Super Nintendo
There are many Mario games. As a character and a franchise, Nintendo’s mascot has been on the forefront of just about every innovative leap in gaming. But Super Mario World is the perfect sweet spot. Its tight controls and inventive level design, like Chocolate Island 2, which has alternate pathways based on performance, are the gold standard that others have been chasing for decades.
Super Mario World is a perfectly paced game, constantly introducing experimental new elements that build on the core mechanics, like how Yoshi can eat enemies and items to create a throwable egg, or give Mario an extra-long jump. It teaches players its physical language, then invites them to best it over and over, not just through the clear path forward but in the hidden avenues that always lurk in plain sight. Even an expert going into Super Mario World will leave consistently surprised by what awaits around every corner.
