The 10 BEST Mario Games of the Decade So Far (2020-25)

“Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury” (2021)

For some, this was a much-needed port for a Wii U game that many considered to be one of the best of that platform. Personally, I don’t see the appeal besides the 4-player co-op, but I will give this package credit for the “Bowser’s Fury” half. With this sort of companion game, players could roam around a small world to collect Cat Shines while toying with some of the mechanics of “3D World”. But the coolest aspect of “Bowser’s Fury” were the periodical attacks from the Koopa King himself. The barrage of fire kept things exciting and added a level of challenge to navigating between Cat Shines.

“Mario Golf: Super Rush” (2021)

After being dormant for a rather lengthy period of time, it was a nice surprise to see “Mario Golf” make its return and with some new ideas. As expected, some courses implemented some power-ups and mechanics to Mario-ify the grand sport of golf. However, the shiny new “Speed Golf” mode required you to not only make it to the hole in the fewest number of shots, but also make it to the hole before anyone else. This ramped up the often slow-paced nature of golf, making this installment much more appealing to those easily tired from the sport. That plus the fun Adventure Mode and litany of different characters kept us coming back to the courses for quite some time.

“Mario Party Superstars” (2021)

For years, folks have been clamoring for certain “Mario Party” games to get remade. Of course, you can’t please everybody by choosing one game over the other. And so, “Mario Party Superstars” aimed to show everyone some love by remaking portions of the first three games as one big package. Whether you loved the original “Mario Party”, “Mario Party 2”, or “Mario Party 3”, “Mario Party Superstars” boasted the best boards and minigames from each entry with the quality of life improvements brought on by more recent entries. This was such a remarkable celebration of the series’ history that it’ll satisfy any fan of the franchise.

“Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door” (2024)

We can understand why “Paper Mario” purists may not be happy with this remake of the GameCube classic. Really, why was this not able to run at sixty frames per second? Regardless of how you feel about it, “The Thousand-Year Door” retains so much of what we loved about the original game. From the combat to the story and characters, this remake manages to preserve every aspect of the original with newer, crispy visuals in environments, textures, and even the text boxes. Any self-respecting Mario fan owes it to themselves to play this gem.

“Mario vs. Donkey Kong” (2024)

Speaking of remakes, “Mario vs. Donkey Kong” was one that felt like it was kind of overlooked in 2024. This was a much-needed return for the classic puzzle-platformer that once fleshed out the libraries of the Game Boy Advance, DS, and 3DS. Just like in the GBA original, Mario must retrieve Mini-Mario toys stolen by Donkey Kong. Although, this rendition comes with some extra modes to keep you playing. First off, you can test your speed in completing these levels once you unlock Time Attack mode. But the coolest feature of all was the implementation of 2-player co-op where Player Two can control Toad and help Mario retrieve important items throughout the stage. If you’re someone who misses the GBA and DS days, this was a wonderful nostalgia trip.

“Super Mario RPG” (2023)

We promise this is the last Mario remake you’ll see on this list, but we’d be remiss to not include “Super Mario RPG”. After decades of begging for something as simple as a port, developer ArtePiazza delivered this wonderful remake that forever preserves the original in its best form. Fully built from the ground up, “Super Mario RPG” on Switch boasted brand new visuals, fully animated cutscenes, a few new combat mechanics, and even a good wealth of endgame content that satisfied hardcore fans and new players. No matter if this was your first, second, or tenth time playing it, “Super Mario RPG” once again became one of the best Mario games ever made.

“Super Mario Party Jamboree” (2024)

In the grand scheme of things, when you look at replayability, balance, minigames, and catering to certain audiences, “Jamboree” might be the best “Mario Party” game ever made. There is so much to do in this game that it can seem overwhelming at first, and none of it comes close to only being “alright”. The boards, the minigames, the rhythm-based modes, the motion-controller games, the Bowser Kaboom Squad mode - everything you see in this game is a ton of fun to play regardless of how many times you play it. And the balance is so spot-on that even lesser-skilled players have a chance to bounce back and steal the entire game. With all of this, it’s impossible for anyone to have a bad time playing “Jamboree”.

“Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope” (2022)

The first “Mario + Rabbids” was remarkable in how it made the bizarre concept of giving Mario a gun a fun and fitting idea for the Mushroom Kingdom. Trust us, we never thought we’d ever say something like “a Mario tactics game with the Rabbids is one of the best games we’ve ever played”. “Sparks of Hope” somehow made it even better, though! Characters were given more freedom in movement to take full control of battles and boasted more distinct weaponry and powers from each other. Not only that, but exploration was fleshed out more with clever puzzles and challenges hidden in various corners, a welcome evolution compared to the predecessor’s simple Red Coin challenges and Blue Coin cannons. And do we even need to mention the memorable expansions that came post-launch?

“Mario Kart World” (2025)

If there is one thing “Mario Kart World” truly excels in, its ambition and execution. Creating an open world “Mario Kart” game where tracks are connected to each other is a huge undertaking and requires a solid understanding of good level design. And developer Nintendo EPD did it! No matter where you are in the world, you always have an idea of where you’re at thanks to unique landmarks. But what about the racing itself? Well, Grand Prix is always fun, but man, that Knockout Tour is some of the most fun multiplayer we’ve had in a long, long time! There's something really entertaining in seeing who amongst your friends is going to qualify for the next portion of the race. All we can say is “money well spent”.

“Super Mario Bros. Wonder” (2023)

Of all the Mario games to have come out in the 2020s so far, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” is truly the best of the best. It’s classic 2D Mario platforming as you’ve never seen it before, and it’s all thanks to one collectible: the Wonder Seed. These collectibles transform levels in ways we’ve never seen them before, and every one of them is just as cool as the last. Singing Piranha Plants, riding bull stampedes, chasing sentient flag poles - this game gets so insanely wacky and clever with its mechanics that you’re always wanting to see what the next level has in store. And honestly, it’s kind of impossible for us to imagine any other Mario game topping this before 2030.

Which recent Mario game has been your favorite to play? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!