Hello subscribers! We are almost finished with the hit new game Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System! Working our way through the lava covered land of King Koopa himself. This game master believes that this is the toughest stage in the game. The difficulty comes through the sheer overload of precision jumping that takes place on the World 8 Airship.

Not a massive flying warship like those of the seven Koopa kids that were defeated in order to get here. Instead, a rapid succession of air speedboats come flying down the screen. Be prepared to jump the instant the stage begins. Don't just jump though! You'll need a moment to gauge the trajectory of your jumps in order to avoid the Rocky Wrenches... and especially their wrenches. Too bad this stage doesn't give you a moment to think. It's all instinct now baby.

All those skills you picked up in the prior seven worlds are being tested here. All those items you collected might come in handy as well. I consistently got creamed by a specific set of wrenches that would consistently criss-cross the screen at the same moment I felt forced into a jump. You might think that a raccoon or tanooki suit is the answer, but be sure you are handy with the tail. The pace of the stage and constant projectiles makes hanging in the air a dangerous idea.

I would argue that a fire costume would be the ideal for this stage. The jumps may seem harder at first, but the reliable trajectory of leaps compared to a tail based suit, along with the chance of catching a Rocky Wrench with some stray fireballs makes it a premium choice. Most importantly though, is the two extra hits of damage you can take compared to standard Mario. The breathing room you'll have after a small mistake can be the difference.

Expect a Rocky Wrench on essentially every ship except the large container ship that marks the midway point of the stage. Collect yourself as best you can as you pass the container, since that is the only moment of rest in the stage, and leads right into a stiff vertical leap up to the next boat. Expect more of these jumps as you will need to drop down, and launch yourself back up multiple times in the final stretch. If everything goes well, Mario will be staring at a white pipe and the exit out of here. Unless you’re going after the high score, you should have plenty of time to catch your breath and pat yourself on the back before heading to the stage boss.

That's right, this stage also includes a boss fight, another Boom-Boom inhabits this room. This far into the game, a sub-boss feels more like a chore than a challenge. At this point in World 8 (and with this in depth, stage by stage guide) you should be familiar with the rapid head stomps it takes to quickly dispatch a Boom-Boom. Now you've done it. you’ve defeated the hardest stage in Super Mario Bros 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

There are still several areas and plenty more stages before the final fight with the King Koopa. Good luck with your quest to save Princess Toadstool, or leave your NES on and wait patiently for next month's issue, and the continuation of our stage by stage guide to Super Mario Bros 3. We did not think it had this many levels when I began this column seven years ago…