THE CLASSICS
Super Mario Omega
A hacked version of: Super Mario All-Stars: Super Mario Bros. 3
What makes it crazy: Though it may look simple enough at first glance, Super Mario Omega is something of a mash-up of the 8-bit and 16-bit Marios, all rolled up into one chaotic game. Shockingly, the sprites all gel well together, and it won’t be long before seeing a SMB3 Mario stomping on a Super Mario World koopa looks normal. The old sprites have learned some new tricks: SMB3 Mario can now spin as he did in World, and the trailer above showcases the wide array of levels pulled from other classic platformers into the Mushroom Kingdom.
Our favorite part: Seeing classic Super Metroid and Mega Man stages in a Mario game.
Kaizo Mario World
A hacked version of: Super Mario World
What makes it crazy: This hack has arguably gotten the most exposure out of any of them – thanks mostly to its brutal, “are you joking right now” difficulty level. You know you’re in for a doozy of a game when the very first screen puts you in point blank range of a wall of Bullet Bills. Things only get more insane from there – you’ll learn things you never even knew were possible in a Mario title, like the invincibility granted by spin jumps, or that Yoshi’s only purpose in life is to act as a sacrificial launch pad. If difficulty is what you’re looking for, Kaizo is your go-to hack.
Our favorite part: If we encountered the boss fight at 7:25 in the original game, we probably would’ve turned off our SNES and curled up into the fetal position, weeping.
