Look, trying to put all the mario games in order is a recipe for a massive headache. If you're looking for a neat, chronological narrative where Mario grows up, meets Peach, and slowly builds a career in plumbing, you're going to be disappointed. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the series, has basically said the characters are like a "troupe of actors." They play different roles in different stories. One day Bowser is kidnapping the princess; the next, he’s invited to a go-kart race or a round of golf.
It’s chaotic. It’s inconsistent. But for those of us who grew up with a controller in our hands, there is a definitive way to look at the release history that shaped the entire gaming industry.
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The 2D Revolution and the NES Era
The journey actually starts before the title we all know. Most people point to Super Mario Bros. as the beginning, but that’s not quite right. Mario first showed up as "Jumpman" in the 1891 arcade classic Donkey Kong. Back then, he wasn't even a plumber; he was a carpenter. It wasn't until the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros. (no "Super" yet) that he moved underground and started dealing with pipes and Luigi.
Then 1985 happened.
Super Mario Bros. changed everything. It wasn't just a game; it was a blueprint for side-scrollers. You have the Mushroom Kingdom, the Goombas, and the realization that eating a mushroom makes you twice as big. Simple? Yes. Revolutionary? Absolutely.
Following that, things got weird. If you look at the mario games in order of release, the sequel situation is a bit of a historical fluke. Japan got a punishingly difficult version of the first game (known later as The Lost Levels), while North America got a reskinned game called Doki Doki Panic, which became our Super Mario Bros. 2. This is why Shy Guys and Birdo exist—they weren't originally Mario characters at all. They were just "borrowed" and eventually stuck around for the long haul.
Then came Super Mario Bros. 3 in 1988 (1990 in the US). It’s arguably the best game on the NES. It added the world map, the Tanooki suit, and those iconic Koopalings. It felt huge. It felt like a real world.
Moving to 16-Bit and the Rise of Yoshi
When the Super Nintendo (SNES) dropped, we got Super Mario World. It took everything from the NES games and polished it to a mirror shine. This is where we meet Yoshi for the first time. Honestly, the cape feather is still one of the most satisfying power-ups in history. You could literally fly over entire levels if you knew what you were doing.
But then Nintendo threw a curveball with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
Technically, if we’re talking about a chronological mario games in order timeline, this is actually a prequel. You play as Yoshi carrying Baby Mario. The art style looks like a crayon drawing, and the music is whimsical, but the gameplay is surprisingly deep. It proved that a Mario game didn't necessarily have to have Mario as the main playable protagonist to be a masterpiece.
The 3D Jump that Changed 1996
We have to talk about Super Mario 64.
Before this, 3D gaming was a clunky, ugly mess. Nintendo figured out how to make a camera work in a 3D space. They gave Mario a triple jump, a long jump, and a backflip. Running around the courtyard of Peach’s castle for twenty minutes doing nothing but jumping was fun in itself. That’s the mark of a great game.
The late 90s and early 2000s were a period of experimentation. We saw the series branch out into RPGs with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (developed by Square!) and eventually the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series. These games added something the platformers lacked: actual dialogue and personality. Bowser became a comic-relief villain. Luigi got some much-needed character development as a lovable coward.
The Modern Era: Gravity, Cats, and Living Caps
After the GameCube's Super Mario Sunshine—which people either love or hate because of the FLUDD water pack—Nintendo went to space. Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel on the Wii are often cited as the pinnacle of level design. Playing with gravity felt intuitive in a way it shouldn't have.
Then we hit the "New" era. New Super Mario Bros. (DS, Wii, Wii U) tried to capture the 2D nostalgia. Some fans found them a bit sterile, but they sold millions. They were safe.
Super Mario Odyssey on the Switch was anything but safe.
Odyssey returned to the "sandbox" style of Mario 64. It introduced Cappy, a sentient hat that lets you possess enemies. You could be a T-Rex. You could be a Goomba. You could even be a manhole cover. It was a celebration of everything that came before it, packed with 8-bit secrets and massive, open worlds.
A Quick Look at the Core Platforming Timeline
Instead of a boring list, let's look at how the main series evolved through the decades. This isn't every spin-off, because we'd be here all day if I started talking about Mario’s Time Machine or Hotel Mario.
- The 8-Bit Foundation: Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3. These defined the physics of the Mushroom Kingdom.
- The 16-Bit Refinement: Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island. Better colors, better sound, more complex secrets.
- The Handheld Side-Quest: The Super Mario Land series on Game Boy. Six Golden Coins is a weird, wonderful gem that gave us Wario.
- The 3D Pioneers: Mario 64, Sunshine, and the Galaxy games. This is where the "collect-a-thon" genre was born.
- The Hybrid Future: Super Mario 3D World and Odyssey. These games started blending 2D logic with 3D spaces perfectly.
Why the "Order" is a Misconception
If you try to find a "canon" order for these games, you’ll find theories online that make the Zelda timeline look simple. Some people think the Yoshi's Island games happen first, then the Mario & Luigi "past" segments, then the arcade games.
But here’s the truth: Nintendo doesn't care.
They prioritize fun over continuity. If a mechanic requires Mario to be a doctor, he's a doctor. If they want him to participate in the Olympics against Sonic the Hedgehog, he does it. There is no grand "Mario Cinematic Universe" bible in a vault in Kyoto. The mario games in order are best viewed as a progression of technology and design philosophy rather than a story.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Early Games
One of the biggest misconceptions involves Super Mario Bros. 2. You'll hear people say "It’s not a real Mario game." That’s nonsense. While it started as Doki Doki Panic, Nintendo of Japan's staff—including Miyamoto and Koji Kondo—worked on both versions. It introduced fundamental elements like picking up items and the distinct movement styles for Luigi and Peach. Without it, the "Mario vibe" would be much narrower.
Also, don't sleep on the Land games. Super Mario Land on the original Game Boy was developed without Miyamoto. That's why there are aliens, submarines, and airplanes. It’s a strange, fever-dream version of Mario that feels totally unique.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Collector or Player
If you want to experience the mario games in order today, you don't need a basement full of old consoles.
- Get Nintendo Switch Online: This is the easiest way. You get the NES, SNES, and Game Boy libraries. You can play the original trilogy and Super Mario World with save states, which makes those old, brutal difficulty spikes much more manageable.
- Play 3D All-Stars (if you can find it): Nintendo did a limited release of Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy for the Switch. It’s the best way to see the 3D evolution in one package, though physical copies are getting pricey.
- Check out Super Mario Maker 2: If you want to understand the "physics" of the different eras, this is the tool. You can switch between the game styles of SMB1, SMB3, World, and 3D World instantly. It’s a crash course in how Mario’s jump has changed over 40 years.
- Don't skip the "B-sides": Play Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. It’s short, weird, and has some of the most creative level themes in the series (like the Macro Zone where you're tiny in a huge house).
The best way to enjoy these games isn't to worry about where they fit in a timeline. It’s to appreciate how a red-hatted guy jumping on turtles managed to stay relevant for four decades. From the 8-bit pixels of 1985 to the sprawling kingdoms of today, the "order" is really just the story of how we learned to play in three dimensions.
Start with Super Mario Bros. to see the roots. Then jump into Odyssey to see the flower. Everything in between is just a really great bonus.