Super Mario RPG: Bandit's Way Walkthrough

Welcome to our complete story walkthrough of Super Mario RPG on Nintendo Switch and SNES.

An unknown bandit has just snatched Mallow’s coin in the Mushroom Kingdom and run off to Bandit’s Way, and it’s time to give chase. You’ll have to navigate this new area to catch the thief – but luckily, you’ve got a new party member in your squad!

Here’s our guide on Bandit’s Way in Super Mario RPG, where to find the Hidden Treasure chest and how to defeat Croco to recover Mallow’s stolen coin.

Bandit’s Way Enemies

Frogog

They’re a bit stronger than the other enemies you’ve encountered up to this point, so focus your attacks on them first and foremost. They’ll take a few turns to go down even with both Mario and Mallow attacking them.

K-9

Basic enemies, but they deal noticeable damage with their Fangs attack. They can also Howl to decrease a party member’s stats, so be on the lookout.

Bandit’s Way Walkthrough

Mallow will notice Croco as soon as you enter Bandit’s Way, but he’ll flee as soon as he spots you. Give chase to the next area, battling enemies along the way for some extra experience points. If you equipped the Hammer from the last battle, you’ll notice that Mario is now more than capable of knocking out Spiney enemies in a single strike. Nice! Make sure to stop at the Save block along the way.

On the next screen, Croco flees the scene yet again, leaving you to explore the second part of Bandit’s Way. Hop onto the spinning flower and then jump onto the cliff to your right. From there, jump onto the yellow blocks and they’ll spin and move.

Keep jumping on the front block to make it to the other side. If you fall, you’ll have to take on some K-9 enemies – these respawn infinitely, so farming them for experience points is an option.

Hidden Treasure 4 - Red flower

Before you leave the area, there’s a Surprise Box here! Hop on the red flower and then jump when you’re facing the blue flower (see the screenshot below).

You’ll uncover a box with a Croaka Cola / Kerokero Cola inside. This item restores each party member’s HP and FP, so it’s bound to come in handy soon.

Once you’ve opened the box, continue to the next area. Croco will appear again only to flee. Chase him again and eventually you’ll find a fork in the road where Croco heads left. Instead, head northeast to find a K-9 under a chest. Defeat it and then open the box to refill your HP and FP. At around this time, Mallow might level up. When you’re finished, head back and then take the leftmost path.

In this section, you’ll find a treasure box far above the ground. Jump onto the yellow platform and wait until the second platform hovers underneath the box. When it does, jump over and open the box to receive a Super Star! As soon as you get it, start ploughing your way through enemies to defeat them immediately and receive a ton of experience points.

When you’ve finished, head back to the yellow platforms and continue riding them until you can access the second treasure box which contains a Flower.

Now it's time to track Croco down! First, open the treasure box to receive a full heal. Then, you’ll need to corner Croco a total of three times by walking into him when he’s looking away from you. It might take you a few tries, but Mallow will eventually come out and prevent him from fleeing. A boss battle begins!

Boss - Croco

To get Mallow's coin back, you need to beat this purple crocodile and put him in his place. For tips on how to do that, check out our comprehensive guide on How To Defeat Croco.

Once you beat him, you will not only get Mallow's coin but also a wallet. You can now fast travel all the way back to the Mushroom Kingdom from the menu (or by using the trampoline in the SNES version).

Remember to save at the Save Block while you’re here. When you return to the Mushroom Kingdom, though, you’ll find that not everything is in order.

For more help on getting through Super Mario RPG, check out our full Super Mario RPG guide for everything you need.