by SmashPad Staff
After celebrating 30 years of Pokémon and 30 years of Zelda, it’s only right that we give the plumber that started it all his due.
The Super Mario franchise is one that changed gaming forever. Whether it’s running from left to right, mounting dinosaurs, becoming a doctor, taking platforming to the third dimension, or even becoming a sports field in kart racing, golf, tennis, baseball, soccer, and basketball, Nintendo’s mascot will continue to have a big place in our hearts.
I asked the staff to give me their Top 10 Mario games of all-time. As for rules? There weren’t any. It can be a mainline platformer, a Mario Party game, a Mario Sports game — whatever. This led to results you may or may not find predictable.
That set, let’s move on with the list. Enjoy!
10. Super Mario Galaxy (2007, Wii)
“Sure, the physics weren’t always the most reliable at times, but Galaxy 1 is one of the most perfect games ever made. The soundtrack is grand, the many levels are very memorable, and it’s a game I can’t get tired of playing.” – Mike Fertitta
“Once again, another Mario game has amazing controls, gameplay, and level design. But with its spacefaring aesthetic and bombastic music, there’s nothing out there like Mario Galaxy. Save for Mario Galaxy 2 which is pretty much just as good as the first one, minus the fact that is has no hub.” – Andrew Farrell
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010, Wii)
“Mario Galaxy 2 was internally developed as Super Mario Galaxy More and it shows. More of an expansion than a true sequel, it’s so high quality that it’s hard to really care about this.” – Andrew Farrell
“It takes everything I like about Galaxy 1 and not only makes it better, but doubles the size of the entire game.” – Michael Fertitta
8. Super Mario RPG (1996, Super Nintendo)
“The first RPG I ever managed to finish from beginning to end. Makes the RPG genre easy to comprehend.” – Brandon Perkins
“I’m a little salty that Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga didn’t make the list, but at least we have Super Mario RPG here. This was a game that really proved a lot for the Mario franchise. It was yet another example of how much variety the series can muster. It proved that a developer other than Nintendo, seeing as how it was developed by Square, could handle the IP. All that goes well with the fact that it was just another great RPG on the best system ever for the genre. The remake that came out in 2023 was also awesome.” – Danreb Victorio
Editor’s Note: We decided to go ahead and combine the original and remade releases of Super Mario RPG.
T-7/6. Mario Kart 8 (2017, Switch)
“Great selection of tracks, racers, and the meta in this game was always exciting.” – Kayla Merritt
“You can’t talk about the history of Mario without mentioning Mario Kart. On nearly ever Nintendo platform, Mario Kart has the highest attach rate. Both its depth and simplicity make it a favorite of hardcore and casual gamers alike. There’s nothing I love more than seeing families enjoy Mario Kart. Sorry, Minecraft/Roblox.
Editor’s Note: We decided to combine the Wii U and Switch releases of Mario Kart 8.
T-7/6. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1995, Super Nintendo)
“In short, it’s the first video game I ever played and means the world to me, and is even now is a unique take on the 2D platforming formula.” – Myles Obenza
“An absolute tour de force when it comes to Nintendo whimsy. Complain about how Baby Mario cries all you want, the fact of the matter is Yoshi’s Island is magic incarnate with tons of a new ideas, a top notch soundtrack that really pushed the SNES (the final boss theme is ridiculous), adorable aesthetic, good challenge, completionist bait, a literal rainbow of Yoshis, and the establishing of many Mario/Yoshi character staples that endure to today.” – David Rodriguez
5. Super Mario World (1991, Super Nintendo)
“The very first game for my first Nintendo console. This is still my favorite side scrolling Mario game.” – Christian Paraguya
“Few games have pitch perfect controls and level design like Mario World does. It’s a nearly flawless game that was the apex of 2D platformers for years and years.” – Andrew Farrell
“If there’s any sort of objectivity to be had with this list, I’ll concede that World just edges out 3, and I get why. It expounded on the things 3 brought to the formula and made it, well, world-sized. It was like you were continent hopping through unique areas with new abilities like the cape that added some true verticality and unprecedented movement tech to Mario, and the Special levels are still some of the most fun (and toughest) official Mario levels you can play. Couple that with pretty graphics and evergreen music, you get why most would consider this peak Mario.” – David Rodriguez
4. Super Mario 64 (1996, Nintendo 64)
“My first whole playthrough experience on one of my favorite consoles. The debut of 3D Mario is also one that has withstood the test of time.” – Christian Paraguya
“So good that basically every other 3d platformer after it was copying it.” – Brandon Perkins
3. Super Mario Sunshine (2002, GameCube)
“It’s ain’t perfect by any means, but I LOVE the tropical beach setting and atmosphere.” – Brandon Perkins
“Sunshine definitely has its problems. Between its wonky camera, a lot of cheap sections, and an overreliance on blue coins for gameplay, it has PROBLEMS. But it has my favorite movement in any 3D platformer, plus an amazing tone and aesthetic that few games come close to.” – Andrew Farrell
2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990, NES)
“Everything about the original SMB, but with a bigger scale and a more to do.” – Brandon Perkins
“It’s the best 3D Mario game, and possibly the greatest 3D platformer of all time.” – Myles Obenza
“Still the pinnacle of classic 2D Mario platforming with all due respect to World. It being a sort of theatre stage play is cute, but the best parts are gameplay related with tight controls, fun powerups, an overworld map to choose paths, great secrets, fun asides like the mushroom houses and card game, and there’s even a remake of the original Mario Bros. game in here to ruin friendships with? I dare you to find a more complete Mario experience. Beat it in 20 minutes or spend hours in its world – either way, you win.” – David Rodriguez
“As far as I can remember, Super Mario Bros. 3 is the first video game I ever played. One of the ways I explain my passion and love for gaming is talking about how my mom would say that Nintendo and Mario helped raise me. Video games were here favorite babysitter. I was just so infatuated by the A button making Mario jump. Yes, all this can be said about every other Mario game, and this is my first game bias, but I also have seen the memes and videos of what this game set the precedent for. “The Wizard”, starring Fred Savage, is now looked as the original Nintendo Direct. There really aren’t enough awesome things to say about this game. Man, getting those two whistles in World 1 really made me feel like a badass.” – Danreb Victorio
1. Super Mario Odyssey (2017, Switch)
“What can I say that hasn’t been said before? It’s chock full of missions to do, it’s a vibrant and colorful journey through well-designed worlds, and it has so much replayability.” – Mike Fertitta
“It’s one of the ultimate 3D platformers. Amazing gameplay, phenomenal levels, tons and tons of stuff to collect, and a plethora of great costumes. It has it all. – Andrew Farrell
“You can call recency bias all you want, but Super Mario Odyssey was undeniably special. It was a celebration game in its own right. I talked about how Super Mario Bros. 3 was a pivotal title that raised me, but Super Mario Odyssey is living proof that I’ll never grow up, and don’t want to. It celebrates everything great about Mario, and it’s the only game in existence that made me shed a tear. Going through that New Donk City level in 8-Bit-style glory while hearing the game’s theme song will forever be an unforgettable feeling for me.” – Danreb Victorio
And there you have it. SmashPad’s Top 10 Mario Games. Thank you to all the members of the SmashPad Staff that took the time to vote and say their pieces on their favorite Mario games.
Did your favorite Mario game make the list? Whether or not you agree, we hope you have a happy MAR10 Day!