Summary
Most of Mario’s adventures begin with a couple of goombas and the occasional piranha plant to jump over, but the end of each game typically involves grueling challenges that will test everything you’ve learned during the journey. These stages can be incredibly daunting, but almost nothing feels better than finally clearing a level after failing it fifty or more times.
Every mainlineSuper Mariotitle has a last stage, but some are hidden and require extra work to unlock. Though almost all of them are iconic, some are much more rewarding and fun to play than others.Defeating optional FromSoftware bossesis certainly difficult, but you can never underestimate Mario. Just wait until you try these final levels from Super Mario games.
Time Limit
400 Seconds
The original final level might not be as challenging as future iterations, but the confusing layout of Bowser’s Castle and the epic battle to save the princess make it iconic enough to beat out the final levels from Super Mario Bros. 2 orSuper Mario Bros. 3.
World 8-4 is full of warp pipes that take you back to the beginning if you choose the wrong one. Figuring out the path forward on your own feels amazing, and you’ll need to overcome dangerous enemies and areas to reach the final confrontation. The battle against Bowser isn’t the most difficult, of course, but that’s exactly what will help endear it to players. A great final level isn’t just a hard one, after all.
The Special Zone in Super Mario World contains eight difficult stages that will each test your abilities as Mario or Luigi. While Funky might not be the most challenging level in the group, it still lives up to the incredibly high bar set by the stages before it.
A hoard of dangerous enemies and tight platforming sections exist throughout Funky, but after everything the game has thrown at you, it shouldn’t be nearly as gruelling as you might think. Reaching the end of the level will reward you with the phrase “You are a Super Player” spelled out with coins. The whole sequence is early Super Mario at its creative and varied best.
Super Mario Land mightnot be the best entry in the long-running series, but its final level reaches new heights that make the trip through Sarasaland worth taking. Using the Sky Pop airplane, Mario soars through the sky while eradicating obstacles and heading toward the final boss.
The journey involves enemy planes you must shoot down and blocks that create narrow passageways to fly through. It’s a memorable sequence that might not be as challenging as other final levels, but it sure is fun to fly around in a plane with Mario. Vehicle stages are a real rarity in the series, and this rather conventional one helps to mix things up in this case.
Super Mario 64 was the plumber’sfirst adventure in the third dimension, and the final stage before taking on Bowser is a fantastic ode to the evolution of platforming. The vertical climb to the last warp pipe is tense, and the whole stage is full of obstacles like flamethrowers, a Chuck-Ya, and more.
The atmosphere around Bowser in the Sky perfectly sets the tone for the climactic battle against the villainous Koopa King. It might not be the most challenging stage in Super Mario 64, but you’ll likely lose a few lives as you head toward the finale. The visceral nature of the battle itself is quite a novelty too.
Nintendo 3DS
500 Seconds
Occasionally, the final stage of a Mario game will be more of a gauntlet of challenges than a linear level, and the end of Super Mario 3D Land tests you with the former. Your platforming and combat skills will be pushed to their limits as you move from area to area, trying desperately to do so without making a mistake and having to repeat a tricky section again.
To unlock this stage, you’ll need a five-star rating on your file, which requires you to complete almost everything in the game, like collecting all the Star Medals hidden in each level. Five hundred seconds might seem like a long time, but every moment counts as you head toward the final flag pole.
Super Mario Sunshine is full of some of the toughest levels in Mario games, like the Pachinko Machine and Lily Pad Ride, but Corona Mountain is the last obstacle you’ll face before completing the game. To unlock it, you must defeat every Shadow Mario level in the other worlds.
After hopping inside Corona Mountain with F.L.U.D.D., you’ll need to reach the end of the stage while avoiding the giant pool of lava, by hopping over spiked traps and sailing a boat using tiny spurts of water. Finally, you must use the Rocket Nozzle to make a vertical ascent to the top of the volcano to face Bowser and save Princess Peach. The family vacation setup is quite a novelty for a final battle, and it’s the cherry on top.
One of Super Mario Wonder’s new features is the badge mechanic, which allows you to equip one of many accessories to give your character an extra ability or skill. These can range from having a grappling hook to only being able to bounce whenever you move.
The Final-Final Test Badge Marathon is a gauntlet of demanding challenges that require you to master each of the main badges to clear. There are three checkpoints throughout the level, but that still might not seem like enough as your lives quickly dwindle. Fortunately, the game’s excellent online multiplayer makes it easier to reach the end, with the help of a few fellow players. It’s a deviously-crafted and highly varied test of skill.
The Grandmaster Galaxy is often pointed to as the first unlockable final level in a Mario game that challenges the player with a nearly impossible goal. If you thought clearing it once would be enough of a burden, the level actually contains two Power Stars. The second one is acquired only by clearing it again with only one health point.
Split into seven sections, you’ll need to overcome many trials to reach the end. From grappling across the sky with Yoshi to an electric maze and shrinking platforms, Grandmaster Galaxy will relentlessly throw everything it has at you, and making the wrong move means starting over from the very beginning.
Similarly to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario Odyssey uses the game’s main mechanic, transforming into other creatures or objects, to create the ultimate challenge. It’s easily one of the longest levels in Mario history – a good run can take between ten and fifteen minutes – and, of course, losing all your health points means you must restart from the beginning.
As difficult and frustrating as Long Journey’s End can be, its constant innovation and creativity provide you with the motivation you need to keep on trying to see what’s waiting for you at the next checkpoint. The finale is worth it as well, as the game congratulates you with a sparkling “Thank You”.
Champion’s Road stands out as the best final level in a Mario game for a couple of reasons. If you’re looking for a challenge, there aren’t many levels in the series' history that will test your patience as much as this one. It’s also one you may play with up to three friends, which removes some of the agony and pressure of playing and beating it alone.
Some of the tightest platforming in any Mario game exists here, and the additional hazards make every jump a make-or-break moment. There are eight sections in total, and each one provides a new challenge to wrap your head around. Champion’s Road is easily the most difficult and satisfying final level in any Mario game, and the catchy jazz-influenced score makes it rather enjoyable to replay whenever you feel like testing yourself.
