Level -1 in Super Mario Brothers?!?

There I was in the office, working hard, and reading Gamepro’s 55 Greatest Moments in Gaming, when I happen upon item number 6:

6. Super Mario Brothers (NES): Finding the -1 Level was an urban legend whispered about during tetherball games or while patiently waiting to get back into the fray of dodgeball. “Dude, there is totally a -1 Level in Super Mario Bros., my brother’s friend can totally get there whenever he wants.” Bouncy-duck-turn-slide- jump and you’ll make it. The reward is a strange swimming level that you could not escape. Rumor has it there’s a -2 level if you grabbed the correct sequence of coins, too.

WTF. Now I am by no means a n00b. Sure I was born in 1983, and my first system was a NES. Yes, that simple fact precludes me from knowing 90% of what there is to know about “classic gaming.” I’ve never played a Coleco and I’ve only casually known the Atari. But darn it all, I know the NES. And even more darned, I know Super Mario Bros.

How have I never heard of this elusive Minus level? I feel so out of the loop. In case you are like me, and had no stinking clue about this level, check after the jump to read all about it (including how to get there, etc.)

via Gamepro, Wikipedia

Tagged: NES, Super Mario Brothers, Level -1, Minus Level

From Wikipedia:

Minus World is an infinite water level (with a layout similar to that of Levels 2-2 and 7-2). A result of a programming glitch, this level is sometimes claimed to be a myth. It does exist, although it can be difficult to reach. It is accessible in the World 1-2, a mostly underground level. To enter the Minus World, the player first reaches an area near the end of the level, where a pipe entrance leads back to the surface. Without entering the pipe but instead jumping onto the top of the pipe entrance, Mario must then destroy at least one block above him to the left of the rightmost block, which is to be kept intact. Next, Mario should be balanced as far past the pipe’s edge as possible without falling, and facing toward the left (away from the wall). Next the player will attempt to duck-jump through the brick on the right. While holding down, the player presses the A button, resulting in Mario jumping while ducking. If successful, Mario’s head will then hit the left edge of the rightmost block without destroying it, and Mario will move through the brick wall to where the level’s warp zone is located. There, the first and third pipe lead to the Minus World. (Incidentally, the second pipe leads to World 5.)

Once Minus World is reached, it is impossible to escape, and Mario is destined to die by running out of time (assuming he survives the standard water-level obstacles as well). The reason for this is that the pipe at the end of the level leads to the very beginning, instead of dry land, and therefore, the level loops, or repeats itself. The name was created by a glitch, and since it is not a normal level, the name is literally (nothing)-1, creating the effect of -1.

Similar Minus levels can be accessed by jumping over the flagpole at the end of each level (a difficult goal, but completely possible to achieve), and allowing the flagpole to scroll off of the screen. Again, Mario (or Luigi) will be trapped in an infinite level until time runs out.