6 Hardest Levels in Mario History

Nintendo’s long-running Mario series is well-known for having a near-perfect mix of relatively easy levels to bring new players in, and incredibly difficult challenges that will test veteran players. This list is only concerned with the latter, looking to find the six most difficult levels in Super Mario‘s long history. Obviously, a list like this is a little subjective, but most players should agree that these are among the hardest Mario levels ever.

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Here are the six most difficult Super Mario levels of all time.

6) Super Mario Maker 1 & 2

This one might be a cheat. Super Mario Maker 1 & 2 is filled with ridiculously difficult levels that have been created by some of the most fiendish minds in the Mario community. That means the toughest levels in those games aren’t created by developers, which makes it impossible to rank this one.

That said, it would feel weird not to include Super Mario Maker 1 & 2 on this list. Those games sit somewhere between normal Super Mario games and Kaizo Mario, which I’m not including because those level hacks take things to an even bigger extreme. That said, if you think this entry is cheating, replace it with Luigi’s Purple Coin Chaos in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

5) Longest Journey’s End – Super Mario Odyssey

This is the final challenge in Super Mario Odyssey, and the developers pull out all the stops for this one. You have to make your way through one of the most difficult gauntlets in the game, and have no checkpoints to reset your progress if you make a mistake. You’ll need to totally master Mario’s toolset if you want to finish this one.

Granted, there are a few ways to skirt around the more challenging sections, but if you’re playing this one straight-up, it’s going to take some time. Still, The Longest Journey’s End is very difficult, but it isn’t impossible. We’ll save that for later entries.

4) World 8 Airship – Super Mario Bros. 3

Now for a classic take on Super Mario‘s difficulty. Super Mario Bros. 3 is viewed by many as the best of the early games. Super Mario World is certainly up there, but there’s something so pure about SMB3 that has many fans going to the mat for it. What they probably don’t love is the Airship in World 8.

Like The Longest Journey’s End, there are a few ways to make this easier. In fact, some might argue that using a P-Wing is almost required to get through this slog of a level. If you try to complete this one on foot, you’re almost guaranteed to fail. There are just too many projectiles and picture-perfect jumps for most humans to get past without help.

3) Champion’s Road – Super Mario 3D World

The Champion’s Path is also similar to the Longest Journey’s End, but for a different reason. This level is another gauntlet of different types of challenges, testing everything you’ve learned while playing through Super Mario 3D World.

There are a few particular difficult sections, including the laser wavers and annoying rhythm blocks. Granted, you can use the Mario character’s abilities to give yourself a slight edge, but most of these challenges will still give most players trouble. It’s one of the more frenetic pieces of platforming in Super Mario history, and easily earns a spot on this list.

2) The Impossible Pack – New Super Mario Bros. 2

It’s in the name, people. The Impossible Pack is technically a series of three levels, but it’s all interconnected. If you fail during the third level, you’ll go back to the first one, so don’t come in expecting checkpoints to make things easy.

There are so many obstacles in your path to victory. Poison lakes, seemingly endless Bob-oombs, and rooms filled with projectiles are just the tip of the iceberg. In terms of pure platforming, it doesn’t get much more difficult than The Impossible Level. The only thing holding it back from the top spot is that you’re not also constantly fighting the camera since New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a 2D game.

1) Grandmaster Galaxy – Perfect Run – Super Mario Galaxy 2

Again, I would not be mad if you put The Impossible Pack in the top slot. It is absolutely the toughest platforming challenge in a Super Mario game. However, The Perfect Run of the Grandmaster Galaxy level takes the top spot for me because you’re also fighting the camera as you race through the level.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s also an incredibly difficult level with plenty of enemies and projectiles to keep track of. However, the real problem is Super Mario Galaxy 2‘s camera and controls. There are simply more things working against you in a 3D Mario game. The one saving grace is that you have to get through several other challenging levels to get here, which almost serve as practice runs for the big show. Still, The Perfect Run is the hardest 3D Mario level by a solid margin.

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