You’ve arrived at the final world: Wart’s Castle. There are only two stages left between you and Wart, Subcon’s greatest foe! You can do it!
World 7-1
Mario’s long quest is almost over. Only one adventure left: you must go through 7-1 to get to Wart’s castle in the sky. Now is the time to use the skills you’ve been building up all along, like riding Albatosses and climbing ladders.
Move Ahead Right Away!
This is one rocky road you’re travelling. Ninji and Bob-omb come at you, but don’t be afraid. Just keep going; otherwise, Bob-omb explodes and you lose all the ground you’ve gained. Albatoss carries Bob-ombs from above, so get to the other side as fast as you can. Don’t forget that POW Block—it’s sure to come in handy!
Go Back on Albatoss
Well, you’ve reached the end of the path. What now? Jump on top of the house and hitch a ride on Albatoss! You need to fly left—clear past the starting point. Watch out! You must get past a few particularly tall columns, so be ready to jump. There’s a single patch of grass near the left edge of the area. Hop off of the Albatoss and pluck this grass to head up to the next part of the stage.
Maze of Clouds
Go all the way down the stair-like clouds and jump to the cloud on your right. From there, you can jump up to a ladder that leads to the next area. Of course, Shy Guys, Snifit, and Ninji won’t make it easy for you.
Luckily, there are five Cherries in this area. Collect them all, grab Starman, and charge through these enemies until Starman’s power wears off.
Pile Up Blocks and Jump!
Pile up Mushroom Blocks and perform a Squat Jump. This is the only way to reach the ladders near the top of the area—but two Sparks are going to give you trouble. Before you stack the Mushroom Blocks, use them to take care of those pests!
Say Goodbye to Birdo!
You’ve fought Birdo many times. This battle in Area 3 is your last with the egg-spitting troublemaker. The narrow path makes it tough and Birdo isn’t going to stop spitting flames now. But do your best! Use that Mushroom Block to hit her three times. She’ll be sorry!
World 7-2
Finally, you’ve come to Wart’s twisting castle, the source of all the evil in the World of Dreams. Now is the time to show your strength! Many different traps await you, but if you’ve come this far, you should be able to defeat Wart.
A Moving Floor!
Aside from a few pesky Snifits, there’s not much going on in the first area—head right until you enter the castle. When you step inside, the floor starts moving like crazy. You’ve got to keep your footing, and, worse yet, battle bad guys. Is it too tough? Take your time and keep moving. Shy Guy? Ninji? Bob-omb? You know how to handle these guys.
The Upper Path
Let’s start with the upper path. To reach it, just ride the moving floors to the end of the room. Climb the chain, and you’re on your way!
Everything Depends On Your Timing!
It takes precision timing to slip past some of these Sparks. Stand in front of a chain until you’re ready to make your move. When you see an opening, go for it!
Be Sure to Go Left!
Chains are hanging on both sides, but take the one on the left and climb up. If you take the one on the right, you won’t be able to get to the door that leads to the bonus area—and if you want to find a Mushroom, that’s where you need to go.
Avoid Panser!
Think a bit of a break from that castle sounds nice? Think again! As you follow the ladders down to the bonus area, keep an eye out for Panser’s flames—wait for an opening, then drop to the ground. There are a couple of Tweeters hopping around the area, so be ready to move as soon as you land. Get to that last ladder!
Upper Path Side Room
The ladder below the Panser leads to a door—head through the door to find a bonus room! The grass on the right holds a Potion. Enter Sub-Space and take a Mushroom right away. You can take the Coins, too, but you don’t need them anymore, do you?
The Most Difficult Place!
Once you’re done in the bonus room, climb back up the ladders and return to the castle. Don’t bother sliding back down the chain—once you’re inside, just jump through the platform above and keep heading upward.
These jumps are challenging enough, but the circling Sparks can make it pretty tough to reach the top of the tower. Timing is the key—when you see an opening, take it. Once you make your move, commit to it!
Find That Key!
Once you reach the top of tower, head through the door and climb up to the moving floor to the right. Once you’re in place, duck down to dodge incoming Sparks. Climb down the chain on the far side of the room to find the Key.
Birdo’s Back!
Yikes! Birdo’s back, and this time she’s guarding a Key. Use Birdo’s eggs to defeat her, grab the Key, and head through the nearby door—you emerge in the previous room, under the moving floor. Avoid Phanto and move left until you reach the locked door. Then use the Key to open it.
The Lower Path
Would you rather take the lower path? Then after you first enter the castle, look for the chain at the bottom of the room. It appears just after the Bob-ombs, but you might have to slip past a Panser to reach it.
A Mushroom Block Floor!
Pull out the Mushroom Blocks at your feet and keep going down. Protect yourself from those nasty Sparks by throwing the Blocks and remember to always keep moving. If you pick up the Cherries on your way, Starman makes an appearance.
Lower Path Bonus Room
As you make your way through the Spark-infested corridor, look for the door near the center of the area. That leads to the lower path’s bonus room, so stop in to investigate. The room contains two patches of grass. Pluck the patch on the left to reveal a Potion, then use it to enter Sub-Space. There’s your Mushroom!
Stay in the Center!
Once you leave the bonus room, continue to the right to find another door. Pass through it, then start climbing the nearby chain. This place is crawling with Sparks, but they’re pretty easy to avoid if you stick to the chains in the center of the area. The nearby Cherries might tempt you, but you should probably ignore them and keep going—that is, unless you’re very, very sure of yourself!
Slip Through by a Hair’s Breadth!
So many Sparks! Since you don’t have a block to use as a weapon, you must avoid these enemies. Watch what the Sparks do and run whenever you have enough space to slip past them.
Another Tough Climb!
You’re in another tough spot here. You have to climb up the moving floor and avoid attacks from Shy Guys, Snifits, and Sparks. For the most part, you can move up carefully by using short, steady jumps. Every so often, you’ll need to make a running leap. Stick those landings!
What Are You Doing, Birdo?
Climb up the chain to find Birdo guarding the way. Didn’t you defeat her in World 6-3? If you see an opening to slip past her, go for it! Otherwise, use Birdo’s eggs to knock this nuisance out of your path. Climb up the chain to reach the next area.
When you reach the top of the chain, you have two options. You can head through the unlocked door to the right, or you can Squat Jump up to the moving floor above you. The door takes you straight to the Key, but you must get past some troublesome Sparks along the way. The conveyer belt takes you to a chain at the edge of the room. The Sparks up here are much easier to dodge—just duck down! Either way, you need that Key. Head through the unlocked door, or make your way to the chain and slide down to the next room.
Birdo Again!?
Back so soon, and now Birdo has the Key! Use her eggs to take her out, then grab the Key and scram through the nearby door. Move left and use the Key to open the locked door. Remember to dodge Phanto, and don’t be afraid to toss the Key into any Sparks that block your path.
The Paths Converge
No matter which path you took at the start of the level, you reach this point. You’re almost there! Head through that locked door!
Mask Gate Attack!
Here’s a room with only two Mushroom Blocks, a crystal ball, and the Mask Gate. Take the crystal as usual, but look out! The Mask Gate is coming toward you. Is this more of Wart’s evil magic? Land three hits with the Mushroom Blocks to subdue the gate, and then climb into its mouth to reach Wart.
Finally, Wart!
Wart, creator of all the monsters in the World of Dreams and the source of all its evil! You’ve come this far, so you can’t back down now. This takes all the strength and courage you’ve got. This guy is sly, wily, strong, and full of ways to stop your progress. But you have a few tricks of your own to achieve victory and bring peace to the Subcon!
