10. New Super Mario Bros. U - 2012
When first introduced for the Nintendo DS in 2005, New Super Mario Bros. felt like a natural and fresh take on the Super Mario 2D platformers after we got these enormous 3D adventures in Super Mario 64 and Sunshine. When first released in 2006 the title was met with huge success, which led Nintendo to develop the same formula for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and WiiU; while New Super Mario Bros. U is a really fun game, at this point it felt like it was just a copy-paste over and over again from the DS original version. It’s 2022 and it has been a decade since the last New Super Mario Bros. was released (ignoring the fact that the U Deluxe one is just a Wii U port for the Switch) and we can only wonder what the future holds for this series.
9. Super Mario 3D Land - 2011
I’d be lying if I said that Super Mario 3D Land was the first-ever 3D Mario on a Nintendo handheld, but that title goes to the fairly superior to the original Super Mario 64 DS. The main difference between both of those aside from the graphics performance it’s the controllers; Super Mario 3D Land offers an incredibly fun experience making use of the Nintendo 3DS’ D-Pad along with the system’s 3D capabilities. 3D Land is not a bad Super Mario game at all, but it falls flat when compared to other entries in the franchise, especially on the level design.
8. Super Mario Bros. - 1985
We couldn’t let the one that started it all out of this ranking; one of the most iconic pieces of entertainment of all time. Glorious level design, amazing soundtrack, and one of the most efficient tutorials ever, Super Mario Bros. is an experience that every gamer, whether you’re into platformers or not, should go through. And although it doesn’t come close to what the series would go in the years and decades after, it still is a staple in video gaming.
7. Super Mario Sunshine - 2002
Hell. I can’t use another word to describe what it means to get 100% in this game.
Fun. We’re talking about Super Mario and Nintendo here, of course, this is a carefully crafted experience.
Chill. This is the mood you get into the first time you walk around Delfino Plaza trying to prove that Mario’s innocent in the crimes committed on the island.
Does it hold up to this day? Well, that’s on everyone’s point of view; Super Mario Sunshine is constantly brought up as one of the most difficult games on any Nintendo console, and while getting stars is not as frequent as in other Mario titles, it’s definitely satisfactory to get them as it frequently takes a lot of ability to reach the level’s goal.
6. Super Mario 64 - 1996
I dare to say that the level design in Super Mario 64 hasn’t been completely achieved by any other game ever since its 1996 release. Starting with the Mushroom Kingdom’s castle garden to Bob-Omb Battlefield, Jolly Roger Bay, and Dire, Dire Docks; all of these moments have forever been saved in the mind of anyone who played the first-ever 3D Mario platformer
5. Super Mario 3D World - 2013
It would be enough to say that the WiiU years were rough. Not only for Nintendo as a company but for the fans as well to see the company they love struggle to break even. And although WiiU users didn’t have as many games either developed or released for the console and that as well might have driven mad to thousands of people, nobody can deny the enormous quality of games like Super Mario 3D World. Following a more streamlined style a la Super Mario 3D Land and getting even further away from concepts introduced in previous 3D Mario titles, S3DW came up with some of the biggest creativity the series had seen in a while; not necessarily gameplay-wise, but on level design and the super iconic music composition. Luckily those who didn’t make themselves with a WiiU back in the day (myself included) got the opportunity to give the game a chance in the 2021 sort of remaster/remake for the Nintendo Switch.
4. Super Mario Bros. 3 - 1988
The overworld theme from Super Mario Bros. 3 is easily one of the most memorable songs in the gaming industry and so is the impact this Mario entry had in the 80s as well. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the tanooki suit which gave Mario the ability to jump for a longer period as in flying we were talking about. We are very fortunate that ever since its release this game has been very easy to get access to whether by the 1993 SNES compilation or by just adding the Nintendo Switch Online to our monthly subscription payings.
3. Super Mario Galaxy - 2007
Super Mario is an IP very well-known for having an iconic soundtrack, but it wasn’t up until this point in history that live music was used to officially score a whole game. It was both Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo the people in charge of composing the music for this epic adventure, and I must say this was also the most different one ever since the first Mario was released in the 80s. Super Mario Galaxy’s main gameplay system took the 2000 Nintendo Space World’s “Super Mario 128” tech demo as its primary reference. I don’t think a paragraph or two will make enough justice to fully explain what a wonderful experience this game is; from its gravity system to the level design. While it certainly isn’t as big as some other titles, that doesn’t make it less creative or exciting nevertheless, and I’m just hoping for Nintendo to re-release it at some point in the future; although not in the way they did in 2020 with the unfamous 3D All-Star collection.
2. Super Mario World - 1990
Super Mario is a very well-known character around the globe concerning entertainment media; going from his image to movements and voice acting, you know something is a cultural phenomenon when you see the piracy industry overusing something you did. This was the case with Super Mario World’s original artbox with Mario riding a Yoshi; even nowadays you can see it being constantly referenced as an important part of 90’s pop culture, not only because of its status as an icon but thanks to the geniuses behind the game’s gameplay and soundtrack. We are fortunate that we don’t have to keep buying the game on any Nintendo’s Virtual Console as it is nowadays part of the Nintendo Switch Online SNES catalog.
1. Super Mario Odyssey - 2017
If it wasn’t for Nintendo’s “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”, I’m pretty sure Super Mario Odyssey would have won Game of the Year at the Game Awards back in 2017, but yeah, it was an extremely difficult competition. Super Mario Odyssey brought to casual and hardcore gamers the experience they had been looking for ever since the Nintendo 64’s “Super Mario 64” entry along with some awesome new features like Cappy, top tier graphics, and performance (considering the Nintendo Switch’s hardware capabilities for being a hybrid system). Insanely creative levels, awesome soundtrack, beautiful control over Mario’s movements, and a huge replay value; Super Mario Odyssey is a no-brainer for anyone into video games.
