[SMM2 Team 0%] Lost 1-1: Return of All Bosses

Course Code: 0N6-CHX-RPF

This one is a nightmare I've been grinding on and off for the past week! This is a sequel to a course I did earlier, "World 1-1 Oops! All Bosses". It's a similar concept: enemies from Lost Levels 1-1 are replaced by bosses, you can NOT get hit, and the Koopalings + Bowser all have Cursed Keys! You need to have mastery of their somewhat randomized behaviors in order to finish it on time!

The catch this time compared to the last one is... there's MUCH more devastating "optional" enemies to deal with. Mainly the 3 winged Boom-Booms and the Magikoopas. Anyways here's my strat for how I finally beat this thing!

The Main Goal: you need to kill all those winged boom booms, while also bouncing off the Koopalings enough that you can charge through them quickly while dodging Phanto!

1. I like to save bopping Lemmy 3 times as the last thing I do on my run to the left, because Lemmy without a mushroom is pretty miserable!

2. I find hitting the invisible block in front of Iggy (this was a 1-up in the OG Lost Levels!) helps to give me an extra place to escape to on the way back. I suggest NOT picking up that mushroom though, it gives you a bigger hitbox that you have no need for yet!

3. Killing the Angry Sun is also REALLY important, this thing will destroy your run so hard if you have to deal with it and Phanto at the same time! I like to time hitting Ludwig with a brick, then scroll left fast enough for his spinning to kill the sun. If you mess up (I sure did many times lol), Larry can be an emergency back up.

4. I actually ignore Wendy till I get the Fire Flower on the way back (unless a Koopa or Buzzy Beetle gets spawned in a nice spot), you really want to hit Morton twice and spawn the last winged Boom-Boom!

5. On the way back, at minimum you want to hit Larry, Ludwig, and Iggy a 2nd time. You might get an extra hit in on Roy here if you're lucky, but it's not essential imo!

6. Usually after I kill Lemmy via freeing him from the old infinite 1-up prison, I hit Iggy, and then hit Ludwig with one last brick... but I got "lucky" this time and hit Ludwig on the invisible block! If Ludwig appears here, hit him ASAP because his bullets are a nightmare at this part!

7. I like to kill Morton before dealing with Wendy (and sometimes Roy), because getting stunned by the stomp is usually an instant loss with Phanto!

8. I prefer to just fireball Wendy. You can bonk her if she gets out of the ? blocks, but she's usually the last one I took out so it worked out. WATCH OUT for the SMB2 Mushroom! While there is an extra Fire Flower, it's painful to get to with Phanto!

9. I like to bounce off the Magikoopa to the pipe, then get to the last pipe ASAP to block that muncher. I think you can ignore Bowser Jr. if you know what you're doing!

10. For Bowser, it's tempting to kill him at the steps but... every time I did that, I lost! Instead, get him to follow you to the key door. This way, you don't have to worry about Bowser Jr's Fireballs anymore, and Phanto becomes more reasonable to dodge!

11. You aren't done yet! MAKE SURE YOU DO THE TWO DUCK JUMPS OVER THE SPIKES, YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE HERE!

12. Finally, you need to kill that Magikoopa at the end. I got lucky and was able to grab a fish, but I'm pretty sure you can also pick up the Magikoopa and throw it at the Goomba to win.

Phew, that course was NUTS! I honestly like it just like the other 1-1 boss course, but sometimes I think this course went a tad too far. Mainly, you got stuff like Roy sometimes killing himself on the muncher or a pit which can ruin your run, nasty Magikoopa spawn points, and I think the parts AFTER Bowser feel sorta cruel, like as if this course is providing one last twist to screw you over...

In a way, I think the subverting expectations part at the end is in-line with how Lost Levels was designed, but not exactly as cruel there as it is here lol. Still, this is a boss course I can get around: it's not exactly a boss rush, but the bosses are thoughtfully placed too (in the spots where actual enemies in Lost Levels were!), making this course totally feasible, if very difficult! I even managed to beat this course about 2 seconds faster than the maker!