# Super Mario Bros. Warp Zones, Secrets and Tricks

> All three warp zones in the original Super Mario Bros. and how to reach them, the fastest route to World 8, the Minus World and how long the clock really runs.

- Source: https://yesthisgame.com/blog/super-mario-bros-warp-zones/
- Published: 2026-10-26, updated: 2026-10-26
- Author: Yes This Game (the team that makes the games on the site)

## Key takeaways

- There are three warp zones: one in World 1-2 (pipes to Worlds 2, 3 and 4) and two in World 4-2 (one to World 5, one to Worlds 6, 7 and 8).
- The fastest route is 1-1, 1-2, 4-1, 4-2, then 8-1 to 8-4: eight levels instead of thirty-two.
- The game clock is not in seconds: we measured 24 frames per tick, so 400 on the clock is about 160 real seconds.
- After a Game Over, hold A and press Start on the title screen to continue in the world you reached.

**Super Mario Bros. has three warp zones. The first is hidden in World 1-2, above the exit: run along the ceiling past the exit pipe and you find three pipes to Worlds 2, 3 and 4. The other two are in World 4-2: one at the end of the level to World 5, and one at the top of a beanstalk to Worlds 6, 7 and 8.** With them you can reach Bowser's last castle after only eight levels instead of thirty-two. Here is how to reach each warp zone, the fastest route, the famous Minus World, the best extra-life trick and what the clock really measures, tested in the original 1985 game that you can play on [Yes This Game](https://yesthisgame.com/super-mario-bros/).

## The three warp zones

*Warp zones in Super Mario Bros. (NES)*

| Level | How to reach it | Pipes lead to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| World 1-2 | At the end of the underground level, jump onto the bricks above the exit pipe and run right along the ceiling, past the exit | Worlds 4, 3 and 2 |
| World 4-2 (end) | Run along the ceiling at the end of the level, past the exit pipe, the same way as in 1-2 | World 5 |
| World 4-2 (beanstalk) | Find the block that holds a beanstalk, climb it, and run across the top of the level | Worlds 8, 7 and 6 |

### World 1-2: the first warp zone

1. Play through the underground level until you reach the elevators and the green exit pipe at the end.
2. Instead of entering the pipe, jump onto the bricks of the ceiling above it. Breaking a few bricks as Super Mario makes it easier to jump up.
3. Run right along the top of the ceiling. The screen scrolls past the exit and you drop into a room with three pipes and the message WELCOME TO WARP ZONE!
4. Stand on a pipe and press down. The numbers above the pipes tell you which world each one leads to.

### World 4-2: two more warp zones

World 4-2 is another underground level. Earlier in the level, one of the blocks holds a beanstalk instead of a coin; climb it to the top of the level, run right, and you reach the warp zone with pipes to Worlds 6, 7 and 8. If you miss the beanstalk, you can still run along the ceiling at the end of the level, as in 1-2, to a warp zone with a single pipe to World 5.

## The fastest route to Bowser

1. World 1-1
2. World 1-2, warp to World 4
3. World 4-1
4. World 4-2, beanstalk warp to World 8
5. Worlds 8-1, 8-2, 8-3 and 8-4, the final castle

That is eight levels in total. World 8 is the hardest part of the game, so you get there quickly but with no practice. Many players warp only to World 4 on their first runs.

## How long is a second on the clock?

The TIME counter in the top right corner is not in seconds. We let the game run and read its clock from memory: in 1,002 frames the counter went from 391 to 349, 42 ticks, or about 24 frames per tick. The NES draws 60 frames a second, so one tick of the clock is about **0.4 real seconds** , and the 400 you start most levels with lasts about **160 seconds** . When it reaches 100, the music speeds up to warn you.

*Game clock against real time (24 frames per tick)*

| Clock shows | Real time left |
| --- | --- |
| 400 | about 2 min 40 s |
| 300 | about 2 min |
| 100 | about 40 s |

## The Minus World

The most famous glitch in the game also starts in the World 1-2 warp zone. As Super Mario, players break the ceiling bricks near the exit pipe and jump backwards into the wall so that Mario clips through it, entering the warp zone room before the game has set up the pipe numbers. The left and right pipes then lead to a level shown as World " -1": an underwater level that looks like World 7-2, but whose exit pipe takes you back to its own start. It never ends; the only ways out are a Game Over or a reset. It takes practice, and it only works in the original game.

## Extra lives

- **100 coins** give an extra life.
- **Green 1-Up Mushrooms** hide in some blocks, including invisible blocks you only find by jumping into empty air.
- **The stair shell trick in World 3-1:** at the end of the level, a Koopa Troopa walks down the stairs. Stomp it so its shell rests against a step, then jump on the shell again and again with the right timing. Each bounce scores more, and after 8,000 points every bounce gives a 1-Up.

## Continue after Game Over

The game has no save, but it does have a hidden continue. After a Game Over, when the title screen appears, hold **A** and press **Start** . You start again at the first level of the world where you lost your last life. On Yes This Game you can also use the save state button in the bar under the game.

## Play Super Mario Bros. on Yes This Game

The original [Super Mario Bros.](https://yesthisgame.com/super-mario-bros/) runs free in your browser. X jumps, holding Z runs and throws fireballs, and on a phone an on-screen pad appears. The magic wand button next to full screen opens three optional cheats: **Unlimited lives** , **Fire Mario** (always big with fireballs, a hit can't make you small) and **Star power** .

## Frequently asked questions

### Where is the warp zone in World 1-2?

At the end of World 1-2, jump onto the bricks above the exit pipe and run right along the ceiling. Past the exit you drop into a room with three pipes to Worlds 4, 3 and 2.

### How many warp zones are in Super Mario Bros.?

Three: one in World 1-2 and two in World 4-2.

### How do I get to World 8 fast?

Take the 1-2 warp to World 4, then in 4-2 climb the beanstalk to the warp zone and take the pipe to World 8.

### What is the Minus World?

A glitch level reached from the World 1-2 warp zone by clipping through the wall. It is an underwater level that never ends: its exit pipe takes you back to its start.

### How long is a second on the Super Mario Bros. timer?

About 0.4 real seconds. We counted 42 clock ticks in 1,002 frames, 24 frames each, so the 400 you start with lasts about 160 seconds.

### How do I continue after Game Over?

On the title screen, hold A and press Start. You start again at the first level of the world where you lost your last life.

## Games in this guide

- [Super Mario Bros.](https://yesthisgame.com/super-mario-bros.md): Play the original Super Mario Bros. online free: run and jump through 8 worlds and 32 levels of the 1985 NES classic. Cheats for Fire Mario and stars.
- [Sonic the Hedgehog 2](https://yesthisgame.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-2.md): Play Sonic the Hedgehog 2 online free: spin dash with Sonic and Tails through Emerald Hill and beyond. Cheats for rings, lives and Super Sonic.
- [Prince of Persia](https://yesthisgame.com/prince-of-persia.md): Play Prince of Persia online free: escape the dungeons, beat the guards and save the princess in 60 minutes. Cheats for time and health. No download.
- [Super Mario and Luigi](https://yesthisgame.com/super-mario.md): Run, jump and stomp through the Mushroom Kingdom in the classic Mario platform game, right in your browser. Keyboard controls, no download.