Super Mario Games: Ranking Worst To Best

 

Super Mario: a true working man’s hero. A humble plumber who went on to find his fortune one coin at a time, but despite his fame and royal connections, he has never lost sight of his roots. He is still wearing the same dungarees he did in his debut in Donkey Kong in 1981. Now 32 years on and he is without doubt the most famous and successful video game character of all time.
Having appeared in so many adventures over the years, it is no easy task to rank his games in some kind of ‘worst to best’ order, mainly for the reason that almost all of them are so darn good. To make the task a little easier we’ll just focus on the platforming games in the Mario series, as it hardly seems fair to stack the vastly different genres like Kart Racing to his sports titles such as Basketball or Football. Without further ado, let’s start at the bottom and work our way to the top.

20. Wrecking Crew (NES)

It feels a little unfair, especially since Mario’s name isn’t even in the title, but Wrecking Crew on the NES gets the honour of being bottom. A platform puzzler where you use Mario’s hammer Donkey Kong style to destroy things, but can’t jump… at all. It’s not bad, and is a fun distraction for a time, but that’s about all. It’s never fun enough. It’s little surprise that Mario has never really picked a hammer up as his weapon of choice since!

19. Mario Bros. (Arcade)

An unfortunately low rank for the game that named him, but the fact is this game, though fun isn’t in the same league as the other games on this list. Like Donkey Kong, this game is set on static screens (rather than scrolling) and the aim is to wipe out baddies that will attack from drain pipes around the screen. It’s fun, and was included in most Game Boy Advance Mario games mainly as a multi player extra, but that really sums up its value as an extra rather than as a standalone release.

18. Super Mario Land (Game Boy)

Mario’s handheld console debut proved that you could have a home console quality experience in the palm of your hand. Sticking closely to the play style of the original super Mario Bros, scrolling happens going right not left, and Mario can still pick up a fire flower as his power up. The low rank feels wrong for such a good game, but it’s just a sign of the tough competition.

17. Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels (NES)

Known in Japan as Super Mario Bros 2, it wasn’t released in the west as it was deemed too hard and too similar to the first game. If you loved the original Super Mario Bros then this was the game for you. If you weren’t a mega fan of the original then maybe this wasn’t the game for you, as this game basically started off where the first game ended in terms of difficulty. It also was where Mario and Luigi became more than just palette swaps with slightly different abilities.

16. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Game Boy)

A massive step up from the first Game Boy Mario adventure, this game played a lot more like SMB3 and Mario World and was much more action oriented. For the most part this game is a lot easier than other titles, but has a tough finale to ensure its no cakewalk. It was also the game that gave the world Wario, Mario’s evil doppelganger.

15. Donkey Kong (Arcade)

The game that started it all. Mario first came to us in this platformer without his Italian moniker, his usual girlfriend, or his mushroom kingdom pals. It’s incredible how well this game has held after all these years and is still just as playable and addictive as it ever was. This is exactly the type of game which would be a mainstay in the download charts if it were released on mobiles these days. A short game by modern standards, the real challenge came is playing the game on loop to get higher and higher scores. A challenge which was even the focus of a film released a few years back.

14. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo 3DS)

One of two new platformers for Mario in 2012, this brought improved visuals and new challenges to Mario. The theme of more coins then ever before certainly made for a new play experience, but it arguably wasn’t the step up for the series some expected. This title also brought about the dawn of download content for Mario, which displeased some as the stand alone adventure isn’t Mario’s longest, especially when compared to the lengthy classics like Mario World or Galaxy 2.

13. Super Mario Bros. 2 (SNES)

It’s the game that didn’t start life as a Mario title (In Japan it was released minus Mario as Doki Doki Panic before later being re-released as Super Mario USA) and is sometimes not viewed with the same regard as its 2D brothers. That doesn’t take away from the fact it’s still an immensely enjoyable experience. The game was later seen as strong enough to be Mario’s Game Boy Advance debut. That version was based on the SNES Mario All-stars version, with a few additional improvements to make for its best version to date.

12. New Super Mario Bros. U (Nintendo Wii U)

Mario’s latest is unfortunately not his greatest. It’s very very good make no mistake, but after thirty years of platforming, this is perhaps the least innovative platform game the Italian plumber has starred in. The shtick of the ‘New’ Super Mario Bros. games is ironically a healthy dose of nostalgia, but it’s frankly worn a bit thin by this forth outing. Everything about this game is right gameplay wise and the HD visuals do impress, but it in terms of actually playing the game it could just be a download add on the previous New Super Mario Bros. games.

11. Super Mario Sunshine (Game Cube)

The black sheep of the 3D Mario family, like so many games on the Gamecube – it was great, but not quite what people wanted. Very much like Mario 64, Sunshine’s main innovation was Mario’s water jetpack which he had to use to wash away graffiti and fly through levels. The story was based around Mario going on holiday, and the game felt just like that; a trip away before his next epic adventure. Yoshi was playable, but collecting fruit to play as him was at times an annoyance.

10. Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo 3DS)

When Mario made his 3D debut he had sixteen gigantic worlds to explore, but through the Galaxy games Nintendo moved the series back towards the more linear path of his 2D games. 3D Land more then any that came before it, managed to fuse the 3D gameplay with the style of the 2D games, and it works beautifully. Whilst not the most challenging game in Mario’s history, its quick gameplay and shorter levels make it the perfect 3D Mario handheld experience.

9. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES)

This game is always highly regarded, but it didn’t quite make the impact it deserved upon its release. Coming out at a time when Saturn and Playstation were wowing the world with polygons, and Donkey Kong Country was strutting some silicon graphics, Mario’s stylised pastel colours didn’t get as much fanfare as Mario games that came before it. This may not have been helped by the fact that Mario himself was only appearing in baby form, and left all the true platforming to Yoshi. Still this was an instant classic and introduced various colour Yoshis, and gigantic foes thanks to the Super FX2 chip.

8. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo Wii)

Again proving that Mario in 2D is where he sells the most units, Mario Bros Wii took the nostalgia factor and hit it to ten. Still, Nintendo didn’t rely entirely on fond memories and loaded the game with new ideas including 4 player co-op play and clever use of tilt and motion controls. This game also brought back a resurgence in 2D platformers on home consoles, and led the way for Donkey Kong Country Returns, Sonic 4 and Rayman Origins.

7. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS)

Just beating it’s direct follow up is the game that put Mario back in two dimensions. After his DS launch remake of Mario 64, the man with a moustache surprised everyone by bringing his first new 2D adventure since the days of the SNES, and boy did he prove he was still king of the 2D platformer. This game went on to sell insane amounts of copies due to its simple pick up and play fun factor. The game also served as a massive nostalgia trip for gamers from yester year with all of the elements that made Super Mario Bros 1 and 3 so addictive back in their day.

6. Super Mario Bros. (NES)

It can be argued that some of the more recent games have eclipsed this game, but it ranks so high for its innovation and the fact that it is still just as playable as it ever was. You have to give the guys at Nintendo credit. With many other genres and game franchises you’ll go back and revisit their early entries to find that they are mere shadows of what they would eventually become.
Some games don’t age as well as others. Super Mario Bros has always managed to remain relevant. Just as they later would with his 3D debut, Nintendo made Mario’s first 2D adventure the standard that all contemporary rival platformers would have to beat.

5. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

A huge step up in innovation after the original SMB, Mario Bros 3 is perhaps the most fondly remembered of the original NES trilogy. The game introduced items and suits so Mario could fly with the Tanooki suit and swim better than ever before with the frog suit. Mario’s new ability to fly and glide is still a pure joy when you have spent hours mastering the exact timing to blast through levels at breakneck speeds. The variety of levels and ideas and the tough boss stages ensure this game a place in the top five.

4. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)

As much praise as Sunshine had received upon its release it couldn’t escape the comment of ‘It’s not quite Mario 64’. So it’s fitting that after Land, World, and the Sun Mario’s next adventure would be so ambitious he would be covering a whole galaxy. Definitely a step up from his Game Cube adventure, Mario featured in his most story driven platformer yet. People were expecting a lot from Mario’s Wii debut, and fortunately he didn’t disappoint.
One thing that may have been a blessing in disguise is how little the game relied on the Wii’s motion controls. Mario 64 hadn’t used them, and this was nearly perfecting the formula created by his 3D debut. That’s not to say it wasn’t without a few flaws. The game had Mario running around spheres, and this at times could be awkward to get used to as the controls would reverse whilst running in a straight line around the planets.

3. Super Mario World (Super NES)

Mario’s SNES debut was the ultimate refinement of the formula created on his NES games. The designs of the characters were launched into the 16 bit era, and whilst some elements have seen updates since (Yoshi was more bulky in his introduction) they have pretty much remained the same ever since. An enormous amount of levels, this game really took the fight back to Sega’s new kid on the block Sonic and showed the world why platforming was the house that Mario built. This was also the game where ‘Super’ Mario finally got a cape.

2. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Wii)

Mario’s 3D adventures have always come top of their class in their respective generation, so it seems only fitting that the only game that could top a 3D Mario would be another 3D Mario. For a game that originally started life as a would be director’s cut of the original, Super Mario Galaxy 2 proved only to perfect what came before it. The levels were arguably more creative and imaginative and they also took on board all the possible feedback to improve what Galaxy had established.
As much fun as it was to explore Peach’s castle in SM64, the hub levels became more of a chore then a joy, so they were removed and replaced with a map selection screen like Mario games of old, allowing you to jump straight into the action. Yoshi also joined the fun in a more fun and meaningful way then he had in Sunshine in more evidence that the development team had learned to refine and improve past experiences. If there was one gripe it is that the 120 green stars were perhaps a little too repetitive in nature. Still it gives great hope for what they will achieve with Mario’s 3D Wii U debut.

1. Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)

And so here we are. As has been listed atop hundreds of best video game lists before this is the obvious choice. Yawn…No! It’s the obvious choice for a reason. There’s a whole generation of gamers who remember the first time they tossed Bower into a bomb or ran from a haunted piano, and it gives a warm feeling inside. Super Mario 64 not only set the rules for a 3D platforming game, but also pretty much nailed them first go. Graphics are better now, but the cartoon visuals still hold up fine. In game cameras have improved, but it was only ever a minor gripe in this game.
For any minor flaws that can be pointed at SM64, it has a million redeeming qualities. If only Nintendo would recreate the game in HD and an orchestral soundtrack the game would be perfection. This game ranks number one not only because of its innovation, and impact on video games, but because when stacked up against the others it still has the best level design, gameplay and imagination. It’s the game every gamer should have played, and if you only ever play one Mario title, this should be it.

E3 2013 | What To Expect From Microsoft, Sony & Nintendo

E3 2013 is going to be utterly insane. With the next console generation breathing down our necks, the 'Big Three' of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are going head to head in a battle for hearts, minds and pre-orders. Coy digs will be taken. Terrible teleprompted jokes will be cracked. Dubstep will reign supreme.
Sadly, I won't be attending personally this year (of all years, argh!), but I've danced this dance enough times to know broadly what to expect from the all-important press conferences scheduled for June 10th. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will use this platform to address us directly; showing us exclusives, revealing entirely new franchises and confirming third-party support. We've pieced together everything we know so far, as well as our own experiences at E3 from previous years, to present you with a comprehensive breakdown of what the three console manufacturers will bring to the table.
Note that the following article is one part confirmed fact, two parts informed guesswork and a soupçon of rampant drooling speculation. I've endeavoured to make it clear which is which - and of course, there'll still be plenty of surprises along the way!

Microsoft (June 10th, 17:30 GMT)

Let's start with the Redmond heavyweight, since they'll be holding their press conference first and have been making headlines aplenty over the last fortnight. Microsoft will look to supplement (and in many ways, make up for) the Xbox One's entertainment-loaded reveal event with a presentation concentrating on games, exclusives, DLC announcements and features.

After a brief hardware recap about Kinect and the new controller, accompanied by a montage of developer interviews, we can expect Microsoft to get down to business. We'll see more of the previously-announced Forza 5 and Quantum Break, alongside perhaps another small showing from EA Sports - who will naturally save much of the detail for their own E3 briefing. We'll undoubtedly get a look at Ryse, Crytek's Kinect hack & slasher, and another SmartGlass demonstration. I'd be surprised if Activision didn't turn up to show some live Call Of Duty: Ghosts code, too, which was noticeably absent from their schizophrenic developer diary that mainly focused on cute dogs and clever fish.
Then we come to the new stuff, at which point, I need to segue from dead certs to a bit of jigsaw-esque guesswork.

Rare are supposedly bringing a "historic IP" along to E3. Killer Instinct rumours have been doing the rounds for months, but a recent titillating report suggests that another Banjo & Kazooie title might make an appearance. Maybe both. Rare may be a shadow of their former selves, but have the manpower to develop multiple games in tandem. Another sports game would probably be a good fit as a Kinect 2.0 tech demo too.
Black Tusk, one of Microsoft's first-party studios, will likely reveal their debut franchise (rumoured to be a Sci-Fi shooter), while another Crackdown title from Ruffian would be an absolute blinder and a breath of fresh air. Fable 4 is looking increasingly likely, not least because new forums have opened and an HD remake of the original Fable has been confirmed for Christmas. Coincidence? Not likely.

More outlandish reports suggest that Dead Rising 3 could well make an appearance as a timed exclusive, alongside sequel showings from Mirror's Edge 2, Prey 2, Homefront 2, Dark Souls 2 and even Beyond Good & Evil 2 of all things. Grab a pinch of salt, but I'd love to see that happen. Respawn Studios are rumoured to be working on an Xbox-exclusive shooter, which might make its debut, along with some Kinect-enabled family games from first and third parties.
Oh, and a Halo 5 tease probably wouldn't go amiss either.

The Xbox 360 will also get a little loving. We've been promised a "huge" announcement, which one of our readers (stevenjameshyde) suggested could well be some timed exclusive DLC for GTA V, in keeping with the precedent set by GTA IV.
Many questions will go unanswered, mind. The glitzy bombastic E3 presentation probably isn't the right platform for discussing the Used Game debacle, which will likely be cleared up by subsequent press releases and interviews. There's also a 50/50 chance of getting a firm RRP - though it would be great to receive solid pricing details, this could overplay their hand if Sony doesn't follow suit later that day.
Speaking of Sony...

Sony (June 11th, 02:00 GMT)

Sony are currently enjoying a strong position, having secured the PlayStation 4's role as a dedicated games machine directed squarely at a savvy gaming audience. Following a great big dubstep montage (there's always a great big dubstep montage) of current-gen and next-gen footage, Sony will probably start by showing us what the PS4 actually looks like.
As always, the crowd will cheer uproariously.

Once the applause dies down and we get a little hardware recap, Sony's conference will be more about consolidation than megaton reveals. Killzone: Shadow Fall will almost certainly get another live demo, while gameplay footage - if not live code - will break cover for DriveClub and InFamous: Second Son. We'll get another look at Knack, perhaps, alongside a couple of surprises from Sony's first-party studios. Personally, I'd love Naughty Dog to reveal something (possibly Uncharted 4), and Sony Santa Monica to at least tease a new direction for God Of War (Egyptian Gods please!) if not an entirely new franchise.

Sony's massive support for indie studios will likely lead to a bit of a PSN showcase, both for next and current-gen. Some enthusiastic auteurs will probably bound onto the stage or screen, keen to discuss their wares and stress how supportive Sony have been in terms of securing funding and an open platform to develop on.
In terms of Third Party participants, Bungie have RSVP'd to deliver the true Destiny reveal we've all been waiting for. Activision could well let us scope out Diablo III, while some other major titles will likely use the event as a springboard. Square Enix have promised a major reveal, which could well be Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and we can expect some other surprises from left-field. Ubisoft might also turn up for a bit to stress their support, as they've frequently done in years past, and talk about some exclusive content.

The PS3 will get some serious attention. With titles like Gran Turismo VI, Beyond: Two Souls and Rain in the pipeline, it's clear that there's still much to discuss on the current-gen front. PlayStation Vita will probably play a minor role, perhaps with confirmation that all PS4 titles will support Remote Play functionality. This could well be the opening salvo, though we'll have to wait and see.

Sony will probably be keen to demonstrate that the PS4 is also capable of being an entertainment device by confirming some participating TV/streaming providers (likely a slide full of logos) and a deeper look at the social media Share button in action. We may also get some details about how PlayStation Plus will work going into the next-generation, though this could be saved for GamesCom and a more region-specific show.
The Last Guardian also reared its perpetually-delayed head recently, but you absolutely shouldn't get your hopes up. It will be interesting to see whether Team ICO's long-awaited title will move to the PS4, however. Whenever that happens.

Again, beyond the odd coy comment, we probably won't get a firm 'yay or nay' about used games regulation, but we'd love to be proven wrong. If Sony actually plans to foster an open ecosystem, an explicit confirmation would deal their rival a killer blow (that said, they'd probably have already confirmed it by now if they had nothing to hide). Pricing - especially European RRP - may also be withheld until GamesCom.

Nintendo (June 11th, 15:00 GMT)

Rather than being stuck between a next-gen rock and a hard place, Nintendo's decision to hold a global Nintendo direct livestream on June 11th instead of a full-on presentation seems inspired if a little risky (being that their major challenge is still reaching the mainstream audience who don't follow gaming news).
Put simply: we expect Mario.

Three Mario games in fact. Judging by a recent tweet, we'll receive firm details (and hopefully footage) of a Wii U Mario Kart, the next Super Smash Bros. and a brand new 3D Mario game designed exclusively for the system. A new Zelda title has been heavily tipped - reported to be one of the biggest and most labour-intensive games Nintendo has ever produced - and chances are Yoshi will take us on a tour of his upcoming island. Without wanting to sound too impatient, Retro Studios are also long overdue to reveal what the heck they've been working on these past few years.
On the second and third party fronts, we can expect to see much more of Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101, and potentially a full reveal of Monolith Soft's mysterious "X." Since it's either a prequel or sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles, one of the best JRPGs ever made, we can't help but hope for a drool-inducing gawk at the first properly next-gen roleplaying game. With luck, the Fire Emblem x Shin Megami Tensei crossover will also break cover.
We suspect that Nintendo will try to keep the focus on the Wii U as much as possible, with the 3DS only getting a brief mention. Since their handheld has been dominating Nintendo Direct broadcasts of late, it's probably time that the home console got a stint in the spotlight - perhaps even a new hardware line and the phasing out of the lacklustre 8GB Basic edition?
Some pleasant surprises would be nice. As a Starwing (sorry American readers, but I'll always call it that) fan, it'd be great to see a brand new take on the franchise, while Samus needs to strut her bounty hunting stuff. However, more surprises would be very welcome indeed - new IPs, new mascots and an attempt to breathe life into the slightly stuffy Nintendo roster. Preferably from smaller studios and even plenty of indies thanks to their arrangement with Unity. Don't, erm, bet on it though.
It's easy to doomsling, but since Microsoft mishandled their reveal event in terms of core audience appeal, Nintendo's box that plays good games could well position itself cleverly as a cut-price alternative.  There's an opportunity here, but Nintendo needs to seize it with both hands to avoid a bit of a sales rout this Christmas, and third party developers ignoring the platform out of hand. No pressure, then.