6 Classic Super Mario Games: Which One Fits Your Play Style?
Game Rerun Editorial TeamJul 26, 2026
You do not need a ranking to choose a classic Super Mario game. Start with Super Mario Bros if you want the foundations of running and jumping. Pick Super Mario Bros 3 for a fuller 2D introduction, Super Mario World for secret exits, or Super Mario 64 for open 3D movement.
This guide covers six platform games that are currently in the game library. Racing and party spin-offs are outside its scope. The games are compared by movement, stage routes, and exploration rather than treated as a release-order checklist.
Choose by play style
Foundational side-scrolling: Super Mario Bros
A varied first 2D Mario: Super Mario Bros 3
Secret exits and branching routes: Super Mario World
Compact handheld exploration: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Free movement in 3D spaces: Super Mario 64
A newer-looking classic side-scroller: New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros: Start with the foundations
Super Mario Bros suits players who want to see where the series began or prefer a clear side-scrolling goal. Most stages move from left to right. The challenge comes from reading enemy movement, judging takeoff and landing points, and using the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman to survive mistakes.
The rules are easy to understand, but the momentum and limited forgiveness of an early game can still be demanding. Choose it for the historical starting point. If you mainly want a 2D game with more variety, Super Mario Bros 3 is usually the better first pick.
Game
Super Mario Bros
A classic side-scrolling platformer where players control Mario to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser.
Play nowSuper Mario Bros 3: Pick a varied 2D introduction
Super Mario Bros 3 keeps the familiar running and jumping while adding map routes, airship stages, and transformations that distinguish its eight themed worlds. Goals remain easy to read, but you can choose routes and use stored items on the map.
Raccoon Mario captures its appeal. Build enough speed and you can take off, reach routes above the main path, and find hidden areas. For someone ready to try 2D Mario without a strong preference, this game offers a useful balance between clear foundations and variety.
Game
Super Mario Bros 3
A side-scrolling platformer where Mario or Luigi traverse eight diverse worlds to rescue Princess Toadstool from the Koopalings and Bowser.
Play nowSuper Mario World: Choose it for secret exits
Super Mario World takes place in Dinosaur Land. Yoshi, the Cape Feather, branching maps, and secret exits make finding another route part of each stage's appeal.
Some courses have more than one exit, and a different goal can change the route on the world map. Pick this game if you enjoy revisiting stages and watching for keys or concealed paths. Cape gliding and spin attacks also give Mario more ways to move than in the earlier games.
Game
Super Mario World
A side-scrolling platformer where Mario and Luigi explore Dinosaur Land to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser.
Play nowSuper Mario Land 2: Try compact handheld exploration
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins comes from Game Boy. You can choose among six themed zones, recover six golden coins, and then enter the castle to face Wario.
Its screen and stage scale fit a handheld, but the journey is not a straight line. Zone selection, hidden exits, and the Bunny Ears' slower descent create a more open portable adventure than the original Super Mario Land. Choose it if you like compact world structures or want to see how classic Mario adapted to a smaller screen.
Game
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
A side-scrolling platformer where Mario must reclaim his castle from Wario by collecting the six golden coins.
Play nowSuper Mario 64: Explore freely in 3D
Super Mario 64 uses Princess Peach's castle as a hub. Paintings lead to worlds where you complete objectives and collect Power Stars. Instead of following a fixed path to the right, you read the terrain and search each space for the next objective.
Long jumps, wall jumps, camera direction, and distance all shape the route, so the learning cost is higher than in the 2D games. Start here if you want to see Mario's move into 3D or prefer choosing what to explore next. If an early 3D camera feels unfamiliar, practice turning and landing in the castle and opening courses first.
Game
Super Mario 64
A groundbreaking 3D platformer where Mario explores Princess Peach's castle to collect Power Stars and rescue her from Bowser.
Play nowNew Super Mario Bros.: Start with a newer-looking side-scroller
New Super Mario Bros. returns to side-scrolling and adds the Mega Mushroom, Mini Mushroom, and a slot for a spare item. It keeps the familiar running, jumping, and secret exits while presenting them with visuals and animation closer to later 2D Mario games.
Choose it if you do not want to begin with the look and feel of an 8-bit or 16-bit game. Mario's different sizes open specific routes, and the spare-item slot gives you another way to recover, making it a practical entry point for players who want a more recent classic.
Game
New Super Mario Bros.
A side-scrolling platformer that revitalizes the classic Mario formula with modern graphics and new power-ups on the Nintendo DS.
Play nowStill unsure? Start with Super Mario Bros 3
If you only want one game and have no strong preference, Super Mario Bros 3 is a practical starting point. It keeps the clear goals of a traditional side-scroller while adding maps, transformations, and distinct themed worlds.
Choose Super Mario Bros for the series' foundation, Super Mario World for hidden routes, Super Mario Land 2 for handheld structure, Super Mario 64 for 3D exploration, or New Super Mario Bros. for a presentation closer to later games.
Release order is still useful if you want to observe how the series changed: Super Mario Bros from 1985, Super Mario Bros 3 from 1988, Super Mario World from 1990, Super Mario Land 2 from 1992, Super Mario 64 from 1996, and New Super Mario Bros. from 2006. These are the original Japanese release years, and the order is a comparison route rather than homework.