With the imminent release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury at Switch and the celebrations of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario that ended in a matter of weeks, we thought it was time to try to put all the original Mario 2D adventure platforms in some sort of order. We’ve previously looked at all the major 3D games in the Super Mario series, but now it’s your chance to classify all of the Plumber’s 2D adventures in the last three and a half decades.
So here we present all the 2D Mario games ranked between the worst (a term has rarely been used in a more relative sense) and the best. We omitted certain ports and hand throws in order to streamline things, so you’ll find the most “significant” version if there’s more than one version of the game (and these days there may be a lot to choose from). We have also ruled out the actual battle of thirty-five players Super Mario Bros. 35 from the race as, unfortunately, it will not be a permanent concern in the Mario canon passed on March 31, 2021.
This ranking comes from user ratings of Nintendo Life readers for games in our database and is subject to real-time fluctuations even after publication. Yes, this means that it is entirely possible to influence the next ranking if you have not yet scored your favorites. To do this, simply click on the game you want to score and assign a score to the game page.
Many thanks to everyone who rated their favorites. Without further ado, let’s delve into your ranking of each 2D Mario game …
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
In his own words, Super Mario Run is a great translation of 2D plumbers work of art in the smartphone space. The fact that it looks so much like an entry into the “New” branch of Marios 2D may set higher expectations than it could have been for the first Mario game to appear on non-Nintendo hardware for a long time, but this entry is an elegant example of transitioning a beloved character and series to a totally different platform and embracing the differences of that platform with a personalized experience; a real Mario game that you can play with one hand.
Remix x10 mode added after release offers a lot of main game levels and adds longevity after conquering all countries, and has a level of Nintendo polish, with no invasive microtransactions or irritating coins or recovery timers. . Super Mario Run would never replace Mario World in the pantheon of 2D platform plumbers, but it was never supposed to; It offers short bursts of fun perfect for situations where the Switch is not an option. Super Mario Run does what it set out to do, and well, that’s why we admire it.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
Also known as 2 of Super Mario Bros. in Japan, this time it was the “grail” for Western players who knew the first game first and wanted a bigger challenge. The lost levels no doubt this causes it, and for this reason they are best enjoyed by Super Mario Bros. veterans. Players who come into the world of Mario will probably find it baffling and fun hard.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
A rare sequel to Mario with numbers, this is a series that continues to divide players to this day. New Super Mario Bros.2 the collection of coins (of all things) was doubled to create a strangely compulsive platform game in the family mold. Although hardly revolutionary, autostereoscopic 3D was a nice touch and, if you can embrace the banality of your obsession with gold, it’s a very solid and very enjoyable 2D Mario.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R + D1
Super Mario Land it was awesome when it was first released for Game Boy. The sequel might have made this original seem inappropriate in comparison, but it’s still a very fun, albeit brief, Super Mario experience. Almost the moment things are going well, the credits move, but if you haven’t played Super Mario Land before, you should give it a try; it’s still worth playing at least once, if only to see where Mario’s portable adventures began. Cracking music, too.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros. In Deluxe is an awesome package, offering the best of Mario 2D of the modern era, madcap multiplayer and visits of the outrageous invention that was to enter Super Mario Odyssey. This is a Mario game with top drawers and arguably the best in the “New” branch, whether you’re playing Wii U or Switch, despite the aging images and the irritation of stepping back on the world map. after each death stand out as things that could have been improved in this Deluxe version. Still, with New Super Luigi U included, this is a very fine Mario (and Luigi) 2D package.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
This follow-up cemented another game entirely with Mario and teammates. for the release in the West (where Nintendo of America feared that players could not cope with the punishment of The Lost Levels). Despite being a black sheep in his homeland, 2 of Super Mario Bros. he had a huge influence on the iconography of the series. It’s definitely worth revisiting the game (Nintendo Switch Online is the easiest place to find it these days), if only to remind you of the difference between what came before and after. With four characters that can be played (and very different) to choose from, we highly recommend a tour.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
Decided by some as mere shadows of the original games, there is no denying the popularity of the new series. The original New Super Mario Bros. It may shed a “state there, done this” these days, but it opened up 2D Mario to a whole new generation. We dinosaurs can hold our pixels and “classic” games, but here’s still an extraordinarily solid Mario platformer. No, it’s not the pinnacle of the series either absolutely essential in the grand scheme of things, but there is still much to like.