Top 12 Main Mario Games
You've seen Top 100 [_____] lists all over the internet, especially when it comes down to video games. IGN's Top 100 Games, Gamespot's Top 100 Games... don't you dare ever complain about a lack of lists of their ilk.
But I prefer to take a more democratic approach. A list made by one or two people tends to be biased and truncated - which is why we let our users vote for their favourite Mario games on the forum.
However, only four people were actually involved in the voting process. >_< We will be adding our own comments on each game in the following list.
BradleyoxD (Me)
antlion
SirAdamSugar
ravinrabbid123
Games allowed:-
Super Mario Bros. (NES)
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (FDS)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
Super Mario Land (GB)
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB)
Super Mario World (SNES)
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)
Super Mario 64 (N64)
Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
New Super Mario Bros. (NDS)
Super Mario Galaxy (WII)
Games not allowed:
No Mario spin-offs, not even Mario Kart.
Anything unrelated to Mario.
This is not the ideal list. We did not aim for perfection. SirAdamSugar and ravinrabbid123 had not included every single game in their lists, so the following list isn't intended to be *completely* fair. It is what it is: you don't have to agree.
9. Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land was Mario's debut handheld adventure and one of the Game Boy's launch titles. In SML, Mario had to save not Peach, but Daisy from the evil alien, Tatanga. This was also the first major Mario release in which Miyamoto had no involvement; Gunpei Yokoi, Game Boy's creator, directed it instead.
BradleyoxD: Oh, man, I was hoping The Lost Levels would come last. >_< Yeah, Mario Land was always the forgotten one. The controls are clunky and the game's too short. But for a first handheld effort, it ain't too bad.
antlion: What a darn shame, Super Mario Land might be short, but as a GameBoy launch title its pretty good, and its defiantly better than New Super Mario Bros!
8. (Tied) Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
The Japan-only game that was too hard for American gamers, the "real" Super Mario Bros. 2 is more of an update to the first game than a full-fledged sequel.
BradleyoxD: I'm so glad we received Doki Doki Panic instead of this one. The Lost Levels is a challenging game, fo' sure, but it's less fun because of that. I still can't get over the unfairness of that backwards-warp in World 3... >_<
8. (Tied) Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 2 was Mario's second outing on the Game Boy. This one was also directed by Gunpei Yokoi and introduced Mario's nemesis, Wario.
BradleyoxD: This has to be the biggest shame on this list. Super Mario Land 2, tying with The Lost Levels? Sheesh. Mario Land 2 is more like Super Mario Bros. 3 in that it has a world map. What's great about this one is the non-linearity; you can tackle (almost) any world in any order. And don't forget Wario. ^_^
antlion: Why on earth are the two land games so far down the list? SML2 is a good platformer - gold compared to the first Land game. Only problem is, my version seems to have a saving problem, sometimes it saves and sometimes it doesn't.
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7. (Tied) Super Mario Bros. 2
A remake of the Japan-only Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, Super Mario Bros. 2 was the Western replacement for The Lost Levels. You can thank this game for Bob-ombs, Shy Guys, Birdo, Toad (as a character) and a tall Luigi.
BradleyoxD: This should be higher. Super Mario Bros. 2 is a brilliant platformer. Yes, it's nothing like the other games. Yes, it's slightly inferior to Mario 1 & 3. Regardless, 2 is a high-quality game that deserves recognition.
7. (Tied) Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine is the only 3-D Mario platformer on Nintendo's purple box. The game received mixed reviews from the gaming community due to the controversial setting and the inclusion of the animated water cannon, FLUDD. BradleyoxD: There is a god! I was seriously worrying over the placement of Sunshine when I totted up the first two lists. I really don't like this game. It's repetitive, the story totally sucks, and the gameplay needs polishing in a few key areas (controls and camera especially). Urgh.
7. (Tied) New Super Mario Bros.
The first 2-d sidescrolling Mario game since 1995, New Super Mario Bros. was a step back to Platforming 101 of 1985.
BradleyoxD: Well, antlion will be relieved! I quite like what I've played of New Super Mario Bros. so far. I think the levels are a tad too long though. And while I love the graphics I think this a step backwards as far as Mario is concerned. Where is flying? What about the ace morph-mation effects in Yoshi's Island? They could have done a lot more with this one.
antlion: NSMB is easily one of the most overrated titles on the DS. The new power-ups are hardly used, its easy and the level designs are bland. Its defiantly one of the weakest titles in the Super Mario Bros. series.
6. Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 is the revolutionary 3-D debut of Mario, and has influenced nearly every game that came out after it with its sprawling worlds and objective-based school-of-thought.
BradleyoxD: Oooh, the controversy! Super Mario 64 is a great, great game with undeniable hours of fun. I think the controls and camera have aged really badly, though, and that's probably why this game is under-appreciated on the forums.
5. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
The equivalent of "Super Mario Bros. Zero", Yoshi's Island is first chronologically in the main series. Some consider it to strictly be a Yoshi game and not a Mario iteration.
BradleyoxD: While I'm not in love with Yoshi's Island, the presentation and the awesome concepts are brilliant. I just wish that goddamned baby would shut the hell up. >_<
antlion: How did this beat Super Mario 64? Yoshi’s Island is cute, but surely, it’s not the fifth best in the series?
4. Super Mario Galaxy
Mario's first "casual" outing on the Wii. Super Mario Galaxy received numerous Game of the Year awards on its release in late 2007. This is *not* Super Mario 128.
BradleyoxD: Why do people keep bitching about Galaxy? It's a fantastic game, and deserves this spot. The space theme and the controls aren't gimmicky, and the presentation is gorgeous. Sure, it's a bit on the easy side... but what else is there to complain about?
3. Super Mario World
The 16-bit debut that was set to do battle with Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario World introduced Yoshi and the iconic Cape power-up. BradleyoxD:
Super Mario World is a fantastic outing for the plumber and my third favourite side-scroller. It just *screams* fun. I think the levels were a bit too lengthy - some of the extra stages were hard *simply* because of their ridiculous length.
2. Super Mario Bros.
Mario's first adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom still tops some Top 100 Games list, even 23 years after it was initially released. This game single-handedly saved the video game industry from total collapse.
BradleyoxD: Some might consider it a stretch to put this one above World and 64, but it just goes to show that the gameplay of Super Mario Bros. remains flawless even to this day. Near-perfect - I just wish some of the levels weren't repeats of previous ones.
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
The highly-anticipated third iteration of the NES trilogy, Super Mario Bros. 3 blew young children away back in 1990. This is the biggest blockbuster hit in the history of gaming (even bigger than Halo 3).
BradleyoxD: C'mon, this one *had* to top the list. It's the best game ever made, period. I don't need to say anything more - just play it.
