On the World 3 map screen, the "bonus area" contains two islands that you can reach with the canoe. One of them is shaped like a mushroom. Also in World 3, the island with the Castle is shaped like Japan.

On the World 7 map screen, you trek across three pipe-shaped islands.

The designers must've been totally excited about Super Mario Bros. 3, because there are four "3's" hidden throughout the game.

• A "3" made out of Coins is located inside World 1-1's tall pipe right before the goal.
• On the World 2 map screen, use a Hammer on the rock in the upper-right corner to reveal a few bonus opportunities, as well as a lake shaped like the Roman numeral "III".
• In the beginning of World 5-1, fly up and enter the pipe in the sky. Take the lower path in the bonus room, and you'll emerge on the island inside the huge arch. From there, fly straight up from the Wood Blocks, and sprout the P-Switch from the Brick Blocks. Stomp the P-Switch and two gigantic "3's" made out of Coins will appear below.

In certain stages, collecting enough coins will make a White Mushroom House appear on the Map Screen. Inside, Toad will either give you a P-Wing or an Anchor, depending on the World number.

*There is no White Mushroom House in World 8.

In Worlds 1, 3, 5, and 6, you can turn a Wandering Hammer Brother on the map screen into a lucrative Treasure Ship. Here's what you have to do:

1. Have at least one Wandering Hammer Brother on the map screen.
2. Enter a level.
3. Hit the Roulette Block at the end of the level.
4. After getting the time bonus, your Coin total must be a multiple of 11 (e.g. 11, 22, 33, etc., but NOT zero), and the tens digit (the second number from the right) of your score must match the repeated number in your Coins total. (Example: 55 coins, score of 27650.) A Treasure Ship will replace the Wandering Hammer Brother.

Of course, you get 50 points per second remaining after you hit the Roulette Block, which affects the all-important tens digit of your score, so you'll have do a little planning ahead. Keep in mind that if you stop the timer on an even number, your tens digit won't change. If you stop the timer on an odd number, your tens digit will increase by 5. So, if you're at the Roulette Block with 66 Coins and a score ending in -60, you'll want to stop on an even number. If you have 88 Coins and a score ending in -30, you'll want to stop the timer on an odd number.

The Treasure Ship contains 169 Coins and a hidden 1-Up Mushroom just before the end pipe.

N-Cards will appear on the map screen every 80,000 points you earn. Touch it, and you'll get to try a card-matching memory game. If you match a Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, or Starman, it will be put in your item inventory. 1-Up, 10- and 20-Coin cards are added to your totals immediately.

Here are the 8 different N-Spade board patterns used:

The wandering Hammer Bros. in Worlds 1, 3, 5, and 6 will have items hidden among their brick platforms only when you fight the Hammer Bros. on certain spots on the map screen. These "bonus spots" are marked on the maps below.

Key:
= Hammer Bro. starting position
= Hammer Bro. "bonus spot"

Click the red Hammer Bro. icons to see maps of their stages and item locations.

The spot in World 5 (sky) is interesting because it has three items: a 1-Up, a multi-coin block, and a power-up. Since it is so far away from the Hammer Bro.'s starting point, we still haven't seen him stop there...