Glow – SMW

Glow is a fan-made Super Mario World hack that challenges players with color-themed platforming levels. The story sets you on a mission to bring back stolen colors, and every stage uses a style inspired by old Game Boy games, though not exactly the same as the originals. The gameplay leans on trial and error like many early 8-bit titles, but having unlimited lives makes it more manageable.

Exploring each stage can reveal more than a single path. Collecting all four Shattered Spheres in a level without losing a life opens up secret exits, leading to stages that may hold more significance than they first appear. To keep things from feeling repetitive, Glow adds mechanics like wall jumps and a consistently small hitbox for the player, making precision movement an important part of the challenge.

The game offers two possible endings, and both can be experienced in a single playthrough. Players don’t have to worry about missing the alternate outcome, since the “bad” ending remains available even if the conditions for the “good” one are met.

You can try Glow quickly and easily at kbhgames.com, where it runs directly in your browser for free with no installation required.