Special 8

Special 8 is the eighth and final extra world that appears in the 3DS game, Super Mario 3D Land. It features 7 levels and the Toad House. Except Special 8 Crown, all levels in Special 8 must be unlocked by collecting a certain amount of Star Medals, with the amount growing by 10 with each level. Unlike other Special Worlds which feature the backgrounds from their original respective worlds at night and new arrangements of the themes for each one, the background is based on the design of a typical Super Mario Bros. 3 level instead of a lava wasteland, and new music (based on the "Mario Drawing Song" in Flipnote Studio) is played on the map. When Special 8-Crown is unlocked, that music is remixed, featuring more bass. It takes place in a light-yellow plain with Blocks, Coins, and Warp Pipes in the background. What sets this apart from the other Special Worlds is that while the others have all the levels available to begin with, the player must clear each level to access the next one (not unlike the progression of the regular worlds).

Layout
A level similar to World 1-2, but the player starts near the exit and goes backwards. A Cosmic Clone also appears while the time starts at 30 seconds. 230 Star Medals are needed to unlock the level.

Star Medals

 * Star Medal 1: Located above the first swinging Spikebar.
 * Star Medal 2: Located above the crumbling platforms.
 * Star Medal 3: Located high above the ground, near the Warp Pipe.

Layout
A course with many spinning platforms and Rocky Wrenches similar to World 8-3, but the platforms spin faster. One Poison Mushroom is here. 240 Star Medals are needed to unlock it.

Star Medals

 * Star Medal 1: Located at the beginning of the level. Mario must jump across the pair of Poles moving diagonally up, he must then climb to the top of the third pole in order to find the Star Medal.
 * Star Medal 2: Located near the first Checkpoint Flag. Mario must stand on the spinning Platform closest to the checkpoint, then jump towards the right onto a pair of Donut Lifts.
 * Star Medal 3: Located on a bridge made of Donut lifts, close to where Mario gets off one of the moving poles.

Layout
A level based on World 5-Castle, but the time starts at 30 seconds. A large Cosmic Clone also appears. 250 Star Medals are needed to unlock the course.

Star Medals

 * Star Medal 1: Located on the gray moving platforms that sink and rise from the Lava. When Mario collects the Star Medal, he needs to quickly jump off the platform he is standing on before it sinks into the Lava.
 * Star Medal 2: Located beside the second group of Thwomps. To collect the Star Medal, Mario must wall jump off the Fence or the closest Thwomp.
 * Star Medal 3: Located in an area with many Pillars. When Mario finds the first pair of three pillars, he must trick the giant Cosmic Clone following him into breaking the left pillar. Once broken, the Star Medal will be revealed.

Layout
A level based on World 8-6, but the time starts at 30 seconds. 260 Star Medals are needed to unlock the level.

Star Medals

 * Star Medal 1: Located in the same location as W8-6. Near the beginning of the level, there will be a large nut and a bolt. The player needs to turn the nut counterclockwise (rotate it to the south) to be able to reach the first medal.
 * Star Medal 2: Almost the same as 8-6, however, Mario must be Boomerang Mario. While rolling across the lava on the cylindrical mesh, the player can see a Plus Clock near a sinking platform. When the player stands on the sinking platform, he has to shoot a boomerang to the right to collect the Star Medal. Alternatively the player can use Tanooki Mario, jump to the medal and jump back to the sinking platform.
 * Star Medal 3: Near the end of the cylinder with a Warp Box. Mario has to shoot a boomerang or jump as Tanooki Mario.

Layout
An Airship level with a large Cosmic Clone. It seems to be a harder version of the World 7 Airship, with faster spinning cylinders and a large Cosmic Clone. 270 Star Medals are needed to unlock the level.

Star Medals

 * Star Medal 1: On the second airship, the Star Medal is found behind the huge array of brick blocks.
 * Star Medal 2: After jumping through many turning platforms, the player will find the Star Medal on the brick blocks connected to an airship.
 * Star Medal 3: At the penultimate spinning platform, the player must go to the left until reaching the end of a blue platform, where the final Star Medal will be found.

Layout
A level based on World 8-Castle where the time starts at 30 seconds. Hammer Bros. are scattered throughout the level, and defeating them increases the player's time by ten seconds. Dry Bowser is faced at the end. 290 Star Medals are needed to unlock the stage.

Star Medals

 * Star Medal 1: Found above the question block in the area with a rail platform and a Magmaargh.
 * Star Medal 2: After pressing the P-Switch, the player must go to the parallel platforms which a Hammer Bro. alternates through; the Star Medal will be found above the left one.
 * Star Medal 3: On the last platform before the bridge, the Star Medal is above the north edge.

Layout
The very last level of the game, it contains many colorful blocks and varied enemies and obstacles, similar to Super Mario Galaxy 2 ' s Grandmaster Galaxy. There are no Star Medals. Various Toads are also scattered throughout the level. The beginning has Mario in an area composed of scattered colored blocks; two Hammer Bros. and a Boomerang Bro. are located here. A Warp Box then takes Mario to an area with three more colored blocks, a smaller wooden block, and another colored block followed by scattered Used Blocks. After crossing two bridges of Used Blocks, Mario then lands on a large block platform with a Blokkablok. More scattered Used Blocks takes Mario to a Warp Pipe leading to a battle with Boom Boom and Pom Pom. Boom Boom, when using his spin attack, leaves a stream of fire behind him, and Pom Pom throws more boomerangs. After defeating them, Mario warps to an area with a Switchboard and Fuzzies. Soon after, Mario has to get on another Switchboard and head through a bombardment of Tail Bob-ombs and three Firebars, two of which are on level with the Switchboard (the third is in the air above and to the left of these). Afterward is a Warp Box that takes Mario to an area with several Donut Lifts and Firebars, and after that is a Warp Box leading to a short area with several constantly running rocket engines, Chain Chomps, and a large Cosmic Clone. Two Wallops guard the Warp Block leading to the next area, composed of a yellow platform and a Snake Panel switch. Pressing the switch causes panels to appear as the player approaches the next set, eventually spelling "THANK YOU!!" On the second exclamation point is a Warp Box leading to a platform with numerous Toads, some stacked colored blocks, and the Flagpole.

When unlocked, this stage replaces the pipe going between Special 8 and World 8; as a result, the pipe in World 8 disappears. To unlock this course, the player must have five stars in his or her profile. In order to obtain the five stars, the player must do the following:
 * 1) Beat all the levels in the first eight worlds. While not necessary, the player must also not use the Invincibility Leaf nor the P-Wing on all levels for glittering stars.
 * 2) Beat Bowser on World 8-Castle 2.
 * 3) Clear Special 8 then beat Bowser again in World 8-Castle 2.
 * 4) Collect every Star Medal in every level.
 * 5) Hit the top of the flagpole and finish all levels as both Mario and Luigi.