World 8-Castle

Level
World 8-Castle
World	World 8
Game	New Super Mario Bros.
Time limit	500 seconds
Boss	Dry Bowser
Music track	Castle Theme Boss Battle
Music sample
Level progression ← Previous World 8-4 Next → World 8-5 New Super Mario Bros. levels

This article is about the castle that appears in New Super Mario Bros. For a list of Bowser's Castle levels, see World 8-Bowser's Castle.

World 8-Castle is the sixth level and first castle level of World 8 in New Super Mario Bros. It becomes accessible after completing World 8-4.

Unlike previous castles, this one uses a slightly different background, including blue curtains near the windows, burgundy pillars featuring Bowser's head as sculptures, and darker-colored bricks.

Layout

The boss encounter against Dry Bowser

The first half of the level is composed of various lifts on tracks that begin moving when stepped on. Red-and-yellow blocks found near them can be used to swap the positions of the lifts on the tracks, similar to the ON/OFF Switches from Super Mario World. Dry Bones and Podoboos are present throughout the level as obstacles. The level's midway point is found after a single rope hanging from the ceiling, that the player can swing on.

The second half of the level revolves around the use of rotating platforms in triangular or rectangular shapes, with more Podoboos along the way. At the end, another swinging rope leads to the castle's boss door, above another lift that leads to a small secret alcove behind the boos door.

Beyond the door is the same layout as Bowser's previous fight, including the three statues of him before getting to him (albeit without any lava and the floating platform). Bowser Jr. once again waits for Mario to approach before running away. Dry Bowser then drops from above, starting the boss fight. He attacks the same way as Bowser did, breathing fireballs and jumping. However, he also has the ability to throw his own bones at Mario, similar to the hammers Bowser throws in the original Super Mario Bros. Besides being immune to Mario's jumps like Bowser, Dry Bowser is also immune to Fire Mario's fireballs, but can still be damaged by other methods, and can defeated by pressing the skull switch at the end of the bridge. Defeating Dry Bowser causes an earthquake, which occurs outside of the castle shortly after the five black flags are replaced by a single, large white one, followed by four segments of the bridge to emerge from the lava river and connect together, and then Bowser Jr. will bring Peach with him to the second tower, making the second half of World 8 accessible.

Star Coins

Image	Location
	Near the beginning of the level; after the second set of tracks, a red-and-yellow block can be found. The player must press it and ride on top of the platform on the top track of the second set in order to reach the coin.
	At the fourth set of tracks; the player must press the red-and-yellow block so that the platform is on the topmost track, and ride on top of it. The platform will drop down onto another track with the coin above it, though it is guarded by a Podoboo.
	At the end of the level; one last track is found underneath the platform with the boss door. In order to get the platform to spawn on the track, the player must ride the platform on the bottom track of the fifth set. After getting onto the track under the boss door, the player must duck to get under a low wall, then jump across a set of rotating rectangular platforms; the coin is hidden above a rectangular platform concealed mostly by lava. If the player loses a life after the midway point, the platforms reset and the one leading to the coin will not appear as there is no red-and-yellow block after that point; the only way to go back to a previous one is as Mini Mario.

Enemies

Name	Image	Amount
Dry Bones		2
Podoboos		8
Dry Bowser		Boss

Level map

File:NSMB W8-Castle Map.png

Map of World 8-Castle