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

Cross the Desert

Go to the right and you see a Cobrat hiding in the sand. When you approach it, it will jump out of the sand and start going back and forth, sometimes spitting bullets. If you want to get rid of it, you can jump on its head to pick it up and throw it. Next, there is a vase with a Cobrat in it that jumps up and down, spitting bullets. You can optionally get rid of the Cobrat and go down the vase, but there is only a tuft of grass with a turtle shell, and a Snifit that you can hit with the turtle shell. You can do this to increase your count of defeated enemies if you want to get a small heart sooner.

Exit the vase and go to the right to get Cherries that float above two Shyguys. Farther right, there is another vase that has the same room as the previous vase.

Next, there is a stone structure. Pull the leftmost grass to get a Potion, drop the Potion on the stone structure, and go through the door to get a Mushroom and three coins from the grass.

After you exit Subspace, go to the right, but be careful of the quicksand. You can jump to avoid getting dragged down. If it starts pulling you down, jump rapidly to get out. Get the Cherries from above the cactus (which you can safely step on), then go to the right past the Shyguy.

You find another stone structure. This one has a Panzer on top, which spits fireballs left and right. There are also Shyguys on the lower parts of the pyramid. You can pick up and throw a Shyguy at the Panser to get rid of it. Get the two Cherries from the top of the pyramid.

Go to the right, past a cactus, and get the Cherries while dodging the Cobrat's bullets. Then go to the right and go through the door into the Pyramid.

Excavate the Pyramid

Go to the right wall and pull up the sand to get rid of it. Keep digging downward to get Cherries. Then go to the left side and dig downward to find another Cherries. Dig straight down to get a third Cherries but be careful of the Snifit that goes up by one level each time it jumps, then walk to the right and you'll fall on another Cherries. Then go to the left and go down the ladder. Go to the right and go through the door that you find.

Birdo

Go to the right and you find Birdo. As before, jump on the eggs and throw them at Birdo until the Crystal Ball appears. Take the Crystal Ball and go to the right to go through the mask gate. After the Bonus Chance game, you continue to World 2-2.