Fans of the chubby mustached plumber behold; we have for you a list of the best Mario games you can gain for yourselves right now. The most well known video game character ever, Mario has served as a mascot not only for Nintendo but also for video games in general. Conceived by the genius of Shigeru Miyamoto, he has starred in more than 200 video games till date, and is still going strong, not having lost a single bit of sheen over the years. Right from our childhoods, Mario has delighted with his turtle-jumping and goomba-squashing, and today we’re going to list out the finest games we’ve done all these things in. Here’s the list then.
1 – Mario Kart Wii
The Mario Kart series takes the characters we all love, and places them on race tracks filled to the brim with fun-filled little elements which make the usual racing games look dreary to say the least. With the motion sensing capability of the Wii console and its awesome controller which fits into a convenient steering wheel accessory, Mario Kart Wii was the finest title from this sub-series. It includes a large number of matches, and even supports online races. This entertaining game has been blessed with a large number of Mario characters to race with as well.
2 – Super Mario Bros.
Regarded by many as the greatest video game ever, Super Mario Bros. is 2D side-scrolling gameplay at its very finest. This influential title has been ported to a large number of platforms, and in today’s time, you can play on the 3DS as well as the Wii, and not to forget the emulators on PC. Super Mario Bros. asks you jump into peril-filled levels of the Mushroom Kingdom which include pipelines, underwater stages, dungeons and more, in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the clutches of Bowser.
3 – Super Mario Galaxy 2
Having sold more than 6 million copies till date, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also one of the highest rated games of all time. It features some addictive platforming taking place on and around 3D planets bearing delightfully colorful environments. It follows the story of our beloved chubby plumber who’s after Bowser who has left for outer space so as to imprison Princess Peach. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a Wii exclusive, and an absolute must have if you’re a Mario fan.
4 – Super Mario 64
A revolutionary game by all means, Super Mario 64 served as the perfect example for displaying the power of the Nintendo 64 console when it was released in 1996. It’s one of the earliest 3D platform games, and just like Super Mario Bros. acted as an archetype for the 2D side-scrolling genre, this one too proved to be quite an influence for the 3D platforming genre. Fun levels filled to the brim with exciting gameplay aimed at making any Mario fan feel at home is on offer through this title which can now be played on the Wii as well.
5 – Super Mario World
Released back in 1990 at the launch of the SNES, Super Mario World is available for the Game Boy Advance as well as the Wii. This incredibly enjoyable title was the first game from the series to allow you to use Yoshi the dinosaur as a riding mount. It revolves around Mario and Luigi’s attempt to save Dinosaur Land from Bowser. New power-ups introduced by Super Mario World formed some of its major highlights.
6 – New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is all about its multiplayer brilliance. Four players can jump into the game at once, assuming the roles of Mario, Luigi or the two Toad characters. Filled with unending fun, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is one of the definitive games of the Wii console, and features extreme replayability as well. It’s the first game to include the ‘Super Guide’ feature which enables you to clear stages which you fail at clearing more than eight times.
7 – Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Square, the developer responsible for the Final Fantasy series, took over the Mario series back in 1996 to deliver a role-playing game based on it. And what a job it managed to do! Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars takes RPG elements from the Final Fantasy series and blends them with the story and action-based gameplay of Mario titles. This combination works wonders for its overall appeal. Available for the Wii right now, it was originally released for the SNES, and delighted everyone with its superb turn based battle system and other enjoyable elements.
8 – Super Mario 3D World
The latest Mario game right now, Super Mario 3D World is a Wii U offering which is gaining immense praises from fans and critics alike. Its crazy level designs, well mapped controls and challenging gameplay never fail to deeply immerse you in its offerings. And since it’s a Wii U game, lots of innovative features involving the GamePad have also been incorporated into it.
9 – Super Mario Bros. 3
Ranked high in many lists of the greatest video games of all time, Super Mario Bros. 3 has you traverse through eight separate regions so as to restore order to the Mushroom World. These diverse regions have their own unique environments and maps which show your overall progress through them. Classic Mario side-scrolling is offered by Super Mario Bros. 3 but with a twist which is brought in by new power-ups like the Super Leaf and the Tanooki Suit which became mainstays for a number of Mario games later on.
10 – Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island does not feature the mustached Mario we’re used to seeing. It instead focuses on an infant version of Mario, while letting you play as Yoshi the dinosaur whose job it is to save the baby from the Evil Magikoopa, Kamek, and deliver it to his parents in the Mushroom Kingdom. It grants you access to six worlds containing eight awesome stages each. Released for the SNES in 1995, it can now even be played on the Game Boy Advance and the 3DS.
Conclusion:
Those are all the best Mario games we’d like to submit to this compilation. If you think we might have missed out on any, do let us know about them.