Clone Tag Team 2 -link...: New Super Mario Bros. 5-

Let’s be honest: The New Super Mario Bros. series has a formula. You run right, you hit blocks, you fight Bowser’s kids. But every so often, a fan creation or a fever-dream concept comes along that twists that formula into a beautiful, chaotic pretzel. Enter: .

You leave Mario on a moving platform, tag to the clone on a lower level, hit a crystal switch, and a staircase of blocks appears. You then tag back to Mario mid-jump to climb them. New Super Mario Bros. 5- Clone Tag Team 2 -Link...

You love Super Mario Maker 2 ’s craziest levels, Zelda II ’s combat, and don’t mind a little existential dread about creating a clone of yourself just to step on its head. Let’s be honest: The New Super Mario Bros

You get frustrated easily, or if the phrase "parallel universes in SMW" gives you a headache. Have you played the demo? Did you find the secret Triforce room in 5-4? Let me know in the comments below. And for the love of Rosalina, don’t forget to save your clone before exiting the level. But every so often, a fan creation or

— Alex

Yes, the title is a mouthful. Yes, it sounds like a crossover episode written by a hyperactive 12-year-old. And yes, it is absolutely brilliant. Let’s break down why this hypothetical (or possibly leaked?) mod is capturing the community’s imagination. First, forget everything you know about solo platforming. Clone Tag Team 2 (obviously a sequel to a fictional first game) introduces a two-character system. You control both Mario and a green-clad clone (resembling Luigi, but with a blank, goofy stare).

Standard lava bubbles and Thwomps. You reach a dead end with a giant ? Block.