The Top 5 Mario Games of All Time

An Italian plumber with a bushy moustache who jumps on the heads of his foes –strangely enough, that’s the description of one of the most beloved video game characters the world has ever seen! Over the years Mario has moved on and up, and his long history provides a heady number of games to compare. We’ve rounded up the best 5 Mario games ever, so take a look and see what titles are considered tops.

5. New Super Mario Bros.

What Nintendo’s Galaxy Super Mario series did for the world of 3D, the New Super Mario Bros series accomplished for 2D. When it debuted in 2006, this game was a breath of fresh air and its updated graphics, new mechanics, and very enjoyable multiplayer mode thrilled gamers everywhere.

In the same way that the core design theme of Super Mario did, the New series also steadily built up on itself as time has gone by. This game, for instance, adds the ability for Mario to jump walls, a talent that has since become standard for the hairy hero.

4. Super Mario 64

At this point in time it is difficult to speak about Super Mario 64 in the same way we do about other games. It has become a sacred cow of the Mario opus, and its status as such is entirely deserved. This game improved standards consistently in the middle 1990s, and a generation of gamers were raised on it.

Gamers who come back to enjoy this offering as adults will be delighted to find that it is as well-designed, enjoyable, and plain good fun as they remember it to be.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you need to take Super Mario Bros. 3 and yourself for a quick trip down memory lane.

When this game was unleashed in 1990, it managed to defy the almost universal expectations of what Nintendo was able to deliver. Its big, beautiful map remained in a constant state of motion and each level was filled with contrasting colours which seemed to pop right off the screen –in an era of arcade games which featured maybe three, at most four, colours in total! Although everything gaming wise has improved over the years, from online casino gambling to the speed at which we surf the web, this game is still one that delivers on every level, and was a break out title of its time.

2. Super Mario Bros.

Arguably the best game of all time, the Super Mario Bros. set the standard for what we have come to know and love about our hero. Shigeru Miyamoto, the genius creator behind it, explained the beautiful simplicity of his concept as being centred on teaching players base-level skill, and then building on these through the course of the game.

1. Super Mario World

Nearly everyone’s favourite, Super Mario World, even today, stands as the best Super Mario game ever. This is the series’ first open-world game, in a manner of speaking, and its impact was colossal.

Never before was this type of expansive scale seen, and the secrets packed in for players to seek out, the off-the-beaten path haunted houses, and clandestine levels full of beneficial bonuses ensured that gamers around the world sat down, took notice, and stayed to play.