In Super Mario games, an unrevisitable area is any location which is inaccessible after a certain point. Unrevisitable areas are primarily found in Super Mario RPGs where the player is automatically taken to such places during the storyline and may contain items or accessories that can be missed. Some platformer games that allow the player to roam on world maps may contain stages that can only be accessed once on the world map, or near the beginning of the game.
Games with a linear and irreversible stage progression, such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2, are not listed on this page.
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
In the Super Mario All-Stars version, World 9 can no longer be played again for the current save file if the player used any Warp Zone while completing Worlds A-D.
Super Mario World
The four switch palace levels, Yellow Switch Palace, Green Switch Palace, Red Switch Palace and Blue Switch Palace, cannot be accessed after Mario steps on the respective switches. In the Japanese version of the game, castles and fortresses cannot be revisited once Mario has destroyed them.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Mushroom Zone cannot be accessed again through standard means after completing it.
Stages containing bosses cannot be accessed again after defeating the respective bosses in each zone unless the player runs out of lives, which results in losing the Golden Coins they have collected.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
The short side-scrolling stage for the Star Festival at the beginning of the game cannot be replayed.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
The Sprixie Houses where Stamps are obtained cannot be revisited after collecting their Stamps.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The short introductory course before Bowser becomes Castle Bowser cannot be replayed.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Course No.10 in Mt. Teapot is replaced with Course No.13, an altered version of itself, once the player hits the giant ! Block in Course No.12.
Yoshi's Island series
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
The tutorial level Welcome To Yoshi's Island cannot be revisited again after completing the level or exiting it from the menu. In Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, however, this level appears again at the end of the secret stage Endless World of Yoshis.
Yoshi's Island DS
Similar to Welcome to Yoshi's Island in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the tutorial level, Welcome Back to Yoshi's Island! cannot be revisited again after completing the level.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
The vault in Mushroom Castle can only be visited twice; the first time right after meeting the Chancellor, and the second time during the Shymore invasion. After defeating Claymorton, this room cannot be accessed again.
After defeating Belome in Kero Sewers, the room where he is fought is flooded and cannot be visited; entering the pipe that previously led to that room will transport Mario directly to Midas River.
After defeating Culex in Monstro Town in the SNES version, the room where he is fought cannot be visited.
Count Down's room in the Weapon World cannot be revisited after defeating it and leaving the area, as the springboard that takes Mario to this area now takes him to another area instead.
Donkey Kong 64
Once the first seven bosses are defeated, Troff 'n' Scoff's area is no longer accessible as the portal vanishes once that level's boss is defeated.
All of the Bonus Barrel minigames not playable at Snide's H.Q. cannot be replayed after all instances of them have been completed. These include Busy Barrel Barrage!, Splish-Splash Salvage!, Minecart Mayhem!, Speedy Swing Sortie!, Stash Snatch!, Mad Maze Maul!, and Stealthy Snoop!. The Training Barrels cannot be reentered after completing them, and the ten level-specific minigames in Hideout Helm cannot be replayed after shutting down the Blast-o-Matic.
Paper Mario series
Paper Mario
After defeating the Koopa Bros. in Chapter 1, the large jail cell in Koopa Bros. Fortress where Mario and his team meet Bombette has its hole patched up and it cannot be entered again.
After Chapter 4, the player skips through walking through the secret fireplace passageway in Peach's room; walking into the passageway skips right to the secret exit. After the Chapter 6 intermission, the passageway cannot be revisited, especially when Mario and his team reach Peach's Castle.
After defeating Fuzzipede, the inside of the whale's body can no longer be navigated.
After the eruption of Mt. Lavalava at the end of Chapter 5, the bottom of the room just before Lava Piranha becomes unsuitable for Mario and his team to walk on, preventing the chambers beyond from being accessed.
Madam Merlar's cavern in Shiver Mountain becomes inaccessible after Mario places the Star Stone in the pedestal outside, causing flights of stairs to rise up and block the entrance.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
The blue minor and major league rooms in the Glitz Pit Mario and his partner are locked in, as well as the room that connects the two and the restrooms that take Mario back out to the red major league room, cannot be revisited after escaping from the toilet in the blue major league room during Chapter 3.
The Black Skull cannot be entered inside once Flavio hands the Skull Gem to Cortez at the end of Chapter 5.
The baggage car and the rooftops of the Excess Express cannot be revisited after defeating Smorg in Chapter 6, outside of using a glitch.
In the Palace of Shadow lies a hidden room connected to Gloomtail's chamber by a passageway that can be accessed by blowing up the eastern wall with Bobbery, which contains an Ultra Shroom and a Jammin' Jelly. Once Mario places the Star Key in the pedestal in the Riddle Tower, followed by all eight Palace Keys, the floors of the four hallways leading to Gloomtail's chamber give way, preventing these rooms from being accessed again.
None of Bowser's platforming stages can be revisited once they are cleared; the same is true for Bowser's Castle, which is also exclusive to Bowser.
Super Paper Mario
The generator rooms with the Ackpows in Merlee's Mansion cannot be revisited once 1,000,000 Rubees are collected, and given to Mimi.
The Fort Francis dungeon room that contains a single Chain Chomp cannot be revisited once Thoreau is used to carry the block on the button switch that reveals a Warp Pipe, which requires the heroes to go back up to the basement room.
During the events of the game, Sammer's Kingdom is destroyed by The Void, leaving a blank area called the World of Nothing. After the game is completed, Sammer's Kingdom is restored and World of Nothing cannot be accessed again.
After the Duel of 100 is completed, all of Sammer's Kingdom (Sammer's Early Duels, Sammer's Proving Grounds, and Sammer's Endgame) after Gate 1 is sealed off and cannot be accessed again.
Paper Mario: Color Splash
The airship near the entrance to the Crimson Tower cannot be revisited after Mario hits the airship's self-destruct switch with his hammer. The majority of Black Bowser's Castle also cannot be revisited after Mario destroys the black paint factory.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
The dungeon of Peach's Castle cannot be revisited after escaping from it at the beginning of the game. The entrance hallway is revisited later in the game, but is no longer accessible after the castle transforms into Origami Castle.
The area where the Earth Vellumental is fought cannot be revisited after Olivia raises the dirt platform they are sitting on.
After the lake in Autumn Mountain is flooded by Olivia, its basin and the canyon to the left of it cannot be accessed again.
The stages of the Big Sho' Theater cannot be revisited after clearing each of their challenges, with the exception of the first one. However, Mario can watch the Shy Guy ballet again if he talks to a Shy Guy in the lobby.
None of the underwater sections in the Great Sea can be revisited after collecting their respective treasures and clearing the purple streamer.
The trial temples in Diamond Island cannot be entered again after completing their trials.
The airship shooting section cannot be replayed after completing it.
Hotfoot Crater cannot be accessed again after using the airship cannon to launch out of it.
Mario & Luigi series
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
Mario and Luigi's house cannot be revisited after Toad reaches the bathroom, or Peach's Castle grounds (also known as Toadtown Square) after talking to Bowser to leave for the Beanbean Kingdom.
The Koopa Cruiser can only be visited twice: the first visit is during the flight to the Beanbean Kingdom, which becomes inaccessible upon battling Fawful; the second visit is after Joke's End, where Luigi navigates through the repaired ship in reverse order before collecting the Beanstar.
The Beanbean Borderlands on the Mushroom Kingdom side of Stardust Fields cannot be revisited after crossing the border to the Beanbean Kingdom.
The Training Area where the Starshade Bros. teach the Mario Bros. their techniques after learning the High Jump and Spin Jump cannot be revisited after completing the tutorial. In the remake, this area can be briefly revisited by practicing the High Jump and Spin Jump moves in the guide.
The underground caverns beneath Chucklehuck Woods, visited after defeating Chuckolator, cannot be revisited after Luigi interacts with the barrel of Chuckola Reserve with Mario inside it.
The gates to Guffawha Ruins are sealed after Bowletta kidnaps Peach, preventing the interior of the area from being accessed again, especially after the Mario Bros. obtain the Ultra Hammers from the Hammerhead Bros. in their cave. The ledge with the yellow pipe in Little Fungitown then cannot be reached.
The interior of the S.S. Chuckola cannot be revisited once it heads out to sea and sinks in the Seabed.
The caverns where the Jellyfish Sisters teach the Mario Bros. their techniques cannot be accessed again after collecting both Pearl Beans. In the remake, this area can be briefly revisited by practicing the Dash and Tickle moves in the guide.
The stairway that leads to the four big candles on the fourth floor of Joke's End becomes inaccessible once Mario lights all the candles and returns to the third floor, with the door closing shut behind him.
In Beanbean Castle Town, the northwestern, southwestern, and southeastern houses in the western half of the town are inaccessible when the player visits it for the first time, and become inaccessible again after the town's second destruction when the Mario Bros. return after defeating Popple and Birdo in Teehee Valley. At that point in the game, the northern double-entranced house and southeastern house in the eastern half cannot be entered again as well.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
The non-transformed Peach's Castle in the past is not revisitable after Baby Bowser is defeated. The player cannot revisit the Koopa Cruiser, where they first learned how to control Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, after its crash landing into Bowser's Castle. The interior of Professor Elvin Gadd's lab on Thwomp Volcano cannot be entered again after the fire is doused. The Shroob Mother Ship cannot be revisited after the four bros. are ejected from it. None of the tutorial courses can be revisited after completing them.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
The non-transformed Peach's Castle at the beginning of the game cannot be revisited after Bowser eats the Vacuum Shroom to inhale everyone in the Conference Hall. The areas with the dirt piles in the Toad Town Caves and the Tunnel cannot be revisited once Project K is completed when Bowser arrives in the Treasure Chamber in Bowser's Castle. In the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode, the first level in the game, First Battle!, cannot be replayed after beating it.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
The rocket platform that takes Mario and Luigi to the hidden area of Pi'illo Castle is inaccessible once Mario and Luigi use it at the beginning of the game.
When Mario first enters the Dream World, he appears in a rift and moves in a similar manner to Luiginary Antigravity to reach the portal to Dreamy Pi'illo Castle. In subsequent visits to the Dream World, this rift is not visited again.
In Mushrise Park, north of the entrance to Somnom Woods, there is a secluded area which is not connected to Mushrise Park's main map. However, towards the end of the game, this becomes the first section of Neo Bowser Castle, and the original version cannot be revisited again.
The last two areas in Dreamy Neo Bowser Castle where Dreamy Luigi fights Giant Bowser become inaccessible after defeating the latter, as the cannon that leads to the first area no longer becomes functional, marked by a green X above it.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
The storage room in Peach's Castle cannot be accessed again after the paper characters are released from the book.
There is a mandatory tutorial mission in Peach's Castle at the start of the game, in which several Paper Toads are found. This mission cannot be replayed after it is completed, as it does not appear in the Lakitu Info Center mission list.
After defeating Bowser Jr. and Paper Bowser Jr., Bowser's Castle in its regular state becomes inaccessible once it rises from its pool of lava and becomes Neo Bowser Castle. After this point, the undamaged Peach's Castle also cannot be revisited, as it remains in a ruined state until the end of the game.
Before Neo Bowser Castle is accessed for the first time, the Mario trio must manually climb the Paper Toad stairway from Mount Brrr to the castle. On subsequent visits, the Paper Toad stairway cannot be climbed manually as the Mario trio will automatically move between each location.
Donkey Kong Country Returns / Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
After pressing the rocket switches in Cog Jog, Switcheroo, and Music Madness, the rooms where they are found cannot be accessed again even if the levels are replayed.
In Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, after using the Rare Orbs to grant access to the Golden Temple and, by extension, the Cloud world, the Golden Temple will become the "Cloud Gateway" on the world map, and the player will not be able to replay the segment just before entering the temple. Instead, Donkey Kong is immediately transported to the Cloud world upon selecting the Cloud Gateway on the world map.
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
After defeating Bowser in World 8-
Bowser's Castle, the player faces Bowser Jr. and Bowser and His Minions in a multicolored void for the final battle. Once Bowser joins the player's team, the latter area cannot be revisited.
Luigi's Mansion 3
In the Paranormal Productions, the cameras in each of the four sets cannot be viewed after obtaining the elevator button from Morty, preventing Gooigi from being able to revisit the alternative versions of those sets while Luigi is viewing the cameras.
The Pit Chamber and the Hidden Passageway of the Tomb Suites cannot be revisited after escaping from them.
Mario + Rabbids series
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
All bonus rooms in both the main game and the Donkey Kong Adventure DLC cannot be revisited after completing their challenges and obtaining the weapons found in them.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
The Peach's Castle courtyard cannot be revisited after Mario and Rabbid Peach are taken by the Darkmess Manta, which also cannot be revisited as it consists only of several tutorial battles, and thus not explorable at all. After defeating Cursa, Cursa's stronghold disappears from the world map and can no longer be freely explored, though the Quest battles can be played again from the Quests menu.
| General video game terms | |
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| Cheat code • Completion • Continue • Easter egg • Extra life • Fourth wall • Game Over • Glitch • Missable content • Point • Unrevisitable area • Unwinnable state | |