# A Guide to Super Mario Bros. 2/Items

As you work your way through the dangers of the World of Dreams, you will discover a number of items. All of these items will help you on your quest. Use some items to get the best of your enemies, some to restore your life, and others to enter new or hidden areas. The appearance of items might change in each world, but the effectiveness is just the same. Be sure to check out any unfamiliar item you come across in the course of your adventures. Give it a test run to see what it can do for you. This list will help you identify unfamiliar items that you find along the way.
* Sprouts File:SMB2 item sprouts.png
* Also known as "Unripened vegetables", this vegetable is much smaller. Though unripe, these tiny sprouts still make an effective weapon. To use one, pull it out of the ground and toss it at a nearby enemy.
* Vegetables File:SMB2 item vegetables.png
* Don't eat your vegetables—throw them at the bad guys instead! They work like sprouts but take longer to uproot because of their increased weight. If you hit several enemies with one vegetable, you'll increase the likelihood of earning a heart. If you uproot four vegetables, every fifth vegetable you pluck will become a Stopwatch.
* Giant vegetables File:SMA giant turnip.png
* File:SMA small toad giant vegetable comparison.pngToad with one heart left compared to a giant turnip.
* A Super Mario Advance exclusive item, these act just like the normal vegetables, but they are giant. They are great for hitting groups of enemies or enemies on different platform heights. They take twice as long to dig up as normal vegetables, so if you know it where one is hidden, make sure an enemy isn't close to walking into you.
* Mushroom Blocks File:SMB2 item blocks.png
* Useful as a weapon or a stepping stone. Mushroom Blocks are a hero's best friend. Unlike most items, they don't need uprooting. In a pinch, they can be used as a lid.
| Stopwatch | Potion |
| File:SMB2 item stopwatch.png If you can find five ripened vegetables—as opposed to sprouts—and pull them from the ground, you'll make the Stopwatch appear and freeze time, and all the enemies will be unable to move until time runs out. Try to keep track of how many vegetables you have found. | File:SMB2 item potion.gif File:SMB2 potion art.png This little red bottle contains a Magic Potion that reveals a door to Sub-space. If you drop it in the right place you might even find a valuable Mushroom in Sub-space! |
| Coin | Mushroom |
| File:SMB2 item coin.gif These are found in all grass sprouts in Sub-space. Pull the grass to collect them, then use them to play the Bonus Chance after each stage, where you can earn extra lives. You can only grab Coins from Sub-space on each stage, so make sure you're in a good spot with lots of grass before using the Magic Potion. | File:SMB2 item mushroom.png These will only appear when you enter into Sub-space at particular locations.. Lift it up before time runs out and you'll add an extra spot to your health meter, |
| Heart | 1-Up |
| File:SMB2 item heart.png Hearts will appear when you defeat a lot of enemies. They will rise up from the ground and continue to float toward the top of the screen. When you catch one, you will refill your Life Meter by one. | File:SMB2 item 1up.png These mushrooms are marked with a 1-Up on them, and if you collect them you'll get an extra life to play with. You'll often find them hiding far off the beaten path. |
| Cherry | Starman |
| File:SMB2 item cherry.gif Some stages have Cherries. If you collect five in a row, you'll make an invincibility Starman appear. If you grab it, you'll be able to run through enemies without getting harmed for about 10 seconds, knocking them out in the process. | File:SMB2 item star.gif The Starman appears after collecting five Cherries. It appears from the bottom of the screen and rises while moving to the left and to the right. Grab it for invincibility, but hurry because time is limited. |
| Bomb | POW |
| File:SMB2 item bomb.gif Use bombs to break certain walls and to attack enemies. They will begin to flash a few seconds before exploding, so pay attention when you're carrying them around! Toss them once they start blinking, or you will take damage in the blast. | File:SMB2 item POW.gif It's easy to spot these, since the letters POW are placed on them. When a POW block is thrown to the ground, it causes an earthquake and any enemies touching the ground or walls will be knocked out. |
| Shell | Key |
| File:SMB2 item shell.gif Shells, a.k.a. turtle shells, are some of the best items around. They are found in some grass sprouts. Throw it on the ground and it will glide along the surface of the ground and knock out any enemies it hits until it moves off the screen. If you run behind it you may be able to keep it around longer, so it can knock out more enemies. If you jump onto it you can pick it up again. | File:SMB2 item key.png You must unlock certain doors before you can enter them. A locked door always has a key nearby. They're always guarded by Phanto. When you grab the Key, Phanto will fly around you, trying to take away your energy. If you drop the Key, Phanto disappears for a moment, but make sure you don't drop the Key somewhere you can't retrieve it from. Otherwise you'll have to go all the way back to where you originally found it to grab it again. Keys also make a handy weapon against enemies in a pinch. |
* Crystal Ball
* At the end of every level you will find a Crystal Ball. Pick it up and it will evaporate into thin air. As it does so, the hawkmouth gate nearby will open up so that you can walk through its mouth and exit the level.
* Rocket File:SMB2 item rocket.png
* Sometimes when you pull up grass, a Rocket will appear. They are capable of taking Mario and the gang to different places, and advancing them to the next part of their quest.

## Super Mario Advance items

| A-coin | Yoshi egg |
| File:SMA item A-coin.png Similar to the Challenge Mode in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, five A-coins (for Advance coins) are scattered throughout each stage, for a total of 100 coins. If you manage to find all 100 coins, you will unlock a new color scheme for the title screen. You'll find all of their locations on the maps included in the Walkthrough. | File:SMA item Yoshi egg.png Also similar to the Challenge Mode, there are two Yoshi eggs hidden in the Sub-space of each level, for a total of 40 eggs. However, you won't be able to start looking for them until you beat the entire game once. See the Yoshi's Challenge page for more information. |