Mario Game Free Download

Mario Game

Had this list been compiled just a few short months ago, it might have been topped by Mario’s first proper Wii outing, not its sequel. However, Super Mario Galaxy 2 features every bit as much vibrant imagination as its predecessor whilst expunging the cumbersome hub world and some of the extraneous story (did anyone really want to sit in the library with new girl Rosalina when Princess Peach was in peril?). That this superlative sequel sees the return of Yoshi is only the icing on the exquisitely-designed, perfectly-paced adventure-shaped cake.

The game that started this gamer’s twenty-year love affair with all things Nintendo, this first foray into side-scrolling platforming action still stands up as one of Shigeru Miyamoto‘s finest creations. Be warned, however: you can expect something of a challenge if you haven’t played in a while. In addition to the genre-defining side-scrolling, this was the 40 million-selling game that introduced the masses to the Mushroom Kingdom and its myriad delights, not to mention its legendary soundtrack.

Following the uncharacteristic misstep that was Super Mario Bros.2, Mario bounced back in a game that put the ‘super’ back into the Super Mario Bros. series. Arguably the best of the two-dimensional Mario games, SMB3 heralded the arrival of the overworld map and granted the portly plumber the ability to fly by means of the Super Leaf or Tanooki Suit power-ups. Each of the eight worlds boasted a distinct visual style, while advanced technology – built into the game cartridge – facilitated greatly enhanced graphical flourishes that placed the second sequel head and shoulders above most NES titles in terms of aesthetic appeal. Tight level design and an often demanding difficulty curve cemented the game’s legacy as a near-perfect classic and confirmed Mario’s place in the pantheon of gaming.

Mario’s two-dimensional appearances waned somewhat following the release of Super Mario 64. Indeed, his first true platforming adventure on the phenomenally successful Nintendo DS was actually a remake of the seminal 3D N64 game. However, a triumphant return to side-scrolling Goomba-bashing and Koopa-stomping was delivered in 2006 in the form of New Super Mario Bros. DS. Whilst never scaling the innovative heights of some of its predecessors, NSMB was a happy throwback to the days when gaming in three mutually perpendicular directions seemed unnecessarily futuristic. We had a new Mario game in our pocket, and we were happy to see it.