Stage 1-1

Ah, good old 1-1. Let's go. Right at the beginning there's a few question blocks, one of which has
your first mushroom (pictured, left), so nab it and get going. There are a few pipes to jump over.
You can press down on the third one to reach a cache of coins and shortcut to the exit. This is the
best route for speed runs, but the rest of us will probably want to stay above ground and claim
some goodies. Just to the right of this pipe is a hidden block with an extra life (pictured, right).
Hit it from below.

Just over the gap, you can spot another question block. Let the goombas drop down and hit it
from below to claim your mushroom/flower. Across the gap, there's a question block with a coin.
The regular block below it is a coin block, so hit it until it's spent (pictured, right).

Just ahead, there is a small platform of two blocks, and four question blocks in a pyramid
arrangement. The right block on the small platform is actually a star (pictured left), and the top
question block of the pyramid is a power up. You'll jump over a couple hills after this, and then
come to a large hill right before the flag. To hit the top of the flagpole, hole the run button down
at the bottom, run, jump and hit the left edge of the fourth block, bounce to the top, run a bit on
the top and then jump. 5000 points.
 Stage 1-2

The first question block is a power-up, and the rest are coins. Hop over the columns and when
you see the gap with a goomba in it, drop down on his head and then hit the block (it's a coin
block) until it runs out.

Just beyond is the first of several entry points to the ceiling. You can bash out a couple of the
roof blocks, and then get a running start to jump up onto the ceiling. This will eventually take
you to the warp room, essential for speed runs. If you want to take your time and enjoy the full
game, just take the low road. If you hit the top brick of the right part of the platform, there's a
star (pictured, right).

Slide under the low pass, and then bash out all bricks on the right side of the structure beyond.
Just before the gap, hit the coin block pictured on the left. Now, leap over the Pirannah plants,
and you'll come to some platforms moving up and down. Decision time. This is the easiest and
last opportunity you'll have to reach the ceiling and run right to the warp room. Stay the course
and take the pipe up to reach the end of the level. Hit the flag, same as level 1.
 Stage 4-1

If you took the warp in 1-2 like most lazy folks do, you'll find yourself here. Meet Lakitu. He's a
pain. The easiest way to beat the stage is to hold the run button and dash straight through. You
can also kill Lakitu at high points, but he'll respawn before long. There's a power up right at the
beginning. Having Flower Power really makes things easier because of all the spinies. You'll
pass a group of four question blocks (they're just coins, but they're a good way to get high
enough to kill Lakitu. Past this, there is a row of four question blocks. In some versions of the
game (like the original Duck Hunt combo cart) there is a hidden extra life block over the third
block. If you can't find it, don't obsess over it, it isn't in all revisions.

There are a couple of piranha plants past here. If you take the second pipe down you can reach a
coin basement. Just above the pipe back up, there's a power up block, but it's hard to hit unless
you're small. You can duck-slide under it from the top of the center platform, but it's tricky. Past
a few small gaps, you get to the stairs leading up to the flag. It's like all the others, except
between the stairs and the flag there's a coin block, which is probably worth sacrificing the big
jump for (you can still get a 2000 jump easy).
 Stage 4-2

There are some uneven jumps right at the start. Jump clean over the little island rather than trying
to land on it. Past this there are three coins in a cavity below. The block right above these has a
power up (pictured, right). There's another power up among the many question blocks you'll
come to. After this is a platform. You can use it to get up to the ceiling and reach a warp to
World 5 if you want, or you can warp even further ahead to Worlds 6, 7 or 8 with the following
trick.

Beneath the platform right of the moving platform there are four invisible blocks. You want to
hit three of them as pictured, but not the fourth (assuming your big; if you're small, you can hit
all four). Knock the vine block above, which will take you to a mushroom level leading to the
warp pipes.

Stage 8-1
Knock the beetle forward, through the goombas. Hop over the piranha plant and run straight
across the gaps. You'll come to two piranha plants with a beetle between them. In the easy
versions there is a hidden block with a 1up between these two pipes.

Go over two more pipes and when you see one left of three goombas, go down it to reach a coin
basement. When you come back up, you'll have to kill three koopas and three goombas, and then
you'll come to a walled off area with a flying koopa and a platform overhead. In the dead center
of this area, hit an invisible block, stand on it, and then hit the coin block right above it (pictured,
right).

Run over the small gaps after this (jumping could be dangerous). There's a large brick platform
after this. The third block from the left has a star. Grab it and rush through the enemies up ahead.
Slow down a bit when you come to the piranha plant stairs. If your invincibility is wearing off,
knock the Buzzy Beetle forward and chase it.
Over the stairs, you'll face a couple semi-difficult jumps that you should take with a running
start. You'll know you're getting near the end when you see a couple piranha plants. The broken
stairs are just after.

Stage 8-2

It's Lakitu's final appearance in the game. You can hop up the stairs (the break helps to stop
spines from crawling all the way down, but the real menace is the green koopa paratroopa. You
can bait him down to the bottom if you're not feeling confident in your timing abilities. From the
top of the stairs you can eliminate Lakitu for good. There are four coin blocks below.
You'll come to a spring pad beneath a long platform. Use it to hit the block right above it. An
extra life will come out. Make sure you catch it. This life will be here every time, even if you die.
Beyond a couple bullet cannons, you can see a pair of brick blocks in the air. The right one
contains a power-up (pictured, right).

After two more cannons, there's a platform with a cannon on it. A couple Buzzy Beetles are
marching below. There's a coin block on the right side of the platform (pictured, left), but the
hazards probably out way the worth. After a couple pipes, there's a tricky jump (pictured, right).
Stand on the left side of the left block, before the gap. Run, so you skip over the small gap, and
then make the jump with enough momentum to clear the large gap.
The next piranha plant has a pipe to take you to a coin basement. When you come back up, you'll
be nearly home. Go over the small steps and mind the flying koopa and the stairs are all yours.

Stage 8-3

After a couple pipes, you'll come to the first set of Hammer Bros. Just take your time and bait
them, since there isn't much room to move. If you hit the second block from the right on the top
platform, you'll get a power up, so be careful to leave yourself a base to make this jump.
Past a few more bullet cannons and castle walls, you'll come to another Hammer Bros. fight
exactly like the last one. Handle it the same way, but this time the power up is second from the
left in the top row.

Now you've got a long rush for the end. There are more Hammer Bros still, and you might be
running low on time! This area is easy enough with flower power, but can be stressful without it
since you won't be able to dash. The staircase is more perilous in this level, too.
 Stage 8-4

It's another castle. I don't know why we bother with these things, the princess is never really
here. Oh well, here we go again. This one is a pipe maze. Take the wrong pipes and you'll end up
back near the start, so pay attention. Go over the lava pit, over the first two piranha plants, and
take the moving platform across the lava pit. The very next pipe (pictured, right) is the one to go
down.

When you emerge, you'll be able to see some Buzzy Beetles off to the right. Keep trucking right,
past the paratroopas until you come to a pipe floating in the air. There's an invisible block that
you can reveal two spaces left of it (pictured, right), which will help you to jump up to the
floating pipe. Take it down to reach the next area.

Now you're in an area where cheep-cheeps will suddenly appear from nowhere. Be alert. Go
right, past the lava pit, and go down the first pipe on the other side (pictured, right).
One last swim before the boss should do you good. We soon learn that fire whips are curiously
water resistant. There are a few odd Bloopers around, but this is mostly a straight gauntlet of fire
whips. You'll pass about five of them before you get to the exit pipe.

There's one last Hammer Brother guarding a lava pit on yonder side of the pipe. Fireball him, or
get near him and wait for a break in his throwing to bop him. On the other side of the lava bit is
the final Bowser. There's not tricks here and he's throwing hammers like a mad man. Stay inside
the arc of his hammers, but don't get so close that you can't dodge his fire. Hop over his head to
the axe to knock him down.

Now go talk to stupid Toad aga--- Wait, is that the princess?!

I guess you win.