It must be a narrative adventure starring the greatest fictional Italian hero since Rocky Balboa.

So that means no Mario Kart, Mario Party, or anything along similar lines. We’re not going to cover all of that, because only a lunatic would do that, but we are going to look at the very best games with the mustachioed plumber at the center of the adventure.

This character has been a fixture across every Nintendo console, appearing in just about every type of video game you can imagine.Įxactly how many Mario games are there? The number varies, depending on what you include, but the number of games simply featuring Mario in some form or fashion numbers in the hundreds.

More than that, Mario continues to be as relevant as ever, with a massively successful theatrical film release, new games on the horizon, and the character remaining Nintendo’s first and foremost mascot character. Though my favorite power ups are Metal Mario from Super Mario 64 and the cape power up from Super Mario World.Does Mario even need an introduction? It can be daunting for any ranking of the best Mario games to sum up arguably the most iconic video game character in history. 3 for its innovation and the fact that it has more power ups. I understand the appeal of Super Mario Bros. I also find it more challenging compared to Super Mario World, especially with the final world in that regard, hardcore gamers will find that aspect really exciting. It certainly was innovative when it first came out and since then has aged incredibly well. I grew up with both Super Mario 64 and Super Mario World a lot and have fond memories of them. On a personal level, it’s my favorite Super Mario game besides Super Mario 64. There’s also the fun secret areas in Super Mario World that you might not see at first when you start playing the game for the first time, but soon after discover them as you replay the game. I’m leaning towards Super Mario World because not only does it have Mario and Luigi, but also Yoshi as well as those cape power ups.

Super mario bros 3 super mario world