Special 8

Special 8 is the eight and final extra world that appears in 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 10 Star Medals each level. Unlike other Special Worlds which feature remixes of their original respective worlds, the new music (based on the "Mario Drawing Song" in Flipnote Studio) is played. When Special 8-Crown is unlocked, that music is remixed. It takes place in a light-yellow plain with Blocks, Coins, & Warp Pipes in the background.

Layout
An 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 should 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 Should 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.

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 Medal 1: Located on the gray moving platforms that sink and rise from the Lava. When Mario collects the Star Medal, he should quickly jump off the platform he is standing on before it sinks into the Lava.
 * Star Medal 2: Located beside the second pair 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 should trick the giant Cosmic Clone following him into breaking the left pillar. Once broken, the Star Medal will be revealed.

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.

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.

Layout
The 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 will then take 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 will then land on a large block platform with a Blokkablok. More scattered Used Blocks will take Mario to a Warp Pipe leading to a battle with Boom Boom and Pom Pom. Boom Boom, when using his spin attack, will leave a stream of fire behind him, and Pom Pom will throw more boomerangs. After defeating them, Mario will warp to an area with a Switchboard and Fuzzies. Soon after, Mario will have 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 will cause 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 will replace the pipe going between Special 8 and World 8; as a result, the pipe in World 8 will disappear. 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: For five glittering stars, the player must not die five or more times on each level.
 * 1) Beat Bowser on World 8-Castle 2.
 * 2) Collect every Star Medal in every level.
 * 3) Get on each level a golden flag.
 * 4) Play all levels with both Mario and Luigi.