'Super Mario Run' World 1 walkthrough and coin locations: How to beat 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
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If you tend to get a little frustrated with 2-D sidescrollers but still can't resist them, Super Mario Run is going to be equal parts exciting and frustrating. And the game's extra challenge of tracking down pink coins hidden in each level will only make things more difficult.
Fortunately, we've compiled a handy list of tips and tricks to help get you through the Super Mario Run's deceptively simple levels, and we've also compiled where and how to get the pink coins in each level. So let's get running and start with the first of the game's six worlds!
When you're done, check out our guides to World 2 and World 3.
Super Mario Run 1-1 walkthrough: "Up and Over"
The first level of Super Mario Run is pretty tame, given that it's the first level outside the tutorial you'll be doing, but there are still a few tricks to help you out. If you can hit either one of the two question blocks at the very beginning you'll get a super mushroom. If you're lucky enough to hit both blocks, you can collect both items and get a 5-coin bonus for the second one. It's tricky, but you can pull it off with good timing.
Your first real challenge comes a little bit after when you reach a depression with a Goomba and a pink coin in it. If you jump to hit the pink coin, you'll have to remember to press and hold the screen to jump higher when you hit the Goomba at the bottom. That should be enough to clear the pipe in front of you and keep running forward without wasting any time.
The only other real problem you're likely to run into during this introductory level comes about halfway through when you reach a small pit with some question block platforms on one side and a small wall on the other. If you mess up your jump while on the platform, chances are you won't clear the wall and Mario will begin sliding down the side of it. Tapping jump when this happens will cause Mario to jump off the side of the wall, launching him back onto the other side of the pit. It's disorienting and can cause some tapped panic jumps that could see you falling into the pit if you're not careful.
Other than that, it should be smooth sailing to the end of the level: Simply follow the trails of coins and you'll be there in no time. Just watch out if you're jumping from a lower level to a higher one. If Mario makes contact with an enemy from below, he'll take damage, and without a super mushroom to absorb the hit you could be starting the stage over again.
Super Mario Run 1-1 pink coin locations
As "Up and Over" is the first level, the coins aren't too hard to grab even if you're going through the level for the first time.
The first pink coin is hard to miss since there's a big line of coins leading to it. Simply jump to grab it, or hop on the Goomba if you're feeling especially stylish.
The second coin is floating above a small ledge formed by three question blocks. If you get up onto those three blocks, it should be very easy from there to jump off and grab the coin.
The third coin is on top of some platforms, and it shouldn't be hard to get up to the required height by the time the coin shows up.
While navigating some short pipes, you'll see the fourth coin above you on a ledge. With a well-timed jump, you should be able to grab it without issue.
The final coin is right before the home stretch of the level. It's on top of another platform with four Goombas on it. With some fast hopping, you can get all the Goombas and leap to the coin, but the Goombas might mess up your flow, causing you to miss.
Super Mario Run 1-2 walkthrough: "Wall-Kicking It Underground"
As the name of this level implies, it's another introductory level designed to get you comfortable with a new mechanic: the wall jump. Much like level 1-2 in the original Super Mario game, it's underground. That means you won't have to worry much about in terms of falling into pits, but the pipes in this level are full of Piranha Plants so be careful.
That said, the level is pretty straightforward. Try to stay on the top portions of the level since that's where most of the coins are. Other than that, as long as you keep watch for the Piranha Plants, you aren't likely to run into much trouble, until the tail end of the level, where you're forced to wall jump up a crevasse with two pipes on it. You'll have to time your jumps just right so you don't slide off the wall, but also so you don't get chomped by the two plants that periodically emerge to ruin your day.
Once that's dealt with, you have a short section above ground with two Goombas, and then you're home free.
Super Mario Run 1-2 pink coin locations
The pink coins in "Wall-Kicking It Underground" will require you to take the high road in several situations.
The first coin is in the starting area. After you've made the initial wall jump up to an area where two Goombas are walking toward you, you should see another wall you can wall jump up. Doing that successfully will land you on top of a ledge. On the far side of that ledge past a Piranha Plant is the first pink coin.
The second coin is tricky to get to. A little after the first coin, you'll reach another wall jumping area which requires you to get about halfway up it in order to advance. However, if you opt to slide down a little on the ledge before jumping off it, you can make it further up the side of the opposite, wall, allowing you to reach a small ledge where you can get up to the second coin.
About halfway through the level, you'll reach a hill that Mario slides down, knocking a bunch of hapless Goombas out of the way. You can ride it all the way to the bottom, or you can jump off at about the midway point (indicated by an arrow) and launch yourself onto yet another ledge you'll find the third pink coin.
The fourth coin comes at the bottom of another hill you can slide down. If you jump off while sliding in time to collide with the wall opposite it, you can wall jump to the top of it and find the penultimate coin.
The final coin is the easiest spotted, but the trickiest to get. It's in a patch of coins that's visible from the ground, but you'll have to time your wall jumps to avoid two Piranha Plants in order to get it.
Super Mario Run 1-3 walkthrough: "Paratroopas in Mushroom Valley"
By this point, hopefully, you've been honing your skills in jumping and hitting enemies, because you're going to need to be able to do both in order to survive Paratroopas in Mushroom Valley.
Right as the level starts, a super mushroom sits on a platform a little higher than Mario. If you can hit the Paratroopa (the flying Koopa) or one of the Goombas just right, you'll propel yourself up to the super mushroom and have a good advantage for the rest of the level, but if you mess up the timing, you might collide directly with the Paratroopa and be out one of your bubbles before the level even starts.
Other than the constant threat of Mario plummeting to his death from the tops of the mushrooms you're running on, this level is pretty straight forward. If you keep to the lower levels, you'll find a red coin ring: collect all five and you'll get a Super Star, which will grant you temporary invincibility and a coin magnet, making it easier to grab those pesky pink coins.
"Paratroopas in Mushroom Valley" also introduces a new type of block with an arrow pointing to the right. If you hit jump while Mario is on these blocks, he'll leap forward, which, depending on your luck and timing, can either net you a ton of coins or launch you into harm's way.
Once you've navigated 1-3's various pratfalls and plunges, you'll be nearing the end of the first world (and the end of your free levels, if you opted not to pay the $9.99 for the full game). Beyond lies Bowser's first castle.
Super Mario Run 1-3 pink coin locations
The pink coins in "Paratroopas in Mushroom Valley" can be easy to miss because of the amount of time you spend flying through the level using the launch blocks, but with a little practice, they're still all out in the open.
Right as the level starts, you can utilize a launch block on an upper-level mushroom that will propel you through a big bunch of coins, one of which is the first pink coin.
The second coin requires you to use a Paratroopa to launch yourself up to a higher mushroom. It's best to try to bounce off the Paratroopa right as you see him, but you can rest on a conveniently placed pause block and wait for him to come back if you miss your first chance.
The third coin is also guarded by a Paratroopa, but it's a slightly easier jump. Even if you bungle the timing, you might still be able to get it when you land on the platform below it.
The fourth coin is underneath a big mushroom platform in the back half of the level. It can be kind of tricky to get without hitting the Goombas on the platform above. Other than that, it's just a quick jump and grab.
The final coin requires you to ignore the launch blocks immediately before it, instead simply rolling off to collect the coin. It's going to be tough to kick the habit of jumping constantly, but doing nothing is technically easier.
Super Mario Run 1-4 walkthrough: "Bowser's Castle Hangout"
It really wouldn't be a Mario game if each world didn't end with our intrepid plumber storming Bowser's lava-filled castle to rescue his princess. Since Mario can't stop moving in Super Mario Run, you can expect to have to do a little more work in order to avoid from running head-first into fireballs. Fortunately, the game gives you several new types of blocks to make sure you can make it to Bowser unscathed.
The level starts under an alcove where a super mushroom is hiding. If you press jump while on the blocks along the floor with a left-pointing arrow, Mario will do a backflip to the left, and if you've timed it correctly, you'll land on the top of the alcove and collect the super mushroom, which will be indispensable for the rest of the level.
While running along the top of the level, you'll also notice blocks on the ceiling with rungs on them. If you jump at these, Mario will pull himself along like he's climbing monkey bars. Not only will that help you avoid enemies, but it's also necessary for grabbing some of the pink coins.
Eventually, you'll come to areas where fireballs shoot out from the floor. Since you can't stop Mario from running in this game, timing is of the utmost importance for you to get through it. Thankfully, the game places a pause block right where you need it. Mario stops when standing on this block, and won't start running again until you tap the screen. So you can take a second to breathe before heading back into action.
Once you've made it through a couple particularly devious fireball traps, you'll land on a pause block right in front of Bowser himself, who's standing on a bridge with an axe behind him. Just like in the original Super Mario, your goal is to get behind Bowser and cut the chain holding the bridge up using the axe. Again, since Mario runs continuously, this can be sort of tricky.
There are a couple ways you can go about getting behind Bowser. If you've got a super mushroom, you can always just bum rush him, take the hit and leap by while you're still invincible.
However, if you're small Mario it's best to wait. Bowser will leap up in the air before walking backward, then he'll walk towards you and shoot a fireball. If you jump while he's walking backward, you'll hit his shell and die. But if you time your jump when he's walking forward, you'll sail over him to cut the chain. You can also tap jump again while in the air to do a twirl, though Mario still moves down while this is happening. Once you make it across the bridge, this Bowser will then reveal himself to be a fake and fall into the lava. After a short cutscene in which the real Bowser flies away with Peach, you'll move on to the next world.
Super Mario Run 1-4 pink coin locations
As if it weren't hard enough to simply make it through the traps of "Bowser's Castle Hangout," you'll need some quick reflexes if you want to grab those pink coins which are hiding around.
The first coin requires you to be on the top portion of the stage, utilizing the monkey bar blocks. After climbing along the top of the stage for a little while, the blocks will end and you'll drop down, directly onto the first coin.
The second coin requires you to be on the bottom of the stage, ignoring the high ground that keeps you safe from the lava pits and fireballs. As you're running along the bottom, eventually you'll find another set of monkey bar blocks. The second coin will be at the end of a line of coins you can reach from there.
To get the third coin, you're going to have to get back to the top of the level. By utilizing a backflip brick which comes just after a destructible platform, you can jump on top of that platform and reach another set of monkey bar blocks, which will drop you off onto a platform just as a group of fireballs is going back down, allowing you to grab the coin.
The fourth coin requires a deft touch. As you run along the level, you'll see a floating platform with arrows pointing to the left. Jump onto this platform and then jump again, to grab to some monkey bar blocks that will drop you right onto an otherwise unreachable platform with the coin.
Finally, some quick wall jumps up a crevasse near the end of the level will let you grab (you got it!) another set of those monkey bar blocks which you can take all the way to a small platform with the last Pink Coin at the end.
And with that, all the pink coins in World 1 should be yours!
Complete walkthroughs
• Super Mario Run World 1 walkthrough
More Super Mario Run tips, tricks and hints
Can't get enough of Mario, Bowser, Peach and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom? Check out Mic's coverage of Super Mario Run, including how to unlock new characters like Toad, Peach and Yoshi, how to get different colored Toads to come back to the kingdom, and our coverage for the Android release date and some knock-off versions to tide you over until it drops.
