Each Super Mario game is ranked from worst to best

Super Mario Bros. was hardly the first game with side-scrolling, character-based action. taitos jungle king / jungle hunt had it back in 1982, and gaming’s first true superstar, Pac-Man, got his own cartoon side-scroller in 1984 Pac country. But still to play Super Mario Bros. 1985 was to know that everything had changed.

It was an absolute revelation to see Mario, the former star of Donkey Kong And Mario brothers., break free from the one-screen limitations of the past and run to the right. A whole world of adventure awaited him, packed with instantly iconic power-ups, unforgettable secrets, a real sense of space and depth thanks to underground stages and bonus coin zones hidden in the clouds.

But of course none of that would have mattered if Super Mario Bros. didn’t feel so damn good to play. The option to hold down a button to run, the way Mario floated through the air, the sheer bliss of getting an Invincibility Star and plowing straight through rows of Goombas and Koopas all increased Super Mario Bros. far beyond any side scroller that had come before.

For my money, it’s also the first game to feature Nintendo’s signature, subtly intuitive level design. There’s a reason World 1-1 remains iconic to this day: Shigeru Miyamoto knew exactly what he was doing and told you everything you needed to know with just a Goomba and a Super Mushroom. And yet, for all its basic simplicity, the game never ceases to amaze as you progress, introducing nefarious new challenges (those damn Hammer Brothers!) and culminating in each world with a castle so treacherous you’ll find yourself both triumphant in surviving as well as feeling relieved.

Some might argue that while it launched an action gaming dynasty, the original Super Mario Bros. it’s not worth going back to today. I do not agree. I find his level design timelessly great (unlike some games in the New Super Mario Bros. series), its music and graphics are enduringly charming, and its controls are now as enjoyable and intuitive as ever. Games that change the gaming landscape forever are rare, but this is one of them, no question. – Caroline Petit

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