Super Mario 64

Mario is, without a doubt, one of the most well known and iconic characters in any medium. He’s appeared in hundreds of games across about a dozen platforms, and has had at least twice as many jobs. And with the arrival of the new Super Mario Bros. Movie, the era of Mario is just getting started.

10. Super Mario 3D Land<br> <p>Super Mario 3D Land was the clear front-runner for best handheld Mario game until the Nintendo Switch came along. The 3DS entry is chockfull of some of the most fun, bite-sized Mario levels and absolutely filled to the brim with content. Perfect for on-the-go play, Super Mario 3D Land dug through every trick in the Mario design handbook whether it was immaculate 3D platforming, or throwback retro 2.5D retro levels. It also took advantage of the system's glasses-free 3D in a way that no other game has come close to, making the game feel truly alive. - Matt Kim

9. Super Mario Sunshine<br> <p>Super Mario Sunshine may have tried to sell itself on a strange premise (Mario cleaning up gunk around a tropical island?), however the addition of the F.L.U.D.D. as both a cleaning tool and platforming device let the series soar to new heights in some very clever ways. Featuring some of the most vibrant levels worth coming back to multiple times, it also finally gave us access to Yoshi in a 3D playground teeming with excellent platforming possibilities, alongside some truly challenging segments. - Brendan Graeber

8. Super Mario Bros.<br> <p>You could write a book on how Super Mario Bros. not only helped save the video game industry, but also paved the way for the 30 years of our medium that followed. It solidified our fearless plumber as an icon synonymous with video games. It offered a perfectly-tuned challenge while also encouraging exploration and experimentation. And it gave players a sense of ownership via Mario’s pinpoint inertia that had rarely been seen in games before that. But apart from the NES masterpiece’s undeniable mark on history, it’s the little details that stick with us after all this time. Like the way that the clouds are just palette-swapped bushes. Or how the increased tempo of Koji Kondo’s incredible score is matched with the dwindling timer. There’s a reason Super Mario Bros. has been re-released about a hundred times in the past three decades -- simply put, it’s one of the foundations of our medium. - Marty Sliva

7. Super Mario 3D World<br> <p>Not only is Super Mario 3D World one of the very best games on the Wii U, but it stands tall as one of Mario’s absolute best adventures. It builds upon the diorama-feel of 3D Land by making the stages larger, filling them with interesting puzzles, and constantly switching up the aesthetic. You can also play through all of 3D World alongside three friends, which makes for some of the absolute best multiplayer the series has ever offered. Finally, it pulls in a ton of classic Mario power-ups, while also introducing a few that pretty much need to be in every Mario adventure for the rest of time. Seriously, once you see Mario and pals wearing cat costumes then cloning themselves using Double Cherries, your life will never be the same again. - Marty Sliva

6. Super Mario Galaxy 2<br> <p>Super Mario Galaxy 2 is to 3D Mario games as Super Mario Bros. 3 is to the 2D iterations: pure platforming goodness. Coming so quickly on the heels of Galaxy 1, SMG 2 is not nearly as surprising as its predecessor, but it is so much more refined. Focusing on pushing players from one level to the next rather than having them explore for challenges, SMG 2 hones in on what made the first game such a breath of fresh air while making smart tweaks and additions to the formula. The inclusion of Yoshi and new powers like the Drill and Cloud suits only further push the possibilities of the gravity-based challenges. But more so than just throwing new ideas at an already solid foundation, Galaxy 2 feels like a culmination of so many ideas from past Mario experiences pieced together in a brilliant platformer that, even at its most difficult, is still a joy to play. - Jonathon Dornbush