Finished World 2. Game is getting better. World 1 was just too easy for the most part so not terribly interesting to play through, but that I feel like is pretty typical of Mario games. Wish this game had picked up the pace earlier but whatever.

But as the game progresses its getting some harder levels that are exciting to play to the point where I feel like I actually accomplished something when I beat those levels, which is pretty much the difference between just playing through a game and actually feeling like I got something out of the game.

By end of W2 you also see more of the creativity they put into the game so it's getting quite good now. The "wonder" effects are really showing a lot of creativity! I was worried the wonder effects would just be a kinda silly gimmick but they actually did legit creative things. Props to Nintendo! This game is gradually wiping away my fears of it just being a shiny coat of paint and wackiness over a "NSMB" base and it is starting to live up to my hopes of it being a creative fresh wonderful Mario experience.

God Im sick of these brutally difficult last stage in Mario games. Makes me never want to 100% it again. Just like in SMG2. The Perfect Run was hell. Pure hell and so was this one. Ugh...

At the end of World 4 now, and it's really impressive how they manage to keep the Wonder effects consistently clever and surprising.
Like all their best games, the number of ideas they manage to pack into one game while maintaining a high level of quality is remarkable.

Made it to world 5. Game always surprises and stays creative. Excellent title.

Ok. 

then don't. 

Nobody's forcing you. To play the completely optional challenge level. Why is this something you felt the need to comment on?

I like completing games I enjoy. It adds some great challenge. But I hate these insane jumps in difficulty in games. And some Mario games just goes too far with it imo. Super Mario World did a great job with the special stages. They were more difficult, but not 4-5 hour grinds like this one. 

Its not a big deal. I just needed to vent a bit after finally completing it. Im just happy I got the top of the flagpole and the three purple coins first time, so I didnt have to spend hours more on it.

Oh wait, you actually do complete these challenges ? Congrats to you, but if there's one aspect I do not like about these games is to complete them to that kind of level of scrutiny.

As far as I'm aware, you don't even get a Champion's Road kind of level for doing these like we had in 3D World, etc ...

Yeah, the last level is like Champions Road. Just a long and very difficult level.

Isn't it only tied to the number of Wonder Seeds though ? Why go through completing every levels goalposts and purple coins if it doesn't factor in ?

Can't wait to see how challenging the Special World will be btw !

Reached World 5 - 7 hours in.

World 4 so far has been my favorite.