It’s no surprise that the latest Super Mario movie is breaking box office records, even with its mixed reviews. Nintendo’s iconic plumber has been a pop culture fixture for 45 years, starring in some of the best-selling video games ever made—from the original Donkey Kong to the delightful Super Mario Bros. Wonder and the chaotic Mario Kart World.
But like any long showbiz career, there have been a few missteps. Who remembers Hotel Mario, a door-closing puzzle game for the ill-fated Philips CD-i? Or Mario Teaches Typing, a 1992 educational PC game where players explore the Mushroom Kingdom by typing words correctly? Yet, some genuine gems have been overlooked along the way. Here are seven of our favorite underrated Mario adventures.
Wrecking Crew (1984)
Originally released in arcades and later on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), this early title—produced by Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi—has Mario and Luigi briefly trade plumbing for demolition. Players must smash through 100 cleverly designed buildings, avoiding enemies and unlocking bonuses by destroying walls in the right order. It’s a fun puzzle game, and the home version included a great map editor for creating your own levels. You can try it out on the Nintendo Classics service.
Super Mario Bros. Special (1986)
Developed by Hudson Soft for the Japanese PC-8800 computers, this looks like a remake of Super Mario Bros. but features entirely different levels and new items, like the hammer from Donkey Kong and a wing that lets Mario fly. Due to hardware limits, the graphics are oddly bright and jagged, and the physics feel floaty, making it like a Super Mario dream.
Dr. Mario 64 (2001)
Inspired by Tetris, the original Dr. Mario was a hit on the NES and Game Boy. This N64 update, however, arrived late in the console’s life and didn’t get much attention. The goal is to drop colored vitamin capsules on viruses to clear the screen, but the N64 version adds a challenging story mode and a chaotic four-player mode where you compete to clear screens fastest. It’s also available on Nintendo Classics.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003)
The third Super Mario RPG (after Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario) often gets overlooked because it was released on the Game Boy Advance instead of a console. But this charming, humorous adventure is worth revisiting on Nintendo Classics for its clever dual-control system—you play as Mario and Luigi at the same time—and its imaginative, surreal worlds.
Mario Slam Basketball (2006)
Mario’s only dedicated basketball game received average reviews on the Nintendo DS, which feels unfair. Developed by Square Enix, it has you dribbling around a small court, hitting question blocks to multiply your score, eating mushrooms for speed, and avoiding homing shells. It’s essentially every Mario mechanic packed into a tiny sports sim. What’s not to love?
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (2009)
A sequel to the Game Boy Advance title Mario vs. Donkey Kong, this praised Nintendo DSi puzzle platformer uses the stylus and touchscreen to guide wind-up Mario toys through each stage, avoiding hazards and tapping objects to open new paths. Think of it as Mario meets Lemmings.Super Mario 3D World (2013)
Photograph: Nintendo
Despite its commercial struggles, the Wii U was home to many excellent Mario games, including Super Mario Maker, New Super Mario Bros. U, and this masterpiece. In Super Mario 3D World, Mario joins forces with Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach to journey through a series of vibrant and imaginative worlds, each packed with creative gameplay ideas—many of which cleverly utilize the console’s touchscreen. Fortunately, the game later received the recognition it deserved with an enhanced Switch version, which also added the new Bowser’s Fury mode. If you only play one game from this unusual list, make it this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Obscure Mario Games
Q What exactly is an obscure Mario game
A Its a Mario game that was released to little fanfare had limited availability is a strange spinoff or is simply forgotten by most fans compared to classics like Super Mario Bros 3 or Super Mario 64
Q Why should I care about these old weird Mario games
A They often showcase unique gameplay ideas creative risks and fascinating pieces of Nintendo history that you wont find in the main series Theyre a fun deep dive for any curious fan
Q Whats a good example of a truly bizarre obscure Mario game
A Hotel Mario for the Philips CDi Its infamous for its poor quality strange fullmotion video cutscenes and simplistic gameplay where Mario just closes doors in a hotel
Q Ive heard of Marios Time Machine Whats the deal with that one
A Its an educational game where Mario travels through time to return stolen artifacts to their correct historical periods Its known for being very slow textheavy and not much of a platformer
Q Are any of these obscure games actually good or fun to play today
A Yes Games like Super Mario Land 2 6 Golden Coins are beloved while Mario Luigi Superstar Saga is a brilliant RPG Others like Mario Clash are interesting curiosities for their unique hardware
Q Whats a common problem when trying to play these games now
A Availability Many were on failed consoles or are stuck on old hardware You might need to use emulators or hunt down expensive used copies and rare systems
Q Do any of these games have characters or ideas that became important later
A Absolutely Super Mario Land 2 introduced Wario as the main villain Marios Picross spawned a whole puzzle series Theyre little pieces of the larger Mario universe
Q Wheres the best place to start if I want to explore these games
A Start with the more acclaimed obscure titles
