The 10 HARDEST Rewards to Unlock in Super Mario Games
The 10 Hardest Rewards to Unlock in Super Mario Games
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today were looking at the 10 hardest rewards to unlock in the mainline Super Mario games, so no RPG spin-offs on this list. Most of these require 100% completion, which is not the easiest task in the world.
The Special 8-Crown Super Mario 3D Land (2011)
Super Mario 3D Land on the Nintendo 3DS isnt the most challenging Mario game as a whole, but unlocking the Special 8-Crown is a sturdy road block towards 100% completion, if thats your thing. To unlock the true final level of the game, youll have to beat the game once with all courses cleared, collect all 285 Star Medals, and grab the top of every flagpole with both Mario and Luigi, all while never using an Assist Block. Once you do, the hardest level in the game is unlocked for you to take a stab at.
The Gold Menu & Gold Raccoon Mario Statue New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012)
This reward isnt as difficult as it is time consuming, but it deserves a spot on this list nonetheless. New Super Mario Bros. 2 is themed heavily around the golden coins weve come to know and love from throughout the series. The main menu has a tracker displaying all of the coins youve collected throughout your main playthroughs and Coin Rush. Once you hit a million, the menu changes to a shiny gold and a golden mario statue appears. The real challenge is getting 9,999,999 coins, which replaces that Golden Mario with a Gold Raccoon Mario. Is it cool? Debatable. Is it worth it? Less debatable.
The 6 Extra Level Stars Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)
Described by critics as one of the greatest games of all time, Yoshis Islands hardest unlockable rewards are the 6 six stars you unlock by finishing each of the 6 Extra Levels. You have to get a 100 score on each previous level, which is easy to track thankfully, although pretty hard due to this entrys nonlinear nature. Then you have to get a perfect 100 score on all of these levels to unlock the star, totalling up to 6. They appear on the main menu once youve finished, and are a nice little nod to your well-earned accomplishment.
Super Luigi Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii is one of the consoles best, and its hardest challenge by far is unlocking Luigi as a playable character, also known as Super Luigi Galaxy. To do so, youll have to collect all 120 of the games Power Stars then beat the final Bowser encounter twice. Once you do, you can unlock Luigi. If you collect all Power Stars and defeat Bowser as Luigi, you then unlock the Grand Finale Galaxy, which is another challenge in and of itself.
Fall Super Mario World (1991) Unlocking this completely hidden Fall mode is pretty tough even by todays standards. Youll have to find all 96 exits, which if youre familiar with the Ghost Houses is a certified pain in the butt. But this also includes the brutally difficult Special Zone levels. Once you do, Super Mario World changes seasons to Fall, and certain enemies take on new appearances, like Piranha Plants turning into Jack -o-Lanterns. It is awesome.
Main Menu Red Yoshi Super Mario Advance (2001)
If just beating Super Mario Bros. 2 isnt tough enough, the real hardest unlockable reward comes by way of 2001s GBA remake, Super Mario Advance. The reward itself is just a cute Yoshi on the main menu, and you unlock a regular green Yoshi egg just by finishing the game a single time. But the red Yoshi is the real challenge: youll have to collect all 40 eggs from the Yoshi Challenge and grab all 100 Ace Coins. The Yoshi Challenge sees you grabbing 2 eggs from each level, and if you lose a life you lose all the eggs youre carrying. These levels are pretty brutal, but the lil red guy is so cute its worth it.
The Sound Off? Badge Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023)
Similar to Breath of the Wilds and Tears of the Kingdoms useless Hestus Gift, the Sound Off? Badge is a fun reward that doesnt do much, but unlocking it is quite the chore, to put it lightly. To get it, youll have to get 100% completion in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. This requires you to (deep breath) grab the top of every goal pole, defeat Bowser, get all Wonder Seeds, all 10 flower coins, collect all badges and obtain all standees. Sounds easy? It isnt. Once you do all this, youll then have to take on the Final-Final Test Badge Marathon, which is easily the toughest level in the whole game.
Peachs Castle Top Hat Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Whats up with Nintendo making the hardest challenges in their games give you the worst rewards? In Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch, Princess Peachs castle in the Mushroom Kingdom is home to this games hardest unlockable. Once you max out your Moon counter at 999, return to the wedding chapel on the Moon to jump into the previously-blank painting to take on the final boss one more time. Once you do, the castle now sports a giant top hat, which you can climb for a special fireworks display.
Five Profile Stars Super Mario 3D World (2013)
Super Mario 3D World on the Nintendo Wii U is another great game with another extremely tough completion reward. For this game, the rewards are the five stars on the game file after completing five tough completion challenges. Youll have to collect every single Green Star, collect every stamp, reach the top of the goalpost on the Great Tower of Bowser once, touch the top of every single goal post in the game. That doesnt sound too bad right? Wrong. That last bit about touching the goal post in every level must be down with all five playable characters. Brutal!
Platinum Crown & Master of Galaxies Rank Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
Getting the Platinum Crown and earning the Master of Galaxies rank in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is not only the Mario series hardest unlockable, but its one of the toughest challenges in all of gaming. To earn both, you have to finish the games hidden true final challenge, the Grandmaster Galaxy, which itself is brutal to unlock. To do so, youll have to collect all 120 Power Stars and beat the final Bowser fight twice. After this, youll unlock the Green Star Comet and have to nab all 120 Green Stars, which unlocks the Grandmaster Galaxy. Collect all the stars from here, and congratulations, youre the proud new owner of the Platinum Crown and Master of Galaxies rank on the main menu, and have earned the right to brag to gamers all over.
Are there any difficult unlockables we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
