This Incredible Mario Fan Game Took 7 Years To Build

Making full-fledged games inside of other games is nothing new. "Roblox" developers have created games that look nothing like the blocky, low-res game everyone knows, and games like "Dreams" on PlayStation and the PC classic "Garry's Mod" have long allowed players to create their own experiences within the bounds of available creation tools. With the release of the original "Super Mario Maker," Nintendo made its first proper steps into the customizable game space, offering players the ability to create their own levels from a variety of "Mario" games. "Super Mario Maker 2" was more than an update — it offered new "Mario" games (and "Zelda" items) to pull from, as well as brand-new mechanics to mess around with.

Some "Mario Maker 2" levels are impressive feats of design, capturing what makes the "Mario" games so fun while adding new layers of challenge. The brutal "Super Mario Maker 2" level "1-1 With A Twist" is just one example of the lengths "Super Mario Maker 2" players will go to ensure their level stands out. But that's just one level. Player Mikey_Mike, @MetroidMike64 on Twitter, went even further beyond and designed not one level, not two levels, but an entirely new "Mario" game within the "Super Mario Maker 2" engine. 

Called "Super Mario Bros. 5," the collection of levels is designed with the classic "Mario" style in mind, described by MetroidMike64 as a "classic mario game that plays as if Nintendo created it themselves." 

When it comes to insane "Super Mario Maker 2" courses, it's hard to argue that "Super Mario Bros. 5" doesn't take the cake. There are plenty of long individual levels and connected worlds all made by the same player, sure. But "Super Mario Bros. 5" features a whopping 40 courses spanning eight worlds, including advanced puzzle mechanics and level layouts, to make for a truly complete "Mario" experience. The game uses assets from only three "Mario" games – "Super Mario World," "Super Mario Bros. 3," and the original "Super Mario Bros" – and entirely avoids the use of "New Super Mario Bros." and "Super Mario 3D World" to achieve its faithful recreation of the classic titles.

MetroidMike64 simply called the game "Super World" for a while, as that's the default for any world created in the "Super Mario Maker 2" engine, but he changed the title of the collection to "Super Mario Bros. 5" before its official release. According to a screenshot posted to his Twitter account, he has over 600 hours in "Super Mario Maker 2," though this doesn't account for the period of time before the sequel's release when he had to work with just the original game. The full game can be played in "Super Mario Maker 2" by entering Mikey_Mike's unique maker code, which will take players to MetroidMike's creator page, where each world and level in "Super Mario Bros. 5" is listed for play.