Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3/World e Part 4

e-11 A Musical Trek

Bounce your way across the sky on a long Note Block bridge, but be careful not to spring into winged enemies.

The initial stretch is a long, simple row of Note Blocks with mild variations in height and only short gaps in between. Pretty soon you should see two rows of Note Blocks sloping down toward a single point. Jump where the two rows meet to find a red Note Block that will take you to a bouncy Coin Heaven. There are many coins in this area, most importantly Advance Coins. Stay on the higher row of Note Blocks to grab the first Advance Coin when it appears, then make the two one-block jumps at the end of Coin Heaven to get the next Advance Coin. Head down the warp pipe.

If you had not taken the block to Coin Heaven, the path ahead consists of smaller Note Block platforms separated by larger gaps, and more red Paratroopas patrolling said gaps. The main path and the exit to Coin Heaven converge at a large Note Block valley where several green Paratroopas bounce around, which can be a challenge to get around. At the center of the valley is an Advance Coin. To the right is another valley with a lone Paragoomba, and a warp pipe above it leading into a bonus stage. This is a test of your Koopa-hopping skills, as you must jump off a series of Paratroopas to get an Advance Coin. Fortunately, you can use the warp pipe to reset the bonus stage as much as you want if you fail.

Some more minor small platforms ahead will take you to the largest Note Block valley with a more pronounced v-shape. There are also a pair of Paragoombas and an inverted pentagon formation of Note Blocks. Get on to the highest row of Note Blocks and spring up to get the last Advance Coin. Finally, hop on and over the moving platform, avoid two more Paratroopas and carefully bounce on the last three single Note Blocks to reach the end.

e-12 Armored Airship

Lemmy is taking his brand new airship out for a spin. Smash it before he starts causing any trouble!

This level is similar in style to the airship stages from the main game, a long autoscrolling obstacle course. Right off the bat, you must confront a Bullet Bill launcher, a wrench-throwing Monty Mole and a wall-mounted cannon. You will take out three more Monty Moles as you progress up to the rear deck of the first airship, whereupon you'll be fired at from two cannons below. To get to the next airship, you must use the Bolt Lifts that connects the two, collecting an Advance Coin along the way.

The second airship pits you against the ship's impressive ordnance. Coming down the bow of the ship toward the center, you will face a lot of Rocket Engines pointed upward or to the right. Following that is a Bullet Bill launcher and a rotating cannon up ahead. There's another Bolt Lift that you must use to grab the second Advance Coin. Further ahead is another rotating cannon and a Monty Mole and a steep wooden stairway. When you reach a long metal track for the Bolt Lift, hit it from below to bring the bolt to the left, then hop on to the deck above that is barely offscreen. The scrolling screen will soon reveal an Advance Coin you can only collect from up there.

The remainder of the course mainly deals with Monty Moles guarding the captain's quarters. Before you head into the pipe, go off the right to find one more Advance Coin. Carefully wind the Bolt Lift past the barrier and out toward the back as far as you can to grab it. The airship will shift up and down which can make this task quite disorientating. The fight with Lemmy Koopa is the same as in World 6, with Lemmy still getting around on a huge rubber ball.

e-13 Ice Dungeon

This chilly ice structure has sections above ground and underground, with the underground ice cave infested with nasty enemies. Chain Stars to get big points, and some extra lives.

Head into the pipe to start your underground trek. Go left first through a tunnel with both Spinies and Buzzy Beetles crawling above. They like to drop from the ceiling and roll toward you to attack, but have a habit of knocking each other out. At the end of the corridor is a spring that you can use the reach the first Advance Coin on a high-up ledge, as well as a power-up block.

Go right from the entry pipe and take out the Goombas. If you have a Super Leaf, build up meter on the flat ground here and fly up into the ceiling cavity to find a warp pipe that takes you above ground. Jump over the stairway and duck under the ice blocks ahead to reach an Advance Coin. You will reach another ice stairway further ahead. First, take the spring and drop it between the wooden blocks on the other side of the stairs so you can bounce back if you make a mistake. Make another slide under the ice stairs to reach the Toad e-Coin! The exit pipe out of the bonus stage drops you near the ceiling pipe.

Ahead of the pipe, you will notice three blocks in a row. Get the Star from the right block and sprint forward. You will take out any enemies in your way, and you get to extend your Star effect by hitting the question blocks in your way. After some Goombas, the ground will give way to four circular platforms patrolled by Spike Tops, with an Advance Coin between the platforms. If you didn't get rid of the Spike Tops with the Star, getting the coin will be quite difficult.

You can easily reach the ledge to the exit pipe from the circular platforms, but there's one more secret if you still have a Super Leaf power-up. Use the strip below the five coin blocks to build up speed, then fly across the circle platforms, under the ledge to reach another pipe. Hit the P-Switch and head through the pipe to get to the ending area, where you can get the final Advance Coin under some coins before finishing the level.

e-14 A Sky-High Adventure

Navigate the endless doors of a colorful skyscraper to increase your Advance Coin collection. Use the Tanooki Suit to uncover secrets.

If you jump around the start of the level, you will hit some blocks that you can't see, but can interact with such as standing on them. If you have the Tanooki Suit, you can make these blocks visible by turning into a statue. Jump across some pipes to reach the base of a tall building. There are two doors you can enter, but you can also skip right past them. Up ahead is a Spiny trapped by brick blocks, with a pair of grey blocks you can't destroy without the Hammer Suit or the Tanooki Suit. To the right is the end of the level!

While you can go to the exit really early, your main objective in this course is finding the Advance Coins. Go into the left door at the base to begin your search. There are some coins and a power-up in this room, but you only have one new door to go through. Back outside, jump across the platforms and enter through another door. Ignore the coins up the shaft and jump up the platforms to the left and exit through that door.

Jump across some more platforms outside to reach a balcony. If you have the Super Leaf equipped, run off the balcony and fly back to the left to reach the door underneath. Pull the vegetable out beside the door and head in. You're back in the previous room except you're placed right next to an Advance Coin in a bubble. The vegetable you brought in as well as the two vegetables from the ground near the bubble is sufficient to pop it. Jump down the shaft and retrace your steps back to the balcony.

Back on the balcony, go through the door to enter a large hall. Head left to find another door that will drop you onto a moving cloud. Jump up the cloud platforms beside the building to reach the roof, then make a running leap and follow the coins to a floating island. The door here leads to a secret room containing an inaccessible 1-Up and a Tanooki Suit at the bottom. On your way out, you can use your Tanuki Suit not only to see the invisible blocks surrounding the 1-Up, but also break through the grey blocks to get it.

Make your way back to the balcony and hit the brick block to extend a vine. Go up the vine and hop on to the moving platform, and enter the building through the door. This will take you to a maze of invisible blocks and some grey blocks you must break to progress. There are also Hotheads you can extinguish with Tanooki Statue Mario. Locate the Advance Coin in this room and exit through the door at the top.

Return to the balcony again and go through the door. This time, jump up the platforms to the next floor and use the flat floor here to get a running start, then fly up the shaft to the right. You will see a door in midair, but there's an invisible block beneath it that you can stand on to use the door. This door takes you to a bonus area with sides that wrap around. Jump up the stairs full of red Koopas and wrap around to the left to reach the higher platforms, then keep ascending to find an Advance Coin. The exit pipe drops you back on to the balcony.

Go into the door again and jump back on to the second floor. Go up the brick blocks to another door and take the yellow switch beside it. Carry the switch down and hit it, then hit the P-Switch below. Jump back to the door above using the new blocks created by the yellow switch and exit to drop on to a moving platform. Enter the door it takes you to and drop through the coins to get another Advance Coin.

Finally, drop back to the ground. This time, take the right door at the base of the building to enter a room full of invisible blocks. Use the Tanooki Suit's statue form to reveal the block formation so that you can grab the final Advance Coin. With that, you can finally exit the course with full completion.

e-15 Sea to Sky

This coastal castle will see you diving in to the depths of the ocean, then soar high into the sky. Switch power-ups to take on each environment.

Your first obstacle is a pool with Cheep Cheeps swimming in it. Across a bridge is a tall wooden structure with some pipes going through it. Hit the P-Switch and enter the lower pipe to the right to an underwater section. Quickly go up the left pipe to grab the Advance Coin before the P-Switch expires. You will also get the Cape power-up, which will let you fly similar to a Raccoon Suit but more in a gliding fashion. Use the right pipe and loop around to return to the top of the structure. Head on across a second bridge. Beware of the lone Pile-Driver Micro Goomba at the end.

There is a wide pool with Cheep Cheeps that you can either swim or fly across, after which you'll reach a sunken castle. More Pile-Driver Micro Goombas are hiding among the brick blocks. Once you reach a tall brick tower, go down the warp pipe at its base to enter the next area. Alternatively, you can fly over the tower and use the pipe on the other side to get a Frog Suit before taking on the next area.

You are now underwater. Dive toward the bottom, staying out of the way of the Cheep Cheeps as well as some Lava Lotuses. If you have the Frog Suit, you can swim against the current coming from the pipe on the sea floor to reach a secret area containing an Advance Coin. Use the sideways pipe to progress. Now you must swim up a considerably more dangerous stretch of water. Rip Van Fish, an enemy from Super Mario World, appears in droves. If you disturb their sleep by getting close, they will chase you down relentlessly. One such fish guards an Advance Coin to the side. After that is a Jelectro minefield, followed by two more Rip Van Fish before the pipe.

The pipe takes you back on land with another Cape Feather you must use to finish the course. Go to the left to find a yellow switch. Hit it and run around on the platform with triangular blocks to build up speed, then fly to the top following the coin trail. There is another switch and a pipe here. Ignore the pipe and hit the switch, then jump on to the lower row of yellow blocks. Get a running start and fly up the left side of the higher row of blocks until you reach an Advance Coin surrounded by brick blocks. Break into it from below and grab the coin.

Drop down and hit the yellow switch again, then dash up the higher row of blocks this time. Doing so will take you to a pipe which will put you high above the ending area. Fall slowly following the coins to collect one more Advance Coin until you reach the bottom, then head for the exit.