Hardest Mario Games To 100% Complete

Highlights

Completing each Super Mario game is easy, but 100% completion is a challenge due to hidden collectibles and secrets in every level.
Specific tasks like finding multiple exits in Super Mario World or touching every flagpole in 3D Land add complexity to reaching 100% completion.
Super Mario Odyssey and Galaxy 2 offer over 200 stars to collect, providing a hefty challenge for completionists with great rewards.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve played my fair share of Super Mario games. And let me tell you, some of these titles have left quite an impression on me – in some cases, more challenging than others!

The “Super Mario” series isn’t known for being overly challenging, but it offers a wealth of content for devoted fans, particularly in terms of collectibles. Completing each “Super Mario” game can be relatively easy, but achieving a perfect completion score is a significant undertaking for gaming enthusiasts. With the series continuing to grow in size every year, this feat becomes even more challenging.

The Mario franchise’s classic games provide great value for the price. Their challenging levels and abundant collectibles make them among the most difficult to finish in the entire Mario series.

While the side games based on the Mario series are not as challenging as the main installments, the latter can be quite a feat to fully complete due to their abundant collectibles and hidden secrets. Here are four particularly tough Mario titles worth checking out.

1 Super Mario World

96 Exits And Two Bonus Worlds

Completing Super Mario World, the classic SNES side-scroller, is a more complex feat than most other 2D Mario games. This game presents a greater challenge with its seven regular worlds, along with Star World and Special Zone. These areas contain some of the most demanding 2D levels found in any Mario title, remaining tough even by modern gaming standards.

Instead of merely finishing every level to the fullest in “Super Mario World,” gamers must locate the right exits for each stage. Some levels may even have multiple exits. Finding these on your own can be quite challenging, so don’t feel bad if you need to look up solutions online.

2 Super Mario 3D Land

A Special World, 285 Star Medals, And Hitting The Top Of Every Flagpole

Prior to the release of Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U, Super Mario 3D Land served as the first installment of the series on the 3DS. This game provided a complete 3D experience with everyone’s favorite plumber, Mario, in a portable format. To achieve a perfect completion of this title, gamers needed to accomplish five objectives: finish the main storyline, conquer all courses within World 8, tackle the challenges of Special 8 world, and gather all 285 Star Medals.

The final challenge for gamers may be the most difficult: reaching the summit of each flagpole using both Mario and Luigi. Luigi can only join in once he’s been rescued from a specific level in Super Star World. Successfully completing this feat earns players five shining stars on their save data. Regrettably, if players have come across an Assist Block during their gameplay, the stars will not glitter.

3 New Super Mario Bros. Wii

255 Star Coins, An Extra World, And Hidden Exits

As a huge fan of the New Super Mario Bros. series, I can tell you that completing 100% in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is quite similar to its DS predecessor in terms of challenges. To get all five stars on my save file, I need to finish the final level, which is World 8-Bowser’s Castle. But that’s not all! I also have to gather a total of 231 Star Coins from the first eight worlds. And if I want to achieve perfection, there are an extra 24 Star Coins waiting for me in bonus World 9. So, my journey doesn’t end with defeating Bowser; it continues as I hunt down every last Star Coin!

In order to achieve a perfect completion in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, players must go beyond just finishing the levels. They are tasked with discovering all the exits in the game, including hidden ones and the Warp Cannons on the world map. Similar to Super Mario Galaxy, players need to demonstrate sufficient ability to avoid using the Super Guide Block or they forfeit their five stars’ radiance.

4 Super Mario Sunshine

Hidden Blue Coins & 120 Shine Sprites

As a devoted Mario fan, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of nostalgia for Super Mario Sunshine. Its stunning visuals and unique gameplay set it apart in the franchise for me. But let me tell you, not everyone shares my enthusiasm. Some players have voiced their concerns over the game’s challenge level, especially when it comes to controlling the F.L.U.D.D. water pack. Each stage demands a creative approach, and that can be quite a hurdle for some gamers.

Throughout the game, a total of 120 Shine Sprites are scattered for players to find. However, to achieve a perfect completion, they must not only collect all the Shine Sprites but also hunt down every elusive Blue Coin. Some stages can pose quite a challenge, like the Blooper Surfing levels where success depends on your skills in racing against unpredictable Bloopers.

5 Super Mario Galaxy

121 Stars As Mario, And 121 Stars As Luigi

In “Super Mario Galaxy,” there are plenty of tasks for players to finish, as they collect the 120 Power Stars scattered throughout the game. Yet, once this goal is achieved, an additional test awaits. After successfully defeating Bowser’s final boss not once, but twice, gamers are given the chance to experience the entire adventure all over again, this time playing as Luigi.

Players must conquer “Super Mario Galaxy” not just once but twice. Completing the “Super Luigi Galaxy” mode offers an additional galaxy, named the Grand Finale Galaxy. In this final galaxy, players can obtain one extra Power Star using each character, accumulating a grand total of 242 Power Stars. As a token of appreciation, players can interact with Mailtoad to unveil a hidden message and capture a unique image.

6 Super Mario 3D World

380 Green Stars, and 85 Stamps, Complete Every Level With Every Character

As a long-time fan of the Mario series, I’m thrilled that Super Mario 3D World has received an upgrade on Nintendo Switch with the addition of Bowser’s Fury campaign. Having played this game extensively since its initial release, I can attest to the sheer size and depth of its content. The core game itself is a colossal adventure, boasting twelve intricately designed worlds, 380 elusive Green Stars to collect, and no less than 85 stamps to find.

In order to label your save file in “Super Mario 3D World” with a top-tier rating, gamers need to finish each stage using all five playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Rosalina. While some enthusiasts have discovered shortcuts to expedite the journey, accomplishing this feat adds an extra layer of challenge to your gameplay experience.

7 New Super Mario Bros. 2

Over 200 Star Coins

In general, most games from the New Super Mario Bros. series can be fully completed with ease. However, the unique version for Nintendo 3DS, named New Super Mario Bros. 2, breaks this trend. The approaches to achieving a perfect game are clear-cut, but the persistent effort required by some players could border on frustration, while others might find delight in the added challenge.

In order to finish New Super Mario Bros. 2, players must accomplish more than just beating all 80 regular levels and the secret 17 flagpoles scattered throughout. An additional requirement is to amass and utilize over 200 Star Coins. Fortunately, these Star Coins can only be used to progress in the primary game, but unearthing them all may prove to be a challenging endeavor for certain stages.

8 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Recipes, Badges, Starpieces & Pit Of 100 Trials

As a dedicated fan, I can tell you that the Paper Mario series stands out among other Mario games due to its unique blend of role-playing game (RPG) elements. One of the most memorable installments in this franchise is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, which was originally released on GameCube and will be coming to Nintendo Switch in 2024. For those who have not experienced it yet, I must warn you that the main storyline is quite extensive, taking around 30 hours to complete without striving for a perfect score.

In this game, there are plenty of collectibles to discover besides the main content. These include Recipes, Badges, and Starpieces. Moreover, finishing the optional Pit of 100 Trials is a challenging feat that may require multiple attempts, especially for those not yet at a high enough level. Completing The Thousand-Year Door to the fullest extent is an impressive goal for any dedicated player.

9 Super Mario Odyssey

880 Power Moons

In the game “Super Mario Odyssey,” players come across various worlds. Luckily, Nintendo provides assistance by indicating the number of Power Moons that can be gathered in each world. This information is particularly useful when navigating New Donk City or Tostarena.

Regrettably, finishing Super Mario Odyssey completely isn’t a walk in the park for completionists. The game offers an abundance of additional objectives to keep players engaged. These include unlocking various costumes, capturing every last available entity, and finding all 82 musical tracks. Once all Power Moons have been gathered, players must confront Bowser once more – a challenge that is significantly more difficult than the initial encounter.

10 Super Mario Galaxy 2

Over 240 Stars

In the challenging quest to achieve a perfect score in “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” devoted fans are richly rewarded. With a total of 240 stars to amass, this collection includes elusive Green Stars that can be obtained solely after defeating galaxies disturbed by Prankster Comets.

Gathering all the stars in this galaxy unlocks the grand finale: the Master Galaxy. Inside, you’ll find two additional Power Stars. Once achieved, players have the privilege of inviting Rosalina from the initial Super Mario Galaxy into their Starship Mario. Despite the extra effort required, the prospect of rejoining forces with Rosalina makes it an unforgettable experience for Mario fans.

11 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Difficult Levels Make Completion Harder

Few Mario games challenge players as much as the notoriously difficult Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, this game was considered too hard for Western audiences and remained unreleased outside of Japan until it was included in the SNES collection Super Mario All-Stars, where it adopted the name The Lost Levels.

As a dedicated gamer, I can tell you that this new version of Super Mario Bros. shares many similarities with its original counterpart. However, it brings some fresh twists to keep things interesting. For instance, there’s the Poison Mushroom – unlike anything we’ve seen before. Instead of granting power or invincibility, this mushroom harms players instead. Additionally, certain levels demand our utmost focus and gaming skills to conquer, providing a unique challenge that sets this game apart from others in the Mario series. There are no more secret collectibles or hidden levels for us completionists to chase after – 100% completion is achievable only by mastering every level presented to us.

12 Super Mario Maker 2

Over 120 Jobs

The essence of both Super Mario Maker and its successor on Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Maker 2, lies in enabling players to design custom levels for Mario and make them accessible to others online. Notably, Super Mario Maker 2 includes a story mode as well for those aiming for completion, but be warned: the challenge level in these stages surpasses what’s typically encountered in standard Mario games.

In the game’s story mode, you’ll find 120 “missions” with unique themes, which players must finish by completing pre-designed levels. For those aiming for excellence, creating and sharing custom levels is essential. By excelling in these user-created challenges, players can earn medals based on their rankings on leaderboards and complete their personalized “World Map.”

2024-07-25 18:56