Kaizo (Japanese: 改造, Hepburn: kaizō, meaning "modification", "rebuild" or "reconfiguration")[1] is an underground subgenre of platform games mainly categorized by their high diffculty. A Kaizo level is divided into several sections which require muscle memory and exploiting glitches in order to reach a checkpoint. Taking easier routes is discouraged and obstacles are put in place to prevent players from doing so.

Kaizo games are primarily modifications of ROM files (which contain a game's data) of pre-existing ones in the Super Mario series (e.g. Super Mario World): due to this reason, they are illegal to play or develop.

Concept

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Kaizo levels are divided into sections that must be completed before reaching a specific checkpoint.

References

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  1. ^ Bycer, Josh (5 January 2024). "Underground Design of Kaizo Games". Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games. Springer. pp. 1925–1929. ISBN 978-3-031-23161-2.
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