The Mario series is considered to be one of the gaming world’s most successful and well-known franchises. Most of its games, specifically those created within the Super Mario subseries, are regarded as some of the greatest video games to have ever been made. With more than two-hundred different games made in various genres and several sub-series, there is definitely a Mario game for everyone out there! Well, I’m here to give you my top four all-time favorite Mario Bros games and why I choose them over all the rest.
Super Mario Bros. (1985)
This was the first Mario game made for a platform vs arcade and will always remain not only in my top four favorite versions of Mario but also, in my top all-time favorite games period! Yes, retro-themed nostalgia plays a certain part in my love for this game, but it is also pretty top-notch option-wise for its time. Not only did you get a multiplayer mode, players could choose to join the game as Mario’s brother Luigi, but you also got some pretty awesome power-ups as well, such as the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman. Being a side-scrolling platformer with minimal gameplay movement options, this makes for a perfect game even for a beginner in the gamer world!
Super Mario Kart (1992)
Now this particular Mario racing themed game has managed to obtain many hours of my day as a child (ok as an adult too) sitting in front of my Super Nintendo but who could blame me when you have the option of playing as one of eight different Mario series-based characters in several single and multiplayer modes! The various characters (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong Jr., Koopa Troopa, and Toad) and game modes (single-player offered Grand Prix or Time Trial Mode and multiplayer offered Grand Prix, Match Race, or Battle Mode) are what make me absolutely love this game. There are even four cups (the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and the Special Cup) within the Grand Prix and each contains five different tracks for a total of twenty tracks with an additional four unique Battle Mode courses too. I would recommend this game for anyone who enjoys Mario and racing games!
Super Mario ‘64 (1996)
This was a first of its kind for the Mario series in the fact that it featured 3D gameplay in a playable open-world that also had 3D objects as well. In this game, Mario is able to do more activities for the first time, such as crouch, crawl, swim, climb, kick, or punch using a combination of the game controller's analog stick and buttons. He even features special jumps that can be done by putting together a regular jump with other actions, that includes the double and triple jumps, long jump, backflip, and wall jumping (jumping from one wall to another in order to reach any higher areas otherwise inaccessible). My favorite part of this game (besides jumping into the paintings to start a new level) was the three different special cap power-ups, the Wing Cap (which allows Mario to fly), the Metal Cap (which makes Mario immune to most damage, allows him to withstand wind, walk underwater, and be tolerate of noxious gases), and the Vanish Cap (makes Mario partially immaterial which allows him to walk through some obstacles such as wire mesh, as well as granting invulnerability to some forms of damage) that appear throughout various stages. This game is great for RPG (role-playing game) lovers of all ages!
Mario Party (1999)
This Mario Party game was the first of the party game series in which the gameplay was presented in the form of a traditional board game and gave you the option of six different playable characters (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Wario, and Donkey Kong). It featured various boards with multiple mini-games that were played between turns taken among four players consisting of at least one human-controlled character and the other three controlled by the computer or additional players. The ultimate goal was to be the one who had obtained the most stars through purchasing them with the coins won throughout board movement and mini-games. Mario Party, in my opinion, is the ultimate family time game for all ages making it capable of creating endless memories.
With so many different games to choose from, the Mario series is a timeless set of games that any well-versed gamer can relate to putting many hours into. Having spanned across multiple generations through various console options, it'd be hard to find a gamer who didn’t know Mario these days. Mario’s family-oriented themes with child-friendly controls have even made it a choice of most parents! In conclusion, almost all of the Mario games are great, these particular games just happen to be my favorite.
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