There are wildly too manyMariogames to cover on theSNES. So, let’s eliminate some right off the bat. First, there are a plethora of educational games that hardcore fans are not going to care about in 2023 such asMario’s Early Years! Fun with Letters,Mario’s Early Years: Fun with Numbers, andMario’s Early Years: Preschool Fun. The titles say everything fans need to know about them.
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There is alsoDr. Mario,Mario’s Time MachineandMario is Missing, which are better left discussed in a similar wrap-up toMariogames but on NES. The rest of this list will covergames released on the SNES with Mario specifically in the title. Caveats aside, let’s get to the best of the best of Mario’s adventures on the console.
8Mario Paint
Mario Paintis more like a toy than a game, but it is a cool toy at that. It is an art program designed for consoles wherein players could freely draw on pads using a mouse that came bundled with the game. Perhaps no one was using it to an incredible degree in the 90s beyond its basic purpose.
However, with the dawn of the internet and especially YouTube, players showcased what they could do with the game. The amount of music alone that has been generated from this thing is truly inspirational.
7Mario’s Super Picross
Mario’s Super Picrosscontinuedwhat was a good title on the Game Boy. It is leagues beyond any puzzle game featuring the lovable platformer such asDr. Mario.Picross, as a whole, was sort of like theSudokuof its day.
This one is not for the faint of heart because it will destroy beginners like nobody’s business. The Mario connections to it are weak, likeMario Paint, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong on this list. It was released only in Japan, but there are English fan patches out there.
6Mario & Wario
Mario & Wariois another game exclusive to Japan on the SNES, but there is a fan patch for it too. This also used the mouse peripheral, and it is a puzzle game. Wario, in his continued schemes to squash Mario, has put a bucket on his head and sent him through a series of mazes all ending in his death.
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Players control a fairy with the mouse who can poke Mario in safe directions. Manipulate the mazes with the fairy to create these safe paths for Mario and repeat. The game is a simple, but wild entry intheMarioseriesthat any curious fan should check out.
5Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kartredefined racing games and made them more of a wacky affair. It proved that there really wasn’t anything Mario couldn’t do. He was a plumber, doctor, race car driver, and so on.
The original game may not be as universally beloved asSuper Mario Kart 8 Deluxewhich is still somehow selling copies well after the Switch’s launch. However, that game and the plethora of kart clones would not exist withoutSuper Mart Kart.
4Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario All-Starswas one of the first big remake collections, and it didn’t take long for Nintendo to try the idea either. It contained 16-bit remakes of the first three games on NES along withSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
That was a Japanese exclusive for years and getting it then was a big deal even though it’s not that great. The rest of the games in the collection are still incredibly fun though.Super Mario Bros. 3is far and away the best of the bunch as one of the best 2DMariogames ever made.
3Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Islandstretches the fine line of being aMariogame because Yoshi is the star. Mario is present though, as a baby, and is more like a glorified health bar instead of an active hero. He is part of the adventure though, so the game still counts.
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Semantics aside, this game truly showcases the power of the SNES. It may not have 3D graphics, but the crayon aesthetic is absolutely wonderful, and it was a brave choice at the time. Yoshi has never had a game as good as this again.
2Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starswas the first RPG spinoff, and it was an absolute home run. It was made in collaboration with Square Enix, Squaresoft at the time, which was a good choice on Nintendo’s part.
It was a turn-based game like manyFinal Fantasyadventures but with a more active role given to the players. A semi-3D game running on the SNES like this was incredible at the time even though it looks dated by today’s standards. That’s the only negative thing one can say about this must-play SNES RPG though.
1Super Mario World
IsSuper Mario Worldthe best 2D game in the series? It’s hard to choose because there are so many andSuper Mario Bros. 3is also a smash hit. One can debate all day but let’s get this one thing out of the way. What this game does better thanSuper Mario Bros. 3is the open-world.
Players can go from world to world fighting through levels, and they can even change these worlds by activating secrets. Best of all, levels could be replayed infinitely which is why it can be a blast to revisitSuper Mario Worldon a yearly basis.
