Bonus game (Super Mario World)

Mario playing the Bonus Game in Super Mario World. Here he got one row of three Fire Flowers, so he is rewarded with a 1-Up Mushroom.

The Bonus Game is a special Mini-game in Super Mario World. It can only be entered by collecting 100 Bonus Stars at the Giant Gates. When this is done, the Bonus Game automatically starts just after the level. It takes place in a special room Mario or Luigi is warped into by a Pipe. There are nine Item Box-like blocks, eight of which are circling around the ninth. This is the only block which has a stable item in it (Super Mushroom, Fire Flower or Star). The others are constantly changing their items. The player's task is to hit the circling blocks from below and thus make them have a stable item. The actual game works just like Tic-tac-toe: Three items of one kind in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally) bring one Extra Life in form of a 1-Up Mushroom, no matter which item it is. Thus, the player may win up to eight Extra Lives. There is no real strategy to get as many Lives as possible, however it is easiest to hit the eight blocks consecutively, without leaving any out. This way, the chances are high to make the eight blocks get the same item.