Super Mario World
Super Mario World (1990) is Mario's SNES debut platformer. Mario and Luigi explore Dinosaur Land to rescue Princess Toadstool and Yoshi from Bowser and the seven Koopalings. This coverage documents the original 1990 base game; a separate "Super Mario World SP" variant on Nintendo Switch Online unlocks everything from the start and is not the same starting experience.
Availability: Nintendo Switch Online — Super Nintendo Entertainment System app (Nintendo Classics); a "Super Mario World SP" variant with all content unlocked from the start is also available.
This guide walks the full game start to finish, world by world, including the Star World and Special Zone bonus content.
Controls
- Control Pad — Move
- B / X — Jump (hold a direction to jump that way)
- A — Spin Jump (breaks certain blocks; not usable as Small Mario)
- Y — Run / charge a dash; also picks up and carries items or thrown shells
- L / R — Scroll the screen ahead of or behind Mario without moving him
- Select — In 2-player mode, switches the active player on the map
- Start — Pause
World-by-World Route
- World 1 — Yoshi's Island
- World 2 — Donut Plains
- World 3 — Vanilla Dome
- World 4 — Twin Bridges
- World 5 — Forest of Illusion
- World 6 — Chocolate Island
- World 7 — Valley of Bowser (includes Bowser's Castle, the final level)
- Star World — optional secret-exit bonus network reached via 5 Star Road portals; one route shortcuts straight to Bowser's Castle's back door
- Special Zone — 8 harder bonus levels, unlocked via Star World's secret exit; clearing it flips World 1 to a Fall palette
Key Checkpoints
- Yoshi's House — starting point on the overworld map
- World 1 clear (Iggy's Castle) — first Koopaling boss, opens the path to World 2
- Worlds 2–6 — Donut Plains through Valley of Bowser's front gate; Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Roy, and Wendy are fought in order
- World 7 / Valley of Bowser — Larry (repeats Iggy's pattern), then Bowser's Castle