Part 118

Learn about Time Trial Courses, the Overworld screen layout, and how to farm lives in Super Mario 3D Land. Master every aspect of the game with our detailed guide.

Walkthrough:

Cosmic Clones: The only way to defeat a Cosmic Clone is by running into it after obtaining invincibility from a Super Star. This temporarily defeats the clone, allowing you time to think. It will eventually return, but you gain a temporary reprieve.

Time Trial Courses: These courses start with only 30 seconds. You must collect Blue Clocks scattered throughout the course to stop yourself from running out of time. In some courses, you earn a Blue Clock by defeating Goombas or Boomerang Bros. Complete these courses as quickly as possible, but avoid rushing through difficult sections to prevent needing to restart. Most Time Trial Courses can be completed with a significant time surplus. Near the end of a course, a Green Clock is often found, which negates the need to worry about time for the remainder of the course, unless you make significant mistakes.

The Overworld: The Overworld screen can be confusing, and it's easy to miss important features. Here's an explanation of its features and positions:

• Top Screen:
  • Top Left Corner: Displays your current square.
  • Top Centre: Shows how many of the three Star Coins you've earned for the current course. Displays nothing when not on a course.
  • Top Right Corner: Shows your current character, number of lives, and your inventory item. A blank grey circle indicates an empty inventory.
  • Bottom Centre: Displays your current Star Coin total.
  • Bottom Right Corner: Shows if you've obtained the Golden Flag and which character(s) have beaten the current course. Displays nothing on non-course squares.
  • Centre: Displays your current character with the course behind them, and fractions of adjacent courses.
• Bottom Screen:
  • Top Edge: Shows all worlds. Greyed-out worlds are not yet reached. Touching an un-greyed world moves you to its beginning. A star next to a world means all courses, Toad Houses, and Mystery Boxes within it are completed, and all Star Coins in its courses are found. A red circle with a white '!' indicates at least one uncompleted course, Toad House, or Mystery Box in that world.
  • Centre: The Overworld Map of your current world. Touching a square moves your character to it. Touching your current square enters it.
    • Blue circle under a course: Course completed.
    • Grey circle: Course not yet unlocked.
    • White circle: Course cannot be re-entered.
    • Black circle: Course can be unlocked with Star Coins.
    • Red circle with a white '!': Course unlocked but not completed.
    • Blue circle with a star: Course completed with all Star Coins collected.
  • Bottom Right Corner: If Luigi is unlocked, displays the symbol of the unused character. Touching it switches characters.
  • Bottom Left Corner: Displays your best time and your rival's best time for a course, if applicable. Displays nothing on non-course squares.

Lives and 1-Up Farming:

• Notes About Lives: The maximum number of lives is 1110, displayed as three crowns instead of digits. After reaching 999 lives, the counter shows 'C00' (representing 1000 lives) and continues to 'C99'.