When the word ‘underrated’ is used in reference to entries in series as venerated as, say, Super Mario or the Zelda, it never quite feels right. Sure, perhaps there are some early oddball entries that people missed — games that were crafted when the template and direction of the series was still in flux — but it’s hard to argue that these represent the most analysed, most considered and reconsidered video games ever made.
Whether they’re celebrated genre-definers or one of the lesser entries in the Mushroom Kingdom canon, surely every single Mario game is rated absolutely appropriately, right? Sunshine is famously not as polished as other mainline 3D Marios, but it’s got some great bits, too. Some people will call it their favourite, which is fine, but broadly speaking, it ranks where it ranks (13 at the time of writing) on our all-time best Mario games list for a reason,
It’s a poser, but we thought it was a good time to think about Mario games that we feel get a bad rap. Perhaps it’s because they’re not quite the paradigm-shifters they’re related to. Maybe they released at a bad time, on a dying system. Perhaps they deviated too far from a respected predecessor and it didn’t click at the time.
Whatever the reason, this MAR10 Day we’re taking a look at 10 Mario games that, if not underrated, deserve a second look if you’ve dismissed them in the past. We’ve opened the field up to any game with Mario in the title (and in a starring role), not just the mainline massive.
So, let’s get into the top 10 most ‘underrated’ Mario games…
The first 2D entry to come to a home console since Mario World in the early ’90s, 2009’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii brought chaotic four-player local multiplayer to the series for the first time and gave old-school fans yearning for a side-on Mushroom Kingdom adventure something to chew on, with plenty of clever nods to the past.
Anyone put off by the New series’ ‘wah’s and cuteness missed out on a real platforming treat. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is honestly our favourite of the bunch. It evolves the basic formula of the DS entry perfectly, and the multiplayer is an absolute blast. And look, Penguin Mario is one of the best power-ups ever. Don’t challenge us.
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Super Paper Mario blends classic platformer with some of the RPG elements of its predecessors and throws in a world-flipping mechanic that gives you a whole new perspective on traditional 2D platforming courses. Originally planned as a GameCube game, it perhaps makes more sense that it diverges from Thousand-Year Door’s way of doing things, and it certainly divides series fans.
Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of fandom, the Wii entry is a beautiful game with fiendish puzzles and an intriguing, unique flip mechanic. It’s also delightfully weird in ways you’ll never expect. Despite not being a traditional RPG, Super Paper Mario’s blend of genres really works to create something that’s wholly unique in Mario’s storied history.
Mario Hoops 3 on 3, known as Mario Slam Basketball in Europe, was a great handheld title in its day, especially when played with a friend. If you’re after a fun, colourful, and (at times) manic sporting experience with inventive controls and wonderful presentation, this is definitely worth a shot.
Our lovely video producer Felix is a particular fan of this underrated Mario gem — check him out waxing lyrical about Mario’s courtside skills alongside footage of the game. Wait, there are Final Fantasy characters here, too? Sold.
This spruce-up of the DS original did more than enough to impress us and, along with Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, gave the 3DS a truly great swansong, even if most Nintendo fans had moved on to Switch by January 2019. Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey didn’t touch what made the original so great and brought it to a whole new audience with all-new features. With the updated visuals, a brand-new side story involving Bowser Jr., and the ability to speed up gameplay, it’s the best version of arguably the best of the Mario & Luigi RPG series.
Plus, you get to root around in the intestines of a giant fire-breathing lizard. What’s not to like?
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a masterclass in competitive game design The game it played from kick-off was a beautiful one, and what it lacks in options is more than made up by just how much fun the game is It’s absolutely gorgeous to boot. Initially, the game may have fallen short of many people’s expectations, but free post-launch updates brought along new characters, modes, and more.
If arcade sport action isn’t your bag, it’ll likely do nothing to sway your opinion, but if you have even a passing interest in this kind of caper, Mario Strikers: Battle League is one of the best sports games on Switch, especially now it’s “complete”. Give it another shot.
Super Mario Land was an impressive accomplishment when it was released for the Game Boy in 1989. The sequel might have made this original shot at translating the plumber’s platforming to the overworked, underpowered handheld seem quaint by comparison, but it’s still a very fun Super Mario experience, albeit a short one. Crafted by Gunpei Yokoi’s R&D1 rather than Shigeru Miyamoto’s team, it’s a surreal yet compelling take on the template which takes some adjusting to nowadays. And just about the time things are really getting good, the credits roll.
If you haven’t played Super Mario Land before, you owe it to yourself to try this — it’s worth playing through at least once to see where Mario’s portable adventures began. Cracking music, too.
It feels like Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope’s star isn’t as bright as its predecessors.Kingdom Battle’s challenging, curated fights and delightful visuals turned it into a cult hit, and the sequel went with a “bigger is better” mentality. The battles are less an evolution of what came before and more an impressive shift toward freedom and creativity that can sometimes trivialise Cursa’s attempts to take over the galaxy. However, Sparks of Hope shines in most aspects outside of these Darkmess bouts. Delightful little puzzles, quests, and memorable locales abound, which yet make this Rabbid-themed adventure a must-play for Mario and strategy game enthusiasts alike.
One aspect of Mario’s legacy that seems to have taken a hit on the Switch is the sport games. We’ve already stuck up for Mario Strikers on the console, but now it’s time to wax lyrical about Mario Tennis Aces. It’s anything but the disappointing Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash; instead, Aces is a superb arcade sports game that’s generous with its suite of player options and only occasionally guilty of being a little cheap in its Adventure Mode. The presentation is spot on, and the core tennis action is absorbing whether you’re trading simple strokes or firing off special shots. Some animations and voiceovers are identical to Ultra Smash’s, but everything around them has been overhauled to quite splendid heights. This is something of a Switch Port Plus, then – not quite a whole new experience, but so improved as to be near unrecognisable.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (or Super Mario USA when this famously reskinned, plumberised form of Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic made its way back to Japan), was the follow-up to Super Mario Bros., with platforming mechanics quite different from the original. It introduced the ability to lift and throw objects and a screen that scrolled left and right and up and down.
The verticality of levels and ability to play as different characters was a profound change from the first game, but despite being the odd one out in its homeland, Super Mario Bros. 2 ended up having an enormous influence on the iconography of the series. The game is definitely worth revisiting — Nintendo Switch Online is the easiest place to find it these days — if only to remind yourself just how different it is from what came before and after.
Billed as a stepping stone between the 2D and 3D games, Super Mario 3D Land scaled down the grand playgrounds of the mainline titles into smaller courses that worked better on a handheld screen. Beyond a handful of obvious and gimmicky perspective puzzles, this platformer showcased the console’s stereoscopic 3D by subtly signalling distance and perspective to the player – you weren’t relying on Mario’s shadow quite so much (a fact we more fully appreciated when we first played this game’s ‘big brother’, the excellent Super Mario 3D World on Wii U/Switch).
It was games like this and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds which really showed off the 3DS’ namesake feature and how it could enhance the gameplay experience without poking your eye out. Comfortably contained and wonderfully tailored to the hardware, this should really be in your collection already.
Those are our ten picks. Think we’re missing something? Has Mario Picross been sufficiently appraised? Is Hotel Mario under-ranked in popular estimations? Think Super Mario 64 DS deserves more love (it almost made this list, in fact — played on 3DS, of course). Let us know in the poll and comments below.