Hidden detail / NES
The ceiling beyond the exit
In World 1-2, reach the ceiling above the regular exit pipe and keep moving right. The hidden Warp Zone offers pipes leading to later worlds.
Super Mario Bros. ↗There’s always another way in
Look a little closer.
Small details, useful tricks and routes you might walk past. A notebook for the curious — with the game and platform kept in view.
440 notes to explore
From the notebook / NES
Choose your landing
Watch where you will land before chasing a coin or stomping an enemy. A clear patch of ground matters more than a small score bonus.
Super Mario Bros. ↗From the notebook / NES
Try another hero
If a jump keeps defeating you, reconsider your character. Their differences in jumping and lifting can make the same section feel surprisingly different.
Super Mario Bros. 2 ↗From the notebook / NES
Keep a projectile nearby
An enemy you can lift is also a useful tool. Before entering a crowded stretch, look for something safe to carry and throw ahead.
Super Mario Bros. 2 ↗Hidden detail / NES
Behind the white block
In World 1-3, crouch on the white block until Mario slips behind the scenery. Continue right behind the goal area to find a hidden Warp Whistle.
Super Mario Bros. 3 ↗From the notebook / NES
Use the map inventory
Map items are there to be used. Equip a helpful power-up before a stage that repeatedly costs lives instead of saving everything indefinitely.
Super Mario Bros. 3 ↗Hidden detail / NES
A different quest from the start
Enter ZELDA as the file name to begin the harder Second Quest immediately. It rearranges important discoveries and dungeons, so the familiar landscape becomes unexpectedly deceptive.
The Legend of Zelda ↗From the notebook / NES
Make your own landmarks
Write down entrances, shops, and places that seem unreachable. A simple sketch helps you revisit promising locations when a new tool changes your options.
The Legend of Zelda ↗From the notebook / NES
Watch shield height
When an armored opponent blocks you, vary standing and crouching attacks. Learning which space its shield protects is more useful than swinging faster.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link ↗From the notebook / NES
Read before traveling
Speak to townspeople and remember their clues. A destination that seems impossible may depend on a spell or technique taught somewhere you already visited.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link ↗From the notebook / NES
Mark the elevators
Sketch elevator connections and major item rooms as you explore. Similar-looking passages become easier to distinguish when you track how regions connect vertically.
Metroid ↗From the notebook / NES
Test suspicious surfaces
Once you have bombs, examine unusual floors and cramped spaces. Some routes hide behind breakable terrain, so a blocked passage deserves a closer look.
Metroid ↗From the notebook / NES
Prepare before jumping
Simon commits strongly to a jump. Wait for a moving hazard to pass, choose your landing, and avoid launching just because an enemy approaches.
Castlevania ↗From the notebook / NES
Hearts are ammunition
Hearts power subweapons rather than restoring health. Collect them when you can, and spend them when a difficult enemy is safer to attack indirectly.
Castlevania ↗From the notebook / NES
Learn both characters
When a companion joins, practice their movement in a safe area. An unfamiliar ability can solve a difficult passage once you understand its limits.
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse ↗From the notebook / NES
Consider another route
A branching path changes more than scenery. If you return for another run, choose a different direction to discover other stages and potential companions.
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse ↗Versions and regions can differ. Every note belongs to the platform named on its card; check the game’s image captions for the edition shown.