Super Mario 64 - Wing Mario Over the Rainbow
One of the game’s secret levels, Wing Mario Over the Rainbow sent the moustachiod man on a tour of the skies, taking multiple flights to collect eight red coins dotted around a series of clouds and rainbow-sprouting podiums. Aside from some transparent platforms there were no hidden traps or machiavellian obstacles to overcome here, but the level proved surprisingly difficult regardless. While they were groundbreaking at the time, Mario 64’s controls simply don’t hold up compared to the modern titles, and directing the plumber’s flight path with the winged cap could prove extremely challenging, especially once you picked up some speed. Figuring out how to use the cannon correctly to secure each and every coin took multiple attempts, and each failure would see you dumped back outside Peach’s Castle, making you to run all the way back up to the level’s entrance next to Tick Tock Clock.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii - World 9-7
The mechanic behind World 9-7 is actually pretty cool. In a level comprised near entirely by ice blocks, you had to make use of a Fire Flower power up or the flame-spewing Piranha Plants to collect the three Star Coins hidden throughout. In practice, the level proved far more difficult than we could have imagined. While the Fire Flower is certainly useful, every shot bounces, removing far more of the level ahead than you'd like. Piranha plants are packed in every few steps, forcing you to dodge in and out of their shots while you slid about on the ice, desperately keeping track of any new gaps in the floor. Completing a good run of this level required patience as well as awareness, making it one best tackled alone to minimize the number of reckless fireballs tossed out.
