18 Hardest Mario ROM Hacks

One of the primary reasons to play hacked games with ROMs from your favorite Mario games is to unlock the possibility of new levels and more difficult stages.

This isn’t just about adding a few enemies or power-ups.

Hardest Mario ROM Hacks have created many sadistic seemingly impossible games.

Everyone can play them but to be able to clear them requires an expert gamer.

Are you ready to take on that test?

Some incredible Mario ROM hacks test your skill – as well as your patience. If you can get through one of them, chances are you’re within the top 1% of gamers for sure.

18. Super Mario Frustration

A hack version of Super Mario Bros.

What’s so insane about it: From the moment the hack starts up, it’s like gazing into the dark abyss that is the creator’s dark heart, a black one. 

It’s a maze of unseemly blocks that will block your every jump attempt from a pathetically tiny margin of error.

This hack is one of the most brutal hacks on the market – in that it’ll always find new ways to make you angry every time you play. 

A game is difficult when it presents an obstacle even when playing at super-slow speeds using a tool.

Our favorite feature: We quite honestly don’t know what’s happening after 1:43. It’s likely because we can only make it to that point with the most fervent of fantasies.

17. Pit of Death

A hack variant of Super Mario World

What’s so bizarre about it: When MaltovMarioWorld created his Pit hacks, it wasn’t his intention to create a full-fledged Mario game.

Rather, he wanted to put the entire rigor and frustration of a complete playthrough into a single, brutally tough level. 

As if the process of scrolling through stages wasn’t difficult enough, the design is Pit of Death’s layout. Pit of Death means that simply stepping on an area of the ceiling or wall in the wrong place can lead to the end of your life. 

To get through that you must be able to master playing with P-switches and keys for any chance of being able to survive.

Our favorite feature: The insane P-switch jumping at 0.49. Not in a million years could we have done that.

16. Super Mario Omega

A hacked version of Super Mario All-Stars: Super Mario Bros. 3

What’s so bizarre about it: Though it may appear simple initially, Super Mario Omega is an amalgamation of 16-bit and 8-bit Marios in one truly chaotic video game. 

Amazingly, the sprites blend well and it won’t take long before you see SMB3 Mario jumping on the floor.

A Super Mario World Koopa looks normal. The old sprites have mastered the latest tricks.

SMB3 Mario is now able to spin just like the character from World as well as the video above shows the variety of levels that were pulled from classic platformers to The Mushroom Kingdom.

Our top favorite thing: Seeing the classic Super Metroid and Mega Man levels in the Mario game.

15. Super Mario Bros. 2: Master Quest

This ROM hack from Alex No offers both greater challenge and interesting visual changes that help to distinguish aside from basic SMB2 game.

The hack comes with a vibrant color scheme that gives each level a shady appearance.

The game is very fast and intense right from the beginning.

When you’ve completed one level, you would have been through locked doors, avoided numerous spikes, and even fought Mouser for at the very least- once.

14. Super Mario 64: The Black Virus

Some hacks that are hard as nails do not belong to the 2D world.

There are many challenging choices for Mario’s first 3D game on N64 however none are as unjust as SM64: The Black Virus.

It’s a sequel of Super Mario 76: Nightmare Edition designed to be harder than the hack that was the most difficult before it.

This makes it impossible to beat with other tools, such as savestates.

The challenge of clearing this game, even with savestates is an exercise in the masochistic.

Not only are the concentrations incredibly dangerous, but they’re also extremely long.

It’s a good idea to collect just a tiny part of the 134 stars.

13. Super Dram World 2

I like hacks to ROM that alter the look and feel of the game. For others, the vanilla Super Mario World looks beautiful just the way it is.

Super Dram World 2 is a basic Kaizo hack that follows the basic design principles of vanilla SMW to preserve the nostalgic look.

A lot of hard work and passion was put into by the creator PangaeaPanga to come up with a challenging yet enjoyable game that anybody can enjoy.

It’s also ideal for speed running.

This even has an inbuilt death counter to monitor how much you’re a slob – or assist you in boasting over getting “zero deaths” like a famous YouTuber.

12. Kamikaze Bros. 3

My favorite method to inflict intense psychological pain on myself within my experience of SMB3 can be found in Kamikaze Bros. 3 by Barbarian.

The thing that makes this hack fun is the meticulously planned difficulty curve.

It gets more difficult the more you grow. However, it’s not too slow to allow growth rather than anger.

When you tackle this challenge, you’ll gain advanced skills and ways to make the most of the game’s mechanics.

These are the abilities that you’ll require to master any other Kaizo hacks you’ll use.

It’s quite fun. However, beware it’s brutal for those who are not an expert at platforming.

11. Kaizo Mario World 2

Discussion on Kaizo Mario tends to focus on the first or the third entry in these games.

Kaizo Mario World 2 tends to get lost in the crowd despite being much more difficult than the first.

It could have to be related to the fact that T. Takemoto’s creative thinking wasn’t at its peak during the development of this game.

It’s like the other two or even more intense. However, it isn’t bringing something new to the table.

It’s nothing more than self-inflicted suffering at this stage.

If you’re looking to be a legendary platformer, you have to get three skills under your belt. I don’t create rules!

10. Breakfast Kaizo 2: Elevensies

As the title suggests, Breakfast Kaizo 2 was designed to serve as an easy lunch to help you get started on your day. 

According to the creator GlitchCat7, the game went somewhat out of control.

Most levels are fairly small, which is to your advantage because they don’t have any kind of checkpoint. In addition, the hack is a disaster.

In the end, Breakfast Kaizo 2 is an amazing-looking ROM hack I’d suggest to players who want an easy way to help keep their skills up to date.

9. King Boo’s Revenge 2

Bowser could be a bit intimidating but will he be able to get you to shed the hair you have in reality?

The King Boo’s Revenge album performed by TheBloody7 was one of some of the most vicious hacks ever to be in the history of music.

The successor will take its place at the top spot.

King Boo’s Revenge 2 contains the stars in 182 of total angst.

In contrast to hacks that place their effort on one or two levels towards the very end of it, this hack is challenging right from the beginning and it remains hardcore through the whole game.

8. Storks and Apes and Crocodiles

Creator Morsel presents one of the prettiest and fun hacks for difficulty, available to Super Mario World.

Storks as well as Apes and Crocodiles feature 17 terrifying levels of chaos.

Trial and error are crucial to master this ROM hack. It won’t be cleared in one go, or even in twenty attempts if you wish to get it cleared at all.

Despite the risky amounts, this game is fair.

There aren’t any post-goal traps or blocked blocks hidden within this cheat. This makes every section you complete feel incredibly rewarding instead of disappointing.

Another thing I enjoy with this game is its wide range of levels that will test your brain rather than your reflexes.

7. Super Mario 74: Extreme Edition

In the days before this very difficult variant of Super Mario 74, came out the Kaizo-level hacking of SM64 was a relatively new activity.

For a long time, this was the most violent hack ever created – and the people believed that it couldn’t be cured without external tools.

Every single one of its 157 stars could be obtained by normal means – it just didn’t exist for anyone who could achieve it until now.

The years of experience have led to an incredible community of players who can take on this challenge and you are invited to join them.

The SM74 Extreme Edition by Lugmillord is a good choice among Kaizo hacks of average difficulty.

6. Grand Poo World 2

If you’re familiar with Barb you are familiar with GPW2.

Anyone can create an extremely difficult hack with a little effort. However, it requires a skilled hacker such as BarbarousKing, to come up with a truly difficult attack and fun to play.

Grand Poo World 2 brings the most precise platforming gameplay with distinct level design, stunning images, and captivating tunes that keep your attention on the task you’re working on.

It’s true. Even if you’ve not played the game before, listen to its music. If you’re a fan of SNES music, you’ll surely appreciate the soundtrack.

The bosses here are designed to shock the reader from an engineering point of view and then crush your heart – and personality – time and repeatedly.

It’s not the most challenging game to hack around. However, it’s among the highest-quality Kaizo gaming experiences you’ll have ever played.

5. Kaizo Mario World

Today, ROM hacking enthusiasts make use of the term “Kaizo” to describe challenging fan-created games.

All of this was due to Kaizo Mario World – also called A**hole Mario.

This horrific ROM hack cheater from Super Mario World was created by T. Takemoto just to make a friend feel like a jerk by making them play an insanely complex set of levels which would be impossible for a normal human without savestates.

It’s not the best hack around.

It’s an exciting test and an important piece in Internet history.

4. Item Abuse 3

Item Abuse 3 is the final installment in a well-known series of short Kaizo hacks in which you have to hack every object within the game with a variety of bizarre ways to pass.

Creator Panga hopes that you become acquainted with every glitch and interaction between items within Super Mario World.

In essence, sink and swim.

When you play this ROM hack It’s not always all about the function of an item. It’s about the way that the game responds to Mario taking them or throwing them away or even stepping upon them.

The ability to bounce any object off the wall so that you can get it back in mid-air, allowing you to make sure you don’t miss your jump is an integral part of your game when you play Item Abuse 3.

3. Super Mario Treasure World

A single of the more renowned and well-known SM64 hacks for ROM can be found in Super Mario Treasure World by Rambi_Rampage.

It’s now considered to be an “introductory hack” in the world of extreme SM64 modifications.

However, when it first was released, some said it was the toughest hack to ever be made.

The hack was so amazing that it spurred a lot of other hackers to create their own grisly ROM hacks. The hack was soon eclipsed by the difficulty.

In particular, it was then followed by Treasure World: Dream Edition which is, in a way, unbeatable using normal means.

2. Invictus

Invictus by the creator Juzcook is quite well-known and with good reason.

It’s a rare hack that’s kaizo-level because this hack’s extreme complexity isn’t its primary aspect.

This ROM hack offers 20 challenging levels with a lot of unique assets, striking images, and enthralling music that will keep your attention on the task at hand.

It’s not easy but it’s fair and does not have some of the less expensive shots that are taken by extreme hacks such as blocks that are hidden.

It does feature an incredibly tough final boss, which was designed entirely from scratch specifically for Invictus.

This hack is sure to be challenging and entertaining for hours – unless, of course, you’re a god of platforming.

1. Kaizo Mario World 3

As the third installment in the well-known Kaizo Mario series by T. Takemoto.

This game offers a variety of innovative thoughts to the popular 16-bit based torture simulation.

Additionally, this update to the original rather sadistic ROM hack includes a Boss Rush mode – so you’ll have the option of crushing your soul by certain entities, instead of the entire world surrounding you.

The only way for you to win it is to give up any hope of a return as a numb, indifferent machine.

In the end, you’ll be an experienced Mario player who is always eager to test levels once more for hours, until you can see invisible blocks using an eye third.