest levels in the game. After all, these are the last two levels. Here’s where it counts. Let’s let the Mario Brothers finish up, shall we? +-----------------+ | Level 7-1 | +-----------------+ Player: Luigi Again, this is a long level. So, we’re going to use a shortcut! Hooray, I know. But, you must be Luigi. Climb the ladder you start in. If you mess up at the next pat, just take the ladder down and go up again to restart it. Climb the ladder all the way up and jump right onto the pillar here. Crouch immediately to build up power and then power squat jump to the Albatross above. This may take a few tries, though, but it is very rewarding when done. Now ride the Albatross left, jumping over pillars, until you see a ladder. Jump between the pillars and lift the plant to uncover a… rocket. Blast upward to a later point in the level. Run right and grab the Tweeter to throw it into the gray Snifit. Continue going until you reach another gray Snifit. Grab it and drop over the other side of the pillar. Walk down the path to the left and get between two Shy Guys. Just keep marching between them until you reach a Ninji. Then jump right of it, onto the gray Snifit to the right, and up the ladder you go. Jump up the cloud platforms until you reach an arch of Mushroom Blocks. Pull one from the side and set it on the top. Stand on it, avoid the Sparks, and power squat jump to reach the cloud above. Ride the Hoopsters up the ladder. Now move to the central ladder and go up it when the Snifit’s bullets are past. At the top, jump to the right ladder and enter the house you come to up here in the skies. This is the gate to Wart’s fortress, guarded by… Mini-Boss: Birdo Grab the Mushroom Block to the right and jump right over Birdo’s fire (this is the gray type, the same as the green type) to get onto Birdo’s head. When Birdo is backing up to the right, drop the Mushroom Block onto her head for a hit. Score! Now drop onto the block while she’s stunned, lift it, and jump before you get hit by fire. Land on her head and repeat the process until victory is yours. Alternately, get on the left edge of the arena, jump over the fire, and toss the Mushroom Block into Birdo. Then, as she moves as far to the left as she goes, and jump over her onto the Mushroom Block. When the fire stops, pick it up and throw it into her. Repeat this one more time, reversing it, to beat Birdo. Either way you win, congrats on defeating the final mini-boss Birdo of the game. Lift the Crystal Ball and go through Hawkmouth’s beak. +-----------------+ | Level 7-2 | +-----------------+ Player: Mario Go right to find two Snifits. Jump onto the first and throw it into the second, and head right afterward. Grab the next Snifit to cast it into the fourth and go right to the castle’s entrance. Advance, brave plumber. Notice the Ninji above. It is no doubt Wart’s watchdog, used to alert the castle of your coming. Inside, you’re immediately dropped onto a conveyor belt. Grab the Shy Guy and throw it into the next, but be sure to jump over the third. Go right to jump to another conveyor belt ahead and walk forward on it; this conveyor belt moves to the left to push you into a gap. Jump over the Ninjis and continue forward to a pot with Bob-ombs pouring out. Jump over them and jump to the next conveyor belt. Go right, jumping over the fireballs of Pansers, and take a chain at the end up to a new room of the castle. Go left and stand on the very edge of the ledge above so that you are standing but the Spark isn’t hitting you. Pass under it as it’s rising and go forward to a room with a Spark circling around the perimeter. Jump over it when it gets close and go left under the Spark just like the previous one to a chain. Climb up it to reach a new room with more chains. Jump right onto the chain there and then jump to the chain left of it. Proceed up it to find a room full of Sparks. First, stand against the chain to the left and wait for the Spark to start rising to run under the first Spark. Stop at the chain. Now, wait for the next Spark to start rising to run to the next chain. Now, when both Sparks here are rising, run under them to a final chain in this room. Take it up to a new room of the same screen. Jump onto the platform to the right and then jump onto the upper one, ducking as not to be hit by the Sparks. When they are out of the way, jump onto the left block and then to the left chain. Start up it and enter the door at the top to be outside the castle. Jump to the left and fall down to avoid the fire of a Panser. You land on the left edge of the screen. Go right under the fireballs and past the Tweeters to reach a ladder. Take it down and take the door. Grab the right shrub for a Magic Potion. Use it and take the Mushroom in sub-space. Now take the door you entered this room from to go back outside. Climb the ladder and jump onto the blocks to be under the Panser. When it stops firing, hop to the right of it and jump to the ladder. Quickly climb and take the door back inside. Jump through the blocks above and get on the pillar. Jump from it to the platform to the right and then jump to the one to the left. Jump onto the right one’s pillar and then onto the blocks to the right. Now power squat jump to the platform to the left. Jump up them to a chain and take it up to a door, which you want to take to… Mini-Boss: Hawkmouth Go right and drop the POW Block down onto the Sparks to defeat them. Now get up to the conveyor belt, duck to avoid oncoming Sparks, and let it carry you right to a chain. Take it down to a conveyor belt on which Birdo has surgically a key to itself, a red one, by the way. It’s the last Birdo of the game. Stand right, let it fire eggs, grab them, throw them, jump over eggs, rinse and repeat until Birdo loses. Take the key and Phanto comes to life. Go through the door here and rush left to a locked door (throw the key through any Sparks in your way). Use it to emerge in a new room. Go right, lift the Crystal Ball, and… what the…? Bumbling Bob-ombs! Hawkmouth popped off the wall and is chasing you! In the original Doki Doki Panic, there was no such boss; this is a surprise mini-boss. Run left, avoiding the phantom hawk head as you flee in a crazed terror, and grab a Mushroom Block to the left, and throw it through it. Grab the next Mushroom Block while it’s stunned and hurl it at the beast. Then run under it while it’s stopped and take one of the Mushroom Blocks you threw. Toss it back through Hawkmouth and it opens its mouth. JUMP IN, NOW! If you don’t, it shakes off the damage you’ve dealt it and you’ll have to fight that creepy, spectral head again. You’ll fall down to the room that houses the Dream Machine. BOSS: WART Go right to find a machine spewing vegetables. Each vegetable marks a bad dream being created for those in the waking world. And beyond it is an obese frog/toad, Wart. It spits bubbles. Of course, stupid Wart has a machine shooting out vegetables, his only weakness (how fortunate for us!). Stand below the machine’s main valve and wait for a vegetable to be spat out. Catch it and dodge a barrage of bubbles. Then go right and wait for Wart to open his mouth to shoot more. Throw the vegetable into his mouth and… bam! We hit him! For such a dumb boss, though, he sure is tough. Dodge the bubbles and throw a whopping total of six vegetables into his mouth, down his esophagus, and into his stomach to hand him defeat. He turns pale as a ghost, stops breathing, and is defeated. Take the door that appears… Mario jumps forward and opens a jar to free the Subcon fairies. Eight in all, they are reunited to give good dreams to all once more. They pass over Wart’s battered body in legions of screaming fans as they hail their heroes standing above. They name a Contributor, whoever beat the most levels (for you, everybody equaled), and then we see the true nature of the adventure. Then, we see that it was all just a dream had by Mario. He wakes up briefly and then snoozes again. So begins the credits… In them, they show all the enemies’ names. Just watch for all the discrepancies. They call Hoopster “Hoopstar,” they misidentify Ostro and Birdo, they say “Clawglip” and “Triclyde,” and then they show Wart laughing. The screen then reads, in fine cursive against the blue background, The End. But really, this shows a lot about Mario. Well, first, maybe everyone had this dream, but let’s assume only Mario did. His attention- garnering nature that has caused him to act heroically (his superego to put things in Dr. Freud’s terms) causes him to dream of bringing glory to a land of his own invention, but in waking moments his controlled side (his id) causes him to be but a humble plumber with remarkable jumping abilities. This would mean that Mario does not save Mushroom Kingdom out of patriotism or a sense of duty to his nation, but instead as a subconscious (“Subcon”) means to receive attention, of which he was most likely deprived due to the birth of his younger brother Luigi as Mario was growing up. This is one possibility for the ending. Or, it is possible that the entire group had this dream, or that they could enter Subcon only be dreaming. This means that they might have actually saved Subcon in reality, but they were put to sleep afterward and put in their own beds. That’s reaching pretty far, though. Interpret it however you’d like, though. For now, let’s let this plumber take a well-deserved rest. CONGRATULATIONS! You beat the game. But, don’t quit just yet. There’s always the prospect of playing again to hone your skills or give your favorite character a shot at being the Contributor. After all, you can’t save on the NES version. Why not give it a try? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 3*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= =============================World Warps*============================== ======================================================================= This is a tough game with no saves for some people, and so there are multiple chances to warp to different worlds in any game. These are basically the equivalent of Warp Zones in Super Mario Bros. All of them are listed below. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Warp to World __ Location: Level _____ Notes: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Above is the setup and below is the list. Note that, when warping, you always start in the first level of a world you warp to. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Warp to World 4 Location: Level 1-3 Notes: Use Luigi for this, although any character can do it. From where you start, power squat jump to the upper ledge and jump right through a total of four Cherries to land on walking Snifits. Chuck one into the other to defeat them both and then lift the plants to the right before the bridge, one of which yielding a Magic Potion. Use it and go left onto the bridge for the Mushroom. But, do not get the Cherry! Instead, get it to the right in non-sub-space to become invincible out here. Run right to find Trouters, fish that jump out of the water to try to hit you. Just jump over them using Luigi’s famed bicycle kick and you’ll reach a waterfall. Jump across them for a seventh and eighth Cherry and you’ll reach five plants. Lift all of them for five ripe vegetables, giving you a Stopwatch. Use it by jumping right over a gap and taking a Cherry above and then lifting the leftmost plant for a Magic Potion. With it in hand, go as far right as you can past the door you’d normally enter into the dungeon and stop when you see a vase. Enter sub-space there and take the vase down in sub-space. You’ll skip all the way to World 4. Impressive, no? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Warp to World 5 Location: Level 3-1 Notes: At the very beginning of the level when you must climb up the clouds that lead to a Pidgit’s magic carpet, fall down the waterfall, staying in the very center (it is a good idea to use Luigi for this. His bicycle kick slows the fall, letting you maneuver about a bit if you need to). As you fall, you’ll reach a small platform with a door on it. Take this door, of course (what else are you going to do?). Go right to a row of plants. Pick the tenth one for a Magic Potion and then go left until you see a jar. Drop the Magic Potion there and enter the vase in sub-space to warp exactly two levels ahead. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Warp to World 6 Location: Level 4-2 Notes: When you pass the Beezos and reach the whales, go right, and you’ll find a Magic Potion after six plants containing not-so-ripe vegetables. Now go right until you see a vase below an icy path. Continue right of it and drop onto the whale. Jump left of its back to the vase. Now let the Magic Potion go. In sub-space, take the vase down to World 6. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Warp to World 7 Location: Level 5-3 Notes: This one’s at the very start. I recommend being Luigi for this. Go forward, climb the ladder out of the starting place, and then go right a bit. Power squat jump to the top of the ledge, pick the plants for a Magic Potion, and use it. Now take the vase down to World 7. It can be done with other characters, too, though. That is, the others can ride Albatrosses left to the ledge where they can then pick up the Magic Potion and enter the vase in sub-space, but it is much more difficult than crouching, holding, and jumping. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- And there you have it! Depending on where you are, utilize this list to skip ahead a few levels. But, there’s no need to plan the shortest route through the game. No, I have that all figured out below. ======================================================================= ===========================Minimalist Quest*=========================== ======================================================================= Utilizing world warps (see the above section for details), it is possible to cut out many levels of the game. Unfortunately, only 50 % of the game is possible to skip. Mario games usually require much less effort. Super Mario World, for example, required only about 12.24 % of the game had to be beaten to view the credits. Here’s a little guide through the game, doing as little as possible. Let laziness thrive! 1) Beat Level 1-1. 2) Beat Level 1-2. 3) Play in Level 1-3, but do not beat it normally. Instead, use the warp in it to go to World 4 (see the above section for details involving warping to World 4 from Level 1-3). 4) Beat Level 4-1. 5) Play into Level 4-2, but do not find the normal exit. Instead, use the secret exit to warp to World 6. If you don’t know how or it slipped your mind, see the above section to learn all the steps involved in this. 6) Beat Level 6-1. 7) Beat Level 6-2. 8) Beat Level 6-3. 9) Beat Level 7-1. 10) Beat Level 7-2, finishing off Wart. Amazingly, we only played ten of the twenty levels to do beat the game and see the ending. Of course, 50 % is quite a bit of the game compared to other games. Less than an eighth was needed for Super Mario World, only a fourth for Super Mario Bros., and but 43 % of it in Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan). Still, it’s better than 100 %, now isn’t it? ======================================================================= ==============================1-Up Trick*============================== ======================================================================= Every Mario game has a trick to getting lots of 1-Ups, usually by getting them in a continuous loop. But, since the only way to get them in this game is by using 1-Up Mushrooms that you can get only once in a level or to gamble on the slots at the end of a level, we can run into difficulties. The best way to get many extra lives is to get many extra coins, and here’s how. 1) Have multiple lives, high amounts for the best effects, and find a large number of plants. It helps to have a cliff nearby to help you kill your character quickly (I’ll explain later). Go to the plants with a Magic Potion. 2) Use the Magic Potion and enter sub-space. Pluck all the plants for coins. 3) If you can, exit and reenter the screen to use the Magic Potion to collect the coins again. Now, if you continue collecting plants in sub-space, you’ll only get unripe vittles. Time to circumvent that with a little loophole! 4) Kill your character. Now you can collect coins again in sub-space (that is, repeat steps # 2 and # 3). 5) Repeat step # 4 until you have just enough lives to finish the level. Now beat the level and play the slots. If you’re good with the slots, you’ll have tons of coins to get tons of lives. Maybe it’ll be a bit easier if you get some practice manning the slot machine beforehand. But, it should be good enough to at least restore the lives you sacrificed, even if you just press buttons randomly. Good luck! ======================================================================= ==========================Mushroom Locations*========================== ======================================================================= In the guide, we occasionally skip Mushrooms. Or, if you don’t want to use a complete walkthrough but you still need a bit of help, this section can supply some answers to your questions. What are you waiting for? Read! Note: 2-1 and 6-2 don’t have two Mushrooms, just one. How ironic. +-----------------+ | Level 1-1 | +-----------------+ 1) In the second screen, left of the first POW Block and right of the first Tweeter, take a vine up to a ledge. Grab the plant for a Magic Potion and use it to reach the Mushroom’s sub-space. 2) After the cave part of the level, right before you reach the first Hoopster, grab and throw the plant (Magic Potion) near there to enter sub-space. Here’s the Mushroom in plain sight. +-----------------+ | Level 1-2 | +-----------------+ 1) After the Pidgit’s carpet ride, you’ll reach two vases with a Magic Potion plant between them. Use aforementioned plant to enter sub-space and claim the Mushroom. 2) In the cave part of the level, use Bombs to destroy all the walls here so that the place is navigable. Now use the Magic Potion from one of those tufts to reach the lower-right (the lower-left in sub-space) compartment where the Mushroom is. +-----------------+ | Level 1-3 | +-----------------+ 1) When you reach the wooden bridge with a Shy Guy on it, lift the second plant and throw the Magic Potion to find a Mushroom right on the center plank. 2) Go right before the door to the dungeon and you’ll see a Shy Guy before two Ninjis by a few plants. Lift one for a Magic Potion and then double back to the logs rolling over the waterfall. Jump from it to the adjacent platform to the right (with all the ripe vegetables on it), drop the potion, and take the Mushroom for yourself +-----------------+ | Level 2-1 | +-----------------+ 1) After the second vase of the level, jump onto the ledge to the right, search the plants for a Magic Potion (I’ll give you a hint: it’s the leftmost one), and then drop it. Enter sub-space and lay your hands on another luscious Mushroom. 2) Sorry, no second Mushroom for you. +-----------------+ | Level 2-2 | +-----------------+ 1) There’s a Magic Potion between two vases on the same ledge. Drop it toward the right vase, enter sub-space, take Mushroom, and don’t worry; be happy. 2) In the first cave part of the level reached by entering the door below a ledge by a Cobrat (not the digging cave), pick up the Bomb to the right and then blow up the wall to the left. Now advance left to reach a plant on the upper platform for a Magic Potion. Drop it and take the Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 2-3 | +-----------------+ 1) Right after the first ladder, go right to a plant, the first, which happens to have a Magic Potion attached. Go left to find a pink Shy Guy. Throw the potion there and take the Mushroom in the amazing, backward sub-space. 2) Pretty soon, a large number of red Beezos attack you right under a door just out of reach. If you’re Luigi, you can power squat jump to the door and enter. If not, jump onto the Beezos and jump to the door. Inside, pull the first tuft to the right for a Magic Potion. Use it for a Mushroom and a whole mess of coins. This is a good place for the 1-Up Trick (see the above section). +-----------------+ | Level 3-1 | +-----------------+ 1) After climbing the vine, go right (defeat the Panser with Mushroom Blocks) to find two buried plants. The left one holds a Magic Potion. Drop it there and get the Mushroom is sub-space. 2) When you reach a ladder leading down to a series of tufts, lift the first one and take it to the far-left. Drop it there and enter sub- space for a Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 3-2 | +-----------------+ 1) Go to the far-right from the start, grab the leftmost plant, and drop the Magic Potion to create a portal between Subcon and sub-space. Take it and lift that Mushroom. 2) In the last patch of cave, go left past the ladder leading up to find two pits with four Porcupos in them in all. First, grab the left plant for a Bomb. Use it to blow up the right blocks. Now use the other plant to create a door using the Magic Potion. Now take it into sub-space and take the Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 3-3 | +-----------------+ 1) Right of the POW Block is a plant (the rightmost of the group) that is actually a Magic Potion. Go left, drop it by the POW Block, and enter sub-space for a Mushroom. 2) When you get into the dungeon, take the second plant to the left for a Magic Potion. Go left until you see a locked door, drop the potion, and then take the door. Here, climb the ladder to attain the Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 4-1 | +-----------------+ 1) On the icy paths in the first part, stop when you reach two paths that are one space away from each other in vertical distance, a plant on the lower path (this is a little bit before the rocket). Pick the plant, go left a little ways, and use the Magic Potion you got to discover a Mushroom on these Flurry-infested platforms. 2) Get to the end of the first segment of the level (before you take the rocket). On the top ledge, pick the leftmost plant for a (surprise, surprise) Magic Potion. Drop it there to get a Mushroom in sub-space, the happiest place in the world. +-----------------+ | Level 4-2 | +-----------------+ 1) Upon seeing your first whale, jump left of it to a little island in the water. Lift a plant there for a Magic Potion, drop it to form a door, and take it to a Mushroom. 2) At the end, when you reach the spikes you must cross with the Autobomb, carry the Magic Potion you get by plucking the tuft right before the spikes to the other side of the spike pit. Once you’ve crossed, use the potion to create a door to sub-space and a Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 4-3 | +-----------------+ 1) Upon surfacing, jump to the ledge to the right above Birdo and take the leftmost plant for a Magic Potion. Now go all the way left to find some stalagmites. Drop the potion, use the door, and take the Mushroom from the highest stalagmite up. 2) When you get to the top of the first tower and you are on the ledge connecting the two towers, go right and lift the plant for a Magic Potion. Hold it and go left to jump from the clouds to the stone blocks above. Jump across them until you’re on the rightmost one. Then drop the Magic Potion, use the door to enter sub-space, and take the Mushroom from its resting point high above the bridge that adjoins the towers. +-----------------+ | Level 5-1 | +-----------------+ 1) After jumping across several Trouters to reach a gap high above the ground inside the cave, pull the plants up for a 1-Up and a Magic Potion. Drop it there, enter sub-space, and take the Mushroom while you’re at it. 2) The best way to do this is as follows. Get to the very end of the cave part of the level so that you are on the logs that roll over the falls. Jump to the ceiling to the right and walk across it to fall into the second hole. Lift the Mushroom Block so that you fall through the hole. Now pick up the leftmost plant and use the Magic Potion you found right there. In sub-space, a Mushroom that would’ve been blocked by the Mushroom Block will fall right into your lap, err, reach. +-----------------+ | Level 5-2 | +-----------------+ 1) Take the first vase you come to down by crouching on it. Pick the plant at the bottom for a Bomb, which you should use to blow up the base of the vase. Dig your way down now to two plants, one of which is a Magic Potion. Jump your way out of the vase and use it. The Mushroom is in sub-space there. 2) Thanks to Matthew for telling me where this one is. He said: “After getting the first mushroom go back down the vase and get the potion again. Now carry it through the level past Hoopsters until you get to three vegetables clustered together on top of a green thing. Throw the potion down there and collect the mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 5-3 | +-----------------+ 1) Nab the first plant you see for a Magic Potion. Now go right to five patches of grass. It is here that you should set up camp, err, set the Magic Potion. In sub-space, take the Mushroom. 2) Go to the ladder you need to take down. Before it, bomb the wall to the left with a Bob-omb. Now pick the plants above the ladder (on the ledge) for a Magic Potion. Drop it by the ladder and enter sub-space for a Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 6-1 | +-----------------+ 1) Use the first vase you encounter to get a Magic Potion at the bottom. Emerge and set the potion on the bones to the right. In sub-space, take the Mushroom before it falls victim to quicksand. 2) Before the Pokeys, there are two cacti with a Magic Potion plant between them. Take it and go right until you see a door. Drop the Magic Potion there, enter sub-space, and chow down on a Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 6-2 | +-----------------+ 1) On one of the high cliffs you must power squat jump to the top of from the back of an Albatross is a tuft of grass concealing a Magic Potion. Use it there, enter sub-space, and take the Mushroom that falls to you. 2) Another Mushroom? Don’t be greedy. +-----------------+ | Level 6-3 | +-----------------+ 1) To the right of the ladder you take up is a Magic Potion. Take it and go right past two piles of bones and jump past the cactus beyond the second. Drop the potion there, enter sub-space, and you’ll win yourself a fancy new Mushroom. 2) In the cave, use Bob-ombs to blow up the first wall to the right. Past it, pick plants for Bombs and blow up the next wall to the right. Continue blowing things up until you return to a plant that you didn’t pick earlier (a Magic Potion). Set it down in the hole that was formerly inaccessible. Inside, take your Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 7-1 | +-----------------+ 1) After a ledge with three plants, continue right to another plant. Pick it for a Magic Potion. Now double back to the left where the three plants were. Create a door to sub-space there, enter, and find yourself a heaping helping of Mushroom. 2) Go to the house at the end of a screen. Inside, get to the ledge with the plants growing on it. Pluck out the third from the right and drop the Magic Potion you find right there. Enter sub-space for a Mushroom. +-----------------+ | Level 7-2 | +-----------------+ 1) If you follow the normal walkthrough in the level, get to the outdoors part and jump left so that you land away from a Panser and two Tweeters. When the Panser stops firing, run right, take the ladder down, and use the door. In the room you appear in, pick the plants for a Bob-omb (throw away) and a Magic Potion. Use the Magic Potion by the door you entered by and enter sub-space. Here, take your Mushroom. 2) After the Bob-omb conveyor belt in the first room of the castle, drop down instead of jumping to the next conveyor belt. Lift the Mushroom Block here and you’ll enter an alternate route to Wart’s room (the harder one, in my opinion). Eventually, you’ll reach a vertical room with three Sparks guarding three platforms. Jump to the left chain, climb it up, and take a door. Here, get to the bottom, take the ladder here, and enter a new door. Here, go left to a tuft of grass. Pull on it for a Magic Potion, go to the door, drop it there to form another door, and enter sub-space for a Mushroom. And there you have it, folks. There’s a total of 37 Mushrooms in the game. Extend those life meters, everybody! ======================================================================= ========================Doki/SMB 2 Differences*======================== ======================================================================= Here’s where I compile all the differences between Doki Doki Panic, the game that Super Mario Bros. 2 was based off of (read “History” for more details) and SMB 2 itself. Some of them are good changes, while others don’t quite make sense (who would expect a Magic Potion to create a door? Come on! Stick with the lamp). Oddly enough, though, some items (like the POW Block and the Starman) that were already Mario items were in the original Doki Doki Panic… Well, anyways, time for the differences it is. Here they are, listed for your convenience. +-------------------+ | Differences | +-------------------+ - There is one difference in controls. In the original Doki Doki Panic, the B Button did not let your character run when held. - The title screens are obviously different. In the original, balloons came onto the screen, popped, and showed the title, all in Japanese. In the new version, we have a red title screen with all the characters and some enemies below the words “SUPER MARIO BROS. 2,” complete with trademarks and copyrights. - Equally as obvious, the characters have changed. In Doki Doki Panic, the characters were Imajin (now Mario), Mama (Luigi), Papa (Toad), and Lina (Toadstool). Also, there were some name changes (Mamu is Wart, etc.). - The story is different. In Doki Doki Panic, Mamu (a.k.a. Wart) kidnapped two kids reading a storybook, pulling them into the book itself. So, an Arabian family decides to help the youngsters to whom they are related by jumping in and clearing all seven chapters (now worlds) to free the children. You see, they enter the book when their pet monkey pointed it out, and that’s how it starts. - To see the ending in Doki Doki Panic, you must beat the game with all four characters. And of course, the ending is not the same. You do not rescue the Subcon fairies, you rescue the children (that is the entire ending sequence). Then they get out of the storybook to rejoin their pet monkey, who is green. - The slot machine screen was a bland green background with the slots in Doki Doki Panic. Now we have an intricate Bonus Chance screen. Also, to reflect what level you were in, the slot picture of the vegetable changed. In SMB 2, though, they show the generic vegetable from World 1. - In Doki Doki Panic, the grass tufts were black, not red (even though in SMB 2 vegetables have blackish green grass on top of them after being pulled. Also, the World 7 vegetable looked different in DDP and SMB 2. - A number of items and enemies are now animated or have more frames than in DDP. For example, the Cherries rock back and forth in the new version. In Doki Doki Panic, though, they were stationary. - Mushroom Blocks were originally weird masks colored red, white, and blue. How patriotic. - Mushrooms that add a mark to your life meter were originally Hearts. - As a little Mario reference, the whole shrinking when you get down to one mark on the life meter was added, as well as growing back to normal size when you go from one to two. In Super Mario Bros., Mario was turned from Super Mario to small Mario if he was hit. - In Doki Doki Panic, Magic Potions were Magic Lamps. - Turtle Shells were originally weird, smiling faces that were black in color. - The 1-Up Mushrooms was just an icon showing the head of your character. - Hawkhead was a mask with red eyes and white paint against its black face. - There was no Hawkhead mini-boss. Also, there was no Clawgrip. In Doki Doki Panic, you fought Mouser a total of three times, once in World 1, again in World 3, and one last time in World 5. - When there was an explosion in Doki Doki Panic, the word “BOM” came up. Now it says “BOMB.” - Phanto had a rather timid face in Doki Doki Panic. He looks much more menacing now. - Many things have new noises given to them. Whales’ waterspouts have a new gushing sound effect, but most things were given new noises. The following items and events have noise changes from DDP to SMB 2: getting hit, Stopwatch, POW Block, rockets, door opening, 1-Up collecting, potions, Cherries, Starman music, sub-space music, picking up enemies, Hawkhead/mask opening, and Birdo also makes new noises. - And of course, the games are differently named and in different languages. Aside from that, the game you’re playing is essentially Doki Doki Panic. Take off SMB 2’s Mario veneer and you get… weirdness. No wonder DDP was a flop. Still, you’ve got to admire DDP for introducing so many classic Mario enemies into the Koopa Troop, even if Pokeys did change coloring eventually and Bob-ombs were made to look way cooler. ======================================================================= =======================NES/SNES/GBA Differences*======================= ======================================================================= For a game that must’ve been made in two weeks, Super Mario Bros. 2 has been immensely popular. It has been re-released at least three times, once on the SNES, once on the GBA, and it was also released in Japan under the name Super Mario Bros. USA. It may even have more re- releases in the future. Anyways, we’re only concerned with the SNES and GBA installments of the game. For some reason, Nintendo thought that they should change the formula for their classic each time they re-release it. And, I must admit, I liked each re-release better than the last. On the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Super Mario Bros. 2 (both the American and Japanese) was one of the game included in Super Mario All-Stars, a compilation of all of Mario’s classic adventures. On the GBA (Game Boy Advance), Super Mario Bros. 2 hit the markets again under the name Super Mario Advance. Why they chose to release the second Super Mario Bros. as the first Super Mario Advance is beyond me, though. Here’s a list of the differences between each version. - First, it should be known that each version contains better graphics than the last. However, other than graphics, there are only a few differences between the SNES and NES versions. I’ll list those below. +----------------------------+ | NES/SNES Differences | +----------------------------+ - You can now save the game! Hooray! If you save and quit, you restart at the beginning of the world you quit in. A fantastic addition, if I do say so myself. Furthermore, you now have infinite continues (in the original, you have two before you have to start over again at the first world). - The characters look different (more improved). It’s not just the graphics, it’s their coloring. For example, they changed Toadstool from a brunette to a blonde. Toad, who was mostly blue, now has all his normal colors. Not only that, but characters now have black outlines instead of blue outlines. How about that? - Some enemies look different. For instance, Pidgits ride yellow carpets in All-Stars, but they ride red ones on the NES. Or, for example, Birdo now wears a bow on her head. Pink Shy Guys are now blue. Other enemies also have minor color changes. - The life meter hearts look more round and heart-like. In the original, they were thin and diamond-looking. - Birdo spits the Crystal Ball out of her beak in the SNES version. Not in the NES version, though. It just pops up from her body. - In the SNES version, you start with five lives instead of three. - If you lose a life in the SNES version, you can choose a new character for that level. In the NES version, you have one character through the entire level. - Doorways are now doors. For instance, cave entrances now have doors to cover them. - Slots in the bonus chance round scroll down like a proper slot machine instead of just flashing. - In the slot machine bonus chance round, there is now a 7. If you get three 7’s in the slots, you get a 10-Up. Wow! Now there’s an addition. - In the slot machine screen, it says (in the SNES version) “PUSH BUTTON,” but it says “PUSH (A) BUTTON” in the NES version. - On the Character Select Screen in the NES version, your life count reads “EXTRA LIFE X,” where X is the number of lives you have. In the SNES version, it reads “EXTRA LIFE…X” instead. - Backgrounds have now changed. For instance, all cave walls are now the same color. Also, the first screen of 1-1 is daytime in the SNES version, whereas it was nighttime in the NES version (just for the first screen). The night-to-day change also applies to 5-1 and 5-3. In boss rooms, blocks are red, green, and blue now. - Music in some screens has changed. These changes include… in 2-3, boss music plays after you open the locked door in the NES version, but not in the NES version. In 5-2, they played cave music in the long, spiky drop on the NES, but regular outdoors music is played on the SNES. In 4-2 of the SNES version, the cave music at the beginning of the level was changed from outdoors music in the NES. - A rather odd change is the addition of a cage in 6-3 for the SNES installment. In the original, the large door was just an opening. Now, there’s a picture of a Bob-omb over it and a cage rises over your character as you enter. - If you warp in the NES version, a screen pops up to tell you where you’re headed. Warp in the SNES version and the screen blurs a bit before showing you the warp screen, which now features Birdo. - All changes between the NES and SNES version also apply to the NES and GBA versions. +--------------------------------+ | NES and SNES/GBA Changes | +--------------------------------+ - You can save like in the SNES version, but you can save to any level. That is, in the SNES version, when you save, quit, and restart, you start out at the first level of the world you saved in. Now you can start back on the level you saved at. - You can replay old levels you’ve beaten now as a sort of level select trick on the file select screen. - Most noticeably aside from the graphics, characters now have voices (like “Lets-a go!”). Toad’s raspy voice is a pain, though. - When you select a character in the original or the SNES version, the characters are lined up. In Super Mario Advance, they are in a ring fashion and you rotate between them. Also, the special abilities of each player (like in pulling things, jumping, etc.) are shown by each character. - The Princess’s name is changed to “Peach,” Toadstool’s first name. - Just as SMB 2 introduced new animation frames to DDP, even more animation frames appear in Super Mario Advance. - You start each level small with only one mark on your life meter filled. Still, Hearts are extremely frequent in Super Mario Advance. - Conversely, ripe vegetables and therefore Stopwatches are much rarer in Super Mario Advance. - There are several new additions. For one, there is now a Yoshi’s Challenge at the end of each level. When the NES version came out, Yoshi was not even in existence in yet. Yoshi’s Challenge is unlocked after you beat the game in a certain file. The title screen changes from this, and two Yoshi Eggs are hidden in each level. Your challenge is to collect them all. There’s no point, but it’s fun to try. - Backgrounds are better and more detailed. On a similar note, music is a lot quieter due to the GBA’s lower audio capacity and abilities. - Levels have been changed around to include new items, enemies, and so on. - There is now an item called the “Item Cage.” It contains three flashing items and you get one of them when you use it (either a Starman, a Heart, or a Bomb). - In the same vein as the Item Cage, there is now a Super POW Block, which bounces three times to destroy all enemies on the screen, not just ones on the ground. - Another new item are the larger vegetables. They take longer to pluck but can hit more enemies more easily due to their size. - There are several new enemies. They are the Puffup, the Super Ninji, the Super Shy Guy, and the new boss – Robirdo of World 3. Robirdo just shoots massive eggs at you, that giant mechanized Birdo. They take a while to pick up, of course. You must throw three eggs at it to win. Otherwise, she also stomps the ground regularly to stun you. - Robirdo is the new boss of World 3 as I said, but two Mouser battles were not taken out of the game. Instead, Mouser replaced Tryclyde as the boss of World 6, meaning that you fight the three-headed snake enemy only once. - The game now includes points, whereas there were none in the NES or SNES versions. If you defeat many enemies in a row with a Turtle Shell, you can get 1-Ups. If you get two million points, a Mario head appears on the file select screen. You can get up to five Mario heads. - You can pick up the bows of Birdos (only red and green) ones in Super Mario Advance. There aren’t bows in the NES version, and you can’t do it in the SNES version. - Your winnings in the slot machines are changed. For instance, you get only a 5-Up for getting all 7’s in the GBA version, and you get only a 3-Up for getting triple Cherries. - You can now wager coins on each slot run. For instance, if you wager five coins and get a 1-Up, you’ll get a 5-Up. Very good if you want to multiply your winnings, but even more risky than normal. - There are now Red Coins scattered around each level, five per level. All five get you a 1-Up (if collected in the same level). - For some reason, Super Mario Advance also includes the classic arcade game Mario Bros. on it. Of course, this was not on the NES or SNES versions. - A level chart now shows before each level. - Vases now have new music. They also have new backgrounds. - Introduced to the game are three “dream-world creatures.” Let’s face it – they’re there to showcase the GBA’s rotation skills. There are rolling balls you can jump off of for an automatic power squat jump, there are yellow balloons that do basically nothing, and blue spikes that are in the original can still hurt you, only they now appear in vases. - Also to hype the GBA’s rotation effects, items now rotate when thrown, and you do, too, when you power squat jump. - Finally, the faulty credits of Super Mario Bros. 2 (they called many enemies by the wrong name. They called Hoopster “Hoopstar,” they switched the names of Birdo and Ostro, and they spelled Clawgrip and Tryclyde wrong). - As if they already hadn’t slammed the difficulty into the ground enough, the game is made even easier by the addition of 1-Ups in bubbles. And those are all the changes in the game. Impressed? I didn’t think so… Well, now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to the FAQ, just a bit closer to the real gem of the guide, the legal section… ======================================================================= =================================FAQ*================================== ======================================================================= FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions (those crazy cool acronyms!). In other words, I post questions here that I’m sick of answering in e- mail. What this means to you: read this section before you e-mail me. Please, read it, as well as the rest of the guide to see if your question is already answered. This way, you save your time and I save mine. Question: Which character is the best? Answer: Personally, I prefer Luigi. With his awesome jump, he’s the clear-cut winner. But, any character is able to beat any level (for some, it’s just very difficult). In the guide, I divided the levels up so that each character gets five of the levels, but feel free to stray from that. Question: How many Mushrooms can you get? Answer: Two at a time, though some levels only have one. Question: What is Doki Doki Panic? Answer: The full title of the game is “Yume Koujou: Doki Doki Panic,” and it roughly translates into “Dream Factory: Hysterical Panic.” Because they were time-pressed, Nintendo converted a pre-existing game to Super Mario Bros. 2, changing sprites to suit American gamers. This is covered in-depth under “History.” Question: Can I use this guide for Super Mario All-Stars or Super Mario Advance? Answer: Yes, you can, but a few things will be inaccurate. Those crazy re-releases changed quite a few things. For example, in Super Mario Advance, the second Mouser boss was replaced with “Robirdo,” a robotic version of Birdo, while the second Tryclyde is replaced by the displaced second Mouser. For the most part, the levels are the same, but there are some differences that will make my guide off a bit. But, it should be almost perfect for Super Mario All-Stars. Question: Can I use your guide on my site? Answer: Absolutely not. No way. Not happening. You might as well not even ask because the answer’s always no. Trust me, I’ve said no to far more prestigious sites than yours. The reasons for this include updates, e-mail, and my general distrust of websites. After all, I can’t just go around letting everybody and their brother host my walkthroughs, now can I? So please, just quit asking. NO! Question: How can I contact you? Answer: By e-mail and e-mail only. The address is at the top of the guide. You see, there was once a time when I took IM’s… back when I had two guides out and I was so naïve. But, that was a long time ago, buddy, and times have changed. I simply cannot respond to the sheer volume of IM’s I get, and those are just from my early guides back when I didn’t put up this little discouraging question in the FAQ (and please, if you do IM me, know that it’s nothing personal; I do not respond to anyone. Also, if my away message is up, do not keep talking to my automated response. It does not keep good company). If you do e-mail me, know that I have a few restrictions on that, too. First, do not send me chain letters, “tags,” which are essentially the same thing, spam, flame letters, or personal questions. In fact, personal questions like “a/s/l” are the whole reason that I don’t take IM’s anymore. Furthermore, I’d like you to put “Super Mario Bros. 2” in the subject line of your e-mail so that I know what game you need help with. Otherwise, I’ll get questions like “How do you beat the boss of World 4?” and things like that. As you can tell by the below questions, I have lots of Mario guides, and lots of World 4’s. Try to spell things as correctly as you can so that I can understand the question and try to be specific with them. Finally, make sure that your question is not answered in the guide before you ask. I like to think I’m a pretty nice guy, and I will answer questions even if they were in my guide, but I may just refer you to a section if you ask something like “How do I beat Level 5-2?” and things like that. Question: What games do you have walkthroughs for? Answer: Plenty of them. As you might be able to tell, I’m a bit of a Nintendo supporter (stinkin’ PS3…), and my guides just happen to reflect that. Here’s a list of all my thirty-two guides, in order of my writing them: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 1, Sonic Heroes, Mario Kart: Double Dash, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, Super Mario 64 DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, Mario Power Tennis, Mario Party 6, Paper Mario, Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Land, Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan), and now Super Mario Bros. 2 (American). Or, if you’d like to see an up-to-date list of my guides, you can find them at this address: http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/46879.html Question: What’s next on the list? Answer: I think I’m going to end my Mario binge with a classic – Super Mario Bros. 3. Actually, though, I’ve received a request to start writing Zelda guides again (I only have a few more games to go and I’ve got them all), as well as a guide for Super Mario All-Stars. So, I think I’ll dabble in combining some of my guides for Super Mario All- Stars, and then I really will have guides for all the classics. But, after my classic Mario guides, which may or may not include the Super Mario Land series (I’m debating whether I should or not), I’m going to finally move onto the last two real games of The Legend of Zelda – Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. After that, I’ll have to find someone to play Four Swords with, and then I can write a guide for the GBA installment of A Link to the Past. And then I’ll have a walkthrough for all the English Zelda games. And when I’m satisfied with all my Mario and Zelda works, I’ll have to move on to other titles… Sigh, why’d it have to end? At least we have The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to look forward to… I can’t wait!!! FINALLY! I mean, uh, yeah, so let’s get onto the legal section. Man oh man, now we’re onto the best part! It’s like digging through the garbage to find two and a half full wallets! Ah, legal sections, let me count the ways I love thee… ----------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||----------------------------Section 4*-----------------------------|| \ / \_________________________________________________________________/ ======================================================================= ====================Credits and Legal Information*===================== ======================================================================= I sarcastically pretend to like this section in all my walkthroughs, but let's just get one thing straight, pal: I hate writing these sections. Let's just extract this hunk of junk from an earlier guide. Reading legal sections is about as fun as watching a slow-motion foreign-language film about the making of boxes in black and white. First, though, the credits. Yes, I know that everybody is dying to know who helped me write this. Let's get started, shall we? First, I'd like to thank myself for writing the guide, playing the game, and for posting it. The man! The myth! The legend! Second, a big round of applause for Nintendo. They made Mario and this game, and this guide wouldn't be around without them. Third, let's all thank GameFaqs, the great site that is the only place where you can find my guides. Without them, you wouldn't be reading this. Recently, some more people have helped me out. Here's a list of who they are and what they did. - spacepope4u, a contributor here on GameFaqs. I admit to being a great fan of his Mario Series Character Guide, and I write him with various tidbits regularly. Anyways, I learned a bit about Mario’s origins, mostly name origins, from his guide. It was this guide that I started using some of his information for Mario character bios, as well as other characters’ bios, like “ruiji” that evolved into Luigi’s name and so on. I learned quite a bit from him concerning Doki Doki Panic’s characters and Also, for creating a truly entertaining guide. Check it out if you haven’t, because it is great. It is nearly impossible to find an encyclopedia of Mario characters that goes as in-depth as his guide does, and for that I thank him. - http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?funfacts/smb2doki.htm. This web site contained the fine majority of the differences between Doki Doki Panic and Super Mario Bros. 2 that I used in this guide. - Matthew, who sent in how to get the second Mushroom in 5-2 (also, I should mention that someone else sent me an e-mail about this a few months earlier, but I lost it... So I guess great minds think alike, eh? Thanks to that other person, as well as Matthew, for the tip!). That's it for now, but I'm sure that list will grow. Now for the legal section. If you're really obsessed with my guides, you'll know which one I copied the legal boilerplates out of. First of all, I take no credit for the creation, distribution, production, idealizing, or in any way making this game. That honor goes to Nintendo, not me, and I do not deny this. Second, this document is Copyright 2005 Brian McPhee. Third, this may not be reproduced in part of in full under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. To phrase that first item legally, all trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. To make it clear for those of you who might having problems absorbing information, no one but the website GameFaqs may use my guides on their sites, books, magazines, etc. What a hoot! Ah, another great legal section written and read… But, this is not a time for happiness… This is a time for crying all over your computer and ruining it… Yes, it is time to end this walkthrough. But, as a wise man once said, you’ve got to end these things with a good-bye catchphrase. And I don’t know about you, but I for one am going to Houdini out of this joint with some style. That’s right, ladies and gents – it’s time for my signature, trademarked, and unbelievably “hip” adios. Here goes, everyone. Wish me luck. Until next time... No, but seriously, I used to say that back in my Sonic guides in 2003 when I was a dork (was?). My really REAL catchphrase is far, far cooler than that in a galaxy far, far away. See ya later.