Super Mario's Most Insane Bonus Stages, Ranked

In the popular Super Mario Bros. series, players usually don’t associate it with extremely challenging, grueling stages, especially not in the newer, more family-friendly games. However, Nintendo tends to include a few tricky levels even in older and newer games starring the mustached plumber.

These frequently appear as extra stages after the main game or as rewards, encouraging players to continue their adventure, using all the skills they’ve gathered throughout their vibrant platforming experience. There’s no lack of options to pick from, particularly from classic Mario games. However, these challenging bonus levels are notable for their extreme and punishing difficulty.

8. The Lily Pad Ride (Secret Shine) (Super Mario Sunshine)

A Wild, Coin-Collecting Ride

Nintendo’s most capricious “Super Mario” game is frequently one of the most deceivingly challenging. This is particularly evident in the secret stages of “Sunshine,” where they take away Mario’s useful FLUDD device. Conversely, The Lily Pad Ride requires frequent employment of this water jetpack, or else Mario fails to collect the necessary eight red coins scattered throughout this flowing waterway. Just getting to this location, players must guide a Yoshi to a Warp Pipe in southeast Delfino Plaza and destroy an Orange Juice Generator first.

Next is the actual trial, where precision timing and skillful maneuvering are crucial as players juggle both the FLUDD and a touchy camera. Although it doesn’t have enemies or immediate dangers in this level, The Lily Pad Ride relies on tense sections that offer minimal margin for error to create its challenge.

During the trial, you need excellent timing and dexterity to handle both the FLUDD and a tricky camera. Despite not having enemies or obvious dangers, The Lily Pad Ride makes things tough by including nerve-wracking segments with little leeway for mistakes.

7. Tubular (Super Mario World)

Coins And Chaos

Although it continues to be widely loved, some ardent fans argue that Super Mario World is somewhat less complex compared to its more dynamic predecessor. Nevertheless, the game features a few bonus stages (accessible through Special Zone) which can challenge even the most experienced players riding on Yoshi’s back. Each of these levels offers unique layouts and challenges, but it is the second stage, Tubular, that really stands out due to its extreme level of chaos.

In this game, cylindrical entities swiftly attack players as they navigate through challenging aerial movements, accompanied by bothersome Chargin’ Chucks, flame-spitting Piranhas, and various other dangers that aim to abruptly terminate Mario’s journey. Players are also under time pressure, needing to move swiftly before the Power Balloons expire. Despite its brevity, this course is filled with obstacles and relentless enemies.

6. Special World 8 Crown (Super Mario 3D Land)

Baddies, Bosses, And Blocks Abound

3D Mario games often have a blend of difficulty levels, but they typically offer challenging “endgame” content that demands players to utilize the skills they’ve learned and endure prolonged gameplay sessions. This is evident in the series of pulse-pounding trials presented in Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS. The last stage (the 96th) serves as the climax of a long adventure, ending with a powerful statement. To unlock this exclusive experience, players must first earn five stars on their save file, which isn’t an easy feat.

Similar to many challenging stages in Mario’s game, the path is filled with adversaries and hazards at every turn. Gamers must press forward through a sequence of scattered platforms that come in various shapes, heights, and lengths while Goombas and Hammer Bros. dart around. Throughout this journey, you’ll encounter checkpoints with tricky mini-bosses. The latter part introduces movable and reversible panels, Fire Bar pickups, and Burners with even more formidable enemies like Chain Chomps. As players reach the finish line, they receive a congratulatory message spelled out in blocks before entering their triumphant ending sequence, making this an energetic rollercoaster of color.

5. Awesome (Super Mario World)

An Icy Trip

Despite its appeal, this Special Zone stage can be quite challenging within the game. Players often find themselves having to stay alert due to slippery ice surfaces, not to mention being hit by tossed shells, airborne Troopas, and enemies strategically positioned in seemingly troublesome spots, making it hard for Mario to dodge or jump over them effectively.

As you progress further, things become more exhilarating. Scattered throughout are glossy platforms teeming with leaping fish and Bullet Bills, making the space quite congested. Here, a Super Star can be found, intensifying the excitement level significantly – but without it, Mario’s chances of survival are slim.

4. Champion’s Road (Super Mario 3D World)

An Aply-Named Platforming Trial

In a bid to outshine its 3DS predecessor, the stronger Super Mario 3D World offers a nerve-wracking race called Champion’s Road. This stretch, though only around five minutes for the well-prepared, can feel much longer due to the barrage of enemies, dangers, and the absence of checkpoints or helpful power-ups. Completing this stage demands collecting every single Green Star, Stamp, and Golden Flag in the game.

From the start, players encounter a variety of swiftly moving and vanishing platforms along with numerous flying enemies and projectile-shooting adversaries. This game is like a long-distance race packed with every possible challenge, such as rows of spiked rollers, Fuzzies, navigating through large spiked blocks while swimming, and avoiding numerous Ring Burner shockwaves that require quick, accurate platform navigation.

3. Darker Side (Super Mario Odyssey)

A Side Of The Moon Worth Exploring

Discovering the lively, expansive environments in Super Mario Odyssey is a joyous experience, with few challenging or subtly hazardous hurdles. However, things become particularly thrilling when venturing through the later Kingdoms, culminating at an intense climax – the final game trial. To even enter this zone, players need to invest numerous hours mastering platforming and exploration, as a whopping 500 Power Moons need to be gathered first.

As a gamer, I’ve got to leap, dart, battle, and skillfully navigate through an intense, unpredictable gauntlet of levels that span several minutes. The gravity is low at times, there are fields of lava, and other perilous obstacles make this journey one for the books. It’s going to take some time to conquer, but the reward at the end is just one Power Moon. Plus, Mario gets his handy Invisibility Hat upon finishing the level.

2. World C-3 (Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels)

This Level Should Have Probably Remained Lost

In contrast to many other Mario games that feature challenging individual levels, the less recognized title “Lost Levels,” or “Super Mario Bros. 2” in Japan, presents a generally difficult experience across all its stages. However, among the most demanding levels within this tougher version of “Super Mario Bros.” for NES/SNES, there’s a late-game stage hailing from World C that stands out for its difficulty.

The stage is primarily designed for characters to face an unfortunate downfall. With numerous hazards such as spinning fire platforms, bothersome Lakitu, and powerful springs, it would already be challenging to navigate on one’s own. However, the game further torments players with the unpredictable gusts of wind that can disrupt their progress.

In my perspective as a devoted fan, this mechanic provides plenty of room for trial and error since Mario requires precision in timing, speed, and accuracy just to land correctly, not even considering the threats from enemies and obstacles. This experience feels like an ingeniously designed level straight out of Super Mario Maker 2 that never actually existed.

1. The Final-Final Test Badge Marathon (Super Mario Wonder)

A Maddening Platforming Marathon

The word “final” is emphasized twice in this context, highlighting that it concludes the thrilling, colorful adventure of Super Mario Wonder. This final level, being the hardest, serves as a fitting climax. Much like every stage within Special World, this challenge bears a “five-star” difficulty rating. However, its degree of complexity might warrant an additional star.

Mario has to gather all Wonder Seeds, 10 Flower Coins, and every Golden Flag, along with using badges to surmount challenges. The game gives a hint about the tough journey ahead, as Mario must carefully navigate downwards while dodging enemies that spin around. Players then traverse multiple diverse levels with potential dangers that could instantly eliminate Mario if a small mistake is made. With its fast-paced action and numerous mechanics requiring quick, near-perfect responses, players will likely need plenty of practice for this final, ultimate stage.

2025-03-28 09:34

Super Mario’s Most Insane Bonus Stages, Ranked