Longest Mario Games

Highlights

• Mario games are known for their varied length, with spin-offs like Paper Mario offering lengthier gameplay experiences compared to the mainline titles. (150 characters)
• Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is considered one of the best RPGs ever made and a fan-favorite Mario release, offering beautiful visuals, engrossing combat, and hidden secrets. (150 characters)
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle surprised skeptics with its addictive gameplay, lengthy story, and hilarious Rabbid characters, making it a fantastic addition to the Mario franchise. (150 characters)

Games in the


Mario


series are not exactly known for their length. Both the main series of platforms and all the various spin-offs rarely take too long to beat. Most casual players can finish a Mario game within a day fairly easily. However, since there are so many different spin-offs in different genres, the length of a Mario game does tend to vary. A mainline title might not take a week, but a

Paper Mario

game will.

Of course, length is hardly the only factor of quality in games. Mario games tend to be perfectly portioned to not overstay their welcome. Even the spinoff titles will only offer as much content as necessary. So, based on the average main story playtime on

HowLongToBeat

, which is the

longest Mario game

?

Updated October 23, 2023 by Mark Sammut:


Super Mario Bros

. Wonder has received almost universal praise from critics and players alike, going down as one of the best 2D entries in

Nintendo

‘s legendary franchise. Putting aside the additional content and replayability, the game’s main campaign should require roughly 10 hours to complete, which is decent for this type of release. However, it does not land among

Mario’s longest games

.

13


Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars

This is the one that started it all, proving Mario could hold its own as a “traditional RPG” and giving players access to a different side of the franchise they’d never seen before. Thanks to Squaresoft’s (Now Square Enix) brilliance in the genre,

Super Mario RPG

stands as one of the best RPGs ever made, and it’s easily a fan-favorite Mario release for players who enjoy turn-based battles and lengthy storylines.

It had beautiful visuals for the time, some engrossing combat, and some of the best side-quests and hidden secrets to ever grace the series.

12


Super Paper Mario

The Wii holds a special place in many Nintendo Fans’ hearts. It’s definitely one of the best systems that the company has ever produced, and it featured some of the most amazing and successful Nintendo games ever produced. A prime example is

Super Paper Mario

, which took the series to new heights thanks to its beautiful visuals, entertaining story, lengthy gameplay time, and beloved characters.

The sidescrolling to 3D perspective swap allowed

developers

to

pack

some fascinating levels and secrets into the release, making it a playground for players who like to explore every nook and cranny of a game.

11


Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions

The

Mario & Luigi

games are a beloved part of the franchise, offering turn-based gameplay similar to

Paper Mario

but with a unique mechanic that uses both brothers in tandem to solve puzzles and progress through areas. Superstar Saga is the first iteration of the series, popping up on Gameboy Advance back in 2003. Those who love the newer titles should revisit the franchise’s roots.

The visual style is charming, the story is engrossing, and it offers all the gameplay elements that fans have come to know and love. Best of all, it’s pretty lengthy.

The base version of

Superstar Saga

comes in at 18 hours.

10


Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope

The sequel to a game that nobody knew they wanted,

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

is a natural continuation of

Kingdom Battle

, albeit one that shakes up a few key ingredients. Compared to its predecessor’s grid-based system, the 2022 release provides a less restrictive combat experience, at least visually. At its heart, the gameplay is still turn-based, just the game tries to not make it as obvious.

Sparks of Hope

also emphasizes exploration a bit more than the first game. While the story is probably a bit more divisive than

Kingdom Battle

, the sequel is still generally a great spin-off that carries the Mario and Rabbids names proudly.

9


Paper Mario: Sticker Star

When

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

dropped for the 3DS, it was met with critical acclaim from many journalistic outlets and websites. Unfortunately, that critical claim didn’t translate well when it came to the general public. There were many players that lambasted

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

for “dumbing down” the formula, by completely scrapping the level-up system and making extra battles “useless” as they didn’t offer any sort of progression.

If someone prefers the turn-based battles of

Paper Mario

but doesn’t want to deal with character leveling and grinding, they will probably find a lot to enjoy with

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

.

8


Mario’s Picross 2

Mario’s Picross 2

(or just

Picross 2

) is a puzzle game that never left Japan, so most Western fans are likely not familiar with this small footnote in the mascot’s long and legendary history. The player uses logic and numbers to uncover various pictures, except Mario is there watching.

It’s portable and loaded with puzzles to play. This game would make any long car ride melt away, and it’s a shame the game never officially made it to the West. It’s just a fun puzzle game.

7


Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

When the idea of a Mario and Rabbids game was first announced, it was met with a healthy dose of skepticism. The “fears” weren’t unwarranted, considering there were many individuals who found the Rabbids a bit “annoying” or “lackluster.’ Thankfully, those fears were completely dispelled when the game eventually came out.

The end result was a fantastic addition to the Mario franchise, with addictive gameplay similar to

X-Com

. It’s a blast to play, offers a lengthy story, and the Rabbids themselves are pretty hilarious.

6


Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey

It’s entirely possible that fans of the

Mario & Luigi

series are unaware that this game even exists. The 3DS remake of the third entry in the series, this game was released at an awful time. The 3DS was already taken out to pasture, and no one at Nintendo informed AlphaDream. Despite that,

Bowser’s Inside Story

is still an absolute classic and the remake loses none of the charm.

As an RPG, there are many titles that have more meat than

Bowser’s Inside Story

; however, it’s a perfectly paced RPG that keeps things fresh at every turn. There are still sidequests and collectibles, and the side game in the 3DS remake also offers a bit of extra meat to the complete package. The art style might not be as clean, but everything else the game offers is spot-on. It’s also likely the last time the beloved bros will be together in an RPG.

5


Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

In what may be the last new title from developer AlphaDream,

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam

merged two spin-offs into one RPG. This game packs the charm of both franchises but doesn’t entirely deliver fresh gameplay. It’s a shame that a true Mario RPG only exists in dreams these days.

The game is certainly more

Mario and Luigi

than

Paper Mario

. For one, it’s still an RPG. However, the world and its characters, for the most part, stick within AlphaDream’s established canon. The battles are fun and snappy, and it’s pleasant to complete. However, it’s still far from the quality of the first three

Mario and Luigi

games.

4


Paper Mario: The Origami

King

Recent

Paper Mario

titles have shifted away from the series’ RPG roots. However, as the games embrace a style more akin to the adventure genre, the developers get better at delivering on their new vision. The latest title,

The Origami King

, provides the story of an RPG without the focus on leveling up and grinding battles.

As an adventure game,

The Origami King

is loaded with collectibles to uncover. There are dozens of hidden Toads to rescue, along with secret items to make the battles go more smoothly. The main story itself isn’t too shabby either, with multiple chapters to complete and bosses to bash. It still isn’t classic

Paper Mario

, but it doesn’t really need to be.

3


Paper Mario: Color Splash

One of the most aesthetically pleasing Wii U games (and one of the few still locked to that system),

Color Splash

is rather divisive. It didn’t think to ditch the horrendous gameplay of

Sticker Star

, so fans immediately wrote it off as another failure. Despite that, it’s a surprisingly solid adventure game that people only wish was an RPG.

Color Splash

, like its follow-up, contains a fair number of collectibles to find and secrets to uncover. The world is fairly large and highly detailed, and the chapters will take some time for the players to complete. A completionist will have less to uncover, but on average players get more time out of

Color Splash

. The few that had the patience to finish the game, at least.

2


Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The second Paper Mario entry,

The Thousand-Year Door

, is regarded by fans and critics to be either the best or second-best entry in the series. After playing the game, it’s understandable why that’s the case. The game is loaded with unique characters, fun personalities, some genuinely touching moments, and an addictive combat system.

The Thousand-Year Door

is a lengthy game. Its chapters span multiple areas, although some cheat by being heavily reliant on backtracking or repetitive tasks (think Glitzville). The badge system allows for plenty of experimentation, as the player can try different combos and styles. Plus, the top-notch writing will keep a player engaged with reading even the flavor text. It’s a game that oozes charm, and taking time to see it all is worth it.

1


Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

AlphaDream’s first foray onto the 3DS,

Dream Team

kept up the typical tropes of the

Mario & Luigi

series. It was arguably too reliant on gimmicks, as regular battles became less emphasized compared to the more “interesting” ways to play. Fans of the earlier entries may have been turned off by this shift, but those that stuck though had a lot of game to work with.

Across nearly every category on HowLongToBeat,

Dream Team

sits at or near the top in terms of length. To be honest, the reason for this extra-documented length is a mystery. It’s not surprising to see it at the top, but apparently, it has enough to keep players engaged far past the expectation for the series.

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