The Best Mario Game On Every Nintendo Console

Nintendo may have the most iconic lineup of consoles in video game history. Having been there from the start of the industry’s big boom and still cruising to this day, this company has been a juggernaut with each gaming generation, even starting a fair few ongoing trends on its own. Truly, there aren’t many things Nintendon’t do.

But the company also enjoys familiarity, namely with its flagship Mario games. Virtually every system has produced several games in the overly enthusiastic plumber’s series that consistently dominate the charts. So which games stand atop the pile of memorable offerings (and whatever Mario is Missing was) as the best of their time?

12

NES

Super Mario Bros. 3

The jump between the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES is substantial, and that’s not even counting the almost literal fever dream that was Super Mario Bros. 2. The first two games in the series remain iconic to this day, but number three was something special.

It evolved the series in unexpected ways, adding (among other elements) the ability to fly and the ability to be eaten by a fish. It still controls like a dream and essentially establishes the series’ ongoing identity arguably more than the original. Plus, it was unveiled in a movie. Any kid who saw The Wizard in theaters will never forget that experience, for better or worse.

11

Game Boy

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

For such a tiny handheld device released in the 80s, the Game Boy was a powerhouse for what it provided. Monochrome colors aside, it provided an almost console-level experience anywhere, provided you had steady light or the patience to wait for passing streetlamps. One perfect example is Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

No shade to the original Super Mario Land, but its sequel knocked it out of the park in its presentation. Big and recognizable sprites, satisfying controls, and the debut of Wario himself count among this game’s claims to fame, and they’re all well-deserved.

10

SNES

Super Mario World

Ask a room full of speedrunners which Mario game is their favorite and they’ll probably yell at you for breaking their concentration. But afterward, many will likely cite the SNES’ very own Super Mario World.

While not quite as noticeable of a jump as Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World tightened everything about its predecessors even further. This includes now legendary visuals, a memorable ragtime-inspired soundtrack, and near-flawless controls that allow for some truly wild hacks over the years.

9

Virtual Boy

Mario’s Tennis

Hey, the Virtual Boy is a Nintendo console, as much as Nintendo themselves might want to forget that. This migraine doctor moneymaker might be seen as a misstep today, but back in the day, it wasn’t seen as much of anything due to eye strain.

But numerous jokes aside, the system did manage to introduce a handful of competent titles, including Mario’s Tennis. Despite having no multiplayer, it was a fascinating novelty for the time. Tennis in 3D felt natural, making it much easier to gauge where the ball was, and it controlled about as well as you could expect. Hey, the bar wasn’t exactly stratosphere-level here.

8

Nintendo 64

Super Mario 64

Where most other 3D games at the time were still trying to figure out how to make Resident Evil-style tank controls work, Super Mario 64 nearly single-handedly ushered in a paradigm shift. Any doubts about the Nintendo 64’s at the time baffling controller were immediately dashed when you got your hands on this puppy.

Nearly every 3D platformer with an emphasis on freedom of movement owes its existence to this game right here. Controlling Mario in a 3D space for the first time felt like a true step into the future, and it wasn’t just a gimmick. Everything about Super Mario 64 comes together so well and it stands the test of time.

7

Game Boy Advance

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

As the successor to the Game Boy, the Game Boy Advance had some big brick-shaped shoes to fill. Luckily, it knew the steps, switching the control scheme around to be arguably more ergonomic and effectively acting as a more powerful handheld SNES.

It had an odd lack of original Mario games, with most being re-releases and remakes of classics. But Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga changed all that, launching a beloved and genuinely hilarious RPG series that would eventually take players across worlds, into dreams, and inside Bowser’s body. Colonoscopies are wild these days.

6

GameCube

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Now some might insist that Super Mario Sunshine is the GameCube’s premiere Mario game, and that’s a valid argument. But there can be only one, and what kind of just world would this be if Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door didn’t get its proper recognition?

Thousand-Year Door was like tuning up a classic car. A few tweaks to the original Paper Mario formula with better graphics, more versatile combat, and seriously fantastic writing, and this baby purrs. It still holds up as one of the funniest Mario games, and the solid gameplay ensures nerds and comedians alike stay happy.

5

Nintendo DS

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

Some might consider New Super Mario Bros. to be the quintessential Nintendo DS Mario game. True, it ushered in a new age for the series, but you know what it wasn’t? A sequel to Superstar Saga where you spend half the game sloshing around in Bowser’s innards. Presenting: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story.

The comedic writing of the previous game gets cranked way up here. Plus, the DS’ dual screens allowed for some interesting ideas, like switching screens to play as Bowser and even holding the system sideways to engage in kaiju battles against buildings. That admittedly doesn’t make much more sense in-game.

4

Wii

Super Mario Galaxy 2

This might as well be a coin toss or a gladiatorial battle depending on who you ask. But yes, it can be argued that either Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the best Mario game on the Wii. It can be argued, it has been argued, and it will be argued. Video games are fun.

But as for reasoning, while Super Mario Galaxy felt like something truly new for the series with a rare enjoyable use of motion controls, its sequel took everything it did and improved it, adding more level variety, more challenge, and Yoshi. Far less Rosalina in this one, unfortunately. Understandable if that’s a dealbreaker.

3

Nintendo 3DS

Super Mario 3D Land

The glasses-free 3D gimmick of the Nintendo 3DS was certainly enough to grab people’s attention. But this robust little handheld wouldn’t have taken off like it did if it didn’t have the software to back it up. Along with some excellent 3DS RPGs, it also created a whole new long-running vibe for Mario.

Super Mario 3D Land might not be remembered as much as its Wii U and Switch follow-up, but it’s got it where it counts. The clever use of 3D for puzzles and navigating levels still works, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a handheld 3D platformer that handles this well.

2

Wii U

Super Mario 3D World

Maybe Super Mario 3D World was presumptuous in keeping the 3D name from its 3DS predecessor. But this Wii U game was good enough to get a re-release on the Nintendo Switch, so maybe it gets a pass for the cool factor.

It’s really more of the same, but bigger and without the stereoscopic 3D effect. So of course it was going to be good. It also introduced the cat power-up, which means that technically, if it wasn’t for Super Mario 3D Land, those dominoes would have never fallen to “Mario wears a cat suit in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

1

Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey feels like a culmination of every main Mario game that came before it. Fun movement from 64 and Sunshine, fantastical worlds like Galaxy, really weird stuff (Sunshine again), it’s all there.

The Nintendo Switch has an incredible library of Mario games, but Odyssey stands tall nonetheless. There’s a sense of wonder and discovery (yes, even more than Super Mario Bros. Wonder) and you’ll never forget the first time you possess and control an entire T-Rex.