10 Video Game Moments So Difficult They Were Just Unfair

7. Super Mario Land 2 - Wario's Castle

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You might be wondering why this Game Boy classic is on this list. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins has a reputation for being one of the easiest Mario games. And it is. It's a piece of cake.

But when you reach the final level, the difficulty curve skyrockets. Wario's Castle throws everything imaginable at you; fire-breathing statues, collapsing blocks, platforms that rise into spikes, crushing pillars, and swirling orbs that are really hard to dodge. Because this is a Mario game, it is tradition to have the entire level filled with lava that will kill you instantly if you come into contact with it, forcing you to go all the way back to start.

Oh yeah, that's the other thing. There is no save points. Mario games are usually very generous with checkpoints, even in the final level. Not this game. If you make one tiny mistake, you have to do it ALL over again.

This level wouldn't seem so bad if it was in any other game. But because Super Mario Land 2 is so easy up until this point, the player is completely unprepared for the difficulty spike.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows