The video game industry has a plethora of amazing franchises, but there is one series that stands high above the rest. One that has outsold every other franchise by at least 250 million copies, none other than Nintendo’s very first mascot, Super Mario. To try to tackle every single Mario game that has ever been made would be nearly impossible, what with a laundry list of mainline series, plus every spinoff subseries, including Mario & Luigi, Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario + Rabbids, etc.

Therefore, the rankings here focus on the mainline series. These games are the ones that started it all and redefined what it means to be a platformer, a mascot, and a Nintendo icon. Over the years, the games have developed from 2D side scrollers to 3D worlds and recently back to 2D side scrollers or a blend of both. One thing has always stayed true, no matter what: Super Mario reigns supreme. 

Mario is a game franchise that has learned how to recycle the same premise over and over again and still make each game feel unique. While in some ways it is hard to rank the series, in other ways it is business as usual. Mastering a formula while addressing concerns of repetitiveness can be a challenge, but Nintendo pulls it off here brilliantly.

5. Super Mario Odyssey

An entry that plays as an ode to Super Mario 64, Nintendo took the basic framework and modernised it, giving gamers a new and unique playthrough with a nostalgic feel. Cappy, Mario’s main ally, was the big change here, allowing you to control all sorts of things you never could before, even enemies. This gave you all sorts of new possibilities for completing the game while still having the feel of an old-school classic. Options and creative opportunity carry the modern gaming landscape. It may not be childhood nostalgia, but it is a fantastic game all the same.

4. Super Mario Galaxy

Many fans often have this Super Mario game at the top of their list. Make no mistake, it is a phenomenal game. Perhaps because of nostalgia, other games carry a sense of legacy that this game does not quite provide. However, the company did do a fantastic job with controls, and the world and storyline were improvements over Super Mario 64. Bringing in new elements of mechanics that carried over into other entries was a boon, and Rosalina has also become a mainstay after her introduction in this game. Overall, a well-designed, well thought out, well executed game from top to bottom. 

3. Super Mario Bros 3

This Super Mario game revolutionised the series in a different way than games at the top of the rankings, but it may have been the most important addition to the longevity of the series. The change was the addition of unique power-ups beyond the mushroom. Most iconic, perhaps, was the raccoon tail pictured on the cover. This idea was so novel that the game became the best-selling game of the entire NES catalogue. As if that wasn’t enough, they also shifted to the overworld maps in this game, which are used in nearly every Mario game since. The original may have paved the way, but this is the game that told us all that Mario was here to stay.

2. Super Mario 64

This Super Mario entry is here less for the overall game package and more for the groundbreaking design it brought forth. Super Mario 64 was Nintendo’s first Mario attempt in 3D, and it worked. While the mechanics and camera system can be looked back on as a bit frustrating now and do not hold up to today’s standards, at the time, it completely changed the way players looked at gaming, and that needs to be celebrated. Not to mention, the game was just incredibly fun. With challenging levels and bosses and tons of content for the completionists in us, Nintendo took 3D and put it on the map as a blueprint for all games to come. 

1. Super Mario World

There is one main reason why this game sits at the very top of the list. This Super Mario game introduced maybe the best Mario and family character to date, the lovable dinosaur Yoshi. The game also introduced saving for the first time in the franchise, as well as the concept of hidden passageways. These iconic editions, on top of the nostalgia the game itself brings, really take it to the top. Mechanics like these seem commonplace now, but they were not at the time. Nintendo pushed all the right buttons in this one while still sticking to the formula that got it there. It is a masterclass that still holds up all these years later.

Final Thoughts

Super Mario has not just spawned one of the greatest-selling franchises of all time but has driven the pop culture gaming landscape for decades. With spin-offs, movies, games, theme parks, and more, all branching from one iconic character, there is no doubt that Mario is at the pinnacle of gaming culture. The franchise is not going anywhere, maintaining its influence on Nintendo, mascot gaming, and platforming, and staying relevant to gamers of all ages decades after its first entry.