Top Ten Bowser Battles

It's a tale as old as... well, 1985. Plumber meets princess. Koopa King kidnaps princess. Plumber beats Koopa King. Plumber saves princess. Rinse and repeat. However, there would be no tale without the King of the Koopas himself, Bowser. You've gotta give credit to this Koopa--he doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit". And thankfully for us, this is true, as without his constant desire to kidnap Princess Peach and upstage his rival Mario, we wouldn't continue to experience battle after battle with Bowser, nor enjoy some of the most memorable of these showdowns. With the release of Super Mario Maker 2 last Friday, it's a great opportunity for this top ten list which features the best of the best when it comes to Bowser battles in the standard 2D and 3D Mario games.

After you've checked out SuperPhillip Central's picks, which Bowser showdowns would you say are your favorites?

10) Super Mario Bros. (NES)

More of a formality than anything else, we kick off this list of the best Bowser boss battles with the original, the O.G., the very first Bowser battle in Super Mario Bros. history. The premise is simple: get passed Bowser as he spews fireballs and leaps in place. A well timed jump or run underneath Bowser's leap will allow Mario or Luigi to hit the switch to the bridge Bowser stands on, causing said bridge and Bowser plummeting into the lava below. Later worlds spice things up with Bowser chucking a flurry of hammers at players while granting less room for them to avoid his advances, but either way, this original battle against Bowser would start a 30+ year rivalry between Mario and the King of the Koopas that goes on to this day.

9) New Super Mario Bros. U (NSW, Wii U)

By this time in the New Super Mario Bros. series, it became no surprise when Bowser would take Kamek's magic and grow to epic-sized proportions. However, rather than simply run with your figurative tail between your legs as he gives chase, this time you bring the battle directly to Bowser courtesy of Bowser Jr.'s Clown Car. By jumping on Bowser Jr. as he makes an approach for the player, they can boot Bowser's son out of the Clown Car, commandeer it, and then use it to smash into big Bowser's massive (and ever thick) skull. A seasoned player can even complete the battle without Bowser Jr. ever being able to get back into his Clown Car. That'll teach you to try to put the odds in your favor, Koopa Kid!

8) Super Mario Odyssey (NSW)

Every princess is crazy about a sharp dressed Koopa. Hats off to you, Nintendo, for coming up a with new way to beat down Bowser. No, seriously! In order to take out Bowser in his Super Mario Odyssey battles the goal is to capture Bowser's punching glove-equipped hat and use it against Bowser, smashing the fists into the Koopa King for one serious knockout. This is all the while avoiding Bowser's own hat tricks, such as his flowing fire breath, spiked hats, and much more. The final battle even features multiple fake outs, so don't think you've won after you've punched the ever-loving dickens out of Bowser. You may just find out you've lost in the "tail" end! ...Okay, I've run through my quota of puns for this article through this list entry alone.

7) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

Super Mario Galaxy brought with it miniature planets, each with their own centers of gravity. Like many 3D Mario games, the main mechanic and gameplay premise of the game was used in Super Mario Galaxy for the battle against Bowser, where the fight itself took place on such a planet. When Bowser jumped into the air to smash down on top of Mario, the crafty plumber needed to lure Bowser to land on a breakable mound of glass, revealing a pool of lava. This would catch Bowser's tail on fire, resulting in the King of the Koopas to dash with pain and panic around the arena, a perfect time for Mario to hit Bowser in the back to deal damage.

6) Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

It only makes sense to partner up the Galaxy games one after the other, and between the two, I definitely prefer Super Mario Galaxy 2's battles with Bowser. Well, save for the actual FINAL battle with Bowser (phase two), as that seemingly ends before it even begins. Taking place on a less roomier planet than Super Mario Galaxy's fight, a huge Bowser hovers around the planet, breathing fire, calling upon meteors, and slamming his first against the planet's surface. Occasionally, meteors on the surface will rise up, allowing Mario to jump onto them and gain the opportunity to perform a ground pound. With the right timing, these meteors will then slam into Bowser's face for a well executed hit. After the usual trifecta of blows to the body, Bowser will surrender... but as always, VERY temporarily.

5) Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

Perhaps this is a technicality, as you're not really facing Bowser in this particular entry on this list. Instead, you're taking on Meowser, Bowser turned into a cat via the Super Bell item! It's a perilous trek to the top of Bowser's towering skyscraper as you avoid multiple Meowsers who wish nothing more than to stop your upward progress and claw you into defeat. This is a vertical platforming challenge that is quite the set piece! What is this, the Uncharted of Mario games all of a sudden?! At the very top of the tower, all it takes is a series of three hits to the giant POW block that the real Meowser perches upon to knock him clear out of there and to save the Sprixie Kingdom!

4) New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS was a nice and welcome return to a brand-new classic 2D Mario after an absence of over a decade. However, the final boss battle wasn't too much to write home about... or to write about at all. However, the 2009 followup New Super Mario Bros. Wii brought with it a truly terrific and memorable final boss sequence that I think many take for granted considering how many Mario games since have provided us with chase sequences. After a traditional defeat of destroying the bridge Bowser stands on to drop him in the lava, Kamek's magic powers up Bowser big time and makes him grow greatly. The chase is on, but this time Mario's the one being pursued. Goad Bowser's gigantic fireballs to break walls to progress, and rush to make your way to the final switch to not only defeat this behemoth-sized version of Bowser but also to rescue Princess Peach!

3) Super Mario 64 (N64)

The impact in gaming that Super Mario 64 had on the industry can never be understated. It was huge, to put it simply. Super Mario 64 made the analog stick a mainstay in controllers and was the first to make it work wonderfully. This was used heavily in all three battles with Bowser throughout Super Mario 64's adventure, requiring Mario to run to Bowser's backside, grab his tail, and twirl the Koopa King around with enough speed and with the proper timing to chuck him into one of the mines set around the arena. Different versions of the fight would have Bowser charge at Mario, breathe fire, and even rock the arena so much that it starts tipping it over. The Bowser in the Sky battle required Mario to chuck Bowser into mines three times to finally defeat him--all the while with each throw resulting in a part of the battlefield platform being destroyed until eventually revealing a star design.

2) Super Mario World (SNES)

While New Super Mario Bros. Wii possessed a greatly creative take on 2D Bowser encounters, the reigning champ and still king of the 2D games remains Super Mario World's Bowser battle. The introduction of the Koopa Clown Car, this fight required Mario to use Bowser's own Mechakoopas against him, jumping on them to stun them, and then tossing them up into the air to land on Bowser's not-so-crafty noggin. This three phase fight featured everything from bowling balls, Princess Toadstool's lovely mid-phase Mushroom help, and Bowser's last ditch effort to defeat Mario by attempting to crush his rival underneath the weight of his Koopa Clown Car. A memorable and truly fantastic boss battle that has definitely withstood the test of time.

1) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Similar to Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario 3D Land's final boss fight is another sequence where platforming prowess prevails over mere offense. Mario must run through an engaging and challenging obstacle course while Bowser leaps from platform to platform, unleash fireballs, rolling barrels, and other means to impede Mario's progress as the portly plumber makes his way across crumbling blocks and the deteriorating area. The final rush towards the finish line features Mario running towards the screen as he leaps over obstructions in the form of blocks as Bowser closely chases and pursues behind him.

Not only an insanely tense last push to the finish, but it made fantastic use of the stereoscopic 3D effect of the Nintendo 3DS as well. Heck, the whole game did. Even without this, though, this remarkably epic showdown presented a platforming challenge that I prefer to see out of Mario boss battles. It perfectly encapsulates what makes Mario games great--the actual running and jumping, rather than the traditional three-hits-and-they're-defeated bosses the series often uses instead

Top Ten Mario Power-Ups from the 3D Games

It's an exciting day for gaming today with three huge releases all coming out at once. Along with a new Assassin's Creed and Wolfenstein, a huge gaming event in the form of a new 3D Mario releases today! In celebration of Super Mario Odyssey's launch, SuperPhillip Central looks back at past 3D Mario games to pick out the best power-ups featured inside. Speaking of Odyssey, SuperPhillip Central will have its own in-depth review in the coming week or so. Until then, check out SPC's top ten 3D Mario power-up picks and let me know which ones you agree with!

10) Boo Mushroom 

It's a great power-up to begin with as Halloween's approaching! Debuting in Super Mario Galaxy and then making a quick appearance in the sequel, the Boo Mushroom turns Mario into Boo Mario, having our hero take on the appearance of his ghastly foe from Super Mario Bros. 3 and on. With it, Mario can hover over the ground, pass through fences, and read signs posted in the Boo language. The first mission in Super Mario Galaxy featuring Boo Mario requires the red plumber to nab a Boo Mushroom to sneak into a prison where Luigi has been captured. While Boo Mario has very few elaborate uses in the context of the Galaxy games, you can't deny that Mario is just adorable in Boo form as he wears his hallmark red cap, sports his bushy mustache, and has his tongue wagging as he explores.

9) Bee Mushroom

Another Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 power-up, the Bee Mushroom first appears in the Honeyhive Galaxy, one of the few nonlinear areas in the first Galaxy game. As you might expect, this mushroom turns Mario into Bee Mario, granting him the power to fly around in the air for a limited amount of time, cling onto honeycombs, and gives him a light weight for crossing over clouds and flowers. Taking a dip into any body of water will instantly end Mario's time in bee form, and seeing as there are plenty of galaxies in both games featuring water, it takes some careful flying to remain as Bee Mario. One of my favorite Power Stars in Super Mario Galaxy is the Honeyclimb Galaxy, a miniature galaxy that is essentially an obstacle course. It requires Bee Mario to climb across honeycombs while avoiding various hazards.

8) Propeller Box

Going from the Galaxy games (but don't worry, we're not done with those just yet on this list) to the Super Mario 3D Land and World games, the Propeller Box is an orange box with two long white eyes sporting a yellow propeller on its top. When worn, the player's jumps are heightened greatly allowing them to reach platforms otherwise inaccessible or to assist in creating some second-saving shortcuts. As the player falls downward, they do so slowly while wearing the box over their head. There's a particular level in the first world of Super Mario 3D Land that takes place over multiple waterfalls where the goal is to descend downward on multiple platforms with the Propeller Box in mind. It's not only a terrific way of introducing the power-up to the player, but it's also an insanely impressive use of the Nintendo 3DS's built-in 3D effect as well.

7) Ice Flower

The Ice Flower has been seen in numerous 2D Mario games, notably the New Super Mario Bros. series. In Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, it serves a different function. For one, the Ice Flower (like the Fire Flower) is a timed use power-up, only giving the player a limited amount of time before its powers go away (the faster the jingle plays, the sooner one's time is growing close to being over with the power-up). However, while that can feel limiting, what the Ice Flower in both Galaxy games makes up for is granting Mario the power to freeze both water and lava, allowing our portly plumber to skate across the newly formed ice like Scott Hamilton in his prime. One of the coolest ah-ha moments featuring Ice Mario was when a Power Star could be seen high in the air over two waterfalls. When the solution presented itself in players' minds, Ice Mario could perform wall jumps up both waterfall faces, freezing the spots where Mario leaped off of. Very cool. Literally!

6) Metal Cap

Our first of two Super Mario 64 power-ups, the Metal Cap is found in green exclamation point boxes found in various courses of the game. Of course, Mario has to discover the location of the green switch to make these boxes solid so he could open them instead of as they were, transparent. The Metal Cap turns Mario into Metal Mario, sporting heavy movements, able to sink and march underwater, become unaffected by bursts of wind or water, and finally, brave the harsh toxic terrain of the Hazy Maze Cave. Plus, when you have this rockin' remix of the Starman theme playing as you smash your way through enemies while exploring, how can you not like Metal Mario and the cap that transformed him into a metallic tank?

5) Boomerang Flower

Mario has been able to out-hammer Hammer Bros. and out-fire Fire Bros. with the Hammer Suit and Fire Flower respectively, but he hadn't yet discover a power-up that let him face Boomerang Bros. on equal footing. That changed with the introduction of the Boomerang Flower in Super Mario 3D Land. True to its name the Boomerang Flower allows Mario to unleash boomerangs at enemies of all types, having them come shooting forth before swooping back into Mario's glove. This feature is also important as various collectibles like coins, power-ups, and Star Medals can be nabbed with Mario's boomerangs. In a sense, the boomerangs used by Mario could be seen as a precursor to Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey in how Cappy can be thrown forward and comes back to Mario while being able to collect items out of his reach. Okay, it's a stretch, but that's why I love the Boomerang Suit. Who needs to stretch when you can just throw out a boomerang?

4) Cloud Flower

Here comes my favorite power-up from Super Mario Galaxy 2, the Cloud Flower. With this power-up, Mario turns into Cloud Mario, able to be light on his feet as he spins to create platforms crafted from clouds underneath him. Up to three of these cloud platforms can appear at once before Mario has to pick up another Cloud Flower. The power-up allows players to show off their platforming creativity, performing dazzling maneuvers, shortcuts, ways to bypass areas of level, and much more with how they smartly summon their clouds. Clouds can also be affected by wind, resulting in them blowing along with the breeze to create moving platforms to increase Mario's movement distance. With the Cloud Flower equipped, Mario is also able to leap higher and fall more slowly to the ground, making for a mobile and enjoyable form of Mario which is used in some of my most loved challenges within Super Mario Galaxy 2.

3) Super Leaf

Super Mario Bros. 3 saw the debut of a lot of power-ups and suits that have since been cast to the wayside. Heck, even the ones premiering in Super Mario Bros. 3 didn't get much chance to shine within the game itself. The Tanooki Suit was one of those, a rare find in World 4 and 5 of Super Mario Bros. 3, but Nintendo more than made up for its absence in that game and ever since with Super Mario 3D Land. The entire game was built with the Tanooki Suit in mind, hence all of the enemies with Tanooki tails and even that same tail in 3D Land's logo. While changing into the Tanooki Suit made many platforming parts of Super Mario 3D Land less challenging -- since you could flap you tail to mitigate danger from falling into a pit or completely bypass portions of level -- it didn't stop 3D Land from being a ton of fun. Once the second half of the game rolled in, the ability to transform into a stone statue revealed itself, a tip of the hat to Super Mario Bros. 3's original version of the Tanooki Suit.

2) Super Bell

Moving on from Super Mario 3D Land on Nintendo 3DS to Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U, the primary power-up featured this game was the Super Bell, turning any one of its collectors into a cat. The cat versions of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and the unlockable character could prowl around on all fours, pounce, crawl up walls, and perform some seriously cool platforming moves. In a professional's hands, the Cat Suit could result in some astounding level shortcuts and insane displays of speedrunning. Climbing up a wall and going into a dive meant the opportunities were potentially limitless. Outside of speedrun fare, the Super Bell is just the cat's meow in general, making for a modern Mario game power-up that felt truly worthwhile, genuinely creative, and fun to play as after some lackluster attempts in the past. (Seriously... Turning into a rock or worse yet, a spring?)

1) Wing Cap

Super Mario 64 meant the arrival of a lot of things, but most importantly it was successfully taking gaming into a brave new world with infinite possibilities. The general reaction by anyone who played Super Mario 64 at the time of its release was being overwhelmed by a feeling of utter awe. Never before had there been such freedom in a Mario game before, and one part of Super Mario 64 that hammered that point home considerably was the Wing Cap found within red boxes within the game. That first time you take to the air and soar through the skies for red coins, and then the next when you take flight over the entirety of Bob-Omb Battlefield, it's just unbelievable. Games now have copious amounts of freedom now as open-world games are common, but back in the day, Super Mario 64 was mind-blowing, and Mario wearing the Wing Cap to explore the bright blue yonder in a full open 3D space will never leave my mind as one of my most cherished gaming memories.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "Mario Madness 2017" Edition

Fresh off the excitement of SuperPhillip Central's 750th review which featured Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs continues the wave of celebration with an all-Mario edition to kick off this next batch of one-hundred VGM volumes.

We begin this Mario-fied edition of the VGMs with Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D Land, a duo of Mario games in a similar style. Then, we go retro in a big way with Super Mario Bros. 3 before returning to the present with Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Finally, we go back to the past with Super Mario Land, and a catchy theme at that.

Just click on the VGM volume name to hear the song described. Click on the VGM Database link right here to hear all 1400 past VGM volumes. If you didn't know by now, SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs have been going on for a good while now! Now, let's get on to the music!

v1401. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U) - Switch Scramble Circus

We begin with a celebratory uptempo theme from one of Super Mario 3D World's earliest stages, a song that appears in every circus-based level in the game. Whether Mario and friends are vaulting from trapeze to trapeze, scrambling across switches, or on the big stage, this high energy theme plays, a great way to kick off the first of our 1400th series of VGM volumes!

v1402. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) - Castle Theme

But, before there was Super Mario 3D World on Wii U, there was Super Mario 3D Land on the Nintendo 3DS. It merged the 2D style of point-to-point platforming and flagpole goals with 3D environments and spaces. An awesome game, and the castle levels were some of the greatest found in the game, all ending with a confrontation with either Bowser or Dry Bowser (and all based on platforming which I really loved). This tense tune lets you know you're in for a challenge indeed!

v1403. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) - Waterfront (Akihabara Electric Circus Version)

A special soundtrack was released alongside the launch of Super Mario Bros. 3 featuring performances, medleys, and remixes from the the game, all done by the Akihabara Electric Circus. This particular track is a combination of multiple themes, such as the Dark Land theme, but mostly the theme of Water Land, hence its title of Waterfront. It's definitely got a '90s feel to it, but it still manages to be satisfying to the ears.

v1404. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (3DS) - Where's Toad?

Where's Toad? Well, Toads are everywhere in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, and that was one of the problems a good deal of players and critics had with the game. I didn't dislike the game as much as some players did, but one spot that everyone was agreement with was how good the soundtrack was. Then again, how could it have been bad when Yoko Shimomura was behind it! This theme plays during one of many sections in Paper Jam where Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario must hunt for missing Toads.

v1405. Super Mario Land (GB) - Muda Kingdom

Super Mario Land stands as one of the weakest Mario platformers to me, even being a little weaker than the very vanilla New Super Mario Bros. That said, I happen to like both games regardless. "Hip" Tanaka provided a much better soundtrack to Super Mario Land than Nintendo's new batch of composers did with New Super Mario Bros., and the proof is in themes like this, the Muda Kingdom's theme. Catchy, infectious, and delightful, Tanaka-san's work is exquisite.

Top Ten 3D Mario Levels

Today is Mario Day! That's because it's March 10 (or Mar 10)! SuperPhillip Central has done plenty of top ten lists that were oriented to the plumber synonymous with video games, but we've never looked at this subject in a top ten list surprisingly. With it being Mario Day and with Super Mario Odyssey being the next big Mario game set to release, why don't we cover our favorite 3D Mario levels of all time! That's exactly what we're going do. Other than the ten on this list, we also have some honorable mentions with links to get your reoriented for those picks in case your mind needs some refreshing.

After you've checked out all of SuperPhillip Central's most loved 3D Mario levels, sound out with your own faves and why!

10) Ricco Harbor - Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)

We begin with the only Super Mario Sunshine world to peek its way into this list. Ricco Harbor is the second main world in Sunshine, and it is loved by me due to how much variety it has. I was wrestling with this world and Bianco Hills, but Ricco Harbor shined it out (ha, ha, puns) because there's a great mix of pure platforming, having you needing to use the various FLUDD nozzles to make your way through the level, and a good mix of pure high seas fun. Such interesting scenery includes the initial ship docked at the port where the level begins, the Blooper surfing to not only collect red coins along the ocean waves but also competing in a timed obstacle course, as well as the labyrinth of elevated platforms hovering over the center of the level, Ricco Harbor is a wonderful world and my favorite from Super Mario Sunshine.

9) World 7-4 - Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Super Mario 3D Land introduced a new type of structure to the 3D Mario games, which didn't sit well with the entire Mario fan base, but it thankfully did for most. Levels became less about exploration and freedom and more about concentrated, linear obstacle courses that led to an ending flagpole. There are still plenty of means to meander and stray from the main path to find secrets like hidden Star Medals, but that's really the limit of freedom available. That said, World 7-4 in Super Mario 3D Land sports an interesting aesthetic and series of platforming challenges. It takes place in a clockwork area, sort of similar to Super Mario 64's Tick Tock Clock but without the major verticality involved.

Clockwork gears are here, spinning around in all sizes in the first half of the level. The main threat besides the bottomless abyss below is a barrage of Bob-Ombs that stand on various gears. The level takes you into the clock itself through narrow paths with Mega Moles to contend with. Through carefully maneuvering through this portion, the final section of 7-4 presents itself, You then have L-shaped platforms that turn and halt with every 90 degree angle. World 7-4 is all about timing your jumps with the timed spins and rotations of the clockwork machinery running rampant in the level.

8) Hands-On Hall - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

Super Mario 3D Land's successor is next on this list with a multi-leveled Japanese themed castle to roam through, Hands-On Hall. Each floor in this castle is home to an abundance of unique challenges and secrets both good and bad hidden away behind traditional sliding doors. One can even don the a Goomba costume to fit right in with groups of Bowser's traditionally most weakest minion without them batting an eye. The level has both indoor and outdoor portions. The most prominent outdoor portion offers the most freedom to explore in the level. While one has to avoid the prickly rolling spires tossed by Spike enemies as well as evade getting crushed by Thwomps, they can put on a Propeller Block and take flight while basked in the moonlight starry nighttime sky. Hands-On Hall is a memorable and loved level because of how different it is compared to most Mario levels. I mean, a Japanese castle as the theme? That's just awesome. It's also one of the only 3D World levels where my party of players had to give up and check a guide for the level's truly tricky Stamp location!

7) Tiny-Huge Island - Super Mario 64 (N64, DS)

One of two Super Mario 64 worlds (or courses as the game refers to them as) featured on this list, Tiny-Huge Island is a world in the final third of the game. Mario can leap into one of two paintings in Peach's Castle to reach it, and depending on the painting leaped into, it will greet Mario with either a tiny version of the world or a huge one. Guess that's where the name of the world comes from! Nevertheless, you can easily change between the tiny and huge versions of the island by jumping into various pipes sprinkled around the level-- sort of like in Super Mario Bros. 3's one Giant Land level where Mario could enter doors to switch between big and small versions of enemies. Tiny-Huge Island has a wide assortment of challenges to it, from taking down a patch of potent Piranha Plants, racing against Koopa the Quick for a second time (but on this occasion in a very gusty section set over a scary bottomless pit), taking on Wiggler who isn't too happy Mario flooded its domain, and also simply reaching the summit of the huge version of the island. Everything about the world is marvelous. Well, maybe not that sunglasses-wearing fish that can pop up and swallow Mario whole. Perhaps someone who has written for SuperPhillip Central in the past got a phobia from that...

6) Mount Mush Dash - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

We return to Super Mario 3D World with a pure unadulterated level intended to have players race through it. It only makes sense to race through it, as Mount Must Dash (get the pun?) is totally modeled after Mario Circuit in the SNES' Super Mario Kart, complete with rainbow blocked curbs on the track and remixed Mario Circuit music. Speed is encouraged on Mount Must Dash, as it's filled to the brim with boost pads to let you and other players pick up great agility as you vault over enemies, gaps in the track, and try to collect coins in the process. Jump pads are also strategically positioned in the level to give you big air along with your big speed, and slides give some slight breathers along with playground-style fun. It's an absolutely exhilarating experience to speed run this level, as it seems totally designed around that factor. Again, that only makes sense as the whole point of Mario Kart is to get to the finish line as fast as possible. It might lack difficulty for most seasoned players, but Mount Must Dash makes up for that in pure originality and most importantly, fun.

5) Fluffy Bluff Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 might just be my favorite 3D Mario in existence. That's big props as the 3D Mario games are all of tremendous quality (well, maybe not Super Mario Sunshine for me, but that's not relevant here). Fluffy Bluff Galaxy presents players with an opening island that is immense in scope compared to the general planetoids seen in the game. You get a series of stone spires that have grassy tips on their tops. From the relatively large pond on the first giant island to its tall tree, exploring the natural structure and stony mounds brings lots of enjoyment and a sense of freedom not present in many of the more linear galaxies of the game.

Eventually you encounter the Cloud Flower for the first time, which opens up the possibilities for how to tackle the galaxy in nearly infinite ways. Through a jump and a shake of the Wii Remote, Mario spawns a cloud under him that serves as a platform. He can summon three clouds in all before having to wait for one to disappear. Clouds can be influenced by the gusts to travel across otherwise impossible-to-cross chasms. Then, there's the hidden planet in the galaxy, a castle tower that is summoned once Mario feeds a Hungry Luma its desired amount of star bits. Scaling this with ingenuity and creativity with Mario's Cloud Flower is an absolutely delightful platforming challenge. It's really the magnificent setting of Fluffy Bluff Galaxy and the many ways you can use Cloud Mario to navigate the galaxy that makes it one of my favorite levels in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

4) Bowser's Galaxy Reactor - Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

The final level ends with Mario finally taking on Bowser once and for all for all the marbles and the fate of the universe. But before the portly plumber can engage with the King of the Koopas, he must face one of the most creatively designed obstacle courses in Super Mario history. First, Mario must walk inside various spotlights that each possess their own specific gravity. This allows him to run up walls and carefully keep inside the light as to not slip off the wall into a black hole below. After a long hike up the side of a tower (while avoiding rotating fire bars in the process), Mario finds himself transported to a fiery planet with rotating platforms. Through outpacing the platforms to make progress and avoiding the fireballs that occasionally come out of the fiery lava below, Mario then moves on to an icy planet. This planet spawns ice blocks to walk as Mario proceeds along the planet. Else he face a very painful burn from the ice water below.

Mario will then move across a sand planet where entering the actual sand will consume him and lose players a life, and he'll progress through a side-scrolling section with varying gravity, reminiscent of Mega Man 5's Gravity Man stage. Finally, the best is saved for last. The entire last section of level is a giant corridor of lava that revolves around a full 360 degrees. Through careful jumping on the platforms while avoiding massive Bullet Bills being fired at the player's face, Mario can reach the final area where his much awaited confrontation with Bowser takes place. Bowser's Galaxy Reactor is an extraordinarily epic final level for one of my favorite platformers and games of all time. A perfect send off for a near perfect game.

3) Bob-Omb Battlefield - Super Mario 64 (N64, DS)

Perhaps this pick has some traces of nostalgia tied to it, but at the same time, I just think that Super Mario 64's first world is just a perfect introduction to players of how the game's levels work. Of course, most first-time players of Super Mario 64 around the time of release found themselves spending hours just running around the grounds of Peach's Castle without even advancing the game. It was just an amazing and surreal experience to control Mario, a character who moved so wonderfully, in a 3D space. After that initial wow factor subsided, players eventually progressed through the game enough to uncover the first world of the game, Bob-Omb Battlefield.

I feel this world is a tremendous playground like the outside of Peach's Castle. The only difference here is that there is some challenge and difficulty to be discovered through the enemies and possible fall damage to contend with. The enemies in general don't put up much of a fight besides the ornery Chain Chomp tied to its post in the center of the level. This allows players to experiment in a relative safe yet slightly challenging area. I remember traveling up King Bob-Omb's mountain, avoiding the iron balls that rolled down the mountain slopes, and finally facing off against my first boss in a truly 3D game. Bob-Omb Battlefield allows for a varied amount of challenges for the player that make for just enough difficulty to be the perfect introduction to the world structure of Super Mario 64.

2) Grandmaster Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn't quite like the formula of Super Mario 3D Land and World due to offering a greater amount of freedom. However, some galaxies' levels are very much linear as you can get. The final challenge in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is such a level type, though the point isn't to give players freedom to explore at all. Instead, it's a pure skill-based obstacle course that will turn any gamer's knuckles white as their hearts pound as they try to progress and overcome this final galaxy, the Grandmaster Galaxy. This galaxy has several stages to it, having Mario use Pull Stars to navigate through a mine and enemy-filled maze, use Yoshi's tongue to successfully pull the green dino and Mario through a challenging course, leap over machinery that produces shockwaves, use Cloud Mario's abilities to create moving cloud platforms through a section surrounded by laser walls, and a final section that is home to Hammer Bros. and other brothers of varying types.

Perhaps completing this galaxy's first run isn't that much of a task for you. Maybe it's a short order. But how about doing this run perfectly-- as in without taking any damage? That's the absolute final task provided by Super Mario Galaxy 2 to master the game. After having beaten the game, gotten all 120 initial stars, collected all the Green Stars, and such, now THIS is your final challenge! Were you up to it?

1) Gusty Garden Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

The Super Mario Galaxy possesses some of my favorite examples of clever and intelligent level design of any games out there. Nintendo EAD constantly amazed me with what they had to offer concept and execution-wise. Gusty Garden Galaxy might not be the best level on an objective "this is 100%, without doubt, the best level in Mario history" basis (and this is a subjective list anyway obviously), but it was the first in Super Mario Galaxy that absolutely blew me away in all manner of speaking. From the aesthetic of a bright and bouncy world with grassy planetoids, giant apples that when Mario pounds on their stalks, produce giant caterpillars from them that serve as passageways to other planetoids, the undeniably epic orchestrated theme that originated from this game and is still used in Mario games today, and all of the platforming challenges in general, Gusty Garden Galaxy is such a joy to play through. This pick of this level to be my favorite 3D Mario level is partially based on my own experience with Super Mario Galaxy, but I would bet that there are plenty of other players who found Gusty Garden to be a tremendous and magical level, one of the Mario series' best.

Honorable Mentions:

Champion's Road - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
Snowball Park - Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
World 5-2 - Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
World 7-5 - Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
Bowser's Galaxy Generator - Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Melty Molten Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Bianco Hills - Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Whomp's Fortress - Super Mario 64 (N64, DS)
Wet Dry World - Super Mario 64 (N64, DS)