Looking at: Mario platformers

Super Jump Man

Mario is, hands down, the most well known video game character ever made. If you ask people who have never touched a gaming console in their lives to tell you one video game character, they'll probably at least somewhat describe the red suspenders wearing plumber. 

2015 marks Mario's 30th anniversary, and to mark the occasion I thought I'd rank the Mario platformers, worst to best, since these are Mario at his finest. Here are all eleven 2D mario platformers, starting at the bottom:

11 - Super Mario Land (Gameboy)

I'm placing this one at the bottom for two reasons:

1) It's the only one on the list I've never played very much

2) It's not all that great regardless. 

I realized while researching this game that SML is actually the first Mario game I ever did play, specifically on my friend Josh's black and white gameboy at recess in grade 1. Unfortunately that gameboy just wasn't really up to the task of creating a full Mario experience, and while the game may play decently, there's a host of issues, ranging from limited level design, and the smallest amount of levels in a Mario game, to the worst iteration of the Fire Flower. It was a valiant attempt at porting the entire Mario experience to handheld, but it just wasn't as good. 

10 - New Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS)

New Super Mario Bros was a breath of fresh air, and I'll get to it later, but it's sequel on the 3DS failed to pack any sort of punch. By filling the game with thousands and thousands of coins, it pointed out how trivial both the coin collection system had become, but lives became completely pointless, since you'd have well over thirty by the end of the first world. Compound that with a lack of challenging levels and a bunch of rehashes from NSMB and NSMB2 just isn't that great of a Mario game. It's enjoyable, sure, but there are so many better choices. 

9 - Super Mario Bros 2 (NES, SNES)

Ok, right off the bat, this game shouldn't even technically be on the list, since it's not really a Mario game. It's actually just a re-skin of a completely unrelated game called Doki Doki Panic. The story goes that Nintendo was worried that the actual Mario Bros 2 was to difficult for Western audiences, so they pallet-swapped this unknown game and sold it as Mario Bros 2. 

All that aside, it's not a totally bad game. I gets a bad rap because of how different it is from the rest of the series, but it did help to establish some things that have since become cannon, like Luigi's better jumping ability at the cost of control, or Peach's limited floating ability. Still, it's a weak platformer and the grab-and-throw mechanic doesn't really fit well with Mario, especially not on the NES. 

8 -  Lost Levels (SNES)

The actual followup to Super Mario Bros, only released in the west as part of the Mario All Stars pack for the SNES. Nintendo were worried it was to hard for Western audiences and they were kind of right. The Lost Levels are brutal, cranking the difficulty up to 11 almost immediately and only getting harder as you go. It plays just like the vanilla Mario, and that's great, but it's insanely hard, to the point where it stops being fun. 

7  - New Super Mario Bros. U (WiiU)

Much like the above mentioned NSMB2, this one is lower on the list for just being a follow-up to a better game. Good levels, and a Luigi-themed expansion pack, coupled with the four player multiplayer makes this a completely competent game, but it hardly utilizes it's hardware, and at best feels like an expansion pack for Mario Wii. There's nothing wrong with NSMBU, but there's nothing that really sets it apart either. 

6 - Mario Land 2 (Gameboy)

Mario Land 2 might be the most unknown game on this list, but that's a shame since it's really good. Completely disregarding the NES Mario games, ML2 wasn't afraid to put the Gameboy through it's paces. Using sprites from the recent SNES Mario title helped the game look better then it was, and as a potable Mario experience, it's amazing for it's time. 

5 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

Four player co-op Mario might be one of the best and worst ideas the series has ever had. The chaos and carnage created with Mario, Luigi, and two Toads on screen at the same time is something that has to be experienced for real. Not content to just let four people play Mario at the same time, NSMB Wii was a well balanced and well made Mario game that's just fun to play, either by yourself or with friends. 

4 - Mario Brothers (NES, SNES)

The original that started it all, created a legend, and made Nintendo a houshold name. Amazingly, the original Mario Bros holds up pretty well, even thirty years on. It's simplistic, crude, and short, but works in every way. People have often said that Nintendo is afraid to innovate, but that might be because they got it so right on the first try. The platforming in Mario is sublime, and it became the standard of all platformers to follow. 

3 - New Super Mario Brothers (DS)

"New" is something of an odd adjective to place in the title of this game, and yet it fits so well. NSMB was exactly what the Mario franchise needed after so many 3D outings, a complete tear down and return to form with a shiny new coat of paint, and that's exactly what this DS title offered. The gameplay was largely the same as the old Mario games, but it's what it added that made it stand out. The art style was an interesting mix of 3D models on a 2D plane that made the game look better then it really was, but it was the level design itself that stood out. Each level is memorable, even if it doesn't have any sort of gimmick, because of how well put together they are, using angles and shapes the old Mario games barely dreamed of. With plenty of secrets, collectibles, and a player VS player mode, this really is one of the all time best Mario games, best DS games, and best platformers ever made. 

2 - Mario Bros 3 (NES, SNES)

Creating so much of what would eventually become Mario standard, and kicking ass while doing it. Mario 3 was so good that it got it's own HD remake back before that was cool. The level design is a how-to of great design, with each level introducing a new challenge while still keeping in line with the world it exists in. Mario 3 also introduced the idea of non-linear level progression with the over-world map, and added mini-games into the mix as well. Never mind the fact that the game is just really fun to play, with a host of cool power-ups and items, awesomely surreal levels, challenging boss fights, and plenty to see and do. Mario 3 is legendary not only for what it introduced, but also for just being a really amazing game. 

1 - Super Mario World (SNES)

I have lost count of how many times I've beaten SMW. Seriously. It's been out for 25 years and I've beaten it so many times I can't remember any more. 

Super Mario World should be in a museum as a piece of art, and it's damn near perfect from ever angle. The art style is iconic, with expert sprite work that looks great and moves fluidly. The back grounds are colorful and varied, making each level feel different from each other. The platforming is nearly flawless, with jumps that will challenge you and the ability to glide opening up new possibility every few levels. 

It's the levels themselves, I think, that make SMW the masterpiece that it is. There's an obvious pace to the main levels, slowly introducing new ideas as you go and making you figure everything out. Even better is the amount of levels there are to unlock, with entire worlds hidden away behind mysterious keyholes and out of place pipes. 

I really could ramble on forever about what makes Super Mario World so great, but I'm afraid of being accused of having rose tinted glasses. I re-played Mario World again recently, just to see, and while my reflexes aren't what they were when I was seven, the game was still incredibly enjoyable. It's available on the E-shop now, and elsewhere if you know where to look, and I encourage anyone that enjoys Mario games, great design, wonderful artwork, or just a fun game to give it a try. 

Game Over

There it is, my ranking of the Mario 2d platformers. I'd rank the 3d games, but there's not really enough of them, so here it is in short order:

Mario Sunshine

Super Mario Wold Wii U

All of the other ones

Mario 64

Galaxy 2

Personally, to me, Mario is at his absolute best when it's in the 2D realm. Not that I have anything against the 3d games, but platforming just works better in 2D, and it always will. 

The more astute of you may have noticed there are some games missing. The Yoshi's Island series isn't on here since, despite Mario appearing as a baby, the games aren't really about Mario, and even the Nintendo Wiki puts them in a different category. Same goes for any game involving Wario, although he's in a completely different place now. 

All told, this is just my personal opinion on one of the greatest and longest running franchises in gamine. If you have differing opinions that's fine, it just means you're a human. At the end of the day, any Mario game is, to me, a good Mario game.