Les niveaux les plus difficiles de Mario

Mario's Hardest Levels

971 words | Reading time : 4 minute(s)

ListChallengesSuper Mario Galaxy 2

Champion's Road, The Perfect Run, Darker Side: the hidden face of the mainstream Mario games. This ranking gathers the levels that broke even the most seasoned players: Champion's Road in 3D World, The Perfect Run and Grandmaster Galaxy in Galaxy 2, the Darker Side in Odyssey, Lakitu's Wall in Yoshi's Island and Follow That Shell! in New Super Mario Bros. U.

While the world of Super Mario is often synonymous with fun anyone can enjoy, some levels are notorious for their extreme difficulty. Whether they come from the main games or from special modes, these stages have pushed the most seasoned players to their limits. Here is a selection of the most fearsome levels in the Mario franchise, from the classic entries to the most modern ones.

Contents

1. Champion's Road – Super Mario 3D World

The final level of Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, then Switch) is a concentrate of pixel-perfect traps:

  • No checkpoints
  • Combinations of conveyor belts, lasers and synchronized platforms
  • Multiplayer: a real test of coordination
The Super Mario 3D World cast gathered on a colorful backdrop
Champion's Road, in Super Mario 3D World, remains the most demanding level in the modern series.

2. The Perfect Run – Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • A single life
  • No checkpoint at all
  • Brutal succession of complex sequences

3. Grandmaster Galaxy – Super Mario Galaxy 2

The “normal” version of The Perfect Run with checkpoints:

  • Lasers, trampolines, platforms that demand pinpoint precision
  • Ideal training for the ultimate challenge

4. Darker Side of the Moon – Super Mario Odyssey

  • A very long level with no checkpoint
  • Strings together many transformations (captures) from the game
  • No checkpoint across the entire length of the level

5. 2-7: Lakitu's Wall – Yoshi's Island

  • Constant rain of projectiles Lakitu
  • Narrow passages, few power-ups

6. Superstar Road-9: Follow That Shell! – New Super Mario Bros. U

  • No bonuses, pixel-perfect traps
  • Perfect timing required from start to finish

7. World C-3 – The Lost Levels

  • Side wind that never settles
  • Lakitus throwing Spinies onto narrow platforms
  • The peak of 8-bit difficulty

8. Pachinko Machine – Super Mario Sunshine

  • Physics you cannot predict, inconsistent bounces
  • Camera beyond control
  • A design often considered unfair

9. Super Expert Mode – Mario Maker / Maker 2

  • Levels Kaizo, packed with extreme traps
  • Obligation to clear the level before publishing it
  • Often designed for streaming or for speedruns

Comparison table of the hardest levels

Level name Game Estimated difficulty Features
Champion's Road 3D World 9/10 No checkpoint, multiplayer chaos
The Perfect Run Galaxy 2 10/10 1 HP, no checkpoint
Grandmaster Galaxy Galaxy 2 8.5/10 Version with checkpoints
Darker Side of the Moon Odyssey 9/10 Very long, no checkpoint
Lakitu's Wall Yoshi's Island 7.5/10 Endless projectiles
Follow That Shell! NSMB U 9/10 Pixel-perfect timing
World C-3 Lost Levels 8/10 Wind + Lakitus
Pachinko Machine Sunshine 7/10 Broken physics & camera
Super Expert Mario Maker 10+/10 Kaizo, extreme traps

Bonus: legendary records and speedruns

  • Champion's Road: cleared in a little over 2 min by the best solo players
  • The Perfect Run: records under 6 min, zero mistakes allowed
  • Super Expert Maker: viral levels such as “P-Break” or “U-Break” took several hours of verification runs by their creators

🍄 Want to keep the adventure going? Discover our Mario figurines in the shop.

FAQ – The hardest Mario levels

  • Which is the hardest level in all of Mario?
    “The Perfect Run” is the one most often named, for its brutality and its total lack of tolerance.
  • Are the Mario Maker levels harder than the official ones?
    Yes, some go far beyond Nintendo's own standards thanks to their Kaizo complexity.
  • Is there a hard mode in every Mario game?
    No, but most of them offer post-game or secret levels that are extremely technical.
  • Do speedrunners use these levels?
    Yes, to prove their skill or to break world records.

Conclusion

Whether official or fan-made, the hardest levels in the Mario saga embody the very peak of gaming challenge. They demand reflexes, memory, perseverance and nerves of steel. And if you have beaten them all, then yes, you deserve the title of absolute master of the Mushroom Kingdom.

The whole saga

Forty years of Mario games put back in order: the main episodes, the spin-offs and the oddities.

🎮 All the Mario video games →
↑ Back to top
Back to blog