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TheSuper Mariogames have been around for almost 40 years and have transcended genres, consoles, platforms, and more with innovative designs and delightful gameplay. Since Mario’s debut back on classic arcade cabinets and all the way up to the Nintendo Switch, you can find Mario in tons of games.
But which of those consoles have enjoyed the highest number of Mario games? We took a look at each game in the grand scheme of Mario games and broke them down by console, tallying them up so you can get the most Mario from your favorite console, both modern and retro.
Just How Many Mario Games Are There?
The totalnumber of Mario games is slightly controversial, as it depends on what you consider to be a Mario game. You have Mario purists, who would only consider mainline Mario games, like Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Odyssey as true games. Adding up thebaseline games takes you to 24 games.
But the Mario umbrella covers plenty more games, from typing games to Donkey Kong titles to old PC learning games. Including all those games brings the total number all the way up to 238 games, which is a staggering number of Mario titles to filter through.
To capture all possible games Mario has been in on every console, we’re going to include as many as we can, so that’s including other games like the Donkey Kong series and spin-offs like Super Smash Bros.
Arcade - 11 Mario Games
Arcade cabinets are where Mario started, with the original Donkey Kong cabinet released in 1981. That gametechnically featured Jump Man, but was reworked into Mario, with him up against Donkey Kong to save Pauline from danger. More recently, Mario arcade games have been focused on Mario Kart Arcade GP titles, adaptations of the long-running Mario Kart series, though they are developed by Bandai Namco, and have a number of changes to items and character roster that set it apart from regular Mario Kart games.
Game & Watch - 15 Mario Games
The Game & Watch is Nintendo’s first entry into handheld games, taking early Nintendo titles like Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., and turning them into portable versions of the game. The first Super Mario Bros. gamebrought Bowser into the Mario universeand helped establish tons of tropes in the games. The Game & Watch handheldwas wildly popular when they released, and even featured original games like Mario’s Cement Factory, Donkey Kong Hockey, and Mario the Juggler.
Nintendo Entertainment System - 17 Mario Games
The Nintendo Entertainment System, also known more simply as the NES, is the first time many young gamers played a Mario game since the console was the only real way you could bring Mario home with you. The NES saw a rerelease of the original Donkey Kong, but also saw him debut in his first mainline solo game, Super Mario Bros. Many players remember the version of the game that came with Duck Hunt, which was a delightful combo game and technically counts as two different Mario games. TheNES also saw the introduction of Dr. Marioand Mario sports game with NES Open Tournament Golf.
Famicom Disk System - 14 Mario Games
This Japanese-only console blurred the line between home console and computer a little more than the NES, as the Famicom Disk System used floppy disks to play games. There wereplans to release the Famicon Disk System to Western audiencesbut was ultimately scrapped. While there were several rereleases of established Mario games, there were also a few new ones, like I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater, which was a sewing simulator to help teach people how to sew.
Game Boy - 15 Mario Games
The second, and more well-known entry in Nintendo’s handheld gaming devices, the Game Boy saw the release of some classic Mario games,as well as an introduction to Wariowith Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3. You also got a few collection games like the Game & Watch Gallery and the popular Tetris Attack.
Game Boy Color - 5 Mario Games
While the Game Boy Color is very similar to the Game Boy, it is distinct enough to warrant its own entry. Onlyfive Mario-based games releasedon the updated handheld device, with Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe headlining the device.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System - 20 Mario Games
A marked upgrade over the NES, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, known to many as the SNES, brings a whole new generation of Mario games to players. The classic Super Mario World, which introduced a number of mechanics, characters, anddesign aesthetics that would carry to even today’s Mario games. The SNES also let Mario explore a little bit with his games, like the Mario Paint painting simulator, which had a mouse and mousepad accessory, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, which hadYoshi protecting a Baby Mario from harm, and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, an epic role-playing game from Square Soft, before they became Square Enix.
Phillips CD-i - 9 Mario Games
One of the odder entries on this list, the Phillips CD-i isn’t a core Nintendo console. Instead, it was developed by Philips Electronics and was granted rights to create Nintendo video games. There were not many games made for this platform, as most of the games are remakes or rereleases of other Mario titles. It does, however, feature the odd Hotel Mario, a game where Mario is in charge of a hotel while Koopas and other enemies keep opening doors, while Mario has to close them. Notably, Hotel Mario has voice actors for Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool, andfor being one of the worst Mario games ever made.
Virtual Boy - 2 Mario Games
The Virtual Boy is the fifth generation of consoles released by Nintendo and was the developer’s first entry into virtual reality.The Virtual Boy had only two Mario gamesreleased for it, Mario’s Tennis and Mario Clash, though the console was short-lived as it never really caught on with gamers at the time.
