Top 10 Greatest Mario Games of All Time

Since 1985, an 8-bit plumber with overalls and a red hat has made people smile with his fun adventures to save Princess Peach from the koopa king Bowser. Since the original game on the NES, there have been 19 games to date in the main series. For this list, I’m going to pick my ten favorite games in the series, since the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES in 1985 to Bowser’s Fury on the Switch in 2021. Let’s-a-go!

 

 

 

 

#10
“Super Mario 64” (1996-Nintendo 64)

There’s no denying that the first 3D Mario game needed a spot on this list. While Super Mario 64 isn’t perfect, it’s one of those games that so hard to strongly dislike. Sure, the graphics aren’t great today, and there were still some bugs (I’m looking directly at you, BLJ.) in the game. But this game is so fun to just explore. It’s vast lands and creative missions, bosses, and levels make for a pretty fun game. After Bowser captures Peach, Mario must explore her castle to find Bowser and get back Peach. Mario jumps through paints to go to levels and complete missions to collect stars and progress to more areas depending on the star count. You fight Bowser three times in the game and afterwards, you win. These fights are fun, in which you pick up Bowser’s tail, spin him around super fast, and throw him into a bomb. How more classic can you get than Super Mario 64?

#9
“New Super Mario Bros. Wii” (2009-Wii)

While the New Super Mario series is seen as drab and repetitive, the game by themselves are pretty great, my favorite being New Super Mario Bros. Wii for its fun level design, cool new power-ups (no pun intended), and great music. While the power-ups might be seen as a bit too overpowered, it is a great time soaring through the air with the Propellor Mushroom, freezing enemies with icy projectiles with the Ice Flower or even belly-sliding on platforms with the Penguin Suit. The level design is really fun and makes for a fun 2D Mario title. While making this list, I was debating on choosing this or New Super Mario Bros. U for Wii U since that game also has superb level design, but the Acorn seemed a bit weak compared to Wii’s power-ups.

#8:
“Super Mario Bros.” (1985-NES)

The classic 2D Mario is still really fun to play today. Exciting level design, awesome music, and a charming little game that was basically responsible for reviving the video game industry after the crash of 1983.

While the 8-bit platformer definitely doesn’t hide its pixels, I still like the art design of ground in 1-1 with the empty blue sky background and various hills and bushes with nice shades of green. These elements are very nice touches. Being the first Mario games, it bring the series justice in which Mario saves the princess from the evil turtle king of the Koopas called Bowser through 8 worlds of 4 levels totalling to 32 levels of easy but fun platforming. The controls aren’t perfect, but you shouldn’t expect a 100% perfect video game from the NES library. However, this is one of the better titles on the system.

#7:
“Super Mario Sunshine” (2001-GameCube)

While some don’t like Super Mario Sunshine for how different it is with 3D Mario, but I found it as a fun 3D platformer with an interesting story, fun areas to explore, and a cool new move: the FLUDD. This device lets Mario squirt water to defeat incoming enemies or get rid of gross goo found around the island. Plus, Mario ends up in a courthouse and it sent to jail. Nintendo definitely took more risks in GameCube era. The levels are really fun and since the whole game was themed to a beachy vacation, each levels goes off that with water levels, a hotel, and one in which you push a giant watermelon around. The beach theme made the levels really creative and memorable. And also, don’t say that you would want to go to Delfino Plaza in real life. Everyone does. Everyone.

#6
“Bowser’s Fury” (2021-Switch)

Even though Bowser’s Fury was technically bundled with the remake of Super Mario 3D World for Switch, I’m counting it as its own game since the new 3D World doesn’t really bring anything new but Bowser’s Fury is a vast open-world 3D Mario game that mixes 3D World and Odyssey in a pretty fun way. For a side mode, it is a pretty fun. Mario explores Lake Lapcat, a giant body of water with many islands that play as levels. While these levels are meant to be like 3D World levels, they’re a bit shorter in length. But despite some island sizes, each has a few missions to complete to collect a Cat Shine, which once you get enough, an island with a bell statue will break open to reveal itself as a real cat bell, only bigger: Giga Bell.

At certain points in the game, a giant black-goo-covered Bowser will be unleashed, and he blasts a giant ‘laser’ of fire that can easily hit you. The only ways to get him away are collecting a Cat Shine or waiting which sometimes took a very large amount of time. When the Giga Bell is unlocked, you turn into a humongous Cat Mario and attack Bowser but throwing stakes at him, kicking soccer ball bombs back at him, or waiting for him to zoom up in the air and drop so in each case you can ground pound his stomach. Personally, I didn’t like the gimmick of Bowser constantly showing up since it was harder to get more Cat Shines since he was breathing fire everywhere, and the levels weren’t great. But this was still a fun games. Saying that, however, I don’t agree that it should become the future of 3D Mario.

#5
“Super Mario Bros. 2” (1988-NES)

The classic sequel to Super Mario Bros. is still one of the most beloved games on the NES. It’s so fun to hear that jingle when you beat a level and do the slot machine minigame for extra lives. The main gimmick of Super Mario Bros. 2 is that you can ppluck stuff from the ground such as vegetables and throw them at enemies as an attack, or stand on an enemy to get a ride or pick them up to throw them. You can also pick up a potion that spawns a door that leads you into an opposite universe to collect coins and mushrooms. Coins can be used at the slot machine minigame at the end of each level to possibly win extra lives. While the level design isn’t great, some being too hard, too boring, or too confusing, it’s so fun just to run around in and using the four characters (Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad) is nice since they each have their own special ability and can be good for specific levels. Super Mario Bros. 2 might not be perfect, but it’s just a classic that I always like coming back to from time to time.

#4:
“Super Mario Galaxy” (2007-Wii)

I always wanted to play this game, and even though I played it on Switch with 3D All-Stars (even if I have a Wii) and it was one unforgettable adventure. Nintendo let out their creativity through the entire game and it shows with levels being insanely creative with a very interesting gimmick. After Bowser’s airship rips Peach’s castle out of the ground, he finds himself far away on another planet and that’s how the game begins. Throughout the game, you explore different galaxies (levels) each with a fresh gimmick. The gameplay is the same as 64 and Sunshine in which you complete various missions in many levels to collect a certain collectible, this time being green stars. The hub world, the Comet Observatory is very cool and fun to explore, especially when you unlock the Red Star and can fly around everywhere. The game isn’t too difficult, but a ton of fun. The only downsides I’d say are the power-ups and post-game stuff. The power-ups are Fire Flower, Ice Flower; Boo, Bee, and Spring Mushroom, and the Red Star. The Fire and Ice Flowers are odd to use since it is a 3D space, and they’re on a time limit. Boo lets you fly a bit andturns invisible which is kind of cool, the Bee Mushroom lets you temporarily fly and climb honey walls and can’t touch water, and the Spring Mushroom turns Mario into a spring and hop high or off walls but has awkward controls. The post-game is just replaying the entire game as Luigi to unlock one star. Despite these downsides, this still is a really great game that took advantage of the Wii’s motion control technology well.

#3:
“Super Mario Bros. 3” (1990-NES)

The classic Mario title is one of the most beloved Nintendo titles ever, often called the greatest 2D platforming game and the best NES title. Super Mario Bros. 3 expanded on the first two games so much by adding an overworld map, more than 32 courses, less linear gameplay, the best 2D level design yet, unique power-ups, and an incredibly catchy and charming tune. Seriously, the music from World 1-4 is probably my favorite compisition by Koji Kondo. The overworld map adds this sort of proggression in which you travel level by level to reach the castle. The sweet and innocent graphics just add to the charm as well. There’s literally eyes on everything. I also like the theme of the game in which it feels like a play, in which a curtain opens to reveal the game, Mario exiting the ‘stage’ when completed, and things like blocks and platforms bolted to the background look as if they were set pieces. Also, while the game is fairly easy, it can get pretty difficult toward the end, starting in worlds 7 and 8. Now let’s talk about power-ups. Tanooki Leaf, Super Leaf, Frog Suit, and Hammer Suit are some of my favorite Mario power-ups throughout the series. If you haven’t played this game, you definitely should. Especially since it’s included in the NES library on Switch and on 3DS (if you still play with that system). Super Mario Bros. 3 is just one of the best 2D platformers and most beloved Nintendo titles for so many reasons. It really deserves the name ‘super’. 

#2:
“Super Mario Odyssey” (2017-Switch)

It had been almost a decade since the last real 3D Mario adventure, since 3D Land and 3D World were like New Super Mario Bros. but in 3D. It had been Odyssey that basically resurrected the grand 3D Mario adventures, and Mario Odyssey is the perfect game to revive the 3D Mario series. What I like about Odyssey is how different the gameplay is from 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy. Instead of having a hub world and jumping from level to level to collect a certain collectible by doing missions, Odyssey has the player finds Power Moons around vast kingdoms by complete smaller missions and finding enough to power his airship to go to the next kingdom until reaching Bowser. I love this idea. It makes the game feel more open-world than any Mario game before. The kingdoms are huge, with tons to do. Sand Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom, Metro Kingdom, and Bowser’s Kingdom are all perfect examples with vast lands with over 50 Power Moons to collect. The kingdom with the most moons (excluding Mushroom Kingdom since I don’t count constantly talking to Toadette) being Sand Kingdom with 89 moons, and most other kingdoms aren’t far behind. The adventure is one I will never forget. I remember vividly getting the game and Switch system at Christmas 2017, and it was the best thing ever. This is one game that every Mario fan should play, and it really is an incredible odyssey.

#1:
“Super Mario 3D World” (2013-Wii U)

I understand why many people will disagree with me here, but 3D World is just a Mario game that I will never forget. I was first introduced to Mario with the original on NES (we had a Top-Loader) and really wanted Maker on the Wii U. I got the deluxe version with 3D World pre-downloaded and it really made be love Mario games, especially 3D World. I don’t know what it is that I like about more linear games, but I still love this game today and also like getting my Wii U GamePad to play. It just brings back memories. Technically Super Mario Odyssey is better, but once you get knocked over by nostalgia, he won’t let you back up.

And there’s my top 10 favorite Mario games. I know my list almost definitely isn’t same as yours (I bet I’m probably the only guy who still plays 3D World on my Wii U) but these are my favorites. While I haven’t played every main Mario game, such as how Super Mario World and Super Mario Galaxy 2 were missing, but I thought I played enough games to make a good top ten. Let me know what your favorite Mario game is in the comments, and if you agree with my list. Now if you excuse me, I’m-a gonna play some Mario Bros. on my Switch virtual console. Seeya.