1981’s Donkey Kong is widely regarded as the first platformer in gaming history.
Letting your playable character jump over obstacles seems commonplace today, but forty years ago, it was a revolutionary feature that forever changed the way we played games. For the most part, the first console generation was extremely limited in what it was capable of. Pong was fun, yes, but that can only go so far.
After 1981, everything had changed, and we were off to the races. Sure, the video game crash of 1983 endangered the industry, but surprise, surprise: it was a certain platformer from Nintendo that helped save the day.
Today, the platformer genre is a tentpole in gaming that delivers some of the best games of all time, including the 2024 Game of the Year winner Astro Bot.
We’re skipping the first console generation as the genre didn’t exist at the time.
12 Best Mario Games On Every Nintendo Console, Ranked
Through all the consoles, and all the years, which Mario title stands at the pinnacle?
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2nd Generation – Pitfall
An Atari Classic
Before the days of Mario, the Atari had a surprising number of platformers that not only held their own but also entertained in ways the first console generation couldn’t.
While I’ll always have a soft spot for Miner 2049er and its impact on gaming, there’s something about Pitfall that arguably transcended the early era of gaming.
Its vibrant colors, impressive gameplay, and iconic chip-tune sounds still live rent-free in my head. It’s far deeper than you would expect from an Atari game, and one that provided plenty of hours of fun during my childhood. It may have been lost to time over the years, but back in the day, this was our jam.
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3rd Generation – Super Mario Bros. 3
One Of The NES’s Very Best
I hope you’re ready for the Mario hour, because that’s what we’re about to tune into. To be fair, it’s for good reason.
The video game industry wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for Nintendo and Super Mario Bros. Yet as iconic as the original Mario is, Super Mario Bros. 3 is just that good of a game.
It gives me the same feelings as Pitfall: gorgeous aesthetics, crisp, cutting-edge graphics, and fantastic gameplay. If Super Mario invented the wheel, then Super Mario 3 perfected it. It’s one of, if not the best NES games you can play today and holds up in every possible way.
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4th Generation – Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
One Of The Most Charming Platformers You’ll Play
As someone who grew up with a Sega Genesis over a Super Nintendo, I have a soft spot for Sonic the Hedgehog. There’s also no denying how well Super Mario World has aged.
But from this era, SMW’s sequel, Yoshi’s Island, takes the crown here. It’s not that Super Mario World is a bad game; to even suggest such a thing is sacrilegious. Yoshi’s Island just delivers the goods in every way. It’s one of the most creative and imaginative games you’ll ever play, daring you not to smile as you complete its platforming challenges.
Controlling Baby Mario and Yoshi is a dream come true. Add in the irresistible charm from its graphics and presentation, and that’s the icing on the cake. It made you wonder how Nintendo would ever top themselves in future console generations.
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5th Generation – Banjo-Kazooie
A Perfect Game
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to present the superior version of Super Mario 64.
Banjo-Kazooie doesn’t offer much in terms of new ideas or gameplay innovation to the platforming genre compared to Mario 64. Instead, it addresses the game’s shortcomings. The camera is far more convenient, there are some very welcome quality-of-life updates, and, dare I say it, the level design is superior.
There’s one other thing that helps put Banjo Kazooie over the top, though: personality. The game is absolutely brimming with it from head to toe, packed with memorable characters and genuinely hilarious dialogue. While Mario 64 hasn’t necessarily aged well, Banjo-Kazooie is still perfect from start to finish.
10 Nintendo Platformers That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
I can never get enough of Super Mario World, and you can’t either.
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6th Generation – Super Mario Sunshine
The Most Underrated Mario Game
The sixth console generation was packed with 3D platformers, mostly on the GameCube and PlayStation 2. Sony had several established franchises that fit the bill, notably Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper, but there’s just something about Super Mario Sunshine that continues to age well compared to its peers.
Overlooked at release due to the strength of the genre, Mario Sunshine is one of the most responsive, fluid, and buttery smooth platformers ever made. Add in the new F.L.U.D.D. mechanic that lets you completely bypass conventional platforming gameplay, and you can even make the argument that Mario Sunshine is ahead of its time.
It has the amount of creativity and freedom in a Mario game we wouldn’t see until Mario Odyssey. Is it perfect? No, but it’s still a blast that runs circles around most modern platformers.
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7th Generation – Super Mario Galaxy 2
Another Incredible Mario Sequel
Super Mario Galaxy is a magical game that defied the odds against it. It’s silly to say that Mario Galaxy was facing an uphill battle, but people were buying the Nintendo Wii for Wii Sports, not the traditional lineup of Nintendo games.
Mario Galaxy proved not only that Mario still had it, but he’s never been better. Then along came Super Mario Galaxy 2 and blew us all away again.
Over the years, Nintendo has proven there’s no one better at delivering show-stopping sequels. They build upon the already successful foundation to introduce so many new, unique, and creative ideas, like a roller coaster speeding through every hill, banked turn, and loop. That’s the best way to describe Super Mario Galaxy 2: it’s that roller coaster you love riding over and over again. It’s Steel Vengeance. It’s Iron Gwazi. (If you know, you know).
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8th Generation – Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey feels like a companion to the vision that was Super Mario 64.
The core gameplay loop remains the same, venturing into a variety of worlds brimming with flavor. You’re tasked with performing a multitude of platforming feats, some admittedly simple, but most of them ingenious and creative. The ideas on display in each level are so impressive that they surpass what most other games have from start to finish.
Mario Odyssey is the type of game that outshines its peers. It reminds us why we fell in love with gaming at a young age, whether we grew up with Mario on the NES, Pitfall on the Atari, or Donkey Kong in arcades. The platforming genre’s popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years, but Mario Odyssey reminds us of how good these games can truly be.
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9th Generation – Donkey Kong Bananza
Already One Of This Generation’s Best
Speaking of Donkey Kong, Bananza is the long-awaited follow-up to Mario Odyssey. Not only does it deliver, but it surpasses it in every way.
Nintendo has already proven itself worthy of knowing how to expand on a winning formula. I mean, look at this list: it’s not just dominated by Super Mario, but by sequels. Donkey Kong Bananza may not be a direct sequel to Odyssey, but it’s certainly a spiritual successor and one heck of a way to kick off the Nintendo Switch 2 generation.
The same gameplay loop is alive and well, enhanced by the destructible environments that serve as your platforming playground. There’s no limit to what you can accomplish outside your own creativity, and it leaves me wondering just how Nintendo plans to, once again, top itself in future generations.
Every 3D Mario Game, Ranked
Every 3D Super Mario game has a special place in my heart, but screw sentimentality, let’s rank these things!
