Top 10 Mario Games

Let’s kick off this list by paying respect to the one of a kind arcade classic where Mario made his debut as a carpenter named Jump Man! The first ever platformer to feature the character, it also introduced the gaming world to jumping! Along with point collection, platform jumping became a Mario mainstay, while the construction site setting and focus on the big ape as the villain were one offs for the series.

While you may argue that the best title to change things up could go to Mario 2, we’ve instead opted to award that honor to this Gameboy classic. Taking place in Sarasaland, Mario combats a mysterious spaceman to rescue Daisy from a forced marriage. This means traversing four areas, including vehicle levels, allowing you to pilot a submarine and airplane! Sure, its monochrome, but with gameplay this fun, nobody cared.

Talk about a misleading title to a game that completely changed the formula! More of a stylized prequel than anything else, this hand drawn classic featured the Yoshi clan caring for Baby Mario after the stork and his brother were kidnapped by Baby Bowser. While Mario is still always around, he’s entirely helpless throughout and you control a variety of Yoshis on the ultimate babysitting quest.

While the first New Super Mario Bros games was 2006’s DS version, this entry took the retro platforming fun back to the home console and made it four players! Mixing and matching elements of the games leading up toMario World, it innovated with motion controls and it’s competitively cooperative experience oozing charm from every pixel.

You’ll notice that Mario Sunshine and Galaxy 1 are absent from this list. While both were good Mario installments, the best 3D Mario Game of the new millennium is definitely the second Galaxy adventure. Taking Mario into space, this game didn’t allow itself to be limited by terrain or gravity! To sweeten the deal even further also brought back beloved elements from earlier installments!

You may be more familiar with the later crop of RPG’s in the series, from the stylized “Paper Mario” outings to the “Mario and Luigi” series. However, none can compare to this installment developed by Square, the makers of Final Fantasy. An epic, heartfelt and spectacular outing, it blended traditional adventuring with turn-based RPG battles. Topping it all off, it expanded the series and cast of characters, even making Bowser an ally.

Here it is, the NES classic that jump started Mario-mania on the home consoles, and made the plumber the household name he is today! The setup was simple enough, a plumber travels across eight surreal worlds to rescue a princess from giant turtle that breaths fire. The gameplay simple and addictive, but perhaps most importantly, it provided players with never before seen levels of pitch perfect gameplay precision.

We’ll never forget the first time we played this game. From analog controls to the radically advanced leap in graphics over the SNES, Super Mario 64 blew our collective minds. Bringing about a true 3D revolution, demonstrating how the space can and should be manipulated. From its large open-ended areas to dynamic camera and emphasis on exploration, this Mario quest remains a top title in the series.

Here it is, the Mario game that introduced world maps, new power-ups, Bowser’s children, air ships and the ever popular flying Tanooki suit. A game so anticipated and publicized that it even made a movie appearance before it’s release, it thankfully lived up to the hype and it formed the DNA for the rest of the series.

Taking the top spot on our list is the Mario platformer that not only improved upon its incredible successor, but did so while taking a chance and moving the action to a completely new setting. Taking place in Dinosaur Land, this game followed the pattern of Mario 3, but added a heaping handful of new gameplay elements, enormous level variety and still glorious 16-bit graphics.

Agree with our list? Which Mario game challenges and amuses you the most? For more head stomping top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.