New Super Mario Bros.: 1-5

This level features pink springy mushrooms, which can be a lot of fun or a lot of trouble, as you cannot run on them. The first Star Coin is over one of the earlier pink mushrooms in the level. Next are some balancing platforms, where one goes down when you stand on it and the other goes up. Don't stand on them for too long, or they'll fall off. The second Star Coin is on a small red mushroom that you can stand on. There is another set of balancing platforms. We use this platform to reach a green pipe to Coin Heaven, where the third Star Coin is. We ride a moving red mushroom to the right, where we can get coins and the third Star Coin at the end. It's in a set of coins shaped like a mushroom. Back in the main level, we get a Fire Flower from the Red Coins, which can be tricky to collect when bouncing off of spring pink mushrooms. Next is nearly uncontrollable bouncing to the flagpole. Be careful here and time your bounces so you can cross the gaps. The path opens up to the castle.

New Super Mario Bros.: 1-A

We need 5 Star Coins to unlock this level, but it gives us an opportunity to save. It's an underwater level that is also an automatic sidescroller. There are sharks that will periodically appear and swim by, so don't swim around the right edge of the screen. Further along are yellow bouncy spheres that will push you around, making the area a little difficult to navigate. There's a P-Switch that will make lots of silver coins appear between the spheres. The first Star Coin is soon after, but some invisible blocks will make getting it a little difficult. There is a green pipe nearby that takes us to the second Star Coin. There is a Red Coin Ring before it. We get a much-needed Fire Flower from it, which we can use to take out the sharks. At the midpoint, we get a Starman from a random item block and take out some sharks. Next are some pipes creating currents that can push you into sharks if you're not careful. The third Star Coin is past a yellow pipe. It's near the ceiling. You can get it from the left side if you're small, or go around the right side. Soon after is the pipe to the flagpole. This opens up a path to the castle.

New Super Mario Bros.: 1-4

We're back outside and heading for the castle. There are a few pipes that produce an infinite amount of Goombas, so be aware of them. We slide down the hill to take out the Goombas. As we continue, we see a small green pipe. We can't go in it until we get the Mini Mushroom, which is in a nearby item block to the right. As Mini Mario, we can run on water and bounce higher, but can only damage enemies with a ground pound. The pipe takes us to a room with water. We run across the surface to the right and wall jump up and to the left for the first Star Coin. We exit that area and reach a vertical maze of blocks. There is a Koopa nearby that we stomp into its shell and pick up, sending the shell into the maze. The shell destroys the brick blocks and gives us access to the pipe below. The pipe takes us underground, where the second Star Coin is. We can't quite reach it, so we hit the last brick block before the pipe to the exit to make a P-Switch appear. This switch temporarily turns coins into brick blocks and vice versa. We run up the newly formed blocks to reach the 2nd Star Coin. The third Star Coin is past the maze. We have to run under a ledge while small or with a well-timed duck. Afterwards, go back left, then on top of the ledge to the right and continue onto the goal.