For those with awesome memory, I have already done a list like this a year ago, but I think with the 25th anniversary, its time we update the list as there are some newcomers that want to join in the mix. It has been 25 years since the release of the game that changed the face of video games for all eternity, and 200 video games and 200+ million copies sold later, Super Mario is a stronger name than ever before, especially thanks to the rocket success of the Nintendo Wii. The latest Mario game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is arguably amongst the best video games ever, furthur adding to the nice resume of our famous plumber. Now, without anymore interruption, its time to move on to my updated list of the 25 greatest Mario games of all-time:
But before we do this, with the thanks of this website, here are some Super Mario facts:
1. Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and appeared in the game designer's first ever title, the 1981 arcade platformer, Donkey Kong. Miyamoto was hired as a graphic artist by Nintendo in 1977, and was given the task of designing a game after several of the company's early coin-ops had failed to make an impression on the lucrative arcade market. Donkey Kong was created using the hardware behind an older arcade title named Radar Scope, which sunk without a trace in the US. Miyamoto ditched the shooting theme and added an ape and rolling barrels. Success naturally followed.
2. Mario was originally known as Jumpman. However, when Nintendo's US office were trying to think of a better name in time for the American release of the game, they were interrupted by their landlord Mario Segale, after whom they christened the character.
3. Mario was originally a carpenter, not a plumber. He's also appeared as a doctor in the 1990 puzzle title Dr Mario and its sequels.
4. The look of Mario is all about the graphical limitations of the hardware at the time. He has a hat, because realistic hair was difficult to portray, a moustache to accentuate his nose, and dungarees to make his arm movements more noticeable. In Super Mario Bros, he wears a brown shirt below his overalls – a look that was swiftly abandoned.
5. Donkey Kong Jr, the 1982 sequel to Donkey Kong, is the only game in which Mario officially stars as the antagonist. He has trapped poor Donkey Kong in a cage and the ape's son must rescue him. In the game's promotional material, Mario even gets a specially twirled moustache, highlighting his evil nature.
6. In contrast, Bowser, the key antagonist of the Super Mario Bros series, has also appeared as a good guy. He helps Mario in the 1996 title Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
7. Super Mario Bros was preceded by the 1983 arcade platformer, Mario Bros. Designed by Miyamoto and Game Boy-creator Gunpei Yokoi, it's set in the New York sewer system and introduces Mario's brother Luigi.
8. Bowser was originally sketched as an ox by Miyamoto, but his drawings were misinterpreted by animator Yoichi Kotabe as a turtle. The duo worked together on the latter idea and the Bowser we know today was born. He's definitely a turtle, though, and not a dragon as some assume. (More here.)
9. The naughty version of Mario – Wario – first appeared as a nemesis in the Game Boy title, Super Mario Land 2. He was designed by Hiroji Kiyotake, who also created Samus Aran, the heroine of the Metroid series. Wario's name blends Mario with the Japanese adjective 'warui' meaning evil.
10. The first Super Mario Bros game has sold 40.24 million copies, although that figure is skewed by the fact that it was bundled with the Nintendo Entertainment System console. It was until recently, however, considered the best-selling game of all time. It has been pushed into second place by Wii Sports on 41.65 million units.
11. Super Mario Bros was the first game to be set in Mushroom World, Miyamoto's long-running and ever-evolving fantasy kingdom. When Mario 'eats' a super mushroom he grows in size and ability. Miyamoto denies that he was influenced by Alice in Wonderland, and instead claims the idea came from enchanted foodstuffs in myths and folklore.
12. In the 1984 Nintendo Entertainment System game Golf, Mario made his first appearance in a sports sim. Kind of. The original character merely resembled Mario, while the later NES Open Tournament Golf specifically featured Mario as a golfer. He appears on the cover in red and white striped overalls, with a blue starry shirt. An awesome outfit.
13. Nintendo composer Koji Kondo provided the iconic soundtrack to Super Mario Bros. The main theme, known as 'Ground Theme', is one of the most recognisable pieces of game music ever recorded. The tune remained in the Billboard ringtone charts for 125 weeks and has been performed in concert by live orchestras. (More here.)
14. The original Super Mario Bros 2 was designed as a tougher version of the first game and released to support the Famicom Disk System, a new add-on for the Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was considered too difficult for Western release, though, so the US and Europe got a tweaked version of the 1987 title Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic instead. The game was hastily refitted with Mario characters in a sort of digital cut-and-shut job. In 1993, the genuine SMB2 was finally released in the West as Super Mario Bros: the Lost Levels, part of the Super Mario All-Stars collection.
15. A Q Score survey in the early nineties revealed that Mario was more recognisable to American children than Mickey Mouse.
16. Footage from Super Mario Bros 3 appears in the climatic scene of appalling 1989 movie, The Wizard, about an emotionally withdrawn gaming champion. As this was the first chance that US Nintendo fanatics would get to see the game, the movie effectively acted as an advert for the release.
17. The new Chain Chomp enemies in Super Mario Bros 3 look like steel black balls with razor sharp teeth. They were inspired by an incident in Miyamoto's childhood when a neighbour's dog chased the terrified genius, before it was yanked back by its chain.
18. Elsewhere, the Whomp characters from Super Mario 64 were inspired by a mythological being known as the nurikabe, a 'wall ghost' that misdirects or impedes travellers at night.
19. ...and the versions of the ghostly Boo enemies found in Super Mario 64, are based on the wife of the game's co-designer Takashi Tezuka. As Miyamoto explained in an interview with Nintendo Power magazine: "Mr. Tezuka got an idea about putting his wife in the game. His wife is very quiet normally, but one day she exploded, maddened by all the time he spent at work. In the game, there is now a character who shrinks when Mario looks at it, but when Mario turns away, it will grow large and menacing."
20. Released in 1989, the Game Boy title Super Mario Land was the first major Mario game to be developed without Miyamoto. Producer Gunpei Yokoi didn't do too badly however: the game shifted over 18 million copies. The game also introduces a new female character, Princess Daisy, replacing Mario's usual love interest, Princess Peach.
21. The 1993 movie, Super Mario Bros, was Hollywood's first attempt to create a video game tie-in. Starring Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper it was a critical and commercial failure, which conspired to give the game a darker, more adult veneer. Apparently, Dustin Hoffman was interested in the role of Mario as his children were fans of the game.
22. Since 1995, the voice of Mario has been provided by American voice actor Charles Martinet. He also voices Wario and Luigi.
23. The Wii hit Super Mario Galaxy was inspired by a tech demo known as Super Mario 128 shown at the Nintendo Space World event in 2000. The demo showed dozens of teeny Marios walking around on a slightly curved surface. During the Gamecube era Galaxy designer Yoshiaki Koizumi thought that entirely spherical levels would make an interesting environment for Mario, but Miyamoto was apparently unconvinced at first. Finally, Koizumi showed off several test levels and the project was greenlit for Wii.
24. The Super Mario bros series is in the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful gaming franchise of all time. It now boasts global sales of over 240 million units.
25. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games.
Alright, no more interrupting, let's go to the list!!
Wait..one last thing...
Alright, no mas, no mas!
#25: Dr. Mario
This underrated puzzler was Super Mario’s response to Tetris. While the game doesn’t have the addiction and depth of Tetris, it still boasts a tougher challenge and also a much groovier soundtrack. There has been a version of Dr. Mario in every single system and is becoming more a staple to Nintendo gaming then Tetris is.
R.I.P. Dr. Mario in Smash Bros. games.....
#24: Mario Party
This game was the surprise hit that absolutely nobody saw coming. Adding to the obvious premise that the Nintendo 64 was the ultimate multiplayer experience for the last part of the 90s, Mario Party combined multi-player thrills with baseball-its-ain’t-over-until-its-over gameplay. The game is mapped out like an interactive board game, and long after you’ve found every single game board you still have a high replay value with the extensive amount of mini-games you can collect and other small goodies. This was the perfect game for anyone with plenty of siblings and friends. I'm surprised this formula for party gaming has not been copied more often---not even by Nintendo themselves.#23: Super Mario Land
The very first Mario game on a handheld system was by far the most unique. Without the touch of Miyamoto, Nintendo RD&1 provided 12 levels of bizarre gameplay as Mario is thrown into a brand new universe that gamers had never seen before. None of your typical enemies are present, and Mario can be seen flying a plane and navigating a submarine! Like I said, it was different, but was still a nice bit of fun and a grand way to start Nintendo Game Boy’s historic run towards total handheld dominance.#22: Donkey Kong (1994 version)
Nintendo Game Boy is full of forgotten gems (as I had described in a previous article nobody read) and this one by far is one of the best forgotten gems out there. While the game starts out in a similar Donkey Kong manner, after the fourth level you are thrown into a massive world with over 90 levels to fight through, encounters with Donkey Kong, and even some mayhem with Donkey Kong Jr. It was long, difficult, and plenty of fun.
That’s what she said.
#21: Super Mario Kart
The original that started it all. This game revolutionized gaming with its stellar gameplay and background work, which used Mode 7 technology. There has been dozens of imitators, and none of them can top even the original, which is over 17 years old. Selling 8 million copies on the Super Nintendo, this is one of the best-selling video games in the early years of Nintendo, and remains one of the favorites of the old-school gamers. There is a massive franchise that started because of this polished gem.#20: Super Mario Bros. 2
So this isn’t the ACTUAL Super Mario Bros. 2 (the real one is excruciatingly evil and difficult) but it’s still an incredibly fun game to play, and would be the first to give Luigi his modern-day appearance and abilities.You can also play as Peach and Toad for more fun.
P.S. This is the first Mario game with the classic baddies known as the Shy-Guys
#19: Mario Golf: Advanced Tour
Mario Golf’s sequel was a small hit in the Gamecube, but the Game Boy Advance version was far superior for multiple reasons. First off, the game was deeper with its gameplay. Second off, the game carries an RPG-like quest that allows for improvement on your game. Third off, it just has much more replay value than the Gamecube counterpart. Developed by the underrated madmen company Camelot, Mario Golf: Advanced Tour is a game that should be imitated much more often.Where is the sequel!?!?#18: Mario Strikers Charged
Remove those annoying (Yet...satisfying) cheap shots, and this could have been the best Mario sports game of all-time and one of the better sports games you’ll ever play. Nonetheless, the game carries a gritty attitude, a gritty art style, and contains gritty gameplay that’s just absolutely brutal for a Mario game. You can slam characters to electric fences, trip them, throw bombs at them, etc. Oh by the way, this is soccer. A sport never embraced in America, the Mario Strikers franchise has actually seen decent success in the states, but much moreso around the world. This game is addicting fun, and definitely a step away from the norm in Mario gameplay.#17: Mario Tennis
The best Mario sports game of all-time, and one of the best sports games you’ll ever play. Mario Tennis is incredibly easy and fun to learn, but only the truest of true can master the game and nail every trick shot. There is a large assortment of characters to choose from and an extensive amount of secret ones as well. Adding to the fun is that each character has their specialties, which depending on who you have alters your strategy in the game. This game put Camelot on the map and finally provided Virtua Tennis some competition.#16: Mario Party 2
Everything that was wrong and was right about Mario Party was improved upon in Mario Party 2. The most underrated Mario game on this entire list, Mario Party 2 is so much fun, a Friday night back then just wouldn’t be complete without a 30+ turn showdown against some friends. The mini-games were better, the maps were better, the cutscenes were better, the amount of secrets was better, and the game itself is easily the best game of its kind. Every other Mario Party absolutely pales in comparison to this one, and why its not in Virtual Console baffles the mind.#15: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
The handheld sequel to the original smash hit is also an improvement in every possible way. Super Mario has a crisper look, the classic enemies have returned, and yet Super Mario Land 2 still carries the unique and bizarre gameplay that the original was known for. Super Mario in this installment gets to enter a whale, gets to fight in outer space, enters a robotic version of himself, and even becomes extremely small and fights ants. Games like this just aren’t made anymore, whether by Nintendo or any gaming company.#14: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
While the pure potential of this game was not quite met, it was still an incredibly satisfying video game because of its excellent multi-player mode and return to the basic gameplay that made Super Mario a household name in the first place. While I don't marvel the art style, I do marvel at its fun level design and decent return to difficulty towards the end.
#13: New Super Mario Bros.
It took 14 years before Super Mario returned to the side-scrolling action, but the wait was nearly worth it. In a time in which 3-D is conquering the gaming industry and even the 2-D classics, New Super Mario Bros. reverses the trend by going back to the basics, while maintaining a new look. 70+ levels and multi-player modes galore later, we have a worldwide smash that continues to sell today. The gameplay is old-school but fresh, the music is chipper, the graphics are phenomenal, and the success and impact pretty much guarantees that this will not be the last time we see Mario in 2-D, and it won’t take over 10 years before it happens again.#12: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Of all the Paper Mario games in the series, this one stands as the best, funniest, and most successful one to date. The plot of Mario rescuing Peach takes a different turn and throws Mario into a massive quest full of whimsical gameplay, clever visuals, and fun usage of the paper effects you see throughout the game. One (of many) of gamecube’s flaws can be traced to the lack of RPGs, and this game nearly filled the void by being so much fun. It’s a shame Super Paper Mario drifted away from the formula.#11: Super Mario Sunshine
Nintendo is known for drifting away from the formula for some experimental gameplay and risky gambling. Super Mario Sunshine is one of these examples. Instead of expanding upon the nearly flawless gameplay mechanics of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine instead equips you with a muck-cleaning weapon, a tropical overworld, and a new style of platform gaming. The game, despite being so different, runs smoothly, has a lot to do, and reunites you with Yoshi, a Nintendo staple. Where the heck is Luigi though?#10: Super Mario Bros. DX
I know most gaming magazines and websites will list Super Mario Bros. as one of the best Mario games of all-time. I mean duh, of course. However, while the original Super Mario Bros. did definitely re-introduce the world to gaming and would forever change the industry, I am instead giving it to the Game Boy Color version for one main reason: Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels is included. This Game Boy Color remake of the original classic is not only a good translation, but also throws in all sorts of goodies including hidden Yoshi coins, fortune cookies, printable stickers, and even an entirely new game. This wasn’t just an incredible game, it was a must-own for any fan of platform games.#9: Mario Kart DS
This game not only is the deepest of the Mario Kart games, its also the very first extremely successful Nintendo online game. The tracks are incredible, the music is excellent, the amount of unlockables is fantastic, the amount of skill required was the most demanding in the entire franchise, and of course the online mode was something not to be missed. This Mario Kart hit all the right notes, and to this day is considered one of the premiere racing games in history.#8: Mario Kart 64
Perhaps it’s the nostalgia talking, but even after all I’ve said about Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart 64 is my absolute favorite of the Mario Kart games. Surely the DS version is tougher, longer, and contains more stuff, but Mario Kart 64’s racing tracks remain the best one of them all, and the best collection of courses in the history of racing games. You get the absolutely goofy tracks like Moo Moo Farm and Wario Stadium, but then you have the killer-tough courses like Banshee Boardwalk, Yoshi Valley, and the power slide-friendly Mario’s Raceway. The items were at their best and non-cheapest here, especially with the red and green shells proving much more damage than a wimpy flip. And unlike the cruel blue shells in later installments, the purple shell is actually avoidable. And I didn’t even touch the multi-player mode, which not only is among the best in history, but was the first to prove that 4-player gaming at one time is possible, is fun, and is incredibly addicting.#7: Super Mario Bros. 3
Prior to the Wii, this was the best-selling video game of all-time, and the most-beloved of the Mario games. However, as time moves on, the nostalgia of the SNES version seems to age better than this instant classic. Nonetheless, Super Mario Bros. 3 is an extremely fun game full of killer items, dozens of secrets, very varied gameplay, and a fun multi-player mode to boot. Super Mario Bros. 3 was the beginning of Nintendo thinking bigger and bigger in terms of where to take the side-scrolling Mario franchise.#6: Super Mario Galaxy
The old-school gamers are fuming right now because this Wii title has hit so high on the list. But the explanation is simple: Super Mario Galaxy combines old-school gameplay with a totally new-school look. For the first time ever, we are seeing Mario in not just a quest to rescue Peach, but an epic quest in outer space, with creativity and incredible details around every corner. Of all the games on this list, this is the one that should be experienced on an HDTV the most, and of all the games on this list, this one boasts the best soundtrack and some of the coolest levels you’ll ever see. Platform gaming yet again hit a new peak as Miyamoto and company outdid themselves in this production. The only setback is that the sequel outperformed it in so many ways, it made this game look mildly weaker.#5: Super Mario RPG
For anyone that truly knows me, they know I have a deep fondness of this classic title. Mario’s first array into RPG gaming remains one of the best RPG experiences I’ve ever had the pleasure of facing. I’ll never forget the first time I rented this game back in 1996, not quite sure how to handle Mario in such a different environment. The music is amazing, the characters and humor is memorable, there is so much to do, there are so many secrets and hidden goodies, so many Nintendo (and Final Fantasy) references, and overall, its just a gaming treat. Of the 5 remaining games on this list, this is the least played by far, and hopefully with Virtual Console everyone will realize just how special this game is. Where in the heck is Geno and mallow these days?#4: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
It hurts a lot to place this down at #4, when it is a fantastically flawless game. Heck, the top 4 Mario games each deserve a perfect score. This game is massive, it’s colorful, and its very different from your average Mario game. Instead of controlling Mario, you are controlling Yoshi as you navigate him through over 50 huge levels full of details, puzzles and surprises. The egg-throwing mechanics is something not used enough in video games, and the coin collecting side-quests warranted nice rewards. The boss battles were extremely creative, and the overall tropical theming of the game is just a delight to witness.#3: Super Mario World
While Super Mario Bros. 3 expanded Mario gameplay to new heights, Super Mario World improved upon everything Mario 3 contained, and then added some. The graphics and art style was superior, the soundtrack was superior, the level design was better, the game was somewhat tougher, and the overall game was just much bigger. The introduction of ghost houses, fortresses, sunken ships, and the infamous Star Road would influence Mario games for years to come. This game has so many secrets, it would be argued for years just how many levels were actually in Super Mario World. And then there’s the introduction of Yoshi. Super Mario World isn’t just one of the best Mario games ever, but its easily one of the 10 greatest video games of all-time.#1 TIE: Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 64
I shall admit, this was insanely hard for me to do. Super Mario 64 in my opinion is the very best video game of all-time, forever paving the way 3-D games are made. It influenced everything, from platform games to even racers and shooters (Goldeneye 007 being the best example). Despite that, Super Mario Galaxy 2 literally is all the Mario games mixed into one: it has the fun, challange, creativity, incredible music, and everlasting funfactor of all the previous spectacular Mario games already on this list. The game has 3-D worlds, 2-D worlds, levels with Yoshi, levels with Luigi (that's right, LUIGI), enemies of the past and present, an entire second quest once you complete the game, and an outstanding musical score that wraps up the entire beautiful production in a nice package. If you are a fan of video games and own a Wii, there is no reason why don't have Super Mario Galaxy 2 that would make sense to me.
But if I were to find Super Mario Galaxy 2 superior to Super Mario 64, then it would classify itself as the best game of all-time, something I am not prepared to announce. Can Mario Galaxy 2 be truly the best gaming has ever offered? In a much more competitive gaming world? In this excellent generation of gaming? I'm not quite ready to admit this. But, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is 25 years of Super Mario wrapped into one fantastic game, and it deserves to share the spotlight as #1, no matter how much of a cop-out you think this is.
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So happy birthday Super Mario, I wish you 25 more years of success, and 25 more years of excellent video games!
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