The Worst Mario Games of All Time
Ranked By
20.9K votes
2.8K voters
4 reranks
Voting Rules
Any game where Mario is a prominent character qualifies for this list.
The red plumber has provided us with a lot of entertainment over the years, but there's no denying that the worst Mario games are some of the most dull and boring video game experiences of all time. It's not often that a bad Mario game comes out, but when it does, it's disappointing to see such an icon of gaming get dragged through the mud.
Do any awful Mario games immediately come to mind? Mario Is Missing! for the SNES is easily one of the worst Mario games ever made. This educational game has the player control Luigi after Mario is captured in Bowser's Antarctic Castle. Mario Teaches Typing is another horrible Mario game that almost no one remembers from the '90s, as is the dreadful Hotel Mario. Out of all Mario games, others that often get hated on are Mario Clash, Mario Party 9, and New Super Mario Bros 2.
Vote up the terrible Mario games on this list that you feel deserve to be called the worst of all time. If you disagree with a game being bad, downvote it so it falls to the bottom.
Most divisive: Mario And Yoshi
Over 2.8K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Worst Mario Games Ever Made
- 1The SNES port of Mario Is Missing!
- Developer: The Software Toolworks
- Genres (Video game): Adventure
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- 2
Mario's Time Machine
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- 3Hotel Mario is a puzzle/platformer game who takes place in hotels. The general goal in each stage is to close all the doors on every floor. However, various enemies will interfere and reopen them at times. Elevators are needed to travel between floors. The first six hotels have ten stages, whilst the seventh has fifteen. The game had low sales partially due to a lack of interest in the CD-i system, and received mainly poor reviews.
- Developer: Philips Interactive Media
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle, Strategy
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- 4
Mario's Early Years: Preschool Fun
Jan 01 1993- Developer: Mindscape Group
- Genres (Video game): Educational game
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- 5
Mario Teaches Typing
1992Mario Teaches Typing is one of the few licensed Mario computer titles. As the title suggests, Mario Teaches Typing was designed for improving a computer user's typing skills. Kids with no typing experience will get the most from the program, while enjoying cute antics of Nintendo's popular Mario brothers. All of the game's music was sampled from Super Mario World.- Developer: Interplay Productions
- Genres (Video game): Educational game
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- 6
Mario Clash
1995Mario Clash is the first 3D stereoscopic Mario game released for the Virtual Boy. The game is a return to the style of the original Mario Bros. To progress through the game, Mario must knock enemies off platforms using Turtle Shells. There are always two Koopas; if one gets knocked off, another one takes its place. Many enemies need to be hit from the side, thus Mario must throw shells from the background to the foreground and vice-versa in order to knock them off.- Developer: Nintendo R&D1
- Genres (Video game): Platform, Arcade
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- 7
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
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- 8It's a portable party on your Game Boy Advance! Mario Party Advance takes all the fun of the home console game and puts it in your hands. All-new mini-games and a host of Professor E. Gadd's incredible Gaddgets -- unique trinkets, toys, detectors and tricks like the Lip Disguise-o-matic that let you play tricks on your friends, test your compatibility and much more. Discover the 60 mini-games as you play through the single-player game boards. Earn coins as you play the mini-games, and use those coins to unlock Gaddgets you can use with your friends. Use your Gaddgets to take the game into the real world. Place your finger on the Finger X-Ray to see what's hidden inside, or use the Compatibility Meter to see how well you and your friends match up.
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Genres (Video game): Quiz/Trivia, Card & Board Game
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- 9
Mario's Picross
1995Mario's Picross is a puzzle game for the Game Boy and the first game in the Nintendo-published Picross series. In this game, Mario takes on the role of an archaeologist who chisels away the squares in each playfield. The result is a small picture. There are 256 different puzzles to solve, divided into four courses with increasing difficulty level.- Developer: Jupiter Corporation
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle
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- 10Yoshi's Safari is the first and so far the only dedicated rail shooting game in the Mario franchise, and one of the few games to use the SNES's Super Scope light gun peripheral. Gameplay consists of shooting enemies before they attack. There are bosses along the way that must be destroyed before players can move on to the next area.
- Developer: Nintendo R&D1
- Genres (Video game): Shooter
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- 11
Mario And Yoshi
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- 12
Mario Party 10
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- 13Princess Power! Bowser's up to no good again...but this time, it's Princess Peach to the rescue! When Mario, Luigi, and the Mushroom Castle Toads get kidnapped it's up to Peach and her magical umbrella to save them.
- Developer: Tose
- Genres (Video game): Platform
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- 14
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
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- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is a direct sequel to Super Mario Bros. Not to be confused with the western Super Mario Bros. 2, this sequel to Super Mario Bros. is very much an expansion to the original, with many reused graphics and concepts, though new ones are also present. The game was initially released for the Japan-only Family Computer Disk System.
- Developer: Nintendo R&D4
- Genres (Video game): Platform, Adventure
Also ranks #11 on The Hardest Video Games To Complete- Also ranks #20 on The 70 Most Difficult Video Games, Ranked
- Also ranks #650 on The 100+ Best Video Games Of All Time, Ranked By Fans
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- 16New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a side-scrolling 2.5D action-adventure platform game for the Nintendo 3DS. As the direct sequel to New Super Mario Bros., it is an indirect follow-up to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The game's main focus is on coins, with the primary goal being to collect one million. To reach the goal, the game includes many new items to aid the player, such as the Gold Flower, which turns Mario into Gold Mario.
- Developer: Nintendo EAD
- Genres (Video game): Platform, Adventure
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- 17
Mario Party 9
2012Grab your friends and family and captain the crew to victory! The party is back and bigger than ever in the Mario Party 9 game for Wii, featuring all-new ways to play! For the first time in the franchise, boss battles crash the party and challenge players to compete to defeat a common enemy. In addition, players now travel across stages together in a vehicle towards a common goal - overcoming obstacles, battling bosses, and collecting Mini Stars stolen by Bowser and his minions. Featuring 80 new minigames, adventurous new stages, and all-new ways to play that blend cooperative and competitive action for up to four players*, Mario Party 9 is the perfect way to get the party started. -For the first time in the Mario Party franchise, each stage culminates in a Boss Battle. Collectively, players must combine their strength to defeat classic foes such as Bowser and King Boo while still playing competitively to boost their own individual scores. -In another first for the series, players ride across stages together in special vehicles. Players take turns as Captain of the vehicle by hitting Dice Blocks to move the party forward, hoping to land on lucky spaces. The vehicles also help to streamline game play and keep everyone involved in the action. -Unique Captain Events on each stage give players a new way to change the shape of the game. -In Mario Party 9, each themed stage has a clear destination point but with multiple paths along the way, so no two games will play the same. From Toad Road to Boo’s Horror Castle, players will encounter a wide variety of familiar Mario franchise elements in new environments that can be enjoyed solo or with friends. -Includes 80 outrageous new minigames that find players making pizzas, escaping haunted mansions, and racing snowmobiles. -No time to play through an entire stage? New minigame modes let players enjoy the action in smaller chunks of time. They can hone their skills at any minigame in Free Play mode or try the Extras mode that includes Goomba Bowling and the puzzle-based Castle Clearout. -Every time they play, players can earn Party Points that are used to unlock special items and features. * Additional accessories are required for multiplayer game play and are sold separately.- Developer: NDCube
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle, Adventure, Card & Board Game
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- 18
Yoshi's Island DS
2006Yoshi's Island DS is a 2D platformer for the Nintendo DS in the Yoshi's Island series. It is the sequel to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where Kamek and the Toadies have kidnapped all the babies in the world in search for the star children, a group of seven babies who possess powerful stars in their hearts. While the game is heavily derivative from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, including general gameplay, themes, and graphics, the game primarily differentiates itself from its predecessor by taking advantage of the Nintendo DS's dual screen to display levels while introducing multiple babies to carry on Yoshi's back, who all have special abilities that are required to complete levels.- Developer: Nintendo
- Genres (Video game): Platform, Adventure
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- 19Baby Bowser has taken the Super Happy Tree and cast a spell on Yoshi's world, turning it into the pages of a picture book. The only Yoshis not affected by the spell were six hatchlings that were still protected by their shells. It's up to them to reclaim the Super Happy Tree and restore happiness to the world. That is the only thing that can break Baby Bowser's Spell!
- Developer: Nintendo EAD
- Genres (Video game): Platform
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- Mario & Sonic on the Wii is a collection of twenty-four events based on the Olympic Games. Players can assume the role of a Nintendo or Sega character while competing against the others in these events. Players use the Wii Remote to mimic actions performed in real life sports, such as swinging a paddle.
- Developer: Sega Sports R&D
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- 21You can play more than 80 new minigames in the most recent Mario-themed party game, Mario Party 7. Mario and pals needed some time off, but they forgot to invite Bowser on their cruise. You can battle against an angry Bowser or up to seven of your friends on a single GameCube system. Mario Party 7 includes a few new characters and brings back microphone support from Mario Party 6.
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle, Card & Board Game
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- 22Forget buying expensive golf gear--Mario brings the game to you. Mario Golf features four complete 18-hole courses, 11 golfers, and precise play control. Create your own golfer and build up his or her experience and skill levels by competing in various tournaments and head-to-head matches. The more you play, the stronger and more accurate your golfer becomes. There are many different modes of play in Mario Golf, including a wide variety of minigames designed to challenge even the most level-headed swingers.
- Developer: Camelot
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- 23Mario Bros. is the Atari 7800 port of the homonymous arcade game.
- Developer: ITDC (International Technology Development Corporation)
- Genres (Video game): Platform, Arcade
- Also ranks #9 on The 35+ Best NES Arcade Games
- Also ranks #12 on The Most Popular Golden Age Arcade Games
- Also ranks #17 on The Best Classic Arcade Games
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- 24
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
1999Bowser has once again taken over the Mushroom Kingdom, and it's up to Mario to put an end to his sinister reign. Battle Bowser's vile henchmen through 32 different levels - all taken directly from the 1985 classic! Then move on to collect special Red Coins and Yoshi Eggs in the Challenge Mode. Or face off against a friend and race through 8 competition courses in the all-new VS Mode! This time there's a lot more to do than just save a Princess, so get ready for a brick-smashin', pipe-warpin', turtle-stompin' good time!- Developer: Nintendo
- Genres (Video game): Platform
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- Hit the links in the Mushroom Kingdom! Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and others have tee times reserved in the Mushroom Kingdom! Challenge them to tournaments, or take them on in character matches to collect rings or nab coins! Play on resort-style courses or look out for Chain Chomps, Warp Pipes and Thwomps on the Mushroom Kingdom courses!
- Developer: Camelot Software Planning
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a collection of numerous events based on the Olympic Games. Mario & Sonic brings together the two titular characters and eighteen more from both franchises to participate in environments based on the official venues of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The characters are divided into four categories: all-around, speed, power, and skill.
- Developer: Sega Sports R&D
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- 27Mario Kart Arcade GP is an arcade-only iteration of Nintendo's Mario Kart series, developed by Namco. Designed for the Triforce arcade board (also used for F-Zero AX), players can race as one of eleven characters on twenty-four tracks. On certain machines, for an additional fee, a player's data can be saved on a magnetic card which can be inserted into the machine again later to retain unlocked items and records. Nintendo's limited role of development was mainly isolated to ensuring that it was a worthy title for the established franchise. This game's arcade cabinet houses a camera that will take a photograph of the player's face. The photo can be customized and then will be displayed above the player's character during multiplayer races. The game is noted for being the first Mario Kart to feature playable crossover characters: Namco's Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Blinky. The game's sequel also featured Mametchi, a character from the Tamagotchi games. The third installment included Don from the Taiko no Tatsujin franchise.
- Developer: Namco
- Genres (Video game): Racing
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- 28The superstars of the Mushroom Kingdom have gathered on the diamond to power up America's game! Pick a captain, fill your team with your favorite characters from the Mario universe, then hit the field. Each captain has a special Star Skill for pitching and batting, so whether you're hurling fireballs as Mario or blasting curving banana-ball dingers as DK, you've never played ball like this!
- Developer: Namco
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- The DS-exclusive adventure mode features a story in which Dr. Eggman and Bowser melt away all the ice needed for the Olympic Games. To set things right Mario & Sonic need to travel to different locations, talk to the inhabitants and solve challenges. Those consist of the sports mini games with certain winning requirements. Playing this mode also unlocks the dream events. Besides this players can decide to enter the party game mode or to play the games separately respectively in a custom tournament. All modes except the adventure mode are also available for up to four players.
- Developer: Sega Sports R&D
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- 30Help Mario and his friends restore peace to Dream World while racing around all-new game boards and finding new surprises.
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Genres (Video game): Card & Board Game
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- 31Mario Paint is an educational game that allows anyone to create simple pictures, paint over black and white pictures, or free draw their own using the specially developed SNES Mouse. The player can also create their own piece of music using a selection of notes and themes, create greeting cards and animations, or play a game of "Gnat Attack", where they use the mouse to control a swatter to swat flies.
- Developer: Nintendo R&D1
- Genres (Video game): Music, Puzzle, Simulator
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- 32Mario Party 8 is the eighth installment of the Mario Party series on a home console and the first Mario Party game for the Wii. Mario Party 8 is notable for its strong use of the Wii Remote and its motion control capabilities in minigames. Players are required to perform various gestures instead of traditional button/joystick controls. Common motions include pointing-and-shooting, shaking, waving, turning, and twisting the Wii Remote. Player-created Miis are featured in this game, wherein they often show up within crowds. Miis can appear in certain minigames and may also serve as the player's character in Extra Mode. By playing regular party games, minigames, and completing the Star Battle Arena mode, players will earn Carnival Cards, which may be spent to unlock figures and game features.
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle, Card & Board Game
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- 33Mario Tennis, known in Japan as Mario Tennis 64, is a 2000 sports video game developed by Camelot and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in the summer of 2000, and released in Europe later in November. It is the first tennis-based game starring Mario since Mario's Tennis, and the second game developed by Camelot on a Nintendo system. The game is known for being the introduction of Waluigi, and the re-introduction of Princess Daisy and Birdo. Mario Tennis was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2010. The game's success led to two sequels: Mario Power Tennis released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004, and Mario Tennis Open released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.
- Developer: Nintendo, Camelot Software Planning
- Genres (Video game): Tennis, Sports game
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- Classic Mario Kart action is back once again, this time in a colorful, lightning-fast game that you can take anywhere. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Wario, Yoshi and Bowser are all tearing up the track, tossing Koopa Shells and laying banana peels along the way. Mario Kart Super Circuit puts your driving skills to the test on 40 tracks, each littered with wild weapons and obstacles. Choose to play as any of your favorite characters as you speed around classic and brand-new tracks. If you're feeling combative, try out the creative weaponry (mushrooms, bananas, thunder bolts, and stars) in Battle mode. Feel like making some friends eat your dust? No problem. Four players can compete in Mario Kart Super Circuit using only one Game Pak! If each player has a copy of the game, bonus features and new modes of play become available.
- Developer: Nintendo
- Genres (Video game): Racing
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- Hey! Things are really cookin' on Kitchen Island! Wario's got a scheme to steal the pirates' treasure so he can have his very own castle! You help Wario get the treasure by smashing into the the magic pots! Each pot changes him into Dragon Wario, Bull Wario, or Jet Wario! With each change comes new powers! Dozens of enemies try to stop Wario, but you have the power to beat them! Be the bad guy! Explore the many exciting levels of Kitchen Island! Battery-backed memory saves your progress for many hours of fun!
- Developer: Nintendo R&D1
- Genres (Video game): Platform
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- 36Dr. Mario is one of the two LCD game watches belonging to the Gamewatch Boy line released in 1992 by Mani Industries. It plays similarly to the original game.
- Developer: Mani
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle, Arcade
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- 37Mario Strikers Charged is a Mario soccer Wii game and the sequel to the Nintendo GameCube game Super Mario Strikers. Up to four players can participate in this game as play soccer, attempting to kick the ball into another opponent's goal. The soccer in this game, however, has several differences than the real soccer, such as the ability to tackle other players with a minimal penalty, using Mario-themed items to give players an advantage over their opponents, and playing with stage hazards effectively. This game places a higher emphasis on individual character attributes compared to its precedent, by not only assigning stats, but by also giving team captains a unique Super Ability and the Mega Strike, an opportunity to score up to six goals. Another introduced mechanic is the power level of the ball: indicated by the color of the glow, the shots of the ball become more quick and powerful the more active it is, thus making it easier to score goals with.
- Developer: Next Level Games
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- 38
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
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- 39Mario Power Tennis features variations of tennis matches consisting of characters, courts, and scenarios based on the Mario series. The range of courts includes the standard three types of tennis court, but consists predominantly of those themed upon games in the Mario series, known as "Gimmick" courts. As well as adopting the style aesthetically, these feature thematic elements that influence how the match will be played on that surface, such as the ghosts in the Luigi's Mansion court, which hinder movement when the character comes into physical contact with them. Although standard tennis is available, variants of the sport can be played which adopt different rules and methods of victory. "Ring Shot" involves the player earning points by hitting the ball through rings of varying sizes, with the number of points dependent on the difficulty of the shot.[9] The player acquires the points whenever a winning shot is made adhering to standard rules; the match is won once the predetermined number of points is equaled or surpassed. A similar mode, "Item Battle", involves the characters using items based on the Mario universe to interfere with each other's game and gain an advantage
- Developer: Camelot Software Planning
- Genres (Video game): Sport
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- 40Mario Party 4 was an online Flash game that was meant to promote the release of Mario Party 4 on the Nintendo GameCube. It was available on the official Mario Party website, until its rebrand the following year for Mario Party 5.
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Genres (Video game): Card & Board Game
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- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is a platforming game for the Game Boy and the sequel to Super Mario Land. It also marks the debut of Mario's self-proclaimed arch rival Wario, who would later become a recurring character in the Mario series as well as a protagonist in his own series. The game features new graphics, power-ups, challenges, and a completely original storyline.
- Developer: Nintendo R&D1
- Genres (Video game): Platform
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- 42Mario Party 3 is the third and final Mario Party title for the Nintendo 64. A total of eight characters are available to choose from: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, and newcomers Waluigi and Princess Daisy. Mario Party 3 features duel maps, in which two players try to lower each other's stamina to zero using non-playable characters such as Chain Chomps. It is the first Mario Party game to feature Luigi's main voice and also it is last Mario game where Princess Daisy appears in a yellow and white dress, and with long hair, as well as the last Mario game (until New Super Mario Bros. Wii) in which Yoshi's "record-scratching" voice is used. It is also the first Mario Party game to have multiple save slots.
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Genres (Video game): Quiz/Trivia, Card & Board Game
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- 43The seventh installment of the fan-favorite Mario Kart franchise brings Mushroom Kingdom racing fun into glorious 3D. For the first time, drivers explore new competitive kart possibilities, such as soaring through the skies or plunging to the depths of the sea. New courses, strategic new abilities and customizable karts bring the racing excitement to new heights.
- Developer: Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.1
- Genres (Video game): Racing
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- 44Mario and the gang are back for another round of Bowser-bashin' party action! Watch as your favorite Nintendo characters don different duds for each of the five all-new Adventure Boards! A slew of new tricks and devices bring new levels of challenge and excitement to board game play. New board maps, new Mini-Games, new action and new surprises means a whole new batch of fun! Get ready to unleash your best Hip Drops, hammer swings and high-flying high junks for another round of frenzied multi-player action!
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Genres (Video game): Quiz/Trivia, Card & Board Game
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- 45
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
2013Luigi is back on a mission to remove a bunch of stubborn ghosts from some spooky mansions. Armed with his trusty Poltergust ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner, Mario's brother takes center stage to capture these pesky phantoms. Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon gives players multiple mansions to explore, a variety of puzzles to solve and new ghosts to capture. Armed with the Poltergust 5000, a ghost-sucking, vacuum-like invention, Luigi must complete a number of missions assigned to him by Professor E. Gadd.- Developer: Next Level Games
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle, Adventure
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- The famous Mario Brothers return in this sequel to the humorous Superstar Saga. In this adventure, Princess Peach takes a trip in a time machine, but when it returns, there's only a monster inside! The heroic brothers travel back in time only to discover that evil alien life forms known as the Shroobs have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom, and no-one is safe! They soon meet up with their younger selves, and set out to stop the alien menace, not to mention rescue the Princess!
- Developer: AlphaDream
- Genres (Video game): Puzzle, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
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- 47
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
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- Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is the third game in the Mario & Luigi series of games. Players control Mario and Luigi simultaneously in the side-scrolling platform environment of Bowser's body, while also controlling the Koopa King himself in the top-down world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Similar to games like Earthbound, enemy encounters are seen as actual enemies that players can avoid or attempt to strike early. The actual battles are a combination of turn-based menu attacks, and timed reactions to enemies during battle. By watching the way an enemy reacts, you can anticipate their attack and avoid it or counterattack.
- Developer: AlphaDream
- Genres (Video game): Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
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- An evil witch has replaced Princess Peach's fair speech with explosives! Mario and Luigi must once again come to her rescue, but this time they employ the help of Bowser, their sworn enemy. Mario and Luigi must learn new moves and combine powers to fight off enemies and move closer to the witch's castle. Guide this unlikely bunch through an abundance of minigames such as Border Jump and Mystery Carts. Combine the powers of Mario and Luigi to pull off special tag-team moves. Immerse yourself in this bright, cartoonish, and humorous world, complete with hit music featured in previous Mario games.
- Developer: Vanpool
- Genres (Video game): Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
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- 50Paper Mario, a turn-based JRPG entry in the Mario franchise with a paper-based aesthetic and platforming elements, sees the titular character working his way through the Mushroom Kingdom's diverse locales and biomes, meeting its inhabitants, fighthing unruly enemies and recruiting an array of companions in order to once again save Princess Peach from the clutches of the evil Koopa King Bowser.
- Developer: Intelligent Systems
- Genres (Video game): Role-playing (RPG), Turn-based strategy (TBS), Adventure
- Also ranks #11 on The Best Nintendo 64 Games Ever Made, Ranked
- Also ranks #2 on All 13 Mario RPGs Ranked By Nintendo Fans
- Also ranks #2 on Every 'Paper Mario' Game, Ranked Best To Worst
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