Key Takeaways
- Mario games have a reputation for being difficult, especially the later levels, which can test even experienced players' patience and skills.
- Some of the hardest Mario levels include Wario's Castle from Super Mario Land 2, Rainbow Ride from Super Mario 64, Champion's Road from Super Mario 3D World, and Darker Side from Super Mario Odyssey.
- These levels can feature various challenging obstacles, such as no checkpoints, bottomless pits, collapsing platforms, vicious enemies, and demanding completion requirements.
There are so many Super Mario games that it can be hard to keep track of all the levels. Mario games are known for being difficult, especially the earlier ones. Some levels are short, some are long, and some are incredibly hard.
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If you’re a Super Mario fan, you know how challenging Mario levels can get. Even the most experienced players can be driven to anger when attempting to complete them. From Super Mario Odyssey all the way back to Super Mario Bros 2, the hardest Mario levels of all time will have you questioning whether saving Princess Peach is worth the trouble.
Updated August 18, 2023 by PJ Molloy: Anyone who says Mario games are easy has clearly never played one all the way through. Mario games have a knack for luring you in with their innocent, fun beginning stages and hitting you with some of the toughest platforming levels in later worlds. If you're a completionist, brace yourself. Post-game Mario levels deliver brutal challenges that put your skills to the ultimate test. Side effects of playing the hardest Mario levels include throwing your controller, rage-quitting, and uttering naughty words.
With all the buzz surrounding Super Mario Bros Wonder, now is the perfect time to revisit the toughest levels in Mario games to polish your platforming skills before you venture off on this new adventure.
20 Wario's Castle (Super Mario Land 2) Is A Giant Death Trap
Leave it to Wario to mess up your day. Once you complete all six worlds in Super Mario Land 2, you get to storm Wario's Castle to take down the greedy tyrant. This level is massive and filled with every obstacle under the sun, including falling spikes, collapsing floors, booby traps, instant-kill lava, and even two minibosses.
If you manage to reach the end, Wario will tower over you and use your own power-ups against you in a boss fight with three phases. What makes this one of the hardest Mario levels is that there are no checkpoints. If you die at any point, you have to do everything again.
19 Rainbow Ride (Super Mario 64) Is The Hardest Mario Level On N64
Bottomless pits are the bane of platforming fans' existence, and Rainbow Ride from Super Mario 64 is a prime example. It's a sky level with no footing underneath the platforms, making the entire world one giant bottomless pit. If you fall anywhere, you're done for.
Usually, that wouldn't be an issue, except this stage is brimming with violent gusts of wind, massive flamethrowers, spinning platforms, and vicious enemies that can easily knock you off in less than a second. Completing this world requires you to collect 100 coins, a nightmarish task that will test your patience. How can such a pleasant-looking Mario level be so frustrating?
18 Champion's Road (Super Mario 3D World) Is Pure Chaos
Mario games like to have one final challenge at the very end that features a special type of cruelty. Champion's Road from Super Mario 3D World is undoubtedly one of them. This stage combines several previous level gimmicks with new brutal twists that will make you sweat as you desperately try to survive.
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To beat Champion's Road, you need to run quickly across collapsing platforms while dodging fireballs and Magikoopas, jump in time with rapidly disappearing blocks, and complete an auto-runner segment that throws a never-ending barrage of lasers at you. Right when you think it's finally over is when you realize you need to beat the level with all five characters to complete the game 100 percent. Time to do it four more times.
17 Darker Side (Super Mario Odyssey) Is The Longest Mario Level
Who would've thought that the dark side of the Moon is hiding a merciless obstacle course? Darker Side is the final level in Super Mario Odyssey and delivers a gauntlet of challenges that pushes Mario's abilities to the limit. Beating this stage requires mastery of the game's capture mechanic, which allows you to transform into other creatures.
There are a whopping ten capture transformations spread across fifteen phases, making this one of the longest Mario levels. Challenges range from playing as Bowser while dodging falling boulders to a side-scrolling miniboss against Donkey Kong. To top it all off, you have to do it with one life. Yikes.
16 Grandmaster Galaxy Perfect Run (Super Mario Galaxy 2) Allows No Errors
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a must-play if you like platformers. But beware, because at the end of the game awaits one of the hardest Mario levels on the Wii. No other stage in the series throws this much stuff at you at once. Enemies, lasers, fireballs, and falling platforms fill the entire screen during ruthless segments that demand extremely precise platforming.
At least you have a health bar to protect you from the constant onslaught of attacks, right? Wrong. If this level wasn't difficult enough, you have to complete it without getting hit. Even the tiniest mistake can lead to a game over. Talk about unforgiving.
15 Lava Spire Daredevil Run (Super Mario Galaxy) Is A Merciless Challenge
Super Mario Galaxy introduced unique mechanics into the series and many challenging levels that wouldn't be possible in other Mario games. One of the hardest levels in Mario Galaxy is the Lava Spire Daredevil Run from Melty Molten Galaxy.
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The most challenging part of this level is that you have to outrun the lava, which moves quickly and can easily defeat you if you touch it. You're also not allowed to take any damage. If you get hit even once, it sends you all the way back to the beginning of the stage.
14 The Watermelon Festival (Super Mario Sunshine) Is Endlessly Frustrating
The Watermelon Festival is one of the most memorable beach levels in the Mario series but for the wrong reasons. It's an incredibly frustrating level from Super Mario Sunshine, where you have to push a giant watermelon to the end of a pier. Easier said than done.
The watermelon breaks very easily, and enemies stand in your way to block you from making it to the end. The hardest part about The Watermelon Festival is the pier, a small boardwalk where you can easily push the watermelon into the water accidentally.
13 Luigi's Purple Coin Chaos (Super Mario Galaxy 2) Has A Chase Sequence
Super Mario Galaxy 2 was an improved-upon version of the original game, and it came with many difficult levels. Luigi's Purple Coin Chaos from the Mario Squared Galaxy is tough because you have to collect 100 coins while running across disappearing platforms. If that wasn't enough, you also get chased by a slew of evil clones the whole time.
You need to move quickly to obtain all the coins, or you'll fall through the vanishing floor. Although its mechanic is different from every other stage, it's still one of the hardest Mario levels, especially from the 3D games.
12 World 6-2 (New Super Mario Bros Wii) Features A Moving Floor
While it's not quite as challenging as some of the earlier Mario games, New Super Mario Bros Wii has many annoying levels ranging from moderately hard to mind-bogglingly frustrating.
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One of these levels is World 6-2, an underground stage with many challenging aspects. The hardest part is the moving floor, which makes running difficult since it pushes you toward enemies, including massive Piranha Plants and pesky Hammer Bros. It’s very easy to accidentally run into a flying hammer, making for a pretty difficult stage.
11 World 7-4 (Super Mario Bros 3) Is A Difficult Underwater Level
Underwater levels are notorious for having many obstacles and being difficult to beat, so it’s no surprise that World 7-4 from Super Mario Bros 3 is one of the hardest Mario levels.
This stage is harder than the average underwater level, thanks to the barrage of enemies flying at you from all directions, including Cheep Cheeps and Bloopers. Don’t let the cuteness of these baddies fool you. They’re a force to be reckoned with in large numbers. It wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t a ton of obstacles in your way, making it difficult to maneuver around the enemies.
10 World 6-6 (New Super Mario Bros Wii) Offers A Challenging Twist
World 6-6 is a challenging underground level from New Super Mario Bros Wii. It has you riding on a boat through a dark cavern. Your only light source is a lamp on the back of the ship, which you can control by tilting the Wii Remote.
Dodging enemies while controlling the light makes for a challenging dynamic that requires good multitasking skills. The level is so dark that you can’t even see what’s in front of you most of the time, making it easy for bats and Fire Bros to ambush you. There’s even a secret exit that’s incredibly easy to miss unless you know exactly where to point the light.
9 World 7-7 (Super Mario Bros 3) Is Filled With Munchers
World 7-7 from Super Mario Bros 3 is made up of pipes, Piranha Plants, and Munchers. It's a basic level, but it still manages to be difficult since you must avoid Piranha Plants while constantly collecting stars so you can walk across the Munchers without being gobbled up.
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With a bit of practice, you can become quite adept at this level. However, if you're a new player, it can be somewhat of a roadblock. Either way, if you like completing difficult Mario levels, you'll get a kick out of beating this one.
8 Soda Lake (Super Mario World) Has An Onslaught Of Enemies
Here's another underwater stage to add to the collection of the hardest Mario levels. Soda Lake is from World Four of Super Mario World, and it's jam-packed with Torpedo Ted and Blurp enemies that relentlessly chase you.
You’ll find a unique challenge in this level with all the Torpedo Teds. It's even harder due to the underwater physics, making you move slower than you do on land. Get ready for an annoying time during this stage. Torpedo Ted is ready to defeat every Mario Brother.
7 World 8-1 (Super Mario Bros 3) Is One Of The Hardest Mario Levels On NES
World 8-1 from Super Mario Bros 3 is the perfect way to welcome you to Bowser's homeland. It's dark, spooky, and filled with enemies who want Mario dead. Bullet Bills fly at you from all directions, Boos try to sneak up behind you, and walls of Paratroopas block massive bottomless pits that require precise jumping to overcome.
With so many enemies, it can be a challenging level if you're new to Mario games. Thankfully, the time limit gives you 300 seconds, so at least you have a lot of time.
6 World 5-1 (Super Mario Bros 2) Requires Quick Reflexes
World 5-1 immediately sets the tone by having a giant ostrich charge at you when the level starts. Yeah, this game is a little weird. This stage from Super Mario Bros 2 has some of the trickiest platforming in the game. You need to hop across tiny bugs and logs to get past several waterfalls. The timing here is fast-paced, so it’s best to play as Luigi or Princess Peach.
On top of that, Birdo gets a power boost, substituting her usual egg-throwing for spewing fireballs. Even if you’re a seasoned Mario player, you can still find some difficulty during this level.
5 World 7-Castle (New Super Mario Bros) Is Brimming With Danger
Don’t you just love bottomless pits? World 7 – Castle from New Super Mario Bros is home to the menacing boss Lakithunder, who waits for you on the roof in his massive lightning cloud. But before you can fight him, you need to survive a tough stage.
The level has you ride a flying snake made of blocks while dodging Thwomps. Amps and Ball ‘N Chains. A bottomless pit lingers below you, and a row of spikes fills the ceiling above. Make one mistake, and you’re toast.
4 World 8-Airship (Super Mario Bros 3) Is The Toughest Stage In The Game
As any platforming fan knows, small platforms and tough enemies make a deadly combination. World 8-Airship from Super Mario Bros 3 is an auto-scrolling level that moves much faster than other stages. There are only three types of enemies in this level, but they're a deadly bunch.
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You need to hop across small airships while dodging flamethrowers and wrench-throwing Monty Moles. Because of the tiny platforms and the extra fast side-scrolling, this stage has gone down in history as one of the hardest Mario levels.
3 World 8-7 (New Super Mario Bros) Is The Hardest Mario Level On DS
World 8-7 from New Super Mario Bros is quite the Koopa-Haven. This level has many varieties of Koopa enemies, including Boomerang Bros and Fire Bros. There are also many flying Paratroopas, which you must jump on to gain height and advance to the next platform.
Because of the large diversity of Koopa enemy types, it's a difficult level to memorize, making it one of the toughest stages in a Super Mario game to date. If you're looking for a stage to challenge yourself, World 8-7 will not disappoint.
2 Impossible Pack (New Super Mario Bros 2) Lives Up To Its Name
This is technically a level pack, but it contains some of the hardest levels in the history of Mario games. This DLC pack from New Super Mario Bros 2 consists of three levels that provide quite a challenge and are extremely difficult to complete
The first level takes place on an enemy-infested beach, the second is lava-themed, and the third is a castle with massive buzz saws and a poison lake under Mario's feet. Each stage has unique challenges that differ from the usual obstacles that you would find in an average Mario level.
1 World C-3 (Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels) Is The Hardest Mario Level Ever
Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels is famous for being the most brutal game in the series, and nowhere is that more apparent than World C-3. You jump from spring to spring to get across platforms while the violent wind tries to push you off, and Lakitus and Paratroopas swoop around you.
World C-3 has a high reputation for being an extremely difficult level that takes multiple attempts to beat. It's undoubtedly the hardest Mario level and will test your platforming skills and your patience.
NEXT: The Easiest And Hardest Mario Games
