This Super Mario Bros 3 walkthrough is divided into 8 total pages.
You can jump to nearby pages of the game using the links above.
World 3: Water Land - Ocean Side
3-1: The Frog Suit being put to the test. Press any cardinal direction to swim in that direction then press A to swim faster.
As Frog Mario, you can swim against the currents coming out of some pipes. This is a good way to find secret areas in some levels.
Meet Blooper/Gesso. It will try to swim into Mario and some of them have varied attacks.
Meet Lava Lotus/Switchuka. It waits on the surface floor and spits a few balls of lava that rain down. Avoid those lava balls at all cost.
Meet Blooper Nanny/Kozure Gesso. Anyone who gets too close and the nanny sends the kids after you.
This hidden block contains a 1-up.
3-2: You want to stay at the top of the water as much as possible but I want to demonstrate something real quick.
If you are Frog, Tanooki, or Hammer Mario and you get hit, I already explain that you revert to small Mario in the Japanese version but for these three suits, you see the suit fly off.
If you get caught in the water, you can hop onto a Cheep Cheep for leverage to safe ground but be extra careful.
Here is a 1-up in the left brick.
The power-up is located in the? block.
3-3: Uh oh! Here comes trouble. This level rises and sinks in intervals. We meet Big Boss Bass/Kyoudai Pukupuku o-> (male symbol). It is capable of eating Mario even if he is large when he is within range of his mouth. Getting eaten result in instant death.
The rotary lifts have a tendency of spinning you into dangerous situations. Don't stand on one too long.
You can use these ice blocks to attack Big Boss Bass.
Near the end of the level, Kill Big Boss Bass with a fireball then swim to the very right.
There is a 1-up here but be sure to kill Big Boss Bass on the way back.
3-Castle: The Roto Disc and Dry Bones are working together to make Mario's life hell.
Enter door number 5 first.
There is a 1-up here. Get it then get out if you managed to stay on the platform.
Regardless of what happens, when you are in the main room. Enter door number six and you end up here with the Boom Boom room above and to the left.
This Boom Boom flies during phase 2.
3-Hammer Bros Duo. Use fireball when they are on the floor or bop them from below.
You get a Hammer for your prize.
Nearby is a place you can smash with your hammer. Do so and take a ride on the canoe to some extra Toad houses and slot sections.
Another Toad house in the upper section.
Nothing special here but a glimpse of where you will fight your third boss later on. Notice how the map is shaped like Japan.
3-4: Get the power-up here if needed.
Slide down this slope and at the end...
Jump where you see it curve up to clear the moat.
Here is Lakitu/Jugem. Here he throws green Spiny Eggs/Paipos at Mario. The green ones stay in egg form when hitting the ground unlike the red ones that turn into Spinies/Togezo. Get this 1-up here.
Fool Lakitu into throwing an egg in a different direction then slide down this slope.
3-5: Meet Jelectro/Shibire Kurage. An underwater jellyfish that is invincible. They usually appear in schools.
Meet Big Bertha/Kyoudai Pukupuku o+. She doesn't try to eat Mario like her male counterpart, Big Boss Bass, does. She will spit out a Baby Cheep/Chikkoi Pukupuku from time to time and swallow it back up. The Baby Cheep is just as deadly as the mother.
There is going to be a hidden 1-up underneath the right of this pipe.
3-6: These are Donut Lifts. Stand on them and they change color. Stay on them too long and they will fall down.
There will be several bricks with 10 coins in them. It's best to have Raccoon Mario for these.
This brick has a Super Leaf if you don't have one yet. Use a Koopa Shell to hit it.
Be careful here as the Rotary Lift makes it hard to land on the pipe below.
3-7: Meet Spike/Gabon. It will barf up a spike ball and hurl it at Mario.
There are some coins in this brick sequence.
In fact the top left one is a vine. Climb it and go left to get some coins and a P-switch.
Here is a 1-up among the bricks that got turned into coins via the P-switch.
Here is the normal exit but during the making of this guide, I missed a special exit that involved going into coin heaven and collecting a Jugem Cloud at the end of it instead the usual drop down the pipe. More on this in the Omake section.
3-Hammer Bros. Duo Round 2. Beat them as before.
You get a star.
3-Castle 2: The castle is underwater and yet Mario can still throw fireballs thank you science. He did the same in the first Mario too.
Meet Stretch/Netchi. It's a white bar where a Boo's head will pop out and move back and forth.
Like a dummy, I tried to swim over it and got hit.
Another Boom Boom fight. The blocks can hinder you.
3-8: Here we go again. This time the water sinks even deeper and that means the risk of being eaten has elevated.
Use the vines to keep you safely on dry land.
Don't forget to kill Big Boss Bass when the opportunity comes.
Wait for the land to rise before getting these coins. You need all coins to get a White Toad house.
Hit the P-switch in that area too to get these coins.
There is also a 1-up hidden around here.
3-9: The upside down plants are not restricted by the vicinity rule like the right-side up counterparts and Bullet Bills. They come out no matter one. Same with the sideway ones you will meet later on.
Meet Bob-Omb/Bomb Hei. The only enemy that came from Super Mario Bros 2 USA/Doki Doki Panic in Japan. For now, it won't explode until a few seconds after you stomp on it. You can kick Bob-Omb while he is stunned to kill other enemies when it explodes.
Be sure to clear out any enemies nearby first preferably with Raccoon Mario then duck down on this white block until you fall through.
Make it to the pipe while still in the background and go down. You are underwater and invisible. You are invincible here too as long as you are invisible.
Here is the end pipe to go up.
3-Airship: Yes I'm crazy for tackling this Airship level in a Frog Suit but there are some things that I don't want to wait until the Omake section thus I even show three of the Kings transformed back to their old selves.
The cannons here need to be avoided carefully.
It gets more dangerous when the cannons start closing in and there is a Bullet Bill waiting to fire.
Ignore the screws and wait for the jet fuel to stop before moving safely.
Wendy O. Koopa attacks with candy rings. Avoid their trajectory as you stomp on here three times.
Water Land/Ocean Side complete.
There are special messages if you beat a level with Frog, Tanooki, or Hammer Mario.
Japanese: arearesonnasuga tanikaera reteshimatte.... konotsuede motono sugatani modoshi tesashiage youka?
English: Oh me, oh my. You have been transformed.... Shall
More Super Mario Bros 3 Walkthroughs
This Super Mario Bros 3 walkthrough is divided into 8 total pages.
