Thanks to the rise of emulation, you can now play a long list of Mario games on your PC. You are no longer bound by Nintendo’s seal of approval. Here is a list of the five best Mario games for PC emulators.
5. Super Mario Bros (1985)
Mario reaches the Flagpole. (Source: Moby Games)
This game was the major contributor to Mario’s rise to power in the mid-1980s. It’s a simple, 8-bit platformer where Mario must reach the flagpole in the farthest-right edge of the stage.
There are eight worlds with an average of four levels per world. The difficulty increases with each world. However, they are nowhere near the same difficulty as The Lost Levels.
Super Mario Bros introduced the basic power-ups: the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Star. The Mushroom gives you a height increase and a layer of durability. The Fire Flower allows you to shoot fireballs. The Star grants temporary invincibility. Unlike later games, one hit always takes you down the default size.
4. Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels
The Japanese box art. (Source: Mario Wiki)
To keep things brief, this is the Japanese sequel to the 1985 edition of Super Mario Bros. It takes the first game and raises the difficulty by 100%.
The developers added a new power-up to the list. The Poison Mushroom looks similar to a normal Mushroom. However, it damages Mario instead of boosting him.
Some scenarios require you to forego power-ups so that you can make it to the flagpole. Moreover, if you find the Warp Zone, it will send you backward instead of forward.
3. Super Mario World
The Dinosaur Island world map. (Source: Game Fabrique)
Super Mario World was one of the SNES’s launch titles. It has maintained its position as one of the most iconic Mario games ever since it was released.
Yoshi, the green dinosaur Mario rides, debuts in this game. When he eats Koopa shells, he can use them to fly or shoot fireballs.
When you think of an iconic movement found in Super Mario World, the spin jump will surely come to mind. Use can spin on normally fatal surfaces like a Thwomp or a Spiny’s shell.
The Cape Feather is fun to use when you understand how to use it. You can speed past stages like a certain blue hedgehog under the right conditions.
2. Super Mario Sunshine
Mario fights a piranha plant made of Shadow Mario's paint. (Source: Nintendo Life)
Super Mario Sunshine is among Gamecube’s flagship titles. It involves Mario as he cleans up ink produced by a shadowy figure assuming his identity.
Mario finds a yellow, hydraulic weapon known as F.L.U.D.D. It lies on the Delfino Airstrip at the beginning of the game. As you progress, you will find more nozzles that change their functions.
The level system draws inspiration from Super Mario 64. To progress through the game, you must access different worlds found in different corners of Delfino Plaza. Some rest behind magic paint. Others lie at the bottom of a pipe. Noki Bay requires you to face the sun in a specific position.
1. Super Mario Galaxy
Mario aboard the Comet Observatory. (Source: NeoGAF)
Super Mario Galaxy was the premiere 3D platformer of the mid-2000s. Released on the Wii, it uses motion controls for making Mario spin and collects star bits. The mouse serves this function on emulators.
The level progression is more linear than the previous 3D Mario game. The planets are collected into observatories. The more stars you unlock, the more levels you can explore. If you are a completionist, you will have more stars than the game requires.
Super Mario Galaxy’s soundtrack is among the best in the series. Most of the tracks were orchestrated by a band affiliated with Nintendo. The tracks make for good reading themes or for when you are relaxing in a secluded cabin.
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