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Super Mario Bros. 3 · NES · Worlds 1–8

Complete Worlds 1–8 walkthrough

NES Super Mario Bros. 3 only. Eight kingdoms on a map, fortresses, airships, then Dark Land. Magic Whistles and suits stay on their specialty pages. Super Mario Advance 4, e-Reader, and All-Stars-only rooms are out of scope.

How to use this: Play the map in order. Optional branches (quicksand pit, hand traps, some pipe-plants) are labeled. Whistles skip to World 9 — that is a shortcut, not the walkthrough path.
Not in this walkthrough: SMA4 World-e, e-Reader levels, a full White Mushroom House coin table for every stage, Hammer Bros RNG drop lists, or prices.
Version: NES 1990 North American release / Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics
Last checked: 2026-09-11
Start World 1-1 Hub Magic WhistlesSuits and items
World 1 — Grass Land

World 1 — Grass Land

First map. Super Leaf, first Magic Whistle, Boom Boom, then Larry on the airship.

Open World 1 — Grass Land
World 1-1OverworldWorld 1-2OverworldWorld 1-3AthleticWorld 1-4Autoscroll athleticWorld 1-FortressFortress · Boom BoomWorld 1-5Ice cave (NES)World 1-6Athletic liftsWorld 1-AirshipAirship · Larry Koopa
World 2 — Desert Land

World 2 — Desert Land

Quicksand, Sun, pyramid, Hammer for the third whistle rock. Morton on the airship.

Open World 2 — Desert Land
World 2-1DesertWorld 2-2DesertWorld 2-FortressFortress · Boom BoomWorld 2-3DesertWorld 2-QuicksandQuicksand pit · optional · Map pitWorld 2-4DesertWorld 2-5DesertWorld 2-PyramidPyramidWorld 2-AirshipAirship · Morton Koopa Jr.
World 3 — Water Land

World 3 — Water Land

Two fortresses, islands, canoe later if you have a Hammer. Wendy on the airship.

Open World 3 — Water Land
World 3-1Overworld / waterWorld 3-2AthleticWorld 3-3WaterWorld 3-Fortress 1Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 3-4IslandWorld 3-5WaterWorld 3-6AthleticWorld 3-7IslandWorld 3-Fortress 2Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 3-8WaterWorld 3-9OverworldWorld 3-AirshipAirship · Wendy O. Koopa
World 4 — Giant Land

World 4 — Giant Land

Enemies and blocks are oversized. Two fortresses. Iggy on the airship. Tanooki shows up in houses.

Open World 4 — Giant Land
World 4-1Giant overworldWorld 4-2GiantWorld 4-3Giant athleticWorld 4-Fortress 1Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 4-4GiantWorld 4-5GiantWorld 4-6Giant athleticWorld 4-Fortress 2Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 4-AirshipAirship · Iggy Koopa
World 5 — Sky Land

World 5 — Sky Land

Ground then a tower into the sky. Two fortresses. Roy on the airship.

Open World 5 — Sky Land
World 5-1GroundWorld 5-2GroundWorld 5-3GroundWorld 5-Fortress 1Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 5-TowerTowerWorld 5-4SkyWorld 5-5SkyWorld 5-6SkyWorld 5-7SkyWorld 5-Fortress 2Sky fortress · Boom BoomWorld 5-8SkyWorld 5-9SkyWorld 5-AirshipAirship · Roy Koopa
World 6 — Ice Land

World 6 — Ice Land

Ice physics, three fortresses on NES. Lemmy on the airship.

Open World 6 — Ice Land
World 6-1IceWorld 6-2IceWorld 6-3IceWorld 6-Fortress 1Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 6-4IceWorld 6-5IceWorld 6-6IceWorld 6-7IceWorld 6-Fortress 2Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 6-8IceWorld 6-9IceWorld 6-10IceWorld 6-Fortress 3Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 6-AirshipAirship · Lemmy Koopa
World 7 — Pipe Land

World 7 — Pipe Land

Pipe maze map. Two plant stages, two fortresses. Ludwig on the airship. P-Wing / tail helps the maze.

Open World 7 — Pipe Land
World 7-1PipesWorld 7-2PipesWorld 7-3Pipes / waterWorld 7-4PipesWorld 7-5PipesWorld 7-Piranha Plant 1Plant fortress · optional · Map plantWorld 7-Fortress 1Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 7-6PipesWorld 7-7PipesWorld 7-8PipesWorld 7-9PipesWorld 7-Fortress 2Fortress · Boom BoomWorld 7-Piranha Plant 2Plant fortress · optional · Map plantWorld 7-AirshipAirship · Ludwig von Koopa
World 8 — Dark Land

World 8 — Dark Land

Tanks, ships, optional hand traps, airships, fortress, super tank, Bowser. Not World 8-only leftover language — this is the full Dark Land route.

Open World 8 — Dark Land
World 8-TanksTanks · Boom BoomWorld 8-BattleshipsBattleships · Boom BoomWorld 8-Hand Trap 1Hand trap · optional · Map handWorld 8-Hand Trap 2Hand trap · optional · Map handWorld 8-Hand Trap 3Hand trap · optional · Map handWorld 8-AirshipsAirship fleet · Boom BoomWorld 8-1OverworldWorld 8-2OverworldWorld 8-FortressFortress · Boom BoomWorld 8-Super TankSuper Tank · Boom BoomWorld 8-Bowser's CastleCastle · Bowser

Version and scope notes

  • NES walkthrough means NES. Super Mario Advance 4 e-Reader / World-e is out of scope.
  • World 9 is the Warp Zone via Magic Whistles, not an extra kingdom in this walkthrough.
  • Hammer Bros map drops are random. This walkthrough does not publish a guaranteed item table.
  • King animal forms: NES Grass Land king is a dog. Later remakes swap some animals — those swaps are out of scope.

Sources used on these pages