Mario Timeline: Every Super Mario Game in Order
If you’ve ever wondered which Mario game came first or how the series jumped from 2‑D to 3‑D, you’re in the right spot. Below is a plain‑English run‑through of the whole Mario timeline, broken into two easy sections. No fluff, just the facts you need to know when you want to play the games in the right order.
Early Years (1980s‑1990s)
The saga starts in 1981 with Donkey Kong, where Mario debuted as Jumpman. The next big step was the arcade classic Mario Bros. in 1983, which put the plumber in a side‑scrolling setting with his brother Luigi.
1985’s Super Mario Bros. on the NES changed everything. It introduced the world‑scrolling level design that still shapes the series. Follow‑up titles like Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Japan only) and Super Mario Bros. 2 (originally Super Mario USA) kept the momentum going.
The late ’80s and early ’90s added Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) and the groundbreaking Super Mario World (1990) for the SNES. Both games expanded power‑ups, secret exits, and world maps, setting a template for future entries.
Don’t miss the handheld hits: Super Mario Land (1990) on the Game Boy and Super Mario Land 2: 6‑Golden Coins (1992). They introduced new characters like Wario and showed that Mario could thrive outside Nintendo’s main consoles.
Modern Era (2000s‑Today)
The 2000s kicked off with Super Mario 64 (1996) on the Nintendo 64, the first true 3‑D Mario game. It set the stage for later 3‑D titles, and its level design still influences modern platformers.
After that, we got Super Mario Sunshine (2002) for the GameCube, introducing the water‑spray F.L.U.D.D. gadget. New Super Mario Bros. (2006) revived classic 2‑D gameplay on the DS, followed by Super Mario Galaxy (2007) and Galaxy 2 (2010) on the Wii, which took the series into space with gravity‑defying levels.
The handheld resurgence continued with New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009) and New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012) on the 3DS, both mixing old‑school runs with modern polish. Super Mario 3D Land (2011) and 3D World (2013) blended 2‑D and 3‑D styles for the 3DS and Wii U.
The Switch era is packed. Super Mario Odyssey (2017) gave Mario a globe‑trotting adventure with limitless creativity. Super Mario Maker 2 (2019) let players build and share their own levels. Recent releases like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (2021) and Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) keep the series fresh, adding co‑op fun and new power‑ups.
That’s the whole timeline in a nutshell. Whether you’re replaying old favourites or jumping into the latest Switch hit, this order helps you see how Mario grew from pixel‑boy to global icon. Happy gaming!
