Summary
Games wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for everyone’s favorite Italian plumber. TheSuper Mario Bros.series has been at the forefront of games, consistently leading the charge in innovative game design. When the medium made its biggest technological leap to 3D, he was right there to show everyone how it is done.
To pay tribute to all of his platforming escapades, the following list will rank all of hisplatformers based on how long they take to finish, from shortest to longest. The times are taken fromhowlongtobeat.com. Depending on one’s skill level and familiarity with the title, this time can be made shorter or exponentially larger.
Updated Jun 10, 2025 by Mark Sammut:On August 07, 2025, Nintendo will release Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the newest side-scrolling platformer in the publisher’s iconic and beloved franchise. It has been a while since Mario starred in a classic 2D or 3D platformer, especially since the previous entry was also predominantly a remaster (albeit with an expansion). Thelongest Mario gamesare not really all that long, but it remains to be seen whether Super Mario Bros. Wonder is closer to the New Super Mario Bros. series or Sunshine in length.
The Game Boy’s graphics were quaint, but it was impressive enough to have a legitimate platformer on the system. The black-and-white art does a great job of translatingSuper Mario Land’s Mushroom Kingdom to the primitive handheld device.
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While only an hour to beat, it was great comfort food back in the day when on the commute to work or in a waiting room. The game is currently available on theNintendo 3DS virtual console.
Super Mario Land’ssequel added an overworld and introduced audiences to Wario, who would later carve out his own niche with theWarioWareseries. A platformer is impressive enough on the Game Boy. Having a world map with non-linear paths is icing on the cake and is enough to feel like a step up from the first game. Like its predecessor, the game is also playable on the 3DS via virtual console.
The first journey to save Princess Peach is just as fun to play today as it was in 1985. For a first-time player, doing all the levels without warp pipes will probably take longer than two hours, but veteran players can probably breeze through it with their eyes closed by now.
One has to look atwhat console games were likebeforeSuper Mario Bros.to truly appreciate all it did for the medium.Super Mario 35, the franchise’s creative interpretation of the battle royale genre, takes its levels from this original classic.
This isn’t the true sequel toSuper Mario Bros.,but it is the continuation North American gamers gotbecause the actual game was considered too difficult.
Despite its incongruity with the typical Mushroom Kingdom aesthetic, several features from the games have lived on in theMariofranchises, such as Birdo and Shy Guys.
TheSuper Mario All-Starsversion is available on the Nintendo Switch as a part of the Switch online subscription, along with the other mainline 2DSuper Mariogames.
It takes some skills to get through this title in three hours. For newcomers, beatingThe Lost Levelswill take a lot more time and frustration. Easily one of the toughest 2DMariogames, its original release was shelved in the West specifically because Nintendo of America felt it was too difficult for feeble American gamers.
Anybody interested in this game should be aware of just how unfair and obtuse some of the game’s challenges are. Fortunately, the Nintendo Switch’s ability to rewind and have multiple save states makes the game more accessible.
The last NESMarioplatformer made numerous improvements to the formula. InSuper Mario Bros. 3, Mario’s progress is marked on a world map, he can collect upgrades to enhance his abilities, and the levels are chock-full of more secrets than ever before.
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Super Mario Bros. 3is a highlight of the series and is often considered one of the best NES games ever released. It is also impressive just to see a game of this scope and ambition running on an NES. It was not an easy feat to pull off.
Just when one thoughtSuper Mario Bros. 3was the peak,Super Mario Worldcame in and upped the ante even further. It may only take five hours to go through the levels, but completionists will spend a lot more time finding all the secrets and completing Star World.
The art style and variety hold up today even considering the SNES' outdated hardware, and the same extends to the gameplay. Not only isSuper Mario Worldconsidered by many to be the franchise’s 2D platformer peak, but an argument could be made that the game is the overall genre’s greatest masterpiece.
At a time when people were jonesing for someMarioaction, theNew Super Mario Bros. series came in to fill the void. It lacked the innovation mainlineMariogames often bring to the table, but the handheld entries in the series were all fine platformers in an era when the genre was lacking.
New Super Mario Bros. 2is, ultimately, just another 2D entry in the franchise. While it largely sticks to the fundamentals without offering much in the way of novelty, the game is still polished, tight, and enjoyable. A single run will not take that long to complete, but a few branching pathways add replay value.
Nintendo’s3DSconsolebrought the first true 3D handheldMariogame, and it stands as one of the finest in the series. Its bite-sized 3D levels make it feel more akin toCrash BandicootthanSuper Mario Galaxyor64, and this format works perfectly for gaming on the go.
While it starts off easy, later levels prove to be punishing.Super Mario 3D Worldwould later expand upon this format on the Wii U. It is one of the few games that actually feels improved using the device’s 3D mode.
The first entry into theNewsubseries sold over 30 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games ever made. Reviews agree with the sales numbers, hailing it as one of the bestMariogames of its time. The only complaint lobbied against it was the low difficulty, something uncommon for the plumber.
TheNew Super Mario Bros.series gradually garnered criticism for its refusal to deviate from the beaten path, but that was largely directed toward the sequels. In 2006, the franchise was overdue a traditional 2D entry, so this game was a breath of familiar but fresh air at the time.
