{"id":3612,"date":"2018-01-14T00:39:26","date_gmt":"2018-01-14T00:39:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/?p=3612"},"modified":"2018-01-14T00:39:26","modified_gmt":"2018-01-14T00:39:26","slug":"my-top-10-mario-worlds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/?p=3612","title":{"rendered":"My Top 10 Mario Worlds!"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was a kid, I had it in my head that if I dug a tunnel going underground in our back yard, it would somehow open a portal and bring me to the Mushroom Kingdom.\u00a0 I might have gotten the idea from Little Monsters<\/em>, that movie with Fred Savage and Howie Mandel where there\u2019s a portal to another world\u00a0under the kid\u2019s bed, but I totally believed I could explore Mario\u2019s world in person if I dreamed big enough\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Wow. I haven’t seen this in years.\u00a0Looks awful!<\/p><\/div>\n

The original Super Mario Bros.<\/em> obviously blew our minds, but it still came at a time when games looked pretty simple \u2013 you really had to use your imagination to get a feel for what the world would look like from Mario\u2019s perspective.\u00a0 The levels either happened at day or night, and although World 5 tried to look snowy, everything felt pretty similar from level to level.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Except 6-3\u2026 that stage was pretty unique.<\/p><\/div>\n


\nSuper Mario Bros. 2<\/em> introduced themed levels, and Super Mario Bros. 3<\/em> had individual worlds with maps, identities and names of their own.\u00a0 From then on, every time you played a new Mario<\/em> game, you didn\u2019t know what to expect.<\/p>\n

Now, in the name of setting rules for the countdown, these are areas from Mario adventure games only, meaning platformers and RPG\u2019s.\u00a0 I\u2019m also only taking into consideration worlds that are more than one stage long.\u00a0 There are some fun single-star areas in Super Mario<\/em> 64<\/em> and both Galaxy<\/em> games, but they\u2019re not really themed worlds in the sense I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sorry, Princess.
Your Secret Slide didn’t make the cut!<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019ll also leave the Star and Special Worlds out of this one; they\u2019re basically Bonus levels anyway, and as awesome as they are, they blow the majority of this list out of the water.\u00a0 As such, the levels on here are just the normal ones!<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here are my 10 favourite Mario<\/em> Worlds!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s-a-go!
\n<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>#10 – Chocolate Island (Super Mario World<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Delicious.<\/p><\/div>\n

Dinosaur Land was a bit different than the Mushroom Kingdom we knew and loved, but it still had that same Mario charm to it.\u00a0 Chocolate Island was no exception.<\/p>\n

The first normal stage on the island itself is the most interesting one in the game.\u00a0 Depending on how many coins you collect in the first part of Chocolate Island 2, you\u2019re brought to one of three areas.\u00a0 Then, depending on how much time is left on the timer when you leave that section, you\u2019re brought to one of three areas again, one of which has a secret exit.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, depending on how many Yoshi Coins you\u2019ve collected along the way, you\u2019re brought to one of two possible final areas.<\/p>\n

If you were like me and hell-bent on finding every exit in the game, you had to figure out how this stage worked.\u00a0 Luckily I had my copy of Mario Mania, <\/em>so I was all set.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Everything in this world looks like it\u2019s been coated with a nice layer of chocolate.\u00a0 The map looked like some kind of chocolate chip cookie cake with castles and level markers on it, and even the inside of the castles themselves were built with giant chocolate blocks.\u00a0 I used to look at the \u201clava\u201d in those castles as just being ash-colored lava, but it makes more sense to look at it as though it was hot cocoa!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mmmm, deadly, delicious, boiling hot chocolate\u2026<\/p><\/div>\n

The rest of Super Mario World<\/em> is fun too, but Chocolate Island is the level I look forward to the most, if only because it actually makes me want to dive into a stash of chocolate bars.<\/p>\n

#9 – The Bitlands (Super Paper Mario<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lil’ squares.<\/p><\/div>\n

Believe it or not, there was a time when a \u201cthrowback\u201d in gaming was a pretty novel concept.\u00a0 Taking a stroll down memory lane from time to time was a fun way of switching things up, before developers started doing remakes of pretty much every game we grew up loving.\u00a0 Not that I\u2019m complaining, but, y\u2019know, a little bit of innovation and originality never truly hurt anyone.<\/p>\n

I played Super Paper Mario<\/em> in the first year I was in a relationship with Nita.\u00a0 We had only been living together two months when this came out, and it was the first game her and I played through \u201ctogether\u201d \u2013 or rather, I played, and she watched and helped me solve most of the puzzles.<\/p>\n

The 2D-to-3D aspect of the gameplay was pretty fun and there are lots of references to Mario\u2019s past, but the game\u2019s third chapter goes all out as Mario travels to an area called The Bitlands.<\/p>\n

The first thing you\u2019ll notice is that there\u2019s an obvious pixel theme going on.\u00a0 Not long after the first stage starts, there\u2019s a stretch where you get a Mega Mushroom, which turns you into a giant 8-bit version of your character.\u00a0 Immediately after you shrink back down to size, a Koopa Troopa gets a a hold of one and chases you down, only for you get one again to turn the tables on him!\u00a0 It was wild, and so much fun!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Battle of the Giants!<\/p><\/div>\n

It also pays homage Stage 1-2 from the original Super Mario Bros.<\/em> \u2013 there had been a few nods to 1-1 in other games at this point, so giving 1-2 some love was great to see.<\/p>\n

The level’s\u00a0underwater stage reminds me of the ones in Super Mario Bros. 3<\/em>, and even has a remixed version of the underwater theme from that game.\u00a0 It also has a fun boss fight with a giant Gooper Blooper.\u00a0 Moses, as my niece used to call him at the time, but that\u2019s another story altogether\u2026<\/p>\n

Anyway, the level also introduces a character named Francis, a geeky chameleon who shares our love of all things retro.\u00a0 Check out his console collection!!\u00a0 He even has all the portable consoles on display\u00a0in another room.\u00a0 Impressive!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

He even likes the Virtual Boy enough to own it.<\/p><\/div>\n

All in all, I look back fondly on The Bitlands because it was an early taste of retro before just about everyone started doing it.<\/p>\n

#8 – Meringue Clouds (New Super Mario Bros. U<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mmmm… Meringue Mario.<\/p><\/div>\n

Continuing with the food theme, I absolutely love lemon meringue pie.\u00a0 It\u2019s like Nintendo called this world Meringue Clouds just for me.\u00a0 Even though it\u2019s just a name and the world isn\u2019t actually made of meringue, just seeing that word on the map screen, just\u2026 *sigh* it makes me want lemon meringue pie, SO BAD.\u00a0 Even the map markers look like candy, which makes it all the more appetizing.\u00a0 I know, I know, it\u2019s the same thing as with Chocolate Island making me want to dive into a stash of chocolate and it\u2019s kinda weird, but hey – that\u2019s just where my brain goes!<\/p>\n

More importantly though, stages in Meringue Clouds are both fun and challenging in ways that actually make me wish the whole game was that difficult.\u00a0 Also, check out this great stage that has you running underneath the Airship instead of on it, all while dodging this giant mechanical hand throughout.\u00a0 So cool!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Honestly, this was a nice surprise twist on the usual Airship stage.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ironically, New Super Mario Bros. U<\/em> doesn\u2019t bring\u00a0much new to the table other than Squirrel Mario, but the game really does shine when it gets challenging like it does\u00a0in\u00a0Meringue Clouds \u2013 thankfully, New Super Luigi U<\/em> came around and satisfied that itch for tougher Mario platforming.<\/p>\n

#7 – Mario Zone (Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Domo arigato.<\/p><\/div>\n


\nSuper Mario Land 2<\/em> was a huge improvement over the first one and had worlds that could be tackled in any order.\u00a0 Mario climbed up the insides of a massive tree, dealt with zombies in a Halloween-themed pumpkin level, went into the low-G atmosphere of the Moon, and finally into the belly of a giant whale.\u00a0 The best level, however, was one where Mario explored the inside of a giant robot version of himself; the Mario Zone.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

So many zones, so little time.<\/p><\/div>\n

The level’s first stage has you jumping through stationary and rotating gears, making it feel like you\u2019re actually in the belly of a giant machine.\u00a0 The second stage is built with a bunch of balls (which was maybe an attempt to look like blood cells), while the third stage has a bunch of chain-driven platforms, and even incorporates the mechanical arm from the end-stage mini games\u2026 it was all lots of fun, but the fourth stage is what I thought made the level so great.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Leggo my Lego! Wait… that’s not it.<\/p><\/div>\n

The idea that robot-Mario\u2019s “brain” was made of Lego blocks was hilarious to me.\u00a0 I was at an age where I was playing with Lego quite often, so the stage resonated quite a bit with me at the time.\u00a0 Then there\u2019s the \u201cN&B\u201d logo I always saw, but never paid much attention to.\u00a0 When I played through the game recently, I decided to Google it.<\/p>\n

I had absolutely no idea about this, but Nintendo sold a line of toys back in the 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s called \u201cN&B\u201d blocks, which were pretty much Lego knock-offs.\u00a0 I already knew a little bit about the history of Nintendo; how they started out by selling Hanafuda cards in the 1800’s, the Ultra Hand (thanks to Wario Ware<\/em>) and the Game and Watch, but I had no idea about these blocks.\u00a0 Once I started looking into them, I found out about all the other toys Nintendo sold before video games.\u00a0 They had a lot of stuff!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Not quite as polished as actual Lego, but still cool.<\/p><\/div>\n

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins<\/em> was a great game that lots of people overlook when talking about the classics, but the Mario Zone is one of the main reasons I\u2019ll never forget it.<\/p>\n

#6 – World 4 (Super Mario Bros. 2<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was mostly due to the considerable graphic upgrade, but levels in Super Mario Bros. 2<\/em> felt quite different than those in the original.\u00a0 World 2\u2019s desert stages were fun, and the rocky waterfalls in World 3 were cool, but it was World 4 that had me thinking this was the craziest game I had ever played.<\/p>\n

The way the physics worked when you were on the ice took a bit of getting used to, but I loved the way the level looked.\u00a0 It was snowy, but at the same time kinda tropical-looking\u2026 the rocks were green, the water down below wasn\u2019t frozen, and there was vegetation at the end of the stage… hmmm.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dead end. Oh, what’s this plant hiding?<\/p><\/div>\n

Seeing the rocket take off for the first time had me in stitches from laughing so hard.\u00a0 It was so random!\u00a0 It was completely out of place, and I loved it.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t understand at the time that the land being named \u201cSubCon\u201d suggested it was all just a dream, so I just assumed the rocket thing was Mario being random and silly (like Bugs Bunny, or something).<\/p>\n

There was the constant stream of Beezos at the beginning of the second stage that would stress me out whenever I got to it (I ended up having the pattern memorized before too long), the moment of realization those “platforms” you were jumping on were whales, and finally, a helpful appearance from Birdo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Once you figured out his eggs were actually your ticket across the sea, a running jump over this gap as either Luigi or the Princess allowed you to skip a fairly annoying chunk of the level.<\/p><\/div>\n

This world took everything you thought you knew about the rules of a Mario game and flipped it on its head, and it was great.<\/p>\n

#5 – Toy Time Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Both Galaxy<\/em> games are absolute masterpieces \u2013 they\u2019re imaginative and challenging in ways that make you wonder if they\u2019ll ever run out of ideas for a Mario game.\u00a0 The Toy Time Galaxy from the first one is a prime example of this.<\/p>\n

The idea of Mario running and jumping through giant toys is one I couldn\u2019t help but take satisfaction in.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t take place in space but what seems to be a child\u2019s bedroom, which is interesting.<\/p>\n

The first star\u2019s \u201cboss\u201d is a giant robot you have to scale and dismantle by removing the screws holding it together.\u00a0 After climbing the legs and removing a chest panel to go from one side to the other, you get to do some serious damage by removing a pretty important screw \u2013 the one holding the giant arm you\u2019re standing on.<\/p>\n

As the arm falls away and you barely manage to get across to the other side, the only thing left is to get to the head and destroy the whole thing.\u00a0 Spring Mario is a bit awkward to control, but it\u2019s so fun to topple such a big structure by taking it apart as opposed to attacking it directly.\u00a0 This sticks out as one of the most memorable parts of an already very memorable game.<\/p>\n

The galaxy is bright and colorful, has a stage made of desserts that reminds me of Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa<\/em>\u2019s second stage, and is home to the Luigi\u2019s Purple Coins mission, which is essentially the end of the first \u201chalf\u201d of the game.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Technically not the right colors, but I’ll let it slide.<\/p><\/div>\n

It took me quite a while to beat that one on my first try, but once you manage to find a route that works, you should have it beaten in no time. \u00a0It\u2019s still an incredibly fun stage, and one of the main reasons I love the Toy Time Galaxy so much.<\/p>\n

#4 – Mole Mountain (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

“Moooooooole.”<\/p><\/div>\n

I didn\u2019t care for traditional turn-based RPG\u2019s as a kid and in fact I still don\u2019t, but Super Mario RPG<\/em> was a special case \u2013 Mario was in it, so I had to at least give it a shot.\u00a0 It took me a little while to get used to managing battles and making the most of timed hits, but before too long, I got the hang of it.\u00a0 I still found it quite challenging and a bit stressful during certain boss battles, simply because I didn\u2019t feel like I was in control of my own destiny and that luck had a lot to do with it.<\/p>\n

I persevered, and by the time I made it through Mole Mountain, I was hooked.\u00a0 The whole thing in the mine and searching for the kids was great, and that mine cart ride at the end was a fun way to wrap it up.\u00a0 Whenever I play the game now, I always look forward that part.<\/p>\n

After that, you take a trip to Booster Tower, and before too long, BOWSER becomes a member of your team!\u00a0 Mark that down as one of the crazier moments I had in playing video games as a kid\u2026 playing AS Bowser in a Mario game!!\u00a0 Crazy!<\/p>\n

The Tower itself is fun and full of little nooks and crannies to explore, and this throwback was pretty hilarious when I first saw it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

“Eyyyy, I know that guy.
Know him well, actually.”<\/p><\/div>\n

Booster himself is the funniest\\dumbest character in the game, and the crazy stuff leading up to his wedding with Princess Toadstool stands out as my favourite part of the game, by far.<\/p>\n

Finally, the last boss before moving on to the next area is a wedding cake that turns into a monster, and you have to defeat it by stomping out the candles on top\u2026 it truly isn\u2019t as easy as it sounds, but it\u2019s definitely a great feeling once you\u2019ve beaten him and moved on.<\/p>\n

#3 \u2013 Sky Land (Super Mario Bros. 3<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

More like “Land Land”…<\/p><\/div>\n

Super Mario Bros. 3.\u00a0<\/em>was the first game in the series where each world was completely fleshed out with an area map.\u00a0 This helped make the biggest game from our childhood feel even bigger, but the way Sky Land\u2019s map was designed literally<\/strong> brought it to a whole other level.<\/p>\n

World 5 had the Sky Castle, which had you going up and up and up, going through pipes and reaching what seems to be the roof of the castle, only to have you climb a vine, then go through another pipe at the very top\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ohhh. Sky Land. I get it now.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2026and into another part of the map you had no idea was there. \u00a0There wasn\u2019t even a boss battle at the end of it!\u00a0 The whole purpose of the castle was to just get you up into the clouds!<\/p>\n

Back on the ground, the level\u2019s third stage included a great little item in Kuribo\u2019s Shoe, which let you stomp on enemies like Spinies and Piranha Plants.\u00a0 It was great to be able to \u201cbreak the rules\u201d and do something you never could\u2026 but instead of this being the first time you see it in the game, it\u2019s the *only* time you see it in the game.\u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s the only time you get to use it in ANY Mario<\/em> game, ever!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Not counting Super Mario Maker, of course.<\/p><\/div>\n

Whether I\u2019d get to World 5 on a playthrough or used Warp Whistles to get there (as opposed to skipping right to the end of the game), 5-3 was one of the parts I always looked forward to.\u00a0 It lives on as being one of the most unique stages in the franchise\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

The rest of the level\u2019s stages were incredibly challenging with enemies you didn\u2019t see in the other levels, and back in the day, that was the sort of thing that kept you coming back for more.<\/p>\n

#2 – Big Boo\u2019s Haunt (Super Mario 64<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Perfectly normal and not-at-all creepy-looking.<\/p><\/div>\n

The first time I rented a Nintendo 64 and had it all to myself, I couldn\u2019t wait to explore every bit of Peach\u2019s Castle.\u00a0 After getting a few of the castle\u2019s stars and poking around outside to see what I could dig up, it was off to what I assumed was the final battle with Bowser.<\/p>\n

After beating him just a wee bit too easily, it dawned on me that this wasn\u2019t the end of the game.\u00a0 It was already bigger, better-looking and played smoother than anything I had seen up until that point\u2026 and there was more of it???\u00a0 Just how big was this game, anyway??<\/p>\n

I headed downstairs with a key that apparently wouldn\u2019t work in the first, really obvious door, but on the way down, saw a Boo in the hallway that wasn\u2019t there before\u2026\u00a0 huh\u2026\u00a0 naturally, I followed him and wound up in the Castle\u2019s Courtyard, which was now infested by Boos.<\/p>\n

Once I figured out I could actually kill them, it wasn\u2019t long before I was whisked away to Big Boo\u2019s Haunt, a stage with so many quirks I couldn\u2019t help but be amazed at the whole thing.<\/p>\n

There was a merry-go-round with old-timey circus music, which was nice and creepy.\u00a0 Inside the mansion itself, you\u2019re treated to chairs that that levitate, walls you can pass through, books that shoot out or try to eat you, and huge pits you can easily fall into.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

And *ohhh look, a piano-OH DEAR GOD!*<\/p><\/div>\n

The first time I played this level and got to the piano room, it genuinely scared the bejeezus out of me when it started chomping at me.\u00a0 None of the Ghost Houses in prior Mario games were actually spook-worthy, so to have a level that played on your fears with atmosphere and audio was quite a treat.<\/p>\n

My love of this level is actually due to more than just how fun it was; it was already great just to run around and explore the scenery, but after Big Boo\u2019s Haunt, doing all that actually served a purpose. \u00a0Finding it proved you just never knew what you might find if you looked hard enough.<\/p>\n

#1 – Giant Land (Super Mario Bros. 3<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Not sure about you, but I can hear the music just by looking at this…<\/p><\/div>\n

In terms of \u201cwow\u201d moments from my early years of playing video games, it was the little things that were the most memorable.<\/p>\n

Or in this case, the MUCH BIGGER things.<\/p>\n

The payoff for beating the fairly challenging Water Land was Giant Land \u2013 a world where every common sprite was blown up to four times its normal size, and enemies like Goombas, Piranha Plants, Koopa Troopas and Hammer Brothers posed an even bigger threat than usual.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Yuge!<\/p><\/div>\n

Seeing these huge enemies and zoomed-in sprites for the first time was awesome.\u00a0 It might sound silly to have something so simple leave such an impression on us, but that\u2019s just the way things were with games back then \u2013 I can\u2019t explain it, you just had to have lived it.<\/p>\n

Super Mario Bros. 3<\/em> is one of the greatest games of all time, and getting to Giant Land sticks out in my mind as one of the coolest moments from gaming in my childhood.\u00a0 It\u2019s nothing earth-shattering if you experience it for the first time *now*, but if you were like me, this level rocked your socks off.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I was a kid, I had it in my head that if I dug a tunnel going underground in our back yard, it would somehow open a portal and bring me to the Mushroom Kingdom.\u00a0 I might… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mario","category-top-ten"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3612"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3680,"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3612\/revisions\/3680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}