Summary
TheSuper Mariofranchise isn’t exactly synonymous with difficulty, but each installment certainly contains a plethora of content for fans, especially with collectibles. While eachSuper Mariogame can be quite a breeze to complete, obtaining 100% of every singleMariogame can be quite an endeavor for video game fans. This is especially true as the series has gotten more and more expansive every year.
These games from the franchise’s history give players their money’s worth. Whether it’s due to extreme difficulty or a mountain of collectibles on every level, these are the hardest-to-complete games in theMarioseries.
Updated July 28, 2025 by Blaise Santi: 2024 is halfway over, and Nintendo has already added a plethora of new games, and re-imaginings of old games to the Mario line-up on Switch, including Princess Peach: Showtime!, Super Mario RPG, Luigi’s Mansion 2, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
However, these spin-off games pale in comparison to the mainline series, which can be quite difficult to 100% complete due to the amount of collectibles and secrets hidden in every level. Check out these four additional Mario games that are some of the toughest to 100%.
Super Mario Worldrequires a little more nuance to complete compared to most other 2DMariogames.The beloved SNES side-scrolleris already a monster to defeat, with seven standard worlds, as well as Star World and Special Zone, which both feature some of the most difficult 2D levels in anyMariogame, even by today’s standards.
While one might imagine just having to complete every level to 100%Super Mario World, players have to find all the correct exits, of which some levels may have more than one. This can be especially tricky to do without a strategy guide, so players who seek the internet for each of them won’t be judged for needing a little help.
BeforeSuper Mario 3D Worldcame out on the Wii U,Super Mario 3D Landwas the series' debut on 3DS, offering a fully-fledged 3DMarioexperience on the go. To 100% complete this game, players have to do five things, including beating the game, beating all the courses in World 8, completing the Special 8 world, and collecting all 285 Star Medals.
The last task for players, and perhaps the hardest, is touching the top of every flagpole with BOTH Mario and Luigi. Luigi can only become playable after being saved from a level in Special 1. Doing all this will reward players with five sparkling stars on their save file, though if players have encountered an Assist Block, the stars will sadly not sparkle.
New Super Mario Bros. Wiiis not dissimilar to its DS predecessor in terms of 100% completion goals. To accrue all five stars on a single player’s save file, they must obviously complete the final level, World 8-Bowser’s Castle, while also collecting 231 Star Coins from the first eight worlds. After that, there are an additional 24 Star Coins from the bonus World 9.
That’s not all players have to do to earn 100% completion inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. The game also requires players to locate every exit in the game, including the secret exits as well as all the world map’s Warp Cannons. LikeSuper Mario Galaxy, players also have to be skilled enough to not summon the Super Guide Block, or they lose their five stars' sparkles.
ManyMariofans have a nostalgic love forSuper Mario Sunshine, as it’s one ofthe most aesthetically pleasing games in the franchise. However, others have their gripes on the game’s level of difficulty, particularly due to the control schemes, as every single level requires players to get creative with how they use the F.L.U.D.D. water pack.
In total, there are 120 Shine Sprites that players have to collect throughout the game, but to 100% complete it, players will also need to track down every hidden Blue Coin. Some of the levels can be especially difficult to complete, such as the Blooper Surfing levels, where completion will be based on the player’s performance in hard-to-control Blooper races.
Super Mario Galaxyalready has a lot for players to do to complete, with 120 Power Stars to collect throughout the game. However, it offers an extra challenge before players can technically 100% complete it. After defeating Bowser’s final boss twice, players get the opportunity to replay the entire game as Luigi.
Not only do players have to beatSuper Mario Galaxytwice, but completing theSuper Luigi Galaxymode unlocks one final galaxy, the Grand Finale Galaxy, which allows players to collect one more Power Star as each playable character for a total of 242 Power Stars. For their reward, players can speak to Mailtoad to unlock a special message and photo.
Super Mario 3D Worldrecently got an upgrade on Nintendo Switch, adding in the new campaign,Bowser’s Fury. While this adds more for dedicated players to 100%, the core game itself is also a behemoth, with a total of 12 worlds, 380 Green Stars, and 85 stamps to collect, but to 100% it there’s also another qualification players have to meet.
To designate your save file onSuper Mario 3D Worldwith the coveted 5-star rating, players must complete every level with all 5 playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Rosalina.Some fans have figured out cheatsto get by as quickly as possible, but it still makes the process of getting through every level in the game slightly more tedious.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Bowser has once again kidnapped Princess Peach, but this time, Mario has another objective. The Mushroom Kingdom is bursting with more gold coins than before. Each level is littered with gold as coins rain down from overhead pipes, trails of coins are left behind special gold enemies and gold pipes transport Mario into coin-filled caverns. It’s up to players to collect as many coins as possible throughout their adventure.The game records all the coins players collect throughout the game, so completing a level is only part of the fun. Every level is filled with golden opportunities, such as gold rings that turn enemies into valuable gold versions and a Gold Flower that gives Mario the ability to turn almost anything in his path into coins.Coin Rush Mode allows players to collect as many coins as possible across three levels and challenge friends to beat their record via StreetPass.Two players who each own the game will have the option to play the entire game in two-player multiplayer mode as Mario and Luigi using local wireless.The return of Raccoon Mario gives Mario the ability to fly and access hidden areas.
Typically, games in theNew Super Mario Bros.line of games are very easy to 100% complete, but the exception isthe 3DS-exclusive titleNew Super Mario Bros. 2. While the methods to 100% the game are fairly straight-forward, the act of actually doing it will drive some players crazy, though others might appreciate the challenge.
To fully completeNew Super Mario Bros. 2, players not only have to complete all 80 levels (including the additional 17 hidden flagpoles throughout the game), but they also have to collect and spend over 200 Star Coins. Thankfully, Star Coins only need to be spent to advance through the main game, but finding everyone will be a journey for some levels.
ThePaper Mariofranchise has some of the hardestMariogames out there, thanks to its integration of RPG gameplay. The iconic GameCube titlePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door,which will be ported to Nintendo Switch in 2024, is one of those. The main story itself is already massive, taking approximately 30 hours to complete without even aiming for 100%.
The game also has a plethora of collectibles that players will need to seek out, such as Recipes, Badges, and Starpieces. Additionally, players have to fully complete the optional Pit of 100 Trials, which can take some trial and error for those who aren’t leveled up enough. All in all, 100% completingThe Thousand-Year Dooris an ambitious task for any gamer.
There are several worlds players encounter throughoutSuper Mario Odyssey, but thankfully, Nintendo offers help by showcasing how many Power Moons are available to collect in each world, which can especially help when exploring New Donk City or Tostarena.
Unfortunately for completionists,Super Mario Odysseyhas lots of other objectives for players to mull over to 100% complete the game. There’s a variety of unlockable costumes, achieving every available Capture, and 82 music tracks to discover. After collecting all Power Moons, players must defeat Bowser for a second time, though it’ll be much harder this time.
WhileSuper Mario Galaxy 2may be one of the harderMariogamesto 100% complete, it comes with some pretty great rewards for longtime fans. There are 240 stars to collect throughout the game’s levels, which includes Green Stars, which can only be acquired when players defeat galaxies visited by Prankster Comets.
Collecting all the stars will unlock one final galaxy: the Grandmaster Galaxy, which houses two more Power Stars. After this, players will be able to invite Rosalina from the firstSuper Mario Galaxygame to join them on Starship Mario. It’s a lot more work thanMariofans may be used to, but seeing Rosalina again in this game makes it all worthwhile.
