Super Mario 3D Land Special World Walkthrough

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Super Mario 3D Land Special World Walkthrough Art

Our Super Mario 3D Land Special World walkthrough will guide you through the beginning to ending moments of gameplay with strategy tips for the unlockable Special World that becomes available once you beat the game.

*Spoiler Alert* Beating the game will also allow you to play as a super secret character. Who is it? You’ll have to beat the game or look below to find out!

The Special World is an alternate, and much harder, version of the game that includes new levels, new Power-Ups, new abilities, new hazards, new bosses and a much greater challenge!

Table of Contents

Index of Super Mario 3D Land Guides:

The Special World is an alternate and much tougher version of the regular game. The biggest new feature however is the return of Luigi who is unlockable after you beat the first World (tap the red M icon to switch back to Mario or the green L icon to switch from Mario to Luigi). Also making a big splash in the Special World is the addition of Statue Mario! While playing as Tanooki Mario, you can turn into State Mario by pressing the L or R Buttons! While playing as Statue Luigi or Statue Mario, you will be invincible, although you also become immobile.

Other returning features include the doppelganger Cosmic Mario and Cosmic Luigi, the return of the Poison Mushroom, timed levels where you only get a short amount of time to beat the stage (defeating enemies will usually reward you with more time on the clock, however), a host of all-new levels, a new boss and collectables featured in completely new locations! Can you beat the game a second time for the second quest to finish the game 100%?

If you need help anywhere in the game feel free to leave me a comment!

Special World 1-1

From the outset, be sure to grab the gray-colored “Statue Leaf” (or what I refer to as a “Stone Leaf”) from the wooden stake, this will allow you to turn into Statue Mario or Statue Luigi by pressing the L Button or R Button after jumping. Turn into a statue to destroy enemies in one hit, defend yourself from threats, and pound the stakes into the ground with a single hit. Beware of the first Question Mark block you see as it contains a Poison Mushroom! You can actually destroy the Poison Mushroom if you pound it as State Mario or hit with a Star (the vapors it leaves off after being destroyed won’t hurt you).

Grab the Starman in the next section and use it to kill all of the Spinies (walking spiked animals, dropped by Lakitu, the floating cloud enemy, in previous games) for a 1UP. If your fast enough putting the hurt on each Spiny, you can collect the next one up after going up the “stairs” and continue the string of 1Ups with each additional Spike enemy (called Prongos, the little guys with a metal spike on their head) that you kill. After doing this, backtrack and go through the small tunnel where you see the pillar by crouching for a free 1Up Mushroom. Find the orange bouncing platform and leap high up or turn into a State and bounce up from the middle to find a hidden block with a Power-Up inside. Bounce on top of this block and use it to float all the way down and to the left ontop of the raised platform where you’ll find the first Collectable floating above some blocks (alternatively, you can get up here using the stack of two breakable blocks if you haven’t broken them with a tail swipe). You’ll find the second Collectable in the section with the orange platforms, use the moving one to reach it. You’ll be at the final section with the flag pole after bouncing up the platforms. Immediatly to the right of the platforms you’ll find a bridge that leads to the final collectable. Use the Starman to kill all the Prongos in this section for another 1Up!

Special World 1-2

Beware of the Cosmic Clone who will chase you throughout this level! Hit the left Coin Block at the start of the stage for a Power-Up like a Fire Flower. You’ll find the first Collectable in the section with the crumbling Donut Blocks. If you fall below use the Green Pipe to get back up. The second Tri-Coin Block you encounter in the pair will give you multiple coins, but its best to avoid hitting it. Immediately after passing through the hallway you’ll find the second Collecectable. Remember to leap over the swinging Spike Bar to avoid getting hit.

Not too far after the second Collectable you’ll find the third. Avoid hitting the Spinies and leap towards the screen and the orange bouncy platform. Be sure to stand in the center (you may want to Long Jump). The final section features Spike Bars (called Grinders) that swing in 360 degrees, carefully avoid getting hit by these, as soon as you get past the swinging Spike Bars, use the orange platform to leap up and to the right (at the end of the left you’ll find a 1Up Mushroom, but it’s not worth the trouble). You’ll now be on the roof. In this homage to the original Super Mario Bros., run all the way to the right and you’ll find a Warp Pipe which will take you to the Flagpole. As soon as you pop out grab the Starman, then stand still and the Cosmic Clone will run into you, destroying him. Don’t bother leaping from the yellow platforms to the top of the wall, as you won’t find anything up here.

Special World 1-3

Use the Cannon to shoot yourself up a level in this unique stage, which is similar to the version in the first quest but drastically changed. Hop in the cannon and you’ll see a golden ring, that tells you about where to aim to safely reach the Question Mark block, I advise against shooting yourself through it! Instead, shoot yourself a little bit higher and to the right or left of the ring (don’t pass through it). This is because you want to leave it there as a marker after you gain the first Collectable, which pops you back out on this Exclamation Block. Without that ring its easy to miss when trying to shoot yourself back up to the Goomba and die. After shooting yourself from the Question Mark block sprite to the Goomba, be sure to grab a Power-Up from the Slot Block (called a Roulette Block officially) at the bottom. Then head to the left edge, where you’ll see a Fireball sprite platform below you. Float or Long Jump to it for Collectable 1. Hop in the Teleportation Block to pop back out at the Exclamation Point, now you can use the Golden Ring. Once back at the Goomba, run all the way to the end to find another Cannon.

Shoot yourself through the Red Coin Ring and collect them all for a Power-Up. From Jimbo’s Cloud, jump in the Cannon in the middle, instead of shooting yourself up to the Bullet Bill, shoot yourself to the left where you’ll find another Fireball and Collectable 2. You’ll have to guess on how high to aim, but it’s usually a bit higher than you’d think. Collect the Collectable and jump into the Teleportation Block and you’ll be back at the Cloud. Now shoot yourself through the Gold Ring and to the Bullet Bill. A savvy eye would’ve caught another Fireball a level above you. But before going there, crouch and enter the small tunnels behind you for some Coins. There is also a breakable brick in front of where you landed with another tunnel, break the Brick using a Power-Up (Tanooki, Boomerang) or a rolling attack (Run and press L, Y then B), inside the tunnel move to your right and you’ll find a Magic Box. Break the bricks above for a 1Up. Once back at the Bullet Bill, leap over the incoming Bullet Bills shot from the Bill Blasters (Tanooki Bills who swing their tails to attack you will also be in the mix) to the other side (avoid the floating Coin Boxes which only contain Coins, no Power-Ups) and collect the Time Coin. Directly down from the Time Coin (toward the screen) you’ll find another tunnel you can enter by crouching for some more Coins. There’s also a Tri-Coin Block at the bottom of the Bullet Bill section but it only contains Coins so avoid it.

Enter the Cannon on the upper left. Point at the Gold Ring and shoot yourself to the Cheep Cheep fish sprite. You should have seen the fireball in the distance. On the Cheep Cheep, you’ll find a Coin Box to the upperleft (with a real Cheep Cheep that hovers through the holes, be careful) with Coins, but its best avoided. Head to the upper right to find a Coin Block Power-Up that sticks to your head and continuously gives you Coins. That’s more like it! Directly down from here you’ll find a Time Coin. Now head to the two blue POW Switches you probably saw, Butt Stomp them (Jump and press L or R in the air) to activate them. The one on the bottom right makes Music Notes to follow, follow them all for a 1Up Mushroom. The one on the left makes a string of Coins to follow. Finally, jump in the Cannon, instead of shooting straight, shoot yourself to the upper right and onto a Fireball sprite for the final Collectable. Once back in the Cannon facing the Flagpole, shoot yourself through the TOP 1Up Mushroom (not in between the three 1Up Mushrooms or at the bottom two). Enter the Castle for another 1Up and pound the POW Switch for a string of Coins to follow that lead right to the Flagpole! If you still have the Coin Block Power-Up on your head, it’l turn into an additional 1Up! Oh yeah, and this level is not as long as all this text suggests! That was a fun stage, eh!

Special World 1-4

Be careful here, as in the Special World version of this stage, the Cheep Cheep fish have been replaced with Boomerang Bros. who can hit you from afar by throwing their boomerangs! From the start, don’t bother leaping over the left wall; nothing’s there. Instead leap over the high rock just to the right to find the first Collectable. Directly after the Checkpoint Flag, walk into the fuzzy flower to find a Power-Up. When you reach the Waterfall, do NOT hit the Question Mark block on the far left! There is a Poison Mushroom inside to just avoid the whole group of blocks. Head inside the Waterfall to find a 1Up. Directly following the Waterfall, walk on the rope and then use the floating Para-Goomba or a high jump off the rope to reach a diagonal rope that contains the third Collectable (the second should’ve been found with no problem by Wall Jumping at the part with the waterfall in the background). From here its a straight shot to the Goal!

Special World 1 Bowser Castle

This is a timed stage so as soon as you take off drop down and head for the Time Coins. I highly recommend you enter this stage with a Tanooki Suit or two on hand. Don’t bother with the enemies, simply take them out! On the second spinning gear you’ll find a Time Coin on the right side. Ahead of that, you’ll find the first Collectable on top of a Tri-Coin Block, don’t spend time trying to collect Coins or hit blocks hear, simply leap for the Collectable! After passing the two lit torches and a small green bridge, you’ll see a Prongo spiked enemy, beyond him you’ll find the second Collectable in the upper left corner. Very QUICKLY try to roll past the first Thwomp so he crashes down, as he’s rising go behind him for a Time Coin, for the second Thwomp head right behind and get the Time Coin then Wall Jump all the way up. You’ll collect the second Collectable in the process and find a Time Coin at the top next to the Binocular Pad. There is also one on the left side of the roof here, I recommend getting the left one first, then the right.

Dry Bowser Boss Strategy
Once the boss lands, collect the first Time Coin then quickly head to the left and Long Jump the gap, if you aren’t quick enough he’ll start shooting on the left side as well. Grab the Time Coin on your right and then head left. Stand next to one of the pillars and have Dry Bowser aim for it, but as soon as he shoots a fireball run past him if possible (he won’t create shockwaves when he lands) and dont’ bother sticking around to collect a Coin from the broken tower. If Dry Bowser makes a long backwards leap, stop just short of him reaching you, don’t try to roll past him as you won’t make it. You’ll find a 100 Point Time Coin above the black Bowser Switch. Use a regular leap to reach the top of the Flagpole and turn it golden. 🙂 Remember that the game keeps track of which Flags you’ve turned Gold. You’ll earn a special Star on your Save File if you can manage to turn every Flagpole gold. Find out if a level has a Gold flag by looking on the map screen in the bottom right of the upper screen. It’s here that you’ll also see an M and/or an L telling you who you have beaten the level with.

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