Super Mario Bros. 3 – World 7 Airship
The final level of every world in Super Mario Bros. 3 always features some tough-as-a-Koopa shell platforming, but the challenges are fair and the platforming is tight and well-designed. The final airship level in World 7 forces the player to use all of the skills they’ve learned so far, and a diverse array of hazards makes it a fun challenge.
Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels – World 4-3
The Lost Levels didn’t officially release in the United States because Nintendo worried that gamers would be intimidated by the high difficulty of the game, and World 4-3 exemplifies the Kaizo spirit perfectly. The tiny platforms you have to jump from at the end of the level will have you questioning why you even decided to play Mario in the first place!
Super Mario World – Vanilla Dome 3
Super Mario World might be the best 2D platform game ever. Vanilla Dome 3 embodies the creativity embedded in the worlds by the development team, with a sampling of everything that makes the game so much fun. Yoshi, traversing ice sections, soaring over platforms that float on lava, and plenty of other hazards make the level a potpourri of Mario’s platforming qualities.
New Super Mario Bros. – World 1-4
The fourth level of the first world in New Super Mario Bros. encapsulates the reboot of the franchise in the mid-2000s with plenty of new items in use, from the Mini Mushroom to the Mega Mushroom, the latter of which allows Mario to wreak havoc on the stage. Plenty of secrets and graphics that looked great at the time on the Nintendo DS make this game more than just a shiny upgrade of 2D platforming.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 – World Mushroom-1
This title might be the most stale New Super Mario Bros. game in the sub-franchise, but it has to be represented just the same. The first level in the Mushroom World applies the game’s theme of collecting massive amounts of coins against the backdrop of colorful platforms in the sky. It’s a comforting and familiar aesthetic for Mario and his fans.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii – World 8-7
This fiery roller coaster ride of platforming at the end of the eighth world in New Super Mario Bros. Wii exemplifies the classic game design spirit of the franchise – just enough obstacles to overcome in the environment, but not too many annoyances as to get in the way of a fun time. The multiplayer aspect of this game was perfect for the Wii’s party mindset.
