It's-a-me, Mario! Super Mario Bros series through time
Regardless of your age, Mario is an icon that has marked almost everyone's childhood since his first appearance in 1985, when Miyamoto and Tezuka decided to create one of the most successful arcade video game series in the world; Super Mario Bros.
With the New Super Mario Bros Movie just a few months away, here at GameState, we wanted to take a short tour through time with some of the best versions of this incredible series. So, let's go!
Super Mario Bros (1986)
The Super Mario Bros series was released in 1986 in Japan and two years later in North America. The story follows our favorite plumber, Mario, and his brother Luigi in their attempt to rescue Princess Peach, who was taken from the Mushroom Kingdom by the King Koopa (Bowser).
We all love and remember the Super Mario Bros series and its current versions, but few know how groundbreaking it was for its time.
- It was the first game of the series
- The first game to collect coins and lives
- The first game to jump on enemies and defeat them by jumping on their heads
- The first Game to introduce Luigi
This was, hands down, a new concept for an arcade game since previous games only had one goal: to get as many points as possible by avoiding obstacles or collecting objects.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
Super Mario Bros. 2 was released in 1988 on the NES and later ported to Game Boy. It's considered by some to be one of the best Mario games ever made, and that's because this one changed things up for the series. Instead of following suit with its predecessor (and its predecessors), Super Mario Bros, this game introduced us all to something new: an entirely different style of gameplay that would become an iconic element of many future installments in the franchise!
Instead of going for a side-scrolling platformer, Super Mario Bros 2 turned things around and made it so that the player controlled Mario from behind and above him. This allowed for some really cool mechanics and level designs, especially considering how many different levels there were! The game also introduced us all to Birdo, the first female boss character in the series.
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in 1988 for the NES and is the third installment in the Super Mario series. It was the first game to introduce a world map, which allowed players to choose between levels rather than having them play sequentially as previous titles did.
The game is set in the magical land of Subcon, where a group of bad guys has stolen all the dreams of the world's inhabitants. Mario has to go on an adventure and get them back. The game also introduced a Koopa Kid, the first time that Nintendo featured Bowser’s children in a Super Mario title.
The game was later released as part of Super Mario All-Stars in 1993 and has since been ported to several other consoles,, including the Game Boy Advance and Wii Virtual Console.
Super Mario World (1990)
Super Mario World was released in 1990 for the Super Nintendo, and It's a sequel to Super Mario Bros 3.
The game is set in Dinosaur Land, where Mario and Luigi have to rescue Princess Toadstool (later known as Peach) from Bowser. The game's story is that Bowser kidnapped Princess Toadstool and took her to his castle, so Mario and Luigi set off on a mission to get her back!
This is also the first game where you can play as Yoshi!
Super Mario 64 (1996)
It's hard to believe that Super Mario 64 was the first 3D platformer. The game had a big open world, mission-based gameplay, and tons of different levels to play. You could also play as other characters like Luigi or Wario!
This game was revolutionary in many ways: it made you feel like you were actually in a cartoon; it gave you the freedom to explore the environment; it introduced new mechanics like wall jumps and long jumps (which later became staples); and most importantly it got people excited about playing games with their friends again!
Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platformer game released for the Wii in 2007. It was the first Mario game to use gravity, and one of the best-selling games on that console.
Nintendo also released Super Mario Galaxy on DS in 2010, this version did not include some levels or music tracks from its predecessor because of storage limitations.
The game’s plot is as follows: Princess Rosalina sends Mario on a mission to collect Power Stars, which can only be obtained by defeating Bowser and his minions. There are 120 Power Stars to collect, each hidden in a galaxy. Mario must travel from one galaxy to another using the Comet Observatory, which can be flown around in space by rotating the remote control.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the first game in the New Super Mario Bros series and was released on November 12, 2009, for the Wii console. The game plays like most other Mario games, with you controlling Mario or one of his friends through many levels while collecting power ups and defeating enemies.
The game features many new power ups, including the Propeller Mushroom and Ice Flower. You can combine these items with other powerups to create more interesting effects. Super Mario Bros. Wii also has a multiplayer mode where up to four players can play at once
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Super Mario Odyssey is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was released worldwide on October 27, 2017.
In this game, Mario travels through various kingdoms known as "Kingdoms" to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser's wedding plans. The game offers new gameplay elements, like controlling characters other than Mario and using new items, such as Cappy (Mario's hat).
The game received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers praising the gameplay, visuals, and music. It was also a commercial success, selling 2 million copies within three days of release.
The game was nominated for several awards, including "Best Game of the Year" at The Game Awards and "Best Family Game" at the Kids' Choice Awards.
Nintendo DS games like Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga and Bowser's Inside Story
The Nintendo DS is a platform that's seen a lot of great Mario games, including Superstar Saga and Bowser's Inside Story. The latter is an excellent RPG strategy that has you controlling both plumbers as they work together to defeat Bowser. It's one of the best DS games ever made, with hilarious writing and some pretty tricky battles (especially when you get to Fawful).
The former takes place in the Mushroom Kingdom during a festival called "Star Day," which celebrates the appearance of shooting stars each year on this day. When Peach disappears after looking up into the sky at one such meteorite, Mario and Luigi team up with their friends Daisy (Princess Daisy) and Waluigi (who isn't evil) to find her before she gets married!
The best Mario Bros Games through time
Wow, so many unlocked memories just by writing this!
But there you have it; the best Super Mario Bros games through time (according to GameState). We've covered everything from the original Super Mario Bros for the NES to New Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo Wii and now Super Mario Odyssey for Nintendo's newest console, the Nintendo Switch.
Of course, there are incredible others that didn't make it into this detailed list but are still worth checking out, such as:
- Super Mario 3D Land
- Super Mario Maker 2
- Super Mario Party
- Super Paper Mario Galaxy 2
- Super Mario Advance
Remember, this is just a list of the ones we love the most, but if you feel we missed some of your favorites, let us know! Leave a comment.
