SMW YEAH!! is one of the more commonly recognized Japanese hacks, known for combining exciting custom sprites with level design more closely reminiscent of the vanilla Super Mario World. It features 51 Exits over five worlds, a secret reward for collecting all Dragon Coins and a sort of mini-puzzle spread over multiple levels, which you need to solve in order to gain access to the hidden special world.

The game is an interesting piece of SMW hacking history, as it was highly influential when it was released and is still considered to be one of the best hacks to come out of that time period.
Ultimately, it's one of those seemingly rare hacks that feature both an accessible difficulty curve throughout the entire game and engaging gameplay at the same time. This makes it a worthwhile hack to try out, especially for people new to playing SMW hacks.

This version of the game is an English translation that includes various quality-of-life improvements.

51 Exits

This hack is one of the lesser known Japanese hacks out there. It's short with 17 exits and 4 different worlds. Starting off easy like most Mario hacks do, its difficulty at times can prove a challenge! This hack is mostly vanilla with only some custom sprites, blocks, and music. Something Extra provides fairly linear experience with each world having 4 levels each, like the original Super Mario Bros. Some of the puzzles you'll encounter in the game will keep you guessing, so be sure to keep on the lookout for any hints you may find! This hack could be recommanded to someone who’d want more of a short, challenging, vanilla experience out of a SMW hack.

This version of the game is an English translation that includes various quality-of-life improvements.

17 Exits

Romancing Mario is a neat, lesser known Japanese romhack that keeps the player engaged through an innovative overworld system (inspired by the RPG series "Romancing SaGa") and fun level design. For the majority of the game the levels are a bit easier and more accessible compared to a lot of other japanese hacks, though the final couple of stages do pack a bit of a punch.

This version of the game is an English translation that includes various quality-of-life improvements.

66 Exits

This sequel to Scarlet Devil Mario in many ways takes off right where the first installment ended. The combination of quirky aesthetics, unusual gameplay elements and an abundance of Touhou references might feel off-putting at first, but you get used to the flow and the charm of the hack surprisingly quickly. The game overall is a marked improvement over its predecessor.

This version of the game is an English translation that includes various quality-of-life improvements.

41 Exits

Playing this hack is a very interesting experience. Almost every level has a ton of custom graphics, custom sprites and custom palettes, all while the level design itself takes some twists and turns you really wouldn't expect as well. Couple all of that with an increasingly overwhelming amount of touhou references and you get a game that feels more like a fever dream than an SMW hack at times.
That's not to say that playing it is a bad experience though, especially if you take the time to patch out the huge amount of slowdown the original hack was burdened by. it's an interesting one to check out no matter what your preferences may be.

This version of the game is an English translation that includes various quality-of-life improvements.

60 Exits