Super Mario World

The game

A rescue with room to wander

Mario's mission is to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, with the rideable dinosaur Yoshi joining the adventure. Play moves between an interconnected world map and individual action courses. Reaching a course's goal opens the way onward, turning each successful crossing into another piece of a larger journey.

More than one way out

Red course markers signal two exits: a normal goal and a special goal or secret keyhole. Finding the alternative reveals another route, sometimes a shortcut. The Cape Feather adds aerial exploration, while Yoshi's shell abilities change with shell color: red produces fireballs, yellow creates an enemy-defeating dust cloud on landing, and blue enables flight.

Small rewards along the route

Collecting 100 regular coins or five Dragon Coins within one course earns an extra life. At the finish, the moving goal tape awards more Gold Stars when broken higher up. Accumulating 100 stars opens a bonus game built around matching pictures in rows, with additional lives as the reward.

This edition

The US Super Nintendo edition

This edition offers three original save slots and a two-player mode in which Mario and Luigi take turns through courses. Saving becomes available after clearing locations such as castles, fortresses, and haunted houses. The cartridge records route progress when you choose Continue and Save; extra lives are not retained.

Start here

1. Set up your adventure

   At the title screen, press START, choose a save slot and player count with the Control Pad or SELECT, then confirm with START.

2. Pick an opening course

   From Yoshi's House, move left or right along the available map paths. Stop on a course point and press B or Y to enter.

3. Reach the midway tape

   Make the Midway Gate your first practical target. Breaking its tape provides a restart point if you lose a life before finishing, and it also turns Small Mario into Super Mario.

Original controls

These are the original game's controls. For keyboard, controller and touch settings in this player, see Controls & help.

Control Pad

Move Mario. Press Down on a slope to slide; press Up while jumping toward a rope or fence to grab it.

B Button

Jump or swim. Hold for a higher jump or to slow Caped Mario's descent.

A Button

Spin jump, or dismount when riding Yoshi.

X or Y Button

Accelerate and hold objects. Depending on your current ability, throw fireballs or use Yoshi's tongue.

L and R Buttons

Shift the view slightly to inspect the area ahead or behind where the course permits it.

SELECT and START

SELECT releases the reserve item. START pauses; in an already cleared course, START followed by SELECT returns you to the map.

Playing tips

• Match the jump to the obstacle

  Use an ordinary jump when height matters. The spin jump sacrifices height but can defeat some tougher enemies, so it is a situational tool rather than an automatic upgrade.

• Practice cape steering with space

  Choose an open stretch for your first sustained flight. With the cape open, pressing toward your travel direction lowers Mario; pressing against it raises him. Gentle timing practice makes those opposite effects easier to learn.

• Bring your companion through

  When you have Yoshi near a course's end, favor a safe finish over an optional detour. Completing the course on his back lets you begin the next course together.

• Keep exploration within the clock

  Look for side routes while you have time to spare. The timer reaching zero costs a life, so postpone a difficult search when the remaining time makes a safe finish doubtful.