Super Mario All-Stars Beginner Tips - Saves, Power-Ups, and Version Differences

Super Mario All-Stars, developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo, is a Super NES compilation of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3. It is not Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and this guide does not assume the later Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World bundle unless a player is specifically using that version.

This is a beginner systems guide for the original compilation and its closely related reissues. It avoids exact route claims, all-secret routing, Warp Whistle instructions, Lost Levels completion conditions, and current Nintendo Classics availability details.

Difficulty note: Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is explicitly framed by the manual as much more difficult than Super Mario Bros. Treat it as a later challenge, even though it sits beside the other games on the select screen.

Essential Tips

1. Pick the Right Save File Before You Start

All-Stars is more forgiving than the original cartridges, but saves still matter.

The SNES compilation has four battery-backed save files. Use separate files when learning a game, replaying with another player, or testing routes, because loaded saves can preserve player count decisions and world progress.

2. Know What the Save Actually Stores

Most games save at world level, not exact stage level.

In Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3, the manual describes saving at the beginning of the current world. The Lost Levels is the exception: it saves at the current world and level. If you quit in the middle of a normal-world game, do not expect the same precision you get in The Lost Levels.

3. Treat This as Four Rule Sets, Not One Long Game

The shared Mario name hides different habits.

Super Mario Bros. rewards clean running, jumping, fireball use, and flagpole timing. The Lost Levels punishes loose momentum and adds poison mushrooms. Super Mario Bros. 2 is about character choice, picking up objects, and throwing enemies. Super Mario Bros. 3 adds a world map, inventory items, suits, flight, and more route planning.

4. Start With Super Mario Bros. or Super Mario Bros. 3

Learn the basic platforming before the crueler test.

Super Mario Bros. teaches the baseline run-and-jump rhythm. Super Mario Bros. 3 gives you more power-ups and map tools to recover from mistakes. Save The Lost Levels until you can already control Mario cleanly at speed.

5. Hold Run, But Do Not Hold It Blindly

The run button is a tool, not a default state.

Running helps with long jumps, one-tile gaps, and Super Mario Bros. 3’s Power Meter, but it also makes short platforms and enemy setups harder to read. In unfamiliar levels, slow down long enough to identify pits, fire bars, Hammer Brothers, and moving platforms before committing.

6. Use Super Mario Bros. to Practice Fundamentals

Flagpoles, coins, shells, and Fire Flowers teach the basics.

Aim higher on flagpoles when safe, collect coins toward extra lives, keep Fire Mario when the level gives you space, and use shells carefully. A moving shell can clear enemies, but it can also rebound into you if you stop paying attention.

7. Respect The Lost Levels Immediately

It is not just more Super Mario Bros.

The Lost Levels has the same broad control language as Super Mario Bros., but the manual calls it much more difficult. Poison mushrooms hurt instead of helping, and Luigi’s higher jump comes with worse stopping control. Pick Luigi when a stage calls for height, not because he is automatically easier.

8. Choose Super Mario Bros. 2 Characters for the Job

The best character changes with the route.

Mario is balanced. Luigi jumps highest and farthest but can be awkward while carrying objects. Toad has the weakest jump but handles item lifting well. Princess can float briefly in the air. If a stage asks for vertical reach, heavy object handling, or safer air control, change characters instead of forcing one favorite through every problem.

9. Use Potions and Bombs Deliberately in Super Mario Bros. 2

Many rewards come from the right object in the right place.

Potions create sub-space doors where mushrooms and coins can appear, while bombs can open blocked routes. Do not throw either item casually. Check the room, locate suspicious walls or grass, and then spend the item with a route in mind.

10. Manage Super Mario Bros. 3 Like a Map Game

The inventory is part of the level plan.

Toad Houses, Hammer Brothers, and other map events can give useful items. Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Super Leaves, Frog Suits, Tanooki Suits, Clouds, Wings, Hammers, Music Boxes, Whistles, and Anchors all solve different problems. Use them before hard stages, airships, water levels, or map obstacles instead of hoarding everything forever.

11. Learn Raccoon and Tanooki Movement Early

Flight and floating are controlled by preparation.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, tail forms can attack, slow falls, and fly after you build the Power Meter by running. Practice the full sequence in easier stages: run until the meter fills, take off, tap jump to stay airborne, and float down under control. Tanooki statue use is a separate defensive trick, not a replacement for learning flight.

12. Treat Nintendo Classics Features as Practice Tools

Rewind and save-any-time are service features, not original rules.

Nintendo Classics can add wrapper features such as rewind, save-any-time, online screen sharing, and modern controller options. Use them if that is how you are playing, but keep original save behavior and level design in mind when reading older guides, comparing scores, or practicing for original-hardware play.

Game-by-Game Focus

Game	Learn First	Watch For
Super Mario Bros.	Run speed, jump height, pipes, shells, Fire Flowers, flagpoles	World-level saves, enemy rebounds, timer pressure
The Lost Levels	Precise momentum, Mario/Luigi choice, patient stage reads	Poison mushrooms, harder layouts, no two-player mode
Super Mario Bros. 2	Character strengths, lifting, throwing, doors, vines, potions	Wasting potions, weak character-route matches, key pressure
Super Mario Bros. 3	Map movement, item inventory, suits, Power Meter, goal cards	Hoarding items, entering airships unprepared, ignoring water tools
Battle Game	Enemy flipping, coin races, two-player competition	Battle Mode save limits and separate rules

Version Differences

Version / Name	Guide Scope
Super Mario All-Stars	Primary scope: the 1993 SNES compilation with four remade Mario games
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition	Wii reissue of the SNES game; controller options differ
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World	Later bundle that adds Super Mario World; not assumed in this guide
Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics	Current-service context; availability, region, rewind, online, and Switch 2 details can vary
Super Mario 3D All-Stars	Separate Nintendo Switch 3D collection; not covered here

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Do not use one save file for every experiment - Separate files prevent route tests or multiplayer starts from overwriting cleaner progress.

2. Do not assume every save resumes at the exact stage - The Lost Levels saves more precisely than the other included games.

3. Do not play The Lost Levels like a relaxed replay of Super Mario Bros. - Poison mushrooms, tighter jumps, and Luigi’s slippery stop change the risk.

4. Do not force one Super Mario Bros. 2 character through every stage - Switch when a level rewards floating, jumping, lifting, or carrying.

5. Do not throw potions the moment you pick them up - A better placement can mean mushrooms, coins, or a cleaner route.

6. Do not enter Super Mario Bros. 3 airships and fortresses with no plan - A saved power-up or map item can make a difficult stage far safer.

7. Do not waste rare map items on easy panels - Clouds, Wings, Hammers, Whistles, Music Boxes, and Anchors are strongest when they solve a real obstacle.

8. Do not rely on rewind when learning original timing - It helps practice, but it can hide mistakes that still matter on SNES, Wii disc, or no-rewind play.

Summary

Category	Top Tip
Saves	Use separate files and remember most games save by world
Starting Point	Learn Super Mario Bros. basics before The Lost Levels
Lost Levels	Treat Luigi, poison mushrooms, and level saves as special cases
Super Mario Bros. 2	Pick characters around each route’s movement and item needs
Super Mario Bros. 3	Use map inventory before hard stages instead of hoarding forever
Versions	Separate All-Stars, 3D All-Stars, + Super Mario World, Wii, and Nintendo Classics claims