Super Mario: Every Game Ranked From Worst To Best

12. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Mario Feat Copy
Nintendo

The problem with Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is that it's really an a*sehole expansion pack to the NES original rather than a brand new game in its own right. The Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 was of such legendary difficulty that Nintendo decided against releasing it to supposedly soft American audiences, instead coddling them with the incongruous Doki Doki Panic! re-skin instead.

The game eventually traveled through the warp pipe to western shores, spruced up as a part of the SNES' phenomenal Super Mario All-Stars compilation, where it became apparent it's not quite the poisoned mushroom its reputation suggested, but a tough Koopa shell to crack nevertheless.

As a Super Mario Bros. 'Challenge Mode', it's somewhat at odds with Nintendo's general philosophy of constant evolution. Though long-term series veterans will find the necessity to perfect some of the trickier stages offers a terrific test of their block-bashing credentials, others will find it just a bit too familiar - and a bit too hard.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.