Super Mario World - Lost Levels is basically the SNES version of the original "Super Mario Bros. 2" from Japan—the one that never made it overseas because it was brutally hard. Nintendo figured we weren’t ready for it back in the day, and honestly? They weren’t wrong.

It’s got all the classic Mario platforming you love, but with some seriously mean level design—hidden blocks right where you’d jump, wind that throws you off cliffs, and mushrooms that turn into poison if you’re not careful. The first time I played, I lost like five lives before even finishing World 1-1. It’s punishing, but in that weirdly satisfying way where every cleared level feels like a real accomplishment.

If you’ve breezed through regular Super Mario World and want something that’ll actually make you sweat, this is it. Just don’t throw your controller.