Mario’s name is well known in the entertainment industry. In addition to his top-selling video game franchise, Mario has also had a TV show and a movie to his credit.
Even the most resolute non-gamers will recognize the little plumber with a penchant for saving damsels in distress. And serious gamers are likely to go on and on about their favorite Mario game, which may be a recent release, or a game that came out 20 years ago. That’s how long Mario has been around.
These are our favorite Mario games. Check out our list, and then tell us what you think.
Tell us: What are your Top 5 favorite Mario games?
-- Ken Smith";
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games_top5_070501[i-1].body = "'Donkey Kong'
This one is the big daddy, the game that set the standard for all the Mario titles to come.
The gameplay is simple: Mario climbs a grid of platforms, ladders and conveyer belts while avoiding obstacles such as barrels, fire and buckets of cement. The object? To save a girl from the clutches of the bad ape named Donkey Kong. The concept is so simple, but the game could be challenging to the point of frustration.
\"Donkey Kong\" may seem rudimentary today, with its simple, boxy graphics, but its multiple stages and use of cut-scenes made it cutting-edge back in the day.
(Fun fact: Mario was originally called Jumpman. He wouldn't get the moniker “Mario” until \"Donkey Kong Junior.\")"; games_top5_070501[i++] = new Array("","'SUPER MARIO BROS.'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070501/mario_super%20mario%20bros2.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Nintendo", "273", "413", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070501[i-1].body = "‘Super Mario Bros.’
\"Super Mario Bros.\" took console gaming to the next level, and it's a big reason why people started staying home to play games instead of going to the arcade.
Once again, Mario was determined to save the damsel in distress. But instead of jumping around a two-dimensional construction site, as in “Donkey Kong,” Mario went side-scrolling through a two-dimensional Mushroom Kingdom, a land filled with fanciful characters, mushrooms that made you big and lots of gold coins to collect.
Just make sure to avoid bottomless pits, pools of lava and those pesky turtles."; games_top5_070501[i++] = new Array("","'SUPER MARIO 64'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070501/mario_super%20mario64%202.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Nintendo", "273", "365", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070501[i-1].body = "'‘Super Mario 64’
Welcome to the 3-D world of Mario.
In this title, released in 1996, Mario’s still saving the girl and collecting coins in the Mushroom Kingdom (more specifically, Princess Peach’s castle). This time around, Nintendo added 3-D to the gameplay, allowing Mario to wander freely and allowing the player to move the camera – imperative if you hope to discover all the secrets in the game.
”Super Mario 64” is too good to let go, and it’s a big reason why fans have hung onto their antiquated Nintendo 64 systems. But if you don’t have one, never fear: You can get this game, and many others, through the Wii’s Virtual Console."; games_top5_070501[i++] = new Array("","'MARIO KART 64'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070501/mario_mario%20kart4.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Nintendo", "273", "365", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070501[i-1].body = "‘Mario Kart 64’
Mario is not just a plumber who rescues girls from trouble, he’s also an athlete. Over the years he’s shown skills at basketball, tennis, soccer and golf, but it was the 3-D “Mario Kart 64” where Mario was at his very best.
“Mario Kart 64” is pretty simple: You do laps around a circuit track. But the game has lots of fun extras that will keep you coming back, like “power ups,” which let you go faster when you hit them, and drifting, which lets you hit corners at top speed. You could also use weapons like banana peels that, when dropped, caused your opponent to spin and crash.
”Mario Kart 64”wasn’t just a solid racing game – it was a great multiplayer experience, too. Many a razzing has occurred between friends on these tracks."; games_top5_070501[i++] = new Array("","'NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070501/mario_new%20super%20mario%202.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Nintendo", "273", "183", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070501[i-1].body = "'New Super Mario Bros.'
Nintendo’s hand held DS Lite is powerful enough to play games that used to be only available on the older home console machines, and Nintendo could have made most gamers happy by just repackaging the original games. But they didn’t want to rest on their laurels. Instead, they’ve reinterpreted the original “Super Mario Bros.” and made a modern classic.
For “New Super Mario Bros.,” Nintendo went back to the 2-D side scrolling style of the original and kept the same elements of gameplay – like collecting gold coins and, of course, saving the girl. But Nintendo also added new things, like Mario’s ability to turn super-small and walk on water. The result is a retro-feeling adventure that is pure joy to dig into.
“New Super Mario Bros.” proves that Mario is just as much fun to hang with today as he was when we first met him many years ago.
Tell us: What are your Top 5 favorite Mario games?
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