Super Mario Bros. 7.5 is one of those weird, unofficial ROM hacks that somehow feels both familiar and totally off. You boot it up expecting classic Mario, but then the first level throws a curveball—maybe it's the weirdly placed pits or enemies that don’t behave like they should. It’s got that janky charm of fan-made mods where you can tell someone really loved the original but also wanted to mess with it just enough to keep you on your toes.

The physics feel almost right, but Mario’s jump is just a little floatier, or the fireballs travel at a strange angle. You’ll still recognize the music and sprites, but don’t be surprised if you stumble into a level that wasn’t in the original—or if Bowser shows up way earlier than he should. It’s the kind of game you play when you’ve beaten the real Super Mario Bros. too many times and want something that keeps you guessing.

Not gonna lie, it’s rough around the edges, but that’s part of the fun. Just don’t expect Nintendo polish.