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Super Mario Bros. 3 · walkthrough

World 2 — Desert Land

Quicksand, Sun, pyramid, Hammer for the third whistle rock. Morton on the airship. Previous and next stage links sit under each area.

World 2-1

Desert

Reach the goal card. Watch quicksand and the Angry Sun.

How to progress

  1. Quicksand sinks you if you stop. Keep hopping. Fire Piranhas from pipes.
  2. Angry Sun dives once it spawns. Keep moving; it tracks pauses.
  3. Goal card. A 1-Up can hide in the early pipe structure — optional.

Hazards that matter

World 2-2

Desert

Reach the goal card across more sand and Sun.

How to progress

  1. More quicksand pits. Use the Super Leaf if you still have it to skip low sand.
  2. Boomerang Bros can sit on the map after this world — they are map encounters, not this stage.
  3. Goal card.

Hazards that matter

World 2-Fortress

FortressBoom Boom

Beat Boom Boom. Sand fortress, not Grass Land’s layout.

How to progress

  1. Dry Bones, lava, thwomps-style drops if present. Do not copy World 1’s whistle door onto this fortress — that whistle is World 1 only.
  2. Boom Boom three stomps. Path toward 2-3 / pyramid side of the map opens.
  3. After the boss, the map lock or airship path opens. Do not expect an SMA4 e-Reader room behind the NES door.

Hazards that matter

World 2-3

Desert

Reach the goal card on the far desert path.

How to progress

  1. Sand slopes and Fire Snakes. Do not stand in the fire trail.
  2. Goal card. This path is on the way to the pyramid.
  3. The goal card (or fortress/airship exit) is the clear. Card matching is a bonus, not a required unlock.

Hazards that matter

World 2-Quicksand

Quicksand pitOptional map branchMap pit

Optional pit stage. Clear it if the map dropped you in, or skip if you can go around.

How to progress

  1. This is the standalone quicksand course on the NES map, not 2-1. Sink-and-jump to the goal.
  2. If you fell in from the overworld sand, treat it as a recovery stage.
  3. Goal card returns you to the map.

Hazards that matter

World 2-4

Desert

Reach the goal card.

How to progress

  1. Pipes and sand. Piranhas. Standard desert clear.
  2. Goal card.
  3. The goal card (or fortress/airship exit) is the clear. Card matching is a bonus, not a required unlock.

Hazards that matter

World 2-5

Desert

Reach the goal card before the pyramid.

How to progress

  1. Last numbered desert before the pyramid. Sun can return. Keep hopping.
  2. Goal card.
  3. The goal card (or fortress/airship exit) is the clear. Card matching is a bonus, not a required unlock.

Hazards that matter

World 2-Pyramid

Pyramid

Maze of doors and statues. Find the exit door, not every statue.

How to progress

  1. Indoor pyramid. Statues spit. Doors loop if you pick the wrong one. Note which door you entered.
  2. A P-switch / coin room exists as an optional side. The required job is the exit that returns you to the map.
  3. This is a required-looking landmark; some map routes can skip numbered deserts, not always the pyramid. If your map still shows it blocking the airship side, play it.

Hazards that matter

World 2-Airship

AirshipMorton Koopa Jr.

Reach Morton and stomp him three times.

How to progress

  1. Cannons and gaps. Same airship rules as World 1.
  2. Morton: three stomps. He is heavier in feel than Larry — still three hits, still wand, still king restored.
  3. Map hammer: wandering Hammer Bros can drop a Hammer. Use it on the rock in the upper-right for Magic Whistle 3. That is a map action after/during this world, not an airship room. See Whistles.

Hazards that matter

Magic Whistle notes — World 9 Warp Zone.

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