Earlier today ronk linked to a “Best ‘Mainline’ Mario Games” list by the esteemed (?) Jermy Perish:
It’s just a list, sure, but the top and bottom entries (NSMBU and the Lost Levels, respectively) are weapons-grade hot-takes, at least judging by the amount of discussion the list has generated in the Mario Odyssey thread.
We can do better than that (or at least have different opinions).
Commence.
SMB1 should be evaluated out of competition, it’s too significant on its own and too inferior to other entries when evaluated “”“objectively”""
64 almost is too though tbh
I think the conversation is more about “are any of the NSMB / Galaxy-era games actually good rather than loathsome” since we’ve had the SMB3/SMW argument sooooooo many times and there’s basically consensus on 3DL/3DW
the best mario game is mario and sonic at the london olympics
Super Mario All-Stars is the best Mario game.
Super Mario Land 2 holds a special place for me
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land is the best Mario and it says it’s a Mario Land right in the title, so there.
At the end of the game you get a palace based on the number of coins and secret treasures you collected over the entire game:
which is why 64 can still be evaluated by current standards because, (clunky funky camera aside), it still plays pretty damn well, even when stacked against Sunshine & the Galaxies (in a lot of ways, still better) or hell, even any other 3D platformer ever/ made
Odyssey really is, in numerous ways, a sequel to 64, not to mention an evolution of the ideas and philosophy of SM3DW challenge/level design, which is why i’m having a hard time figuring out which one of those is number one and two on my list
i ahven’t played al the marios yet but im pretty sure world and 2sa are the best for 2d
That’s sort of where the collection of NSMB games gets an automatic shift downward. Most of its movement mechanics are rehashes of previous games without thought for the environment they’re part of. Or I guess the environment wasn’t built for the movement mechanics. Even the ones unique to the game (helicopter, penguin, giant) feel criminally underused and unexplored.
The games were built around the idea of marrying the 2d and 3d environs together by using the ideas that were most effective in the original. But once isolated and glommed together, they are no longer as effective.
in the other thread somebody mentioned how difficult it might be ranking some of these games against each other, so i’ve spent a downright embarrassing amount of time assembling something i’m calling the Super Mario Super Maddening Mostly Abbrivated March Madness-style Super Tournament Ranking List
PURE 2D MUSTACHE
WIDE 3D WORLDS
2D/3D MECHANICAL HYBRIDS
WILD CARD PLATFORMER-LIKES
(PLUMBER-ONLY) OVERALL TOP 5
having not played odyssey I do find 3DW (which I adore, and which for my money was the only really essential release since 64) more appealing in principle
The best Mario is Mario Maker and it will be overthrown when they make a sequel with slopes.
Yes, but it is also necessarily the WORST Mario as well. It can be, must be both
i still believe that one day Super Mario Bros. 4 will be made
super mario kart?..
im gonna go ahead and put em all in one list cuz FUCK IT (i excluded mario land 2 as i haven’t played it :C )
New Super Mario Bros
New Super Mario Bros Wii
Super Mario Galaxy
New Super Mario Bros 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario World
New Super Mario Bros U
Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Bros 2
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario Bros
New Super Luigi U
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario 64
Mario 64 has probably jumped like 7 spaces in the last year or so. It’s such a weird game, and I have very complicated feelings about it, but I love its aesthetic and its confidence.
Let me just skip the last several I did not play, and note that like always my opinions are highly suspect…
Super Mario World
Yoshi’s Island
Super Mario Sunshine
Lost Levels
Super Mario 3
Super Mario Galaxy 1/2 (they kinda blur together in my brain)
Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 2
Mario 64
Super Mario Land
New Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Land 2
New Super Mario Bros Wii
…yeah, that’s close enough. Kinda hate the physics in the NSMB games.
SPARRING AND SPORTING-SPECIFIC SPIN-OFF SUPER STANDINGS
Here is my hastily written list pasted from the other thread.
I feel like it should be mentioned that Super Paper Mario is abysmal.
I was never a big 2D Mario fan, I know, edgy and controversial
But
I loooove Sunshine. I like it much more than 64 even though I like 64 a lot
