Is it me or are the Mario games getting easier?

[Toasty Toad]

I can beat bowser as a mini in New super Mario bros Wii but I can't beat 1-2 in the lost levels

 

[Waluigi Time]

Typically newer games as a whole are easier than older games, so yes.

 

[Koopa con Carne]

Super Mario Lost Levels was designed to appeal to more experienced players, or otherwise anyone who seeks a challenge. I would not count it as a testimony of how hard Mario games were back then as it's more of an oddball even against its contemporary 2D Super Marios: Super Mario Bros. before it was considerably easier, Super Mario USA pursues less platforming precision and more "exploration" (inasmuch as running around plucking every tuft of grass to get vegetables, potions, and shells can be considered exploration) and Super Mario World reserves much of its difficult levels for the extra final world, much like how newer titles get around really. Let's not even talk about Super Mario Land and especially its sequel--no other Mario game will ever reach this level of streamlined design again.

I deliberately left out SMB3, not because it would stain my argument, but because it's so poorly designed I'd call it cheap more than difficult.

 

[Toasty Toad]

Yeah its old but easy with items otherwise not so much

 

[Pink Cat]

Things change, there is a demographic who don't care much for a challenge, they just want to have fun and actually beat it, if someone wants a challenge, they can seek out the bonus levels or challenge themselves by not doing a certain action
Being easy is not a bad thing, I much prefer a well designed easy game opposed to a game is hard for the wrong reasons

 

[Yoshi! Yoshi!]

I think a fairer comparison is SMB3 or SMW to NSMB. Those games were harder, but not too hard.

Trivia Toad wishes to share that SMB Lost Levels was the real sequel to SMB (NES), but it was deemed too hard for the USA, so they made SMB2 (NES).

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

You really shouldn't base your impression of the difficulty of older Mario games around the very one game, Lost Levels, that was designed for more experienced players. That being said, the lives system in newer games are less punishing, checkpoints are a thing, but the level design itself pretty much the same; lives just force you to restart rather than actually add much to the difficulty, but I suppose that counts as challenge, but just a cheaper kind). I feel people who say Mario is too easy these days just didn't really note how much better coordinated they are at the game. I've had distant memories of my family dying a bit on athletic levels on Super Mario World (Yoshi's Island 3 seemed tougher decades ago; same for Super Mario Bros. 2 as a whole like the second level seemed, again, tough a long time ago; iirc but I can clear those like a breeze).

Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros. 3 are pretty much on the same level as New Super Mario Bros. when they're not throwing dumb jank at you.