A guide to completing World 1-3 in Super Mario Bros 2 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Navigate Waterfalls

Ignore the Cherries for now and go to the right until you can jump to the hill with the two tufts of grass, but don't pull the left tuft. Instead, pull the right tuft to get a Potion, and take it to the right, and drop it just after you go past the first tile of the waterfall. Go through, then go left to get the Mushroom and cherries, and go right to pull the grass to get a coin.

After you exit Subspace, go to the left and get all the cherries that you ignored earlier. This should make a Starman appear. Take the Starman and go back to the right to cross the log bridge, getting the two Cherries above the bridge as you go.

There are several Trouters jumping up and down out of the water to the right, so be sure to avoid them as you jump from log to log.

After those logs, there is a waterfall with logs rolling down, and a couple of Cherries between them. Get the cherries and go to the hill on the right, but you might not want to pull the grass. If you leave the grass alone, you can get five coins to use in Bonus Chance. If you do pull the grass, you get a Stopwatch from the fifth one, but the Stopwatch isn't all that useful here.

Get the Cherry at the right side of this hill, then go to the right and jump on the logs rolling over the waterfall, being careful to avoid the Trouters that jump up and down before each log.

To the right, before you pull the grass, be aware that the bottom left grass is a Potion, and you have to choose whether you want to use it to get a Mushroom and five coins, or use it to warp to World 4-1. If you want to warp, skip ahead to Option 2.

Option 1: A Mushroom and Five Coins

If you want the Mushroom and five coins, pull up the bottom left grass, then take the Potion all the way back to the tall waterfall with three logs rolling down it, and while still holding the Potion, do a Power Squat Jump (crouch until flashing, then jump) to reach the rightmost log when it's still at the top of the waterfall, and from there jump onto the hill on the right. Drop the Potion onto of the leftmost tile of the highest hill, then go through. Pick up the five tufts of grass to get five coins, then get the Mushroom.

After you leave Subspace, you can pick up the five tufts of grass to make a Stopwatch appear. Then go to the right and get the Cherries if they are still there, go past the low waterfall, and you'll be back where there is a cherry and some grass. The grass in the middle of the log contains a large veggie.

Go to the right, over the small waterfall, watch out for the two Ninjis and two Tweeters, and you find a door. You can ignore the area beyond the door. There are just two small veggies and a vase, but the vase doesn't lead anywhere. Instead, just go through the door.

Go through the Building

Go to the right and make your way up to the highest platform. Then climb up the chain and get off on the right, where there are Mushrooms. These Mushrooms don't give you more life points. Instead, you can pick them up and throw them to use them as platforms. So take a Mushroom and jump up onto the platform on the left. Drop the Mushroom and stand on it, then do a Power Squat Jump (crouch until flashing, then jump) to reach the platform above. A Spark is spinning around this platform. Don't let it hit you.

Jump up and start climbing the chain on the right. You can't jump while climbing a chain, so just go to the top of the chain, then move to the left until you can grab the chain on the left. Climb up, then use a Power Squat Jump to reach the platform above. Dodge the Sparks as you go up the platforms, then go through the door at the top.

Do a Power Squat Jump to reach the upper platform. Take the key, then quickly go through the door to avoid the Phanto that chases you.

Make your way downward on the right side, staying to the right of the rightmost chain as you fall straight down. You should land on the pile of Mushrooms below. Then go left and fall straight down where the chain is, then go right and fall straight down as soon as you step off the platform. Make your way down the winding set of platforms, then when you reach the chain, fall straight down where the chain is, and as soon as there is a brick wall up against the right side of the chain, start pushing toward the right. You should land on a ledge with a locked door on it. Stand in front of the locked door while holding the key, and press Up to unlock it and go through.

Jump to get the Cherries, but be careful of the Spark on the platform below. Jump up the platforms on the right, and avoid the Spark around the platform on the right.

Go right and you can try to get the POW block in the middle of this set of platforms by walking onto the upper-right platform, then walking left to fall onto the middle-left platform. Then you can pick up and throw the POW block. On the right side, there are three Cherries at the ends of the platforms.

Go to the right, along a series of brick platforms, and get the Cherries along the way. Then to the right you find two Ninjis, followed by a Crystal Ball. Take it and go through the mask door, but this isn't the end of the level just yet. You will fall into a room with grass and a Spark on the platform. Pick up a grass and drop the bomb onto the upper broken block. Then you can go through the gap to face Mouser.

Mouser

Mouser throws bombs that you can avoid pretty easily, but you need to catch them or pick them up, and try to throw them onto Mouser's platform. To catch the bombs, just jump upward under a bomb so it lands on your head. Otherwise, stand on a bomb (but not if it's flashing) and pick it up and throw it. Try to throw the bombs onto the middle of Mouser's platform. Mouser will be defeated when hit with 3 bomb blasts. A door will appear, and you can go through it to complete the level, play Bonus Chance if you got coins, and continue to World 2-1.

Option 2: Warp to World 4-1

If you chose instead to use the Potion to warp to World 4-1, pull up the bottom left grass to the right of the low waterfall, then take the Potion to the right, past Shyguys, a low waterfall, two Ninjis, two Tweeters, go past the door, and drop the Potion near or on the vase. Pick up the two tufts of grass to get coins, then go down the vase while still in Subspace, and you will warp to World 4-1.