For Mario fans, Super Mario Maker 2 provides an endless stream of Mario levels from all different eras. Not all courses, however, are created equal. Some Mario Maker courses can get pretty difficult. While others just plain stink.

This round-up aims to highlight some of the best Super Mario Maker 2 courses uploaded this week by parsing tons of creations from under the "New Courses" tab, eliminating the rough stuff, and highlighting some Makers who might get buried otherwise.

RELATED: Super Mario Maker 2 Level Removed Nearly Without Explanation

mario-maker-underground-cave

Underground cave by Luke12s

Course ID: FBV-6FT-50H

Theme: Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Maker 2 players don't often get to use the word "restraint" when browsing new courses. A lot of the stuff that comes through takes the kitchen sink approach. This course, however, exemplifies restraint perfectly, and though it won't provide much challenge, it deserves the credit for going in the right direction.

After all, not all courses need to torture Mario. Games in the series have to start slow and build their way up, which makes easier early Mario courses just as legitimate as later ones. This course feels like an alternate World 1-2, but what it lacks in challenge, it makes up in elegance and a few good hidden secrets.

mario-maker-cave-crash

cave crash by yosh21

Course ID: T2P-MWT-1FF

Theme: Super Mario World

This course doesn't last long, but it also doesn't overstay its welcome. It has a few challenging jumps, but none too dastardly. It takes a straight-forward approach to a Mario castle with no trolling and nothing that feels unfair. Mostly though, cave crash works great as a speed running level. The current record is 11 second, but the course can take quite a bit longer. Players who want to try to best the top speed can try racing through this one.

mario-maker-chomp-story

the story of the flying chomp by redragon09

Course ID: 5QL-8D0-8VG

Theme: Super Mario Bros. 3

This course bills itself as tough in the description, and while it may have some tricky platforming, it has a rhythm to it that makes the challenge fun.

The level puts Mario on a direct path and asks him to dodge a collection of fireballs and giant Bullet Bills. The course also features a section with some hammer bros, but a crafty player can skip right over them. The second-to-last room however holds a fantastically creative surprise that uses Bowser in a clever way that puts pressure on the player while furthering the theme of the level.

mario-maker-air-travel

Air travel by Kaisennin

Course ID: LH5-P45-XHG

Theme: New Super Mario Bros. U

This deceptively difficult level uses slow auto-scroll and it does so to great effect. Instead of forcing Mario to speed up like most Mario Maker auto-scroll courses, this one forces him to wait. Mario often has to let the screen catch up, which means he then has to progress through each section quickly. Luckily, he doesn't have to worry about anything trolling him from off-screen.

Otherwise, the course has some good, challenging jumps and actually makes interesting use of a lot of different elements without making it feel like a hodgepodge.

mario-maker-let-it-go

Let it go! Koori Block by Kionakomochi

Course ID: 63X-0CM-M9G

Theme: Super Mario 3D World

For this version of Super Mario Maker, Nintendo added a new power-up called the "Super Hammer" that dresses Mario in his maker outfit. The power-up feels weird compared to other power-ups because it slows him down instead of working with his momentum. As a result, many courses don't use it well.

This course, however, builds all of its challenges around the Super Hammer. It has Mario breaking through a series of ice blocks in increasingly more perilous situations. It seems simple at first, but by the end, Mario will have gone through a number of different escalating challenges that will sell players on the Super Hammer.

mario-maker-lava-boiz

lava boiz by sanz4smash

Course ID: FQL-1VR-1SF

Theme: Super Mario World

In this course, Mario must traverse a castle in which the lava flow slowly rises and falls. The platforms that go under the lava and the ones that don't reach a perfect balance where the player usually knows Mario is safe but still feels uneasy. The level never gets too difficult, but it will give Mario a few touch-and-go moments.

RELATED: Mario Maker: 10 Great Courses Uploaded Last Week (August 19)

All in all, lava boiz is another course that feels designed by Nintendo. It features that perfect cadence of Mario level design where the player learns about the hazards in a comfortable environment at first before the challenge ramps up in each section.

mario-maker-vania-quest

*VANIA QUESt* by FARZAR

Course ID: 40W-4HW-6MF

Theme: Super Mario Bros.

Like the name implies, *VANIA QUESt* provides a metroid-vania experience in Mario Maker. Everything about the theme works. The level even looks like a Metroid level. Players will open areas in order to actually change the world and unlock other areas. It all feels really clever and works really well.

The only thing keeping this from getting a higher spot on the list is that the middle section involves using a giant boot to jump on some saws and, while the whole thing feels like a neat idea, it goes on a bit too long and requires some challenging precision that can get frustrating. Other than that, the well-thought-out level deserves a place on this list.

mario-maker-tubey-ubey

Tubey-Ubery Region by nattuwu

Course ID: P2F-KF0-8VG

Theme: Super Mario World

Not for the faint of heart. This course lines up a series of tough gauntlets and tricky situations nestled within a sea of pipes. The course has a good rhythm to it which offers Mario the chance to stop for a breather every once in a while. The challenge ramps up gradually and each little section feels tough but fair. The course does not feature any checkpoints, so when Mario fails, he must start over from the beginning. But once the player figures out each challenge, those challenges become a bit easier.

Here's a pro-tip: patient players with good timing can get past the early Goomba section without losing their power-up. Good luck!

mario-maker-canon-clock-tower

Canon Clock Tower by *-Maker-

Course ID: R93-XTV-31G

Theme: Super Mario World

Canon Clock Tower has a very unique and creative theme. The level begins with Mario entering a clock tower. *-Maker-* uses a saw with a short fire bar in the center to represent the clock and it sets the tone and theme for the entire course. Once inside, the course features unique jumping puzzles that require dodging more of the clock-saws. The course also ups the difficulty a little with some canons, but other than that, the theme stays consistent.

The jumps always feel challenging but fair and the whole course has an incredibly claustrophobic feeling to it. It also features a perfectly-placed checkpoint just before a mid-level boss and music that sounds appropriately clock-like.

mario-maker-hammer-bros

COURSE OF THE WEEK - Challenge - 1 The hammer bros by AMC 37

Course ID: HH8-4R7-BCG

Theme: Super Mario Bros. 3

This short yet tightly designed course perfectly toes the line between masochistic and diabolical. With a quick, one-room layout that lets Mario restart and jump right back into the action, this course will force self-loathing Mario Maker players to return and die over and over again.

The course features four hammer bros and no power-ups. AMC 37 positioned the hammer bros so that they stand in a sort-of criss-cross pattern - one on the ground, two across from each other slightly higher up, and one in the middle at the top. Instead of bouncing like hammer bros usually do, these ones move back and forth on short tracks. They toss hammers and players must defeat all four without taking a single hit in order to finish the course.

With the odd motion of the hammer bros, the hammers always seem to show up exactly where the Mario needs to go, but the course never feels unfair. The black, windowed background makes the hammers just hard enough to parse that the player will miss one or two. The course requires a few run-throughs to get the cadence down, but ends with an appropriate celebratory gesture.

Super Mario Maker 2 is available now on Switch.

MORE: Mario Maker 2: 10 Great Courses Uploaded This Week (August 26)