The opening level of the original Super Mario Bros. is iconic. Anyone who’s played it likely remembers exactly where to get the first mushroom, which pipe to enter for the secret coin stash, and how to find the hidden 1-Up. A new Mario Maker 2 level takes that knowledge and dips it in lava, turning 1-1 into a hellish landscape that necessitates careful maneuvering rather than habitual sprinting.
YTSunny’s latest Mario Maker 2 level is described as “1-1 with a tiny twist.” The level mimics the original 1-1’s layout perfectly, the only divergence being the omission of enemies like Goombas and Koopa Troopas. The “twist” is that YTSunny has added dozens of fire bars, those rotating pillars of doom that typically adorn castles and other late-game levels in the original Super Mario Bros. Adding to the chaos is that the level only gives players 50 in-game seconds, prompting a bone-chilling “time is running out!” theme at the very beginning. This fast-paced music, combined with the level’s precise fire bar placement, means that players have to contend not only with executing perfect jumps between and over constantly spinning hazards but also the psychological dread of knowing time is only moments from expiring.
YTSunny didn’t place fire bars willy nilly. As you can see in the above video, they intend players to take a very specific route through the level that involves waiting for dangerous areas to become less congested and, at times, getting very close to the fiery obstacles. By following YTSunny’s path, players are left with only 2 seconds on the clock, meaning that any mistake will likely result in a time out death—that is, if a fire bar doesn’t take Mario out first. He doesn’t even get the satisfaction of entering the castle at the end; he’s left endlessly walking face-first into one of the fire bar blocks.
Only a few Mario Maker 2 players have managed to complete the level. Twitch streamer Cliffy secured the world record by finishing the level in just over 47 seconds. Since then, only three more players have managed to complete it in just under 28,000 total attempts. (Quite a few of those attempts were mine.)
You can use the level code YXL-D4C-TQF to check out YTSunny’s “short and sweet” 1-1 remix for yourself.