Here are all the guides, tips, and strategies to enjoy playing Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) with cheats and unlockables.
Tips & Tricks
Double Jump – 2 Methods
Method 1:
Use any character and run right toward an enemy at full speed. Just a split second before you think you’re about to get hit, jump! With good timing, you’ll be able to jump yet again in midair!
Method 2:
This is yet another way to jump in midair. Stand on the ground while you have 3 or 4 life units and let an enemy run right into you. You’ll lose a life unit, but you’ll be able to jump in mid-air.
Flying Logs
This is most easily performed in World 1-1. Grab a POW block, and carry it to the set of logs. Wait for a log to bog over the waterfall, then throw the POW block so that it hits solid ground. For some odd reason, this will cause the log to fly high into the air. Strange, eh?
Shortcut (World 1-2)
Part of World 1-2 involves finding a key and using it to open a locked door that leads to a cave. However, you can skip this entirely if you’re playing as Luigi. Go to the locked door, and then stand on top of the Ninji next to it. Doing a super jump while on top of its head will give Luigi enough of a height boost to land on top of the green hill.
Shortcut (World 3-3)
Beating World 3-3 normally involves finding a key and opening a locked door. But if you have Luigi, you can skip this sequence entirely. Instead of focusing on the locked door, enter the open one just to the right of it. This leads to a long vertical shaft that is normally a dead end. As Luigi, grab the Ninji at the bottom of the shaft, and then super jump your way up without letting it go. You’ll eventually see another door above a wall that seems too far out of reach. Toss the Ninji onto the platform beneath it, and then stand on top of it to boost your height. Do another super jump, and you’ll be able to reach the door without ever having to get the key and climb the normal way.
Shortcut (World 4-3)
World 4-3 involves a sequence where you ride a Birdo egg over a body of water, and then jump on a platform with a door that leads inside of a tower. But if you’re playing as Luigi or Peach, don’t go in the door. Instead, run past it and jump off the far right edge of the platform. Go as far as you can, and you’ll land on the next platform with another set of doors. Go through the door on the far right, and you’ll be almost at the end of the level without having to climb and descend the tower.
Shortcut (World 6-3)
At the start of World 6-3, climb to the top of the ladder and turn left. You’ll see a wall with some quicksand beneath it. Jump into the quicksand and allow yourself to sink underneath, then keep moving left to go under the wall. Keep moving left and jumping to make sure that you don’t go too far down in the quicksand. Eventually, you’ll reach the other side of the wall, where you’ll find a platform with a door. This leads to some cloud platforms in the sky that end up right next to the sky pyramid near the end of the level.
Shortcut (World 7-1)
When playing as Luigi in 7-1, make it to the second area. Instead of trying to go through the cloud section that’s crowded with enemies, run to the Snifit standing on top of the far right column. Using the Snifit as a height boost will give Luigi just enough clearance to jump over the giant column that blocks the ladder at the far end of the screen.
Warp to World 4
Go to World 1-3 and find a potion. Now find the vase next to the brick building all the way to the right side of the level. Drop the potion and go into Sub-Space and then warp into the vase (stand on top of it and press down) You will warp to World 4!
Warp to World 5
Go to World 3-1 and go through the door to the large waterfall with all the clouds. Now jump down and land on the platform in the center and enter. Take the potion and drop it near the vase. Enter Sub-space and warp through the vase (press down on the vase) You will warp to World 5!
Warp to World 6
Go to World 4-2 and get the potion. Now find the vase and put the sub-space door next to it (drop it from atop the vase) Now enter sub-space and warp. You are now warped to World 6.
Warp to World 7
Go to World 5-3 and get the potion (make sure you can squat-jump to the vase, you need to get someone with a good jumping ability or use an enemy to give you a boost.)
Put the sub-space door near the vase, enter the sub-space, and warp into the vase. You are now in World 7!
Cheats
The game is fun by itself, but cheating makes it better. Always be sure to input codes with a Game Genie. All the below codes are compatible with most emulators.
Note: before entering cheats, be aware that altering the game can cause random freezing and several other glitches.
| Effect | Code |
|---|---|
| Birdetta Spits Eggs Instead Of Fireballs | TPEPLAAX / TONENYAX |
| Fast Run for Toad | AXNAIUAO + ESNEAUEV |
| Infinite Life Meter (except if you hit a spike) | GZELVXSE |
| Infinite Lives | SZNESXVK |
| Permanent Turbo Running | AEVAVIIA + AENEEITA |
| Princess Has Mega-Float | PPXAOIAA |
| Princess Has Mega-Float and Lunar Descent | PAXAOIAA |
| Quick Pick Up | SXUASXOU |
| Special “Squat” High Jumps | AEUEKKGL |
| Speed Up Enemies | AEXALGZA |
| Start on World 2 | PEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA |
| Start on World 3 | ZEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA |
| Start on World 4 | LEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA |
| Start on World 5 | GEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA |
| Start on World 6 | IEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA |
| Start on World 7 | TEEPUZAG + IUEPSZAA + TEEPVZPA |
| Strong Birdetta | IAVENYZE / IAVEUYZE |
| Strong Clawgrip | YAEXTPGE |
| Strong Fryguy | YAVXVGGE |
| Strong Hawkmouth | YEVXVYLE / YEVZNYLE |
| Strong Tryclyde | YAXXIYZE |
| Strong Wart | YESUAPTE / YESLPPTE |
| Super Fast Run for Mario | AXSETUAO + ESVAPUEV |
| Super Fast Run for Luigi | AZEEGKAO + EIEEYKEV |
| Super Fast Run for Princess | AZXALKAO + EIXATKEV |
| Super Speed Enemies | AXNAZSAA + EVNALSEY |
| Super Turbo Running | XVVANSZK + XVNEXSZV |
| Moonjumps for Mario (Super) | PESEGLGA |
| Moonjumps for Luigi (Mega) | AAEEZGPA |
| Moonjumps for Princess (Super) | PAXAPGGA |
| Moonjumps for Toad (Super) | PENALLGA |
| Walk Backwards | GOEANKAO + USEEEKKA |
| Weak Birdetta | AAVENYZA / AAVEUYZA |
Super Mario Bros. 2 is a platform game developed by Nintendo and initially released in 1988 for the Famicom/NES.