Play Super Mario's Crystal Island Adventure 3.1 Online

Super Mario’s Crystal Island Adventure 3.1 is one of those weird, wonderful SNES games that slipped under the radar—probably because it came out late in the console’s life. At first glance, it’s classic Mario: run, jump, stomp goombas. But then you grab your first crystal, and suddenly you’re warping to floating islands or smashing through barriers with a gem-powered ground pound.

The levels feel like someone took Mario World’s polish and cranked up the exploration. You’ll backtrack with new abilities to unlock hidden caves, or stumble into a puzzle room where the right crystal combo opens a secret exit. Some of the power-ups are downright silly (gliding with a giant emerald strapped to your back shouldn’t work, but it does).

It’s got that janky-but-charming 90s platformer vibe—occasionally frustrating, always surprising. If you’ve ever wanted to see Mario in a treasure-hunting mood, this is your game.