Boss Rush Banter: What’s Your Favorite Mario Series?

It’s Mario Day! We here at Boss Rush Network hope that you are celebrating by playing one of your favorite Mario games! A huge part of why Mario has become such a successful franchise is the overwhelming quantity of games, as well as the vast differences in gaming experiences that these different “series” can provide. Playing Super Mario World is an incredibly different experience from playing Mario Party Superstars. Different Mario fans are drawn to different types of Mario games. Which games do you find the most enjoyable?

The 2D Mario games, starting with Super Mario Bros. for the NES and ending with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe for the Switch, are a keystone of side scrollers. These games are usually pretty straight forward, with a number of levels, a few boss fights, and result in a fun time. These games can also typically be played in multiplayer, adding an extra dimension of fun as you try to mess up your friends or compete to get to the end of the level first.

Starting with Super Mario 64, we’ve also seen amazing 3D Mario games, allowing you to explore complex worlds and interact with characters in new ways. I’ll never forget the first time I played Super Mario Odyssey, and being just blown away at how much there was to do squeezed into a Mario game. There were so many little secrets tucked away, waiting to be found. Say what you will, but 3D Mario games are some of the most popular Mario games for a reason.

Maybe you’re into the multiplayer series, like Mario Kart, Mario Golf, or Mario Party. I remember spending countless hours down the street as a kid playing Mario Kart: Double Dash with my friends, and playing Mario Kart Wii in college with my roommates. I recently got Mario Party Superstars, and have been having a blast playing online with friends. Other games, like Mario Tennis: Aces or Mario Strikers: Battle League coming out later this year, are focused on a variety of sports, but mixed with the wackiness of the Mushroom Kingdom, like Goombas, fireballs, and fun interactive items like banana peels and Koopa shells. These multiplayer games are sure to give you and your friends a fun game night.

There are countless other Mario series we didn’t even mention, like the Mario & Luigi series, Paper Mario, even spin-offs like WarioWare and Luigi’s Mansion. (I’m still waiting for a Waluigi spin off). Many of these games, though normally wildly different from other typical Mario games, have become fan favorites.

With more than 35 years of Mario games, there’s a game for everyone, whether it’s Dr. Mario on the NES or Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, coming soon to the Nintendo Switch. What Mario games do you find the most enjoyable? Let us know in a comment below, or tell us over on the Boss Rush Discord!

Featured Image Source: Super Mario Wiki