The 10 Hardest Super Mario Levels
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VOICE OVER: Ty Richardson
WRITTEN BY: Ty Richardson
While Mario typically adheres to players of all ages and skill levels, Nintendo has given him some pretty tough levels to make it through. For this list, we'll be looking at difficult Mario levels designed to test your mettle. Our list includes Champion's Road from “Super Mario 3D World” (2013), Pachinko from “Super Mario Sunshine” (2002), World C-3 from “Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels” (1986), and more!
Script written by Ty Richardson
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 Hardest “Super Mario” Levels! While Mario typically adheres to players of all ages and skill levels, Nintendo has shown that even the plucky plumber can test your mettle from time to time. Which Mario level do you believe is the most challenging? Let us know down in the comments.
“Super Mario Bros. 3” is already a challenging game with its enemy placement, demanding platforming, and airships that turn the game into a bullet hell. World 8’s Fortress, on the other hand, is the biggest pain of the bunch. As if the tight spaces and conveyor belts weren't a hassle already, this Fortress also employs a series of fake doors that will send you back to the start. Considering the stress and frustration it inflicts, you’d think this level would have a more challenging boss at the end rather than Boom-Boom.
“New Super Mario Bros.” isn’t exactly tough in terms of gameplay, mechanics, or even enemy placement. Granted, those are factors as to why World 8-7 is a challenge on its own. What else would you expect from a level that really hounds you with every variant of Hammer Bros in the game? But what adds to the difficulty is the Nintendo DS itself, specifically its D-pad and how Mario controls in general. It can make it cumbersome to precisely jump on the Hammer Bros, sometimes leading to you taking a hit. It can sometimes feel like you’re being punished for being cautious with Mario’s movement.
Originally, we were going to put Rainbow Ride on here due to how segmented the world is and how easy it is to fall off. Then, we remembered Tick Tock Clock, the world that changes its behavior depending on where the hands fall when you enter. This simple feature will determine entirely how easy or hard your mission will become, especially when certain missions will require the clock to function with all moving parts. A guide will certainly help in completing every Star here as smoothly and quickly as possible. Just beware of the Heave-Ho wandering around midway up the level.
“Super Mario 3D World” is overall an easy game, a breezy jog for those looking for a simple platformer that focuses more on fun than making the player sweat. But for those who really wanna test their skills, there is one course to cap off your quest. Champion’s Road forces you to constantly be on the move with disappearing platforms, beat blocks, swinging spike pendulums, and even a section that restricts you to swimming controls as you avoid spiked walls. And you better have a grasp on the constant motion inflicted by boost pads or else the final stretch is going to be a drag for you.
Speaking of final stretches, “Super Mario Odyssey” holds a massive challenge for those looking to experience everything the game has to offer. Upon collecting five hundred Power Moons, you’ll unlock The Darker Side of the Moon, which houses the notorious Long Journey’s End. From Moonsnakes and lava to cannons and Burrbos, your knowledge and understanding of every Capture and every little maneuver will be put to the test here. You will not have any checkpoints to fall back on here either; dying will send you all the way back to the very beginning of the level. Only the strong survive here.
When playing “Super Mario Galaxy” for the first time, many had to adjust to the different camera angles and occasionally having to play while Mario is upside-down. Tricky, yes, but that’s not even the hardest part of “Galaxy”. Luigi’s Purple Coins has had even the most hardcore Mario players banging their heads against a wall. Our walkable Luigi is coated with green checkered platforms, which, as every “Galaxy” player knows, disappear as soon as you step on them. And due to Luigi’s design, he creates an awkward layout that makes it insanely hard to calculate your path and adapt accordingly. It's especially painful if you miss a coin mid-jump. You may as well jump off and restart at that point.
The most frustrating aspect of “Super Mario Sunshine” is its lack of polish, at least the clean polish that most Nintendo games usually sport. This lack of polish is exactly why the Pachinko level is the most painful, the most grueling, the most aggravating part of “Super Mario Sunshine”. The finicky physics and restrictive controls can lead to some ridiculously unfair deaths and rack up the number of lives lost. Some YouTubers claim there is an easy method to cheesing this level, but we all know there is no real control here.
“DANGER! This pack is for pro players only! Difficulty: five Bowsers out of five” That is what the screen tells you prior to starting the Impossible Pack, and it is not a message to be taken lightly. Lasting three levels, the Impossible Pack puts you in a harrowing crunch for time, only giving you a little under two minutes to finish the course. Death awaits you around every corner in the form of pitfalls, Porcupuffers, fire bars, grinders, and poisoned water. Speed, efficiency, and caution are all required here. Don’t dilly dally too long, and be mindful of your position.
Just when you thought “The Lost Levels” couldn’t get any more infuriating to tolerate with its convoluted level design, World C-3 steps in and puts you through the wringer. The entire level focuses on utilizing Super Springs to launch Mario so high into the air that you’ll have to guess where exactly he is and hope you can land him at the next Super Spring. To make matters worse, a blustery wind will affect your trajectory, making deaths feel super cheap at times. Perhaps Nintendo was right to keep “Lost Levels” from the West and reskin “Doki Doki Panic” instead.
Show of hands, who beat Grandmaster Galaxy? Cool, cool. But who beat Grandmaster Galaxy’s Perfect Run? For those unaware, this is one of the toughest challenges of any Mario game as you will have to traverse this final challenge without getting hit once. And Grandmaster Galaxy does not hold back! Disappearing platforms, hordes of enemies attacking at once, narrow pathways that can send you into a galactic abyss, projectiles coming from every which way - it all creates a new kind of Hell of the player. But it is also brilliant in its design, so much so that a whole speedrunning community was born from it, and the methods they’ve found are unbelievable.
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 Hardest “Super Mario” Levels! While Mario typically adheres to players of all ages and skill levels, Nintendo has shown that even the plucky plumber can test your mettle from time to time. Which Mario level do you believe is the most challenging? Let us know down in the comments.
World 8 Fortress
“Super Mario Bros. 3” (1988)“Super Mario Bros. 3” is already a challenging game with its enemy placement, demanding platforming, and airships that turn the game into a bullet hell. World 8’s Fortress, on the other hand, is the biggest pain of the bunch. As if the tight spaces and conveyor belts weren't a hassle already, this Fortress also employs a series of fake doors that will send you back to the start. Considering the stress and frustration it inflicts, you’d think this level would have a more challenging boss at the end rather than Boom-Boom.
World 8-7
“New Super Mario Bros.” (2006)“New Super Mario Bros.” isn’t exactly tough in terms of gameplay, mechanics, or even enemy placement. Granted, those are factors as to why World 8-7 is a challenge on its own. What else would you expect from a level that really hounds you with every variant of Hammer Bros in the game? But what adds to the difficulty is the Nintendo DS itself, specifically its D-pad and how Mario controls in general. It can make it cumbersome to precisely jump on the Hammer Bros, sometimes leading to you taking a hit. It can sometimes feel like you’re being punished for being cautious with Mario’s movement.
Tick Tock Clock
“Super Mario 64” (1996)Originally, we were going to put Rainbow Ride on here due to how segmented the world is and how easy it is to fall off. Then, we remembered Tick Tock Clock, the world that changes its behavior depending on where the hands fall when you enter. This simple feature will determine entirely how easy or hard your mission will become, especially when certain missions will require the clock to function with all moving parts. A guide will certainly help in completing every Star here as smoothly and quickly as possible. Just beware of the Heave-Ho wandering around midway up the level.
Champion’s Road
“Super Mario 3D World” (2013)“Super Mario 3D World” is overall an easy game, a breezy jog for those looking for a simple platformer that focuses more on fun than making the player sweat. But for those who really wanna test their skills, there is one course to cap off your quest. Champion’s Road forces you to constantly be on the move with disappearing platforms, beat blocks, swinging spike pendulums, and even a section that restricts you to swimming controls as you avoid spiked walls. And you better have a grasp on the constant motion inflicted by boost pads or else the final stretch is going to be a drag for you.
Long Journey’s End
“Super Mario Odyssey” (2017)Speaking of final stretches, “Super Mario Odyssey” holds a massive challenge for those looking to experience everything the game has to offer. Upon collecting five hundred Power Moons, you’ll unlock The Darker Side of the Moon, which houses the notorious Long Journey’s End. From Moonsnakes and lava to cannons and Burrbos, your knowledge and understanding of every Capture and every little maneuver will be put to the test here. You will not have any checkpoints to fall back on here either; dying will send you all the way back to the very beginning of the level. Only the strong survive here.
Luigi’s Purple Coins
“Super Mario Galaxy” (2007)When playing “Super Mario Galaxy” for the first time, many had to adjust to the different camera angles and occasionally having to play while Mario is upside-down. Tricky, yes, but that’s not even the hardest part of “Galaxy”. Luigi’s Purple Coins has had even the most hardcore Mario players banging their heads against a wall. Our walkable Luigi is coated with green checkered platforms, which, as every “Galaxy” player knows, disappear as soon as you step on them. And due to Luigi’s design, he creates an awkward layout that makes it insanely hard to calculate your path and adapt accordingly. It's especially painful if you miss a coin mid-jump. You may as well jump off and restart at that point.
Pachinko
“Super Mario Sunshine” (2002)The most frustrating aspect of “Super Mario Sunshine” is its lack of polish, at least the clean polish that most Nintendo games usually sport. This lack of polish is exactly why the Pachinko level is the most painful, the most grueling, the most aggravating part of “Super Mario Sunshine”. The finicky physics and restrictive controls can lead to some ridiculously unfair deaths and rack up the number of lives lost. Some YouTubers claim there is an easy method to cheesing this level, but we all know there is no real control here.
Impossible Pack
“New Super Mario Bros. 2” (2012)“DANGER! This pack is for pro players only! Difficulty: five Bowsers out of five” That is what the screen tells you prior to starting the Impossible Pack, and it is not a message to be taken lightly. Lasting three levels, the Impossible Pack puts you in a harrowing crunch for time, only giving you a little under two minutes to finish the course. Death awaits you around every corner in the form of pitfalls, Porcupuffers, fire bars, grinders, and poisoned water. Speed, efficiency, and caution are all required here. Don’t dilly dally too long, and be mindful of your position.
World C-3
“Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels” (1986)Just when you thought “The Lost Levels” couldn’t get any more infuriating to tolerate with its convoluted level design, World C-3 steps in and puts you through the wringer. The entire level focuses on utilizing Super Springs to launch Mario so high into the air that you’ll have to guess where exactly he is and hope you can land him at the next Super Spring. To make matters worse, a blustery wind will affect your trajectory, making deaths feel super cheap at times. Perhaps Nintendo was right to keep “Lost Levels” from the West and reskin “Doki Doki Panic” instead.
Grandmaster Galaxy - The Perfect Run
“Super Mario Galaxy 2” (2010)Show of hands, who beat Grandmaster Galaxy? Cool, cool. But who beat Grandmaster Galaxy’s Perfect Run? For those unaware, this is one of the toughest challenges of any Mario game as you will have to traverse this final challenge without getting hit once. And Grandmaster Galaxy does not hold back! Disappearing platforms, hordes of enemies attacking at once, narrow pathways that can send you into a galactic abyss, projectiles coming from every which way - it all creates a new kind of Hell of the player. But it is also brilliant in its design, so much so that a whole speedrunning community was born from it, and the methods they’ve found are unbelievable.
