Highlights
- Super Mario Wonder offers some of the most creative and memorable 2D Mario levels, showcasing the series’ iconic creativity and fun factor.
- The level design in Super Mario Wonder is outstanding, with stages like Light-Switch Mansion and Sproings In The Twilight Forest offering unique mechanics and aesthetics.
- The classics like Donut Secret House and Giant Land, as well as the tutorial level World 1-1, still hold a special place in the hearts of Mario fans, demonstrating the timeless brilliance of the franchise.
It’s hard to imagine where video games would be without Mario. Nintendo’s mascot represents everything that makes video games so magical. Playing a Mario title is like stepping into a vast world of endless imagination and limitless possibilities. Everything from the characters to the music is outstanding, but above all else, the Mario games shine thanks to the immense talent that goes into the level design.
The Mario series is a masterclass on how to make exceptional platformer levels, especially in the 2D games. Whether you’re revisiting the classics on the NES or enjoying the newer titles, you can always expect to play some of the most creative and memorable stages in the genre.
Updated November 10, 2023 by PJ Molloy: Super Mario Bros. Wonder is finally out, and the Mario series has never been better. Playing Super Mario Wonder feels like stepping into a boundless world of imagination since almost every level offers a quirky twist and feels fresh and exciting. Because of that, the list of the best 2D Mario levels has grown astronomically.
Every stage in Super Mario Wonder is worth playing, but only some can be ranked with the greatest of all time. With all the hype surrounding the Mario series, now is the perfect time to look back on its history and see how the new 2D stages stack up to the classics.
To qualify as one of the best 2D Mario levels, a stage needs to be aesthetically or mechanically unique, and showcase the creativity and fun factor that makes the series iconic.
12 Light-Switch Mansion – Super Mario Wonder
The Phantom Of The Opera Is There Inside Your Mind
Super Mario Wonder introduces many outstanding levels, but none are as silly and memorable as Light-Switch Mansion. This spooky ghost level centers around flicking on timed light switches to reveal invisible platforms. You need to stay on your toes because the mansion is filled with fake doors that gobble you up with monstrous teeth.
The best part happens when you find the Wonder Flower. The room goes dark, and a familiar creepy laugh fills the air. Suddenly, King Boo appears and sings a delightfully macabre opera song while chasing you through the rest of the stage. Who knew King Boo had such a good singing voice?
11 Sproings In The Twilight Forest – Super Mario Wonder
A Wonderful Nod To Donkey Kong Country
Sproings In The Twilight Forest introduces the concept of silhouette levels akin to those in Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. The level takes place during a gorgeous sunset, engulfing everything in shadow except the background. This provides a unique challenge since enemies and secrets are hidden in the darkness.
On top of that, this level offers one of the most pleasantly bizarre transformations in the game. When you find the Wonder Flower, Mario and the goombas get elongated bodies, turning them into long, stretchy slinkies. And that’s just a taste of the creativity Super Mario Wonder offers.
10 Pumpkin Zone – Super Mario Land 2
The Spookiest 2D Mario Level
Mario games stand out the most when they take risks and try new things. Super Mario Land 2 went all out by mixing up the formula and creating some unforgettable stages. Pumpkin Zone is one of the most memorable worlds in the game, thanks to its bizarre enemies and macabre levels.
As you run through cemeteries and creepy houses, you encounter flying leeches, vampires, and even a ghoul wearing a hockey mask with a knife sticking out of its head. No other Mario level would even dream of referencing Friday The 13th. Jogging past a row of tombstones while wearing bunny ears is exactly the kind of silliness that makes Mario special.
9 World 2 Desert – Super Mario Bros 3
The Sky Is Falling!
Mario is weird. There’s no other way to describe a plumber who fights a giant turtle by shooting fire from his hands while riding a dinosaur. But that’s what makes him so great, and the series is at its best when it embraces its inherent goofiness. World 2 Desert from Super Mario Bros 3 is a prime example.
After Mario defeats a few enemies and escapes a raging twister, imagine his surprise when the sun flies out of the sky and tries to kill him. This angry ball of fire is invincible and chases you through the second half of the stage, cementing it as one of the most iconic and unique villains in the plumber’s history. Let’s hope Mario brought some sunscreen.
8 Painted Swampland – New Super Mario Bros U
The Most Stunning 2D Mario Level
Mario has a history of jumping into paintings, so it’s surprising it took Nintendo until 2012 to create a level like Painted Swampland. This stage is a stunning allusion to Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night. Adding Boos as the main enemy was a nice touch, complimenting the eerie tone of this beautiful piece of art.
The New Super Mario Bros games aren’t known for making groundbreaking changes to the formula. After three and a half games of the same level themes, entering Painted Swampland is like stepping into Oz. The idea of a stage based on a real painting is genius and needs to be done more often.
7 World 8 Bowser Castle – New Super Mario Bros Wii
An Epic Showdown With Bowser
Mario has stormed many of Bowser’s castles over the years, but the one from New Super Mario Bros Wii stands out thanks to its boss. It starts off as a throwback to the original fight with the Koopa King from Super Mario Bros on the NES, but things take a turn after the fake-out ending.
Right when you think it’s over, Bowser reemerges as a giant and chases you through the castle. This fight is intense and tests your skills by having you jump from platform to platform while dodging Bowser’s attacks and tricking him into destroying walls that block your path. It’s one of the most unique bosses in the series and an epic finale to this adventure.
6 Donut Secret House – Super Mario World
A Treat For Those Who Explore
Ghost houses are always unforgettable thanks to their unexpected twists and turns, especially Donut Secret House from Super Mario World. It’s a puzzle just to figure out how to reach this stage since you need to find two secret exits in previous levels to unlock it. Once you’re in, it gets even trickier.
This place is a maze, leading you around in circles until you solve the mystery of how to escape. It’s also the only non-castle or fortress level to have a boss battle. If that wasn’t enough, beating this stage leads to the entrance to Star Road, which contains a shortcut to Bowser’s Castle. This is an excellent route for speed runners, further adding value to this already remarkable level.
5 World 9-8 – New Super Mario Bros Wii
A Bouncy Castle Disguised As A Level
World 9-8 is the final level of the secret world, and it ensures this game goes out with a bang. This stage is packed with bouncy clouds that act as trampolines, sending you and the enemies flying into the air. There are tons of coins scattered around, which feel very satisfying to collect as you dodge goombas and bounce around.
To top it all off, massive King Bills come flying from off-screen, annihilating the surrounding environment. All of these factors come together to form a chaotically fun stage that feels like a mix between a bouncy castle and a game of dodgeball. It’s a fun reward for completing the game.
4 World 1-1 – Super Mario Bros
Nothing Beats The Classics
This is the level that started it all. World 1-1 had the monumental task of teaching people how to play a Mario game for the first time, and it’s a masterclass on how to make a tutorial. Right from the start, the game makes it clear which things are good and bad for you.
The first thing you encounter is a goomba, and since you don’t have any power-ups yet, you die upon impact. You need to find a way around the pesky enemy, which is the perfect way to introduce this game’s groundbreaking mechanic: jumping. The following floating blocks are low enough that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to jump over the Super Mushroom. It’s the perfect way to start this legendary classic.
3 Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy – Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
A Delightfully Bizarre Level
Yoshi has starred in several games, but none compare to this Super Nintendo classic. Yoshi’s Island is one of the best games for the SNES, thanks to its hand-drawn art style and memorable levels.
Long before the Wonder Flower was warping stages in Super Mario Wonder, the fuzzies in Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy were doing the same thing. These baddies rain down from the sky, and if Yoshi touches one, the ground will shake, and the world will become distorted. This effect was impressive for the SNES, and it makes for one of the most unique stages in the game.
2 Forest Of Illusion – Super Mario World
The Lost Woods Of The Mario Series
The Forest Of Illusion showcases what makes Super Mario World so special: the secrets. This adventure is packed with alternative exits that lead to hidden levels, and there’s no better example than this mysterious forest.
The exit to these woods is hidden in one of the stages, and you need to find it to progress. The atmosphere is mystifying, with trees that block out the sky and occasionally obscure your view of the level. This world even introduced Wiggler, who’s now a staple of the series. It’s the most memorable area in the game and a treat to revisit.
1 Giant Land – Super Mario Bros 3
The Best 2D Mario Level
Super Mario Bros 3 improved upon the first two games in every way. These worlds are filled to the brim with creativity and wonder, and nowhere is that more apparent than Giant Land.
This world is filled with massive objects and enemies. As you run through these stages, you dodge giant piranha plants, leap over gigantic warp pipes, and throw massive shells to break huge blocks. This world is so iconic that it even inspired a stage in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Interacting with this giant environment is fun and satisfying, perfectly highlighting the imagination that makes Mario so amazing.