12 of the craziest Mario hacks

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“Mamma mia” just doesn’t cover it

THE CRUEL

Super Mario Frustration

A hacked version of: Super Mario Bros.

What makes it crazy: From the moment this hack loads up, it’s akin to staring into the abyss that is the creator’s black, black heart. With a minefield of invisible blocks that’ll stuff your every attempted jump as well as a ridiculously small margin for error, this is one of the trolliest hacks out there – as in, it will constantly find new ways to enrage you with each level. You know a game is hard when it poses a challenge even while playing it at super-slow speeds with tool assistance.

Our favorite part: We quite honestly have no idea what’s going on past 1:43. Probably because we could only reach that stage in our wildest dreams.

Mario Must Die

A hacked version of: Super Mario World

What makes it crazy: Things just got serious: According to the intro screen, Bowser recruited the assistance of Hitler and Satan to ensure that Mario couldn’t reach the princess this time around. Every level in this extensive hack feels like a maze – a maze that will kill you again and again and again. To make the pain less severe, each level includes classic music like the Bubbleman theme to help dull the stinging of your sore fingers.

Our favorite part: We got nostalgia chills when the Mario-fied version of the Zombies Ate My Neighbors theme really kicked in at 13:47.

Lucas Sullivan
Lucas Sullivan

Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them.