Super Mario Bros. Wonder has levels full of secret paths to explore, but did you know a few of them lead to entirely new mini-worlds and levels for you to run and jump through? There are several levels that have secret exits that you have to work to find, and while all of them will give you a new Wonder Seed, a handful of them open up even more levels and challenges to face. If you’re looking for more opportunities to explore the Flower Kingdom, here’s how to find all the secret exits that lead to Special Worlds.
Petal Isles
The first Special World entrance is simple because you don’t have to work to find it at all. The Petal Isles is the central hub in Super Mario Bros. Wonder—not only is it home to Bowser’s terrifying castle fusion form floating ominously in its center, but it also houses the simplest path to a Special World in the whole game. As soon as you enter from Pipe-Rock Plateau, the Special World entrance is right next to the entrance. Just look for the platform with a flower in the middle and ride the gust of wind up to some new, challenging levels.
World 1 – Bulrush Express
The next Special World in Super Mario Bros. Wonder requires you to find the secret exit in Bulrush Express. This is one of the tougher early levels in the game, and if you want to access the secret exit, you’ll need to come prepared with a power-up to break some bricks.
At the end of the level, when you’re separated from the stampede of Bulrush, you’ll come across a wall of bricks that you can’t get under or above to break. This means you’ll need a power-up like an Elephant Fruit on your person in order to actually access the secret exit. You can find these in several levels throughout Wonder, but one of the easiest places is in any KO Arena level, which lets you pick between all the power-ups before you start fighting enemies to reach the exit. Do keep in mind that you will need to ensure you have the Elephant Fruit or be in Elephant Form by the time you reach the end of Bulrush Express, so maybe keep it in your pocket instead of using it during the level so you don’t lose it by taking damage.
Once you’ve found the secret exit, you’ll unlock a few new levels, after which you’ll reach the Special World.
World 2 – Jump! Jump! Jump!
Accessing the secret exit in World 2 is pretty tough if you have some difficulty with the Mario series’ imprecise platforming. The path to the Special World starts at the level Jump! Jump! Jump! This level has you jumping on platforms that appear and disappear out from under you, so timing is key. The secret exit is actually pretty easy to access, but you will have to finish the level on its own at least once before you get credit for reaching the alternate route.
The best advice is to time your jumps so you’re above a platform just before it appears and land on it as quickly after it materializes as possible. If you’ve got platforms appearing ahead of you, that’s when you know you’re falling behind. Once you’ve learned the rhythm of when platforms appear and disappear, it’s all about maintaining control and not over-extending. It’s a pretty frantic level, but once you complete it, re-enter the level and instead of trying to jump through all the platforms, fall to the ground below. Here you’ll find a second flag that will end the level, which is technically the secret exit. You won’t get a Wonder Seed for taking this route, but you will open up a series of levels that lead to the Special World.
World 3 – Royal Seed Mansion
The third Special World is the easiest to access in all of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. All you have to do is go back to the Royal Seed Mansion after completing the level and the locals will open up the path to the Special World.
World 4 – Secrets of Shova Mansion
Much of the World 4 level Secrets of Shova Mansion revolves around perspective and playing with the foreground and background to reveal new truths. The secret exit found in this level is found by moving to the foreground and taking a different, previously hidden path. At the end of the level, you’ll find a pushable green block, as well as a group of bricks covering a hole in the ground. Smash the bricks with a ground pound and push the green box into the opening. You might have to take out an enemy Shova in between, as he’ll be trying to push the box back to its original place. You can, however, just push him until he falls into the hole and crush him with the box, should you feel so inclined.
Once you do this, a gold pipe will appear that will take you to the secret exit. This will open a series of new levels, and once you finish those, you’ll gain access to another Special World.
World 5 – Operation Poplin Rescue
World 5’s Special World is not quite as straightforward as World 3’s, but it’s definitely one of the easiest to access. You’ll need to play the Operation Poplin Rescue level twice. The first time you go through it, you’ll be directed away from the secret exit found at the very end of the level by the workers you rescue at the conclusion. The second time you play through the level, a path previously walled off by unbreakable blocks will be uncovered, and you’ll be able to pass through and access the Special World.
World 6 – Jet Run II
The final world in Super Mario Bros. Wonder doesn’t have a secret exit that leads to a Special World within a specific level, but you will have to put in some serious work to unlock its hidden set of levels by unlocking a new path on the overworld map. The path to the Special World is behind a 25 Wonder Seed lock, which means you’ll have to spend a lot of time in the World before you can reach it. Once you’ve bought and earned 25 of those bad boys, you’ll be able to unlock the Jet Run II level, which leads to a few other levels, then eventually the final Special World. There are no alternate paths to find, just a singular one you have to work your way to.
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