Wednesday, May 15, 2024

White Mushroom House (World 7-2)

SMB3: Magical Cursing... 

Super Mario Bros 3


Unlocking the White Mushroom House by collecting 46 coins in World 7-2. A special Toad House will appear on the map, awarding Mario with a P-Wing.

Not sure if I had ever performed this trick in Super Mario Bros 3.
Was hoping to do it on the original NES version.

Requires some precision moves, and the controls are so brutally unforgiving that I just could not get Frog Mario to navigate properly.

Definitely recall this challenging "obstacle course".

Some advance preparation is also needed, because Mario needs the speed of the Frog Suit.

There are Frog Suits found later on in World 7 - But this is just the second stage of World 7, so Mario needs to have collected one during his travels (obtained in World 2 or World 3).


World 7-2 has a stash of coins and bricks below the level itself, accessed via pipe. Only Frog Mario is fast enough to retrieve all of the brick-turned coins before the time runs out.

Hop to it!


A precision jump over this block proved to be considerably difficult.
Made it through a couple times, but missed a coin or two - So it doesn't count!
Will eventually go back and try again... Someday.




Determined to succeed, attempted it on the Super Mario All-Stars version.

Got it almost instantly. Even though it's the same game (and I'm using the SAME physical controller), the controls are a bit more forgiving, allowing me to better maneuver Frog Mario.

46 coins to collect, although there's no need to count.
Pretty much located in the same area, in three "blocks".


This late in the game, we can definitely expect a challenge.
It's practically deserving of its' own walkthru...



World 7-2

(46 coins to unlock the White Mushroom House)


Pest Control

Frog Mario grabs an Ice Block and tosses it at the little Nipper plant guarding a pipe to the underwater coin chamber.




Being a Frog

Must be careful not to accidentally smash any bricks in the underground area...
Even busting a single block will prevent Mario from getting the necessary coin count.

The easy 18 coins should be collected before hitting the "P-Switch".

Returning to the water, with precision swimming.
Collecting the time-sensitive block-turned coins quickly and efficiently.
The task needs to be performing without wasting a stroke.


After a failed attempt, I'd go back and swim the course a few more times anyway, just to nail down the timing.

A Quick Swim


This narrow gap is another snag. Mario swims very fast in his Frog Suit.
But one wrong move into a block or wall, and he just won't have enough seconds on the clock to grab all the coins.



Move it, Froggy!


Swimming straight up and hopping out of the water to grab the near coins, followed by delicate hops to the far corner.


Even missing one or two coins just won't cut it.
Gotta obtain every last one of them.



Musical Interlude


After leaving the water area, Mario gets trapped in a pit with a Koopa. Gotta punch out just enough invisible Note Blocks to make a bridge. Back underground again, returning back up to cross relatively safely...



Piranha Plants Hungry for BBQ Frog Legs


A quick maze of Venus Fire Traps awaits Mario.
Try to keep the high ground, jumping for the highest pipes, immediately as the creature goes back into its' home.


Make it down this pipe...
No more enemies to deal with!


At the end of the "maze", the exit pipe is the only one leading into the ground.





Special Mushroom House, here we come!



Our reward is a P-Wing...
But in reality, it's the satisfaction of pulling off the stunt.

In the Super Mario All-Stars version, the "White Mushroom House" is actually blue.







Capture The Case...

GoldenEye 007: Ourumov's Briefcase and Key


Longtime fans of GoldenEye 007 will surely be aware of Ourumov's Briefcase and Key...
"Unwinding after a hard day at the office."


The Silo mission (game's sixth level) was one of the very first missions to be created, and likely served as a test-level to figure out some of the basics.

Towards the end of the Silo, there's a brief confrontation with Colonel Ourumov (not yet a General, per the story).

The player can cause Ourumov to drop a few items, often by killing him.
For years, players assumed that the Briefcase and Key MUST lead to an absurd secret area that would somehow contain Oddjob or Mayday...



Collecting that Briefcase and Key is a relatively straight forward trick.
Simple enough using Cheats - Especially Gold PP7 and/or Bond Invisible.



Obtaining the Briefcase itself is useless in the finished game.

The Keycard is listed as a "dash" or "dot" in Bond's inventory.

Interestingly enough, the key can actually be used in the finished game. It seems to open all unlocked doors in the Silo (which isn't overly useful considering it's at the end of a mission).


Quickly opening the door and dashing back down the stairs...
It's possible to kill Ourumov before the "sees" Bond.



I's even possible to pull it off WITHOUT using Cheats.
Relatively simple, just gotta be crafty.

Taking aim on our target. Of course the door tends to close automatically...
Bond may have to climb back up the stairs and open it again.



The Ourumov character model will stand there and take bullets to the head (seemingly oblivious) until his armor and health become depleted. 

 

The General's Droppings...

Ourumov's Briefcase and Key on the Silo floor, along with his DD44 Officers' Pistol.



The "key" is technically a keycard.



The Ourumov character is also highly under-used in the GoldenEye game.
Integral to the story - But following Facility has just a couple brief appearances in Silo and Train...

He's completely absent from the Archives and Streets.

Even a model of his car exists in the memory, indicating the intentions for General Ourumov to serve a more prominent role.







Monday, May 13, 2024

More White Magic...

SMB3: The Secret White Mushroom Houses

Super Mario Bros. 3

Taking a look at the unlockable Toad Houses in the later stages of Super Mario Bros. 3. (World 5-5 and World 6-7)

Collecting a minimum number of coins in a certain stage will trigger the White Mushroom House to appear on the board.

A special power-up awaits Mario for pulling off the feat.

Three risky coins here in World 5-5. The game is rigged so the coins reset when Mario goes down a pipe - So he can double back to collect them again.








Skyfall...

World 5-5

World 5-5
(28 coins to unlock the White Mushroom House)

Not an overly difficult stage, just a slightly annoying challenge to actually get those last few coins (again)...

Gotta risk Venus Fire Trap Piranha Plants to bank three measly coins, then backtrack to go down the pipe.










There are 10 coins to be found inside the pipe.


When you exit the pipe, Mario is far off to the right...
Gotta backtrack to find some missed coins.


The player could easily bypass the 14 coins (half of which require a death-defying performance on Donut Lifts).


Before even entering the green pipe, Mario collects the first three coins (along with a Super Mushroom).

Upon exiting the pipe, he has to not only scroll backwards to get 14 coins, but all the way back to the Piranha Plants to collect a couple lousy coins - Which are absolutely necessary towards the final count.

Going back to collect the coins, I always seem to lose my Tanooki Suit.
It tends to happen near those cursed  fire-spitting, pipe-dwelling Piranha Plants...

The tradeoff to get a P-Wing hardly seems worth it - But it's just a neat trick.


With just enough money in the bank, I'm getting out of here.
(Actually began the level with 99 coins - So with 28 displaying on the register, I'm technically one ahead)

So incredibly twisted that it's impossible to unlock the White Mushroom House in this world without collecting that series of coins twice...






Cold Hard Cash...

World 6-7
World 6-7
(78 coins to unlock the White Mushroom House)

A bit reminiscent of the very first White Mushroom unlock stage back in Grass Land (World 1-4)...

Here in World 6-7, the level here scrolls not just sideways, but upwards and diagonally.

It's also an ice-sky level, to add to the challenge.

No other level requires more coins to unlock the White Mushroom House.

Really doesn't feel like 78 coins through... They typically appear several at a time, with a large pot of gold at the end (retrievable only as Fire Mario).





Collecting all the coins will take a few tries, a few precision jumps...
Also stomping a couple of Fire Chomps before they mess things up.


More risky coin-collecting via Donut Lifts, but at this stage in the game we're used to it.


Partway through the level, Mario switches Racoon Power to become Fire Mario.

Foregoing flight may seem counter-intuitive in a level like this, so it's tempting to bypass the Fire Flower...
But Firepower is needed at the very end of the level to melt the remaining coins from ice blocks.




Gotta make it all the way to the end as Fire Mario...

Fireballs will free the coins that are trapped in ice right at the end of the level.

Also hidden (to the left side) in that field of frozen coins is an invisible coin block...
It contains a single bonus coin (for luck?).

Actually failed on the first attempt, missing by a single coin...

Next time, finished and came out ahead. Not exactly sure which coins were missed - Possibly failed to collect one or two at the very bottom of the Donut Lifts.

White Mushroom House
(World 6 Map)



The White Mushroom house appears on the board (after several attempts on World 6-7), with the Anchor as a reward.


Again, hardly seems worth the effort. But it's something to accomplish it at least once.





Personally find that collecting all the coins in the very next stage (World 6-8) is an even more challenging task...










Use Your Illusion Tour...

SMW: Forest Fortress Hazard Payoff


Super Mario World

Had long suspected there was more to see beyond the traditional "Boss Door" of the World 5 "Forest Fortress" in Super Mario World.

Attempted to go the distance by using the cape to fly over the seemingly endless pit of lava, but had no success.

Other players have had better luck "spin-jumping" off the Podoboo lava fireballs - Which sounds kinda insane, but it's actually the easier of the two strategies. Mario is more impervious to attacks this way, and the array of continuous fireballs inevitably keep Mario airborne.






World 5: Forest Fortress
Beyond The First Boss Door...








The second "Boss Door" leads to the exact same room - But taking the treacherously long route will award Mario with NINE (count them!) 1-Up Mushrooms.




Italian Cooking...

Mario gets roasted alive by red-hot lava.


Suddenly getting hungry for spicy pasta sauce...


Fortunately, reaching the alternate door isn't necessary towards the count of finding all 96 exits in the game.
Just a true accomplishment that any Mario Stuntman is bound to attempt.
 
On my own game file, gotta make it all the way back to the World 5 Fortress before I can try it again...





Straight to Video...

Just a quick clip of the actual trick itself (without watching the entire damn level):

"Super Mario World - Forest Fortress Secret Exit"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjluNSC6V08
by Iplay2win
(31 seconds)





House Rules...

SMB3: White Mushroom House


Unlock the Secret Toad House
First Two: World 1-4 and World 2-2
Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Bros 3 is a bit like a pinball machine...

Racking up enough coins in a particular world will unlock the elusive White Mushroom House.

Finding one of these special Toad Houses, Mario can collect a P-Wing (Worlds 1, 3, 5 & 7) or an Anchor in (Worlds 2, 4 & 6).

Definitely not crucial to finishing the game - Just a fun, challenging thing to do.

The one in the first World is relatively easy by comparison.






Collect Those Coins!

World 1-4
(44 Coins)

There might be 46 coins up for grab in this stage... Gotta snag most of them.

Some loose change, plus a pair of "10 coin blocks".
The more problematic of the two being towards the end.

World 1-4
Making every second count...


Approaching the first multi-coin block, pushing all the way to the right of the screen as it scrolls mid-level, Mario can start hammer away at coin block as soon as possible.


Because it's in the ideal spot, can usually manage to squeeze at least 11 coins out of it.





Towards the end of the level...
Gotta be quick and nimble to grab this string of coins, then break a brick to expose the ten-coin block.

The block is high and timing is tight.
Can usually only bank eight or nine coins of ten...




A quick check of the coin count before exiting the level.
Good enough to unlock the White Mushroom House, which contains a P-Wing.








Sandy Shores...

World 2-2
(30 coins)


This one's a bit trickier than the first, but that's just how Mario games go...
Scavenging 30 coins in the desert may take a couple of attempts.

More often than not, collecting some of the necessary coins requires hitting a "P-Switch".
Blocks will temporarily turn into coins, adding to the challenge of getting them all in time.

Here in the Koopahari Desert, a short ride on a mobile platform adds to the challenge.

World 2-2
Preliminary Collection...


I find it easier to collect the actual coins first.


Going back to hit the P-Switch and quickly hopping back on the mobile platform.
(That lone coin by the switch is tempting, although not worth the effort - I don't believe it's possible to grab that single piece with enough time to obtain the rest, but someone's bound to prove me wrong...)


At the end of the lift ride, the timer for block-to-coin magic usually ends before Mario reaches the last set of coins. Gotta jump for it...
With a leap of faith and a bounce off a Koopa Paratroopa, Mario can get enough lift to come sailing straight down through the row of coins as he falls.


Collect that last row of coins, and Mario is golden.




Got the first two White Mushroom Houses without much effort.

Pretty sure there a few in the later worlds that I never managed to reach, especially from World 5 onward. Suddenly tempted to find one of the more challenging levels and take a run at it...







Friday, May 10, 2024

To Swerve And Protect

In a Pig's Arse...

The Starman grants Invincibility in the Super Mario franchise...

Mario Kart 64
He's a Wario. He's a gonna win!



Back in the day, we called a Starman "The Sherriff's Badge" while playing Mario Kart.
Gives a player the right to speed while pulling others off the road.

Have since learned that the term 'Sherriff Badge' also refers to the arsehole.
I suppose it's appropriate, because Mario Kart generates more cursing and swearing than all other video game series combined.


Used in a sentence:
"Any arsehole who lags behind in the race just to obtain a 'Sherrif's Badge' can take a pointy object and shove it where the stars don't shine..."





DKC3: The LOST WORLD

Blue Language Barrier...

 
Super Mario World featured five secret levels that were twisted and challenging... As side-scrolling games evolved, the Donkey Kong Country series had the Lost World...

Five special stages bound to test your nerves, proving just how determined you are to complete this bloody game...

It's no surprise that Donkey Kong Country 3's Lost World involves some of the most challenging feats in the entire game. Particularly one with Ellie the elephant, another with Squawks the parrot... And the unforgettable Rocket Rush, a level that should be called "Need Another Space Ape".




Stampede Sprint (World 8-1)
Controlling Ellie the elephant as she madly runs at full speed for most of the stage... Snagging the last bonus proves to be one of the trickiest in the game, because it involves keeping Parry the parallel bird alive - He turns into a bonus barrel if you can make it all the way to the "no animal" sign... The bonus area itself involves snagging 15 green bananas with Perry. Hit the red Buzz and you fail, and gotta survive the entire level with Parry again.





Criss Kross Cliffs (World 8-2)
I wonder why they didn't spell all the words in the level title with a "K"... One of the "easier" levels in the Lost World, it just seems to take a while until you figure out how to safely switch the kegs to TNT barrels and back again, and climb your way through the level.






Tyrant Twin Tussle (World 8-3)
A bit of a slow underground clamber until you learn to avoid the attack patterns of Kuff 'N Klout... Contains an easy to miss bonus area that requires Kiddy to throw Dixie, followed by some delicate maneuvering to get a TNT barrel to blow up a red Buzz guarding a bonus barrel while avoiding a pair of Tyrant Twins.





Swoopy Salvo (World 8-4)
 Definitely not an easy level, some people consider it one of the hardest in the game. One bonus area in particular gave me a hard time... After risking life and limb for a lousy bear coin on the last pair of red bees, I found myself not willing to tempt fate in snagging this lone bananna. Turns out the second pair of red bees is guarding a bonus barrel, on the path to the DK coin. Had to re-do it a few times due to failing the bonus level.





Rocket Rush (World 8-5).
Some consider Rocket Rush to be the most difficult level in the entire game. Drifting down with the rocket and burning bees is the easy part... But when you reach the midpoint of the level, the rocket blasts upwards at full speed, and requires Jedi reflexes to pilot the rocket to the end of the level.