A guide to completing the World 8 Fortress in Super Mario Bros 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

How to Clear the World 8 Fortress

Go to the right and get past the Roto Disc. Afterward, you can hit the brick to get one coin, but watch out for the two Roto-Discs to the right. If you want a Super Mushroom or Super Leaf, you can jump on top of the orb on the left, and jump from there to the brick, and jump to the door. Go through, but start pushing to the left immediately, because you will be on a conveyor belt that pushes you toward the right. Fall from the left side onto the conveyor belt below, then wait for the Podoboo to start moving downward and make a running jump to the left, and hit the ? Block to get a Super Mushroom or Super Leaf. Then make a running jump back onto the conveyor belt, and jump up from it to the upper conveyor belt, and go through the door.

Fall down from the door while dodging the two Roto-Discs, then jump on the ledge on the right. The ? Block contains a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower. Go to the right, past the two Roto-Discs, and jump on top of the short wall. If you want a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower, jump up through the hole above you, and go through the door on the left. You will fall down below. You can stand below the door and jump up to reveal a hidden block, then stand on the block and jump up to reveal the three hidden blocks that make a floor beneath the door above. Go to the left, but ignore the door. Break a brick above you, and you can hit the ? Block to get a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower. Then jump up to the door on the right (if there's no floor, follow the steps earlier in this paragraph to make a floor) and go through.

Go to the right, and fall down below while avoiding the Dry Bones and Roto-Disc. Go all the way to the right wall and jump straight up to reveal a hidden block. Break all the bricks on the left side of the door, but don't go through the door yet. Hit the upper-left brick to get a coin. The brick above the door also contains a coin. Then hit all the bricks to the right side of the door to reveal a P Switch. Jump on it, then go through the door.

If the P Switch is active, go to the right and go through the first door. Collect the coin on the left (or break the brick there if it's a brick), then collect the coin on the right (or hit the brick there if it's a brick) and get the 1UP Mushroom. Then go back through the door.

Jump over the gap and go through the door, then go to the right, but beware of the Thwomp that moves diagonally. Jump over the Thwomp on the floor, and hit the brick to make a 1UP Mushroom come out, but be sure to jump back over the Thwomp before it returns to its original position, or you'll be stuck and have to go through the door (or get hurt walking through the Thwomp). Go through the door beneath the brick that the 1UP Mushroom came out of. When the Thwomp above you is moving upward, jump up through the hole and go to the right. The ? Block contains a Super Mushroom or Super Leaf.

Jump onto the conveyor belt on the right, then jump to the next conveyor belt, and jump onto the upper conveyor belt, but don't go through the door. Jump from there to the stationary platform on the right that has a door on it. Go through it.

There is a P Switch, but before you step on it, you should decide whether you want two 1UPs or a bunch of coins.

Option 1: Get the Coins

If you want the coins, step on the P Switch and run to the right. If you make it past the Thwomp and Dry Bones before the P Switch runs out, there will be a door at the rightmost end of the conveyor belt. If it's there, go through it. If not, fall through the coins in the floor to the left of the conveyor belt, then go through the door on the right, and hit the brick on the right side of the room to get a 1UP. If you went through the door, go to the left, past Roto-Discs and down some stairs, and go through the door on the left. Then go to the right and through the door there, and hit the brick on the right side of the room to get a 1UP. Then go to the left and through the door.

Option 2: Get the Two 1UPs

If you would rather get the two 1UPs instead, step on the P Switch, but don't go to the right. Instead, go back through the door where you came in. Then run to the right and fall down the hole. Stand below the right side of the hole and jump straight up to reveal a hidden brick that contains a 1UP Mushroom. Don't jump up to get it. Let it fall into the hole. There are hidden blocks that will cover up the rest of the hole, which would prevent you from getting the 1UP.

Then quickly go through the door on the left before it disappears. Go to the left and hit the bottom-left corner of the brick to get a 1UP Mushroom. (If you hit the bottom-right corner, the 1UP might fall into the hole in the floor on the left.)

Go back through the door, then go to the right. You can't get another 1UP Mushroom from the hole in the ceiling, so just go through the door on the right. From there, go to the left and get the three coins, then go to the right, avoiding the Boo ghost, and get the three coins. Then go left and through the first door.

Crouch down if you're tall, and let the conveyor belt take you past the spikes. After the spikes, go through the door. Then go to the right and through the door there, and hit the brick on the right side of the room to get a 1UP. Then go to the left and through the door.

After the Coins or 1UPs

You should now be to the left of a Roto-Disc, and you can see a Dry Bones above you. If you're tall, you can go to the right and break one or both ceiling bricks, then make a running jump to go up through the hole. Then go to the right and go through the door. You will be beneath a conveyor belt. If you're not tall, go to the left, through the door near the left wall. Jump over the gap on the right and go up the stairs while dodging the two Roto-Discs. Then go to the right, past the Boo ghost. You will be above a conveyor belt.

If you're above the conveyor belt, go to the right on the conveyor belt and fall off the right side. The Thwomp will be to your left, so jump over it and go to the left.

Hit the rightmost brick to make a P Switch appear. If you're not tall, Go to the right and jump over the Thwomp, and make a running jump to reach the conveyor belt. Go to the left and step on the P Switch. If you're tall, you can hit the brick to the left of the P Switch brick, then jump up and hit the P Switch. Then, if you don't want a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower, go to the right and ignore the door that is on the conveyor belt, and instead go through the door on the small ledge. If you do want a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower, go to the right and go through the door that is on top of the conveyor belt. Hit the ? Block in the room to get a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower. If you're quick, you can go back through the door, then go to the right and go through the door on the small ledge. If not, you have to hit the P Switch again as described in this paragraph, then go through the door on the small ledge.

If you're tall, crouch to avoid the ceiling spikes. Wait for the P Switch to time out, and the conveyor belt will take you to the right. Then you will reach Boom Boom.

Boom Boom

Throughout the battle, you will be pushed to the right whenever you stand on the conveyor belt. Boom Boom is not affected by the conveyor belt. 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 if you're Fire Mario. 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 locked door will disappear. It just leads to a shortcut to the beginning of World 8.

From the fortress, go right, then up, then left until you reach a pipe. Go into the pipe and follow the path. Then go right from the pipe to reach World 8 Tank 2.