Nintendo Switch Online holds one of the greatest platformers of all-time

It’s hard to believe that Super Mario World came out for the SNES over 30 years ago and still holds up as one of the best 2D platformers ever created. I’ve recently been replaying it on Nintendo Switch Online as a way to prepare myself for an upcoming challenge of learning how to play Mario World Kaizo. I’ll get to that in a minute, but for now, I have to sing the praises of the original game, as it is still a masterclass on how to create a platformer.

Of course, Nintendo had the pedigree for creating in the genre on the NES, slowly piecing together the components that would propel Mario into gaming’s hall of fame. However, until Super Mario World, it felt like Mario could simply jump and run, with Super Mario Bros 3 introducing flight. With the jump over to the SNES, Mario gained a new friend in Yoshi, who brought in brand-new mechanics, but we also got the delightful spin jump that allowed Mario to move and interact uniquely.

Mario has a very long history going back nearly 40 years

The game built upon what came before with more levels, new castles, Bowser’s kids, and a whole host of new items. The sprawling world map, filled with hidden exits and endless replayability, became a perfect playground for Mario. While you could argue that Nintendo has forever refreshed Mario and his adventures, pushing into the 3D space from the N64 onwards, the SNES iteration has remained the crown jewel in the developer’s crown.

Being able to easily return to it via Nintendo Switch Online and get used to how Mario moves fluidly, bouncing from enemies, gliding through the air, or lobbing shells, has been an utter joy. Not only did it key me into my nostalgia - days sat cross-legged in front of a 14-inch TV - but it reminded me that nobody does it better than Nintendo, and it’s staggering how they’ve never missed when it comes to Mario.

Which brings me to Kaizo Mario, a subgenre of speedrunning and challenge runs. If you’re unaware of what this is, allow me to try and explain. Kaizo is a game design philosophy originating in Japan and is known for its incredibly high difficulty and, sometimes, trolling of players. It’s achieved by community creators modifying the coding of games to redesign or reconfigure the original title. You can see it as modding, with creators building levels, much as you would see in Super Mario Maker and its sequel.

I’ve been a bit obsessed with Kaizo Mario and the community that surrounds it for around eight years, having written about it extensively over those years. I tend to spend hours watching streamers and YouTubers attempt some of the hardest Kaizo creations out there. Many of these fan games have been showcased at Games Done Quick charity marathons for a long time, and I’ve always wanted to try it out.

This design philosophy has moved through many different games, from modders reshaping games like Elden Ring to make it more punishing, to designing challenges for Pokémon games that force players to only use one creature for the whole game. Countless Discord communities exist dedicated to this small corner of gaming.

As I gear myself up to attempt to play Kaizo Mario, learning shell jumps, juggling shells, chaining jumps, and balancing speed with precision, I’ve spent a fair few hours revisiting Super Mario World in the attempt to remind myself of how Mario moves. Whether I’ll ever properly get into Kaizo Mario, or be any good at it, is yet to be seen. However, the concept has brought me back to one of the best games ever made, and I’ve had a bloody good time with it.