Mario Pinball Land - Route / Notes

You start in the carnival area.  Ignoring the Goombas, hit the cannon and travel to the desert.

Desert:
 - Kill the Pokeys on the first screen for Star #1.  One of a few mandatory stars in the route.
 - Go in the 1-star door.  Some of these shots are tricky with the Pokeys blocking the way.  Try to do this quickly so you don't risk losing your ball.
 - In the next room, kill the two Pokeys for Star #2.  You can ignore the mole here.  Fall back down to the first screen after grabbing the star.
 - Back on the first screen, enter the 2-star door while avoiding the Pokeys.  If you do hit them you can grab extra coins that you will need for later.
 - In the 2-star room, hit the statues on the sides to make the pyramid rise.  You need four hits, but if you take too long the pyramid will sink and you will need to hit it again.  Ignore the vultures for now - this star is much easier later.  Enter the pyramid once it opens.

Pyramid:
 - Hit either the left or right tile, then fall in the hole that opens up below it.  The right tile is recommended since its room is easier, but the left tile is fine.  Avoid the center tils at all costs.  If you hit it, you can try to kill the snakes for star #3, but it's recommended to just keep the ball at the flippers and wait for the snakes to go away.
 - In the right room, you can hit the left tile with a quick shot when the ball reaches the flipper after the initial bounce.  In the left room, you need to hit the right tile which is more difficult because of the obstacles.  Fall in the center hole to reach the boss room.

Desert boss:
 - For this boss you will need to hit the pillars to make your ball mega, and then hit the boss once he begins to levitate.  If you are unable to hit him, he will send around an unavoidable attack that will turn your ball mini instead.  This is very dangerous since the pillars require very very precise timing to hit and you can easily get stuck in a loop if you aren't fast enough.
 - The easiest way to do this boss is to make your ball mega when you hit the tile to start the fight.  If your ball is still mega you can get the first hit on the boss.  He is pretty easy to hit but the main concern is if you miss and your ball turns mini which can waste a lot of time.

 - After beating the boss, grab the key, which will make two item boxes appear.  The left box contains a Mini Mushroom and the right box contains a Lightning.  Grab either one and lose your ball to return to the first room of the pyramid.
 - If you got the Mini Mushroom, use it and shoot your ball down the grate in the center.  Ignore the snakes in this room and hit the item box in the back to get a Lightning, then leave the room.  With the Lightning from this room or the boss room, return to the right room of the pyramid and hit the right tile to make Shy Guys appear.  Use the Lightning to get star #3.
 - Return to the boss room and grab the other item box.  Get a Lightning and use it on the vultures outside the pyramid, being careful not to use it too soon or shoot the ball back into the pyramid before collecting the star.  It's best to rest the ball on a flipper before you use the Lightning in this room.
 - Once you have 4 stars, return to the first screen of the Desert and take the cannon to the Grassland.

Grassland:
 - Kill three Goombas in the first room to get a star.  This should be #5 if you have been able to follow the route.  After grabbing the star, head for either door, though the 2-star dor is preferred.
 - In the 2-star door, kill all three Koopas for another star.  You must hit the Koopas twice each.  The item box contains a Mega Mushroom, feel free to use it here since it's not really useful anywhere else.
 - In the 1-star door, try to hit the beehive first.  You can also hit Toad and leave without buying anything to make him disappear, which is recommended since this room is very cluttered.  Three bees will come out of the beehive, and hitting them all will get you a star.
 - Hit the switch on this screen if you haven't already, and enter the windmill to reach the boss of the area.  You can completely ignore the 5-star door as the star in that room is very difficult to get and not worth it to attempt.

Grassland boss:
 - The piranha will not attack you until you have hit him once, so get a free hit in.  From here, it's easier to let him spit out the ball since you have a drain pipe for a while, as you have a large window to hit him again after he has spit the ball back out.

 - After three hits, grab the key and hit the item box on the right to get a Mini Mushroom.  Leave the room, try to kill the bees outside the windmill if you haven't got that star yet, and return to the first screen of the Grassland when you're done.
 - Use the Mini Mushroom on the first screen and shoot the ball into either of the two beehives.
 - The bees in this room will be angry and ready to sting the ball, so use that to your advantage.  Leave the ball at the flippers and wait for the bees to sting your ball, and then hit them after the ball loops around before they can react.  You can get three hits this way rather easily.  You can grab the Yoshi Egg from the item box here.  Using it will make the drain pipe return for a while if you need extra time for this star.
 - Leave the beehive after getting the star and take the cannon to the Ice world.  You should have 8 stars at this point if you have been able to collect every star n the route so far.

Ice world:
 - Hit Toad and buy a Lightning from his shop for 30 coins.
 - Kill two Shy Guys on the first screen here.  DO NOT USE YOUR LIGHTNING HERE!  Get the star and move on to the next screen through the 1-star door.
 - On the next screen, try to go anywhere besides the 5-star door.  Ideally you will kill the penguins here first, but the 3-star door is also an option.  The penguins take two hits and start sliding randomly after the first hit, so they can be awkward to hit, but getting this star saves a lot of time, and you'll probably be on this screen for a while so it's worth it to attempt.
 - Go into the 3-star door and use your Lightning as soon as possible.  If you use the lightning before the star goes off-screen you can grab it without having to wait.  If you can also get the Yoshi egg frm the item box you can possibly make killing the penguins easier if you haven't already, but don't try for the item if you missed it on the first shot because it's not worth the time.
 - On the screen with the penguins, push the iceberg back to the crack in the ice.  It takes four hits from the front side, but can take more if you push it in any other direction.  It's recommended to come here after obtaining at least 5 stars just so you can close the 3-star door if you opened it by accident, since this screen can waste a lot of time if you're unlucky.
 - Fall into the hole in the ice and enter the underwater area.

Underwater:
 - Kill all three Cheep Cheeps on this screen to get the star.  Also hit all three treasure chests to unlock the ship.  Enter the ship to start the next boss fight.

Ice world boss:
 - When the battle starts, try to hit the ball with the right flipper as soon as possible.  If done correctly, you can hit the ball into a target and get a bomb 5-6 seconds earlier than normal.  This fight can take a long time and you will likely have to do most of it without a drain pipe, so this extra time helps out a lot.
 - You need to hit the Cheep Cheep with a bomb to make it expand, and then hit it again with a ball.  After hitting it the first time, two other Cheep Cheeps will appear.  These can be defeated with bombs but are not required.  Aim for the biggest fish if you can.

 - After three hits, grab the key and leave the area.  The items in here aren't useful, but if you don't have 30 coins at this point you can get a Yoshi egg from one of the item boxes.  Leave the underwater area.
 - Back on the first screen of the Ice world, buy another Lightning from Toad if you have 30 coins.  Then take the cannon back to the Carnival.  You should have 12 stars if you were able to collect every star in the route so far.
 - You need to have at least 9 stars at this point in order to progress.  If you don't have a Lightning then you need 10 stars.  If you don't have enough stars, see the "Star Grinding" section below.

Carnival:
 - Enter the haunted house on the left side.  If you have a Lightning, use it instantly when you enter the area and you'll be able to get the star here.
 - Enter the 10-star door in the haunted house to reach the boss of the area.

Carnival boss:
 - Boo is a pretty easy boss fight, but he can cause trouble with the weird physics in this battle.  If your ball goes too close to Boo when he's looking at you, he will spin it in weird directions which can make the ball go down the drain if you aren't careful.
 - Try to hit the ball close to the edge of the flippers to make the ball go in slow loops around Boo to make him turn around.  Once he's turned around, you need to hit him from behind.  You can also hit him from other directions, and he can even hit himself when he spins the ball if you're lucky.

 - After three hits, grab the key, and hit the left item box for a star.  Leave the haunted house and take the cannon to Bowser's Castle if you have 12 or 13 stars at this point.  Otherwise, see the "Star Grinding" section and grind until you get 12 or 13.

Bowser's Castle:
 - Hit the four statues to insert the four keys you have collected.  You can come here earlier to insert keys but it is strongly recommended to do all four at once.  After the cutscenes, hit your ball through the door to the next room.  (If you only had 12 stars at this point, see the "Star Grinding" section.)
 - On the next screen, kill all five Fly Guys to get a star.  These shots are fairly precise, but you can't open any of the doors on this screen so it's a very safe star to attempt.  After you collect the star, go back down to the screen below.
 - The first screen of the Castle should now have enemies.  Kill all three Fly Guys here to earn another star.  You should have 15 stars now.  Continue on to the next room and open the 15-star door to reach the final boss.

Bowser:
 - Bowser takes three hits to defeat, but in order to hit him you must first raise the Thwomps on the outside of the room and hit the switch in the center.  Raising one Thwomp requires a precise hit on Bowser since you don't have much time before he regains mobility.  Raising both Thwomps is recommended because it gives you much more time to work with.
 - To raise the Thwomps, you will want to hit the ball as close to the edge of the flippers as possible, so you can get quick loops around the edge of the room.  You can raise both Thwomps all the way in just two loops if you have enough speed.  This is easier to do when Bowser is near the back of the room since he can get in the way of your shot if he is in the front.
 - Bowser is easiest to hit if you hit the switch when he is in the center of the room.  Even if you only have one Thwomp raised, this usually gives you enough time to hit him since you can use either flipper.  The best way to attack is to rest the ball on a flipper and wait for Bowser to come to the center of the room.  When he jumps, you should shoot the ball underneath him and hit the switch, and then hit him when the ball comes back to the flippers.
 - The most important thing in this fight is to keep the ball in play.  It's nearly impossible to get all three hits on Bowser before you lose your drain pipe.  Once it's gone, some weird bounces can happen to cause the ball to go down the drain when you normally wouldn't expect it to.  Sometimes there's nothing you can do about it.
 - Just don't lose focus, and practice this fight a lot and you should be able to beat it fairly consistently.
 - You can use a Star on the fight to be able to make Bowser more vulnerable, but it will wear off after three hits.  This means you can knock him down, attack him, and knock him down a second time while the star is active, and then you can hit him for a second time normally.  If you're going to use the Star, it's best to get the first hit on him normally and wait until Bowser is near the center of the room, and then use the Star and finish him off.
 - A Yoshi Egg can also help here, just because it gives you another drain pipe for a short amount of time.  I would prefer just a normal pipe but Toad doesn't sell them in the Castle.  But I strongly recommend the Star if you're going to try any item at all.

 - After you get three hits on Bowser, you must continue the fight using Bowser as a ball to destroy the castle.  The most important thing here is to not let Mario go down the drain, which makes you have to restart the fight from the beginning.  Use Bowser to help get Mario rested on one flipper, and then shoot Bowser toward the opposite side repeatedly until the castle is destroyed.  It takes around four hits.
 - The timer should stop when Bowser disappears and 1,500,000 appears on screen.  Then you can celebrate your completion of this amazing speedgame!  Kappa



Star Grinding:

Let's face it, you probably won't get all 13 stars in the route before going to Bowser's Castle, because this game can be extremely difficult at times.  In most situations you'll have 10 or 11, and it's usually not worth it to linger in areas just so you have enough stars.  So usually you will have to go collecting stars after defeating Boo.  That's not a problem as there are a lot of options, but some stars are obviously better to go for than others.

After Boo, you should pick up a Star from the left item box.  You can always buy another before Bowser, so I usually take this one and go to the Desert.  Go into the 4-star door and use the Star to kill the Spinies.  This is usually the safest star, but it's nearly impossible without the item, so I wouldn't go for it in any other situation.

You can get another Star in the Ice world if you have a Mini Mushroom.  The Mini Mushroom star there is easier with the Star but possible without it also.  You have to quickly loop around the edge of the room to hit the mole who will move clockwise.  The first few hits are the hardest, but once you get him to move about halfway you should have no trouble, especially if you're used to the Bowser fight.

Those are the two stars I would recommend most if you're short on stars.  Otherwise, I'd just go back to get any stars you missed on the route, replacing penguins with one of these if you didn't get that star yet.  Penguins can also be made easier with the star, but by now there are so many obstacles in that room that I don't recommend going back for it.

Some other stars you can try if you're desperate:
 - The 5-star door in the Ice world is not a recommended star, but it can be really quick if you're lucky.  You must turn all four Shy Guys the same color, and a random color will spawn every time one is defeated.  No item can really help here, so you need to be precise and lucky at the same time.  I don't recommend trying this one.
 - The left room in the pyramid in the Desert should really only be attempted if you go in that room by mistake, but you have no time limit and can get a free star if you can hit all of the Shy Guys before you lose your ball.  Pretty far out of the way unless you happen to get it on your first trip into the pyramid.
 - The tent in the Carnival is another of Toad's shops, where you can play minigames with the blue coins you've earned.  There are three minigames, and while they are extremely fast stars, you have a limited number of attempts and they are extremely difficult.
 - For 1 blue coin, you can play the Chain Chomp minigame.  This is the hardest of the three and you will waste the most time with attempts since it's the cheapest.  I don't recommend ever trying this one.
 - For 2 blue coins, you can play the Bullet Bill minigame.  If you're going to try any of them, this is the best one to go for.  It's the easiest of the three as long as you can keep all of your balls in play and away from the flippers.  I still wouldn't recommend it, but if you're in the Carnival area and have the coins, it wouldn't hurt to attempt.
 - For 3 blue coins, you can play the Bob-omb minigame.  I only go for this if I've already gotten the Bullet Bill star and still need another, since I'm already in the shop.  There are easier and safer stars that you should prioritize over this one.

And finally, if you have only 12 stars and want to go to the Castle early, you can attempt one of the red coin stars.  There are four of these but the Carnival is the easiest by far since the coins are scattered across only three screens.  The endgame route will be a little different if you try for this one.
 - Go to the Castle with 12 stars instead of 13
 - After inserting the keys, take the cannon in the next room (don't kill Fly Guys yet)
 - Return to the Carnival and go back to where you fought Boo
 - Hit the red switch, and collect the 8 red coins (2 in this room, 4 in haunted house, 2 outside)
 - Collect the star (#13) that appears, then take the cannon back to the Castle
 - Collect the star (#14) in the first room of the Castle
 - Collect the star (#15) in the second room of the Castle
 - Go straight to Bowser's room

By doing the endgame in this order you make the Castle stars slightly more optimal, but have to go there twice.  It usually results in one extra cannon trip for a star that doesn't take that much time to get, but I don't really like doing it since there are other stars I'd rather go for.

Similarly, you can also wait until you have 14 stars to travel to Bowser's Castle and then only get the star in the second room, but unless you beat Bowser on the first try you'll end up back in the first room again and could get an unnecessary 16th star by accident.