I can't do the Mario infinite 1-up trick

[Edmond Dantes]

You know the one... bouncing on the turtle shell millions of times.

Like, okay, question: Do I have to hit jump at the right time or should I hold the jump button? Does it matter which step the turtle is on?

Like I sometimes feel like I'm the only gamer who could never do this trick. Anyone else?

[jperryss]

I usually use the 2nd or 3rd step from the bottom. Stand on a step and walk right so that you're against the next step. Make a medium-height jump straight up and land so that you land on the left side of the turtle, ideally kicking it against the next step and starting the 1-up trick. After about 3 seconds of bouncing you'll see the 1-ups start building. I usually jump off after 7-8 seconds because if you get too many, your next death will result in a Game Over.

For me I almost always get it on the first 1-2 tries. I don't think you have to hold jump, but I do.

Supposedly it doesn't work in some emulators due to slight differences in emulation speed.

[Aussie2B]

I'm not sure if I've ever done it either. Maybe I have many years ago, but these days, I don't even really try because I know I'm not good at it. The shell just flies off, and that's that. But I'm good enough at the game overall that I build up enough extra lives just by playing the game normally, so I don't need any tricks to gain more yet anyway.

I can do the trick easy-peasy in first stage of SMB2/The Lost Levels, though, and in that game, I do need to build up an arsenal of extra lives. I always use Luigi in that game, so I don't know if the difference in how he controls versus how Mario controls in Super Mario All-Stars has any effect on my ability to grind for 1-ups.

[jb143]

I could never get it to work either. I remember a friend showing me back in the day, but I always died when I tried it.

[YoshiM]

[ cue SMB music ]

Swing your hips from side to side....

Wait, do the Mario Infinite Lives...oohhh...my screen showed "I can't do the Mario"

Anyway, don't feel bad. Like jb and Aussie, I can't do it either. I lose lives instead of gaining them.

[FoxNtd]

I think the jump button needs to be held. It's critical to align Mario the right way. If I remember right he needs to be close to falling off the nokonoko; this way, his short hop is properly timed with the ricochet of the shell beneath his feet.

This technique is great for SMB2, to help you learn the game and avoid game overs returning you to the first of 4 sections of the current world. But once I learned the game, I had no need for 1UPs anymore. I can 1CC the game virtually every run, and I have one perfect run so far. Funny how alike the first two games are, and yet the second one is just so much more satisfying to play. I rarely play the first one.

By the way once you do pull the 1UP trick, count your hops. Don't go over 127 lives. Honestly, how many do you really need; just stop around 40-50 and move on. :)

[Garry Silljo]

I tried a few times as a kid and never managed it. After a while I grew out of exploiting glitches and using cheat codes so I stopped even attempting it. I know its technically not cheating but I always viewed it as such. I need a reasonable challenge to not be bored by a game, so cheats just take the thrill out of games for me.

[Emperor Megas]

It was always a piece of cake for me. I haven't done it in decades though, and never tried to on anything besides an actual SMB cart on the NES, so I don't know if it's more difficult on other hardware or on Emulators.

Also, I've never held down the jump button as far as can rememeber. I used to actually tap it in time with the bounces though.

I don't know if that mattered, I just used to do it that way just because it was fun to as a kid. Maybe holding or tapping jump actually does affect the trick.

[Nz17]

Oi, now I'm not sure if it is aim, jump, and no further button inputs; aim, jump, and keep repeatedly pressing jump; or aim, jump, and keep holding the jump button. Then again, I was never any good at the "infinite 1-up trick" and was only able to get, like, seven to a dozen lives with it only a few times. After reading this thread, I looked on YouTube and the videos I found there weren't much help. So, sorry to say, but it doesn't look like things are any nearer to a solution for you. Sorry, man!

[Bloodreign]

Have done it hundreds of times, never held the jump button down. After a few seconds Mario seems to stop, but you're in the right position to hit the jump button once again and start the process over. The trick can also be done in World 7-1 with the Buzzy Beetles, but that one always seemed a bit trickier to me.

[Hep038]

This was one of those trick when people brought it up , I would say " yeah, I have done that before" and then I would pray to god they would not ask me to show them how. Yeah, I did it but it was really hit or miss for me to pull it off.

[WulfeLuer]

Don't feel bad, I did it exactly once, way back when on the original NES. I was never able to replicate that feat on the original or any of the remakes. I heard by word of mouth that easiest overall is the Deluxe version for GBC, but I can't affirm that at all.