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

How to Clear World 3-3

In this level, the water will go up and down, and some platforms will become completely submerged. There is a Boss Bass in the water that will eat you if you get too close. There are also Cheep-Cheeps that will swim back and forth and will try to jump out of the water to hit you.

Go to the right and jump to the next set of platforms. Get the two groups of three coins.

On the next platform, there are two wooden blocks, followed by a Note Block and a bunch of bricks. The Note Block contains a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower. The item will fall down beneath the Note Block if you jump on top of the block. If it's a Super Mushroom, you can go to the right (but don't let the Mushroom go off screen) and go down onto the blue platform after the bricks, then run to the left before the Mushroom falls into the pit. If it's a Fire Flower, or if you just got the Mushroom, then go to the right and stomp on the Green Koopa Troopa, then hold the run button and touch it from the side to pick it up, then go to the right, where the bricks are lower, and kick the shell to the left. Then jump and hit the brick to the left of the gap to reveal a P Switch. Collect the coins to the left, as well as the Fire Flower if that's what came out of the Note Block. Then go to the right to collect the remaining coins before the P Switch wears off.

Next, jump over some gaps onto more blue platforms. After that, there is a Rotary Lift, which sometimes spins rapidly. If it starts spinning when you're standing on it, you will be knocked in a random direction, so make sure to wait for it to stop spinning, then quickly jump on it and off of it.

The next platform has a regular brick on the left, a ? block above, and two ice blocks. First, hit the ? block to get a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower. Then, pick up an ice block by touching the block from the side and pressing the run button. Then turn to face the left, then let go of the run button to kick it at the regular brick. A P Switch will appear. There are coins to the right that will turn into platforms, but you will need to go quickly to cross all the brick platforms before they turn back into coins. If you're ready, step on the P Switch, then run to the right, jump over the Red Koopa Troopa, and collect the coins floating above the brick platforms. Keep running to the right, and if you make a long jump just before the lower brick platform, you might be able to reach the 2-by-2 brick platform before it turns back into coins, then jump onto the Rotary Lift if it's safe to do so, and quickly jump onto the column of bricks on the right. If you fall in the water, do your best to jump over Boss Bass or hit it with a fireball if you're Fire Mario, and go to the left to get on the blue platform. From there, if there are any bricks to the left of the Rotary Lift, you can jump onto that, then onto the Rotary Lift, then onto the blue bricks on the right to reach the pipe. If there aren't any bricks there, you'll just have to wait for the water level to be high enough to let you jump up onto the blue bricks to the left of the pipe.

Before you go down the pipe, you can optionally swim to the right (try to jump over the Boss Bass if you can't shoot fireballs at it) to reach a small platform and a slightly larger platform. Get on the large platform and stand on the second block from the left, then jump straight up to get a 1UP Mushroom.

Then go back to the left and go down the pipe. This will take you to the end of the level. Go to the right and hit the Goal Block to clear the level.

If the Hammer Bro is reachable, you can defeat him (two Hammer Brothers) to get a Hammer. Save it for later in the world.

Next, you can enter the first fortress of World 3.