Super Mario World Hacks 101 is one of those SNES romhacks that takes the classic game and twists it just enough to feel fresh without losing what made the original great. You still get the same tight platforming and Yoshi-riding chaos, but the levels? Way weirder, way harder in spots, and packed with little surprises—like finding a hidden path that drops you into a remix of a familiar stage with new enemies or power-ups.

First time I booted it up, I thought it’d just be a few tweaked levels, but nah—some of these hacks go full-on creative mode. One stage had Piranha Plants popping out of pipes in sync with the music, another turned Bowser’s castle into a maze of one-way doors. It’s the kind of thing that’ll make you grin if you’ve played the original to death and want something that keeps you on your toes.

Fair warning though, a couple of the hacks lean into "troll" territory (looking at you, invisible block over pits), but most strike a good balance between challenge and fun. If you’ve got nostalgia for SMW but want a new spin, this is a solid pick.