My Top 10 Mario Games (REDUX)

MY TOP 10 MARIO GAMES

My friends, I have a confession to make. While I may be an avid movie lover, I am also a part-time retro gamer and when I'm not in the cinema seeing the best and worst that Hollywood has to offer, you will often find me snuggled in a bean bag with a SNES, XBOX or PlayStation controller in my hand. From the day I was bought my first GameBoy colour as a kid, video games have continued to play a huge part of my life and while film has certainly taken precedence over the past decade or so, many of the best media experiences I've ever had have come courtesy of such companies as Sega, Naughty Dog, Team ICO and, of course, Nintendo. 

But while franchises such as Kirby, Zelda and Pokemon hold a special place in my heart, no IP represents the ingenuity, the resilience and overall fun of Nintendo better than its most beloved, the indomitable Super Mario series. With their beautifully developed worlds, fantastic game play techniques, exquisitely composed soundtracks and consistently fluid controls, the Mario series has become a by-word for high quality video gaming. But with so many different games and an endless amount of spinoffs under his belt, the question to ask is what is the mustachioed plumbers finest hour? Well with today begin Mario Day, lets'a go and countdown the 10 best Mario games of all time.

N.B - I am only counting the core 2D and 3D platformers here. Therefore MarioKart, Super Smash Bros. Mario Party, Paper Mario and other such spin-offs will not be considered for this list.

10) NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII

Wall-Kicking things off is the 4th highest grossing game on Nintendo's best selling home console. Bringing the wonderfully addictive platforming fun of 'New Super Mario Bros.' to the TV screen, Mario's first appearance on the Wii is a brilliantly inventive and surprisingly challenging side scrolling adventure that expertly utilised the consoles innovative motion controls to terrific effect - creating a game that was just as fun to play co-operatively with friends as it is was to play on your own. 

9) SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD

Mario's 6th foray into the 3rd dimension, 'Super Mario 3D World' is a simply joyous video game experience, stuffed to the brim with charm and cuteness. Giving the Italian plumber new power ups such as clone cherries and the adorable cat-suit, 'Super Mario 3D World' is one of, if not the best reason to purchase the commercially lambasted WiiU. Not to mention the most intense final Bowser battle of all time.

8) SUPER MARIO BROS.

Here it is, the one that started it all. Released as a launch title for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1984 to unprecedented commercial and critical acclaim, 'Super Mario Bros.' became a worldwide phenomenon and bought the industry back from the dead after the horrendous video game crash in 1983. Taking simple yet addictive gameplay and combining it with never before seen control precision, this 8 bit legend is not only one of the greatest Mario games of all time but one of the greatest video games of all time. Period.

7) SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 

Mario's second escapade into outer space sends him hurtling towards his most daring adventure to date. Frequently defying the laws of gravity, 'Galaxy 2' sees our hero hopping from planets and carefully avoiding perilous black holes in order to defeat that pesky koopa Bowser and rescue his beloved Princess Peach once again. Strange, colourful and loaded with imagination, 'Super Mario Galaxy 2' is a visually extravagant and incredibly replayable entry in the series. 

6) NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.

The game that introduced Mario to a brand new generation of gamers, New Super Mario Bros. expertly utilised the Nintendo DS's revolutionary touch screen system to bring us the ultimate handheld platforming experience. 

5) SUPER MARIO 64

For many, this is the definitive Mario platformer and its easy to see why. Bringing our red and blue plumber into the 3rd dimension for the first time with spectacular results, 'Super Mario 64' delivers astonishing level design, fiendishly challenging puzzles and possibly the most memorable soundtrack in the entire franchise, making this the must own cartridge for Nintendo 64 owners.



4) SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY

Let's do the Odyssey! Mario's most recent adventure sees the long-standing franchise reaching new heights both artistically and technologically. Again charged with rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser, 'Super Mario Odyssey' implicates new and brilliantly creative mechanics with fun open-world exploration to bring fans an immersive, challenging and incredibly addictive experience. Rich in nostalgia and affection for Mario's past, 'Odyssey' is a fantastically fun voyage through the skies. 

3) SUPER MARIO GALAXY

'Super Mario Galaxy 2' may be wonderful but as is the case with most things, you just can't beat the original. Sending Mario into orbit in breathtaking style, Galaxy totally reinvigorates the franchise, developing the side scrolling fun of it's predecessors and deftly adding to it a depth of 3D gameplay whose quality is only matched by its visual magnificence. Make no mistake, this physics bending, psychedelic masterpiece is the greatest 3D adventure Mario has ever, or is ever likely to take.

2) SUPER MARIO BROS. 3

'Super Mario Bros.' and its admittedly bizarre sequel are both incredibly important games in the formation of the series but it is Mario's 3rd appearance that proves to be his finest hour on the NES. Introducing many ideas which are still used in today's games such as themed overworlds, warp points, power ups and the iconic Tanooki suit, Super Mario Bros. 3 is the second brightest jewel in the chunky plumbers sizeable crown. Or cap.

1) SUPER MARIO WORLD

You would think that with nearly 30 games in the series, it would be nigh-on impossible to pick the very best of the bunch but in reality, it really wasn't. Despite being released 27 years ago, 'Super Mario World' still stands ato the absolute pinnacle of platforming achievement. Taking the action away from the traditional settings of the Mushroom Kingdom, this technicolored 16 bit wonder sees Mario traversing the sunnier climes of Dinosaur Land where, with a little help from his old pal Yoshi, he must once again rescue the Princess from Bowser. Its formula may be unchanged but in terms of graphical quality, replayability, ingenious level design and franchise innovation, 'Super Mario World' is the undisputed King of Mario games.