Summary
It has been almost fifty years since the world was introduced to Mario,Nintendo’s most enduring and popular character, who continues to wow audiences as much now as he did in the 1980s. First appearing as the playable character inDonkey Kongin 1981, Mario has gone on to star in countless games and dozens of spin-off series in the decades since.
Given Nintendo’s constant desire to design innovative games and inspire new players, the majority ofMariotitle announcements are met with significant enthusiasm from audiences, and they usually deliver on that excitement. Here are some of thebest mainlineMariogames that lived up to the hype, ranked based on a combination of their overall quality and popularity with fans.
One of themost influential games ever made,Super Mario Bros.is the first dedicated console release of the juggernaut series and is largely responsible for making Mario a household name. Following the success ofMario Bros.in arcades and several Game & Watch titles, the NES and Famicom release ofSuper Mario Bros.was highly anticipated on both eastern and western shores.
The gameplay mechanics of this game revolutionized the industry, with many characteristics becoming ubiquitous, especially in the platform game genre. Selling tens of millions of copies and constantly being re-released on most Nintendo platforms, players continue to enjoySuper Mario Bros.to this day, with its simple but intuitive controls remaining among the best in all video games.
The ambitious goal of reinventing 2D games in the series withSuper Mario Bros. Wondercertainly put some pressure on the development team to deliver, and they succeeded withone of the best games of 2023. Taking place in the newly crafted Flower Kingdom, players should expect the unexpected, as Wonder Flowers can cause all kinds of peculiar and unpredictable occurrences.
One aspect that was highly anticipated after the initial reveal trailer was the Elephant Form that characters take when Mario collects Elephant Fruit. Other bold new ideas include the Bubble Flower and Drill Mushroom, which add to the overall creative, surprising, and satisfying experience that left players saying “Wowie zowie!”
Underwater levels in gamesare generally disliked by many gamers, yetSuper Mario Sunshinemanages to make them compelling, largely thanks to the F.L.U.D.D. allowing Mario to use water for various purposes. Framed for vandalism by the creepy Shadow Mario, the real mustachioed plumber must clean up the tropical island and rescue Princess Peach once again.
This game marks many firsts, from the debut of Bowser Jr. and the introduction of the iconic Isle Delfino to the first fully voiced cutscenes in the series. FollowingSuper Mario 64was always going to be tough, butSunshinemanaged to outsell popular games likeHaloandGTA 3. Such was the popularity ofSuper Mario Sunshinethat it actively boosted sales of the GameCube console.
Pushing the NES to its absolute limits,Super Mario Bros. 3is often cited asone of the best sequels ever madeand arguably the best game on the NES. Many new mechanics, power-ups, and other innovations that have since become series stalwarts were all introduced in this entry, such as the Koopalings, Tanooki Mario, and a world map allowing for non-linear gameplay.
While prior games used every mechanic in all possible ways,SMB3made it so that each run on a level could be very different, maximizing replayability. Retaining the Frog Suit or Hammer Suit across levels could give players access to new locations, or they could choose to skip some areas entirely and find a shorter route to the final level.
The winner of multiple game of the year awards,Super Mario Galaxyis regarded by many asthe best Nintendo Wii game. Making use of ingenious gravity mechanics, Mario must circumnavigate various planetary structures in space in order to collect Power Stars by doing various activities like exploring, solving puzzles, and battling bosses.
In a series that is always trying to invent new gameplay mechanics and influence the platform genre going forward,Galaxysomehow stands out. Mario’s foray into interstellar travel was a resounding success and remains enjoyable two decades later, plus it’s one of the few 3DMariogames to receive a direct sequel, which enjoyed similar levels of acclaim and admiration.
Introducing the world to Yoshi as Mario’s rideable sidekick,Super Mario Worldwas the first game in the series to be released on the SNES and remains a timeless classic. Being the plumber’s debut on the new console, fans were eager to see how gameplay was improved and weren’t disappointed when Mario and Luigi had new abilities to go with their previous actions.
Across the game’s 96 levels, the brothers can fly, float, and spin jump through levels, eliminating any enemies encountered along the way. Yoshi already has many different abilities depending on the items he consumes, including hostiles. At the end of each of the seven worlds, players encounter the returning Koopalings, before an ultimate showdown with Bowser.
Anticipation for the upcoming Nintendo Switch was already palpable, so teasing the sandbox-styleSuper Mario Odysseyduring the announcement only boosted fan hype. Becoming one of thehybrid console’s most influential games,Odysseytakes Mario to fourteen unique and open-ended worlds to collect the Power Moons that fuel the eponymous Odyssey, his mode of transportation.
Assisted by the now iconic Cappy, Mario’s sentient hat, players are able to take control of certain creatures and objects to use their abilities and reach new areas, such as a T. rex or a Bullet Bill. Winning countless awards and selling millions of copies,Odysseyis still regarded as one of the best games ever made almost a decade since its initial release.
One of the games thatmade the Nintendo 64 a legendary console,Super Mario 64, marked the first time that players ever saw the Italian plumber in three dimensions. Transitioning to 3D was a major advancement for many long-running series, one which was mind-blowing for contemporary players, and Mario’s enduring popularity owes a lot to this stellar entry in the franchise.
Countless advertising campaigns showed off the ambition of this game, only adding to the excitement levels of reviewers and audiences. The result is one of the greatest and most influential games ever made, which continues to inspire developers to this day, especially in regard to platform games and even open-world games, thanks to the secrets found around Peach’s Castle and the diverse game worlds.
