Play Super Mario World 2 Plus 3 - The Essence Star Online

This SNES romhack feels like a lost Yoshi’s Island sequel—you’re bouncing off upside-down platforms, digging into weird nooks for secrets, and suddenly Mario turns into... something wild. The music’s got that same catchy chip-tune charm with fresh twists.

File size: 1.21 MB

Game Overview

Okay, so Super Mario World 2 Plus 3 - The Essence Star is one of those fan-made SNES hacks that actually feels like it could’ve been real. At first glance, it looks like Yoshi’s Island—same pastel colors, same floaty jumps—but then you notice little tweaks everywhere. Some levels play with gravity, others hide these weird, satisfying secrets that make you stop and poke around instead of just running right.

The controls are butter-smooth, just like the originals, but there’s this one power-up where Mario turns into… I won’t spoil it, but it’s ridiculous in the best way. And the music? Somehow they mashed up familiar tunes with new chiptune beats that don’t feel out of place. Found myself humming them hours later.

If you’ve ever wished Nintendo made just one more proper 16-bit Mario game, this is basically that. It’s got that same magic where every level feels like a tiny playground, not just a obstacle course. My only gripe? Some of the later stages get brutal, but in that "I’ll-definitely-beat-this-after-six-tries" way.