9. “Whirlwisp Grove” by HamOfJustice

Lovingly dubbed “Oops! All Boo Rings!” by contest judge SuperMargot, HamOfJustice’s “Whirlwisp Grove” continues the tradition of the Ultra Star, a type of level named for a stage in the original Kaizo Mario World that involves using moving platforms to progress, which in this particular case inexorably push you forward whether you’re ready or not. This stage uses platforms that fall when a short countdown timer on each one reaches zero, but what sets this level apart is the way players must also navigate spinning rings of ghosts while hopping from platform to platform.

Interestingly, this concept was inspired by the song that you can hear playing in the level. “My inspiration for ‘Whirlwisp Grove’ in particular was actually listening to the ‘Mystic Mansion’ song port it uses,” Ham says. “When listening to its ghostly, wintry vibe, I started thinking about how one could make a fast-paced Boo level to suit it. I eventually got the idea to use Boo Rings and Timed Platforms together in a snowy forest.” Though the snow effects were dropped for visual clarity, the result is a fun level that pushes you relentlessly towards obstacles you normally have to slow down to parse.