Sky Land



Sky Land, otherwise known as The Sky is the fifth world in Super Mario Bros. 3. Sky Land has nine levels, three Hammer Bros., two Fortresses, three Toad Houses and a special Tower level. There are two parts to the world, The Ground and The Sky, connected by the Tower level. The first three levels, the first Fortres and two of the Hammer Bros. are on The Ground, while everything else is in The Sky. The world's Airship can move between the two.

The rough-and-tumble Koopaling Roy Koopa presides over Sky Land.

Brief Level Info

 * 5-1: Find the way to the the center of a hill-climbing expedition for coins and four 1-Ups!
 * 5-2: A split route offers a choice between a hilly, sloped setting and a dank, underground tunnel.
 * 5-3: Hijack a Goomba's Shoe from its unlucky host and enjoy a run through the countryside.
 * Fortress: Be ready for a sprint through a diabolically difficult Fortress lined with traps.
 * Tower: Climb a sky-scraping tower to take Mario to the latter part of the world.
 * 5-4: Flipping and tipping platforms make for a nightmare high in the cloudy skies.
 * 5-5: Don't stop for a breath of fresh air or Mario will topple along with the shaky bridge.
 * 5-6: Hitch a wild ride into the sky on soaring Para-Beetles
 * 5-7: Start with a Starman and gather more Starmen as you lay siege on a curious castle in the clouds.
 * Fortress: Fire spurts from above and below in a strange lava-dripping dungeon. Don't get seared.
 * 5-8: Lakitu's back and ready to challenge Mario on his home turf in the sky.
 * 5-9: Keep a brisk pace during this platform-climbing level, or face plummeting from the cluds.
 * Airship: Roy Koopa commands his airship to unleash a barrage of lead. Find out ow hard dodging bullets can be.

In-Depth

 * 5-1: This world starts out with a Buster Beetle (new enemy) running toward Mario. A stomp will kill it easily. On the brick formation, the wooden block contains a powerup, and to the left... A Chain Chomp! There are quite a few of them in this level, and the second one guards the way to another powerup. There are no special secrets, except a Starman hidden in a long row of ? Blocks. Also, the Nipper Plants here can only be killed by a swipe from Raccoon Mario's tail.


 * 5-2: This underground level can be very confusing! After the pipe is entered, there are two routes. Falling down, down, down will give the Lower route, while bouncing along the Nota Blocks and climbing a block staircase will give the Upper route. See below for summaries of each.

Upper: The hardest to get to, but pays off. Mario must leap on the Note Blocks and hop on the blocks to get to the pipe, guarded by two Koopas he must dispose of. After entering the pipe, there are planty of slopes and Goombas to slide on. When a pipe is spotted, Mario can duck into it to unlock a secret room. The jutting block has a powerup with which to break the blocks and get to the big ? Block that has three 1-Ups inside. Outside, none of the ? Blocks contain anything but Coins, but the pipe nearb leads to the Goal Panel.

Lower: If Mario took the botom route, he should duck into the middle pipe at the bottom to find himself underground, where nasty Buster Beetles throw Ice Blocks! Mario can throw them back, fortunatly. But with the combination of the Beetles, Piranha Plants, lack of powerups and Fire Traps, this part is very hard to survive in. All the pipes are solid except the last, which leads to the Goal Panel.


 * 5-3: This level is the only place to get the legendary powerup, Kuribo's Shoe! By ducking into the pipe, Mario is transported to the bottom part of the stage, where, if a Goomba in a green shoe is seen, Mario should hit a block under it to bop it out, letting him hop into it. It is very powerful, and can kill any enemy with a stomp. But Mario can not use the Shoe if he stomps the Goomba, as it will kill the Shoe, too. In the first part, there is only one secret: above the Nippers, in a row of blocks, a 1-Up is concealed. Shoe-clad Mario can grab it without being damaged! Hopping in the pipe against the wall will bring Mario to the third part of the level, where the Shoe is very, very useful. No more secrets! The Shoe, sadly, will dissapear when the Goal Panel is hit.


 * 5-Fortress: This fortress is very tricky. The only secret is that if Tanooki or Raccoon Mario races back and forth along the first corridor (with a Thwomp in an alcove that must be avoided) then takes off, he can fly up, up, up, past two blocks and a ? Block until he gets to a pipe that will take him to a secret room. Inside, he must fly exactly where the arrow is pointing to find a 1-Up.


 * 5-Tower: Every pipe in this Tower will take Mario higher and higher up, until he is at the top, on towers made of blocks (and some pesky Micrgoombas posing as blocks). On the second tower, in the middle block, is a 1-Up. Afterwards, by the pipe, every block is a Ten Coin Block! The pipe leads back inside. Dodge a Thwomp and Roto-Disc to get in both pipes. Outside again, there are no secrets, but in the row of ? Blocks, the ordinary block holds a Magic Vine to the pipe to the second part of the world, in the clouds.