The best Super Mario game is Super Mario Galaxy, which shares a franchise-high Metacritic score of 97 with Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Galaxy 2 but edges ahead on the sheer weight of critical praise. Mario has anchored Nintendo for four decades, so this ranking focuses on the mainline platformers that defined each generation — from the NES original to the Switch era.
Here’s our ranking of the best Mario games, why the top picks earn their place, and the standouts from every era.
The best Mario games ranked
Our top eight mainline Mario platformers, ranked on critical consensus and lasting influence.
| # | Game | Year | Why it lands here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Super Mario Galaxy | 2007 | Gravity-bending level design; a near-perfect 3D platformer |
| 2 | Super Mario Odyssey | 2017 | The Cappy capture mechanic and dense, inventive kingdoms |
| 3 | Super Mario Galaxy 2 | 2010 | More ideas per minute than almost any game before it |
| 4 | Super Mario 64 | 1996 | The blueprint for 3D platforming as a genre |
| 5 | Super Mario World | 1990 | The 2D peak — Yoshi, secret exits, endless replay |
| 6 | Super Mario Bros. 3 | 1988 | Power-ups and world-map design that still hold up |
| 7 | Super Mario Bros. Wonder | 2023 | The freshest 2D Mario in decades, full of Wonder Effects |
| 8 | Super Mario 3D World | 2013 | The best multiplayer Mario, brilliant on Switch |
How we ranked them
This list weighs Metacritic scores alongside each game’s influence and how well it holds up today. The three games tied at 97 — Galaxy, Odyssey and Galaxy 2 — sit at the top, with Galaxy taking first for its landmark design and the volume of acclaim behind it. We’ve focused on the mainline platformers rather than spin-offs like Mario Kart, Mario Party or the RPGs, which deserve their own lists. Remakes and enhanced ports are grouped with their original release.
The top picks explained
Four Mario games that define the series at its best.
#1
Best modern
Most influential
Best 2D
More ranked rosters? See our best Zelda games and best Nintendo Switch games guides.
Best by era
The standout Mario platformer from each generation.
| Era | Best pick |
|---|---|
| NES / SNES (2D classics) | Super Mario World |
| N64 / GameCube (early 3D) | Super Mario 64 |
| Wii era | Super Mario Galaxy |
| Switch era | Super Mario Odyssey |
