Top 10 2D Mario Levels

#10: World 6-6 “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” (2009)

Also in:

10 Awesome Details in Super Nintendo World

Most known for the frantic and epically fun 4-player co-op, a first for the “Mario” series, “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” also introduced some cool gameplay mechanics to take advantage of the Wii-mote. World 6-6 has you riding a raft through a pitch-black cavern – and by using your Wii-mote, you can move your boat’s light around and illuminate the level. It’s fun but also challenging as hell, especially if all 4-players are wrestling for the limited standing room on the raft.

Confusing the hell out of everyone upon the release of “Super Mario World,” this level changes every time that you play it. There’s a method to this level’s madness: depending on how many coins Mario collects throughout the level, and how much time is left on the timer, the layout of the map differs from section to section. If Mario reaches the third area while there’s at least 250 seconds left on the timer, you can gain access to a secret key exit. How you were supposed to figure this out when you were 10 and didn’t have the internet is anybody’s guess.

Otherwise known as World 1-7, this is probably the only level in “Mario” history where you can get Yoshi stoned. In games where your jumps often need to be pretty perfect, it can really throw a wrench in your plans when the entire screen is shifting around chaotically and all of the colors are psychedelic. The more fuzzys Yoshi runs into, the more he trips balls. The beautiful art style and sound design in “Yoshi’s Island” help to make this one of the most memorable sections in 2D Mario history.

#7: World 2-1 “Super Mario Bros. 2” (1988)

Also in:

Breaking Down The Deaths in Smash Ultimate 'World of Light'!

Filled to the brim with perils such as quicksand, snakes, and a sometimes infuriating sand-digging section through the depths of a pyramid, World 2-1 is a challenging but cool level in the oddball “Super Mario Bros. 2.” Here’s a little tip to make your life easier in World 2-1: pick Toad as your playable character. He is by far the fastest digger, and can make that second screen exponentially easier.

At first, this level seems ridiculously easy – it’s just Mario and an army of friendly dolphins frolicking around in the water. Then, that buzz-kill Porcupuffer shows up, trying to ruin all the fun. Imagine if you were swimming with dolphins at SeaWorld for a while until a giant murderous puffer fish showed up to impale you with its spikes? Lame, right? Once Purcupuffer appears, it’s best to stop swimming and start using those dolphins as platforms. If you’re a real jerk, you can just eat all of the dolphins as Yoshi.

Most airship levels in the “Super Mario Bros.” series have you fighting your way THROUGH the bowels of the ship until you reach the boss character, but “Boarding the Airship” switched up that convention. This time, Mario is running alongside the airship, trying to avoid Baby Bowser’s giant mechanical hand as it slams down towards the ground. Eventually, more traditional airship elements come into play, with lots of platforming and projectile-dodging. Finally, by using his trusty green pipe, Mario can blast himself onto the ship itself to square off against Baby Bowser.

#4: World 4-1 “Super Mario Bros. 3” (1990)

Also in:

Greatest Glitch of All Time - Mario's Minus World

When you first encounter the giant forms of all the enemies you’ve been stomping into the ground so far, it’s pretty terrifying. However, it turns out that these super-sized goombas and koopas are actually just bigger targets for Mario to ruthlessly head-stomp. “Super MarioBros. 3” was full of innovative ideas and creative worlds that played with the series’ conventions, But, as the saying goes, bigger isn’t always better!

#3: World 1-1 “Super Mario Bros.” (1985)

Also in:

Is Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury REALLY Worth The Price? (Review)

The level that started it all, introducing legions of gamers around the world to the beloved traditions and gameplay mechanics that still exist to this day in 2D Mario games. Playing it today, World 1-1 seems astoundingly straight-forward: a couple of goombas here, a couple of bottomless pits there. However, at the time, this level was downright groundbreaking, and ultimately, Nintendo has been building on World 1-1’s foundation for decades now: its simplicity and elegance still make it one of the best levels of all time – so much so that it’s even made appearances in other iterations of the franchise.

Haunted castles and houses are fairly commonplace throughout the “Mario” series, but there is only one instance of a sunken haunted boat. The Sunken Ghost Ship used to be one of the airships used by Bowser’s kids in “Super Mario Bros 3.” Teeming with boos and other spectral adversaries, this spooky level acts as the gateway to Bowser’s home-world. By swimming your way to the level’s crystal ball, an event is triggered where a mountainous Bowser cavern rises from the ocean, giving Mario a path to his final showdown with the King of Koopas. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. World 5-3 “Super Mario Bros. 3” (1990) Super Star World 5: Spinning Platforms of Doom “New Super Mario Bros. U” (2012) World 3-1 “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” (2009) World 4-4 “Super Mario Bros.” (1985) Space Zone 2 “Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins” (1992)

#1: World 8 Airship “Super Mario Bros. 3” (1990)

Also in:

Every Open World in Lego Games RANKED

By the time you reach “World 8,” otherwise known as “Dark Land,” Mario has already seen his fair share of Koopaling-captained airships. Each previous airship level is a challenge in its own right, but this is the fastest auto-scrolling level in the game, the fleet of airships are really narrow and the Rocky Wrenches are everywhere ensuring flying wrenches galore. It’s not surprise then that most players end up using a P-Wing for this stage, if you don’t have a P-Wing: Get ready for a world of frustration. Agree with our list? Did we forget any classic 2D Mario levels? For more goomba-stomping top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.