Top 18 Mario Games for the GBA - Number 16 through 18 and The Stinker

16) Mario Bros. (the original classic)

The first release of this historic game was the dawn of several debuts. It introduced us to Mario's brother Luigi, it established Mario as a plumber, and the enemies then called the Shell Creepers (turtles) were the prototypes that lead to the Koopa Troopas. This is also the only simultaneous two-player Mario adventure. The 1983 game was so popular it kick started the sibling's long standing partnership that is still going on strong. In single screen levels, the city's swears have been infested by all sorts of odd creatures. Mario and Luigi must stop these cantankerous critters by jumping on 'em, bopping them upside down, or just bumping the "Pow" block. Although simple by today's standards the Mario Bros. is so popular that its is a bonus game in Mario Advance 1 through 4 and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

17) Game & Watch Gallery 4

Remember those old one-off LCD games? Well Nintendo made a bunch of 'em called Game & Watch that were actually the predecessor to the Game Boy Classic. Well Nintendo has bundled a bunch of them together in one cartridge with a terrific twist. You can play the original LCD game, or a modernized version starring the Mario Gang with updated graphics, movement and humor. The first three Game & Watch Gallery titles were released for the Game Boy Classic and Game Boy Color. Features the LCD classics Fire, Boxing, Mario's Cement Factory, Donkey Kong Jr. , Mario Brothers and many more.

18) Donkey Kong Jr. E-Reader Cards

This classic could have been higher on the list if those e-reader cards weren’t such a pain in the butt. With each level split into a separate card that you scan into the Game Boy E-Reader, which in turn loads the level onto your GBA. Too bad it's never been released on a game cartridge so you don't have to deal with the hassle of scanning and keeping track of all those cards. Regardless, it's still just as fun to play as ever, being the only game where Mario is the bad guy and isn't a playable character. Instead you monkey around with Donkey Kong Jr. on a vine swinging mission to rescue your Pop, the original Donkey Kong, from the clutches of Mario who plans on throwing the big ape in a zoo.

…and now the stinker.

Famicom Mini: Super Mario Bros. 2 aka Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

This isn't the Super Mario Bros. 2 listed above as #2 on our epic list, instead it's a port of the original NES (called Famicom in Japan) game. Neither the NES nor GBA versions have been released in the United States. Word around the campfire is that upon its original release back in 1986 the President of Nintendo of America at the time, Howard Lincoln, hated the game so much that he blocked its U.S. release in favor of a recreation of Doki Doki Panic (see #2). What we have here is basically a more elaborate version of the original SMB but this one is extraordinarily frustrating, mainly because of the unresponsive controls, making it impossible to time a jump or move. An easier remake was released for the Super Nintendo console as part of Super Mario All-Stars. It's amazing that with all the Mario games out there, this happens to not only be considered one of the worst Mario games, but the most difficult classic NES game ever made.

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