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Updated: 29 Sep 2020 2:51 pm
Over thirty years later, most Mario games are still kicking (turtles shells that is).
BY: Richard Roberts
The 10 Best Super Mario Games To Play in 2018-2019
Mario has been around for almost forty years now, and some may wonder which of his many adventures have stood the test of time. As someone who has completed all of the core Super Mario games, I can surely help you out. The ten games listed below, were methodically listed to present you with the best Mario platformers to pick up and play in today’s gaming world.
10. Super Mario Maker – Wii U
Year: 2015
Super Mario Maker Tutorial Video
Like making a pizza, Super Mario Maker presents endless possibilities to gamers by letting the player design their own levels, and thusly is a fantastic slice of the titular video game franchise. The player is given various styles of Mario games that change the aesthetics as well as some of Mario’s abilities. For example, the Super Mario Bros. mode gives Mario less powerups and an 8-bit ambiance, while the New Super Mario Bros. setting is in HD and Mario receives a triple jump. Super Mario Maker is a phenomenal experience for creative gamers who want to make their own fun!
9. Super Mario 3D World – Wii U
Year: 2013
Super Mario 3D World Let's Play Video
The sequel to Super Mario 3D Land, these hybrid games mix the gameplay of 2D and 3D Mario games to impress fans of both dimensions. The main difference between the two however, is that Super Mario 3D World is a console game that has an addictive and competitive multiplayer mode, where one can play as five unique Mario characters that all have different physics and abilities. Each character is balanced differently, so they all have their own benefits and drawbacks. Add an effective, albeit creepy, cat powerup and a toe-tapping jazz soundtrack, and you have an addictive Mario experience.
8. Super Mario Bros. – Nintendo Entertainment System
Year: 1985
Super Mario Bros Gameplay Video
A must play for any true gamer, Super Mario Bros. almost single handedly ended the video game crash of 1983. Although the controls have aged somewhat poorly compared to today’s standards, Super Mario Bros. is the game that not only established the most popular video game franchise in the world, but how all video games should be made. The game is still a blast to this day, and is guaranteed to bury the Super Mario Bros. theme song in your head while you ingest mushrooms and bludgeon turtles (no turtles were harmed during the making of this list).
7. Super Mario World – Super Nintendo
Year: 1990
Super Mario World Gameplay Video
By the time Super Mario World was released, Mario was already established as a video game titan. Instead of playing it safe, and releasing another Super Mario Bros. 3, Nintendo freshened the series up by changing the setting, enemies, powerups, and abilities of our favorite middle-aged traucer. Taking place on Dinosaur Land, Super Mario World introduced many mainstays in the series, in the form of enemies, a flying cape powerup, better graphics, and Yoshi!
6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Wii
Year: 2009
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Gameplay Video
Although not the first or last game in the New Super Mario Bros. series, New Super Mario Bros. Wii improved upon the first game in the series, while managing to be more inspired than its sequels. The game reintroduced Yoshi, introduced new powerups with an inventory system, and added simultaneous multiplayer. The multiplayer is always competitive and fun, but unlike Super Mario 3D World, this game works just as well in single-player. A perfect game for people who want to get into the 2D Mario games, and a blast for those who are already Mario veterans.
5. Super Mario 64 – Nintendo 64
Year: 1996
Super Mario 64 Gameplay Video
Just as Super Mario Bros. established how 2D games should be made, Super Mario 64 pioneered how the 3D video game should be made. Although the graphics aged worse than that of Super Mario Bros., and the controls may have aged some as well, making Mario fly through the air like a Paratroopa is still an intoxicating experience. Still a wholesome game, even though it was released in 1996, Super Mario 64 is still a must play for anyone who considers themselves a gamer in 2018.
4. Super Mario Sunshine – GameCube
Year: 2002
Super Mario Sunshine Gameplay Video
Super Mario Sunshine is a divisive game in the Super Mario community, but despite any flaws the game may have from its rushed development, it fleshed out what was established in Super Mario 64. With arguably better controls, better graphics, a water jetpack to fix any bad jumps, and a more realized, yet ironically hilarious, story, Super Mario Sunshine is a classic gem that must not be overlooked. You never know it may become your favorite game!
3. Super Mario Bros. 3 – Nintendo Entertainment System
Year 1988
Super Mario Bros. 3 Gameplay Video
Taking what was established in the original Super Mario Bros. and refining it to near perfection, Super Mario Bros. 3 is considered by many to be the greatest game of all time. It improved upon Super Mario Bros. in every aspect with the first instance of brand new powerups, iconic enemies, an overworld map, more variety in levels, the seven Koopalings, and colorful graphics and music that still wow gamers to this day.
2. Super Mario Galaxy – Wii
Year: 2007
Super Mario Galaxy Walkthrough Video
If Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, and Super Mario Sunshine didn’t prove that Nintendo is overflowing with innovation, Super Mario Galaxy does in spades. Space is such an obvious candidate for a 3D Mario setting, it is crazy that it took Nintendo so long to try it! The best way to describe this game is grand in scale. The levels, music, and even controls ooze that space odyssey vibe, and it sucks the player in like a black hole. With a grander story than Super Mario Sunshine (believe it or not) and stunning graphics, Super Mario games were never the same after 2007. A reinvention to the 3D platforming perspective, Super Mario Galaxy is a must-play, even in 2018.
1. Super Mario Odyssey – Switch
Year: 2017
Super Mario Odyssey Gameplay
The newest game on this list, Super Mario Odyssey is the only core Mario game released for the widely popular Nintendo Switch, and is a perfect excuse to buy the console alone. It rethought the formula of the previous 3D Mario games and upped the exploration dial to 11. Super Mario Odyssey makes the players feel like they are on a world-wide trek with a large variety of destinations, enemies, and inhabitants that all create a strong theme. The gameplay is refined so that newer gamers can have fun, as well as hard-core gamers can scour the maps with a vast move-set, and over 800 power moons to collect. Almost a year later, Super Mario Odyssey is the best selling Nintendo Switch game, and it shows that even after thirty years, Mario does not seem to be losing momentum!
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Sebreezus 3 years 6 months ago
Nice article! However, I believe Super Mario World is much better than Super Mario Bros. 3. The world building, secret exits, and Yoshi set it apart for me.
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