Super Mario Bros. 2 · walkthrough

World 1

Learn pulling grass, throwing, Potion doors, and Birdo. Mouser waits in 1-3. Previous and next stage links sit under each area.

World 1-1

OverworldBirdo

Reach Birdo, take the crystal, and enter the Mask Gate. First lesson in pick-up-and-throw.

Pull grass. Throw vegetables at Shyguys. Toad pulls fastest if you want items quickly; anyone can clear this course.
Climb the vine to the hill. One nearby tuft is a Magic Potion. Throw it to make a door. Sub-space is where that grass becomes coins and a mushroom can appear. See the Potion / Sub-space page.
Logs drop in the waterfall. Wait for the first tip, then hop. A later bomb tuft can open a wall shortcut toward Birdo; if the timing is wrong, the wall stays up.
Vertical vine climb: Hoopsters ride the vines. Climb when they are below you. Door into Birdo.
Birdo: pick up the eggs, throw three times, grab the crystal, walk into the Mask Gate. Do not stand in the egg stream.

PixelQuest is not listing every Potion coordinate. If a mushroom comes from Sub-space, take it; do not treat Sub-space as a warp map.

Sky / caveBirdo

Steal Pidgit’s magic carpet, open the locked path with a jar key if you take that route, then beat Birdo.

After the Mask Gate, wait for Pidgit. Stomp, throw Pidgit off, and steer the carpet. The ride is short. Do not walk off the cliff while you wait.
Two jars: one holds a 1-Up, the other a key for the locked door. Enter a jar by standing on it and holding down. Taking the key is the normal cave route.
Phanto wakes if you carry a key out of its room. Keep moving. Drop the key only if you must reset; you still need it for the lock.
Luigi or the Princess can power-jump a Ninji to skip the locked cave. Mario and Toad can still do it from a long carpet ride. Optional, not required.
Birdo again: three egg hits, or throw the key if you still have it. Crystal, then the Mask Gate.

Waterfall / towerMouser

Cross the waterfalls, climb the tower for the key, then bomb Mouser.

Potion at the start of the bridge can make a Sub-space mushroom. Trouters jump the water. Keep health up before the logs.
Three waterfall log rides in a row. Miss a log and you fall. Princess hover helps; it is not required.
Optional warp: carry a Potion from under the later log bridge past the tower door to the lone jar. Drop it, enter Sub-space, go in the jar. Destination: World 4.
Tower: climb to the top room, take the key, carry it down to the locked door at the bottom. Spikes sit on the left of the drop — stay right.
Crystal sits in the open after Sparks and Ninjis. Mouser is behind a bombable wall. Catch the bombs he throws and put them back on his platform. Three blasts end World 1.