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

How to Clear World 4 Fortress 2

Go to the right and you find a lot of Donut Lift platforms above lava. Remember to keep moving and jumping to avoid making the Donut Lifts fall into the lava. The third platform has a Dry Bones on it, and a ? Block above it, which contains a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower. Keep going along the Donut Lift platforms, avoiding a Dry Bones along the way, until you're past the lava.

There are three Dry Bones, then a vertical tunnel, with two Dry Bones that fall down from above. There is also a brick here. If you want to skip a bunch of coins and 1UPs, you can just jump on top of the brick and jump up to the upper ledge, then go to the right to find a pipe, and skip ahead to After the Bonus Areas. If you want to visit the bonus areas instead, hit the brick to make a P Switch appear. Stomp on the switch, and some blue coins in the shape of a door appear. Collect the coins, then go through the hidden door that was outlined by the coins. (The door is there even if the P Switch is not active.)

There is a wide, orange brick known as a Directional Lift. Jump onto it and a ghostly outlined platform will move in the direction that was shown on the lift (Up, in this case). Let the ghostly platform take you up to a platform of wooden blocks.

Jump onto the wooden blocks and go to the right, where there is a Directional Platform with an exclamation mark on it. When you jump on it, your ghost platform will change direction. It starts by going Up, then with each jump, it cycles through Left, Up, Right, Up, and then repeats that pattern.

In this case, you really only need to go up until you can jump onto the pipe with the Piranha Plant coming up from it, then jump from there to the wooden platform on the left.

Then jump on the next Directional Lift, which only goes up, and jump onto the pipe on the right when you can reach it. Then go to the right, where there is a Piranha Plant and two pipes going up. If you want a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower, go up the pipe on the right and hit the ? Block to get it, then go down that pipe. Then go up the pipe on the left and you will turn some corners and come out on top of a pipe. There is also a pipe leading up. Go up the pipe leading up. (The one that leads down will just take you to a dead end.)

After you have gone up the pipe, go to the right and jump on the Directional Lift. This time you need to jump on it to make it go to the left, then jump on it again when it's beneath the gap in the pipes above, so that the lift goes up. Try to jump when the lift is to the left of the center of the gap between the two pipes, because this will give you enough room avoid the Piranha Plant above. Then jump on the platform again to make it go to the right, then when the platform is beneath the gap in the wooden blocks, jump again to make the platform go up again.

Then go down the pipe on the wooden blocks.

You will fall into a room with some coins. After you get the coins, stand on the left side of the pipe and jump up to reveal a hidden block. Then jump onto that block and stand on the left edge and jump up to reveal another hidden block. Then stand on that block and do the same thing, and a 1UP Mushroom will fall from above.

Go down the pipe to reach the next area.

Hit the Mega ? Block to get three 1UP Mushrooms. Then, if you can fly, run left and right to fill your P Meter, then fly up through the bricks in the left side of the ceiling. You will reach an area with a bunch of coins.

When you're done, go up the pipe on the right.

After the Bonus Areas

Go to the right, past the Dry Bones and Roto-Disc. Then keep going to the right to reach the dungeon boss.

Boom Boom

There is a floating platform in the middle of the area where you fight. Boom Boom will move left and right, and sometimes he will crouch and slide. Whenever he crouches, his spiky shell is not safe to stomp on. Try to stomp on him when he is running around. You can also hit him with fireballs. After you stomp him the first time, he will sometimes suddenly stop, then jump high up. It can be difficult to aim your jumps correctly when he stops and jumps, so watch him closely. After you stomp on him a second time, he will very quickly run left and right, so jump carefully to avoid letting him bump into you.

After you stomp him a third time, he is defeated, and drops a Magic Ball. Collect it and you will complete the level.

After the Level

A bridge will appear, giving you access to the castle, where the king has been transformed into a dinosaur (or Donkey Kong Jr. in certain versions of the game), and Toad asks you to help. You'll automatically enter the World 4 Airship.