The Easiest And Hardest Mario Games

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The Easiest And Hardest Mario Games

The Super Mario Bros. games range in difficulty. We take a look at which are the easiest and which are difficult. There are few examples of a more universally appealing, iconic game series than the franchise. Over the years, the franchise has helped propel Nintendo to gaming super-stardom. With vibrant visuals, colorful worlds, and solid mechanics - the remains fun and accessible for a diverse audience of most every skill level. As a result, the series still possesses a highly vast appeal. With its long, rich gaming history, the lineup naturally covers a range of styles and difficulty. Even when limiting things to the core platformers, these titles run the gamut from a relative cakewalk to white-knuckle-tough. Updated October 1, 2021, by Stephen LaGioia: With the release of games like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and the trickier added content of Super Mario 3D World, called Bowsers Fury, fans have been reminded Mario's wide difficulty range. The gap can feel about as long as the platforming plumber's jumping distance. On the one hand, there's the more passive, almost relaxing gameplay of early Mario Galaxy and Odyssey. On the other, there's the grueling trials of The Lost Levels and Sunshine's FLUDD-less retro stages. Attempting to rank Mario games in terms of difficulty is a tough feat in and of itself, with so many titles ranging in style and toughness. With this diversity re-established, we felt it fitting to revisit this list. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

Easiest Super Paper Mario

This black sheep of the family tends to get overlooked, particularly following the release of The Origami King on Switch. Those who have played this Wii platformer regard the game for its creative mechanics that allow players to shift from a 2D to a 3D plane, setting the stage for some uniquely fun exploration and interesting concepts. Still, this style also provides the foundation of a pretty tame, slow-paced experience; one that means it's easy to avoid baddies and hazards in Mario's path. Most of the game's depth or difficulty comes from its story, and traversing the areas in both dimensions-while foes are often sparse and non-threatening. This is especially the case for the potent, fire-breathing Bowser, who can incinerate those in his path.

Hardest Super Mario Land 2 6 Gold Coins

One of the best ways to experience this famed franchise on Game Boy is also one of Mario's hardest outings. Instead of defeating Bowser, it's Mario's devious counterpart Wario who steps in this time, and he's not pulling any punches here. The plumber must power through six bizarre and wild biomes, along with some tough secret levels scattered about. Examples include a Halloween-themed Pumpkin Zone, and an elaborate house featuring a shrunken Mario. These unconventional stages can give newcomers fits if they aren't thoroughly prepared with powerups, especially in the more chaotic later bouts. Even with smoother, tightened-up mechanics compared to the first Mario Land, this three-hour journey can be a doozy.

Hardest Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door

Super Mario is perhaps most famous for two things: platforming, and being a humble plumbing mascot. But Paper Mario sets itself apart as being an RPG starring the little red dude with the mustache. Though the mechanics may feel familiar to RPG fans, platforming fans will have a more difficult time adjusting to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door's systems. Paired with frustrating boss fights against the likes of Bonetail or the Shadow Queen, this can make for a less-than-enjoyable Mario experience. That said, the story in the game makes the tough battles well worth the trouble.

Easiest Super Mario 3D Land

This platformer released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011 and was the first Mario game on that console. The game uniquely combines 3D and 2D elements like side-scrolling and roaming. Though the game was slick and fast-paced, some critiqued Super Mario 3D Land's difficulty level. While platforming veterans may find themselves never in fear of losing a life, Super Mario 3D Land does introduce abilities never before used in a Mario game. It also maintains that final stage anxiety that so many fans love about Mario games. If fans want a Mario game that they can play and just relax, Super Mario 3D Land might be a great choice.

Hardest Super Mario Sunshine

The versatility paired with Mario's slew of abilities in this 3D game generally makes for an easier-if not lengthier-experience. However, those seeking a tougher romp in the 3D realm need look no further than this deceptively cheery platformer. To be fair, it can be quite simple washing down paint splotches and getting through the core campaign. Yet, the latter stages of the game up the intensity as players blast an increasing number of splotches along with foes. This, coupled with some grueling retro challenges, and hard-to-reach Shines make this one a tougher grind than its whimsical tropical theme lets on.

Easiest Super Mario Odyssey

Completionists might cry foul here - as is no easy task. Yet, the core gameplay of allows players to coast through and finish off the main campaign with relative ease. Gathering the minimum amount of Moons to sail on over to the next planet is usually a simple feat. Players can often simply wander about and gather a sufficient collection of Power Moons without much effort; even sometimes by accident. The added Cappy mechanic enables tons of interesting abilities. The game ends up with a fairly forgiving health meter also making this a pretty unthreatening platforming/open-world game.

Hardest Super Mario Land

Those old enough to remember the pasta-eating plumber's debut should recall perishing often in this tricky sidescroller. Players face a myriad of hazards, along with small, swift baddies creeping about. Every stage is rife with pitfalls and scrolling madness. It certainly doesn't help that the game was on the tiny, dull screen of Nintendo's old handheld. Stiff controls don't typically do platformers any favors, and they're prominent here. On top of this, both lives and power-ups are also pretty rare and tough to obtain.

Easiest Super Mario Galaxy

This 3D Mario platformer on Wii excels in entrancing players with a celestial, majestic universe that may or may not cause nausea. The game also showcased the motion features of the Wiimote. Still, even some fans will admit that it doesn't exactly feature edge-of-your-seat gameplay as one might find in other Super Mario games like Odyssey. The experience has players bouncing around from one usually small, segmented planet to the next. Each planet only seems to contain a sprinkling of hazards and objectives. Because of the game's occasionally disorienting mechanic of running upside-down, perhaps Nintendo toned down the action to keep players from getting overwhelmed. Collectibles aren't huge in number, and the linearity gives a more centralized focus that's easy to deal with.

Hardest Super Mario Bros 3

Super Mario Bros 3 Standing On A Block In Giant World Shorter levels and Warp Whistles aside, the renowned Super Mario Bros. 3 on NES is wrought with challenging gameplay. Even by the third water biome, players are likely to struggle to keep up. Mario must jump, run, and swim his way through a slew of ever-changing hazards and foes. Loads of enemies and obstacles are crammed into the brief but chaotic stages. The game keeps players on their toes throughout the game by constantly throwing curveballs. One minute, Mario must tangle with flying Lakitus or Angry Suns. The next, he has to evade mega-sized baddies or navigate pipe mazes. The abundance of obstacles and lack of saves make this one of the hardest Mariogames - even decades after its release.

Easiest Super Mario World

is also known for its array of secrets and branching paths, many of which can be tough to unlock. Like many on this list, this entry comes with its caveats when gauging its difficulty. In this case, the tricky Star and Special World stages make it difficult to classify. Overall though, one can power through this SNES debut without breaking much of a sweat. There is a healthy dose of shortcut paths, along with ample power-ups like Cape Feathers that allow the player to literally coast through segments of stages. And of course, there's Yoshi, who acts as a constantly-retrievable safety net and transport medium for Mario.

Hardest Super Mario Bros 2

One of the most bizarre versions of Mario also happens to be among its most difficult. Taking the form of a reworked Japanese game, Doki Doki Panic, this romp presents a new, more exploration-focused brand of platforming. Super Mario Bros. 2's slew of diggable areas and underground mazes can feel overwhelming even to seasoned Mario players. Players find themselves scrambling to secure keys and dig underground while ducking and weaving around flying baddies and projectiles. While it can be beaten in a few hours, the more open-world nature of makes the journey seem longer and more treacherous.

Easiest New Super Mario Bros

After a several-year absence on the 2D front, Mario made an emphatic return on , returning to his roots. NSMB tended to serve as a simplistic renaissance for the plumber-and a way to get a new, younger generation into Mario games. Because of these factors, it's perhaps not too surprising that this DS platformer is pretty tame. The game gets back to basics by dialing down the insanity to focus on a (literally) more straightforward experience. Even without help from friends via co-op-which future NSMB games would add-the bulk of this platformer is pretty simple.

Hardest Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels

Take the already grueling Super Mario Bros. formula and elevate the insanity even further, and that is The Lost Levels. Originally meant to be the sequel to Super Mario Bros., this game was actually deemed too hard for a Western audience by Nintendo. Instead, the company decided to reskin and rebrand a slightly easier version of Doki Doki Panic 2 for that version of Mario 2. In terms of the crazy level design, much of the experience feels akin to the sadistic . The game is populated by tons of baddies, hidden blocks, and gaping pitfalls; providing an intense journey throughout. While it's now decades old, it's still widely considered one of the hardest Mario games.

Easiest New Super Mario Bros 2

Take the formula of NSMB, shorten the stages, and toss in a fountain of coins, and that's this DS sequel. The game's focus on breezing through levels and nabbing coins gives it a more mellow feel during its 5-hour campaign. This design seems intentional on behalf of Nintendo. It certainly offers an enjoyable experience for those who covet coins. Yet, gamers who crave a challenge aren't likely to get much out of this romp. It prioritizes showering players with coins and extra lives rather than obstacles and foes. Naturally, this drives down the difficulty level quite a bit.

Hardest Paper Mario The Origami King

This Paper Mario game continues the tradition of lengthy, often-tough combat - . However, it also perfectly captures the nostalgia of playing the original Paper Mario with its stunning graphics and amusing storyline. Fans are understandably split over recommending this unique game to newer players. The battle system features rotating rings that let users combo attacks for more efficient performances. While intriguing at times, the combat system grows old quickly and is not especially rewarding. The Origami King does pick up steam during boss battles, though.

Easiest Super Mario 64

Labeling Super Mario 64 as "easy" might make veteran players cringe. However, when one examines the mechanics of the game, the classification makes sense. Much like playing the drums, this game is easy to pick up, but tough to master and really finding a rhythm. Completing Super Mario 64's base game is not especially difficult and should be doable even by those who are new to gaming. That's because there are, for the most part, enough easier Stars that allow you to hit the 70 required and reach the final boss.