New Super Mario Bros Questions

Hi, im continuing through [ The new super mario bros ] and i seem to come upon something that has got my attention, first of all, in the Boo cabins theres like 2 big giant ghosts where your progress of your level shows [ like how much is left and half way points etc ] What the hell are they for?! are they any use can you cacth em? Also i need to know all the warp pipe alternate routes [ like in some levels with a red flag at the end to go to a new area type thing ] also i need to know all the cannon alternate routes, if you can answer all of these for me i will be most happy, [ since i know nothing about them ] Thanks again!

Date of Question: Aug 23rd 2006 | Question ID: 65715

Okay, first, you just happen to find a ghost house, and normally you would have a "radar" that tells you where the end is right? Well, the supernatural beings are BLOCKING your radar. So you won't be able to tell where you are and how close you are from the end. No you cannot catch them. For your other questions, there is a pipe route in the first level in 5 at the bottom, I forget how to find it, but it takes you FAR through 5. I don't remember the rest sorry. In world 1, tower 1, remember the room where the last star coin is? Well there is ANOTHER SECRET PATH out of the room. Walk out of the right side(step on a block closest to the top, and go right). Please note that in order to do this trick you MUST have a blue shell on. Get sliding and break the blocks in the way. You will know the rest. For world 5, go in the ghost house and jump on the three bricks. Jump again while standing on the middle. Jump on the one you "revealed" and duck and jump again. A plant thingy will go up(and up, and up lol) and a ghost boxer will punch away the wall. You of course hide on top of him, shivering with fear. Once he "kills himself", go in the door. You will be on the lift like the other one. You will eventually get up there, then go through the door. The flag will be waiting for you like the chocolate in your fridge. Yours truly,

The Darkness that weilds the Keyblade