Pardon the double post, but this is kind of important and I want to bring attention to it.
I created basic maps of EVERY level in the game. They don't show any object locations, because I don't know where that is stored in RAM. But I do have all the level layouts here, which should be more than ample for route planning.
You may notice that the map for 7-3 has a sealed-off area. That area is where the boss door is located, and getting in there is a bit... unorthodox. See, there are other doors in levels that take you to bonus levels, and when you clear said bonus level, you reappear elsewhere on the map. (But if you die, you lose a life and have to start over in the stage itself.) So, in 7-3, you have to go through a bonus level to reach the sealed area, so you can reach the final boss. This is, IIRC, the only time a bonus stage is mandatory.