Super Mario Land 1 Cheats, Secrets & Tips List (3DS Virtual Console, Game Boy)

Looking for Super Mario Land 1 cheats, codes, secrets and tips for the Game Boy’s 3DS Virtual Console game? Find out how to unlock the Hard/Expert Mode, how to unlock Level Select and more!

Index of Super Mario Land 1 Guides:

How to Activate Original Game Boy “Gray/Green” Color Mode

You can activate the pea-green look and color of the 1989 Game Boy original via the 3DS eShop Virtual Console version by holding L and R and pressing Y. This can be done at any time to change the game’s look.

How to Activate Original Game Boy Resolution

You can play the 3DS eShop Virtual Console game in the original resolution of the Game Boy by pressing and holding Start and Select on the 3DS system when you tap the Super Mario Land icon on the Home Screen.

Here is a trailer and gameplay video of Super Mario Land 1 for the 3DS eShop that shows off the 3DS Virtual Console’s “Monochrome Game Boy” viewing modes.

How to Unlock Level Select

Beat the Hard Mode and you’ll unlock the Level Select. This allows you to select the level you want to play by pressing the A Button.

Choose between World 1-1, World 1-2, World 1-3, World 2-1, World 2-2, World 2-3, World 3-1, World 3-2, World 3-3, World 4-1, World 4-2 or World 4-3. You can’t go backward, so if you overshoot the level you want just keep hitting the A Button until it cycles back around.
Press start to begin on the stage of your choice.

Remember that turning the game off or resetting will delete your score along with Hard Mode and Level Select. Which means you’ll need to beat the game two times to unlock it again.

How to Unlock Hard Mode

The expert hard difficulty level is not available via an Option, but will unlock once you beat the game for the first time. You’ll notice that the cursor on the Title Screen will have changed from a Mushroom to a Mario head.

This tells you that playing another game will start Hard Mode. Remember that resetting or turning the game off will reset the data (including your score, shown on the title screen) to zero. The only way to play the normal difficulty once Hard Mode is unlocked is to reset the game.

Hard Mode adds a much greater amount of enemies through the same set of levels, while also allowing for tougher enemies from later levels to be present on earlier levels.