Best Super Mario Games Ranked: Every NES Mario Title Reviewed

No franchise shaped gaming more than Super Mario. Since 1985, Nintendo's flagship series has defined what a platformer is, what game design excellence looks like, and what makes a video game mascot truly iconic. The NES era alone produced four Mario titles — each one a landmark. Here's how they rank, and why every one is worth your time.

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990)

Super Mario Bros. 3 is widely considered the greatest NES game ever made. Its world map structure gave players a sense of adventure and choice. Its power-up system — the Raccoon Leaf, Frog Suit, Tanooki Suit, and Hammer Bros. Suit — introduced a depth of ability that previous Mario games hadn't approached. Eight worlds, each with a distinct visual theme and boss encounter, kept the game feeling fresh from the opening Grass Land to the final showdown in Dark Land.

What makes SMB3 special isn't just its content — it's the pacing. Levels are short, tight, and inventive. New mechanics appear once, delight you, and give way to the next idea. It's a masterclass in designed surprise, and it has never stopped being remarkable.

2. Super Mario Bros. (1985)

You can't rank this list without acknowledging what the original Super Mario Bros. accomplished. It single-handedly revived the North American video game market after the 1983 crash. Its controls were so precise and responsive that they remain a benchmark in platformer design. World 1-1 is still used in game design schools as an example of perfect player onboarding — teaching every mechanic through play rather than text.

By modern standards, the original is short and lacks the variety of its sequels. But as a statement of what games could be, it remains one of the most important works in the medium's history.

3. Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)

North America's Super Mario Bros. 2 is actually a reskin of a Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic — a fact Nintendo fans love to debate. The result is a Mario game unlike any other: you pick up and throw enemies rather than jumping on them, dig through sand layers to find shortcuts, and choose between four playable characters (Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach) with distinct abilities.

It's the oddest Mario title in the NES lineup, but also one of the most creative. Its enemy cast — the Shyguys, Birdo, and Wart — have appeared in Mario games ever since, evidence that even a "fake" Mario game can leave a permanent mark on the franchise.

4. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986)

Released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2 (the "real" sequel), The Lost Levels was deemed too difficult for Western audiences and wasn't officially released in North America until the SNES compilation Super Mario All-Stars in 1993. The game uses the exact same engine and visual style as the original — but it's designed to punish.

Invisible blocks in cruel positions, wind that pushes you into pits, and levels that loop endlessly if you take a wrong turn make this the hardest NES Mario title by far. It's not for beginners, but for players who've mastered the original, it's a fascinating and brutal challenge.

Play All of Them Right Now

Every Super Mario NES title is playable for free on ArcadeUnlocked's NES library. No emulator to install, no ROM to track down — just click and play. Experience gaming history the way it was meant to be played.