10 Video Game Items You Should Never Pick Up

Originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, this game would eventually be released under the new name The Lost Levels after Nintendo Of America deemed it too difficult. Instead, the western Super Mario sequel was a retrofitted version of another game called Doki Doki Party.

When western audiences finally got their hands on The Lost Levels, it became clear why it was thought to be too hard. Tricker platforming, warp pipes that placed you further back in the game, and gusts of wind that blew Mario and his brother around all cranked up the difficulty substantially.

However, it was the addition of the poison mushroom that came as the nastiest surprise.

As its name suggests, this pickup has the opposite effect of the fungus Mario is used to finding. Rather than giving Mario a powerup, this mushroom will kill the plumber instantly when touched if he had no other powerups active.

What makes this item extra devious is that its design was almost indistinguishable from regular mushrooms in the original game, meaning that players would be in for a nasty surprise when they collected them.

Thankfully, its colour has since been changed to a sinister purple so it can be easily identified.