At E3 2015 the world got its first real taste of how hilarious it can be to watch players struggle through tricky, brutally hard, and downright mean custom-made Mario levels.

All of us will get a chance to experience this pain for ourselves when Super Mario Maker

Making Mario… the Hard Way

Creating a ROM hack is not for the feint of the heart. ROM hacking involves painstakingly modifying a game’s data files, often via a hex editor. ROM hacks are typically used to accomplish any number of usually benign (but still legally questionable) things like translating a Japanese-only SNES or Genesis RPG into English, or changing a character or item’s stats.

As the ROM hacking scene developed, especially talented and ambitious enthusiasts figured out they could modify the files of games like Super Mario World to construct entirely new levels, and string them together into new campaigns. Most of these amateur Mario ROM hacks weren't very good. They illustrate that just having the tools to make a Super Mario level doesn’t mean you have the experience or expertise to make something anywhere near Nintendo quality.

But a few ROM hackers began to push the limits, and take Mario level design in a direction that Nintendo certainly never intended.

A**hole Mario is Born

In 2007 a Japanese Mario ROM Hack called Kaizo Mario (also known as A**hole Mario), created by T. Takemoto, made the rounds across the internet. Or, most specifically, a video showing Takemoto’s friend struggle through the stages made the rounds. It’s funny, impressive, and extremely entertaining.

Kaizo Mario wasn’t the first mean Mario hack, but it was the most polished, and the first to understand that it’s not just about being as hard as possible. Punishing players is an art form.

“ The best are one part puzzle, one part platforming skill, and one part interactive joke

These custom stages are filled with “…oooooh!” moments of realization, as players figure out they needed to carry the P-block they saw at the start with them through the entire gauntlet in order to escape. The stages also require plenty of near-perfect platforming, making them a fantastic spectator sport. And, perhaps the trickiest aspect to nail, they’re downright funny - Invisible blocks where you least expect them, enemies coming from seemingly nowhere, and plenty more are virtually guaranteed to put a smile on the face of any Mario fan watching a run.

4 Brutal Mario ROM Hacks to Watch

Kaizo Mario 3 - Stage 9

Stage 9 in Kaizo Mario 3 is pretty much perfect. It has it all - koopa shell stunts, near-blind jumps, and of course using enemies in unexpected and unintended ways. But the level’s crown jewel is its final sequence, where players have to keep a blue shell with them without ever actually touching it, via a ridiculous series of note blocks and switches.

Kaizo Mario 2 - Stage 9

Stage 9 in Kaizo Mario 2 is brilliant because it isn’t obvious at first what makes it so hard. Sure it looks like a tough lift stage, but nothing too crazy. But the more you dig in, the more its difficulty is peeled back like an onion. It also has more than a few hilariously-placed invisible blocks.

The Pit of Despair

Unlike Kaizo Mario or the other top-tier Mario Rom Hacks, The Pit of Despair is too hard for it’s own good. It’s virtually impossible to complete without special tools. But it’s still an impressive demonstration of what’s technically possible using the Super Mario World engine.

Super Mario World of Pain

Stage 1 of this ROM hack starts off normally enough - a highlight is the early long-range turtle jump. But the true hilarity of this stage is when you learn why that lone block is placed after the finish line, around the 7:25 mark.

Justin Davis is the second or third best-looking Editor at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @ErrorJustin and on IGN.