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Contents

  • Playing with Power
    • Foreword
    • Introduction
    • The Inside Story of the NES
    • The Launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System
    • First-Party NES Titles: Launch Day
    • The Early Period (1986)
    • An Inside Look at Game Paks
    • The Middle Period (1987-1989)
    • Classified Information
    • Behind the Scenes with Shigeru Miyamoto
    • The Late Period (1990-1994)
    • Counselors’ Corner
    • NES Peripherals
  • Excitebike
    • Summary
    • How To
    • Tracks
  • Ice Climber
    • Summary
    • How to Play
    • Characters and Objects
    • Terrain
    • Scoring
    • Tips and Tricks
  • Super Mario Bros.
    • Summary
    • Levels
      • World 7
      • World 3
      • World 5
      • World 4
      • World 6
      • World 8
      • World 1
      • World 2
  • Balloon Fight
    • Summary
    • How-To
  • Donkey Kong
    • Summary
    • Playing Donkey Kong
    • Characters and Collectibles
  • Donkey Kong Jr.
    • Summary
    • How to Play
    • Cast & Items
    • Scoring
    • Recommended Tactics
  • Mario Bros.
    • Summary
    • How to Play
    • Characters and Items
    • Tips and Tricks
  • Kid Icarus
    • The Tale of Kid Icarus
    • Getting Started
    • How to Play
    • Exploring Angel Land
    • Powering Up
    • Items
    • Enemies
    • Completing Kid Icarus
    • Stages
      • Underworld
      • Overworld
      • Skyworld
      • Palace in the Sky
  • Metroid
    • The Metroid Story
    • Summary
    • Getting Started
    • How to Play
    • Power Items
    • Enemies
    • Completing Metroid
  • The Legend of Zelda
    • Summary
    • The Legend of Hyrule
    • Hero Training
    • Items
    • Characters
    • The Overworld
    • The Underworld
      • Labyrinth 1: Eagle
      • Labyrinth 2: Moon
      • Labyrinth 3: Manji
      • Labyrinth 4: Snake
      • Labyrinth 5: Lizard
      • Labyrinth 6: Dragon
      • Labyrinth 7: Demon
      • Labyrinth 8: Lion
      • Labyrinth 9: Death Mountain
    • The Second Quest
      • The Second Quest
      • Story
      • Conquering the Underworld
  • Punch-Out!!
    • Summary
    • Story
    • Roadwork
    • Minor Circuit
    • Major Circuit
    • World Circuit
    • The Dream Fight
  • Super Mario Bros. 2
    • Story
    • Characters
    • Welcome to Subcon
    • Know Your Enemies
    • Worlds
      • World 1
      • World 2
      • World 3
      • World 4
      • World 5
      • World 6
      • World 7
  • Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
    • Summary
    • The Story of the Adventure of Link
    • Hyrule
  • Super Mario Bros. 3
    • A Message From Mario
    • Story
    • Being Mario
    • Worlds
      • World 1: Grass Land
      • World 2: Desert Land
      • World 3: Water Land
      • World 4: Giant Land
      • World 5: Sky Land
      • World 6: Ice Land
      • World 7: Pipe Land
      • World 8: Castle of Koopa
  • StarTropics
    • Summary
    • A Letter From Uncle Steve
    • Chapters
      • Chapter 1: Prelude
      • Chapter 2: Dolphins
      • Chapter 3: Storm and Calm
      • Chapter 4: Confession
      • Chapter 5: Captain Bell
      • Chapter 6: Reunion
  • Dr. Mario
    • Summary
    • Dr. Mario’s Diagnosis
    • Dr. Mario’s Med School
  • Kirby’s Adventure
    • Summary
    • A Crisis in Dream Land!
    • Copy Abilities
    • Levels
      • Level 1: Vegetable Valley
      • Level 2: Ice Cream Island
      • Level 3: Butter Building
      • Level 4: Grape Garden
      • Level 5: Yogurt Yard
      • Level 6: Orange Ocean
      • Level 7: Rainbow Resort
      • Level 8: Fountain of Dreams

Nintendo Playing with Power Guide › Super Mario Bros. 2 › Worlds

World 2

New dangers lurk here: quicksand that pulls you down if you stand still, and stacked bricks that block your path. Don’t sweat it! Keep going. You’ll make it if you’re fast, smart, and a little lucky.

World 2-1

Are you ready for quicksand? How about deep pits? Digging your way out through the sand isn’t so easy. These are just a couple of the multitude of hair-raising challenges you face. Here’s a clue to remember: don’t stop unless you have a good foothold.

Time for a Character

Change?

Watch out for the many traps of the world of deserts. You’re bound to run into the snaggle-toothed Cobrat. Also, beware of Panser’s fire attacks. Maybe you should switch to a better jumper? Luigi fits the bill!

Wrong Jar?

You can jump into the first jar you see in the level. But what’s this? There’s nothing inside but a Snifit and a buried Shell! Don’t worry: Shells make for useful weapons outside.

Sub-Space

See the four patches of grass just past the second jar? The one on the left is a Potion. Use it here, enter Sub-Space, and take the Mushroom and Coins. Your meter can never be too high!

Heave a Shy Guy at Panser

Panser is spitting flames at the top of the pyramid shown in our screenshot. Be careful! Look for a Shy Guy below, pick him up, and throw him at Panser. Now you can get by safely.

Leave the Hole Digging to Luigi

This room is full of sand that’s perfect for digging through. Dig holes with the B Button to reach the ladder on the bottom-left side of the room, under the sand. But watch out for Shy Guys. They come at you from all sides. This is the time for Luigi to show you how fast he can dig a hole.

Take a Cherry and Keep Going

There are Cherries hidden in the sand. If you picked up some earlier in this level in addition to the ones in the sand, Starman appears. Grab him, and you can dig your holes with no trouble at all—piece of cake!

Birdo’s Back!

You’ll never guess who’s the Little Boss of World 2-1—Birdo. Long time, no see! Throw three eggs at her again. But be careful that you don’t drop into the pits scattered around the area.

World 2-2

This stage seems extremely difficult at first. The quicksand is faster, and you have a smaller area to move around in. If you haven’t selected Toad as your character yet, now might be a good time.

Sub-Space

The Magic Potion lies in the first patch of grass you see in World 2-2. Don’t wait! Use it and get the Mushrooms and Coins in Sub-Space.

Sub-Space Has Its Limits

You know by now that the Magic Potion makes a door to subspace appear, which gives Mario and friends a chance to find Coins, Mushrooms, and warps. But don’t drop them willy-nilly! There are a limited number of Magic Potions in each stage and lots of Coins and Mushrooms to collect. After two Magic Potions, subspace plants will no longer give Coins.

Bounce Off the Bones

This quicksand is definitely quick. No matter how much you press the A Button, you’re still in trouble. But all is not lost. Leap on the sinking bones and quickly jump to the other side. That’s easy enough, isn’t it? But watch out for Cobrat’s attacks once you get there.

A Mysterious Cave

Did you notice that opening just past the falling bones? Head inside—you’ll be glad you did.

Take a 1-Up

As soon as you enter the next room, head right and pull at the grass at the very bottom to get a 1-Up.

Three bombs: That’s what you have at your disposal to break through the wall near the cave entrance. As soon as you pull one of them, Squat Jump back up to the entrance and use the Bomb to clear away the wall to the left.

Sub-Space

Where’s the Magic Potion? Try the second clump of grass from the right. Throw the Potion on the ground near where you found it for Coins and a Mushroom.

Beware of Pokey

Steer clear of Pokey; he does a lot of damage. If you decide to mess with him, go for his weak spot—he’s kind of softheaded.

Speed Off to Safety

Don’t relax yet. There’s trouble ahead at the top of those stone steps—double trouble! Two Pansers are waiting to give you a flaming-hot welcome.

Unless you find something at the bottom of the stone steps to cool their jets, your best bet is to hotfoot it to safety.

Get Starman’s Help!

Remember in World 2-1, where you had to grab Cherries while digging your way down into the sand to find Starman? Do the same thing here to make this whole area a lot easier.

Zigzag

Tip

Maybe you weren’t able to find Starman. Oh, well… In that case, don’t dig your hole straight down. Instead, zigzag your way through the sand so Shy Guy can’t touch you; he never did learn a proper zigzag maneuver!

Right Is the Right Way

The end of this area splits into two passages. Take the right path; the left leads down to a dead end, and you get stuck climbing up again. The right path leads to the door with no problems. Just remember: right is right… right?

Use the Mushroom Block

There she is again: Birdo. She does her thing—namely, spitting fireballs and eggs at you. Carry three Mushroom Blocks up and hit her from above. Now you’ve got her beat!

World 2-3

The last stage of World 2 is a desert, of course. Expect to do some digging to reach the end of the level, which is guarded by the three-headed serpent, Tryclyde—you won’t have it easy.

Sub-Space

Climb up the ladder from the underground and pull out the clump of grass on your right to find a Potion. Throw it on the large hill to your left to enter Sub-Space and retrieve a Mushroom and a Coin.

It’s Not So Easy to Get Inside Here

Reaching the door in the middle of this area is tough. Jump on a Beezo’s head, jump again, and go to the door at the top of the hill. Enter this room, grab the Potion, and open the door to Sub-Space. You get one Mushroom and a pile of Coins.

Take a Key

In the middle of the area inside the pyramid, you come to a locked door. That’s your destination, but you need a Key first. To get in, go through the door at the very bottom of this area, take the Key, and come back. Just watch out! Phanto’s guarding the Key, and he has a number of nasty ways of getting exactly what he wants.

Defeat Tryclyde

Once you unlock the door, you begin your battle against the three-headed serpent, Tryclyde.

You can avoid Tryclyde’s attack easily enough; just build a wall with your Mushroom Blocks. From the top of the wall, clobber him with the three Mushroom Blocks you have left.

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