Ranking Every Mario Game From Worst to Best Reviewed

now that it's been over 35 years since mario made his home console debut i've really enjoyed going through and reminiscing about each and every entry in the series which led me to create several videos in celebration of this incredible franchise now i've seen many videos on youtube ranking each game by difficulty or enjoyability but there's one topic i haven't seen anyone touch on which is ranking every mario game from worst to best reviewed i've included 27 titles in total from the franchise pulling the rating of each game from metacritic as it averages reviews from all the major critics also as a bit of a note i've excluded games like mario and luigi puzzle games sports games and party games as mario isn't technically the main focus but these could all make for a very interesting video in the future oh yeah before i get things started my name is copykat and if you haven't yet then please subscribe to my channel and hit that bell to stay notified when i upload new videos i'm honestly not surprised to find out that paper mario's sticker star that has a metacritic score of 75 out of 100 is the worst reviewed game in the franchise as when i first played this 3ds title i was blown away by how underwhelming it was there are tons of bad things about this particular game like the underdeveloped sticker star mechanic however the most egregious thing about this entry is that it just doesn't bring anything new to the table being the fourth game in the paper mario series you would think nintendo would know by this point what works well and what doesn't in this type of game that's probably why people vehemently dislike this title as sticker star tries to change something that quite obviously isn't broken i think rich stanton of eurogamer who gave this title a 7 out of 10 sum things up perfectly by saying sticker star has two sides one is a world that's a simple vibrant joy to be in the other is a set of systems so part back that they waver between easy and tedious matched up to a badly signposted set of puzzles there's just enough adventure and charm to mitigate the latter but that's the shame of it sticker star squeaks a pass when it could and should be spectacular another game i'm not surprised scored very poorly with critics is the highly divisive super mario run which was released for mobile devices in 2016. i think what hampers this title is how different it is than any other game on this list as instead of controlling mario's movement you only control his jumping where the main character is now constantly moving forward this is a strange change that does work on some sort of level which is why it does garner an average score of 76 out of 100 on metacritic that isn't generally terrible but in comparison to other games in the series it's on the lower end door rocks vanderhelm of the website xgn who gave the game a 70 out of 100 definitely reflects my feelings on this when she writes super mario run is great in its own right but the high price and lack of offline play options are not to be overlooked the game is mainly recommended for mario fans and casual gamers but don't expect to play it for days on end another reviewer cj andreessen gave the game a 60 out of 100 and was a bit more harsh when he stated the level design is amateur the boss battles save for the final confrontation with bowser are too simple and the build mode left me indifferent to the whole shebang the controls are there but everything else feels like mario's b-side and that really shouldn't be the case with this grand entrance into the mobile market although i wouldn't be as brutal as cj i do agree that this game could have been so much more and had the potential of being one of the most played mario titles of all time the next game at number 25 on this list is paper mario color splash which was the next game in that mini series after sticker star and was released for the wii u in 2016. with a critic score of 76 out of 100 many people did think that there were some redeeming qualities with this title like its sense of humor the use of pain in each world's environment and the story which invokes at least some sort of importance to the adventure however this title suffers in the same way all the recent paper mario titles have which is that the combat is just getting boring due to its easy difficulty repetitive mechanics and gimmicky situations which have just gotten worse throughout the series jeremy parish of usgamer which gave the game a score of 70 out of 100 wrote make no mistake some of color splash is best in class material but some is just awful as much as i'd like to be able to give it an unqualified endorsement i really can't the excellent visuals music structure and writing sit at odds with the toilsome combat system and the addition of far too many gimmicks and gotchas the game is as irritating as it is inspiring and while there is much to love here be aware that finding it requires slogging through some truly rocky moments the only reason i think super mario bros the lost levels comes in so low on this list is that in north america it debuted alongside the super mario all-stars collection on the snes even though its origin is as the true japanese sequel to the original classic however the same reasons to why it was scrapped for its north american release and instead replaced by what we know as super mario bros 2 is the reason why it only receives a 77 out of a hundred now nintendo at the time was worried that the game was too hard for the western audience so they reskinned a game they already created called yumi kojo doki doki panic adding characters enemies and items to make it look like it belonged in the mario universe i'd however have to argue that the lost levels is more confusing than hard as it's full of maze-like stages that require tedious trial and error which is more of a pain than difficult although the game does have a critic score on metacritic it actually has no reviews due to its old age so instead i'm going to look at a user review by someone named cosmo zerk that gave it a score of 60 out of 100 and stated first of all the level design is utter hoarse well you know it's loaded with unfair challenges pain in the butt enemy placement cryptic hidden blocks and new gimmicks like the wind or the new types of enemies like the red piranda plant there are no new powerups no new bosses just a copy and paste job of the original game but with a huge step up in difficulty but in the back of my mind it kind of seems like nintendo just wanted to cash in on the popularity of the amazing original title now if you've been a fan of me for quite a while then you'll know that new super mario bros 2 that comes in at number 23 in this video isn't my favorite game at all in the series i always felt like the level design was a bit uninspired and the power ups were way too overpowered which in the end unfortunately resulted in very easy gameplay of course i will admit i am being a bit brutal towards this game but the main reason i dislike it is because when you compare it to other games in the new super mario bros mini series it quite obviously is the worst especially in terms of replayability a french website called zhu aktu that gave the game a 70 out of a hundred wrote mario has become so important for nintendo that there's not a year without the famous plumber coming to a game console owned by big n if we were happy to see the hero coming back we quickly realized new super mario bros 2 only takes a successful mechanisms of the previous title without the originality espen janssen of the german website gamer.no gave the game a 60 out of 100 putting things a bit more bluntly when he says new super mario bros 2 isn't that new anymore you basically get the same game as the first one but with less engaging levels fewer surprises in terms of power ups and gameplay and a boring gimmick set on capturing your inner kleptomaniac honestly i couldn't have said it better myself even though super mario land has the exact same metacritic score as new super mario bros 2 that's as far as i'd make a comparison between the two games as this title was nintendo's first attempt at making a handheld entry in the series for the game boy in 1989 although the game is extremely short and full of simplistic mechanics it still feels a lot like an original mario experience complete with interesting boss fights unique enemies and a strange world that was all done on a system that brought nintendo vast limitations adam riley from cube 3 who gave the game an 8 out of 10 wrote despite not particularly aging too well looking graphically rather shabby and not offering a considerable amount of challenge or any replay value at its heart super mario land is still a fantastic piece of history in the platform genre and a thoroughly enjoyable romp for mario fans in general coming in at number 21 is another paper mario game the origami king that was released for the nintendo switch in 2020 now i can't lie i actually had a lot of fun playing this game as it has a great story full of amazing environments that are jam-packed full of collectibles to discover the main complaint i have about the game however and the reason it only scores 80 out of 100 all revolves around its gimmicky combat system that includes moving enemies by rotating or sliding them to line them up so they can be more easily comboed a japanese website called gamersky gave the game an 80 out of 100 while simply stating apart from the combat part paper mario the origami king is fun adorable and full of surprises now in my opinion making another paper mario title is going to be tough as just adding a gimmicky feature to each game isn't going to cut it with the fan base anymore at number 20 we have one of the most unique games in the franchise in terms of enemies levels and its final boss in super mario land 2 for the game boy with a score of 80 out of 100 on metacritic this game was a huge step up from the original as the graphics vastly improved the mechanics felt way more smooth and the level design made for a much more enjoyable experience the game also had some of the weirdest enemies in the series and a final boss in wario who would never show up again in a mainline super mario game corby from nintendo life wrote the original super mario land was a solid start for the series on nintendo game boy systems but nothing could prepare gamers for what the developers were able to do with the sequel they managed to improve every aspect of the game and even made the adventure a much longer and more rewarding experience this time around the next game on this list with a score of 81 out of 100 is super mario bros 2 the north american sequel to the nes classic although not originally a mario title it was definitely developed with mario's mechanics in mind which is why the changes nintendo makes to make it feel more mario almost seems seamless of course the game does feel a bit out of place when compared to other 2d platformers in the series but it's still a fun game and brings me joy every single time i replay it [Music] new super mario bros u takes the 18th spot in this video which had the unfortunate happenstance of being released for the wii u however it did still receive a score of 84 out of a hundred the system performed so poorly that many people didn't even play some of these great games and they were eventually re-released on the nintendo switch jim sterling from destructoid gave the game an 85 out of 100 and wrote players know exactly what they're getting with this one an entertaining and incomplex bit of gaming that provides challenge and smirks in equal measure while certainly a safe game to launch with it is by no means unremarkable and the only people who would fail to have fun are those with a fundamental aversion to mario or platformers in general i do agree how this game feels like a very safe 2d mario release with only a few incredible levels it is a good game don't get me wrong but i think the system itself holds it back from getting a better rank the game coming in at number 17 definitely felt like a very different experience when it was released in super paper mario that came out for the nintendo wii in 2007 although the paper mario experience is usually rpg based this title incorporates the regular 2d platforming as well as allowing you to flip the world around so you can see things from a different 3d perspective i remember being pleasantly surprised by the gameplay as at times it felt like nothing i had ever played before but unfortunately the experience is extremely short taking me only around 7 hours to complete atomic gamer a website that no longer exists gave this game an 85 out of 100 and stated this is a fun experience however don't come to it expecting a pure platformer there are multiple rpg elements here that can interrupt the flow of it the whole 3d flipping aspect for example it is a neat idea but i feel like it could have been better implemented now i'm personally surprised that a sequel is never developed for a system like the 3ds as a 3d effect every time you switch perspectives would have been a nice added touch and definitely would have been better than sticker star the original super mario bros for the nes comes in at the number 16 rank in this video garnering a critic score of 86 out of 100. this particular title skyrocketed nintendo's popularity as it's the quintessential 2d platforming game that every developer would end up using as a benchmark against their own creation this title is near perfect so it is surprising to see it in the middle of this video but i guess if you do compare it to other titles in the franchise it does seem a bit bare bones mark bimbom from ign who actually gave the game a 90 out of 100 wrote dozens if not hundreds of imitators have tried to improve or revolutionize the formula nintendo spawned back in 1985. some have failed while others have come close even with the most successful of these attempts coming back to play super mario bros is still just as fun as ever [Music] coming in at number 15 is the first new super mario bros game to come out on a home console in the wii in 2009 receiving a very high 87 out of 100 score on metacritic this game builds on what the original ds game laid out with much larger levels more comprehensive power ups and a four player co-op mode that led to hours upon hours of fun with your friends and family game trailers who's actually now owned by ign gave the game an 89 of 100 and wrote the multiplayer element though far from its selling point adds a welcome manic element that amounts to icing on the cake this is simply 2d mario at its best and it's been a long time coming i'd have to agree that this version felt like a much more fleshed out entry than the ds release but fans at the time wanted to see more than just a 2d mario platformer which is why i think it didn't receive a higher score [Music] at the number 14 spot we have the game in the franchise with probably the best story which is paper mario the thousand year door that was released for the gamecube in 2004 and received a score of 87 out of 100 the second game in this mini-series expands on what the first brought while updating the combat and puzzle solving while also introducing a much more comprehensive story jeremy perished from the website 1up gave the game an 8.5 out of 10 and wrote a game like paper mario can be so willfully charming harmless and child friendly in appearance and still make for a compelling sophisticated experience another outlier game in the franchise is super mario rpg actually developed by final fantasy creator square and released for the snes in 1996. this game plays a lot like other japanese rpgs at that time as the combat is turn-based where you can pick each of your party member to either attack use an item use their special move or just defend super mario rpg also introduces many new and fresh characters while integrating the series classics a user on metacritic named super mario bro gave the game a perfect tenet of 10 and wrote mario's final fantasy what can i say this game may be better than even the modern mario rpgs just awesome graphics for the snes and 90s damn good storyline with an awesome character gino this is actually one of the best mario games of all time [Music] and number 12 on combining super mario maker 1 and 2 as they have the exact same metacritic score of 88 out of 100 it's an understatement when saying that this game series is amazing as it's every mario fans dream come true in being able to create your own unique levels and have others play them it's this sharing online feature that really takes things to the next level as you can play an endless amount of unique courses gaining ideas to create your own masterpieces manuel maurice of fnintendo.net gave the game a 90 out of 100 and wrote super mario maker is where fanship turns into craftsmanship for those who for years have wished to design their own mario levels this game is intuitive and perfectly accessible for experienced players and newcomers alike new super mario bros for the nintendo ds comes in at number 11 on this list receiving an overall score of 89 out of 100 when this game was released in 2006 the old school mario fanbase was elated to return to 2d mario platforming and were happy with the end product as it perfectly integrated new ideas with classic themes from the original trilogy i feel like at the time this was an ingenious move by nintendo as it subverted fans expectations who had become used to 3d mario games corby dillard from nintendo life gave the game a 9 out of 10 and wrote 15 years is a long time to wait for a new 2d super mario bros game but the wait was obviously well worth it nintendo has managed to take everything great and fun from the previous super mario bros games roll it all together add a fresh coat of paint into the whole thing and come out with one of the best platformers we've seen released in years not to mention a game easily worth of the super mario bros name if new super mario bros ds subverted fans expectations of what a 2d mario platformer could be then the same could be said about super mario 3d land for the nintendo 3ds when it comes to 3d adventures receiving a 90 out of 100 on metacritic this game is completely different than any other before it as it actually combines aspects of both mario gameplays with its linear 2d completion style but also emphasizes on 3d level exploration and control james burnett of gameplanet gave the game a 90 out of 100 and wrote by combining the slick 3d polish of modern era console mario with the pure and simple challenge of the classic platform era nintendo has created a true gem the frustration one encounters falling off a slick edge for the 14th time is outweighed by the addictiveness of the achievement it's linear to the point and perfectly tuned for a portable experience coming in at number nine is super mario sunshine which was released for the gamecube in 2002 and received a score of 92 out of a hundred this game has one standout feature that sets it apart from every other game in the series in the wearable flood which completely changes the way you platform and the way you attack enemies this is quite unique from how mario would typically move in his environment and would become a divisive feature among many fans who just wanted a simple mario experience i'm actually surprised of how high of a metacritic score this game received as it did get some mixed reviews with gamespot's jeff gerstmann giving it an 8 out of 10 while stating while some gamers will be able to look past or even embrace the fact that super mario sunshine sticks extremely close to the super mario 64 formula others will find that the game suffers from a lack of innovation the game's technical issue and often gimmicky design are still tougher to ignore and they combine to make the game seem surprisingly unpolished and somewhat rushed at times there's enough in super mario sunshine to warrant a purchase particularly when you consider there really aren't any decent platformers to be found on the gamecube i do have to agree to some extent with this review as i find some of the level design to be absolutely horrid while at other times there is tons of fun to be had in this very unique experience at number 7 is the original paper mario game which received a score of 93 out of 100 and was released for the n64 in 2000 this title surprised a lot of people upon its release as many did not play super mario rpg so they didn't expect mario to take such a different direction on top of that the series is usually devoid of any story other than knowing you have to rescue the princess from the clutches of the king koopa bowser however in this one there's a lot of depth when it comes to progressing along your journey with you interacting with characters you never thought possible ben stahl of gamespot gave the game a 9.5 out of 10 and stated with stunning graphics excellent sound and extremely solid gameplay paper mario is a quality game on all fronts the sprite based graphics combined with classic mario gameplay makes this a must own for any mario lover and the simplified rpg system makes this a compelling game for both rpg fans and non-fans alike at number seven is the sequel to super mario 3d land appropriately named super mario 3d world which was released for the wii u in 2013 receiving a score of 93 out of 100 on metacritic this game builds up on the fantastic world that the 3ds version laid out greatly expanding the size of each level while adding up to 4 player cooperative modes for some insane times with your friends just like the first entry this title takes influence from almost every past mario game in the franchise while adding just enough new features to make it feel fresh and exciting however a website called games masters uk explains the one downside in the review albeit they gave the game a 92 out of 100 stating it's not a game that'll single-handedly save the wii u but it's a typically brilliant typically nintendo experience and one that'll live in your memory long after the final flagpole has disappeared from view it really is unfortunate that the wii u failed as it actually had some pretty good games on it but at least nintendo is re-releasing a handful of them on the switch so fans can really enjoy their spectacularity coming in at number six is one of my favorite games in the series which is super mario world receiving a score of 96 out of 100 on metacritic and being released for the snes in 1991 although still in the same vein as the original nes trilogy this entry puts its own spin on things adding yoshi as a rideable character and introducing some very unique level design features that would be emulated in future 2d mario titles hidden exits were a huge staple in this game which definitely made it feel less linear which is hard to do in a mario setting james o'neil of nintendo life gave the game a 10 out of 10 stating years later while many retro games can claim to be a classic not many are a solid gold masterpiece super mario world is a master class in side-scrolling platform design to the point that modern 2d game developers should be encouraged to study it as a prerequisite of mastering their craft its success as an outstanding video game is predominantly due to its stellar course design and its tantalizing 96 level exits it's the hidden gameplay surprises that keep you playing and returning for more so it's the secrets that are ultimately super mario world's special sauce [Music] the first 3d game in the series is also seen as one of the most innovative in super mario 64 which was released for the n64 in 1996. if super mario bros jump started the platforming revolution then super mario 64 created the 3d adventure game boom incorporating several aspects that have been emulated for decades since its release instead of linear platforming this title revolves more around exploration and puzzle solving in order to find stars in each course that in turn opens another area in the hub world super mario 64's overall metacritic score is 94 out of 100 and gamespot gave it exactly that while stating mario 64 is a game that rewards the curious and in some cases the bludgeonly stubborn and tenacious if mario 64 is even a rough indication of what's to be expected from nintendo or from games in general then we just might have a revolution of sorts on our very hands coming in at number 4 is a game that i'm surprised garnered such a high score in super mario world 2 yoshi's island that was released for the snes in 1995. with a score of 96 out of 100 on metacritic this game greatly switches up the formula introducing yoshi as the main character and incorporating unique mechanics that led to some very different gameplay one of these added features is yoshi's egg throw where he pauses for a moment aiming in on the target he wants to attack then releasing his egg mario is still present but now in baby form riding on the back of the main character with the mission of saving his brother luigi from the clutches of kamik and young bowser rob hamilton of honestgamers.com actually gave the game a perfect 10 out of 10 while stating yoshi's island may not be perfect but it provides a pure gaming boss taking the tried and true super mario bros style of play and adding its own personalized touch although i do think super mario world 2 yoshi's island is a good game i wouldn't have placed it better than the original but at the time it was seen as different and unique which is why it received such high praise at the number 3 spot in this video i've combined two games from a particular miniseries as they both received a metacritic score of 97 out of 100 in super mario galaxy 1 and 2 that were both released for the wii console although they are two separate games both are connected as they share the same planetary gameplay unique space theme level design and power-ups that work extremely smooth and are fun to use these two titles are not easy and feature some of the toughest bosses hardest platforming sections and insane puzzles that are guaranteed to give you a challenge a website called meristation gave super mario galaxy 2 a perfect score of 100 out of 100 and stated super mario galaxy was considered one of the best platforming games ever and we couldn't expect the same for the sequel however what super mario galaxy 2 has achieved is amazing every level contains a different and really original quest you will play a totally new game inspired by the first game in addition to this nintendo has fixed most of the minor failures of its predecessor including the low difficulty the most recent game in the series is super mario odyssey which was released from the nintendo switch in 2017 and has a high score and metacritic of 97 out of a hundred this entry was really a culmination of every 3d mario game made till that point while adding its brand new take on things with a cappy capture mechanic cappy allows you to become some of mario's friends and even his worst enemies transforming you and giving you specific abilities to help you collect moons just like super mario 64 these collectibles are used to unlock the next kingdom and so on and so on until you finally reach bowser dan rikers of giant bomb gave the game a hundred out of a hundred and wrote each kingdom is absolutely packed with charm clever objectives gorgeous visuals a stellar soundtrack and a huge variety of ways to have fun one moon would have me leaping across tiny platforms with pinpoint precision and the next would have me cheering up a businessman by dressing like a clown at no point did i feel like i was checking boxes just to up my completion percentage even now that i've collected every moon and purple coin in the game i still want to play more of it it's one of the most joyous and entertaining gaming experiences i've had in a long time and it stands tall among the all-time great mario games to me there's really no surprise in seeing super mario bros 3 for the nes with the highest rating in the entire franchise scoring an incredible 98 out of 100 on metacritic this title really is the quintessential 2d platformer with nintendo exceeding fans expectations especially after the first two games were so highly successful the controls in this entry were tight each level unique and mario's power-ups and items added an interesting aspect during each playthrough a user named pp7 silence gave the game a perfect 10 and stated after 22 years this is still seen as the best super mario bros game of all time and the best title on the nes i really have nothing bad to say about this game it still stands as the pinnacle of what 2d platformers aspire to be accessible to all ages and deep enough for the big kid in all of us [Music] alright that's going to be it for today's video guys i really hope you did enjoy this one if you did please leave a like comment below what you thought about it and of course subscribe to my channel also i do have an instagram at copycatgamer where i upload some cool clips and items from my collection that you won't see anywhere else so please go give it a follow hope you guys all have a good day and i'll see you on the next one bye

Channel: Copycat

Views: 188,927

Keywords: Mario, Super Mario, Bros, Land, 3D Land, 3D World, World, Galaxy, Sunshine, 64, Odyssey, Run, Maker, Switch, Nintendo, Review, gameplay, metacritic, score, rating, best, worst, rank, ranked, ranking, paper, Super, origami, king, thousand, year, door, luigi, peach, bowser, yoshi, yoshi's island, amazing, copycat, every, mario, game, from, reviewed, RPG, nes, snes, gameboy, gamecube, n64, wii, wii u, 3DS, DS, new, ign, gamespot, high, low, newest, bowsers fury, levels, fun, funny, family, friendly, kid, yume kojo, doki doki panic, famicom, japan, toad

Id: K94tU5396nA

Length: 30min 51sec (1851 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 18 2021