15 best Mario games of all-time
The best Mario games remind us why everybody's favorite platforming plumber is still so beloved. In the company of his taller brother Luigi, Mario is one of the most recognizable faces in gaming, having starred in a frankly boggling range of experiences over the years.
Turn-based strategy game Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope saw Mario and company traversing the galaxy to defeat the evil Cursa, while Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes us back to his platforming roots. These are two of the latest games in the franchise, combined to form a tried and true testaments to the little red plumber's legacy, and that's where this list comes in. We're here to collect the best of the best Mario games ever.
Nintendo consoles have been and gone, but Mario has remained consistent across them all, whether in the best Switch exclusives or cross-platform offerings. If you're keen for a trip down memory lane, or if you're just looking to tide yourself over until the Super Mario RPG remake comes out, here are the 15 of the best Mario games ever created. Which ones haven't you played yet?
15. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Kicking off our list of the best Mario games is a more recent entry. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is the much-anticipated sequel to 2017's Kingdom Battle, and this time, it's a turn-based adventure through the galaxy as Mario and co (and their Rabbid counterparts) chase down Cursa, collect Sparks, and liberate planets as they go. With so many characters to choose from, party-building and ability matchups are at the core of this game. It's a blast to come up with unique builds to suit certain situations, and makes for a nice 3D departure from a lot of the 2D platformer gameplay you'll find in other titles on this list. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a glittering example of how the best Mario games can still surprise us, even after almost 40 years.
Check out our Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope review here
14. Super Mario Maker 2
Platform(s): Switch
It may not be a conventional Mario adventure, but this brilliant sequel takes three decades of iconic platforming history and places it directly under your creative control. A community of fan-created levels prove the lifeblood of the closest thing Mario will ever get to LittleBigPlanet. Nintendo also serves up a refreshingly inventive campaign that acts as both a rewarding, bespoke slice of single-player 2D Mario action, and an ideal tutorial for the game’s intuitive level-creating tools.
Check out our Super Mario Maker 2 review here
13. New Super Mario Bros.
Plaform(s): Nintendo DS
Before the DS got that third dimension, Nintendo put the tried and true Mario formula to work on its handheld. Featuring beautiful graphics and gameplay that mixed elements of SNES-era Mario with the butt stomp and triple jump of Super Mario 64, gamers got one of the best plumber platformers of the modern era and one of the best DS games of all time, for that matter.
It also had fun with Mario's size, taking the mega mushroom from Mario Party 4 and letting Mario grow to Godzilla-sized proportions. Additionally, challenge mode gave the game big time replay value, and the kind of pick-up-and-play appeal that makes this handheld Mario a must have for any fan.
12. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Platform(s): Game Boy, 3DS Virtual Console
The first Super Mario Land is a fine game, but it's also weird. Really weird. All the sound effects are strange, it has horizontal-scrolling shooter levels, and strange power-ups and enemies. It probably won’t surprise you that it was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's R&D1 instead of Miyamoto's EAD team, but when Yokoi's crew worked on the sequel subtitled 6 Golden Coins, they decided to take some cues from games like Mario 3, and created a game that was more familiar, yet still had a unique feel.
With its cartoony look and detailed sprites reminiscent of Mario World, a plethora of different theme worlds, and original, but understandable power-ups, Super Mario Land 2 gave Mario fans what they wanted and did so brilliantly. (We'd love to see Rabbit Mario make a comeback.) Super Mario Land 2 brought lovable deviant Wario into all our lives, as the jerky doppelganger steals Mario's castle (Mario owns a castle?), and the moustachioed one has to beat some tough monsters to collect the six Golden Coins and defeat the chunky never-do-well. It wasn't the easiest game ever, but Mario Land 2 is still one of the best platformers in portable gaming history.
11. Super Mario Bros.
Plaform(s): NES, Switch (Nintendo Switch Online membership)
The one that started it all. Released in 1985 for the NES and the Japanese Famicom, the first and best Super Mario game ever essentially invented the platformer by defining Mario's basic way of getting around: jumping. Jumping on enemies, jumping over pits and jumping to hit ? Blocks and break bricks. It's no wonder Nintendo almost called him Jumpman, but we're glad they took another whack at naming their soon-to-be mascot. We really dodged a Bullet Bill there!
Despite its blocky 8-bit-ness, the original Super Mario Bros. still holds up today and holds firm as one of the best NES games of all time. Responsive controls, accurate platforming and enough secrets to warrant scrounging around those decades-old levels. These days, the question is: Can you finish the game without jumping down a warp pipe?
10. Super Mario Sunshine
Platform(s): GameCube, Switch
Sandwiched between Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, Sunshine was always going to come off as the slightly poor cousin to the two real greats of the plumber’s 3D renaissance. A bizarre yet charming spin on what Mario achieved on the N64, this GameCube great takes the icon on a lovely, eco-conscious holiday.
Tasked with clearing Isle Defino of pollution, Mario’s main weapon against enemies isn’t his butt stomp, but the inventive F.L.U.D.D. The Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device is basically a water-spurting jet pack; one that propels Mario to ever loftier heights. Yes, the sun-dappled island is a little samey, but this is one of the plumber’s most underrated gems.
Check out our Super Mario Sunshine review here
9. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Platform(s): SNES, GBA, Switch (Nintendo Switch Online membership)
Alright, so it doesn’t feature the iconic adult soup strainer version of Mario we all adore, but this classic SNES platformer still gives the plumber a valued role. Riding his beloved pet dinosaur for the best part of 10 hours, Yoshi’s Island sees Baby Mario play a key part in his pal’s best game.
A thoroughly inventive platformer that creates pressure thanks to a canny timer system – get hit and Baby Mario starts to float off into the sky – Super Mario World 2 swaps precision jumps for accurate egg throws. Thanks to a wonderfully child-like art style that looks like it’s just been drawn by the world’s biggest Mario fan in crayon, Yoshi’s Island is an unconventional Mario great.
8. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Platform(s): Switch
A bumper Mario package that combines an awesome Wii U adventure with a sandbox spin-off that sees our hero take a few cues from Breath of the Wild. Considering how poorly the Switch’s predecessor sold, it’s great to see the lively co-op action of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury get a second chance on Nintendo’s handheld hybrid.
In Bowser’s Fury, the Big N also proves it can still keep Mario fresher and more malleable than almost any other character in video game history. Essentially an open-world take on the series, this brief but brilliant aside sees Mario battling a Godzilla-sized Bowser across a vibrant tropical sandbox.
Check out our Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury review here
7. Super Mario Galaxy
Platform(s): Wii, Switch
Super Mario Galaxy captured the whimsy, grand scale, and magnificence that fans had been craving, evoking the same magic of classics like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario 64 with its constellation of themed planets and challenging, cosmic Stars to collect. The imaginative planets often felt like self-contained levels, and playing them in sequence made every stage feel like an adventure in its own right. With cleverly designed boss fights, delightful new suit power-ups (finally, we could be a Boo), and some of the best level variety since Super Mario Bros 3, Galaxy was one space odyssey that did not disappoint.
The release of 2020’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars ensures Galaxy can still be appreciated by modern audiences, too. The space-exploring action looks incredible on that pin-sharp little screen, and thanks to Nintendo’s timeless level design, the core gameplay is as monstrously moreish as ever.
Check out our Super Mario Galaxy review here
6. Super Mario World
Platform(s): SNES, GBA, Switch (Nintendo Switch Online membership)
After seemingly perfecting the Mario formula with Super Mario Bros 3, you'd think Nintendo would rest on its laurels. Instead, it almost immediately got to work on trying to top the genre-defining, multimillion seller and get that successor ready for the launch of the company’s second home console. And, as hard as it is to believe, the Big N created a game that topped its predecessor in almost every way - making it easily among the very best SNES games.
Building on the rock-solid foundation of Mario 3, Super Mario World's energetic graphics immediately grabbed your attention with colors far more vibrant than anything seen on the Genesis, let alone the NES. The classic Mario gameplay was there, and it was augmented by new tricks and abilities, not the least of which included your new dinosaur pal Yoshi. Hard to imagine now that one of the system’s all-time classics wouldn't just be a launch game, but was also packed in with the console. Yup, that’s just how crazy the 16-bit era was.
5. Super Mario Galaxy 2
Platform(s): Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2 took everything that had been produced since Super Mario 64, boiled it down to its most fun expression, then added a mountain of new ideas to that - making it one of the very best Wii games to land on the console.
The diversity of Galaxy 2 is stunning, each star a fresh challenge. Sometimes you're hanging off a bird, others you're creating clouds in the sky, or you're exploring with your old friend Yoshi. Many times the game utilised the Wii Remote in ways that other companies would have built a whole game around, but Nintendo was happy to use it sparingly and move on to the next creative stage. Ignoring all the other great games on the system, Super Mario Galaxy 2 made the Wii a must-own console for all serious gamers, proving that a stunning amount of ingenuity can triumph over any technological shortcomings.
Check out our Super Mario Galaxy 2 review here
4. Super Mario Bros. 3
Platform(s): NES, GBA
After creating a too derivative sequel (Lost Levels) and a strange non-Mario that became a Mario (Super Mario Bros 2), the dev team returned to the core concepts of Mario to redefine the series like never before, including new wrinkles like a world map and mid-bosses. Mario's skills expanded considerably via Frog, Hammer and most importantly Raccoon power-ups. The distinct tail and ears gave the plumber the power to fly and that changed how the stages were designed from the ground up. It added a verticality to the ingenious levels that deepened the franchise in a profound way.
Leaving aside how Super Mario Bros. 3 was a pioneer for the medium, the reason it’s one of the top Mario games on this list is because it strikes the best balance between new ideas and the simple fun of being Mario. Every Mario game that followed it builds on its straightforward approach to fun, some in more meaningful ways than others, but none are as pure an expression of gameplay as SMB3. Super Mario Bros 3 is proud to let you control a little man on your TV and does it better than anyone else. Isn't that just super?
3. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Platform(s): GameCube
Following on from the original on the GameCube, The Thousand Year Door took Mario back to the charming world of 2D. With all of the characters brought to life as paper versions, Mario sets off on another adventure in what is easily one of the most memorable RPGs and one of the best GameCube games without question. With turn-based combat that sees you deliver a variety of attacks against foes with Mario and a paper pal who has their own unique skillset, every character feels useful in their own way. Taking place over a series of chapters with a host of differently themed locations, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door tells a fantastic story wrapped up in a delightful art style and plenty of humor. As one of the most beloved Paper Mario games, it's currently only available on the GameCube and physical copies still sell for a pretty penny.
2. Super Mario 64
Platform(s): N64, Wii U Virtual Console, Switch
Mario’s 3D debut isn’t just one of the best games ever made, it’s arguably the most influential title of all time. While it didn’t quite create the concept of 3D gameplay, Mario 64 nailed it with an outrageous swagger right out of the gate. The fact a platformer from 1996 still handles better than the majority of PS5 and Xbox Series X games is frankly absurd.
Is that camera a little janky? Sure. Yet such is the constant grace of Mario’s movement, his N64 bow has barely aged a day in terms of raw gameplay appeal - it's one of the best N64 games of all time, after all. Play Mario 64 on Switch courtesy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and you’ll be treated to the sort of rampant creativity that would go on to define Mario Odyssey 21 years after this classic’s initial release. Over the course of 120 exhilarating, Goomba-stomping, Bowser-swirling Power Star quests, the game barely once regurgitates an idea. Until the day video games somehow find a way to tap into the fourth dimension, Mario 64 will continue to go down as the most influential 3D video game there’s ever been.
1. Super Mario Odyssey
Platform(s): Switch
The best Switch game if you're looking for a Mario title, Odyssey is simply the best Super Mario game ever released. 30 years on from his first adventure, the plumber is still somehow capable of surprising gamers at every turn in Super Mario Odyssey. Whether possessing a T-Rex thanks to some magical headwear, or revisiting a certain iconic castle from Mario 64, this warmly nostalgic adventure proves to be thrillingly imaginative.
So much of the joy you can eke out of Odyssey comes from Cappy – a living, breathing hat who makes the plumber’s platforming tricks more madcap than ever. Who says you can't teach an old Nintendo mascot new tricks? Yes he can still ground-pound, stomp Goombas, and dodge Bullet Bills, but you can now also become Goombas, Bullet Bills, and a whole load of other critters.
Not only is this one of the most technically accomplished Mario games ever made, it’s also an adventure that conjures up more amazing ideas than a dozen lesser titles combined. It reinvents what you consider to be a Super Mario game, easing in new players to its colourful realms but also appeasing fans of old with a whole load of nostalgia too.
Check out our Super Mario Odyssey review here
Be sure to check out our guide to all exciting upcoming Switch games you can look forward to.
