Skip to content
Layer-Cake Desert
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Layer-Cake Desert

Navigate Layer-Cake Desert in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Find Star Coins, power-ups, and secrets in Stone-Eye Zone, Perilous Pokey Cave, Fire Snake Cavern, and Stoneslide Tower.

By ···10 min read·Multi-source verified
1 reading this guide  

Navigate Layer-Cake Desert in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Find Star Coins, power-ups, and secrets in Stone-Eye Zone, Perilous Pokey Cave, Fire Snake Cavern, and Stoneslide Tower.

Layer-Cake Desert-1: Stone-Eye Zone

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    If you are Super Mario already, the power up you see will be a Fire Flower but jump on the palm trees to the left and get on the Stone Head and jump up and hit an invisible block containing an acorn and glide along the row of coins.
  2. 2
    Avoid the Waddlewings and if you hit the ? switch, coins will rain down upon you for you to collect.
  3. 3
    Jump on the Koopa Troopa and kick its shell to the right to get points and eventually get some 1-ups if you can knock some Paratroopas below.
  4. 4
    Stay on the high road to get Star Coin #1 and when you see coins over the quicksand, do a Ground Pound (a downward ground attack) to lower the stone head to gather them if you want them.
  5. 5
    Shame you don't have a Tail Attack so you will need the Koopa Shell to get the 1-up inside the ? block at the end of the slope.
  6. 6
    Before you get the checkpoint (an auto-save point you restart from on death) flag (a flag marking your progress), do a Ground Pound on the stone head before it and coins will erupt from the ground.
  7. 7
    Just past the first stone head going up and down is a spot for you to glide jump onto the top of the palm tree and go inside the pipe.
  8. 8
    Step on the P-Switch to turn the bricks to coins and get Star Coin #2 easier then get out once you collect all coins or P-switch timer runs out.
  9. 9
    Sand Geysers will occasionally spout on and off. You can jump off of them at their peak.
  10. 10
    Make a couple careful jumps as the stone heads will sway back and forth.
  11. 11
    To get Star Coin #3, use the glide or wait for the geyser to go away then jump and get it but time it to where you snag it just as the geyser spouts again to avoid falling to your death.
  12. 12
    Head for the goal but watch out as the stone heads will sink in different directions and make your jumps tricky.

Layer-Cake Desert-2: Perilous Pokey Cave

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Once again the tail attack is missed when taking on the Pokeys but if you got Fire Mario, you can attack its head to kill it outright.
  2. 2
    For now just go down the pipe past the Pokey.
  3. 3
    While underground, you can also use the Koopa shell on its head to get rid of it.
  4. 4
    This area is full of sand geysers that you can use to get over tall Pokeys but they can also get a boost from them too.
  5. 5
    One geyser will boost you to Star Coin #1.
  6. 6
    Ride on the moving ? block and at the end of the ride, get on the sand geyser between the Pokeys and jump up to reveal a hidden coin block then do a couple wall jumps to get on space above the ceiling.
  7. 7
    There is a set of coins that lead to Star Coin #2.
  8. 8
    Drop down to touch the checkpoint flag.
  9. 9
    You will reach a dead end. There is a Yoshi (a friendly dinosaur character) in the top block.
  10. 10
    Go down the lower left pipe.
  11. 11
    It is a dark place here with only a little light for visibility. The Pokeys have light around them too so you can see them.
  12. 12
    You can only the eyes of the Swoopers (bat-like enemies) so it's tricky trying to get past them without taking a hit.
  13. 13
    There is a coinfest in the upper area that can be accessed easily by stomping on a Swooper and do a hover jump with Yoshi.
  14. 14
    Get the coins and drop down.
  15. 15
    You can eat the segments of the Pokeys if you want more points but eating the head and the body falls apart.
  16. 16
    You may see a yellow pipe but don't bother trying to get in because that is the exit pipe.
  17. 17
    The entry pipe leading to Star Coin #3 is to the left.
  18. 18
    Use a hover jump to get in.
  19. 19
    Take care of those Pokeys first then perform a jump off Yoshi temporarily to get the coin and that sucker moves.
  20. 20
    Exit out the yellow pipe then head for the green pipe at the end on the right.
  21. 21
    This leads to another green pipe and then the exit is guarded by Pokeys.
  22. 22
    Jump over them carefully if you lack Yoshi or the Flying Squirrel suit at this point.

Layer-Cake Desert-3: Fire Snake Cavern

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Go down the pipe.
  2. 2
    This level will darken soon. Until you reach the Yellow Yoshi, you will rely on the lights on the ends of the swaying platforms as well as the enemies for light.
  3. 3
    Enemies include Fire Snakes that swell up momentarily then retract.
  4. 4
    If you have the Flying Squirrel suit, you can get Star Coin #1 easier as you can use the glide jump to reach it on top.
  5. 5
    Drop down at the end and the next ? block has a yellow Yoshi that lights up the area.
  6. 6
    Use the ZR button or shake the Wiimote to send out light sonars that brithen the area and make the Piranha Plant family retreat back into their pipes when close.
  7. 7
    Use this Yoshi to eat up enemies as well. Its mouth just has to touch the enemy to eat it.
  8. 8
    There is a hidden ice flower above the next pipe.
  9. 9
    Beware of the fireballs that the Fire Bros. toss.
  10. 10
    There is a 1-up you can get by going to the top level and going left afterwards.
  11. 11
    Get it then go right and hit the checkpoint flag.
  12. 12
    Go down on the ground and enter the pipe if you want. There is nothing special here except to make Yoshi eat the Piranha Plants.
  13. 13
    When you get to the swaying platforms, get rid of the Firesnake and put Yoshi down as you Ground Pound the brick above the pipe.
  14. 14
    Grab Yoshi again and enter the pipe.
  15. 15
    Eat the Firesnakes and hit the P-switch to reach Star Coin #2.
  16. 16
    Exit out the right pipe and go right.
  17. 17
    Get the red ring and gather all red coins to get a 1-up or powerup.
  18. 18
    Avoid the Fire Bros. fireballs and make it to the top and enter the pipe.
  19. 19
    Star Coin #3 is here.
  20. 20
    Exit through the same pipe and enter the pipe on the right and exit stage right.

Layer-Cake Desert-Fortress: Stoneslide Tower

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Use the Spin Jump on the screw to make it spin reveal Star Coin #1 and make the platform move down to reach the pipe.
  2. 2
    You'll be using the Spin Jump on all screws to make platforms move and that's the key to completing this level.
  3. 3
    You can use the platforms to crush and kill Dry Bones (skeletal Koopa Troopas).
  4. 4
    After you kill the first set of Dry Bones, quickly do a wall jump (jumping off a wall) on the returning platform to go up the left side and get Star Coin #2.
  5. 5
    You can quickly make it to the top by spinning on the next screw and do a wall jump up the right side off the returning platform.
  6. 6
    At the top, Spin Jump on another screw to put it in place to quickly reach the next pipe and get the checkpoint flag once inside.
  7. 7
    Don't bother using the screw here.
  8. 8
    There is a hidden wall on the very right you can go through as a shortcut.

100% Human-Written. AI Fact-Checked. Community Verified. Learn how AntMag verifies content