Mariois one of the oldest gaming franchises ever and probably the most iconic video game character of all time. Many of the main installments in the series are considered some of the greatest games ever made, but Mario also has a massive amount of spin-offs.
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In other series, the spin-offs are generally lower in quality than the main titles, but that’s not the case with Mario. Some of these spin-offs are at the top of their respective genres and are considered some of the best Mario games ever. In order for a title to count, it has to be a Nintendo-owned game, and Mario or Luigi has to be a playable character.
10Super Mario Bros. 35
In 2019 and 2020, it seemed like everyone wanted to get in on the battle royal craze. WhenTetrisreceived a battle royal, it was already a bit absurd, so naturally, Mario had to follow suit. Super Mario Bros. 35 didn’t connect with everyone, but those who got into it loved it.
Some of you have played Super Mario Bros. your entire life, and this was the time to truly test your skills. It connected deep with the older crowd, and some people were playing it right up until the servers were shut down on July 30, 2025. Unfortunately, you’re able to’t play it anymore, but for those who did experience the title, it was truly something special.
9Mario Vs. Donkey Kong
There are plenty of quality handheld titles in the Mario franchise, and one of the more notable series is Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Technically starting with theDonkey KongGame Boy game, which was already excellent, Mario vs. Donkey Kong on the GBA was even better.
It has a charming and funny story about Donkey Kong stealing Mario’s inventory of toys, and Charles' lines here are classic. The gameplay itself is a fun puzzle platformer with a massive length to it. When you first defeat the final boss and the credits roll,you think you’re done, but in reality, you’ve just finished the first half. The sequels are decent, but they simply can’t match up to the original.
8Luigi’s Mansion
For three straight Nintendo systems, from the NES to N64, they launched a Mario game. People expected the GameCube to do the same, and they were half right. It was a Mario game, but you controlled Luigi.Luigi’s Mansionis a great GameCube game and one of those titles you can replay every now and then due to its length.
It’s a pretty short game, but due to its money system, it’s fun to replay to see how rich you get by the end. There are plenty of hidden treasures and hidden ghosts, and along with getting all golds on every boss, this title has great replay value considering the short runtime.
7Super Mario Maker 2
BeforeSuper Mario Maker, there weren’t many games, if at all, that primarily dealt with level creation. Sure, games like Trials Evolution made great strides in that area, but if you wanted to, you could simply play the campaign levels and try to get to the top of the leaderboards.
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Creating and playing user-generated content (UGC) is the name of the game in Mario Maker. Mario Maker 2 improved it even more with its added creation features, making it one of the most fun games to play UGC in. Even if you are not into creating levels, playing the amazing UGC content is still a total blast.
6Mario Kart 8
Often when the newest installment in a series comes out, and it’s fantastic, recency bias can come into play, and many may think it’s the best in the series.Mario Kart 8is the newest mainline title, but it legitimately is the best one. In terms of balancing and competitive viability, Mario Kart 8 is king, with its new items and gameplay additions.
In the older games, bad luck could majorly hamper the best players, but with the refinements here, that luck factor is drastically reduced. This is likely why the game is still alive and seeing new support to this day. For a title that originally launched in 2014, that’s pretty good.
5Mario Party 4
The question of what’s the bestMario Partyis pretty divisive within its community. A lot will choose either Mario Party 2 or 3, but the best has to go for 4. The boards and minigames are fantastic, plus Chance Time always leads to chaotic fun.
Mario Party is not only a great game to play but fantastic to watch, and the fourth title might be the most fun in that category. Mario Party 4 doesn’t have the best minigames or boards, but the best overall. Certain entries, like the first game, probablyhave the best boardsbut are lacking in minigames, and that’s what makes the fourth title top dog.
4Super Mario RPG
The Mario franchise has so many fantastic RPGs in its catalog, but the first ever wasSuper Mario RPGfor the SNES. Developed by Square, this game kicked off Mario’s foray into the genre in the best way possible. With a fantastic battle system, memorable characters, and great writing, this game is seen as one of thebest RPGs of the 90s.
What’s a bit unfortunate, though, is that Super Mario RPG is not available on Switch Online. This makes it quite hard to play today unless you bought the SNES Classic or previously purchased it on the Virtual Console.
3Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Another excellent RPG Mario game is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the GBA. Kicking off the second major RPG subseries afterPaper Mario, this game would lead to many sequels, but none captured the same exact spark. Superstar Saga offered a fun top-down world to explore, a quality battle system, and great writing comparable to Paper Mario.
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The moment with Professor E. Gadd in the coffee shop is great. Thankfully, this title is on Switch Online, although it is worth pointing out that Superstar Saga is a pretty difficult game. It’s definitely not a beginner RPG, but the best Mario RPG is.
2Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
RPGs, historically, have not been a genre for everyone. Many aren’t into the turn-based battle systems and gameplay loops of them. However, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is not only an excellent beginner RPG but is a game made for nonfans of the genre. It doesn’t matter what you’re into, as you’ll have a blast with this title.
The characters, soundtrack, writing, and battle system are all top-tier. The theatrical play-style battle system is simple enough so that even kids can pick up and play but deep enough that skilled players can get a lot out of it. It has a solid length, too, with only one noticeable dragging part in the campaign. It’s an absolute crime that Thousand-Year Door is still a GameCube exclusive, as it’s one of the best RPGs of all time.
1Super Smash Bros. Melee
Like Mario Party, determining whichSmash Brosis the best is really tough to call.Smash Ultimateis likely thebest fighting game of the modern eraand, in many ways, superior to Melee. However, Melee’s sheer impact and out-of-this-world longevity make it the best. Over 20 years after its initial release, Smash Bros Melee still has an incredibly active competitive scene.
This is simply unmatched compared to any other older fighting game. Even other GOATs in the genre, likeSuper Street Fighter 2 TurboandMarvel vs. Capcom 2, don’t have nearly the same size in terms of their competitive scene today. Smash Melee has simply stood the test of time, and it’s unclear if Smash Ultimate will have the same impact decades later.
