Can anyone offer suggestions on what I could be missing?  I've tried going through some walkthroughs and it seems like I've done everything.  Is 96% the highest?

Sometimes in workd 5 you have to open a path thats already open...other than that your golden

Can you explain a bit more?  Which do you mean by world 5?

If I remember correctly, the 96 refers to how many exits you found. There should be a star next to the save file if you found all of them.

It's not 96%, but 96 exits. I'm pretty sure Bowser counts as an exit, so it might only show 95. I'm not sure actually. Been a while.

World 5 would be Forest of Illusion

Sometimes in world 5 and 6, there are exits which lead around in a circle.

if it is yellow there is only 1 path, if the lvl is red there is 2 paths.

also get all the "Yoshi Coins" in every lvl. if you cant find any yoshi coins in a lvl that meens you alreay got them all

It's not a completion percentage. It's the number of levels/exits, both normal and secret. And yes, 96 is 100%.

EDIT: Looks like some others beat me to it.

Like said, if the level is red there are 2 exits.

Some places people go wrong are:
- red star world levels all have 2 exits. One goes forward, the others backward on the map.
- Also in the Forest Of Illusion that guy was talking about, I don't remember which level it is but you can beat the level and build a path away from it to another level. However there is also a way to finish this other level and lead the same path back to the original level (which is already cleared).
For example, if you beat level A and it leads a path to level B, there is a way to complete level B where a path will lead back to level A. Along the already cleared path. I don't remember where.

EDIT - Is Mario standing on a red level? I think that leads back up to the ghost house if you finish it a second way.

If thats your save, then its complete, because the world changes colors when you 100% it. My last playthrough I forgot that Star Road you need to get both exits in each level.

I don't remember how, but I got 100 on three save files on the GBA. In a row. I love that game.

I bought that game for $10 for my girlfriend's 10 year old son. He played it once and gave it to a friend because he hated it. Kids these days.....

That map is from my game emulator but I only have 92 and I've seen people with 96 on youtube so there's stuff I'm missing I know.

Shame

on super mario world its 96* If you are seeing 92 that means you have 4 more level exits to find.

my last time i tried I got the game 96* in 4 hours. I can almost bet I know one your missing in a ghost house. Its actually pretty tough to locate. Involves P blocks and timing and a little luck.

All I can suggest is to make sure you got both exits in all the Star Road levels, and the round-about in world 6, the 2nd red level, not sure if you got that one.

http://ghostss.biz/super-mario-wo...

this is the one I was talking about. Did you get this exit?

Yea, got the red level where mario just goes in a pointless circle in world 6.  And on the screen where there are star levels in the shape of a star, I've beaten each level twice.  You beat them one way and nothing happens and you beat them the secret way and the path opens up I believe.

I'm pretty sure the star road at the base of the mountain before the tubular levels has 3 exits....fuck i'm almost tempted to throw my copy in and take a look at what might be confusing.

Yea you can tell I already did that cause looking at the map I posted, I have the path going up from the ghost house to the fortress above it.

Heh, well I've been stuck at 92% for about two decades.

Every time I go back and play through SMW after a few years, I get to 92% before I get stuck...it's usually the star roads that get me.

Alright well this video claims to get 96 exits so I'm gonna sit through this and hopefully answer my question...

Yep, 96 exits. Nope, Front Door and Back Door do not count towards your exit count, neither does Yoshi's House, Top Secret Area, or any other levels that "end" by touching the sides of the screen (except any level that ends with Yoshi's Wings).

As others have said, common places people miss exits are Star World, any ghost houses and Forest of Illusion. Don't forget Chocolate Secret 4 (I think), the level where you can end up going in a circle on the overworld.

Basically, any red level dots must be cleared twice using both exits.

What about the red levels going to Star Road? I know if you clear out Star Road it accesses each of those levels, but did you clear the level from the main world going to it?