Super Mario World
3D Mario is great, but maybe you’d like to go back to Mario’s roots where there were only two dimensions. If that’s the case, then why not try out one of the best 2D games that Mario has to offer: Super Mario World. It’s amazing how well this game holds up today. The 16-bit visuals still look great, and the controls and physics feel incredibly intuitive and effective.
Like Super Mario 64, the game is short enough that you could potentially finish it before the release of Super Mario Odyssey, although it should be mentioned that a steep difficulty curve is very much present in Super Mario World. If you’re looking for a challenge, then Super Mario World’s star road is where you can find it. If not, the first few worlds aren’t too difficult and will provide enough of an insight into how good 2D Mario gameplay can be. It’s also the first Mario game to introduce Yoshi, and he’s just adorable.
Super Mario World is available to download on Wii U, Wii, and New 3DS. If you’re lucky enough to own an SNES classic, you can also play it on that.
