Top Ten Nintendo DS & 3DS Mario Games
The Nintendo DS and 3DS are some of Nintendo's most acclaimed systems, both being handhelds. However, the 3DS is pretty much an extension of the DS. So let's count down the best Mario games on both systems, shall we?
Super Mario 64 was great and all, but most people don't aknowledge this remake on the DS, which not only was much better in my opinion, but is also one of my favourite video games of all times, depsite the fact that I got it as recently as in 2020. It keeps most elements from the original to not make it feel too different, while also adding in new content that feels natural to the game. The addition of a playable Yoshi, Luigi and Wario was such a marvellous idea that prevented you from boringly marathon through each course one by one, as some missions required certain characters now. Not to mention there are several new mini-courses, and each main course added at least one new mission..., what is there to complain about the game? Well, the controls are awkward, but they're easy to get used to and aren't infuriatingly unplayable (looking at you Super Mario Sunshine). Not to mention how Luigi removes all difficulty with his backflip glide. This game is just AMAZING!
The only handheld Mario Party with the original formula. Most people are sad about that, but I think it's a good thing because that gives Mario Party DS its own identity, being the one handheld game that plays like the originals, but with a small twist, as the boards and minigames take place in a world where our characters are smaller than everyday objects. This is obvious on boards such as Toadette's Music Room and Bowser's Pinball Machine, or in minigames such as Dust Buddies and Soccer Survival. This new gimmick is both good and bad, good because it makes the game fresh from the other installments, but bad because the colours used in such situations (beige and white) makes the entire thing feel kinda bland. But it's a good game overall with a good premise. Not to mention it has the best story mode in the entire Mario Party series.
Mario Kart 7 is not only the first Nintendo 3DS game I got (and favourite Mario Kart game), but it's most likely also my favourite Mario game on the 3DS. This game sure does lack single player versus mode, and the battle mode isn't the absolute best since you can't decide how many rounds you want to play, the courses, music and online is what makes me love this game so much. The roster in this game as interesting. Sure, it lacks Waluigi and has Metal Mario instead, but the choices in this one overall were so obscure, and I love it! Wiggler and Honey Queen are characters you don't normally get to play as in mario spin-offs, and even Lakitu is stupidily out of the blue! So in short, the rosters and courses are all greatly done and it's nearly flawless. Top on the list for me.
Mario Party: Star Rush is hands down the most original mario party game out there. This game has the second biggest roster in the series and this game has so many different game modes. Toad Scramble, Mario Shuffle and Challenge Tower are my three favourites. The main mode in the game is Toad Scramble. You take control of a toad and you must rescue stars that have been kidnapped by boss battles. You can also recruit ally characters like Mario, Luigi, etc, and compete through minigames. The boards are very big and you can roam freely around them. There's 15 of them. While only about five of them are good in my opinion, it doesn't matter. This game is excellent.
The Mario & Luigi sub-series of Mario is the absolute best mario franchise, and Dream Team is the absolute best installment. Most people preffered the third game, but this fourth game in my opinion is superior to that one is every possible way imaginable, seeing as it improved on the already great stuff from that game! It's even more unique and creative. The setting is pherhaps even better, and the story is better. Antasma was an excellent villain and Bowser was very intimidating in this game. I loved the dream worlds and how important Luigi is. This game is one of the greatest of all time. A lot of people hate it because of tutorials and how graphics aren't good. Tutorials and graphics don't make a game. It's originality and gameplay that does the.t And this game was in fact one of the most original!
When it comes to the most underrated major Mario franchise, Mario Golf for sure takes that spot. We've all heard of the main games, the RPG's, Kart, Party, and even Tennis, but not as many of us have heard of Golf, despite being another major Mario franchise (by major, I mean it needs to have at least three games, which this one has). And even inside of the Mario Golf fandom, the most popular ones are Advance Tour (GBA) and Toadstool Tour (GCN). Even the original on the N64 gets more praise than the 3DS game, World Tour. Well, I have only played this game, but it's seriously underrated. It's not the most content-filled game of the series, but the content it does have is pretty neat! There are challenges, online mode, multiplayer, and even a cute little story mode where you control a Mii. It's not the best story mode ever, but it's something. This game also has the most golf courses in the series, at 16 and they're all pretty great. And who could forget the legendary roster of this ...more
While Dream Team is better, this is a close second. One of the most unique mario games out there as in this game you not only control Mario & Luigi, but also Bowser, who's the main protagonist. While yes this game is about saving the world from someone who wants to take it over, and the kidnapping Peach cliché is there as well, the originality lies in the settings and gameplay. I mean you control Bowser for frick sake! This makes it stand out a lot from the other Mario & Luigi games as Bowser comes with his own attacks, moves, etc. What about the mario bros.? Well they are controlled inside Bowser's body. Yeah. There are so many unique gimmicks implented in this game. Giant boss battles is another fun feature.
The first Mario & Luigi I ever played..., and by that I mean at the same time I played Dream Team and Paper Jam. But still it counts because I played this one first of these three. And it's not the best, but it has the most replay-value and charm to it. Yeah for being an RPG game this one has a lot of it. The story is very cool too although somewhat cliché and it has tons of interesting plot-twists that aren't in the way but actually good. This one has the best bros. attacks of the Mario & Luigi games as well easly.
This is a game that is actually my brother's, but I managed to play it nevertheless., and it's a great game definitely. I have a spoiler free review on it which you can check out for more information on why I really liked this game, anyway. This game was very memorable and fun to play through. It's very original and the bosses and mansions all stand out from one and another. My only problems are that the game feels a bit too linear, the music was dissapointing and the fact that it wasn't that scary. But other than that it's a very great game overall.
While it's the blandest Mario & Luigi game, I had a ton of fun with it. See it as the Sticker Star of this series, except not nearly as bad. Because even if this is the worst of the quintology, I still consider it to be a decent and fun game. It lacked the soul and originality of the original four games, as the setting is just a basic Mushroom Kingdom reminiscent of New Super Mario Bros., but unlike Paper Mario: Sticker Star, it still kept the original battle system though, plus adding more to it, which I personally was fond of. Your team consists of Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario, and the latter gives some more depth to the batlte system, adding trio attacks, which although painfully long, are a bit fun. Plus, there's papercraft battles, where you ride on a papercraft build of a mario character to defeat an enemy papercraft. They're a fun type of bosses, not as great as the Giant Battles from Bowser's Inside Story or Dream Team, but they're fun. So this game is #9 on this list.
