The best Mario across all consoles!
User Rating: 9.1 | Super Mario USA NES
Often considered the black sheep of the Mario series, Super Mario Bros. 2 is still my favorite Mario game of all time. In case you didn't already know, the original Super Mario Bros. 2 was a virtual carbon copy of the original, just insanely more difficult. It would not see release in the USA until Super Mario All-Stars included it as Lost Levels. This game started out in Japan as Doki Doki Panic, and the Mario characters and motifs were crammed in there. At first, you would think that this would not be a good idea (and admittedly, some still don't) but it works here. I for one, enjoy sequels to games that are different from the game that preceded them. This game is the largest departure from the Mario games genre than any that came after (including Mario 64). In this game, instead of jumping and squashing your enemies, you jump on (most of) them and pick them up and use them as weapons. You can choose from four different characters at the beginning of each level (20 in all) including Mario, Luigi, Toad and the Princess (Peach). Each character has their own abilities and unique qualities. I am in the minority when I state that the game that followed this is one of my least favorite Mario games. Despite its many innovations, and there are many, it was pretty much a remake of the original SMB. This one is certainly fresh and different. A great game. 
