There are so many classic games in the Mario canon that very few can be short-listed as being a viable candidate for the best game in the series. Super Mario Bros. 3, however, is one of those games. Out of all the 2D Mario games, it arguably has the best level design and pacing, taking place across eight distinct worlds with different themes, power-ups, and enemies to contend with.

Not only was it lauded by critics upon release, it became a fan favorite and one of those games that people return to again and again. Holding a special place in gamers' hearts, everyone has a favorite world, level, enemy to stomp, and power up to utilize. This fan adoration and critical acclaim are mirrored in the tens of millions of copies of the game sold worldwide, as well as its multiple re-releases on platforms such as the Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, 3DS, and Wii U.

One of the things that players love the most about this title is the amount of little Easter eggs and secrets that are contained within it. Every world has a shortcut, there are hidden passages within a litany of levels, and random mini-games scattered throughout the game give you new power-ups and bonuses.

RELATED: Every Mainline Super Mario Game In Chronological Order

That being said, even the most ardent Mario player would be unlikely to have discovered everything within the game. The number of layers and somewhat random nature of events within the game mean that many of these things would have been missed. Here's a look at some of the best secrets available!

Updated June 26, 2021 by Russ Boswell: The Super Mario Bros. series is still going to strong in 2021 and has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. Right now, dedicated fans are awaiting the upcoming release of Mario + Rabbids 2, a crossover franchise that many never expected to be such a smash hit with players.

But even with all the new and exciting Mario content hitting store shelves in the future, many players ache to revisit the classics. Super Mario Bros. 3 is perhaps the pinnacle of retro Mario design and stands out as a game that absolutely every Mario fan should experience at least once in their lives. To better celebrate this titanic classic, this article has been updated with better pictures and more information. Here's a look at some of the best Super Mario 3 cheats and Super Mario 3 secrets that players have found.

25 Hide Behind Scenery

One of the most common fan theories about Super Mario Bros 3 is that the entire game is just a play. Meaning that the levels, worlds, enemies, and power-ups merely stages and props for the protagonist Mario, his brother Luigi, and their cast of friends and enemies to use.

This feature, which is easy to miss, backs up this idea. If players stand on a white block and hold down, they will "disappear" behind the scenery. Way to break the fourth wall, Mario!

24 Warp To World 8

Super Mario Bros. 3 is, like most Mario games, easy to pick up and play, yet challenging to complete. Given that the spikes in difficulty have waned over the years, this relatively old 2D Mario game is certainly no exception to this rule. So, if you're too impatient to trudge through all the levels in all eight worlds, why wait! The warp whistle allows you to forego much of the game and warp your way straight to the final stage!

23 White Mushroom Houses

There are many mushroom houses scattered throughout the game in plain sight and are, therefore, practically impossible to miss. These "levels" give respite to players, while also providing them with extra lives and power-ups which can help ease their journey as well as help them survive it. Lesser known are the white mushroom houses, which can only be accessed by getting enough coins in specific levels. These houses can give rare, special items such as p-wings and anchors. This is a Super Mario 3 hidden secret that all players should use.

22 An Easy Swim On A Hard Level

The second level in the final world of the game is a tricky one. It requires Mario to take on a fleet of Bowser boats, a challenging proposition for sure. However, there is a way to ease the difficulty that doesn’t require a glitch or cheat.

If players simply swim underneath the boats, they can avoid formidable enemies and their weapons and float all the way to the end of the stage. They'll still have to face the boss on the final boat to complete the level though.

21 There Are Different Letters For Different Suits

The airship battles are some of the most iconic not only in the game but in the entire series. Defeat Koopa Jr. end of the ship and players will receive a thank you letter from the King. A kind gesture, to be sure, but what you may not know is, depending on what Mario is wearing, they can receive multiple different letters from his royal highness. Don the Tanooki suit, frog suit, or hammer suit, and the note of thanks players receive will be a little bit different!

RELATED: 5 Reasons Super Mario World is the Best Super Mario Game (& 5 Reasons its Super Mario 3)

20 See Beyond The Throne Room

Ah, the throne room! Where players are rewarded by the king for their chivalrous good deeds. And now, thanks to players who are able to access off-screen content, the curtain can now be pulled back (remember how it's all supposed to be a play!) and see beyond what the public was meant to. Now, in fairness, there’s not much to see here, just a black and white background. But, if players go above the throne room, they jump into the outline of the letter which Mario receives from the king congratulating him!

19 Those Things On The Map Are Not Just Objects!

Every world map in Super Mario Bros. 3 is different. These maps are filled with level ports, mushroom houses, and castles. They’re also littered with scenery related to the world, like pyramids in World 2 or cactuses in World 1.

And these levels are just there for the scenery, right? Well, no. Actually, some of them can be activated like a level, with a variety of results: it may bring players to a mushroom house, it may turn the world map into a crazy, glitchy mess of a level. Or, it may just crash the game. It's one of the weirder Super Mario 3 secrets.

18 Slip And Slide In The Hammer Suit

By itself, the slide attack which allows Mario to glide along a surface after gathering momentum could be missed by the more casual or non-observant Mario fans. As cool as it is, it cannot be used while wearing the hammer suit. Or can’t it? Well, the answer is: kinda. When sliding down a steep surface (like a cave entrance), Mario can turtle up while wearing the suit, tricking the game into allowing you to engage in a slide!

17 Skip Past A Big Pyramid

Coming at players with more glitches here, the interactive pyramid scenery which was talked about above can, in one instance, be activated with no risk of making the game go bonkers! When players go into the level, there is a brief moment at the start where they must scale part of the pyramid to access a door that takes them to the level proper. However, again if players go beyond the perimeters of the map which were meant to be viewed, they'll come across a secret stash of coins and a shortcut to the end of the level.

16 Extra Lives Galore

Extra lives are an essential survival mechanism in Super Mario Bros. 3. In the second level of world 1, there is a glitch where, if players stand over a pipe wearing the raccoon suit at the beginning of the level, rows upon rows of goombas will emerge from it. Jump on one and fly into the air, glide back down and smash another one, and Mario will gain an extra life.

RELATED: Super Mario Bros. Everything You Didn't Know About The Mushroom Kingdom's Coin Economy

Players can do this as much as they'd like until they are satisfied with the number of lives they have, get bored or, somehow, miss their target.

15 Yet More Extra Lives!

This one takes place in the fourth level of world 3. About halfway through the level, players will come across a group of creepy Lakitus. A trick can be activated by grabbing a turtle shell and launching it between two question mark blocks, sending it back and forth. Eventually, those stupid turtle skeletons will drop directly into the path of the shell, allowing players to rack up the lives while sending those nightmarish former fouls back to their graves where they belong! This Super Mario Bros. 3 secret will keep you stocked on lives.

14 The N-Panel Simplified

The N-Panel seems no different than gambling and, while it can be frustrating, the house needn’t always win. All you have to remember is that the cards at the bottom right-hand corner are always star, flower, mushroom. You’ll be clearing those panels in no time!

13 Take No Damage From Bowser

In the final boss of the game, players fight (of course, who else) Big Bowser! However, in a weird glitch, they will be unharmed by the lower part of Bowser’s body. That means that if they duck when he unleashes his ground and pound attack, they will be unaffected!

Even better is if they are playing as Baby Mario, you can run into and through the shelled evildoer without sustaining damage, where normally that would be an instant end for Mario junior.

12 Free The Chain Chomps

The chain chomps in Super Mario Bros 3. are some of the most disconcerting enemies in the entire game. With their enraged faces and erratic movement, get too close to these foes at any angle and it means an instant loss in power up and demise for Baby Mario. The only thing that puts players at ease is the fact that they are on a chain, limiting their reach. Frighteningly, though, if players hang around and goad these lunatics for longer than 175 seconds, they will break free and go after them!

11 World 3 Door Glitch

Super Mario Bros. 3 is full of bizarre levels, its also full of levels that seem to have randomized sequences which, like the card games, rely as much on chance as anything. The Fortress level in world three is a great example of this. A level that sees players falling through space, landing at random doors which will either send them back to the start or lead them to the grey pipe which progresses them through the level. But, if players go through door three and then door four, they’ll go straight to the level’s end.

RELATED: Super Mario Bros.: 5 Times Luigi Saved The Day (& 5 Times Bowser Did)

10 Collect Stage End Stars Easily

At the end of most levels in the game, Mario approaches a floating box that has a changing set of “cards” within it. When players jump at it, whatever card is in it when they do is the one they'll get.

If players get three “star cards” in a row, players are given five extra lives (as well as a big fanfare and light display). But if players run at it full speed and hit the bottom left-hand corner, chances are they will get a star, and thus five lives every three levels!

9 Stop Bowser's Onslaught Of Fireballs

The final Bowser showdown is a pivotal moment in any video game. The final challenge test’s Mario’s skill and secures the release of his beloved princess (until the next game comes out, anyway). There is a way to make it easier though, enter the castle with a P-wing, make it to the end (intact) where Bowser is, fly to the top right-hand corner, and follow a path into a secret room. Come back and, low and behold, Bowser will be unable to shoot fireballs.

A prevailing fan theory is that the Mario games are simply a retelling of the Zelda games. The concept of the ordinary hero setting out to rescue a princess against all odds from the grasp of a supernatural, overpowered foe who kidnapped her is shared by both franchises. And while rescuing a princess from the clutches of evil is an old story, the presence of a flute, which is strikingly similar to Link’s recorder, is far less ambiguous. For mutual fans of the series, it surely raised a few eyebrows when and if they discovered it.

7 Spawn The Elusive Hammer Ship

A complicated one here. The wandering hammer brothers, which roam the world map, are a challenging distraction from the typical levels players normally engage in. However, there is a way to turn these brief enemy encounters into lucrative treasure ships.

But it’s a bit strange. Players need to collect a total of coins that is a multiple of 11, and then complete a level with the countdown clock on an even number.

6 World 3 Is Modeled After Japan

As mentioned earlier, Super Mario Bros. 3 is a game that’s easy to pick up and play initially but gets significantly harder the further players progress. World 3, known as “Water World,” is a prime example of this. But the difficulty spike isn’t purely in the levels themselves, but also the map's design, needing players to hop on a canoe across the ocean to reach the final level. While some may manage to navigate their way there, most would be unaware that the islands in the world are modeled after Japan’s islands.

RELATED: Every World In Super Mario Bros. 3, Ranked From Worst To Best