Super Mario World - The Koopa Empire is one of those fan-made ROM hacks that actually feels like it could've been a legit SNES sequel. It's got all the classic Mario vibes—running through colorful levels, bouncing off koopas, grabbing power-ups—but with some fresh twists. The level design's surprisingly tight, and there are a few new enemies that'll catch you off guard if you're used to the original.

First thing you'll notice? The overworld map's way bigger, with hidden paths that actually make exploration fun instead of just running left to right. And the cape feather? Still OP, but now you’ll need it—some of these jumps are brutal. I got stuck on this one ghost house for way too long before realizing the exit wasn’t where I thought.

If you’ve played the original to death, this one’s worth a spin just to see how much they squeezed out of the same engine. Just don’t expect Bowser to go down easy this time.