Even though I'm more of a Zelda fan, I still love playing Mario games as much as the next guy.
Here's my list in more or less the order I've played them.
1. Super Mario 64
This is the first Mario game I have ever played. When I first saw a friend of mine in Japan play this many years ago, I was not sure what to make of it. Since I watched a lot of American cartoons when I was small, I thought it was a scene from 2 Stupid Dogs and the castle is some kind of TV Studio. When I finally got my own copy of the game, it's what sent me on a big obsession with Nintendo games.
2. Yoshi Story
This is the game that made me understand what kind of character Yoshi is. Prior to it, I only know him as the guy you meet on the castle's roof, a fun racer to play as in Mario Kart 64, and (from the images I have seen up until this point) Mario's steed. Sure, I've seen Yoshi in action from a game I only took a glimpse at years ago (I'll explain later), but this one allowed me to experience his power firsthand. Being able to lash out that whip-like tongue in any direction, throw eggs that explode, and explore fabricated worlds provided a memorable change of pace from the other games I'm use to. Plus, this game made me laugh in several places, such as ground pounding near an elephant to flip him over.
3. Diddy Kong Racing
At this point in my life, I never knew Diddy was Donkey Kong's little buddy. All I knew him for was this neat kart racer I played once at a friend's house in Massachusetts. Thankfully, I managed to get my own copy of the game shortly after (even if it was in Japanese). Not only did I find the cast more diverse and original than the one in Mario Kart 64, but also exploring the island and challenging the bosses was a lot of fun. Also, I had a thing for opening and shutting door.
Regrettably, I overlooked Banjo and Conker as characters when I first played this game. It wasn't until I played Banjo-Kazooie and gained a lot more respect for Conker that I began to really appreciate those characters. Of course, that's another story.
4. Donkey Kong 64
DK was more or less in the same boat as Yoshi. The only difference is that he was not as appealing as Yoshi right off the bat. When I saw that this game not only stars DK but also Diddy (whom I know from DKR), I wanted this game to play as that monkey. I was delighted that I was able to explore the game in a similar way to Super Mario 64 and the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I never played Banjo-Kazooie at this point, so this was my first taste of the "full power" of Rare. Not only was it more beautiful and detailed than SM64, but also the characters are a lot more memorable (at this point, Bowser couldn't hold much of a candle to a villain as awesome as King K. Rool). Plus, the music provides a better atmosphere than what I am normally used to at that point.
5. Wario Land 3
Much like Yoshi and DK before him, I never thought as much about Wario. In fact, I did not care for him because he looked like a mean version of Mario. As a result, yellow instantly lost the spot as my favorite color. It wasn't until playing this game that I understood what kind of awesome character Wario is! He's strong, assumes many forms, and takes no nonsense as he takes that punishment and returns for more after brushing it off. Heck, Mario needs coins and mushrooms to keep himself health, while Wario just shrugs it all off! What makes this game even more awesome is how Wario constantly improves himself with certain treasures and all the mandatory treasures open new paths in completely different areas. How cool is that? I'd love to see a game that tries the latter gimmick again.
6. Paper Mario
Out of all the Mario games I've ever played, non left as big of an impact on my life as the first Paper Mario game. When I saw the commercial for this game, I was not sure what to make of it. The idea of Mario being made of paper sounded absurd and I probably wasn't going to get it. When I did manage to get it for my tenth birthday, I fell in love with it! Not only was the art style great, but also it fleshed out many of the characters! Plus, it gave me some great insight on what kind of world the Mushroom Kingdom is. Whenever I create stories within the world of Mario, I always draw inspiration from this game when defining Mario's world.
I could say more about Paper Mario and its other games, but I'll be here all day if that were the case.
7. Luigi's Mansion
Getting to play as Luigi? That's really cool for that reason alone. What makes it even more awesome is that I have this fascinating mansion to explore. I know it's basically an illusion, but the house feels like this believable place with a history behind it. Also, the ghost in this one breath a lot more life (for lack of a better word) into this game.
8. Super Mario Sunshine
It's a little odd to see the designs of Mario enemies tampered with, but I honestly enjoyed the setting of this game. The NPCs were a blast to talk to as I get insight on what life is like on this sunny island. Also, let's not forget the mechanics behind using FLUDD, which actually works extremely well and is fun to play with. My only gripe is a lack of the equivalent of an ice level (I know they have annoying mechanics, but they have great atmospheres in my opinion).
9. Super Mario World
I never had the Super Nintendo right off the bat, so I had to settle with the GBA port. What I played, though, was actually a solid Mario adventure. Not only was exploring around Dinosaur Land for the exits a fun task, but also the cape was a joy to use (especially when I finally mastered it). Plus, I always get a kick out of riding that blue Yoshi.
10. Yoshi's Island
Remember that one Yoshi game I mentioned before years ago? Well, I think you could take a good guess at what it is now. When I saw this game in Japan years ago at a friend's house, I was confused to see both Mario and Bowser as babies. I never got a chance to actually play it until the GBA port. What I was presented was gorgeous visuals, fun enemies, and a whole lot of exploration without a time limit telling me otherwise. It sticks out as being one of the best Mairo platformers for me.
Anyway, there's more to this list than what you see here. I would talk about more, but I think ten is enough and some games had to get the cut. I was even going to put Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga on here, but I chose not to for various reasons.
Here's my list in more or less the order I've played them.
1. Super Mario 64
This is the first Mario game I have ever played. When I first saw a friend of mine in Japan play this many years ago, I was not sure what to make of it. Since I watched a lot of American cartoons when I was small, I thought it was a scene from 2 Stupid Dogs and the castle is some kind of TV Studio. When I finally got my own copy of the game, it's what sent me on a big obsession with Nintendo games.
2. Yoshi Story
This is the game that made me understand what kind of character Yoshi is. Prior to it, I only know him as the guy you meet on the castle's roof, a fun racer to play as in Mario Kart 64, and (from the images I have seen up until this point) Mario's steed. Sure, I've seen Yoshi in action from a game I only took a glimpse at years ago (I'll explain later), but this one allowed me to experience his power firsthand. Being able to lash out that whip-like tongue in any direction, throw eggs that explode, and explore fabricated worlds provided a memorable change of pace from the other games I'm use to. Plus, this game made me laugh in several places, such as ground pounding near an elephant to flip him over.
3. Diddy Kong Racing
At this point in my life, I never knew Diddy was Donkey Kong's little buddy. All I knew him for was this neat kart racer I played once at a friend's house in Massachusetts. Thankfully, I managed to get my own copy of the game shortly after (even if it was in Japanese). Not only did I find the cast more diverse and original than the one in Mario Kart 64, but also exploring the island and challenging the bosses was a lot of fun. Also, I had a thing for opening and shutting door.
Regrettably, I overlooked Banjo and Conker as characters when I first played this game. It wasn't until I played Banjo-Kazooie and gained a lot more respect for Conker that I began to really appreciate those characters. Of course, that's another story.
4. Donkey Kong 64
DK was more or less in the same boat as Yoshi. The only difference is that he was not as appealing as Yoshi right off the bat. When I saw that this game not only stars DK but also Diddy (whom I know from DKR), I wanted this game to play as that monkey. I was delighted that I was able to explore the game in a similar way to Super Mario 64 and the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I never played Banjo-Kazooie at this point, so this was my first taste of the "full power" of Rare. Not only was it more beautiful and detailed than SM64, but also the characters are a lot more memorable (at this point, Bowser couldn't hold much of a candle to a villain as awesome as King K. Rool). Plus, the music provides a better atmosphere than what I am normally used to at that point.
5. Wario Land 3
Much like Yoshi and DK before him, I never thought as much about Wario. In fact, I did not care for him because he looked like a mean version of Mario. As a result, yellow instantly lost the spot as my favorite color. It wasn't until playing this game that I understood what kind of awesome character Wario is! He's strong, assumes many forms, and takes no nonsense as he takes that punishment and returns for more after brushing it off. Heck, Mario needs coins and mushrooms to keep himself health, while Wario just shrugs it all off! What makes this game even more awesome is how Wario constantly improves himself with certain treasures and all the mandatory treasures open new paths in completely different areas. How cool is that? I'd love to see a game that tries the latter gimmick again.
6. Paper Mario
Out of all the Mario games I've ever played, non left as big of an impact on my life as the first Paper Mario game. When I saw the commercial for this game, I was not sure what to make of it. The idea of Mario being made of paper sounded absurd and I probably wasn't going to get it. When I did manage to get it for my tenth birthday, I fell in love with it! Not only was the art style great, but also it fleshed out many of the characters! Plus, it gave me some great insight on what kind of world the Mushroom Kingdom is. Whenever I create stories within the world of Mario, I always draw inspiration from this game when defining Mario's world.
I could say more about Paper Mario and its other games, but I'll be here all day if that were the case.
7. Luigi's Mansion
Getting to play as Luigi? That's really cool for that reason alone. What makes it even more awesome is that I have this fascinating mansion to explore. I know it's basically an illusion, but the house feels like this believable place with a history behind it. Also, the ghost in this one breath a lot more life (for lack of a better word) into this game.
8. Super Mario Sunshine
It's a little odd to see the designs of Mario enemies tampered with, but I honestly enjoyed the setting of this game. The NPCs were a blast to talk to as I get insight on what life is like on this sunny island. Also, let's not forget the mechanics behind using FLUDD, which actually works extremely well and is fun to play with. My only gripe is a lack of the equivalent of an ice level (I know they have annoying mechanics, but they have great atmospheres in my opinion).
9. Super Mario World
I never had the Super Nintendo right off the bat, so I had to settle with the GBA port. What I played, though, was actually a solid Mario adventure. Not only was exploring around Dinosaur Land for the exits a fun task, but also the cape was a joy to use (especially when I finally mastered it). Plus, I always get a kick out of riding that blue Yoshi.
10. Yoshi's Island
Remember that one Yoshi game I mentioned before years ago? Well, I think you could take a good guess at what it is now. When I saw this game in Japan years ago at a friend's house, I was confused to see both Mario and Bowser as babies. I never got a chance to actually play it until the GBA port. What I was presented was gorgeous visuals, fun enemies, and a whole lot of exploration without a time limit telling me otherwise. It sticks out as being one of the best Mairo platformers for me.
Anyway, there's more to this list than what you see here. I would talk about more, but I think ten is enough and some games had to get the cut. I was even going to put Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga on here, but I chose not to for various reasons.
![[+]](images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")