Super Mario Bros. came out on the NES in 1985, and it still feels perfect to pick up. You run to the right and reach the flagpole at the end of each level. The team designed the first level, World 1-1, as a tutorial for platform gameplay. Pick up a Fire Flower and Mario can attack enemies with fireballs. It is particularly admired for its precise controls, and it sold more than 58 million copies.
Once you have beaten every Mario, other studios have spent decades chasing that feel. These are the 14 games players recommend most to Super Mario Bros fans, ranked by how many different people named each one. Mario games are left out, and so are 3D platformers.
14 Games Like Super Mario Bros Where You Jump Your Way to the End of the Level
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (2012)
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams has the oldest link to Mario on this list. It is the sequel to Giana Sisters DS, itself a remake of the 1987 Commodore 64 game The Great Giana Sisters. Players still remember that original as a Mario clone. This time Giana enters the Dream World to rescue her sister Maria.
The big difference is that Giana jumps between dreams. She turns into a Cute or a Punk version of herself, and Punk Giana has a dash attack that bounces her off enemies and walls. Both soundtracks play at the same time, layered, and the music changes when you press the switch button. The game was funded on Kickstarter. Play it on PS3, PS4, Wii U or Switch.
Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010)
Donkey Kong Country Returns is a 2010 platform game from Retro Studios, made for the Wii. It brought the series back after a hiatus that followed Donkey Kong Country 3 in 1996. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong cross the island to win back their stolen banana hoard. In two-player mode, a fallen partner comes back when the other one hits a floating DK Barrel, a mechanic similar to the one used in New Super Mario Bros.
The big difference is the difficulty. Reviews praised its level design, but the high difficulty got a more mixed response. Lose eight lives in a single level and Super Kong offers to finish it for you. It sold over 6.53 million copies. Play it on Wii, Wii U or 3DS.
Kirby's Epic Yarn (2010)
Kirby's Epic Yarn is a 2010 Wii platform game by Good-Feel, and the gentlest game on this list. Kirby has been turned into yarn and sent to Patch Land, a world made completely out of fabric. You finish each stage by reaching and ringing the bell at the end, the way Mario grabs the flagpole. Completing a level unlocks the next stage on the map.
The big difference is that Kirby cannot die. He has no health or extra lives, and taking damage or falling into a pit only costs him beads. That makes it a good first platformer for a child playing next to a parent. It won Game of the Show from GameSpot at E3 2010. Play it on Wii or Wii U, or Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn on 3DS.
Super Meat Boy (2010)
Super Meat Boy is a 2010 platformer from the indie studio Team Meat. You play Meat Boy, a red cube, out to rescue his girlfriend Bandage Girl from an evil scientist. You run and jump to the end of each level, and hidden warp zones open through portals in some of them. Players who recommend it say it has a Mario feel.
The big difference is the difficulty. The game is all fine control and split-second timing across over 300 hazardous levels. Saw blades and crumbling blocks wait in most of them. You can also jump off or slide down walls. It has been cited as one of the greatest video games of all time. Play it on PS4, Vita, Wii U or Switch.
Kid Chameleon (1992)
Kid Chameleon is a 1992 platform game Sega made for the Genesis. You play the Kid, out to save his friends from a virtual reality game whose artificial intelligence has gone rogue. The goal of most levels is to reach a flag at the end, and you can defeat enemies by jumping on them. Players who recommend it call it Sega's take on Mario.
The big difference is the masks. Each one changes the Kid into a new form with new abilities, such as climbing walls. There are over 100 levels, and teleporters can warp you to other levels or an entirely alternate path. One reviewer found it similar to Super Mario Bros, and the only complaint was the lack of a save or password system. Play it on Genesis, on the Wii Virtual Console, or in Sega Genesis Collection on PS2 and PSP.
LittleBigPlanet 3 (2014)
LittleBigPlanet 3 is a puzzle-platform game, developed mainly by Sumo Digital. You play Sackboy, sent to the world of Bunkum, where he has to wake the three heroes of Bunkum. Oddsock runs fast and climbs walls. Toggle changes size at will. Players who recommend it call it the most Mario-like game on PlayStation.
The big difference is creation. You can build your own levels, and the new Power-up Creator lets you make your own power-ups too. Stephen Fry is the narrator who teaches you the controls. Critics praised the visuals and the create mode. Play it on PS3 or PS4.
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
Ori and the Blind Forest is a 2D Metroidvania from Moon Studios. You play Ori, a white guardian spirit, and you jump and climb your way through the game's world. Some of its gameplay was inspired by Rayman and Metroid. It is the most moving game on this list.
The big difference is the world. It is one big map, and new abilities such as the wall jump and double jump open areas you could not reach before. You save your progress at will with Soul Links, which cost limited resources. Critics praised its art direction and musical score. Play it on Switch.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the 2014 sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns, again from Retro Studios. Donkey Kong and his friends travel through seven different islands to defeat the Snowmads. You can pluck objects out of the ground the way you do in Super Mario Bros. 2, a game its producer also worked on. Players who recommend it to Mario fans rank it among the best 2D platformers.
The big difference is your partner. Diddy Kong crosses large gaps with his barrel jet pack. Dixie Kong spins her ponytail into a propeller to reach high platforms. Its high difficulty got mixed opinions. On Switch, the easier Funky Mode lets Funky Kong double-jump and stand on spikes. Play it on Wii U or Switch.
Rayman Origins (2011)
Rayman Origins is a 2011 platform game from Ubisoft, and up to four local players can drop in or out at any time. You travel through each level, fighting enemies and rescuing imprisoned Electoons. Get hit and you turn into a bubble, and another player can slap or jump on you to free you, similar to New Super Mario Bros. Players who recommend it say it plays a lot like Super Mario.
The big difference is the look. It was highly praised for its graphical style and sense of humor. You gain new abilities as you go, such as running up walls and gliding in midair. Skull Coins are hidden in dangerous areas and are worth 25 Lums. Play it on PS3, Vita, Wii or 3DS.
Celeste (2018)
Celeste is a 2018 platform game from the indie studio Maddy Makes Games. You play Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression, on her climb up Celeste Mountain. Its gameplay was inspired in part by Super Mario Bros. 3, and reviewers lauded its player movement and controls. Players who recommend it say it feels like Mario.
The big difference is the dash. Madeline can dash in midair in any one of eight directions, and you need it for almost every screen. The climb gets very hard, but an Assist Mode makes the game more forgiving. A free Farewell chapter came out in 2019. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Spelunky (2008)
Spelunky first came out as freeware in 2008, and an enhanced version for Xbox Live Arcade followed in 2012. You explore a series of caves for treasure while you dodge traps. You can whip or jump on enemies to defeat them. Players who recommend it call it a Mario-style platformer with a twist.
The big difference is that the caves are procedurally generated, so each run is unique. Lose all your hearts and you start from the beginning. Steal from a shop and the shopkeeper becomes a powerful enemy. Up to four players can play local co-op or deathmatch. It was the influence for many later roguelite games. Play it on PS3, Vita, PS4 or Switch.
Shovel Knight (2014)
Shovel Knight is a platform game from Yacht Club Games, crowdfunded and released in June 2014. The developers named Super Mario Bros. 3 and DuckTales among its smaller influences, and took the checkpoint design from Dark Souls. Players who recommend it compare it to Super Mario Bros. 3.
The big difference is how much there is. The full Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove has three other campaigns on top of the first one. Jake Kaufman composed the chiptune music, with two tracks by Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae. He made the songs with FamiTracker, which creates music in the same style as NES games. Critics consider it one of the greatest video games ever made. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS3, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Rayman Legends (2013)
Rayman Legends is the 2013 sequel to Rayman Origins, from Ubisoft Montpellier. Up to four players make their way through the levels at the same time, as in Origins. There are over one hundred twenty levels, including forty remastered levels from the first game. The Wii U version even gave Rayman a Mario costume. Players who recommend it call it a Mario-style 2D platformer.
The big difference is Murfy, who cuts through ropes and grabs hold of enemies to help you. Daily and weekly challenge stages put you on leaderboards against other players. Kung Foot is a local multiplayer football game on the side. Critics praised its level design and soundtrack. Play it on PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U or Switch.
Braid (2008)
Braid came out on Xbox Live Arcade in August 2008 and on PS3 in November 2009. Tim sets out to rescue a princess from a monster across six worlds. The first one plays as an ordinary platform game, except that you may rewind time to undo your actions. Players who recommend it say it plays like Mario with a time twist.
The big difference is that you can reverse time without limit, even after dying. You progress by finding and assembling jigsaw puzzle pieces, and many levels are puzzles more than races to the end. In the final world, time flows in reverse. Jonathan Blow designed the game as a personal critique of trends in game development. Play it on PS3, or the 2024 Anniversary Edition on PS4 or Switch.
Which one to play
There you have it, the whole list of games like Super Mario Bros. If you only have time for one, make it Braid.
If you loved playing Mario with a friend on the couch, play Rayman Legends, then Rayman Origins. If running and jumping through World 1-1 is what you love, try Shovel Knight. If you want the jumping to get much harder, pick Celeste, then Super Meat Boy. If you grew up with a Genesis, go back to Kid Chameleon. If you want to make your own levels, get LittleBigPlanet 3. If you are picking for a younger player, start with Kirby's Epic Yarn.
