One of the most famous secrets in Super Mario Land is the ability to gain infinite 1-Ups in World 1-2. This trick can be used to stock up on lives before tackling the more challenging later worlds, making your playthrough significantly easier. It requires a bit of timing and precision, but once mastered, it's a reliable way to ensure you never run out of lives.
How to Perform the Trick:
- Reach World 1-2: Play through World 1-1 and start World 1-2.
- Get a Superball Flower: Progress through World 1-2 until you find the Superball Flower. It's located in a '?' block relatively early in the stage, after the first few moving platforms. You must be Superball Mario for this trick to work.
- Locate the specific area: Continue past the section with the Fly enemies. You'll come to a series of blocks with a single Goombo walking on top of them. There's a small gap to the right of these blocks, and another set of blocks beyond that.
- Position Mario: Stand on the block directly to the left of the Goombo.
- Shoot the Superball: Face right and shoot a Superball. The Superball needs to bounce off the ceiling, then off the ground, and hit the Goombo from below as it walks over the gap.
- Continuous 1-Ups: If timed correctly, the Superball will continuously hit the Goombo as it respawns, granting you a 1-Up for every hit. You'll hear the 1-Up sound repeatedly.
You can stand there and collect as many lives as you desire. Be careful not to move or let the Superball miss, or you'll have to reset the trick. This is an excellent way to prepare for the entire game, especially if you're struggling with later stages or bosses. It's a classic example of exploiting game mechanics for an advantage.