The different games in the Mario franchise are some of the most iconic games in video game history. Originating from the first Donkey Kong game and only known as 'Jumpman', Mario would soon become the world's most beloved plumber, and have his name on many game titles.
There are several series that fall under the Mario umbrella which includes the platformer Super Mario series, a few puzzle games, several role-playing games, sports games, party games, and more. Most people can find a game from the franchise that they like, even if they aren't into platformers. This wide variety of game genres is thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo taking chances and experimenting with different things to make the Mario games enjoyable for everyone.
8 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
The games in the Mario franchise don't tend to get too heavy, there will be intense moments during battles or touching moments between Mario and his friends, but the game generally stays lighthearted. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is different from other games in that there is an even bigger emphasis on humor and lightheartedness.
The names of locations in the game like Chateau de Chucklehuck, and enemies like Blablanadon emphasize that the game is meant to be silly and whimsical. It's also the very first game in the Mario & Luigi series where players have to control both brothers at the same time.
7 Super Mario Maker Series
There are certain courses of Mario games that either make players weep for joy or out of frustration. And when Super Mario Maker was released it gave fans the power to make courses that bring out those same emotions. The Super Mario Maker series lets players create courses using the styles and gameplay of many Mario games.
Different enemies, objects and other elements were used and manipulated to create unique courses. Players were also able to share their courses online and let others from around the world, play them. The Super Mario Maker series has led to several creative and detailed courses and has even given companies the opportunity to advertise in the game, like with the infamous Arby's Level in Super Mario Maker 2.
6 Dr. Mario
When people think of what type of gameplay they can find in a Mario game they probably first think of the platforming elements or of the party games. Mario as a puzzle game probably doesn't come to people's minds, unless they're familiar with the Dr. Mario game series. Dr. Mario was released in 1990, and it took Mario out of his overalls and put him in a lab coat.
Dr. Mario is a falling block puzzle game where the "blocks" are different colored vitamin capsules that the player has to use to destroy the virus of each level. It became a huge success and led to the creation of several other Dr. Mario games, including a remake of the original game for the Nintendo 64 and a Dr. Luigi game.
5 Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
Until 1996, the games in the Mario franchise have been mostly either platformers or puzzle games. That all changed when Super Mario RPG was released. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was the first RPG game in the franchise, and it was also the last Mario game to be made for the SNES.
The game was developed by both Nintendo and Square, and it took heavy inspiration from the gameplay of Square's RPG games, like Final Fantasy. Players start off with just Mario but as the game progresses characters like Princess Peach ane even Bowser, will join their party.
4 Paper Mario: Sticker Star
After Super Mario RPG, the Paper Mario game series took up the mantle of RPGs in the franchise. The games in the Paper Mario series all share a similar paper cutout art style and has Mario traverse through 3D paper craft environments. Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a part of the Paper Mario series but differs greatly from the games before it.
Where the previous games used things like an experience point system, special move points, badges, etc. to progress and move through obstacles, in Sticker Star, Mario has to collect stickers to gain new abilities. Stickers are a very important gameplay element as they are needed to solve puzzles and are Mario's main method of attack.
3 Bowser's Fury
Bowser's Fury was released in 2021 and bundled with the Switch release of Super Mario 3D World. With cover art that sets it apart from most other Mario games with how dark and intense it is, it is the first Mario game to be considered open-world. Games like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey drifted close to what an open-world Mario game would feel like, and Bowser's Fury comes even closer.
After playing through the tutorial, players can go collect Cat Shrines at the different islands that make up the archipelago of Lake Lapcat. Players can go to any of those islands in any order they like. There is also the new gameplay element where a kaiju-sized Bowser appears in the world and changes the daytime into a nightmarish and fiery nighttime setting. It happens every few minutes with no set pattern and can happen at anytime. Players can wait out the Fury, collect a Cat Shrine to end it or try their luck and fight Bowser head on.
2 Mario Is Missing
It's undeniable that Mario is the main character of the franchise, but there are several other characters who make the franchise what it is today. There's Princess Peach, there's Bowser and of course there is Mario's brother, Luigi. Luigi being second fiddle to Mario is a widely held belief among fans of the series despite Luigi being a main character since the first Mario Bros game in 1983.
But it wouldn't be until 1993 that Luigi gets to star in his own game. Mario Is Missing is part of a collection of educational games in the franchise. Players have to help Luigi return stolen treasures from all over the world to rescue his brother from Bowser. While the game isn't the most celebrated in the franchise, without it, fans may have never gotten other games with Luigi as the main character like Luigi's Mansion.
1 Super Princess Peach
The vast majority of other titles in the franchise feature the titular character and his brother working together to save the world and, more often than not, Princess Peach. Super Princess Peach breaks the mold by flipping the script, putting Peach into the position of rescuer, while Mario and Luigi become the damsels in distress who have been captured by Bowser.
Released in 2005, Super Princess Peach is a traditional platforming game that keeps the heart of Mario alive, but with some extra benefits that come from playing as the princess, such as infinite lives. To this day, it's among the fifty best-selling games for the Nintendo DS.