Games wouldn't be the same if it weren't for everyone's favorite Italian plumber. The Super Mario Bros. series has been at the forefront of games, consistently leading the charge in innovative game design. When the medium made its biggest technological leap to 3D, he was right there to show everyone how it is done.

To pay tribute to all of his platforming escapades, the following list will rank all of his platformers based on how long they take to finish, from shortest to longest. The times are taken from howlongtobeat.com. Depending on one's skill level and familiarity with the title, this time can be made shorter or exponentially larger.

Updated September 22, 2023 by Mark Sammut: On October 20, 2023, Nintendo will release Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the newest side-scrolling platformer in the publisher's iconic and beloved franchise. It has been a while since Mario starred in a classic 2D or 3D platformer, especially since the previous entry was also predominantly a remaster (albeit with an expansion). The longest Mario games are not really all that long, but it remains to be seen whether Super Mario Bros. Wonder is closer to the New Super Mario Bros. series or Sunshine in length.

20 Super Mario Land (1 Hour)

The Game Boy's graphics were quaint, but it was impressive enough to have a legitimate platformer on the system. The black-and-white art does a great job of translating Super Mario Land's Mushroom Kingdom to the primitive handheld device.

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While only an hour to beat, it was great comfort food back in the day when on the commute to work or in a waiting room. The game is currently available on the Nintendo 3DS virtual console.

19 Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (2 Hours)

Super Mario Land's sequel added an overworld and introduced audiences to Wario, who would later carve out his own niche with the WarioWare series. A platformer is impressive enough on the Game Boy. Having a world map with non-linear paths is icing on the cake and is enough to feel like a step up from the first game. Like its predecessor, the game is also playable on the 3DS via virtual console.

18 Super Mario Bros. (2 Hours)

The first journey to save Princess Peach is just as fun to play today as it was in 1985. For a first-time player, doing all the levels without warp pipes will probably take longer than two hours, but veteran players can probably breeze through it with their eyes closed by now.

One has to look at what console games were like before Super Mario Bros. to truly appreciate all it did for the medium. Super Mario 35, the franchise's creative interpretation of the battle royale genre, takes its levels from this original classic.

17 Super Mario Bros. 2 (2 1/2 Hours)

This isn't the true sequel to Super Mario Bros., but it is the continuation North American gamers got because the actual game was considered too difficult.

Despite its incongruity with the typical Mushroom Kingdom aesthetic, several features from the games have lived on in the Mario franchises, such as Birdo and Shy Guys.

The Super Mario All-Stars version is available on the Nintendo Switch as a part of the Switch online subscription, along with the other mainline 2D Super Mario games.

16 The Lost Levels (3 Hours)

It takes some skills to get through this title in three hours. For newcomers, beating The Lost Levels will take a lot more time and frustration. Easily one of the toughest 2D Mario games, its original release was shelved in the West specifically because Nintendo of America felt it was too difficult for feeble American gamers.

Anybody interested in this game should be aware of just how unfair and obtuse some of the game's challenges are. Fortunately, the Nintendo Switch's ability to rewind and have multiple save states makes the game more accessible.

15 Super Mario Bros. 3 (5 Hours)

The last NES Mario platformer made numerous improvements to the formula. In Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario's progress is marked on a world map, he can collect upgrades to enhance his abilities, and the levels are chock-full of more secrets than ever before.

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Super Mario Bros. 3 is a highlight of the series and is often considered one of the best NES games ever released. It is also impressive just to see a game of this scope and ambition running on an NES. It was not an easy feat to pull off.

14 Super Mario World (5 Hours)

Just when one thought Super Mario Bros. 3 was the peak, Super Mario World came in and upped the ante even further. It may only take five hours to go through the levels, but completionists will spend a lot more time finding all the secrets and completing Star World.

The art style and variety hold up today even considering the SNES' outdated hardware, and the same extends to the gameplay. Not only is Super Mario World considered by many to be the franchise's 2D platformer peak, but an argument could be made that the game is the overall genre's greatest masterpiece.

13 New Super Mario Bros. 2 (5 1/2 Hours)

At a time when people were jonesing for some Mario action, the New Super Mario Bros. series came in to fill the void. It lacked the innovation mainline Mario games often bring to the table, but the handheld entries in the series were all fine platformers in an era when the genre was lacking.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is, ultimately, just another 2D entry in the franchise. While it largely sticks to the fundamentals without offering much in the way of novelty, the game is still polished, tight, and enjoyable. A single run will not take that long to complete, but a few branching pathways add replay value.

12 Super Mario 3D Land (7 Hours)

Nintendo's 3DS console brought the first true 3D handheld Mario game, and it stands as one of the finest in the series. Its bite-sized 3D levels make it feel more akin to Crash Bandicoot than Super Mario Galaxy or 64, and this format works perfectly for gaming on the go.

While it starts off easy, later levels prove to be punishing. Super Mario 3D World would later expand upon this format on the Wii U. It is one of the few games that actually feels improved using the device's 3D mode.

11 New Super Mario Bros. (7 Hours)

The first entry into the New subseries sold over 30 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games ever made. Reviews agree with the sales numbers, hailing it as one of the best Mario games of its time. The only complaint lobbied against it was the low difficulty, something uncommon for the plumber.

The New Super Mario Bros. series gradually garnered criticism for its refusal to deviate from the beaten path, but that was largely directed toward the sequels. In 2006, the franchise was overdue a traditional 2D entry, so this game was a breath of familiar but fresh air at the time.

10 Yoshi's Island (8 Hours)

The art style resembling a coloring book makes Yoshi's Island's visuals stand out even today. While it seems like a standalone entry, many forget that it is actually the sequel to Super Mario World. Though with Mario's age in this game, maybe it should be considered a prequel. The game is available as a part of Nintendo Switch Online, free to subscribers. Because players control Yoshi, they have several new abilities like momentarily hovering in the air and using eggs as a projectile weapon.

9 New Super Mario Bros. Wii (9 Hours)

While the addition of cooperative multiplayer was welcome, doing it in this game makes traversing through levels nearly impossible. Players are bouncing all over each other, causing everyone to die immediately during the more challenging segments, of which there are many. Few side-scrolling platformers have managed to make co-op easy to handle. Rayman Legends and Origins are good examples of how it was done right.

8 New Super Mario Bros. U (9 1/2 Hours)

While the Wii U failed, it still had many games worth playing. New Super Mario Bros. U kept the familiar gameplay of its predecessors while adding the console's gamepad functionality for asynchronous co-op. With it, one player could assist the others by placing and raising blocks. Like many great Wii U titles, it was re-released for the Nintendo Switch. The re-release adds an expansion starring Luigi.

7 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (10 Hours)

Keep in mind that this time represents the average length of going through both Super Mario 3D World and the expansion, Bowser's Fury. By itself, reaching the end of Bowser's Fury without doing everything will probably only take about three hours.

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While they are a part of the same package, Bowser's Fury is a lot different than Super Mario 3D World. Gone is the four-player co-op in favor of a more asymmetrical multiplayer integration. Linear levels are also out, replaced by one medium-sized landmass to explore. Bowser's Fury was warmly received by critics and fans, with many hoping it teases the direction the next full-length Super Mario game will head.

6 Super Mario 3D World (10 1/2 Hours)

The sequel to 3D Land brings the action to consoles and adds a four-player co-op option. The true 3D gameplay eliminates the issues previous cooperative Mario games had. The collectible stars in the level still encourage exploration in these smaller environments.

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Players can freely move around and rarely get in each other's way. A smooth difficulty curve also keeps newcomers along for the ride until the end when things get serious. The series eventually got back to open-ended 3D worlds, but it would be nice if the series game fans another entry like this sometime in the future.

5 Super Mario 64 (12 Hours)

The first 3D outing was a revelation for the industry. It tackled the new dimension so well, that it would take nearly half a decade for other platformers and adventure games to catch up.

Simply moving Mario around in the world is a blast, proving the age-old adage that the act of walking in a game must be entertaining in order for the rest of it to work. Super Mario 64 was recently re-released as a part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars along with Super Mario Galaxy and Sunshine, though some are disappointed by the quality of the port.

4 Super Mario Odyssey (12 1/2 Hours)

The only real complaint against Odyssey was its lack of challenge. Anybody who thinks this probably didn't do any of the endgame content, however.

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The later platforming challenges truly test even the most veteran Mario fan's mettle. Additionally, the worlds possess a charm that few other games match. New Donk City alone is one of the most whimsical things done in the franchise.

3 Super Mario Galaxy 2 (13 1/2 Hours)

The first Galaxy's development was brimming with so many new ideas, the team couldn't fit it all into one game. With so much unrealized, the team quickly got to work on a sequel. Because of this, nothing in Galaxy 2 feels tired, old, or repetitive.

Curiously, this renowned sequel was left out of the 3D All-Stars compilation to the frustration of many. With how the Wii looks on modern TVs, it makes it harder to experience this classic in this day and age.

2 Super Mario Galaxy (14 Hours)

The Wii's unique controller design proved a challenge for third-party developers, but it presented a wealth of opportunities for Mario. The two Galaxy titles introduced numerous new concepts to a decades-old genre, proving the plumber still has tricks up his sleeve. On the Nintendo Switch version, the game was slightly modified to be played in the handheld mode without requiring motion sensing from the detached Joy-Cons.

1 Super Mario Sunshine (16 1/2 Hours)

Perhaps the most polarizing entry in the franchise, Super Mario Sunshine draws ire in hindsight for its setting, camera, and the gimmick behind F.L.U.D.D. It also was in an unfair spot for following up Super Mario 64.

It certainly has its defenders, however, and it was still better than most platformers of its day. It is just unfortunate this was all Mario fans had for the entire GameCube generation besides the non-platforming spinoffs. F.L.U.D.D. also never made a return in a traditional platformer.

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