The Perfect Run probably is, even though I can beat it 99 out of 100 times now without dying due to the fun I've had the past year and a half replaying the level. But I must have died 100 times trying to beat it the first time. Special 8 Crown, though? 5 or 6. All because the Statue Tanooki suit makes it WAAAAAAAY easier than it would be if the player was not allowed to use it. You can entirely bypass certain challenges with Statue Tanooki. You can float over and entirely bypass certain platforming challenges that more levels could of used such as the 2 Goombas floating in the air. The statue can evade the triangular Firebars and negate the necessity to kick off the Bob-ombs via invincibilty. However, it cannot be used to get past the second part with the rotating Firebars due to collapsable platforms (the player would plummit to certain death if he tried this stunt). When Shadow Mario comes after you, it is very tough and takes some kean platforming prowess to evade those Wallops and not get hit by Shadow Mario. All in all, even with Statue Tanooki suit it is still very hard, but it won't go down in history like The Perfect Run. With the regular non-Statue Tanooki, it is harder, but still doesn't compare to Perfect Run.
Let's take the Tanooki Suit out of the equation. Try beating it without a Tanooki Suit. Then it is TWICE as hard as the Perfect Run. My GOD! I am seeing how far I can get without the suit. So far I have made it to Boom-Boom and Pon-Pon, and I am planning on doing it finishing it without it soon. Nevertheless, the game does not REQUIRE you to enter the challenge sans a Tanooki Suit! What they could have done, if you entered the level wearing a Tanooki Suit, Shadow Mario should have come out of nowhere and snatched it away a la Mario Sunshine when FLUDD was marauded by the doppleganger bandit. Regardless, they did not, and the game does not REQUIRE you, or perhaps not even expect you, to enter to trials without the suit. It is comparable to how the Boss Blitz Galaxy would have blown away the perfect run in terms of pure difficulty, had it's Comet Medal challenge been a DAREDEVIL RUN and not some dubious time trial that did little to add to the difficulty. Beating all of those bosses without getting hit once would have indeed been an indelible challenge, to say the least. Fire Piranha alone... my god. But again, the game did not ask that of you, so it is inconsequential. And that's the way it is.
Let's take the Tanooki Suit out of the equation. Try beating it without a Tanooki Suit. Then it is TWICE as hard as the Perfect Run. My GOD! I am seeing how far I can get without the suit. So far I have made it to Boom-Boom and Pon-Pon, and I am planning on doing it finishing it without it soon. Nevertheless, the game does not REQUIRE you to enter the challenge sans a Tanooki Suit! What they could have done, if you entered the level wearing a Tanooki Suit, Shadow Mario should have come out of nowhere and snatched it away a la Mario Sunshine when FLUDD was marauded by the doppleganger bandit. Regardless, they did not, and the game does not REQUIRE you, or perhaps not even expect you, to enter to trials without the suit. It is comparable to how the Boss Blitz Galaxy would have blown away the perfect run in terms of pure difficulty, had it's Comet Medal challenge been a DAREDEVIL RUN and not some dubious time trial that did little to add to the difficulty. Beating all of those bosses without getting hit once would have indeed been an indelible challenge, to say the least. Fire Piranha alone... my god. But again, the game did not ask that of you, so it is inconsequential. And that's the way it is.
