The Ultimate List of Super Mario Games (1985 – 2021)

Super Mario Bros.

The whole thing began in 1985 with the release of the first Super Mario Bros. game. A spin-off the Donkey Kong series and a successor to the Mario Bros. game from the arcades, Super Mario Bros. became a legendary platformer and a best-seller, propelling the characters of Mario and his brother Luigi (AKA green Mario) into stardom and making the franchise one of the all-time greats.

The premise is simple: you run, jump, avoid obstacles, defeat enemies (mushroom-like Goombas and turtle-like Koopas, among others) and collect power-ups across the Mushroom Kingdom that consists of eight worlds with four levels each. Every worlds ends with Mario infiltrating a fortress of Bowser, the game’s main antagonist who imprisoned Princess Peach. It’s up to you to rescue her.

Of course, the princess is ALWAYS in another castle. Meh.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

It’s a sequel to the first game, but a far more difficult one. You can play as either Mario or Luigi, with the two characters differing from each other, the latter being more suitable for skilled players. The goal is the same: save the princess from Bowser and his lackeys. However, there are new obstacles: poison mushrooms which either shrink or downright kill you, mid-air wind gusts, level warps, invisible blocks that you have to jump on…

It’s crazy! The Lost Levels are certainly not recommended for newcomers to the series or novice players.

Super Mario Bros. 2

Since the previous game seemed too similar to the first installment, the developers decided to shake things up. Quite a lot. Super Mario Bros. 2 lets the player select one of the four characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad, each with a unique special power. Your goal is to traverse the dream world of Subcon and defeat the antagonist by the name of Wart, a frog king.

One of the main differences from the other games in the series is that you can’t defeat your enemies by jumping on them here. Instead, you need to throw various objects at them. You can even pick up the opponents and throw them, using them as weapons as well. Super Mario Bros. 2 received critical praise, especially for its level design, and is considered one of the best games in the series to this day.

Super Mario Bros. 3

This one goes back to the basics: you got to save Princess Toadstool as either Mario and Luigi. You can again stomp on enemies to defeat them or use special powers that you acquire through power-ups. In this respect, the game remains true to the franchise.

There are new additions to gameplay as well. You can slide down slopes, fly and float using the Super Leaf and the Tanooki Suit, pick up and throw various blocks of special purpose, and freely climb vines. It’s a challenging game, for sure, but a fun one to play, too. That’s why it’s considered one of the best games of all time.

Super Mario Land

This game, released in 1989, saw the Super Mario series transition to Game Boy. It’s pretty much like the first Super Mario Bros. game, just limited to 12 levels set in a realm known as Sarasaland, and your goal is to rescue Princess Daisy instead.

There are also two Gradius-style levels where you pilot an airplane or commandeer a submarine and shoot things up. All in all, Super Mario Land is considered Mario’s successful debut on handheld consoles. Interestingly enough, it sold better that Super Mario Bros. 3.

Super Mario World

Another side-scrolling platformer on the list, this 1990 game is a direct successor to the Super Mario Bros. games. Still, it features some new moves and introduced Yoshi, a rideable dinosaur who can eat enemies and Koopa Troopa shells, the latter to gain new abilities.

Again, the game is considered one of the best additions to the series and one of the best video games ever. Can you really go wrong with Mario, though?

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Game Boy received another smash hit in 1992. Super Mario Land 2 became a best-seller and one of the highest-rated games on this platform, and rightfully so. It’s so much better than the predecessor is virtually every aspect, ranging from gameplay to graphics.

The plot is also somewhat refreshing. Instead of freeing some damsel in distress for the umpteenth time, your goal is to free Mario’s private island, put under an evil spell by his jealous childhood pal, Wario. All because the W guy wanted a castle of his own! You need to find 6 Golden Coins, reclaim the castle, as well as the island, and kick Wario’s butt. What a quest!

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Yoshi’s Island is special for a variety of reasons. First, it features Yoshi as the main character. Our goal is to reunite baby Mario with Luigi. The latter has been kidnapped by Kamek, an evil Magikoopa (don’t ask). Second, its hand-drawn aesthetic is a major change from the visual style of the previous games and led to the Yoshi spin-offs. Third, it was the last 2D platformer in the series until New Super Mario Bros., a 2.5D-based title released about a decade later.

Reviewers called Yoshi’s Island a masterpiece and one of the best games ever. Guess you can’t go wrong with Mario!

Super Mario 64

This one is probably the most revolutionary title in the series. Shifting from 2D to 3D, it offers open-world exploration and freedom of movement, as opposed to rather restricted isometric platforming of the previous games. The rest of the gameplay features, however, are pretty much classic Mario.

Our favorite plumber is tasked with rescuing Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser this time around. You need to explore her castle and collect Power Stars that will help you with your quest. Super Mario 64 was an instant classic. The game ended up being called one of the best ever and its influence on 3D platformers was enormous. Can Ninny make a bad Mario game? Guess not!

Super Mario Sunshine

Speaking of bad games, if you’re looking for one in this series, Super Mario Sunshine ain’t it, either. A follow-up to Super Mario 64, this one tasks you with cleaning up the mess caused by a villain known as Shadow Mario. This despicable fella vandalized Isle Delfino and since he looks just like Mario, our protagonist is wrongfully accused and forcibly becomes a janitor. Oh, and Princess Peach needs to be saved again. Oh, well.

SM Sunshine again received rave reviews and proved to be a worthy addition to the series.

New Super Mario Bros.

This one’s a return to the series’ roots. While done in 3D, it’s basically a 2D platformer that’s very much an update on the classic Super Mario Bros. formula. And it does pretty much everything right. Bowser Jr. and Bowser apparently took a liking to Princess Peach and you gotta saver her once again.

New Super Mario Bros. was well-received by critics and fans alike, even though they considered the game a bit too easy and a bit too similar to the previous installments. Still, it’s a quality title and a real best-seller.

Super Mario Galaxy

Mario goes to space! The third 3D game in the series, Super Mario Galaxy is built around exploring all sorts of planets and fun with gravity. Aside from saving Princess Peach, you gotta save the universe along the way, as Bowser once again poses a threat to all that lives!

You control Mario using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, complete missions, fight bosses (and gravity), collect Power Stars and get ready to face Bowser once again. Guess what, this is a yet another Mario game to be called one of the best ever!

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Another 2.5D part of the series, this one is a cooperative multiplayer title for the Wii. You can play with up to four players as Mario, Luigi and two multicolored Toads. The game is a rather straightforward Mario experience, which received some criticism, but is nonetheless fun for beginners and advanced players alike.

Again, another commercial and critical success, even if it’s simply more of the same thing.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Originally conceived as an updated version of the first Galaxy game, it quickly became a full-blown sequel after it turned out the developers had dozens of amazing ideas they wanted to put in this installment. Galaxy 2 features a very similar plot to the previous game (you need to collect Power Stars and defeat Bowser to save Princess Peach), but there are many new additions, including dynamic environments and the return of Yoshi.

The game has also become notably more difficult than its predecessor, but all in all, it was a yet another huge hit. It’s considered one of the best video games ever, too. Surprised? We’re not.

Super Mario 3D Land

3DS needed a Mario game, so it received one. Super Mario 3D Land is a mix of both 2D and 3D installments in the series. There’s some traditional side-scrolling action and there’s Mario moving and performing actions in three dimensions. As far as the plot is concerned, it once again revolves around Bowser being Princess Peach’s psycho fan. You must save her one more time.

As usual, Super Mario 3D Land received very good reviews and became a hit. No surprise here, either.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

There isn’t much to be said about this one. Once again you need to save Princess Peach from Bowser and his Koopalings. There’s one difference from the previous games, though: focus on collecting coins. New Super Mario Bros. 2 even features a Coin Rush mode where you have to complete tasks as quickly as possible to get the most coins.

Everyone’s been pretty happy with this game, but people complained about it being too similar to the previous titles. If that’s what you expected, you’ll love New Super Mario Bros. 2. If you’re looking for something perhaps more original and ambitious, we suppose you can skip this one.

New Super Mario Bros. U

So far the last title in the New Super Mario Bros. series, it’s a great game, but…it’s very much a by-the-numbers Mario release. If you love this universe and characters, you should love it. If you’re a newcomer looking for a great game on the Wii U, you’re in for a real treat. However, if you’re a bit fed up with the series’ traditions and would like something new, you’re probably going to be a bit disappointed with its rather formulaic gameplay (though it is still amazing, as usual).

As a launch title for the Wii U it was very successful, becoming one of the best-sellers on this platform.

Super Mario 3D World

Remember Super Mario 3D Land? This is the sequel, made for the Wii U. A major difference is that we’re not rescuing any princesses this time around (do we look like Luke Skywalker to you, Nintendo???). Instead, we’ve got to save the Sprixie Kingdom from Bowser’s invasion.

Aside from that, it’s a typical Mario fare. As usual, it’s really fun and well-made. No wonder it’s the second best-selling game on the Wii U.

Super Mario Maker

This was a yet another interesting addition to the Mario series. The entire game is in fact a robust editor where you create new levels to torment either yourself or your friends/other players online with. This option is unavailable these days, but it used to be possible to upload your creations online to the Course World once you completed them.

Tons of customization options made for a fun creative experience. The game is pretty much defunct today, though, as it has been replaced with a sequel, Super Mario Maker 2, featured on this list as well.

Super Mario Run

Mario even got his own mobile game. It’s again a platformer, but with one major difference: the player character runs automatically, you just got to precisely time all the jumps and other moves. Aside from saving Princess Peach from Bowser all over again(yawn), you have to rebuild the Mushroom Kingdom as well.

It’s a very decent mobile game, although there are two problems that reviewers noted: a rather steep price plus the requirement that you need to be connected to the Internet at all times to play. Aside from that, it’s a very good addition to the Mario canon.

Super Mario Odyssey

The plot here seems to be the same as usual – you simply have to safe Princess Peach from Bowser (how many times do we have to teach you this lesson, turtle-man?!) – but everything else is so different from the other Mario games. Odyssey is a return to the gameplay model from Super Mario 64, with open-ended, non-linear exploration.

Mario has a new ally, too, a hat named Cappy that lets him “capture” or simply just possess various enemies and objects to solve puzzles. You also need to collect Power Moons that fuel your airship, the Odyssey, that lets you travel to other locations. Super Mario Odyssey was a huge hit upon release, with reviewers calling it one of the best Mario games in the series.

Super Mario Maker 2

The famous level building suite returned in 2019 with a whole slew of new features and an even more robust editor. There is even a single player story mode available.

Not much can be said about this one, to be honest. It’s basically a yet another very good addition to the series and a complex level creator that lets you unleash either your inner Super Mario game designer or tormentor (if you want to challenge others to beat your seemingly impossible maps). If you own the Nintendo Switch, this is one of the games you should check out.

Super Mario 3D World: Bowser's Fury

Super Mario 3D World got re-released on the Nintendo Switch with an addition of Bowser’s Fury, a fresh adventure where your task is to collect Cat Shines in order to restore lighthouses in a realm known as Lake Lapcat. Interestingly enough, Bowser Jr. joins Mario in this endeavor.

Papa Bowser, as it turns out, turned into a gigantic monster that can only be stopped by the Giga Bell. To power it up, you need enough Cat Shines. Fury Bowser sometimes appears during the game, raining fire upon you.

Bowser’s Fury is more experimental than other games in the series, featuring a fully open world and lots of new gameplay ideas. It’s just too bad that it’s not as polished as the other installments and suffers from various technical issues. Aside from that, it’s a cool Mario game, even if a bit rough around the edges.