With the imminent launch of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury on the Switch, and the Super Mario 35th anniversary celebrations coming to an end in a matter of weeks, we thought it was time to try to put all of the original Mario 2D platform adventures in some kind of order. We have previously examined all the major 3D games in the Super Mario series, but now is your chance to rate each of the plumber’s 2D adventures in the past three and a half decades.
Therefore, here we present all Mario 2D games classified from the ‘worst’ (rarely a term was used in a more relative sense) to the best. We have omitted certain portable ports and re-releases to make things faster, so you will find the most ‘significant’ version if there is more than one version of the game (and there may be many to choose from today!). We also exclude thirty-five player Battle Royale Super Mario Bros. 35 of the race, as, unfortunately, it will not be a continuing concern in the Mario canon after March 31, 2021.
This rating comes from the user ratings of Nintendo Life readers for games in our database and is subject to fluctuations in real time, even after publication. Yes, this means that it is perfectly possible to influence the ranking below if you have not yet rated your favorites. To do this, just click on the game you want to evaluate and assign a score on the game page.
Thank you very much to everyone who rated your favorites. Without further ado, let’s dive into your ranking of all Mario 2D games …
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
On their own terms, Super Mario Run it’s a great translation of the 2D plumber constructions in the smartphone space. The fact that it looks so much like an entry in the ‘New’ branch of 2D Marios may set higher expectations than it might have been for the first Mario game to appear on non-Nintendo hardware for a long time, but this entry is an elegant example of transition from a beloved character and series to a totally different platform and embracing the differences of that platform with a tailored experience; an authentic Mario game that you can play with one hand.
The post-release Remix x10 mode offers little nuggets of main game levels and adds longevity after you’ve conquered all worlds, and has a Nintendo polishing level – and without any invasive microtransactions or annoying coins or cooling timers. Super Mario Run would never replace Mario World in the plumber’s 2D platform game pantheon, but it never should; offers little outbursts of fun, perfect for situations where breaking the switch is not an option. Super Mario Run does what it set out to do, and well – that’s why we admire it.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
Also known as Super Mario Bros. two in Japan, this was once “the grail” for players in the West who knew the first game from end to end and wanted more challenges. The Lost Levels certainly provides that, and for that reason is most appreciated by veterans of Super Mario Bros. – new players in the world of Mario will probably find this disconcertingly, hilariously difficult.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
A rare numbered sequel to Mario, this is one of a series that continues to divide players today. New Super Mario Bros. two folded down – of all things – coin collection to create a strangely compulsive platform game in the familiar mold. Although hardly revolutionary, self-stereoscopic 3D was a beautiful touch and if you can embrace the banality of your obsession with gold, it is a very solid and very nice 2D Mario.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R & D1
Super Mario Land it was impressive when it was first released for the Game Boy. The sequel may have made this original look inappropriate in comparison, but it’s still a very fun, albeit short, Super Mario experience. Almost at the moment when things are really getting better, the credits roll, but if you’ve never played Super Mario Land before, you owe it to yourself to try – it’s still worth playing at least once, just to see where the portable adventures of Mario started. Cracked music too.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is an impressive package that offers the best of modern-day 2D Mario, crazy multiplayer and glimpses of the outrageous invention to come Super Mario Odyssey. It’s a state-of-the-art Mario game and undoubtedly the best in the ‘New’ business, whether you play it on Wii U or Switch, despite the aged looks and irritation of being kicked back on the world map after each death stands out as something that could have been refined in this Deluxe version. Still, with New Super Luigi U included, this is an excellent 2D Mario (and Luigi) package.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
This sequence famously reformulated another game entirely with Mario and co. for release in the West (where Nintendo of America feared that players would not be able to handle the punishment for The Lost Levels). Despite being a kind of black sheep in his homeland, Super Mario Bros. two had a huge influence on the series’ iconography. It’s definitely worth revisiting the game (Nintendo Switch Online is the easiest place to find it today), if only to remember how it is different from what came before and after. With four playable (and very different) characters to choose from, a playthrough is highly recommended.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
Considered by some to be mere shadows of the original games, there is no denying the popularity of the New series. The original New Super Mario Bros. it may well emit a “I was there, I did that” vibe today, but it opened Mario 2D to an entirely new generation. We dinosaurs may wish for our pixels and the “classic” games, but there is still an incredibly solid Mario platform game here. No, it’s not the peak of the series, nor is it absolutely essential in the grand scheme of things, but there’s still a lot to like.