A guide to completing World 4-3 in Super Mario Bros 2 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Luigi and Princess Toadstool Shortcut

If you play this level as Luigi or Princess Toadstool, you can take a shortcut to skip most of this level. Mario and Toad can't use the shortcut.

Leave the Cave

Go up the ladder and go through the door to go outside.

Cross the Sea

There is a Birdo just outside the door. You can ignore it for now. The leftmost grass is a Potion. You can either drop it here to get two coins, or take it to the left and drop it one one of the ice columns, then go through the door to get a Mushroom.

After you exit Subspace, go back to the right, but don't defeat the Birdo! Instead, stand to the right of Birdo and jump on one of the eggs, and don't pick up the egg. Let the egg take you to the other side of the ocean.

Enter the Castle

At the other side of the sea, there are tufts of grass, but you can ignore them. They're all just small veggies, and there aren't any enemies around.

Go to the right and there is a door, but don't go through yet. If you're playing as Luigi or Princess Toadstool, you can take a shortcut here. Instead of going through the door, make a running jump to the right, and you will reach a platform with a door. Go past that door, and you find another door to the right, but be sure to jump over the Beezo that goes across the screen here. Then go through the door on the right, and skip ahead to After the Castle.

If you're playing as Mario or Toad, you will have to go through the first door instead.

Climb the Ice

Inside the castle, you see a pit of spikes on the right, and a lot of ice platforms. Carefully make your way up, and watch out for Flurries on some of the blocks, as well as some spikes to avoid falling onto. At the top, go through the door.

Cross the Bridge

There is a hidden Mushroom in Subspace that you can try to get. Pick the leftmost grass, then go to the left, where there are some clouds. Go up the clouds, using a Power Squat Jump if necessary (crouch until flashing, then jump), then you can jump on top of the uppermost bricks of the castle. Jump along each platform (the lower bricks aren't platforms) until you reach the rightmost platform. Drop the Potion on the left side of the rightmost platform, go through the door, and get the Mushroom. (If you dropped the door in the same place as the Mushroom, you just need to jump straight up to land on top of the Mushroom so you can pick it up.)

If you'd rather get a coin, you can just drop the Potion near the other tuft of grass and pull it in Subspace to get a coin.

After you exit Subspace, fall down between the platforms made of castle bricks so that you fall on the bridge below. Go through the door on the right.

Descend through the Castle

There is a red Shyguy and a pink Shyguy. Stand on top of the red Shyguy and you can stay on top of it to stay safe from the spikes. Then when you are about to fall into a pit of Cherries, pick up the red Shyguy at the last moment so you can try to fall through the Cherries.

When you land near a door, go through the door before you get the Cherries. Go up the platforms, avoiding the Flurrys, and get the Key, then go back through the door.

Get the Cherries, and drop the Key while you wait for the Starman to come up (if there is one). Then after you get the Starman, get the Key again. Phanto is immune to the Starman, but you won't take damage from Phanto if it hits you while you're invincible. Make your way downward while avoiding Flurries, and use the Key to open the locked door at the bottom.

Go to the right but be sure to jump over or duck under the Beezo that goes across the screen here. Then go through the door on the right.

After the Castle

Go to the right and pick up the Crystal Ball, but be sure to avoid the Flurry that falls from above. Go to the right and go through the mask gate.

Fryguy

Now you have to battle the boss, Fryguy, which floats side-to-side and slightly up and down. Pick up a Mushroom Block and try to drop it on Fryguy. Keep doing that until Fryguy breaks apart into smaller fireballs. The fireballs will bounce toward you, sometimes bouncing only a short distance, sometimes bouncing a long distance. Carefully drop Mushroom Blocks onto the fireballs until they're all gone, and the door will appear. Go through, play Bonus Chance if you got coins, and you'll continue to World 5-1.