Secret exit
Secret exits[1] are secondary, alternate goals found in several games in the Super Mario franchise. While most levels feature a single goal each, some games feature levels with another goal, often hidden or harder to reach. Secret exits might unlock alternate levels, shortcuts to further points in the game, or optional bonuses, or they might even be required to progress through the game.
Secret exits have been called by many inconsistent terms throughout the franchise's history, including special goals,[2] hidden goals,[3][4] alternate exits,[4] alternate endings,[4] alternate routes,[4] alternate paths,[4] secret shortcuts,[4] and secret paths,[4][5][6] or they have been referred to generically as one of two exits.[7] Many of these names have also been used inconsistently and interchangeably to refer to the second goal object within a level or the path unlocked by said goal. For this reason, this article reflects the most common term among Super Mario players.
History[edit]
Predecessors[edit]
- Main articles: Warp Zone, Warp Zone (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Before the development of secret exits as a concept in Super Mario World, previous games in the Super Mario series had experimented with other methods of nonlinearity in the form of Warp Zones, allowing the player to skip to later worlds through hidden passages inside levels. Super Mario Bros. 3 would evolve on the idea by tying access to Warp Zones to an item, the Recorder.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
- “The red dot areas on the map have two different exits. If you have the time and skill, be sure to look for them.”
- —Message Block in Donut Plains 1, Super Mario World
Super Mario World introduced secret exits (also known as special goals[2] or hidden goals[3] in the game's manuals) to the Super Mario series. Appearing as either a second Giant Gate or a keyhole, they open an alternate path through the game's map when reached. Some secret exits unlock access to Switch Palaces, some provide shortcuts further into the world, and many unlock entire secret levels (or in some cases, multi-level detours).
A minimum of two secret exits are required to clear the game, due to their corresponding level's normal exit either leading back to the same level dot, a previously unlocked one, or simply not creating any new paths. 24 out of the game's 96 exits are secret exits, and all of them are required for 100% completion.
Levels with a secret exit are denoted by red level dots on the overworld. Four of the game's six Ghost Houses feature secret exits as well, despite not having a level dot. There are no secret exits to be found in any of the game's castles or fortresses, or in any levels in Yoshi's Island or the Special Zone.
Super Mario World’s secret exits are:
- Donut Plains 1 to Donut Secret 1
- Donut Secret 1 to Donut Secret House
- Donut Secret House to Star World 1
- Donut Plains 2 to Green Switch Palace
- Donut Ghost House to Top Secret Area
- Vanilla Dome 1 to Vanilla Secret 1
- Vanilla Secret 1 to Star World 2
- Vanilla Dome 2 to Red Switch Palace
- Cheese Bridge Area to Soda Lake
- Forest of Illusion 1 to Forest Ghost House
- Forest of Illusion 2 to Blue Switch Palace
- Forest of Illusion 3 to #5 Roy's Castle
- Forest Ghost House to Forest of Illusion 1
- Forest of Illusion 4 to Forest Secret Area
- Chocolate Island 2 to Chocolate Secret
- Chocolate Island 3 to Chocolate Fortress
- Valley of Bowser 2 to Valley Fortress
- Valley Ghost House to #7 Larry's Castle
- Valley of Bowser 4 to Front Door and Star World 5
- Star World 1 to Star World 2
- Star World 2 to Star World 3
- Star World 3 to Star World 4
- Star World 4 to Star World 5 and Front Door
- Star World 5 to Gnarly
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins features secret exits as well, through alternate Goals marked with a star above them. Unlike Super Mario World, all secret exits lead to optional secret levels, all but one of which do not unlock any paths forward or aid in progress. Nevertheless, they are still required for 100% completion. Also unlike Super Mario World, secret exits are not marked in any way in the overworld. Mario Zone is the only zone in the game to not feature any secret exits (ignoring the zone-less Mario Land levels), and Pumpkin Zone is the only one to feature more than one.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins’ secret exits are:
- In the Trees to Secret Course 1
- Moon stage to Secret Course 2
- The Ant Monsters to Secret Course 3
- Pumpkin Zone Level 2 to Secret Course 4
- Pumpkin Zone Level 3 to Secret Course 5
- Turtle Zone to Secret Course 6
New Super Mario Bros. series[edit]
Secret exits are featured in all New Super Mario Bros. games, functioning similarly to Super Mario World's incarnation, unlocking the path to shortcuts, optional stages, and, new to the series, Warp Cannons that send the player to later worlds. Unlike Super Mario World and more like Super Mario Land 2's version, they are completely unmarked in the overworld.
Instead of the standard black-flagged Goal Pole and brown fortress, they are marked by a red-flagged Goal Pole and (from New Super Mario Bros. Wii onwards) a dark gray fortress. Just like in previous games, they are required for 100% completion. Every Ghost House in the New Super Mario Bros. series contains a secret exit. Conversely, there are no secret exits in castles or airships. In the New Super Mario Bros. series starting with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, after Mario jumps off a secret exit's Goal Pole, he says, "Hoo hoo! This way!" and after Luigi jumps off a secret exit's Goal Pole, he says, "Ho ho! Secret. Shh."
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. features 16 secret exits, and none of them are mandatory to finish the game. Neither World 6 nor World 8 feature any secret exits.
Additionally, Worlds 4 and 7 are unlocked by defeating Mummipokey and Petey Piranha respectively as Mini Mario, although this is not counted as a secret exit by the game. While neither is technically required for 100% completion, World 4 can only be accessed through this method, rendering its optionality moot. World 7 can instead be accessed through World 4's Warp Cannon, thus making Mummipokey the only boss that must be beaten as Mini Mario to fully complete the game.
New Super Mario Bros.’s secret exits are:
- World 1-2 to World 1-
Tower and a red Toad House - World 1-Tower to the Warp Cannon to World 5
- World 2-3 to World 2-A
- World 2-A to the Warp Cannon to World 5
- World 2-4 to World 2-6 and a red Toad House
- World 3-2 to World 3-B
- World 3-
Ghost House to the Warp Cannon to World 6 - World 4-1 to World 4-Tower and a green Toad House
- World 4-Ghost House to the Warp Cannon to World 7
- World 5-2 to World 5-3
- World 5-B to World 5-
Castle - World 5-Ghost House to Warp Cannon to World 8
- World 7-Ghost House to World 7-Tower and a green Toad House
- World 7-4 to World 7-Castle and a green Toad House
- World 7-5 to World 7-A
- World 7-6 to World 7-7
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. Wii features 14 secret exits. The game's official instruction booklet and Prima Games guide refers to them with a variety of names.[4][5]
By design, at least one secret exit must be found to complete the game; World 3-4's secret exit is required to allow access to its regular exit; while Worlds 1 and 2's Warp Cannons can be utilized to skip World 3 entirely, they too require a secret exit to unlock. However, World 3-4's normal exit can technically be reached before its secret exit through a precise exploit using Ice Mario or Penguin Mario.[8]
New Super Mario Bros. Wii’s secret exits are:
- World 1-3 to Warp Cannon to World 5
- World 2-4 to World 2-
Castle - World 2-6 to Warp Cannon to World 5
- World 3-
Ghost House to Warp Cannon to World 6 - World 3-4 to World 3-5 and a red Toad House
- World 3-5 to a yellow Toad House
- World 4-
Tower to Warp Cannon to World 6 - World 4-Ghost House to World 4-Castle
- World 5-Ghost House to Warp Cannon to World 8
- World 6-5 to World 6-Castle
- World 6-6 to Warp Cannon to World 8
- World 7-Tower to World 7-6
- World 7-Ghost House to World 7-5
- World 8-2 to World 8-7
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. 2 features 15 secret exits. Although secret exits are required to reach the optional Worlds Mushroom and Flower, they are not required to finish the game.
New Super Mario Bros. 2’s secret exits are:
- World 1-
Tower to World 1-
Warp Cannon and a green Toad House - World 2-Ghost House to World 2-B and a red Toad House
- World
Mushroom-1 to World Mushroom-A and a red Toad House - World Mushroom-Ghost House to World Mushroom-B
- World 3-Tower to World 3-Warp Cannon and a green Toad House
- World 3-4 to World 3-B
- World 3-Ghost House to World 3-
Castle - World 4-Ghost House to World 4-B
- World 4-Tower to World 4-C and a yellow Toad House
- World
Flower-1 to World Flower-A - World Flower-Ghost House to World Flower-B
- World 5-1 to World 5-Ghost House
- World 5-Ghost House to World 5-A
- World 5-A to World 5-Castle and a green Toad House
- World 6-Ghost House to World 6-A and a green Toad House
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. U and its Deluxe version feature 12 secret exits.[1] As the game does not feature Warp Cannons, secret exits between worlds create long and elaborate paths to physically connect the levels. New Super Luigi U reuses its sister game's overworld, so it shares the same secret exits in its equivalent levels.
At least one secret exit is required to finish the game, as Painted Swampland/Painted Pipeworks and Deepsea Ruins/Deepsea Stone-Eyes' regular exits lead back to themselves, and a secret exit in a previous world is required to bypass either of them.
New Super Mario Bros. U’s secret exits are:
- Tilted Tunnel to Blooper's Secret Lair
- Spike's Spouting Sands to Piranha Plants on Ice
- Haunted Shipwreck to Skyward Stalk
- Swaying Ghost House to Fliprus Lake
- Bridge over Poisoned Waters to Seesaw Bridge and Wiggler Stampede
- Which-Way Labyrinth to Flight of the Para-Beetles
- Painted Swampland to Seesaw Bridge and Wiggler Stampede
- Deepsea Ruins to Seesaw Bridge and Wiggler Stampede
- Grinding-Stone Tower to Thrilling Spine Coaster
- Walking Piranha Plants! to Screwtop Tower and a red switch
- Spinning Spirit House to Ludwig's Clockwork Castle
- Meteor Moat to Firefall Cliffs
New Super Luigi U’s secret exits are:
- Crooked Cavern to Cheep Chomp Chase
- The Walls Have Eyes to Slippery Rope Ladders
- Haunted Cargo Hold to Beanstalk Jungle
- Peek-a-Boo Ghost House to Fliprus Floes
- Dancing Blocks, Poison Swamp to Sumo Bro Bridge and Wiggler Floodlands
- Boo's Favorite Haunt to Para-Beetle Parade
- Painted Pipeworks to Sumo Bro Bridge and Wiggler Floodlands
- Deepsea Stone-Eyes to Sumo Bro Bridge and Wiggler Floodlands
- Smashing-Stone Tower to Spine Coaster Stowaways
- Rising Piranhas to Sumo Bro's Spinning Tower and a red switch
- Vanishing Ghost House to Ludwig's Block-Press Castle
- Magma Moat to Firefall Rising
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
Secret exits (known as secret paths in Nintendo's news section[6]) return in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, once again represented by a red Goal Pole and a dark gray fortress. Like regular Goal Poles, reaching one for the first time will award the player with a Wonder Seed from the rescued Poplin, meaning that levels with secret exits hold three Wonder Seeds instead of the usual two. Although they are unmarked in the overworld, the player can verify if a level has a secret exit by checking for a green checkmark in the Courses screen.
Due to the game's more open structure compared to its predecessors, secret exits are deemphasized, serving more as bonus objectives within a level to obtain an extra Wonder Seed and/or unlock optional levels. They are still required for 100% completion, as they provide Wonder Seeds and access to new levels.
There are only seven secret exits in the entire game, with the Petal Isles, Shining Falls, Fungi Mines, and Special World lacking any. Additionally, five levels in the game (Jump! Jump! Jump!, The Final Trial: Zip Track Dash, An Uncharted Area: Wubba Ruins, Another Uncharted Area: Swaying Ruins, and A Final Uncharted Area: Poison Ruins) feature a second Goal Pole with a black flag, dark gray base, and no fortress/Poplin house. These do not grant a Wonder Seed, and are therefore not required to achieve 100% completion.
Although they do not quite function like secret exits, Royal Seed Mansion and Operation Poplin Rescue unlock an extra path leading to their world's respective Special World level (Shining Falls Special Triple Threat Deluge and Fungi Mines Special Dangerous Donut Ride) when revisited.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s secret exits are:
- Piranha Plants on Parade to an encounter with Captain Toad
- Bulrush Coming Through!
- Bulrush Express to Sproings in the Twilight Forest
- Outmaway Valley to Break Time! Kick It, Outmaway
- Secrets of Shova Mansion to Flight of the Bloomps
- Where the Rrrumbas Rule to Badge Challenge Boosting Spin Jump II
- Hot-Hot Hot! to Break Time! Hot-Hot Rocks
Wario Land series[edit]
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3[edit]
Secret exits return in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 from Super Mario Land 2, in the form of an extra goal door within some levels. They are now marked in the overworld by a double-circle dot. Once again, they allow access to optional levels, many of which hold some of the game's Treasures, but they are not required to finish the game.
An entire world, Sherbet Land, is hidden behind a secret exit. It is also the only world to contain more than one secret exit, while every world from SS Tea Cup onwards does not feature any secret exits at all.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3’s secret exits are:
- Course No.03 to Course No.06
- Course No.08 to Course No.14
- Course No.15 to Course No.17
- Course No.16 to Course No.18
- Course No.23 to Course No.24
Wario Land II[edit]
Wario Land II adapts its predecessor's secret exits to its unique "branching storyline" structure. By finding a secondary goal door within a story, Wario can proceed to the first story of an alternate chapter. Some of these detours lead back to the main storyline, while other lead to alternate endings.
Due to their nature as branching story paths, secret exits are not required to finish the game, but they are required to find all 50 treasures and complete the Picture Panel, which unlocks Steal the Syrup's treasure!! and the Flagman D-D minigame.
Wario Land II’s secret exits are:
- Turn off the alarm clock! to To the castle!!
- Defeat the giant snake to Defeat the giant spear man (Go to the cellar!!)
- Drop the anchor!! to Escape from the Tea Cup!
- Escape from the factory! to Defeat the giant spear man (Mysterious Factory!)
- Anyone for B-ball? to Defeat the giant spear man (Uncanny Mansion)
- Escape from the ruins! to Stop that train! (In Town)
Other Wario Land games[edit]
- Main articles: Treasure chest, Secret Map
While no other Wario Land game has featured secret exits, two of them have similar concepts. Wario Land 3 features four exits in every level through its four colored treasure chests, and Wario Land: Shake It! features Secret Maps, fulfilling a similar role in unlocking optional levels.
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
Paper Mario: Sticker Star features the introduction of secret exits to the Paper Mario series in the form of additional Comet Pieces in a level. Water's Edge Way's secret exit is the only that is not required to finish the game, with all others being mandatory.
While Wiggler's Tree House features three separate Comet Pieces that unlock a different level each, they do not function as secret exits.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star’s secret exits are:
- Water's Edge Way to Whammino Mountain
- Sandshifter Ruins to Damp Oasis
- Strike Lake to Holey Thicket
- Loop Loop River to The Bafflewood
- Holey Thicket to Whitecap Beach
- Snow Rise to Whiteout Valley
- Long Fall Falls to Chomp Ruins
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
- Main article: Paper Mario: Color Splash § Locations
A large number of levels in Paper Mario: Color Splash feature another exit in the form of Mini Paint Stars, with a select few having three exits. However, they do not function as secret exits, being utilized closer to Power Stars in Super Mario Galaxy.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]
Secret exits make their Donkey Kong Country series debut in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, functioning near-identically to their appearance in the Super Mario series. They are represented by a second Slot Machine Barrel in each stage, reached by finding a hidden portal.
Once again, they are not required to complete the game, exclusively unlocking optional stages. Only Rockin' Relics' secret exit serves as a shortcut, with all other paths either taking an equal or greater amount of levels to reconnect with the standard path. Additionally, the game features the only instance of two secret exits in the same level, that being Twilight Terror.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze’s secret exits are:
- Shipwreck Shore to Zip-Line Shrine
- Canopy Chaos to Busted Bayou
- Sawmill Thrill to Crumble Cavern
- Twilight Terror to Rickety Rafters
- Twilight Terror to Bramble Scramble
- Deep Keep to Rockin' Relics
- Rockin' Relics to Shoal Atoll
- Fruity Factory to Beehive Brawl
- Panicky Paddles to Jammin' Jams
- Frozen Frenzy to Dynamite Dash
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition[edit]
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition features secret exits in the form of branching paths that require Orbs of a color not present in the course itself. These paths can be taken by using teammate skills to change the orbs' color.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch | "twee uitgangen"[7] | "two exits" | |
| Verborgen uitgang[3] | Hidden exit | ||
| French (NOA) | Arrivée cachée Chemin secret[5] |
Hidden goal Secret path |
|
| Sortie secrète[9] | Secret exit | ||
| French (NOE) | "deux sorties"[7] | "two exits" | |
| Objectif caché[3] | Hidden objective | ||
| German | "zwei Ausgänge"[7] | "two exits" | |
| Geheimausgang[3] | Secret exit | ||
| Italian | "2 uscite"[7] | "2 exits" | |
| Obiettivo nascosto[3] | Hidden goal | ||
| Portuguese (NOA) | Caminho secreto[10] | Secret road | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Camino secreto Meta oculta[5] |
Secret road Hidden goal |
|
| Ruta secreta[11] | Secret route | ||
| Spanish (NOE) | "dos salidas"[7] | "two exits" | |
| Meta oculta[3] | Hidden goal |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Most stages have only one Goal Pole, but a few feature two Goal Poles—the second one is found at the stage’s secret exit!" – 2012. New Super Mario Bros. U: Prima Official Game Guide. Prima Games. Page 8.
- ^ a b "Some points on the map are red. These areas have a normal goal and a special goal (or secret keyhole)." – 1991. Super Mario World North American instruction manual. Nintendo. Page 6.
- ^ a b c d e f g "If a course has two goal icons displayed, that course has a hidden goal. (English)
Erscheinen zu einem Level zwei Tor-Zeichen, heißt das, dieser Level hat einen Geheimausgang. (German)
Si un parcours a deux icônes d'objectifs affichées, ce parcour a un objectif caché. (French)
Als bij een level, twee uitgang-icoontjes woden weergegeven, is in dat level een uitgang verborgen. (Dutch)
Si el nivel tiene dos iconos de meta, significará que una de ellas está oculta. (Spanish)
Se vengono segnalati due obiettivi in uno stesso percorso, esso contiene un obiettivo nascosto. (Italian)" – 2002. Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 European instruction manual. Nintendo. Page 7. - ^ a b c d e f g h "If you're still riding Yoshi, you can flutter jump from the ledge leading to Point 11 and get on top of the level! You'll be offscreen, but on a secret path that unlocks the path to the warp cannon in World 1! (page 25)
Once there, hop up into the red pipe and you'll find the alternate exit! (page 47)
This leads to an alternate ending to the level, which unlocks the path to the World 2 Cannon! (page 51)
After grabbing the Star Coin at Point 5, go through to the end of this room to beat the level and open up an alternate route to World 4-Castle and a Toad House! (page 85)
Enter the door in the secret area to unlock an alternate path on the World 5 map leading to the cannon! (page 105)
If you repeat this process, but pass through the goal pole you'll open up a secret shortcut to World 7-5. (page 141)" – 2009. New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Prima Official Game Guide. Prima Games. - ^ a b c d "Look for secrets! Each course doesn’t necessarily have just one goal, Mario. On some courses, there are hidden goals and secret paths that open up new places on the map! Don’t be afraid to explore. (English)
Cherche les secrets! Chaque niveau n’a pas nécessairement qu’un seul drapeau d’arrivée, Mario. Dans certains niveaux, tu pourrais trouver des arrivées cachées et des chemins secrets qui t’ouvriront les portes vers d’autres endroits sur la carte! N’aies pas peur d’explorer! (French)
¡Busca secretos! No necesariamente hay solo una meta por nivel, ¿sabes, Mario? ¡Hay algunos niveles con caminos secretos y metas ocultas que revelan nuevos sitios en el mapa! No dudes de explorar. (Spanish)" – 2009. New Super Mario Bros. Wii instruction booklet. Nintendo. Page 21. - ^ a b "Ah, something tricky is going on, isn’t there? This situation means that the course also has a secret path." – 2024. Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Here’s a few tips for secret seekers!. nintendo.com.
- ^ a b c d e f "If a course is marked with a ◎, that course has two exits. (English)
Ist eine Etappe mit einem ◎ gekennzeichnet, existieren hier zwei Ausgänge. (German)
Si une étape est représentée par un double cercle, c'est qu'elle possède deux sorties. (French)
Als een parcours met een ◎ is gemerkt, heeft het twee uitgangen. (Dutch)
Si una ruta está marcada con un ◎, tendrá dos salidas. (Spanish)
Se un particolare percorso è contrassegnato da ◎, significa che ha 2 uscite. (Italian)" – 1994. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 European instruction booklet. Nintendo. Page 17. - ^ BigCheeseSR (October 31, 2024). First Ever Completion of New Super Mario Bros. Wii Without Secret Exits . YouTube. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "Ah, y a quelque chose de pas clair qui se passe, n’est-ce pas? Cette situation signifie que le niveau a aussi une sortie secrète." – 2024. Super Mario Bros. Wonder : Voici quelques astuces pour les friands de secrets !. nintendo.com.
- ^ "Ah, boa pergunta! Parece que tem algo estranho acontecendo por aqui, não é mesmo? Bom, isso significa que aquela fase tem um caminho secreto." – 2024. Super Mario Bros. Wonder: aqui vão algumas dicas para os que adoram um segredinho!. nintendo.com.
- ^ "Esta situación es algo confusa, ¿verdad? Pero en realidad esto significa que el nivel además tiene una ruta secreta." – 2024. Super Mario Bros. Wonder: ¡Tenemos algunos consejos para los buscadores de secretos!. nintendo.com.
