The 21st annual BAFTA Games Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, and will be streamed live on YouTube and Twitch. This year, the event will feature the acclaimed composer Yoko Shimomura, known for her work on iconic titles such as Kingdom Hearts, Mana, and Live A Live, who will be awarded the fellowship, the highest honor given by BAFTA. Not everyone who is here is here, but everyone who is here is who they are But we already know some winners of these awards, because BAFTA has revealed that the game Shenmue from SEGA, […]
The 21st annual BAFTA Games Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, and will be broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch. This year, the event will feature the acclaimed composer Yoko Shimomura, known for her work on iconic titles such as Kingdom Hearts, Mana, and Live A Live, who will be awarded the fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by the BAFTA.
Not everyone is here, but everyone who should be is here
But we already know some winners of these awards, because BAFTA has revealed that the game Shenmue from SEGA, released in 1999, has been voted as the most influential video game of all time in a community poll. This pioneering title not only introduced innovative mechanics such as quick time events and cinematic storytelling, but also revolutionized the concept of open world by presenting weather cycles and routines for non-playable characters (NPCs). Whether players have experienced its story or not, the impact of Shenmue continues to resonate in the video game industry.
Yu Suzuki, the creator of Shenmue, expressed his gratitude to the fans, stating that this recognition is a powerful reminder that the challenge they undertook continues to inspire many. He highlighted the importance of the passion and support of the fans during the development of the game.
In the same survey, Doom (1993) took second place, followed by Super Mario Bros (1985) in third place and Half-Life (1998) in fourth, while The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) ranked fifth. The results highlight not only the historical relevance of these games but also the ongoing appreciation that players have for them.
The ceremony will be hosted by comedian Phil Wang and is expected to offer a night full of emotions and surprises for video game lovers.
It means exactly what you’re thinking: every time you go around jumping and destroying blocks, you’re ending the lives of inhabitants of the Kingdom.
No one read the video game manuals. Let’s face it. It was something nice to browse through, but if the story wasn’t told within the game, it didn’t exist for most people. And yet, the manuals were where the real deal was. For example, in the Sonic manual, it was stated that he wore “powerful sneakers that give him super speed” (implying that it’s not his own doing to run so fast) and in ‘Sonic Heroes’ it was revealed that Doctor Robotnik is actually a feminist. But nothing compares to what the manual of perhaps the most iconic game in history, ‘Super Mario Bros’, reveals to us.
In the game manual of NES, as it arrived in Spain translated from the United States, it indicated something that changes the way we see the game: according to the story, Bowser, the Koopas, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic, turned the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom into stones and blocks. That means exactly what you’re thinking: every time you go around jumping and destroying blocks, you’re ending the lives of the Kingdom’s inhabitants.
Or not? Watch out, because this story has an unexpected twist that you may have never heard of. And it’s on page 8 of the same manual, where it states that “if you come across mushrooms that have been turned into blocks or made invisible, they will give you a power”. So, you’re not actually killing them, but freeing them. Calm down.
The translation is very similar to the original Japanese, it’s not that the Americans made up the story. However, when bringing it to the United States, they made it very clear that you, as Mario, are killing the Goombas and the enemies in front of you. No knocking them out or jumping on top of them: you are a cold-blooded killer. That’s apparently how it is.
We all know that manuals have long ceased to exist inside video game boxes, but we still hope that they will become fashionable again in the future. Who knows, maybe we will even find out what the hell was going through the minds of those who invented this crazy story that was later adapted into animation because… Well, let’s be honest, Super Mario Bros is not exactly a narrative masterpiece, right?
We have decided to make the definitive list of the games in the main Super Mario saga to decide, once and for all, which is the true king of the console.
We can play hundreds, thousands of video games. Live stellar adventures, walk Silent Hill, fight Nemesis or shoot in the Vietnam War. But absolutely no game can compare to the purity of the first time we ran through the Mushroom Kingdom, jumped on top of a goomba and discovered that inside the boxes there were coins and secrets. Super Mario Bros’ is the video game with a capital ‘B’.
But not all Mario games are the same… Or equally good: some are able to summarize all the good things about a video game screen after screen while others find the name a little too big. That’s why we’ve decided, on the eve of Illumination’s movie, to make the definitive list of the games in the main Super Mario saga (leaving aside karts, sports, RPGs and spin-offs) to decide, once and for all, which is the true king of the console. Let’s-a-go!
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic’ was not a great game, and its conversion outside Japan to ‘Super Mario Bros 2’ is unfair to the series. Yes, it had a huge influence on the rest of the games (Luigi jumps higher, Peach can float), but neither Bowser is present, nor the gameplay system matches the rest of the series. It has its fans, especially since it was discovered in ‘Super Mario All-Stars’, but the truth is that playing it now is only slightly more fun than doing homework. Next.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
18) Super Mario Land (Game Boy)
It was absolutely awesome that the Game Boy could have Mario on its launch, and ‘Super Mario Land’ is a technical prodigy for the time. Plus, the soundtrack is an absolute hilarious rave. The problem is that the gameplay isn’t up to par and Sarasaland isn’t as fun a place as the Mushroom Kingdom. In this version, Mario saved Daisy instead of Peach and it’s a good summary of what the game is: not bad, but not what we came looking for.
17) New Super Mario Bros 2 (Nintendo 3DS)
The ‘New Super Mario Bros’ saga revived the interest in 2D in a franchise that seemed doomed to the great adventures that had forced to leave aside the more classic screens. But in this case everything felt too derivative: neither the new powers (Gold Mario, the golden block, the white raccoon) were sufficiently novel, nor the new screens were little more than mimics of the previous ones. Entertaining, yes, but without surprises and smelling of DLC.
16) Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)
It’s about time to admit that ‘Super Mario Sunshine’ wanted to innovate, and that’s commendable, but… it wasn’t a great game. It had some ideas and some amazing screens, but after ‘Super Mario 64’ we expected more than spending half of the game cleaning up tar with a portable hose. Mind you, Delfino Island is a new place full of possibilities and, after a few hours, once you get past the constant cleaning, it becomes even lighter.
15) Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (NES)
The lost levels’ has, more or less, the same problem as ‘New Super Mario Bros 2’: it’s more of the same in a series that stands out for never settling for that. But the Japanese ‘Super Mario Bros 2’ has something that makes it unique: it is, by far, the most difficult game of the whole series. While the rest of this list can always be played with a smile, this is Mario’s ‘Dark Souls’, which also rewarded with an unpublished world to all those who passed it without taking shortcuts. If you manage to finish it, you may love ‘Doki Doki Panic’ a lot more (and a little less to life).
14) New Super Mario Bros Wii (Wii)
Being a game of the ‘New Super Mario Bros’ saga you know what’s what, but in the case of Wii there was a surprising novelty: the possibility of playing cooperatively and competitively with up to four people. Playing alone made it just another game on this list, but the madness of getting four friends together and trying to pass the screens without killing each other is an experience only comparable in fun to a good ‘Mario Kart’. And that’s not saying little.
13) Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Game Boy)
Letting Nintendo developers let their hair down gives rise to one of the most imaginative (and unfairly underrated) Game Boy games: in ‘Super Mario Land 2’ Mario fought for the first time against Wario, his evil counterpart, and to do so he went through all sorts of wacky worlds, from the one that reflected his miniature body to the moon itself. A real classic to carry around in your pocket. Easy? Yes. Fun and full of secrets? Absolutely.
12) New Super Mario Bros U (Wii U)
Maybe only a few of us remember the Wii U fondly, but the truth is that, although it is now gathering dust in a closet, Nintendo went all out with the few games it released. Proof of this is this ‘New Super Mario Bros U’ that, without changing the rules of the game franchise, managed to give a new tone to the ‘Super Mario World’ in which, in addition, could play up to 5 people at once. Just to have the opportunity to fight against all the koopalings and to be able to become a flying squirrel was worth discovering.
11) Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo 3DS)
Maybe not everyone liked it, but the use of 3D in the game gave it an atmosphere that makes it impossible to play on any other system, or without taking away, at least, much of the fun. The mix between 2D and 3D, creating a hybrid game, made this, once again, the proof that the saga could always surprise. A lot of new power-ups and durability made this a favorite of the last portable (real, at least) of the house.
10) Yoshi’s Island (SNES)
Or, literally, ‘Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island’. Should it be part of the saga? Is it a spin-off like the rest of the games starring Yoshi? Here we count it as part of the same. And how not to do it: it has one of the most careful finishes of a Super Nintendo game, with those graphics like drawn on wax and that unique gameplay controlling Yoshi and throwing eggs. It’s true that some ideas and Baby Mario’s cries don’t quite work, but rarely has a saga been reinvented so well.
9) New Super Mario Bros (Nintendo DS)
We finish with the ‘New’ saga talking about the game that started it all. Nintendo DS, one of the best consoles in history, included powers like the super mushroom, with which we could destroy everything in our path, or the playful blue shell. It is true that this is a game that you can pass in a walk, but, at the same time, it is a joy to return to it again and again. In addition, it started a new saga that revived the game in a period of emptiness… In a more or less original way.
8) Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
Mario and company can become crawlies. I don’t know what else a game needs to please absolutely everyone. Eight worlds, four extras, increasing difficulty, a heart-stopping final screen. Its only problem? That there are seven other undeniable titles in front of it. From here the mark is made between “the Mario games” and “THE Mario GAMES”. Attention.
7) Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Yes, yes, it’s amazing. Fabulous. A masterpiece. But, at the same time, it repeated some concepts from the original game and you can tell it was originally being prepared as an improved version. But don’t let the trees keep you from seeing the forest: its creativity and ability to surprise are the order of the day and make it one of the best games, not just on Nintendo Wii, but in history. 242 stars to achieve: what a blessed madness.
6) Super Mario Bros (NES)
The game that started it all, the one whose 1-1 screen should be studied by all marketing, development and UX teams, which in just three minutes explains everything you need to know without the need for absurd tutorials. But beyond that, the world they managed to create in 1985 is still able to amaze today. A flower that throws fire, a mushroom that makes you big, secrets scattered here and there, perfect platforming: if you don’t like ‘Super Mario Bros’, it’s not for you.
5) Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
The first 3D Mario game had to be something special after so many games on the NES and SNES. The new controls had to be understood immediately. And boy, did they get it: the first walk through the outskirts of the palace and the first time we got into a painting already sold you the gameplay, but the best thing is that we still had a lot to go. A word of advice: the Nintendo DS version, even if the purists don’t want to accept it, is even better.
4) Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
The logical evolution of ‘Super Mario Galaxy’, with a tinge of ‘Super Mario Land 2’: crazy screens, each with its own rules, taking things from the open world and letting the charisma of Mario do the rest. Impossible not to enjoy it from start to finish on Switch: a waste of imagination, ideas, puzzles and secrets for completists that make it a walkthrough the first time we play… And a real challenge from there.
3) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
After ‘Super Mario Sunshine’ failed to win over fans of the plumber, Nintendo had a tough mission ahead of them: to make a new ‘Super Mario 64’ that, at the same time, didn’t look like anything anyone had ever played before. And boy, did they succeed. Estela was a new character that immediately became a new piece of the family and the tone of the game, which could have been an absolute mistake, made it feel like part of the franchise from minute one. If you had a Wii and didn’t play ‘Super Mario Galaxy’, did you really have a Wii?
2) Super Mario Bros 3 (NES)
After ‘Super Mario Bros’, the saga needed a renewal in order not to be more of the same in its third part, the last one on NES. And they did it. More enemies, more differentiated areas, more powers (including Mario Tanuki’s) and a way of playing that polishes to perfection what we already saw in the first two games of the saga but without increasing the difficulty. An absolute revolutionary, influential and fabulous masterpiece.
1) Super Mario World (SNES)
What can we say about ‘Super Mario World’. Mario’s entry to the 16 bits introduced Yoshi, the flying cape, hidden routes, hidden keys… And best of all: 32 years later, the game is still as good as ever. From the first minute to the last, it’s the perfect Mario game: pretty to look at, easy to play, fun, and complicated when it comes to the end. Once we get there, there’s no movie that can take us. yahoo! mamma mia!
Which one of Mario’s countless adventures was his best?
Mario is the king of video games. He is to video games what Mickey Mouse is to kids’ cartoons, or what Batman is to comics. He has set the standard for what video games should strive to accomplish, and every time he graces our consoles, he sets that bar higher and higher.
We decided to pay homage to our favorite mustached plumber by counting down our five Mario favorite games.
Look, Mario has been in a stupid amount of video games. Also, he has been in an even stupider amount of side games. For this list, we are sticking with main series Mario games. We will not be considering any of his sports games, the Mario Kart games, or the Mario Party games.
Top 5 best Mario games
Super Mario Galaxy
The Nintendo Wii was both famous and infamous for its motion controls. You probably remember playing Wii Sports with the entire family and having a blast. However, you probably also playing games like Red Steel with broken motion controls that made you want to chuck the Wii Remote through the wall.
When we found out we were getting a main series Mario game for the Wii, we were both excited and worried. Sure, Mario rarely disappointed us, but we were worried that developers were going to force the shoddy controllers in the game. Fortunately, Mario soared through his time on the Wii with an incredible game. Mario Galaxy was a lot of fun with all of the things we love about the franchise. It also introduced us to Roselina, who has become a beloved character in the series.
It’s not the best Mario game by a longshot, but we are always willing to dust off our old Wii to play this sucker time and time again.
Super Mario Bros. 3 took all of the things from the NES Mario games and added about 1,000 other things that made this game legendary. Mario has a bunch of new power-ups that fans love. From the Frog Suit, to the Hammer Bros. Suit, to the Tanooki Suit, everyone has a favorite.
This was the first time that a Mario game really got a fully fleshed-out story. You don’t have to read the back of the box to get an idea of what the story entails, you can find out simply by playing through the game. It’s a simple story, but it’s one we will gladly play through over and over again.
Watch: Fastest Super Mario Bros. speedrun in history
In a way, Super Mario Odyssey feels more like another sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. However, the new controls and mechanics in the game make this such an unforgettable experience. There is never a point in the game where you don’t feel like you’re in control. If you can imagine Mario doing something, there’s probably a way to make him do it.
We have to talk about the hat-throwing mechanics. The mechanics allow the player to not only control enemies while taking their abilities, but it also adds another way to navigate through each level. The worlds in Super Mario Odyssey are basically like jungle gyms for Mario, and his hat can make him leap and bound through these jungle gyms like a pro!
The game is a celebration of every Mario game that has come before it. It is uplifting, and will even make the more nostalgic gamer a bit misty-eyed from time to time.
There really isn’t another game where you can choose your own path as flawlessly as you can in Super Mario World. Sure, if you want, you can play through each normal level until you face Bowser in the finale. Or, you can find one of the million warp zones hidden throughout the world so you can skip huge chunks of the game.
If you want, you can beat this game in just a few hours. However, if you want to play everything the game has to offer, it’s going to take you a few days to finish this beast off.
Super Mario 64 is the mac-daddy of 3D platformers. Players have taken this game and have stretched the possibilities to their fullest extent. Don’t believe us? There’s a guy who collected all 120 Stars in the game in less than two hours.
Your average gamer would probably need a few weeks to accomplish that feat, but that’s just how crazy this game has made some of us. We want to see how far we can push it. We want to see if there’s anything else left to be found. We want to see just how much we can challenge Mario. Why? Because time and time again we have seen that the game still has more to offer.
