Like most games in this franchise, Super Mario Bros. Wonder will ease players in with its difficulty. Overall, it’s not a hard game as far as Mario games or other platformers go. Casual players or younger players should be able to get through the game by themselves or with friends in co-op in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. There are, of course, optional stages too that kick up the challenge level a notch.

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Here’s a nod to some of the most aggravating ones for better or worse in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. There will be no Special World stages in this ranking because those are post-game levels meant to be very challenging. It would be like making a list around spicy wings when they are all coated in ghost peppers i.e. they would all be unbearably hot! With that in mind, here are the non-Special World levels that are probably going to give players the most trouble. There will be spoilers for players who love that sense of discovery with new levels.

6 The Hoppycat Trial: Hop, Hop, And Awaaay

World 3: Shining Falls

Hoppycats are a new type of enemy that gets introduced into the Mario series via The Hoppycat Trial: Hop, Hop, And Awaaay in the Shining Falls region of the game. True to their name they are jumpers and will only move after players jump. This can get quite annoying as they can constantly get in the way. Players can plan their moves all they want but eventually, one of these green critters is going to cost them a power-up bonus.

The Wonder Flower of the stage makes things more intense when it creates giant versions of Hoppycats that can tear through the level like they were spiked, turtle-like versions of the Hulk. Granted, the difficulty for this level is listed as one of the easier ones in the game. Still, those Hoppycats are not messing around so be careful with them.

5 Wavy Ride Through The Magma Tube

World 6: Deep Magma Bog

A few levels within this area of the Deep Magma Bog world are going to give players some headaches. That’s because unlike pits, which are also a pain in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, lava is more omnipresent in a stage like Wavy Ride Through The Magma Tube. One touch from the orange-red goo is going to make Mario and his friends burn up and die, which is a horrifying thought.

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The only plus side to this level is that it is short and is mostly on rails thanks to a series of moving platforms. The tricky part is staying on while dodging enemies that can appear from pipes above.

4 Bulrush Express

World 1: Pipe-Rock Plateau

Bulrush Coming Through is one of the first few levels in the game. The Bulrush enemies can be tricky, but they are easy to hop over or they can be killed quickly in the game via the Elephant Fruit transformation. Bulrush Express in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, on the other hand, is a lot harder level to deal with regarding the Bulrush.

It’s like an on-rails level wherein players have to stay on top of the Bulrush or else they will fall into a pit. Not even characters like the Yoshis or Nabbit will make the cakewalk although they can certainly help get back on track if players fall off of the Bulrush. The timing will have to be perfect though.

3 Jump! Jump! Jump!

World 2: Fluff-Puff Peaks

This game has two types of musical levels. Some are actually musicals in Super Mario Bros. Wonder such as Piranha Plants On Parade, which features a bunch of Piranha Plants following players around as they sing. Then there are levels like Jump! Jump! Jump! which is time-based to the beat. It’s almost like someone from the Rhythm Heaven team designed levels like these.

On paper, Jump! Jump! Jump! should not be hard as it is short and to the point. However, players cannot be a second behind the rhythm of the level’s flow or else they are going to fall and have to start all over. The only plus side is that players don’t have to lose an extra life in the process.

2 The Finale Battle! Bowser’s Rage Stage

Petal Isles

A final level or boss fight in any game, Mario-based or not, should be the culmination of everything that came before it. Super Mario Bros. Wonder does not disappoint with The Finale Battle! Bowser’s Rage Stage. There are tons of objects and enemies to kill players, and the stage will be challenging in co-op. Getting through the level is not as hard as what lies at the end: Bowser.

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He’s a much tougher opponent than all four boss fights with Bowser Jr. combined. There are a lot of steps to this fight, and it may take a few tries to get through it. The sense of reward players will get after destroying Bowser will be worth it though because “beating” a game is certainly an accomplishment.

1 Wall-Climb Jump 2

World 2: Fluff-Puff Peaks

Wall-Climb Jump 2 is an early stage in the game for players to get riled up over. It’s a training course for the accompanying Badge in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Wall-Climb Jump. This allows players to get an extra jump if they bounce off of a wall, which can truthfully help in a lot of situations.

For this training course, players have to have almost pixel-perfect accuracy when they scale the moving platforms. One wrong move and it’s back to the bottom players go, which is going to inevitably lead to some tears. It's going to take players all of their collective platforming skills to get through this one.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Platform(s)

Switch

Released

October 20, 2023

Developer(s)

Nintendo EPD

Genre(s)

Platformer