Every 3D Mario Game, Ranked by Replayability

The 3D Super Mario series is arguably Nintendo’s flagship franchise. Following the shift to 3D visuals with the Nintendo 64, virtually every Nintendo console has gone on to receive a new platforming experience centered around everyone’s favorite Italian plumber. It’s not a stretch whatsoever to say that a Nintendo console doesn’t truly feel complete until it has a new 3D Mario game on it.

With this being said, the Nintendo Switch 2 has yet to receive a 3D Mario game of its own, and it’s not known when one might be coming. As such, all we can do in the interim is go back to Mario’s 3D escapades of the past, which have become even easier this week with Super Mario Galaxy 1 + Super Mario Galaxy 2 hitting Switch consoles. If you’re looking to now dive into a Mario game from yesteryear, here’s how they all stack up against one another when ranked by replayability.

7. Super Mario 64

I don’t care how much fondness or nostalgia you might have for Super Mario 64, this game does not hold up well at all in 2025. It still has some pretty great level design and is filled with iconic music from start to finish. Beyond this, it also became the template that just about every future Mario game would borrow from, which means it deserves a lot of credit.

The act of actually playing Super Mario 64, though, is a totally different story. Mario controls pretty terribly by modern standards and the platforming in some of its stages is more annoying than it is challenging. If you were going to play one 3D Mario game nowadays, this is absolutely the one I would recommend least.

6. Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario 3D Land does a lot of things well. It was the first game in the franchise to adapt the stylings of home console Mario titles for a handheld platform with the 3DS. This transition surprisingly went quite smoothly, making 3D Land a game that stands well on its own.

Still, given that it’s also still gridlocked to 3DS hardware, it’s becoming a bit hard to revisit this entry as time goes on. This, combined with the fact that Super Mario 3D Land still can’t compare to the experiences provided by most of the games on consoles, keeps it near the bottom of this ranking.

5. Super Mario Sunshine

It pains me to put Super Mario Sunshine on the lower end of this list. While there are plenty of people who think Sunshine is underwhelming as a 3D Mario game, I happen to love it just as much now as I did back when it first hit GameCube. The advent of F.L.U.D.D. in combination with the setting of Isle Delfino makes Super Mario Sunshine one of the most unique games Mario has ever appeared in.

The biggest drawback of Super Mario Sunshine is that it’s just not as inventive as it could be. F.L.U.D.D. provides a new way for Mario to get around each level, but the design of these stages is often underwhelming. When considering that the only way you can also play it on Switch hardware is by way of the delisted Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, this makes it harder to go back to than most other installments.

4. Super Mario 3D World

I’m not a Super Mario 3D World hater, but it’s definitely not my favorite game in the franchise. Still, 3D World clearly has a lot more replayability than other entries simply because it also features co-op play. This ability to play through levels with friends and family is something that no other 3D Mario game can boast and is perhaps the biggest reason why it’s so easy to go back to.

What gives Super Mario 3D World even more replayability is the Bowser’s Fury standalone game mode that came with its re-release on Nintendo Switch. Bowser’s Fury is essentially a 3D Mario game of its own and has some truly creative ideas that no other entry has really seen. This makes Super Mario 3D World more of a full package than just about any other game on this list.

3. Super Mario Galaxy 2

There’s a good case to be made that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the best game in the 3D Mario series. It takes all of the core concepts and ideas of the first Super Mario Galaxy and expands upon them with new power-ups and the addition of Yoshi. Its arrival on Switch platforms this week finally makes it accessible outside of the Wii, which is a huge win for all Nintendo fans.

If you’re a true completionist, though, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a bit more daunting to revisit when compared to some other entries, as it features a whopping 240 stars in total to collect. This isn’t a negative thing by any means since it gives Super Mario Galaxy 2 some of the most bang for your buck. Still, this large number of collectibles is paired with a higher difficulty curve, which can make Galaxy 2 quite frustrating at times.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey is my own favorite 3D Mario game to date. This entry deviates a bit from the rest of the series as it does away with more focused levels in favor of a larger-scale, sandbox design. While different, this choice works to great effect and sees Super Mario Odyssey being a true collectathon.

Mario’s new companion, Cappy, also completely changes Odyssey’s platforming stylings for the better. Outside of being able to possess enemies and other objects throughout the game, Cappy can be utilized to get around in new, unexpected ways. This leads to Super Mario Odyssey having a bit of a higher learning curve, but once you get its mechanics down, it’s easily the best-playing Mario game of them all.

1. Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy remains the most accessible and best entry to dive into if you’re looking to scratch that 3D Mario itch. Even after nearly 20 years, Galaxy still finds a way to feel incredibly fresh. Each level feels wholly different than the one before it and the power-ups that Mario can obtain are next-level in terms of creativity.

In short, this is Nintendo at its best as Super Mario Galaxy perfectly encapsulates the early stylings of this series while also pushing it forward in a new direction. With it now being widely available on Switch and Switch 2 consoles, there’s no reason you shouldn’t look to go back to Super Mario Galaxy if you’re longing for a marquee platformer.

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