Best Vs Worst - Super Mario Bros Games

[MSR1701]

With well over 35 years of games built up, what would you say are the Best and Worst Super Mario Bros. games in your eyes? These can be the main 2D/3D platformers, sports games, spin-off games, whatever you love/Hate! What are your thoughts?

[DrLitch]

In the mainline I do not think there exists a bad Mario game. The most middling of the lot is probably the second Mario game which was really a Master mode of the first Super Mario Bros game. Super Mario Land 2 on the Gameboy was not very good. Mario Hotel was almost good. I am also not a huge fan of Mario Kart and only really like the first game on the SNES.

Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Odyssey would head the list of my favorites. You can chuck Mario 3 and Super Mario World in the mix as well. On a good day I really like Doki Doki Panic which is Mario 2 for us. Mario RPG is delightful and can be thrown into the mix, along with Mario Vs Rabbids which is underrated.

Any Mario Sports game in my opinion sucks. Mario Tennis on Wii U was abysmal. Anything with Golf in it stinks even more. While I like fighting sports, Smash Bros was awful and not my cup of tea at all.

[Zack Burner]

Being a Mario fan for a majority my life, this is going to be good. On the NES side, the first and third were big parts of my childhood, the second however not so much. On the SNES side, I like all. Super Mario 64, which I’m now trying thanks to 3D all-stars, I like it but it feels just a little bare bones by my standards, though the caps at least keep things interesting. I absolutely love Sunshine, though Galaxy is little overwhelming. I also have Tennis on GBC which I got as a reward for a good report card.

[mbd36]

I know that subsequent games improved on the mechanics, but I like the straightforward simplicity of the original Super Mario Bros the best. It's the least gimmicky and it's not too long.

[ThePixelatedGenocide]

With well over 35 years of games built up, what would you say are the Best and Worst Super Mario Bros. games in your eyes? These can be the main 2D/3D platformers, sports games, spin-off games, whatever you love/Hate! What are your thoughts?

Worst:

Super Mario Bros Special for Japanese computers is a flickering hellscape of cheap deaths and enemies with blood red eyes. Yet, it's nowhere near as terrifying as the predatory microtransactions demanded by Mario Kart Tour.

Best:

Super Mario Bros. 3/Odyssey (Tie.)

Each one is like receiving an entire toybox for Christmas, filled with things you didn't even know you could ask for. Only someone knew you'd enjoy them anyways.

Worst Best:

Super Mario Galaxy in handheld mode. Those Wiimote controls weren't designed for touchscreen.

Best Worst:

Super Smash Bros Ultimate's single player is one of my favorite retrogaming museums. Sure, it's shallow, but it's also spectacularly over the top and packed with content.

Besides, half the people complaining about it's movelist spam fireballs until you jump into their dragon uppercut.

[JohanOberg]

2D
Best: Super Mario Bros 3
"Worst": Super Mario Bros 2 (japanese, the "lost levels") it's just too hard and not that fun to play, but it's not a bad game.

3D
Best: Super Mario Galaxy
"Worst": Super Mario Sunshine

Kart
Best: Mario Kart 64(nostalgia) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Worst: Mario Kart Super Circuit, I don't love Mario Kart in 2D/Mode 7 and the GBA one is on GBA so SNES auto-wins because I prefer console games.

Hotel Mario doesn't count as a Mario game by the way.

[CaptainCruch]

BEST:
I grew up with the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES (everyone here had the Duck Hunt/Super Mario cartridge) and it's still one of my favorites. But I agree with some others here that Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) is the best, that game is amazing. I also find the original Super Mario Land 1 (Game Boy) excellent, and I also still enjoy a bit of 2-player Dr. Mario (NES) once in a while. For the non-canon Mario games I also have a soft spot for Mario Teaches Typing (DOS), another game I grew up with.

SUMMARY BEST: 1) Super Mario Galay/Wii, 2) Super Mario Bros./NES, 3) Super Mario Land/Game Boy, 4) Dr. Mario/NES, 5) Mario Teaches Typing (DOS)

WORST
One of my least favorite Mario games is Super Mario Bros. Wii. I can't really explain why, I just didn't enjoy it very much. Maybe I had had a little bit too much Mario at that point in my life . For the non-canon games, I also don't enjoy Hotel Mario (CD-i), that game is more annoying that fun. Also, Super Mario The Lost Levels (aka the original Japanse SMB2) isn't particular fun, since it's just made to torture you (I prefer the American/European SMB2). Last but not least, I still haven't made my mind up about Super Mario Run (smartphone); I find it kind of annoying the game has to be played with the screen vertically instead of horizontally.

SUMMARY WORST: 1) Hotel Mario/CD-i, 2) Super Mario: Lost Levels/JP SMB2/NES, 3) Super Mario Run/smartphone, 4) Super Mario Bros. Wii

[noah98]

I'm not sure I can choose best and worst, but here's my take:

Favorites = Super Mario 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario 2, Super Mario Odyssey

Least Favorite mainline game = Super Mario Sunshine

I've tried to like Sunshine, but there are too many things that feel off. The difficulty is often frustrating, the mechanics aren't that satisfying, and the lack of variety in the stages (all tropical) is disappointing.

I also still like Super Mario 64, but objectively speaking, it doesn't hold up as well.

[Hagane]

Best:

Super Mario Bros 3 - The best game of the 8 bits era, simple as that.
Super Mario World - Love the fact that when you have the Fireflower it feels like a Mega Man game, also when you have the Cape Feather it feels like a Ninja Gaiden game cos you can slash enemies with the cape.
Super Mario Galaxy - Fantastic.
Super Mario Land - Like the simplicity of it, like it better than Land 2.


Worst:

Super Mario Sunshine - Never like it.
Super Mario Bros 2 Japanese version - Too hard.
New Super Mario Bros DS - Ok-ish at best.

[Voor]

I'm not sure I can choose best and worst, but here's my take:

Favorites = Super Mario 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario 2, Super Mario Odyssey

Least Favorite mainline game = Super Mario Sunshine

I've tried to like Sunshine, but there are too many things that feel off. The difficulty is often frustrating, the mechanics aren't that satisfying, and the lack of variety in the stages (all tropical) is disappointing.

I also still like Super Mario 64, but objectively speaking, it doesn't hold up as well.

Wow, this is 100% what I was going to write. I will agree that while they’re “good” games, I don’t love the “new” 2D Mario games. Still, they have value for finally getting to play some 2D multiplayer Mario.

Where does Mario Party and Mario Maker fit into this?