2014 was the best year in Mario terms.

[marebear11]

Here is why I say this:

• Mario Kart 8 initially released that year
• 3D World began to rise in popularity
• We got SSB4 for Wii U & 3DS featuring some Mario characters
• We got good spin offs such as the original release of Captain Toad Treasure Tracker & Mario Golf WorldTour
• Laura Faye Smith started to voice Rosalina that year, and while people were hating her work (saying she made Rosa sound like Peach), I was one of the few people that defended her galaxy proudly.

Also, it was the last full year we had Iwata.

 

[Xiahou Ba]

I like Mario Kart 8 but it was a heavily flawed game at launch. One of the most major sticking points for me was the horrible battle mode, something that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe later on fixed, plus the DLC content that improved the game didn't come until a bit later. Also people really don't like 8's roster because it was missing key characters like Bowser Jr., Birdo, and Diddy Kong. I'm still surprised it had to take until 8 Deluxe to add these guys to this game.

I don't really have a single favorite year. You can chalk up to a year where a lot of Mario games I like got released in, but I can't say which one is outright the best because I play games depending on my mood. I'd say for me, whatever year Super Smash Bros. Ultimate got released in was the best for Mario games so idk. I liked 2017 just for giving me the blessing of having to play as Baby Luigi on tennis, golf, soccer, and horse racing.

 

[Wittgenstein]

It's hard for me to define a single favorite year, but contenders are

2007- Super Paper Mario is my favorite game of all time, Super Mario Galaxy is peak & still a contender for my favorite 3D Mario, Mario Party 8 & DS were the last hurrah of Hudson's Mario Party and the last traditionally formatted games for a while, Strikers Charged was the best game to date in that series. We also got Mario & Sonic at the Olympics, which was a huge yawn for me but it did get a former friend of mine to see Eggman for the first time and blurt out "Good GOD you're fat" so it gets an honorable mention.

2017- Coming off one of the bleakest periods for the series, suddenly we had Superstar Saga returning and Super Mario Odyssey bringing 3D Mario back to its roots, which to me strongly symbolized a shift in the Mario brand, albeit one that ended up being a bit of a mirage until 2023 at least for me.

2023- The Mario Movie released and was great, we got the announcement and release of a Super Mario RPG remake, Super Mario Bros. Wonder revitalized 2D Mario, and then the announcement of a TTYD remake. Those Directs that year truly didn't feel real.

2024- The TTYD remake released, we also got a remake of Mario vs Donkey Kong (which is an EXTREMELY underrated gem imo) and then out of nowhere we got the announcement of a brand new Mario & Luigi game after 11 years since the last original one that respected the legacy of the series. Brothership even introduced another chaotic batshit insane eldritch final boss villain, which we've been sorely lacking in for a long time).