Super Mario Bros. 3/Items

Super Mushroom
Changes Mario into Super Mario. In this form, he can break bricks. Small Mario cannot.

Super Leaf
Changes Mario into Raccoon Mario. In this form, he can fly, float, or wag a tail to beat an enemy. He can even control the speed of his fall. Small, Super, Hammer, and Fire Marios cannot.

Starman
Allows Mario to kill enemies simply by running through them. He will still lose a life, however, if he falls into a bottomless pit, runs out of time, or gets stuck in an auto-scrolling level.

Warp Whistle
Takes Mario to the Warp Zone, where he can get into a new world. Using it in World 1 will allow Mario to warp to World 2, 3, or 4. Using it in Worlds 2-6 will allow him to warp to World 5, 6, or 7. Using it in World 7 or the Warp Zone itself will allow him to warp to World 8.

P-wing
Makes Mario Raccoon Mario with a constantly-filled meter. The P-wing will last only one level, and then Mario will become regular Raccoon Mario. If he is hit by an enemy, he will become Super Mario (good for the fast auto-scrolling airship in World 8).

Fire Flower
Changes Mario into Fire Mario. In this form, he can throw Fireballs. In World 6, Fire Mario can remove ice from iced coins and Munchers.

Anchor
Use it to keep an airship from moving across the map. This item can only be found by getting a White Mushroom House (not to be confused with the coin ship) in and even-numbered world.

Music Box
Puts Hammer Brothers (or Piranha Plants in World 7) to sleep so Mario can get past them as if they weren't there.

Hammer
Allows Mario to break a rock. (Not to be confused with opening a lock, which can be done by defeating Boom Boom.) To break the rock, stand next to it on the map screen, then select it from your inventory. You can gain hammers be defeating some of the Battle Bros. that inhabit each world. Breaking a rock lets you gain access to bonus sections in the game, such as the World 2 secret area (break the rock in the upper right corner) or the World Three boat ride to the bonus islands (break the rock before the wooden dock with the boat).

Frog Suit
Changes Mario into Frog Mario. In this form, Mario can swim in straight lines without constantly being pulled down by gravity, so he can move in more precise lines; he can also fight the push of air bubbles from pipes, allowing him to reach secret rooms. This is useful for water levels; on dry land, he can jump higher than normal, but cannot run fast. Unlike with other suits, when Frog Mario is underwater, you must hold A instead of B to swim more quickly. You should probably use a Frog Suit in the second fortress of World 3, as it will help you swim in straight lines between, above, and below the Stretches; and, in level 7-4, as it will help you swim in a straight line between the groups of Jelectros.

Lakitu's Cloud
Allows Mario to skip a level by moving directly past it on the map. Note that if an airship hides where you can't reach it, you will have to complete the level to get to it. Also, if you use a Lakitu's cloud to skip one level, then die on the next, you will be sent back, possibly to before the level you skipped, so you would have to do it anyway. Going through a warp pipe directly after you use the cloud will prevent this; you will merely be sent back to the pipe you most recently originated from.

Tanooki Suit
Changes Mario into Tanooki Mario. In this form, you can can do anything Raccoon Mario can do, as well as turn into a statue. To turn into a statue, duck then press while ducking down. Tanooki suits can be found in all of the chests of Red Toad Houses and giant "?" boxes (which can also sometimes contain three 1-UP mushrooms.

Hammer Suit
Changes Mario into Hammer Mario. In this form he can throw hammers, which are even stronger than fireballs, and the suit itself will protect him from fire attacks if he crouches down. When Hammer Mario crouches down, his back looks like a black koopa's shell. Hammer Mario can destroy nearly any enemy, and Boom Boom takes just one hammer.

Goomba's Shoe
Only available in World 5-3. In order to obtain it, Mario must hit the Goomba wearing it from underneath; any other attack destroys the shoe as well. While wearing it, Mario can jump higher than normal and stomp enemies that would otherwise hurt him on contact (such as Spinys and Piranha Plants), as well as being able to walk on the indestructible Nipper Plants without taking damage. If he gains a Fire Flower, he can still throw fireballs as well. If hit, he loses the shoe but not his powers; he automatically discards the shoe at the end of 5-3.