

The levels are generally more linear than the open-world areas you’ll find in games like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Sunshine. Quizzically, the Super Mario games that actually have 3D in their name- Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World-don’t partake in the new freedoms afforded by the 3D platformer as much as the other five games on this list. So let’s dive on in to the clear blue waters of 3D Mario platformers.
These have been what most consider the main line of Mario games since 1996, and with the new collection fresh on everybody’s Switches, this is as good a time as any to rank ‘em all. Mario’s name has been used in so many different games and genres that it can get a little confusing trying to plot out the different Mario subfranchises, but the 3D platformers represent a relatively straightforward and clear cut lineage.

That means the first 3D Mario game, the weirdest 3D Mario game, and the best 3D Mario game are all now playable on the Switch. A bevy of classic Mario games triple jump onto the Switch today with the release of Super Mario 3D All Stars, a collection of two of the best Mario games ever made- Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy-and the polarizing cult fave Super Mario Sunshine.
