Mario Adventure/Hot Foot Caverns

Hot Foot Caverns is World 2 in Mario Adventure.

Map Music: Bowser Castle Level Music: Underground

Enter the Caverns
Location: Bottom-left of map, Just right of the start Time Limit: 300

Well, it’s called Hot foot Caverns for a reason. You’ve got more fiery enemies that you can shake a stick at, including a usually invisible fire boo. You can get around most of these enemy’s pretty easily though. Like in the last level of World 1, I suggest you keep the higher routes. There are less enemies and obstacles, but still enough for a challenge.

Crash and Burn
Location: top-left of map, three steps above the first level. Time Limit: 300

This one has a really nasty beginning. Basically, pretend the platforms with fire-spitting plants aren’t there. You have to make a couple big jumps, but they’re possible. Just make it hasty or you’ll get burned.

You should know to hit that ? block when you exit the first pipe. Most isolated ? blocks, music blocks or bricks, even wooden blocks, will have something good in them. The diamond platforms wouldn’t be too bad, but there are lots of fire boos to worry about! Make it fast, but don’t run into them. The last jump is a bit of a leap of faith. Just make a nice big jump to land on the ground below. Remember what I said about isolated blocks? Hit that wooden one from the side.

Fire Slide
Location: Left of the cliff face, four steps right and one up from the start. Time Limit: 300

So many of those flame-throwers from SMB3, but they just come out of the ground! Still easy though, just time your movements accordingly. The fryguys are little tougher. The third pipe in the waterfall can be entered to get a potio. that will let you grow through the pipe guarded by two piranha plants. The potion is hard to get to if you’re big, though. See (? duck) without the help on ducking-slides. If you do get that potion, use it to go through the middle pipe guarded by two piranha plants.

Brother Challenges (Hot Foot Caverns)
Start with a boomerang and hammer bro combo. I suggest defeating the boomerang bro or the hammer bro will be tough to get past. Then you’ve got three fires, two giants, and a boomerang brother (in a pear tree). You can bounce off of one onto another, except for the giants. There’s a brick wit ha power-up halfway through, and a fire flower and invincibility start item at the end as a reward. Look up enemies you have trouble with.

Clock Challenge (Hot Foot Caverns)
Location: The clock at the top of the level, about a half a screen right from the start. Time Limit: 100

It’s just you against the clock. Make your way across this maze in 100 seconds! You have tons of spare time, so be careful and don’t over-rush it. The Fire Flower can actually be a bad thing here, because the pits are short and over-jumping is a disaster in some places.

I love this level, but the time limit was a bit lenient. The other clock challenge in the game is a slow-moving maze.

Decision
Location: The level just on the left edge of the rock face. Time Limit: 300

You get a three-way choice on this level. The left pipe is the easiest. You need to be able to fly to use the bottom one. No matter what pipe you go into, you’ll eventually find your way to a pipe next to two upside-down pipes. Go down that pipe.

This Boom-Boom starts on a bridge. I’d wait for him to slide to the ground before attacking.

Lake of Fire
Location: The level at the top of the rocks. Time Limit: 300

Flames come out of the water, but don’t worry, the water itself is fine. Take a swim to get the power-up.

There are plenty of bonuses in this level. In the sky is a pipe that takes you to a Kuribo’s shoe and a shortcut. Store it for now (Up+B at the same time), because you’ll need to swim with it. It may be better not to take that pipe, because there’s a pipe below a row of ? blocks later on that takes you to a wand. If you see a couple fire breath attacks, look for music notes above, you can use them to get a power-up and shortcut. No matter what secrets you find, the level ends without a Boom-Boom. A solid level for revisiting for items.

The Amazing Sliding Jump
Location: The right-most level. Time Limit: 300

Once you go down the pipe, things get harder. This wood platform area has a couple long jumps in it. For the last jump, it’s best to get a running start on the big platform, hop onto the small platform while running, and then do a big jump over the pit. If you have a Fire suit though, it’s much easier. There’s two power-ups early in the level, so you can get the fire suit even if you start small.

Afterwards, you’ll see some wooden blocks in the sky that look like they can’t be reached without a Raccoon or Fire Fire suit. You don’t need a suit though; just slide off of the hill to the left, and jump off near, but not at, the bottom of the hill, while you’re sliding. Make sure you have enough room to jump over the flame! If you hit the ceiling, you jumped too early. If you don’t make it on this platform, you’ll repeat part of the level, so keep trying until you get on top of it.

Eventually you’ll get to a fire boo. Cross the platforms, and take a big leap of faith off of the last block of wood. A Boom-Boom is waiting below.

Underwater Obstacle Course
Location: The left-most level that is entirely inside the rocks. One step down from where you enter the rocks. Time Limit: 300

After getting the potion, swim across the lake as quickly as possible. The effect of the potion will let you enter an area normally guarded by bricks. If you don’t make it before the potion’s effect runs out, go down the pipe next to the bricks and try again.

After that, you have a lack full of fiery enemies that have no trouble surviving underwater. The Boom-Boom works his way down a few rows of bricks to fight you. You might even notice him hitting a brick.

Music Note Mayhem
Location: The level at the bottom-right of the map, near the fortress. Time Limit: 300

Fast Podoboos right at the start; watch out for them. Take the first drop for a mushroom and shortcut. Grab stuff to destroy bricks that are in your way or contain potions. After passing the fire brother on top of the tall wall, you can drop for a bonus round that takes you to a wand, but it will also take you back to start.

After that, there level splits into two routes. The upper route is easier, just one catch: the pipe at the end of it doesn’t go anywhere! You have to take the bottom route. Watch out for the podoboos around the section with real bouncing music notes.

Now you’ll have to face two Boom-Booms at once! Do a find on “? Boom” without the space for more information. If you have a wand, the sparks it shoots will defeat a Boom-Boom in one hit!

Fortress of Hot Foot Caverns
Location: The fortress near the right of the map, part of a path that leads to a dead-end with a level on it. Time Limit: 300

Quite a series of obstacles. Remember that thwomps behave like in SMB3. The spikes are pretty tough, it just takes some good jumps. Keep in mind that you normally won’t be able to reach the ceiling spikes. When you get to the Tetris-piece shaped platforms after the boos, keep in mind that there’s no ground below that ? block. Go into the pipe.

It looks like you come out of the same pipe, but look at the ? block by the Tetris-shaped platforms. It’s in the air now, because the whole level has flipped upside-down. Also, the pipe at the beginning of the level can be entered now, so make your way back. Just one more thing to do now; two Boom-Booms. See Boom-Boom Troubles for help.

Airship of Hot Foot Caverns
Location: The level around the middle-right area that is a dead-end. Time Limit: 300

Unlike Koopa Plains, which ends with a tank, this one ends with an airship just like in SMB3. The scroll is slower but there are plenty of bombs, bullet bills and cannon balls to look out for. Sometimes, the ground of the airship will be just a sliver above the status bar, so look for it, though some weather makes it impossible to see.

If you’re small, wait a little while to hit the first ? block. The mushroom will slide off the screen if you hit it too early. If you’re super, forget about the ? block, the Fire Flower that comes out will be impossible to collect. Then make it across the zigzag before you get crushed. The cannonballs that shoot up aren’t too bad because you can stand on the center of where they’re shot from, and you won’t get hurt. Then jump across the small platforms. You can run over the gaps between the platform and the little thing coming out the back of it.

Okay, on to the inside section. The scrolling area took up a lot of the time, so don’t go too slow at the part. The glass blocks are great for clearing the way for Podoboos, and are also needed to hit the brick for a beanstalk. I have a bad habit of pressing left just as I get on the beanstalk and falling into the lava. Don’t do that. If you have a real problem doing that like me, jump onto the block first and then climb the beanstalk.

Right after riding the moving platform, drop down the small gap to the right of it. There is a coin present to the right of the gap, but if you’re Super, it’ll be pretty tough to duck-slide out (see ? duck without the space for more on that). Be careful with the fire, but don’t be too slow. There’s a big jump right before the door to the boss. You might have to run off first platform onto the second to make it.

If you fought Larry in World 1, Morton Koopa Jr. shouldn’t be much tougher. It might look like there are pits (depending on the weather), but there aren’t. There are however flame throwers to look out for, so keep in mind where they are. Morton Jr. is also a little more aggressive with the wand. If you have extra time, lure him to the low ground on the right side.