Super Mario Bros 2. Japan progress

(tags game, Super Mario Bros, Game Boy Advance, side-scroll, progress)

Well I can't seem to get past SMB2 World 2-4 from the World 1-1, but I am slowly memorizing my way through the levels. My best score is somewhere around 190000 points. Wow, I'm worried about points in a Super Mario Bros. game, isn't that rare?! Who was the dumb guy who made the high score save a manual option? Idiotic. I keep thinking it would be better if they added 1 point for each continue like shmups do so you know if your score is pure 1CC or not.

One thing I'm trying to figure out is the pace I should attack each sub-area. Maybe I'm rushing myself into making mistakes. Hello again, bottomless pit of death.

Or maybe it's the fault of the controller. My optional GBA Micro "condom" skin suit is interfering with my rightward movement. Hello again, pirana plant.

Oh and I can't really do the hard exploratory stuff on the bus or train, it just takes too much concentration.