What do you consider the Mario series' masterpieces?

M

Magikrazy

Donkey Kong
It's no secret that the Mario series has a lot of good games, but some stand out a bit more than others in terms of quality. What do you consider these games to be?

For me, the list would be as follows.

Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario World
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Mario 64
Paper Mario
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Mario Kart DS
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Super Mario Odyssey

I wanted to include games from some of the other sub-series, but none really stand out to me as particularly amazing. That's not to say they're bad games, it's just that in their cases I couldn't really recommend one game over another for a stand out reason.

But I'm interested in your lists. What do you consider the real masterpieces of the Mario franchise?
 
Not sure if I'd characterize any single Mario game as a masterpiece, but I really liked the following

Mario Party 6 and 7
Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 7
Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario Galaxy
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Power Tennis
Super Mario Odyssey (<3)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario Odyssey is my favorite among the platformers.

and for unofficial stuff, Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii is a real standout, and I enjoyed Super Mario Bros. X for what it is. I've been itching to play Super Mario 64: Last Impact... not sure if Super Mario 64: Eternal Star is even released, but count that in too.

Of course, Donkey Kong started it all, but I did hear that Donkey Kong for Gameboy is really good. Super Mario Land 2 started the whole Wario thing too, very influential, though I've never played it, and I just want a remake of it. Mario games are weird without the yahoos and stuff.

And though Fortune Street didn't hook me on, the idea that Mario's talking really delighted me, like to see something like that again.
 
I consider these amidst the cream of the crop.

The NES Super Mario Bros. trilogy
Super Mario World
Yoshi's Island
Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2
New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
All main series 3D Mario platformers
Super Mario RPG
Paper Mario, TTYD, and SPM
Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga/DX, Partners in Time, Bowser's Inside Story, and Dream Team
Mario Party 6 and DS
Mario Karts 64, Double Dash, Wii, 7 and 8
Mario Strikers Charged

And a buncha others that I'm too tired to type now.
 
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time is BabyLuigiOnFire's official ©Best RPG of All Time®™ and if any of you say otherwise well....there's nothing I can do about it, actually.

Mario Party is a masterpiece in how sadistically hilarious that game can get and no other Mario game can quite get me and my twin rolling on the floor laughing at it.

Any game with Baby Luigi playable because why not.
 
You win this thread. Everyone go home, the thread has been won.

On a more serious note, I thought over some picks for the Mario Kart series and there they are with the rest of the list.
 
Only listing games I've played, so neither of the galaxy games because my Wii collection is 90% shovelware.

Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario World
Super Mario RPG
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Super Mario 64 DS
Mario Kart DS
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario Kart Wii
Super Mario Odyssey
 
Basically any of the platformers that isn't sunshine.

Special shout out to Donkey Kong on the game boy.
 
In order of release, excluding remakes (those are included with their original games) these are the games that stand out the most to me in terms of Mario games.

  • Super Mario World
  • Super Mario 64
  • Paper Mario
  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
  • Mario vs. Donkey Kong
  • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
  • Super Paper Mario
  • Super Mario Galaxy
  • Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2
  • Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
  • Mario Kart 8
  • Super Mario Maker
  • Super Mario Odyssey
 
Any game with his old colors in it.
 
Super Mario Advance: Super Mario Bros 3
Mario Power Tennis
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Kart DS
Mario and Sonic at the Winter 2010 Olympics (DS)
Super Mario Galaxy
New Super Mario Bros Wii
New Super Mario Bros U
Super Mario 3D World
Mario Kart 8
 
Out of all the games I've played...

Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario Land 2
Super Mario 64 (mostly the DS version, but 64 is pretty masterful itself)
Paper Mario 64
Mario Kart Super Circuit
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga GBA
Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door
Mario Party 6
Mario Kart DS
Super Paper Mario
Super Mario Galaxy
Mario Kart Wii
New Super Mario Bros Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Mario Kart 8 Wii U

Regarding the games I haven't played yet seen, Odyssey and 8 Deluxe would be on my list, too.
 
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Paper Mario
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Mario Kart DS
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Paper Mario
Super Mario Galaxy
 
Super Mario World
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Odyssey
 
They're all the best. (Except for obvious one like Hotel Mario.)
I just simply can't put one higher than another.
 
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