Use our walkthrough to find every secret exit and every hidden cannon location in New Super Mario Bros. 2 to unlock secret levels and worlds.
Several levels in New Super Mario Bros. 2 feature alternate exits that not only offer an additional way to clear a level but also unlock a hidden or even a secret world. Some also lead to Mushroom Houses. Not as rewarding, but still important to reach if you’re going for 100% completion! There are 15 secret exits in all.
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Hop around the various secret exits:
World 1-Tower Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 1-Cannon which will take you to World Mushroom.
Enter the door found shortly after the Checkpoint Flag. In the room with the green Snake Blocks, look at the opening on the right wall. After the Snake Blocks pass through the hole, jump in and head inside. This will take you outside where you can use additional Snake Blocks to reach the secret flag.
World 2-Ghost House Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 2-B.
After the second Star Coin, look for low spot near two pillars. There’s an invisible block that you can hit from below that will grow vines into the ceiling. Climb up to reach an outdoor area with the secret flag!
World 3-Tower Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 3-Cannon which will take you to World Flower.
Mini Mushroom required. Just before you reach the Checkpoint Flag, immediately go to the right and enter the small pipe in the bottom right corner. Be quick because the screen will move past it if you’re too slow. The next room is a series of moving blocks and spikes. Survive until you reach the top and you should be good! If you’re worried about getting hurt, you can activate your stored power-up — you don’t need to be Mini Mario anymore. Enter the red pipe to find the secret flagpole.
World 3-4 Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 3-B.
Just before you reach the end of the second half of the level, look for three floating crates with a red Koopa Troopa strolling on top. When the poison water lowers, a path leading to a peculiar red pipe. That’s your new path, although there’s a little bit of a problem. Brick blocks cut off your path. Use Raccoon Mario to quickly break through the brick blocks, otherwise grab the Koopa Troopa and throw it at the bottom brick block. With the path somewhat clear, you can run and slide to make it under. Enter the pipe to find your secret flagpole!
World 3-Ghost House Secret Exit
This secret exit opens a path to World 3-Castle.
Super Leaf required. In the final room where the platforms descend down, look for an opening on the right wall. As Racoon Mario, hop inside and break the brick blocks sealing off a door. Head inside to find the secret flagpole outside. This level’s power-up is the Super Leaf, so you don’t have to bring one with you from another level.
World 4-Ghost House Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 4-B.
Early in the level, the moving walls will stop pushing to the right and reverse back. After a few seconds of that, the walls will start moving to the right again. When you see the Question Blocks again, try jump to the right wall and wall jumping off of it. If the walls have moved enough, you’ll see an opening up above with a secret door. Head inside to find the secret flagpole!
World 4-Tower Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 4-C.
Gotta replay most of the tower for this one. After the Checkpoint Flag and in the second lift area, keep an eye out for a blue pipe on the left wall. That’s the one you want to enter. Unfortunately, a Dry Piranha Plant is hanging out inside it. Either take it out with a Buzzy Beetle or take the damage and walk in anyway. In the next room, hop onto the glacial Donut Blocks and enter the pipe above. And there it is! Your secret flagpole.
World 5-1 Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 5-Ghost House.
Make your to the third Star Coin by getting up to the rope higher up in the sky in the second half of the level. There’s a hidden block with a beanstalk that will take you to a bonus area. Once there, get past the third Star Coin and stand on the rope to the right. Jump in the center to reveal another hidden block and beanstalk. Climb it, then fall through the narrow passage. Once in the next section, hop across the Paratroopas continuously until you reach the secret flagpole.
World 5-Ghost House Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 5-A.
In the first room, hop on top of the second swinging chandelier made of blocks. Stand on the right side, then jump up to reveal a hidden block with a beanstalk when the chandelier is the most right that it can be. There’s an opening in the ceiling, so try to jump underneath that section if you’re having trouble locating the hidden block. In the area above, climb up the steps and head through the door. The next room has a few more platforms to jump across. Navigate your way to the other end of the room and hit the switch to reveal four doors. The door on the right is the real one, so get the Big Boo to move and head inside. Once outside, climb the pole and use the rope to reach the secret flagpole.
World 5-A Secret Exit
This secret exit opens a path to World 5-Castle.
Before the Checkpoint Flag is a spring. Grab it and throw it onto the ship. Once you reach the end of the level, grab the spring and bring it to the ground right in front of the flagpole. Use the spring to break the two brick blocks. One has a beanstalk you can climb. Do so to enter a new area with a secret flagpole. Simple!
World 6-Ghost House Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World 6-A.
The path to the secret exit follows the same path to the third Star Coin but with a few extra steps after. From the first room, enter the door on the right. In the next room, run all the way to the right and enter the door. Hit the switch and let the wall on the left come down. Now enter the door above a second time. This will seemingly take you back to the lower door, but you’re actually in a new room. Go all the way right and hit the switch that the Big Boo is hiding. Enter the new door. In the next room, hit the switch and wall jump up to the third Star Coin but don’t stop! Keep wall jumping up and you’ll eventually reach a secret door. Enter and you’ll find the secret flagpole outside.
World Mushroom-1 Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World Mushroom-A.
Same are as the third Star Coin for this level. Towards the end you’ll come across two block towers with a Koopa Troopa strolling along a shorter tower in the middle. Bounce off one of the nearby Paratroopas, then bounce off the Koopa Troopa in the middle and land on the left tower’s highest vertical block. In this case, the red one! Stand on the blue block and jump to reveal a hidden block with a beanstalk. To reach it, run and jump from the left tower to the block. Climb up, enter the next area, and reach the end to find your secret flagpole.
World Mushroom-Ghost House Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World Mushroom-B which lead to World Mushroom-Cannon which will take you to World Flower.
Pretty much the same path to the Star Coin but with an extra step! As a reminder, when you get to the room with three switches, hit the middle and right switches to access the area on the right. Wall jump into the opening on the right and hit the switch. Instead of going for the Star Coin in the other opening, jump over to the right to find that a door has spawned. Head in to find yourself outside and at the secret flagpole.
World Flower-1 Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World Flower-A which lead to World Flower-Cannon which will take you to World 6.
Get to the end of the level where the third Star Coin is at. There are two Question Blocks nearby. Stand on the top of the right block and ground pound to have it sprout wings and start to fly, a very natural thing to happen. Since you were standing on it, all you have to do is ride it until it blasts off into the sky. In the next area, hop onto the Snake Blocks to reach the secret flagpole.
World Flower-Ghost House Secret Exit
This secret exit opens the only path to World Flower-B.
The moment you grab the Super Star and the ground vanishes and turns onto coins, push all the way to the right and land on a platform that urges you to go right. Listen to it! Head into the next room and use the door to exit to the secret flagpole outside.
