With the imminent release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Wrath on Switch, and celebrating the Super Mario’s 35th anniversary within a few weeks, we thought it’s time we tried all the original Mario’s 2D set up adventures in a kind of order. We used to watch every mainline 3D game in the Super Mario series, but now’s your chance to rank each of the plumber’s 2D adventures over the past three and a half decades.
So here we present every 2D Mario game which is the worst (rarely is a term used in a more relative sense) to the best. We’ve omitted certain manual gates and re-releases to streamline things, so you’ll find the most important version if there’s more than one version of the game (and there may be plenty to choose from these days!). We also excluded thirty-five battle royal players Super Mario Bros. 35 it will unfortunately not be a constant concern in the Mario cannon over 31 March 2021.
This ranking comes from the user rating of Nintendo Life readers for the games on our database and is subject to real-time fluctuations even after publication. Yes, that means it’s entirely possible to influence the position below if you’ve not yet rated your favorites. To do this, simply click on the game you want to rate and give a score on the game page.
Many thanks to everyone who rated their favorites. Let us reflect on your ranking of each 2D Mario game without further ado …
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
On its own terms, Super Mario Run is an excellent translation of the plumbing 2D oeuvre in the smartphone space. The fact that it looks so much like an entry in the ‘New’ branch of 2D Marios may have raised expectations higher than the first Mario game would have appeared on non-Nintendo hardware for a very long time, but this entry is’ a fancy example of the transition from a beloved character and series to a totally different platform and the differences of that platform with a bespoke experience; an authentic Mario game that you can play with one hand.
The Remix x10 mode added after the launch offers bite-sized nuggets from levels of the main game and adds a long life after conquering each world, and it has a Nintendo level of polish – and without any excessive microtransactions or annoying currencies or cooling timer. Super Mario Run would never replace Mario World in the plumber’s pantheon of 2D platformers, but it was never supposed to do so; it offers short bursts of fun, ideal for situations where your Switch cannot be cracked. Super Mario Run does what he wanted to do, and well – for that we admire it.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
Also known as Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan, it was once ‘the grail’ for gamers in the West who knew the first game from scratch and wanted more of a challenge. The lost levels it’s definitely guaranteed, and that’s why it’s best enjoyed by Super Mario Bros. veterans – players new to Mario’s world are likely to confuse it, hilarious.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
A rare numbered Mario sequel, it’s one of a series that continues to divide gamers to this day. New Super Mario Bros. 2 doubling of – of all – coin collection to create a strangely compulsive platform in the familiar form. Although it was almost revolutionary, the autostereoscopic 3D was a nice touch and if you can accept the banality of its obsession with gold, it’s a very solid, very enjoyable 2D Mario.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R & D1
Super Mario Land was impressive when it was first released for the Game Boy. The sequel might have made this original seem insufficient in comparison, but it’s still a very enjoyable Super Mario experience, albeit short. About the time things start really well, the credits will roll, but if you have not yet played Super Mario Land, you owe it to yourself to give it a try – it’s still worth it at least once through to play, even if it’s just where Mario’s portable adventures began. Crackling music too.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is an impressive package that offers the best of modern era 2D Mario, madcap multiplayer and a look at the outrageous invention that is coming Super Mario Odyssey. It’s a Mario game of the best load and probably the best of the ‘New’ branch, whether you’re playing on Wii U or Switch, despite outdated footage and the annoyance of being kicked back to the world map each death stands out as things that could have been financed in this Deluxe version. Still, with New Super Luigi U included, it’s a very fine 2D Mario (and Luigi) package.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
This sequel made another game with Mario and co famous. for release in the West (where Nintendo of America feared players would not be able to handle the punishment of The Lost Levels). Although he is something of a black sheep in his homeland, Super Mario Bros. 2 had an enormous influence on the iconography of the series. The game is definitely worth a visit (Nintendo Switch Online is the easiest place to find it these days), if only to remind you how different it is from what came before and after. With four playable (and very different) characters to choose from, we recommend a replay.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
Some are declared as mere shadows of the original games, and this can not deny the popularity of the New Series. The original New Super Mario Bros. may give a “been there, done that” atmosphere these days, but it opened up 2D Mario for a new generation. Our dinosaurs may be looking for our pixels and the ‘classic’ games, but here’s still a strikingly solid Mario platform. No, this is not the highlight of the series either absolutely essential in the big scheme, but there is still a lot to like.