Mario's Castle Trial on SNES is one of those weird little platformers that feels like a lost prototype—short, kinda janky, but weirdly charming. You’re basically running through a compact castle full of classic Mario enemies, but the physics are just slightly off, like they tweaked the jump arc at the last minute. First time I played, I faceplanted into a goomba because I overshot the landing.

It’s got that early ‘90s vibe where every level feels like someone threw random obstacles together (why are there so many firebars in the second room?), but it’s over fast enough that you won’t get mad. The music’s a repetitive chip tune that’ll either drill into your brain or make you mute it after 10 minutes. Not a hidden gem, but if you’ve burned through all the mainline Mario games and want something odd, it’s a quick curiosity.