New Super Mario Bros./World 5-A

The mushroom platforms in World 5 have adapted and evolved in unique ways, creating odd athletic levels that are quite challenging. Here, these mushrooms expand and contract regularly. A wide platform below can suddenly turn into a thin bud, so you'd want to time your jumps according to the size changes of the mushrooms to reach the end safely.

Level walkthrough
As you can see upon entering the level, the gimmick of this stage is the expanding and contracting mushroom platforms. They are the only variant of mushroom platforms you can find here, and they shouldn't give you too much trouble. Note that you will move with the mushrooms when they grow or shrink, so it's ok to stand still on a mushroom to gauge the challenges ahead. As you progress forward, you should notice that some mushroom platforms don't grow and shrink at the same time as the others.

After a section of solid ground, there will be a red ring above a mushroom. The recommended order for collecting these coins is to jump to the right, landing on the lower mushroom, then jump to the left upper mushroom, before leaping over to the one on the right, then off the mushroom and on to the soil platform. There is a red Koopa here, the first enemy so far in the stage, as well as the checkpoint. Past the checkpoint, you should see a Star Coin beneath an outcrop. Wait until the mushroom platform below expands, then jump down and grab the coin. Hit the red switch and run on the red blocks to return to the ledge with the Koopa.

Jump on to the mushroom, then on to the ground above the previous Star Coin. Up ahead are two pairs of mushrooms with alternating growth/shrink cycles. Hit the single block among these mushrooms from below to cause a vine to grow into the sky. Climb up the vine to reach a secret area. Hit the P-Switch here to create some silver coins above the nearby Spin Block. Launch yourself up with the Spin Block and veer yourself into the second Star Coin at the top of this bonus area. Fall down the gap to be placed back on the two pairs of mushrooms.

On to the next section of ground, ground pound the middle column of the bunch of brick blocks to hit a 10-coin block. There are only a few more mushrooms before you get to the end. The lone block in this final series of mushrooms contains a 1-Up. There are also outlines that spawn coins in a straight line along the final two mushrooms. More importantly, there's a Star Coin on the mushroom platform below. Wait until all the mushrooms shrink before jumping down and getting it. Jump to the right to reach the flagpole.

Star Coins

 * 1) Below an outcrop of a cliff. Wait for the mushroom underneath to expand to grab it, then hit the red switch to get back upward.
 * 2) Hit the first block you see after the first Star Coin to extend a vine. Climb it to the bonus area, then use the Spin Block there to launch yourself to the Star Coin.
 * 3) On the penultimate mushroom before the flagpole. Wait for the two mushroom platforms above to shrink, then drop down for it.