Main Walkthrough

As you explore Super Mario RPG you may occasionally discover invisible chests. Known formally as Surprise Boxes, these hidden treasures are scattered throughout the world, and you can find one in almost every area of the game. The tough part, of course, is knowing where to look, as the chests offer no clues as to their locations.

There are two in-game ways to get a better handle on the Surprise Boxes of Super Mario RPG:

  • First, you can visit the Chester living in Monstro Town. It is located on the second floor of Monstermama's home, and will tell you how many hidden chests you still need to find.
  • Second, you can grab the Signal Ring from Croco. Visit Nimbus Kingdom once you've defeated Valentina and check the houses in the east. Croco will be inside one, and he'll drop the Signal Ring when you surprise him. If you have the Signal Ring equipped on a character when entering an area with a Surprise Box it will play a chime.
This guide will help you track down the hidden chests of Super Mario RPG. There are thirty-nine in all, and they're difficult to track down without a bit of help.


Mushroom Kingdom
  • Item Shop, basement. A Toad in the basement will tell Mario to stand before her and jump. This will reveal the game's 'tutorial' hidden chest. Contains a Flower.
  • Item Shop, basement. The Toad in the basement of the shop will wander around once explaining Surprise Boxes. Wait until she wanders to the east corner of the room, near the bottom of the stairs, then jump onto her head and use it to check the air for the next chest. Contains a Flower.
  • Castle, main hallway. During your first visit Toad will walk down the hallway to the throne room. You need to jump onto his head and use him to get onto the architecture above the northeastern door. The chest is up here. You can only get this chest during your first visit, so save before entering the castle. Contains a Frog Coin.

Bandit's Way
  • Second area. On the east side of the area with dirt cliffs is a spinning pink flower. Hop onto it and wait until it spins Mario eastward, facing towards a nearby blue flower. Jump off and you'll strike the chest above. Contains a Kerokero Cola.

Rose Town
  • Item Shop. Jump onto the shelves in the rear of the shop, behind the counter, and check the air in the northern corner. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Northern home, second floor bedroom. Use the stranded Toad's head to jump up to his house. Bounce on the bed to reveal the chest. Contains a Frog Coin.

Forest Maze
  • Forested area. There's a small clearing at the entrance to the Forest Maze. Check the west side of the clearing and you can find a hidden chest. Contains a Kerokero Cola.
  • Forested area. After going through the first cave and emerging from a tree stump pipe you'll be in a small clearing. Up and to the left of the tree stump is the chest. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Cave area, seven tree stump pipes. Enter the first stump on the right, furthest to the east. Check the air above the spotlight to the west of where you land. Contains a Flower.
  • Cave area, seven tree stump pipes. Enter the central stump in the left row. North of the springboard and a little bit to the left, in a corner, is the hidden chest. Contains... nothing.
  • Cave area, seven tree stump pipes. Enter the northwestern stump, where there's a sleeping Wiggler. Disturb the Wiggler and it will launch Mario back to the surface. Go back down and check the spot where the Wiggler was sleeping. Contains a Kerokero Cola.
  • Forested area. Proceed until you reach the save block, just before the forest paths where you need to follow Geno. East of the save block and in a corner of the map, right beside the northeastern exit, is a Surprise Box. Contains a Red Essence.

Pipe Vault
  • Side area with a Frog Coin. Go down the first pipe in the third area of the Pipe Vault, where there are Pirahna Plants popping out of pipes. You'll find a narrow pathway with bricks overhead. Check the end of the bricks for a hidden platform that will get you on top. The chest is hidden four floor tiles to the northeast of the yellow platform. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Side area with a Frog Coin. Between the chest listed above and the visible chest at the end of the pathway is another chest. Contains a Frog Coin.

Yo'ster Isle
  • Exit to the Pipe Vault. Check the air next to the save block, in the clearing to the northeast of Yo'ster Isle's main area. Contains a Frog Coin.

Booster Pass
  • Lakitu valley. Check the west side of the area with the patrolling Lakitu and you'll find a lone cactus up on a cliff edge. (Later on this cliff will serve as the entrance to the Sniffit training course.) Get onto the rocks and use the cactus to jump into the air, where you'll find the chest. Contains a Flower.
  • Lakitu valley. Climb the northern cliffs until you find the exit to the second area of Booster Pass. Check the air a little ways to the left of the exit point to find a chest. Contains a Rock Candy.

Booster Tower
  • Spookum hallway. A short way up Booster Tower you'll find a set of stairs with a neverending procession of Spookums. Climb to the top, then check the air a short walk northeast of the exit, above a black floor tile. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Trick perspective room. Proceed through Booster Tower until you're launched from a seesaw by a Thwomp. You'll land in an oddly-perspectived room with Spookums descending on parachutes. Check the western corner of the lowest walkway and you'll find a hidden chest, above a black square. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Final hallway. Just outside Booster's room you'll find orange platforms leading up to a chest. If you leap from the platforms and onto the top of the chest you'll find a second, hidden chest above it. Contains a Goodie Bag.
  • Final hallway. Check the air beside the eastern-most orange platform to find a hidden chest, above a white floor tile. Contains a full-heal mushroom.

Marrymore
  • Marrymore Hotel, second floor. Enter the 'normal' room at the hotel and jump onto the highest point of the cabinets on the left side of the room. The chest is hidden up here. Contains a Frog Coin.

Sunken Ship
  • Mirror room. Partway through the Sunken Ship you'll find a lonely hallway with a Mario doppelganger that will mirror his movements. The only way to get over the doppelganger is to jump towards him while walking. Hidden halfway through the room is a block that will reveal a chest when smacked. To reach the chest you'll need to manever the doppelganger to the midpoint of the room and jump onto his head. Contains a Kerokero Cola.

Land's End
  • First area. Launch yourself from the first cannon and onto the northeastern cliffs, then hop onto the yellow platform that's moving up and down the cliff. Wait until the platform reaches its highest point, then jump north to reveal the chest. Contains a Red Essence.
  • Second area. Launch yourself to the upper cliffs and into the hole full of enemies. In front of the hole is a hidden yellow platform. Reveal it, then use the cannon on the lower level to fly up onto the platform. Use the platform to hop to the highest point of the cliffs. On the left side of the highest point of the cliffs is a hidden chest. Contains a Kerokero Cola.
  • Fourth area. On the grassy lower section of this map you'll find a row of blue flowers. Hidden between the two eastern-most flowers is a chest. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Cave beneath the Sky Bridge. Drop into the cave and fight your way to the north. There are small indents in the cave walls, and you can find a hidden chest in the northern-most indent. Contains a Frog Coin.

Belome Temple
  • Between the fortune rooms. After getting your first fortune you'll enter a room with two chests, on two levels of the temple. If you hop onto the chest on the upper level you'll find a hidden treasure above it. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Between the fortune rooms. Still in the same room, check a short ways southwest of the chest on the lower level. In a corner of the brickwork wall you'll find another hidden chest. Contains a Frog Coin.

Monstro Town
  • Entrance. To the left of the door leading to the world map is a bush. Check to the left of the bush to find a chest. Contains a Frog Coin.

Bean Valley
  • First area. Enter the first, eastern pipe from the entrance to Bean Valley, then head to the next pipe in line. There's a chest hidden beside the hills to the left of the pipe. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Pirahna Plant pipes. Wait for the Shy Away to water the Pirahna Plants, the defeat the southeastern plant. Enter the pipe and you'll find a pathway to a dead end with a chest. Check the air to the southwest of the visible chest, near the wall, for a Surprise Box. Contains Kerokero Cola.
  • Pirahna Plant pipes. Defeat the eastern-most Pirahna Plant and enter its pipe. You'll find a clearing with yellow brick steps in the northeast. Check along the eastern wall, just south of the yellow steps, to find a hidden chest. Contains a Red Essence.

Nimbus Kingdom
  • Item Shop. Climb onto the boxes in the rear of the shop and jump towards the front desk to reveal the chest. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Nimbus Castle, hallway to a save block. Proceed through the western-most door in the hallway with three doors. The hallway beyond leads to a room with a save block. Check the air in the corridor just before you exit to the save block room to find a hidden chest. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Nimbus Castle, hallway to a save block. Across the hall from the previous Surprise Box is a black void with an invisible pathway. Skim along the wall to find the path, then check the air at the end for a hidden chest. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Nimbus Castle, Birdo antechamber. Northeast of the room where you fight Birdo is a two-level room with a chest on the lower level. Jump on top of the chest and you'll find a second, hidden chest on top. Contains a Frog Coin.
  • Nimbus Castle, hallway with three doors. Just before the room where you fought Birdo are three doors. Next the western-most door is a bird cage, and during your first visit to the castle there's a chest here. Defeat Valentina, then revisit this hallway. The chest beside the bird cage will be gone. Check the same spot to find a hidden chest. Contains a Frog Coin.

Smithy's Factory
  • Gate, by the second save block. Proceed through Smithy's Factory until you find an area with a bunch of Ameboids and a button to press. Beyond this area is a small clearing with a save block. The chest is hidden in the air to the left of the save block. Contains a full-heal mushroom.