Top 10 Mario Games (as of 2003)

We are back with Classic Fries! Every Saturday, we will pull something from The Museum and reprint it for those to enjoy! This gives those a chance who never got a chance to read it the first time a second chance, since the Museum itself is so large and its hard for anyone to decide where to begin.

Today, we will be digging from the archives of 2D Gaming Central. I wrote this in 2003, so there has been about 500 Mario games since then, but it is an interesting look at some of the all-time classic Mario games.

Hello everybody, this is TruePsychoPhreak here with another edition of T.W.I.G. Last week I talked about how it all started for me on gaming. Since my first ever game was Mario, I thought I would cover "My Top 10 Favorite Mario Games." This is not an official list. This is just my personal opinions. This includes all 2D, 3D, spin-offs, or anything starring a character from the Mushroom Kingdom (eg. Luigi's Mansion). Cameos are not included. (e.g. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!) So enjoy this week's edition of Ten.

Top 10 Favorite Mario Games

10. Dr. Mario for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1990)

For many people, Tetris was their first puzzle game they had really became engrossed in. However, being only 7 and recognizing the Mario brand, my first puzzle game was Dr. Mario.

In Dr. Mario, you must stack a combination of four of a color. That could be 2 viruses, 2 pills, or it could be 3 pills, 1 virus. The goal is to clear the stomach of all the viruses. Like all great puzzle games, it starts off simple & easy. Then, by the time you have reached level 24, the game gets immensely harder.

To me, this is one of the top puzzle games, and I am glad to see that it is getting remade for the Nintendo Game Cube.

9. Super Mario RPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1996)

Super Mario RPG brought the Mushroom Kingdom into a Role Playing Game universe. Mario must team up with his friends (and a certain arch-nemesis) to face off against the evil Smithy.

What made this game to be better than its poor sequel, Paper Mario, was the fact that Nintendo enlisted what many people consider to be the best RPG creators ever, Square-Enix. Not only that, but the graphics were some of the best ever to be seen on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This is a great game, and I hope it gets remade sometime.

8. Mario Party Series (Nintendo 64, Nintendo Game Cube)

Ever since Mario Party was released for the Nintendo 64, I have been a big fan of the series. With the exception of maybe ruling out Mario Party 3, it was a tough decision to decide on which Mario Party game I had enjoyed the most. So I decided to just vote on all of the games getting one slot.

In other words, its a three-way tie between Mario Party, Mario Party 2, and Mario Party 4. The game itself started a whole new genre that was rarely seen before this game. It is a board game, and at the end of each turn, a mini-game happens. There are almost 30 - 50 mini-games in each entry into the series. Unfortunately, this game is best played with a room full of people. This has been about the only thing that has held the Mario Party series from being considered by many as one of the top games of all time.

7. Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island for Super Nintendo Entertainment System(1995)

It had been almost four years since Nintendo gave the fans what they wanted. A brand new 2D platform game in the Mario series. We finally received that game in the form of Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island. This game served as a prequel to the Mario series with Mario's first encounter with Bowser. The game puts players in the role of Yoshi who must protect Baby Mario as he escorts him to Baby Luigi.

This is one of the most finely crafted platform games to ever exist. The levels, extras, graphics, sound, and game play of Yoshi's Island are almost perfect. The only thing that keeps me from getting this a number one slot is because I have personally enjoyed the other games better. However, this is still a highly recommended game from my point of view.

6. Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 (2000)

Some people feel that the Sega Sports Tennis series is the best Tennis games ever created. However, I have never had quite the Tennis experience from any other game like Mario Tennis. Mario Tennis's name pretty much describes to everyone what the game is. It is a Tennis starring characters from the Mushroom Kingdom.

Some will disagree with me on whether this deserves the number 6 slot, but I feel it does because of the amount of hours I clocked in on this game. This game is good by yourself, and even better played with others. This is one of the most underrated games ever, and is a great title that should be in every Nintendo 64 owners collection.

5. Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64 (1996)

This game will always have a special place because of the fact that it was the first 3-D game I ever really had a chance to sit down and play. Not a bad way for someone to start out on 3-D games, is it?

The game puts Mario for the first time in a completely 3-D universe. The Princess has once again been captured by Bowser, but this time in her own castle. Mario must find portals (usually paintings) to secret worlds, and collect the stars in those worlds. Once Mario has acquired enough stars, he can go toe-to-toe with Bowser himself. This was a great game, but it set the standard that not even Mario Sunshine was able to pass. Now most platforming games try to be like Mario 64 with all of the pointless collecting. In my eyes, there can be only one Super Mario 64.

4. Mario Kart Series for SNES, N64, GBA, and GameCube

I agree with the majority of gamers who agree that the Mario Kart series are the best Mario spin-offs to have ever been created.

From the original SNES classic to the upcoming innovative GameCube title, Mario Kart has always managed to capture gamers into their own world.

This slot includes all of the Mario Kart titles, because they are all just that good.

3. Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1990)

I was excited with the release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. I didn't know what to expect from games other than "better graphics." Super Mario World did more than just take Mario into better graphics. Mario World did more for gaming than just showcase better graphics.

It was the beginning of gaming to have big environments, and multiple paths for one to take towards the end. The game itself is played like a traditional Mario game. The Princess & Yoshi eggs have been captured, and Mario must go through 8 worlds to rescue them. Along the way, he will have the aid of many different power-ups and Yoshi. There are a total of 98 unique levels in this game in a 8 worlds (plus 2 secret ones). This makes for probably the biggest Mario game to have ever been created.

2. Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1985)

This is it. This is the game that revived video games from almost near-extinction. Super Mario Brothers took the infamous Mario from Donkey Kong & Mario Brothers, and it put him in what was a big world at the time. You can even credit this game for bringing the platform game genre into the limelight.

The Princess has been captured (for the first time ever), and it is up to Mario (or Luigi) to go through 32 amazing levels until he defeats Bowser himself. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest games to have ever been created. The graphics, music, gameplay, and replay value are perfect for the time it was released. It is also one of the best selling games of all time. I highly recommend this for anyone and everyone who is in the mood for a classic.

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 for Nintendo Entertainment System (1987)

"Wow, Super Mario Brothers was actually topped?" is the question many are probably asking, but the truth is "yes." It took Super Mario Bros. 3 to be my favorite Mario game ever. Super Mario Bros. 3 took the ideas from the original game, and improved upon them in everyway. Describing the game in only one paragraph wouldn't do the game any justice. It is just that good. I recommend this to anyone. What makes it even better is that it is getting an upcoming remake for the Game Boy Advance. You must play this game no matter what form it is in.