Video games have come a long way since their inception, to the point where they can sport some truly breathtaking art styles. Ask an art critic their thoughts on video game visuals, and they’ll probably ask you how you got into their house. But regardless, there are truly some great artists behind some of your favorite titles.
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Over the decades, Mario and his pals have had very different looks.
That even applies to something as ubiquitous and seemingly uniform as the Mario series. While you might not expect much variation in the art styles of the games, some of them really stand out as absolute lookers. But which Mario games sport the coolest visual flair?
8
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
- Released
-
August 26, 2002
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone due to Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Engine
-
unreal engine 4
- Franchise
-
Super Mario
When Super Mario Sunshine first came out, many fans may not have fully appreciated its art style for what it was. For many, it was little more than more of the 3D platforming magic Super Mario 64 offered, but shinier (appropriate). But the years since have been kind to it.
The vibrant colors and subtle cel shading give Sunshine a distinct visual identity that beautifully sets it apart from any other Mario game. It’s almost like a 3D cartoon. And just look at that water. Super Mario Sunshine’s water is the visual equivalent of a Beach Boys album: crisp, refreshing, and probably doesn’t get along with beetles.
7
Super Mario World
Super Mario World
- Released
-
August 23, 1991
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
-
Super Mario
Few video game visual styles have hit that perfectly-aged sweet spot like 16-bit pixel art. Games like Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, and yes, Super Mario World could easily have been released as modern indie titles and fit right in with their contemporaries. Their developers would be sued into oblivion because this is Nintendo we’re talking about, but the point still stands.
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But pixel art alone as a medium isn’t enough to uplift a game visually. It needs a distinct and satisfying art style to go with it, and Super Mario World has exactly that. Popping colors, distinct and memorable designs, and simple yet delightful animations (Mario’s cape remains incredible to this day) set the game apart with a humble style that still continues to inspire new games.
6
Super Mario RPG (Both)
Super Mario RPG
4.5/5
- Released
-
November 17, 2023
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Engine
-
unity
- Franchise
-
Super Mario
The original Super Mario RPG is easily among the most unique-looking titles in the series, with its isometric view and sprites derived from digitized 3D models. But its 2023 remake brought the idea to its full potential with a complete actual 3D recreation of the game. And unlike most times that happens, it actually works.
Much like Rare did with the original Donkey Kong Country games, the developers of Super Mario RPG for the SNES created 3D models of the characters, which they then scanned and converted into the 2D sprites you see in the game.
Every character sports an adorable chibi-style look in the remake, managing to toe the line flawlessly between simply adapting the original and creating its own visual identity. It’s fitting that it also streamlined and outright improved some of the RPG elements as well, because characters this cute deserve only the smoothest of battles.
5
Super Mario Strikers Series
Mario Strikers: Battle League
- Released
-
June 10, 2022
- ESRB
-
E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
-
Next Level Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
-
Mario Strikers
There’s a bit of an unfortunate discrepancy between the 2D and 3D art styles of the Super Mario Strikers games. The actual 3D gameplay looks admittedly great with its expressive animations and fashionable soccer/football uniforms. But when things get stylized, that’s where the real chaotic magic happens.
You see it right away on the covers of each respective game in the series. Those thick, jagged lines, the intense expressions, the visceral feeling that Mario is straight up about to put you in the hospital via an inflatable ball. Luckily, the games occasionally merge the two styles, notably during the special moves in Mario Strikers: Battle League as the comic-style panels foretell the impending carnage.
4
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
4.0/5
- Released
-
October 20, 2023
- ESRB
-
e
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Engine
-
ModuleSystem engine
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
-
Super Mario
Super Mario Bros. Wonder was a breath of fresh air when it was first announced, and not just because it came out the same year as The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. It was the first 2D Mario game in years to finally ditch the increasingly tired “New” branding and art style, and it magnificently went its own way. At first glance, you might not even notice much of a difference beyond some gorgeously trippy colors and backgrounds, but take a closer look.
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The 3D character models are clearly in a new style. Unlike the New Super Mario Bros. games just making 3D environments and characters move in 2D, these are placed in such a way that they feel like they’re trying to actually emulate the vibes of 2D sprites while still clearly being 3D. The new Wonder Flower mechanic was the perfect vehicle to really flex the new visuals, and getting to play as Daisy for the first time in a mainline Mario platformer is still a fantastic bonus.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first Mario game since 1994 where Charles Martinet doesn’t voice the titular plumber himself, and is the first appearance of Kevin Afghani as the new voice of Mario.
3
Mario & Luigi Series
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
4.5/5
- Released
-
November 7, 2024
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Acquire
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Franchise
-
Mario & Luigi
- Number of Players
-
1
Along with being some of the funniest Mario games on their own, the Mario & Luigi RPG series has always boasted a particularly creative spark among its peers. There’s a novelty to controlling Mario and Luigi on a grand adventure as the weirdest characters you’ve ever seen just go about their lives.
The games’ art style lends itself well to that weirdness, giving the titular brothers a distinct bounciness to their movements and truly expressive animations. Each game even has its own gimmick that comes out beautifully in the art, whether it’s a surreal dream world or Bowser’s digestive tract. Hey, it’s no more strange than Mario + Rabbids.
2
Paper Mario Series
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024)
- Released
-
May 23, 2024
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Engine
-
Origami King’s engine
The very idea of Paper Mario still sounds baffling, let alone the notion that it became as popular as it still is. It’s a Mario RPG series (sometimes) where everyone is made of paper, and it’s just kind of no big deal. It’s also the source of the Mario series’ first canon trans representation. In a game about paper.
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Every Paper Mario Game, Ranked
From the good to the Sticker Star, there is a lot to parse through with The Paper Mario series that even Nintendo itself seemed stumped by.
As wild as the concept is, Paper Mario’s unique properties as a series also make it the perfect canvas for some truly striking art styles, blending 2D characters with a 3D environment with perfect harmony. But things can go a little off the rails in wonderful ways, too, like with Super Paper Mario’s geometric-themed flair and whatever Sticker Star had going on with its realistic “things” mechanic that was cool and loved by everyone.
The original Paper Mario on Nintendo 64 was initially intended as a sequel to 1996’s Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
1
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
- Released
-
October 4, 1995
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
- Engine
-
unreal engine 4
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer
16-bit pixel graphics are a timeless medium for video game visuals, it’s hard to deny. Easily one of the most irrefutable pieces of evidence to support this claim is Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, a crayon-styled masterpiece of childlike wonder and platforming nirvana with just a touch of grating baby shrieks.
This game is saturated with the giddy charm of a kid’s preschool art project. Everything from the satisfying shading to the thick and shaggy lines just oozes character, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a 2D platformer out there with such a memorable visual identity. Not only the best possible outcome of a baby landing on an island of dinosaurs, Yoshi’s Island is still quite arguably the best-looking Mario game to date.
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