I am an avid Mario fan. I love his games! It is perfect for someone who likes to sit and play for a few minutes or a few hours. Recently, the topic of Mario's crown jewel game has come up in casual conversation. I feel it necessary to address a few concerns about each game and why it is or isn't the best Mario.Super Mario Bros. (1985, NES)
This game started the franchise. Some people may argue that Jumpman was the first Mario in the old Donkey Kong games. He is not the same Mario as the lovable plumber you help through a world of obstacles and smash plants, fungi and turtles while gettin' paid with floating coins. Super Mario Bros introduced us to what an adventure game could be and a fantastic world. The music was great and so where the levels and secrets! They had to put in warp pipes since you could not save the game which is a major flaw in my opinion.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986, NES (Japan) Virtual Console, 2007 (USA))
This is the original second title and it was released in Japan in 1986 but due to the extreme difficulty and sameness to the first game the company decided not to release it in America. An amended version was released with Super Mario All Stars as The Lost Levels but it was not the full game.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988, NES)Many people have not played this one. They do not know that you could choose between Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad to battle through this world of totally different and new enemies. It is very important to note that this one is nothing like the first Super Mario Bros. It was a redesigned game made to western tastes which some argue ruined it. You either love or hate this game and as I have tried and failed many times to beat it, it is not my favorite.
This game is the favorite of many. It introduced new moves and a raccoon, frog and boot suit. Really fun gameplay, fairly challenging and playing two player makes staying in later worlds much easier. I would say this is the best Mario since it feels so pure and technologically unadulterated but you cannot save and for that reason I will be forever stuck on the last level. Number three is a fantastic adventure game and one of the best video games ever made.
Super Mario World (1990, SNES)
This game is bad to the bone. It is my favorite of all the main console Mario games and added much to Mario's legacy and style. The flying cape was introduced, Yoshi was introduced and the football linebacker was introduced. Plus, to beat a level you jumped through goal posts at the end and gained stars! Super fun game with over 100 different levels and the Star Road levels were so hard. They were named things like Tubular and Gnarly which made them even better. And you could save! Finally, a game that allowed you to work at your own pace.
I only played this game a few times and did not like being Yoshi and dragging around baby Mario. It was a clean and good looking game and serves as a prequel to all the games in the Mario timeline.
Super Mario 64 (1996, N64)
This game is fantastic! It gave players the ability to explore worlds instead of jump on side scrolling obstacle courses. The levels themselves were fairly large and tons of new gameplay styles were introduced. This is my number 2 Mario game and it is a close second. The game is phenomenal and revolutionized the gaming world. Plus, I know you remember looking at the graphics and saying, "Holy Smokes! Mario looks sooooooo good! Graphics can't get any better than this."
Super Mario Sunshine (2002, Gamecube)
This game was a huge disappointment. Probably my least favorite of all the major platform Marios. Mario cannot solve things just by wearing new clothes in Sunshine, he resorts to a backpack that sprays water. Plus I think everyone was too busy with Pokemon when this one came out to even pay attention.
Super Mario Galaxy (2007, Wii)
This game is great and really added some fun new elements to Mario. It is the best reviewed Wii game and second best reviewed game of all time. It also caused headaches and vertigo as I played through. Wonderful, wonderful Vertigo.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
I was super excited when this game came out. It was really fun and allowed the player to frustrate friends by jumping on, and sending people down pits and into enemies, on accident or purpose.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
This game improved on Super Mario Galaxy in ways I did not think it would be able too. It also brought back Yoshi. The worlds in this game are simply fantastic and really allow the player to get lost in a fantasy. It is also a one player type game that has a second player option that ends up being really fun. The second player just wipes the wand around and collects stuff, kills enemies and other small tasks but it it really fun and lets kids play along while you enjoy the actual game.
So I left out the gameboy and virtual boy games and there are a few worth mentioning in that group but, I wanted to stick with the main console games. Mario has been a wonderful friend in my life and helped me be a hero when I didn't think I could. I just want Waluigi to show up and maybe Wario and cause some trouble for Mario instead of Bowser. Maybe next time Nintendo.
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