So here I am, about to go through the Super Mario series, ranking them. This is a list I've wanted to do for some time, so now I'm finally doing it. Please note, this list is in no way a definitive "best" list of the series and reflects my personal experience and opinion only. This list will also only include the Mario platforming games. In other words, don't expect to see any Paper Mario, Mario Kart, Mario & Luigi, or Mario Party titles on here. Also, for those who are curious, I am not including Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island since, though it does have Super Mario in the title name, it's technically a Yoshi game, since that's who you play as.
Without further ado...here is my ranking of the Super Mario games, from least favorite to favorite. Enjoy! (Caution: You may find some of my picks surprising!)
17. Super Mario Land
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While this game marked the first experience I had with this game, it just doesn't hold up well. Say what you want about Super Mario Bros. 2 but this is easily the weirdest entry in the series. Controls were bad, fireballs shot out like ricocheted bullets, and neither Bowser nor Peach were present in this game. Instead. you had to save Princess Daisy from the evil alien Tatanga. The game was ridiculously short, only comprised of 12 levels divided between 4 worlds. It was a significant release at the time since this was the first time we had any sort of game resembling Super Mario Bros on a handheld system. In that sense, it was groundbreaking. But the game just isn't all that fun. It is challenging, however, and I know it took me years to actually get to the end, but measured up against the rest of the Mario games, this game just isn't in the same league as any of them.
16. Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan)
After the huge success of the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES, Nintendo decided to replicate the exact same formula, and 99% of the same graphics, to make the next Super Mario Bros. Only they made it so difficult that they deemed it "too hard for Americans" (their words). While North America got the Super Mario Bros. 2 we know and love, Japan's Super Mario Bros. 2 was completely different. Eventually, Nintendo released Super Mario All-Stars on the Super NES, a Mario game compilation featuring remakes of Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, and a game they dubbed The Lost Levels. The Lost Levels is the remake of the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (not ours), marking the first time we got to play the real sequel to the original Super Mario Bros.
Now, after all that mind-blowing information, I can talk about what I think about the game. And? It's okay. Yes, it's very difficult. Quite possibly the most difficult entry in the series, actually. It's the only game in the series I have not finished. But even despite the high difficulty, it's just a so-so game overall. Where Super Mario Bros. was groundbreaking and introduced so many new things to the gaming world, Super Mario Bros. 2 (Lost Levels) did none of that. It was basically an extension of the original game, only much harder. So, in the long run, I'm happy we got the Super Mario Bros. 2 that we got. The Lost Levels is a great challenge but it's not as memorable or as fun as pretty much any other Mario game. I still recommend you play it at least once just to see what we originally missed out on. It's also great for those who find every game in the series too easy. This game has probably made grown men cry. (Mind you, it's not Battletoads-level difficulty but still very challenging.)
15. New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros is the first title in the series of "New Super Mario Bros." games. The sub-series hasn't evolved much from this entry, but it didn't really need to. This game was somewhat significant for being the first new 2D Mario platformer in 15 years (the last one before this being Super Mario World in 1991). It wasn't as "new" as I was hoping or expecting but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. I didn't find this one as memorable as the rest of the series, nor have I revisited several times since its release like I typically do with Mario games. The addition of the Koopa Sheel Mario, Mini Mario, and Mega Mario were fun additions and worked to change up the gameplay some but they didn't add a whole lot and ultimately this game became more of the same we were used to. Not that that's a bad thing. More Mario is always welcome, in any form, but this one failed to be as amazing as the other Marios, in my opinion. This game had a lot to live up to, considering several past entries in the series were considered some of the greatest games of all time. I think it did what it set out to do though - bring Mario back into 2D and it did it confidence. While I haven't replayed this game over and over like most other Mario games, it was a very solid game, and easily one the best platforming games on the DS.
14. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
While Super Mario Land was average at best, they really ramped up every aspect of it with this sequel on the Game Boy. They attempted to recreate the style of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World in this handheld game. The results were impressive. I remember loving this game to death as a kid. It was still very short, but longer than the original Mario Land, and had much more variety. They even gave Mario a new suit - the Bunny Hat, which pretty much worked like the Raccoon/Tanooki Suit. The worlds were themed, which I appreciated, and many of the levels were pretty memorable too. The music was good, the gameplay was good, and for a Game Boy game that tried to mimic the look and feel of a game on the NES or Super NES, this game was a very good attempt. The game is even still quite fun today, too, as I recently replayed it on the 3DS's virtual console. Unlike the above entries, I can actually replay this one over and over without growing bored of it. It may be in black and white, it may be short, and it may pretty easy, but it's also a quality title. Oh, and this also marks the first appearance of Wario, who is the final boss of the game. That's also pretty significant.
13. New Super Mario Bros. 2
Since the first New Super Mario Bros didn't exactly blow me away, I was skeptical just how much I would love this sequel on 3DS. This was the 3rd entry in the New Super Mario Bros sub-series (the original and Wii versions came before it) and it was pretty much what you'd expect - more of the same. They did add one gimmick that is mildly entertaining: coins. Lots of 'em. Yes, I know the series always had coins, but I mean one of the goals in the game is to collect a million coins. No, not 100, a million. That's a lot! Overall, though, the game is fun, even if it isn't necessarily memorable. Like I said, it's more of the same, which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't innovate at all beyond using the gimmicky coin collecting quest. I plan on replaying it just to see how much of it I remember, but I can't pick out one single level that I remember well, unlike most other Mario games. It's a great platformer - it's a tried and true formula - but they really could've done more to surprise us.
12. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Like New Super Bros before it, this game was more of the same for the most part, with one addition - the ability to play with 3 other players simultaneously! This is the sole reason I put this game ahead of NSMB2. The levels, if I remember correctly, were also better designed than NSMB or NSMB2. But, the same downfall plagues this game as the other New Super Mario Bros. games - lack of innovation. Most Mario games have succeeded in being innovative and setting the bar for a new generation of games, but the New Super Mario Bros. games take what works and leave it at that. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but I just hope for more from Mario in this day and age. But regardless, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a great title, best played with others in the room with you.
11. New Super Mario Bros. U
Along with Nintendo Land, this is the game that helped kick off the Wii U. It wasn't exactly a system seller but it was a very fun game nonetheless. Being that it's yet another game in the New Super Mario Bros. line of games, there's not much left to say about it that I haven't already said about the others. This is easily the best of the New Super Mario Bros. games but just like the games before it, it fails to innovate. Like NSMB Wii, you can play with 3 others simultaneously, which is always a plus. Levels were a bit more memorable and interesting than in other NSMB but ultimately is just another Mario game. I still highly recommend you play it if given the chance though. After all, it is a Mario game.
10. Super Mario Galaxy
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think the Mario Galaxy games are the masterpieces almost everyone thinks they are. Of course, they're still great, but I didn't find them as innovative as the other 3D Mario games. The music is fantastic, the platforming is as great as it's ever been, and the levels are for the most part memorable. The scope didn't feel as grand as it did in Mario 64 or Sunshine, despite taking place in space. The levels felt more confined to me. But, they took Mario in a new direction with this entry, and for that I appreciate it. It's a great game that should be played by everyone. I definitely want to replay it sometime soon, as it's been about 7 years since I last touched it. All in all, one of the best games on the Wii, and retains the quality of the high standards the series has set for it.
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2
The original Mario Galaxy didn't blow me away but it was fun and it was a quality title. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was more of the same, but it felt, overall, a little bit more fun than the original. I don't know if it's the addition of Yoshi (probably) or the streamlined over world and level select, or what. I honestly don't know why I prefer the second Mario Galaxy over the original since they're so similar. Maybe when I initially played the original Mario Galaxy I was a little letdown and by the time the second one came out, I was already over it and just learned to have fun with it. Whatever the case is, I found Super Mario Galaxy 2 to be overall better than the original, but not by a whole lot. It's still not my favorite Mario game, but just like the original Galaxy, it retains the high quality standard of previous Mario games. There's really not much else to say about this one, but I do know that Yoshi always makes a Mario game better.
8. Super Mario Bros.
"Oh no! How dare you put the original Mario Bros. so low on the list! This game is legendary!" I hear you exclaim. And you're right - it is legendary. It's the most influential video game of all time. It single-handedly revived video games from the brink of extinction in 1985. It sold the NES all by itself. This is the game that not only every Mario game is based on, but most other games as well. Most games pull at least something from this game, whether it's intentional or not. This game defined what video games could be and the entire history of video games hereafter stems from this game. But that doesn't mean it's my favorite game now. It holds up surprisingly well, though. Gameplay is very basic, but simplicity is sometimes a good thing. People still play this game for a reason. Besides the fact that it's iconic, it's easy enough for anyone to pick up and play and challenging enough that people new to the game won't just breeze right through it. I know it took me over a decade to finish this game. I mean, it's not like I was trying daily for a decade on end, but I never actually beat the game until the late 90s. So going back a bit, while this game was a masterpiece of its time and the archetype of video games in general, it's not the best version of Mario. It would be kind of depressing if Mario never progressed from the original game after 17 iterations. I've probably played this game through more times than I can count because it's just a good way to kill a good 30 minutes, and if you're good, you can make it in well under that. Compared to more modern Mario games, the gameplay is still a bit too simplistic. There wasn't much variety in the stages, enemies, music, or power-ups. Bowser was the boss of every castle, you couldn't backtrack in stages, and there was no save feature. It was a product of its time, sure, and like I said it was groundbreaking in the mid-80s, and even holds up well today in its simplistic glory, but it is not my favorite Mario game.
7. Super Mario Sunshine
Being the oddball Gamecube fanatic that I am, I have a soft spot for this game. I absolutely loved this game when I played it for the first time, and for a while this was actually my favorite game in the series. I have since replayed it twice and my view on this game is still a favorable one, but I wouldn't put it quite at the top like I would've 12 years ago. The graphics are gorgeous - they even hold up well 12 years later. The gameplay is different, by adding the water pack. The levels are creative and a lot of fun to go through as well. There is a lot to do in the game as well. I actually did get every Shine in the game when I first played it and looking back, I must've spent far more time than I ever wanted to doing so. I couldn't go back and do it again. It's very time consuming. But the game is great. I wanted to rank this one higher but there are 6 games I love just a little bit more than this. This game loses a few points for a few reasons, though. For one, having Yoshi in there is like a tease, because he's barely in it at all, and when he is, he evaporates in water. So, really he's like an imposter Yoshi. Because the real Yoshi can swim, dammit. Secondly, there are certain areas in the game where your water pack is stolen from you, which makes it more challenging, but I found that controlling Mario without the jetpack is a bit awkward. It sounds weird saying that because Mario has controlled perfectly in nearly every game he's been in, including 3D installments. And Mario is great in Sunshine for the most part, but without the jetpack he just feels like he's missing something, since the entire game is built around it. So when it's taken away, it's almost like a handicap. The locale is also both refreshing and lame. "Mario on vacation" was the premise for this game, and it sounds absolutely ridiculous on paper, but it works for the most part in gameplay. Some of the levels tend to feel too similar, which is a slight downfall as well. Also, for a location that largely surrounded by water because, you know, you're on an island, I found the swimming controls to be inferior to Super Mario 64's. Other than these points, though, the game is fantastic. I felt this is one of Mario's most underrated gems to be honest. Like I said, I wanted to rank the game higher, since it's definitely of high quality, but there are a few nit-picky things getting in the way of it being near the top of the list.
6. Super Mario Bros. 3
If you've read every entry on this list so far, you're probably up in arms right now. "How could rank Mario Galaxy, Galaxy 2, Mario Bros, and Mario 3 so low!?" Well, because this is my list, and I'm ranking them how much I enjoy them. That said, every game in the series has a lot to live up to. Putting Mario Bros 3 in 6th place is hardly anything to complain about since, I'd go as far to say nearly every game in this series is fantastic, but there are just varying degrees of fantastic. Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the highest selling games of all time and rightly so. It took everything the original Mario Bros. did and made it better while expanding on it. The American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 was a bit of an oddball and didn't retain almost anything from the original game, but Super Mario Bros. 3 returned Mario to his roots and was basically the result of sheer creativity combined with the original Mario...on steroids! Everything about this game was bigger and better than the original. This was the first time you had a world map, Mario now had a flying raccoon suit, a swimming frog suit, and a hammer-throwing hammer bros suit. The levels were creative and memorable and I could replay this game over and over and never get sick of it. It's simplistic but not to the point that the original Super Mario Bros. was. It has aged fantastically in terms of its gameplay, and plays like a champ even 25 years later. This is the game many consider the NES's swan song since the Super NES was released only months after this was. What a way for a legendary console to go out though. "If the game is so amazing, why isn't it your #1 game then?" Well, a few reasons. For one, there are several games that I just loved a little bit more than this one. Secondly,I dislike the fact that there is no save system, as the technology was definitely around for a few years by the time this game released. And third, I hated the fact that you couldn't return to levels you have already completed, almost negating the need for an overworld map. Still, a fantastic game is fantastic, even with a few faults.
5. Super Mario 3D World
I was honestly shocked at just how much I loved this game when I first played it. It expanded on everything Super Mario 3D Land on 3DS set out to do and more. The overworld maps were free-roaming, the music was fantastic, the level design is top-notch, and the game is four-player simultaneously. Actually, I can't really even think of any negative things to say about this game. It's really just a very well-made game. I think the only thing I can fault it for is being too similar to Super Mario 3D Land, but even still, it follows a sure-fire formula. Where 3D Land was basically a side-scrolling Mario game in 3D, 3D World basically just expands on that by providing simultaneous multi-player as well as bigger levels. Like the previous two games on my list, I wanted to rank this one higher, but a few games just barely edge it out. This is an absolute must-own for the Wii U and I would consider it a system seller. Besides Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros for Wii U, this game really sells the Wii U system and if you're looking for a reason to buy a Wii U, this is one of those reasons. I also love the game for proving to me that Mario has yet to run out of new creative ideas. Oh, you can also play as Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad, so there's that too.
4. Super Mario Bros. 2
Many people would disagree with me, and this might not be a true Mario game at heart, but I absolutely love this game. This one has a special place with for being the first game I ever finished. I loved the vegetable throwing, dream-like aspect of the game and the fact that you can play as four different characters was huge back then. In fact, we didn't even get to see all four characters playable in the same platform game until Super Mario 3D World. Each character also had distinguishably different attributes. Peach could float, Toad was fast, Luigi could jump high, and Mario was the jack of all trades. The levels were mostly creative and fun, and I have played this game through more than any game in the entire series. It's simply one of my favorite games, even outside of the Mario series.
While this doesn't affect my personal view of the game, it should be noted this game is not a true Mario game at heart. It was originally called Doki Doki Panic in Japan and the original characters were replaced by the four Mario characters. Where Japan got Super Mario Bros 2 (The Lost Levels in America), we got this Super Mario Bros. 2. Japan did get this game also, but was labeled as Super Mario Bros. USA. Eventually this game was retconned in Japan to be officially renamed Super Mario Bros. 2. dethroning the original Super Mario Bros 2 (The Lost Levels) as the holder of that title. If this all sounds confusing, that's because it is. At any rate, all you need to know is that this game is now considered, world-wide, the official Super Mario Bros 2.
Getting back to why I love this game, though... it's different. And I love different. It feels almost like a spin-off than an actual sequel. The game takes place in Subcon, a dream world. All of the enemies were new, and jumping on them no longer killed them. Instead you could pick up vegetables and throw them at the enemies. The main bad guy was also Wart, a frog who hated vegetables. There were no goombas, no Bowser, no koopa troopas, etc. Luckily iconic enemies from the game like Shy Guy and Birdo were pulled from this game and placed in future Mario games, which made me happy. Overall, this game might not be a true Mario game, but it's an amazing game that should be played by everyone.
3. Super Mario 3D Land
This game was a perfect blend of old and new. While not being completely innovative, it borrowed something from nearly every past Mario game while feeling fresh without looking like "just another Mario game". I've been playing this game again a lot lately, and I can say for sure this is one of the best Mario games ever made. It's also one of the best 3DS games ever made. It is incredibly well done, creative, challenging, and expansive. Until recently, I completely forgot just how many levels were in this game. This might be the biggest game since Super Mario World. Gameplay is very fluid and feels every bit like a Mario game. It's an absolute must-own for 3DS owners and is most certainly reason enough to buy a 3DS alone. Prior to its release, I was excited for the game since it looked fresh while being familiar, and that's exactly what it is, only I didn't realize just how much fun I'd have while playing it. After being underwhelmed by a few New Super Mario Bros games, this game certainly raised my spirits. It showed me that Mario didn't have to go on vacation, or go to space, or even do anything truly new to be fantastic again. It's hard to truly describe what this game is like without playing it. The best way I can describe it is a blend of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario 64. The levels are goal oriented like all of the classic 2D Mario games, but they all had a 3D element. Also, the 3D effect on this game is so great, it's hard to want to turn it off. I rarely play with the 3D effect in other 3DS games but this game almost makes it a requirement. Well, not so much a requirement, but it's just that damn good. I can see myself playing this one for many, many years, just like Super Mario Bros 1 through 3 and World. It's easy to pick up and hard to put down. Even those who have never played a Mario game will find instant joy in this title. At the time of its release, Super Mario had been around for over 26 years and even after Mario game after Mario game, this game still managed to feel fresh. It's quite an accomplishment, if you think about it. No, it's not as groundbreaking as other games were, but it's a prime example of everything a Nintendo game should and can be.
2. Super Mario World
After the huge success of the NES, no one could have predicted just how awesome the Nintendo's next gaming console would be. What better way to show off the Super NES than with another Mario game masterpiece? I consider this one of the greatest games of all time, as do many others. This game is the absolute pinnacle of the Mario games. Although Super Mario Bros. 3 released only about a year earlier, this game expanded on that game and made it the biggest and best it could be. Perhaps that's why the New Super Mario Bros. have been somewhat disappointing to me, since Super Mario World set the bar so damn high, almost unreachable honestly. Future 2D Mario games will probably never hit this high mark ever again. Super Mario World is simply perfect. It featured a new character, Yoshi, which added something to the gameplay, a flying cape power-up, an expansive over world, replayable levels, innovative and creative levels, a ton of secrets hidden in the game, and a save system. This game really did it all. Perhaps this is also why it took Nintendo so long to make another true 2D Mario game, since it was apparent that this game's splendor could never be matched.
I remember playing this game for the first time in elementary school with my best friend at the time, and just being simply blown away by everything the game had to offer. When we finally conquered this game together, it was mind-blowing. It truly felt like I was at the end of a long, epic adventure. My favorite thing about this game was the nearly countless amount of secrets this game had. I mean, this game had a ton of them. It took me over a decade to find them all! Every time I would find a hidden path in a level and get access to a new world, I would think I had found it all, but nope! There was still more to be discovered! The sheer scope of this game was unprecedented. Even today, 2D platformers are hard-pressed to match the size of this game. Really thinking on it, I don't think any 2D game afterwards really was bigger than this game. It's very hard to explain just why this game is so amazing without playing it in 1991. Sure the game holds up extremely well today, just like all Mario games, but it was insanely impressive in the early 90s. I can't think of a single fault this game has. I really can't. Maybe if I had to choose one negative thing, it's that this game just set the bar too high for future games in the series. If you have not played this masterpiece, you really need to. Otherwise you should not call yourself a gamer.
1. Super Mario 64
Well, here it is - my absolute favorite Mario game, one of my favorite Nintendo 64 games, and one of my favorite games of all time, Super Mario 64! Like Super Mario World before it, this game is a masterpiece. If I had to single out one game that simply blew me away more than any other, it would be this game. If I had to pick a single moment in gaming history where I could say I went from playing video games from time to time to being a gamer, it was the first time I played this game. If I had to pick any game that would represent my entire teenage years, this is that game. I could replay any game without boredom for the rest of my life, this would certainly be in the top 3. This game might even represent the pinnacle of video games as we know it.
When video games started getting into 3D, no game has set the standard of what a 3D game should be like Super Mario 64. Just like Super Mario Bros. set the bar for 2D games, Super Mario 64 set the bar for every 3D game and every game that came afterwards. Every game since 1996 owes something to this game, whether they believe it or not. When Nintendo set out to make a 3D Mario platform game, they really couldn't have done it any more perfect. To this day, this game is still the greatest 3D platformer of all time, in my opinion. Nintendo got it all right on the very first try. The best part though? It still holds up extraordinarily well today! Sure the graphics are dated but the gameplay is as perfect as it ever was. You could argue that the camera system is flawed, and surely it is, but that hardly detracts from an otherwise perfect game. Also, camera issues exist even today, nearly 20 years later. But I'll be damned if any 3D platforming game can match what Super Mario 64 did. There are games that come close, like Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day, but Super Mario 64 is the archetype for the genre and an influence on every game in existence.
After Super Nintendo began to die out and Nintendo 64 was announced, I was actually not at all interested. I truly thought, even at age 13, that I was done with video games. I didn't think Super Nintendo could ever be beat so I saw no reason to continue playing new games. That was, until I played Super Mario 64 in Blockbuster one day. And my excitement went through the roof. All I knew after playing the game for a good 20 minutes, is that I had to have it. I didn't care if it cost me an arm and a leg, I needed a Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64. I couldn't afford one at the time of its release, but Blockbuster had N64s for rent, so I rented a console and Super Mario 64. I played the game nonstop from the time I took it home to the time I brought it back. I've never experienced that level of joy in a single video game, ever. Words cannot even express just how into this game I was, and still am. I eventually got to buy a Nintendo 64 but couldn't afford a game with it, so I settled for renting games. I must've rented this game three times before finally buying it from Funcoland about a year after the N64 came out. Since then, I have played and beat this game over a dozen times and it still never got old. I most recently played this game last year, and it must've been a long while before that since I last played the game because I forgot how perfect the game is. Until I played it again, that is. And then I was reminded of being 13 again, playing the game for the first time in 1996, and just how the release of this game shaped my entire future not only as a gamer, but as a person. It feels odd saying it, but this game has truly helped make me who I am today. I'll also never forget the first time I got 120 stars in the game. Prior to that, I never got 100% on any game. Getting 120 stars in this game was a huge accomplishment for me at the time. I felt I had truly mastered this game, which I had never done before with any game. Playing this game hits me very hard with nostalgia, and every moment I have spent and will continue to spend with this game is nothing but sheer joy.
Love it or hate it, Super Mario 64 is the be-all end-all of Mario games. It has completely reshaped everything video games are and is one of the most iconic games in history. The Mario series is full of fantastic games, some more-so than others, but this game is truly as perfect as a video game can be.
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