Casio Mario World

Just incredible & brutal at the same time. Really well designed & thought out. Precise movement and control are required & each checkpoint and level clear hypes you up for what’s next. The ports are amazing & really add a whole new level that you don’t see in most romhacks. A wonderfully unapologetic beast of a hack that will for sure stand the test of time. Phenomenal!

Well, I didn't hate it, which is better than I expected coming into Casio. The music was a big draw for me, and it did not disappoint. These ports are amazing. Regarding gameplay, the hack has a lot of really cool ideas and genuinely fun parts for experienced players.

It's worth describing the design. Everyone knows Casio is hard, but it's maybe not clear from watching others why that is. In most kaizo hacks, the creator has a trick in mind, tests to see if the trick is possible, and if it is, works to facilitate the player executing that trick. In Casio, the last step is inverted. The levels are designed to make the tricks as difficult as possible to execute and sometimes even to know what to do at all. For example, nothing lines up with a simple max jump or holding right. The obstacle will always be spiked off to prevent that from working, even if it's not an important part of the trick. Every movement must be carefully controlled. There is no free part. You may find this rewarding or punishing or some combination of the two, but that is the reality of this hack.

What brings Casio down in my estimation is what I will call That One Bullshit Part Syndrome for lack of a better term. Lexapro would be quite a fun challenge, if not for that one bullshit part with the disco shell crossing the gap. The final boss would be top tier if not for that one bullshit part of the giant spin slash having no cool off. The blue switch palace would - well that one maybe has a few bullshit parts.

With all that said, I appreciate a lot about Casio Mario World. For something that's essentially a mandatory playthrough for everyone on their kaizo hero's journey, you can do a lot worse. At the very least, you will experience a genuinely unique and inspired creative vision.

By far the best hack ive ever played ! the grind was soooo much fun for my first playthrough and now i have the speedrun wr with a 18:18
i will grind for a sub 18 at the end of the year. the only lvl i dont like is by fire ( the chomp lvl ) this was my speedrun killer. if u play this hack for your first time u will enjoy the 50 hour + grind top music !!!!! best boss fight ever!!!!!!!

vibed to the music and was not able to get past the second jump of the game, this kind of difficulty really isnt for me but i love the ost and the palletes are inspired

This was an absolutely stunning romhack, a joy to play through front to back. The obstacles were very deliberate, fresh, tight and satisfying to clear, the atmosphere created by the music was incredible beyond what I'd ever expect from a romhack, and it simply had the feeling of a real journey. Definitely my favorite SMW hack I've played to date. Thank you Wyatt for making such an amazing game!

Gonna play Again because im nerd 🤓

EARGASM

Still coming back to this every now and again. I don't think grabbing that goal tape will ever be less than incredibly satisfying. B A N G E R

I love this hack and its soundtrack <3

I beat this hack a couple of times, and each time I get amazed by how well crafted and thought out these levels are. The setups are new and original, but the difficulty is among the highest I've ever experienced, yet it doesn't forget to be enjoyable (with a few exceptions). Top that off with a fantastic final boss and a banger soundtrack that gives the hack a very unique atmosphere, and this is easily one of my go-to's if I want to have a difficult yet enjoyable experience.
My only gripe is that some levels take it too far, with the mechanics being very confusing and/or not very enjoyable to control (Lexapro and Over the Ice). Still, Casio is an easy recommendation if you know what you're getting into.

Have been tackling this lately and having a blast, close to the final level now. Just wanted to say the experience has been amazing and you've introduced me to new music artists and my now favourite song of all time (Love in the Time of Lexapro). Thank you for this masterclass of a kaizo hack.

Very glad I finally tackled this hack. Definitely some of my best experiences in kaizo.

For the fans of the soundtrack, (almost) all of the songs are found on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6M7I2U0fLeOrEgGfSk1EBW?si=01066e7af98c4cef

ok I finally finished this hack after 98 hours, this was the biggest challenge for me. extremely brutal, the last 2 levels were the most difficult and omega took me almost 30 hours. However, I have to say that it is an incredible creation that pushes all your abilities as a kaizo player to the limit. It is definitely not a hack for any player, but whoever decides to play it will know how comforting it is to reach the end.
Btw, the soundtrack is really amazing!

Incredible soundtrack on this one!

It's a bit hard

Incredible hack, extremely brutal but also extremely well designed. It's difficult in so many precise and unique ways that I've never seen in another hack (controlling a homing bullet through a whole level, dodging swarms of boo rings on a slowly rising bubble, and precisely controlling your upwards momentum with the propeller block, just to name a few) but pushing through it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in a kaizo game. I don't think there will ever be another hack like this.

Also this has like my favorite soundtrack of any hack

when upload music?

In an entire sub-genre of acquired tastes, Casio feels like the ultimate one. It's somehow even tougher than it already looks, and is unapologetically cryptic and obtuse, but for those who manage to break through its outer shell, it proves to be a sublime experience as well as a master class in variety and purposeful level design. I'm glad more people have warmed up to it overtime, and I'm grateful to have done so myself. Completing it tested every aspect of my strength as a player, but I still have a ton of respect for it; it's taught me more than I ever cared to know about the intricacies of SMW's mechanics, and in doing so, given me a new wave of appreciation for the game in its many, many forms.

After putting this hack off for months and months I finally went for it and I'm glad I did. Fantastic level design and incredible song ports, Wyatt. This hack will serve as a mountain that many will strive to climb in their kaizo journeys for years to come.

I commented before but need to re-comment and just wanted to say that a year later this is still my favorite SMW romhack. Absolutely incredible.

Finally finished this hack after a very long time (I didn't time it but my guess is somewhere around 60+ hours). It definitely lives up to it's reputation as both a brutal and high quality hack. While I might not agree with every choice made in every level, it's very obvious that tons of care and love went into this hack and I think that, despite its difficulty, it is mostly fair.

Extremely well made, extremely challenging, and (mostly) extremely fun. 5/5, great job, hope you continue to make more hacks.

Haven't seen this posted elsewhere:

I believe the music in this hack is from the album Replica, by Oneohtrix Point Never.

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An absolute masterpiece. I cannot recommend this more if (and only if!) you have the requisite skill level. Thanks, Wyatt.

Use FLIPS instead of Lunar IPS.

casio mario world was patched by lunar ips and i could not get the snes9x emulator to work and it was corrupted

I’m just starting my SMW kaizo rom hack journey and am mesmerized by videos of this run on a technical level. But the main reason I wanted to comment is that I also do music production and have started to look into porting my music to be used in hacks... and I can not stop listening to the soundtrack for Casio. It is mind blowing and inspirational. Incredible work!

the music doe

the music doe

Very fun hack. I put off playing this due to the reputation it has, but I'm glad I decided to play. One of my all time favorites.

I saw a TAS run of this on YouTube and was absolutely blown away by the chiptune Passion Pit.

My favorite hack of the year. Incredibly creative and unrelentingly difficulty while somehow being fair and consistent. This hack has such a unique look and feel, there’s really nothing I can compare it to. Unbelievable work Wyatt, I hope to see more from you soon

This soundtrack is AWESOME

is very good

cool

This is a brilliant hack. The level design is on point, the visuals are great and the soundtrack is outstanding. Despite being intended for RTA play, it is also very fun to break this hack with tool-assistance. Overall, my favorite hack of this year - I hope the creator makes another hack some day.

Oh boy, this is probably the most brutal hack I have ever played. After finally managing to beat all these brutal levels without tools, I can safely say that it was both really fun and really frustrating. The design in each level was really fascinating and enjoyable. Though, there were a few sections in this hack that I felt not getting consistent at even after dying to that same section 300 times. Guess I just need to get good at smw lol.

Overall, I would say it was a positive experience to play through this so thank you for making this hack. (also, final boss too easy. Should have been a mini boss lel)

5/5

Having completed this on 1.0 (with the boss on 1.1 to prevent cheese) I can finally say that this hack is equal parts frustrating, fascinating, and fun. Despite some moments where I wanted to die inside, I appreciate this hack existing and recommend this hack to anyone who wants to take on a lofty challenge but only if you know exactly what you're getting yourself into.

Overall, I find this hack very interesting and I'm glad it exists. It's not for most people, but I think the people who this is for will find it a good challenge and hopefully a solid time.

I can't wait to see what Wyatt makes next.

This is a fascinating hack. It manages to achieve its high level of difficulty in a wholly unique fashion with distincitve level design that remained fun and kept me engaged throughout the duration of my playthrough. Furthermore, the inventive challenges one encounters while traversing this hack are nicely complemented by its free-spirited atmosphere. This hack was certainly an unusual experience, but it was one that I very thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks for making something so interesting and refreshing.

1.1 woohoo

So, what can I say? I don´t think another hack like this will ever be made. Casio is as good as it is hard. What is interesting about this game is not the level of difficulty, but why it is so difficult. I never felt forced to do a certain thing, which is incredible considering that there is basically no jank. Ty for making this, Wyatt!
PS: Even I loved the boss fight

The custom bosses is one of my favorite things in smw hacking, and the boss in this one...HOLY GOD WOW SUPER GREAT BOSS I EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIER LIFE. *cough**cough* really great.

This hack is not for everyone. It is extremely hard and unfair. Strats are difficult to parse and learn unless you sink in a ton of time. I would recommend most people play this game with savestates before trying to complete the game just so they can learn what to do. The boss fight is very rough and seems impossible in the beginning but it became enjoyable for me once I was able to survive with any consistency. I enjoyed the style of the hack and it was a lovely break from the flood of less inspired hacks I've seen lately. The music wasn't my style but I didn't hate it. I feel like this hack could've benefited from better/more playtesting. I look forward to v1.1 because with a few good tweaks I think this hack would be much more enjoyable.

FYI everyone, version 1.1 is coming, hopefully this week or next. It'll fix a couple cheeses, and add indication for the most cryptic obstacles. The overall difficulty should end up being about the same.

Just for the record it's ok to rate a submission low, especially after such a detailed review. The option is there for a reason lol

This looks far beyond what I personally consider bearable to play, but

OK. Heres my final review:

I hated every second of it.


I mean, it's not like its a bad game. I can see the effort put into it. It, to me, doesnt feel right.

Yes, some of my difficulty playing it came from my own stupidity (like on the blue switch palace i kept trying to align with the gap to the left using the santa's platform insted of the rotating one)
but i have to say the game does its part on making it awful. Balancing on awful hitboxes; fighting gaps that must have just a couple of frames of window to win; some terrible flying block mechanics.... yes, also jank (eg: the red switch level if you jump too fast the blocks doesnt turn.. you will also fight some deceiving hitboxes with transition frames of the blocks).. Some questionable choices too (no checkpoints for the final level?! cmon)

Creativity is there, but it is sabotaged by the level design and repetition. Several instances of copy/paste setups that just dont add anything to the gimmick (edge of hitbox chuck bounces.. that hit-jump from the penguins.. just ride the bubble through several boo rings).

Just to mention the final boss.. while i dont think its as hard as something like kaizo 3 bowser, its not a great fight.. some of the movements are either too fast to react or the hitbox is too big for the player to stand a chance.. my best was about 18-19 hits without the exploit, and i believe its beatable with time and some luck. I only question how much effort worth to put into it?! (maybe in few years this will be a classic, like kaizo 3 bowser, and will totally worth.. not today tho)

Ok.. i know what i wrote doesnt tell much, and sounds just like every other hack.. but what really pisses me off is all of this feel like deliberate/conscious creation decisions.

Again. It all doesnt make the game bad.. maybe that was the goal?! i cant tell.

* Would probably rate it about 2/5, but im not rating because mods will probably call me out for rating abuse..

The cheese is based on the fact that you can still hit the boss during the phase transition animation. This is normally not noticable because you get no visual feedback that you hit her. But the lack of visual feedback also means: No iframes! Thus, you can deduct a lot of health just by jumping on her head during the transition cutscene. So far, just minor cheese. But it gets worse: The game actually registers a hit for every frame you touch her, so by jumping low into her hitbox, you can score multiple hits (up to 7) in one jump. This allows you to get 9 hits (don't get 10 or she will just skip a phase) before the next phase starts and lets you skip every phase past the first one. Video

sounds nice and easy


edit: ive learned theres some cheese/exploit/phase skip.. how that works?

so for the last few days i have been trying to fight the boss.
Ive already did it with saves/rewinds a few times, so i kinda know what to expect
for those who beat it legit:

I've actually only beaten this hack once. Some sections I beat more than once, and of course I tested every obstacle individually, but I only did a full RTA clear one time.

Also here's the music list since people keep asking for it:

XD
My entry was pure jank itself. (Thanks to cursed shell... sigh)
so I don't know if same can applies to this... :p

Hi crm0622

You know, ive spent around 10 hours playing crm kldc level just to clear 1 exit (i havent cleared the secret).. if that doesnt tell im very resistant to jank, nothing will

I like your "Joy of Kaizo" overall tho, Naro...
Anyway I think this was tested with RTA after all.
(Although assuming this may got took really large amount of tries... :p)

Also, Hi NaroGugul!

I mean, words are cheap.
And throwing numbers around doesnt make anything more legit.

But im not fighting over this issue.. I myself released a hack before beating it (Joy of Kaizo 1.5 - Advanced/hard mode), which i eventually beat and updated where i thought was needed (its still a garbage hack).

I am just a little skeptical.. even considering myself somewhat skilled (or at least experienced) and with a shitload of patience too (sometimes), and very 'resilient' to jank (just look at my own janky hacks )from what ive seen it has way too many "flaws" to be 'accepted' after extensive playtesting (you can have a pretty good idea after over 70 hours of gameplay as you say)...

Again, granted i didnt tried too hard.
But if you really wanna prove me wrong, you dont need to figure out how to stream.. a hand cam video (with input display preferably) would suffice

As the playtester for this hack, I'll happily go and try and stream myself replaying this again for proof if you would like. (If I can figure out how to stream, anyways...). I also know for a fact Wyatt beat this himself multiple times 100% as well.

Do note that the last 2 levels (as Arobam mentioned in his post) took me close to 40 hours combined to beat. I'm not the greatest kaizo player out there, but I have a lot of patience. This hack is soul-crushingly difficult at times, and isn't for everyone. Truthfully, if I wasn't testing I would not have spent close to 80 hours playing this hack for RTA playing, because a lot of it was just past the threshold of my own playing ability. However, I know a certain niche will like this hack a lot, and I think that alone is worth playing this hack, to see if you will like it. I still stand by my review in my earlier post.

the last 2 levels aren't RTA viable without spending your whole life time on them. This game actually gets harder towards the end I was really surprised.

nah.. i havent finished the hack, but from what ive seen its far from kaizo hard.
Some setups are just "not ok" tho. I could have been doing it totally wrong tho. And granted i didnt spent 10s of hours trying

Meanwhile, ill fire some shots and call bs that the creator or playtester beat it legit .. not that it really matters, but i would really love to be proved wrong

Ok, I'm enjoying the challenge ... but, it's stupidly difficult ... I'm a Noob / Intermediate player in Kaizo, but maybe this trick is too much for me ... from what I read in the comments, who managed to pass, used savestates to win the hack and this is not acceptable as Kaizo Light, and Yes Kaizo Hard !!!
The challenge is unique, very close to the Kaizo Mario World series sessions ... but, with some chocolate mechanics ... I give 5/5 for Creativity, 5/5 for the songs and unfortunately 3/5 for the justice that the hack does not offer how far I stopped !!!!

I'm not a very good kaizo player, but I managed to finish all the levels from the hack by save states and rewinds! It's possible to complete it! It reminded me of Kaizo Mario World 3 at some parts, but it had mostly creative and original design which makes the hack feel different to other kaizo hacks. Difficulty imo would be something between Kaizo: Light and Kaizo: Hard, because the levels before the were something relatively easy (kaizo light) but later levels were very challenging and difficult, specially the last two levels where you have to time well your movements and jumps. Anyway, all the hack was great due to the design and the music! Also, I like the fact that and
Doing a speedrun of this must be a big challenge (I wouldn't do it but I know there are some people who will take that)
5/5 Great work on this!

Ok.. i havent played smw for a couple of months, but ive seen this hack and the comments and i decided to give it a try just for curiosity sake.. im in pretty bad shape, so take my word with a grain of salt..

I dont like throwing the same stone people threw at me when i released my 1st hack, but i have to say i would love to see the creator playing (and beating) this hack.. not necessarely because of its difficulty.. but some setups are quite janky
I stopped at the Blue switch level (i took the right path)

Creative, but borderline unplayable

skeptical hippo is skeptical

I used savestates to finish this hack. Each level has a great gimmick and uses it in creative ways, without feeling the need to conform to any pattern of level design. This is *very* challenging though, and some parts are too difficult for my taste (or maybe I just need to do some learning...)

The music really is something else. Bless you for introducing me to some amazing non-vgm artists, and porting these extremely challenging songs. I wish I could name a favorite song but they're all so good. The ones made out of TV commercial samples stood out to me.

@GbreezeSunset
Just watching Ldad playing through it and yep thats exactly what you had to do. I love this hack it's so creative and hard in a good way.

This is one of the hardest hacks I've ever played (and beat). It is also, however, wonderfully unique and creative at all intervals.

Every single level provides a new, unique, and creative twist on Kaizo norms, some of which feel like the types of setups you would see in a new T. Takemoto hack.

It's also worth mentioning that the OST is wonderful as well, and (as a result of being original) provides a completely unqiue atmosphere that only this hack alone shares.

It is entirely possible many who play this hack will never beat it (my final playtime clocked in around 70-80 hours for everything). However, those that stick with it will be heavily rewarded.

Wyatt did a great job with this, and even surprised me at some parts with custom ASM I was not expecting. Overall, fantastic.

5/5

I managed to get to the checkpoint of the first phase, and I can say that this project is very daring ... it requires extensive experience with the Kaizo difficulty ... certainly in future phases, it could be one of the most difficult hacks after Darkstar, Gaijin, Kaizo Mario 3 Search For Salmon and PipeDreams

is the entire soundtrack made with samples from a Casio as well lmao

This hack is incredibly cool, and also incredibly hard. Weary travellers beware, the "very hard" in the description may be an understatement. But the design is wonderfully creative and unique. I'm not sure if I have the skills to beat the whole hack, but the first level is really neat so far. I practiced the first half for like an hour, and I think it's one of the easier levels.

The soundtrack is incredible, very strange and unique, but also really well made. It fits the hack very well, which is a sort of dream-like, almost surreal thing in its aesthetics and music (and not in a cheesy "abstract world" way, but a very genuine and interesting way). I strongly recommend playing this with headphones in so you can fully immerse in the strangeness.

I'll try to edit this and give a proper review if I'm able to beat the whole thing legit, which is unfortunately doubtful (perhaps I can watch someone who's more skillful than me beat it). Overall, preliminary thoughts are that this is a very interesting and creative work with an incredibly cool soundtrack.

@ skystarmania, you have to (wall jumps are patched out).

Im stuck at the end of level 1 no idea what to do I hope you are not actually forced to do a walljump but others than that really interesting level design i enjoy it so far

the tutorial level was good I guess