Mario has raced karts, explored galaxies, fought alongside Rabbids, and attended enough parties to make an event planner nervous. One place Nintendo’s famous plumber has rarely visited officially, however, is the Windows desktop.
Nintendo’s current Mario catalog focuses on the Nintendo Switch family rather than native Windows releases. That means the most interesting Super Mario Bros games for PC are unofficial fan projectscreative tributes that remix familiar platforming with level editors, crossover characters, puzzle mechanics, and ideas Nintendo might never attempt.
Can You Play Official Super Mario Bros Games on a PC?
Not through an official native Windows release. Nintendo sells and distributes its modern Mario games for its own hardware, while classic titles such as the original Super Mario Bros. are offered through services including Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo does not currently provide an official Mario PC collection, Windows port, or PC subscription app.
Consequently, this ranking is about fan-made Mario games designed to run on a computer. It does not include ROM downloads, unofficial console ports, or instructions for bypassing Nintendo’s protections. If your goal is to play Nintendo’s original releases exactly as published, using supported Nintendo hardware remains the straightforward legal option.
How These Mario PC Games Were Ranked
A good fan game needs more than red overalls and a suspicious number of bricks. The following selections were compared using five practical criteria:
- Gameplay quality: Controls should feel responsive rather than as slippery as a Koopa shell on an ice level.
- Originality: New mechanics, characters, or level-design ideas earn extra credit.
- Content: Full campaigns and powerful editors rank above very short experiments.
- PC accessibility: Native Windows support is preferable, although historically important Flash games remain eligible.
- Community value: Custom episodes, shared levels, and preservation activity help a game remain interesting.
| Rank | Game | Best Feature | Current Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Super Mario Bros. X2 | Huge editor and custom episodes | Windows installation required |
| 2 | Mari0 | Portal-based puzzles | Older software but easy to understand |
| 3 | Super Mario 63 | Large exploration-focused campaign | Originally built with Flash |
| 4 | Super Mario Bros. Crossover | Playable heroes from other classics | Flash-era availability varies |
| 5 | Mario Forever | Traditional Windows platforming | Use caution with third-party downloads |
| 6 | Super Mario Flashback | Beautiful custom pixel animation | Unfinished demo project |
1. Super Mario Bros. X2: The Best Overall Mario Fan Game for PC
Best for: Players who want custom campaigns, numerous characters, and a serious level-creation toolkit.
Super Mario Bros. X2, usually shortened to SMBX2, is an open-source evolution of Andrew “Redigit” Spinks’ original Super Mario Bros. X. Instead of copying one particular Nintendo game, it combines ideas associated with Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and other platforming adventures.
The engine supports an enormous assortment of blocks, enemies, power-ups, visual effects, and playable characters. Mario and Luigi are only the beginning; community-supported content can introduce heroes with radically different abilities. Levels may resemble traditional Mushroom Kingdom obstacle courses, puzzle rooms, nonlinear adventures, or elaborate scripted set pieces.
Why SMBX2 Takes First Place
The included editor is the real super star. Creators can build individual stages or connect them into complete “episodes,” effectively producing their own Mario-style campaigns. Weather, darkness, custom scripting, specialized NPC behavior, and unusual movement systems give ambitious designers considerable freedom.
That creative ecosystem also benefits players who never intend to design a single Question Block. Community episodes range from relaxed adventures to demanding challenges with RPG mechanics, branching paths, collectibles, and comedy. The result is not merely one game; it is a platform for hundreds of fan-built experiences.
The downside is complexity. Installing episodes and learning which version they require can take more effort than launching an ordinary commercial game. Once configured, however, SMBX2 offers the strongest combination of replay value and creative freedom in this ranking.
2. Mari0: When Warp Pipes Are Not Weird Enough
Best for: Puzzle fans, local multiplayer groups, and anyone who has wondered what Mario could accomplish with a portal gun.
Mari0pronounced “Mario,” with the final character represented by a zerocombines the original Super Mario Bros. formula with mechanics inspired by Valve’s Portal. Developer Stabyourself.net rebuilt the platforming framework and then gave Mario a device capable of placing linked portals on suitable surfaces.
That single addition transforms familiar situations. A portal beneath an enemy can drop it somewhere harmless. Momentum can carry Mario through one opening and launch him from another. Coins, shells, fireballs, and other objects become ingredients in spatial puzzles. Suddenly, World 1-1 feels less like a nostalgic warm-up and more like an engineering exam supervised by Goombas.
Multiplayer, Map Packs, and an Editor
Mari0 includes a Portal-themed map pack, a level editor, downloadable community maps, and local cooperative play for as many as four participants. In multiplayer, every character can use portals, which is either brilliant teamwork or an efficient method of testing friendships.
The project was released for Windows, macOS, and Linux and remains one of the most inventive Mario fan games ever produced. Its age may lead to compatibility quirks on newer operating systems, but its central mechanic still feels clever rather than gimmicky. For a compact game with a genuinely transformative idea, Mari0 is difficult to beat.
3. Super Mario 63: A Flash Game With Console-Sized Ambition
Best for: Exploration, collecting, secret hunting, and players who miss ambitious browser games.
Released by Runouw in 2009, Super Mario 63 adapts the exploration and objective-based structure of Super Mario 64 into two dimensions. It also borrows recognizable ideas from Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy, producing something much larger than a basic browser platformer.
The campaign contains 64 Shine Sprites and 64 Star Coins to collect. Mario can use multiple FLUDD nozzles, wear special caps, explore Peach’s Castle, discover secret areas, and complete missions rather than simply sprinting toward a flagpole. Luigi is playable, and an extensive Level Designer lets users create courses that can be represented by shareable codes.
How to Approach Its Flash Legacy
Super Mario 63 was created with Adobe Flash, which modern browsers no longer support. Adobe ended Flash Player support after December 31, 2020 and recommends uninstalling the old plug-in because it no longer receives security updates.
Players interested in preservation should use a reputable modern emulator such as Ruffle or a trusted archival presentation rather than installing an obsolete Flash plug-in from an unknown download site. Compatibility may not be perfect in every emulator, but preservation efforts have made this landmark fan game far more accessible than many Flash-era releases.
4. Super Mario Bros. Crossover: The NES Reunion Tour
Best for: Retro gaming fans who want to experience classic Mario levels with completely different abilities.
Jay Pavlina’s Super Mario Bros. Crossover recreates the original game’s stages but allows players to control heroes inspired by other celebrated 8-bit adventures. Depending on the version, the roster includes characters such as Link, Mega Man, Samus Aran, Simon Belmont, Bill Rizer, and Ryu Hayabusa.
These are not simple cosmetic skins. Each hero brings recognizable movement and combat mechanics. Mega Man fires his arm cannon, Link attacks with a sword and equipment, Samus uses ranged weapons, and characters from Contra can turn a line of Goombas into the Mushroom Kingdom’s shortest action movie.
Why the Crossover Works
The genius lies in how familiar level geometry changes when paired with a different toolset. A ledge designed around Mario’s jump becomes a shooting position for a ranged character. An enemy formation that normally requires cautious stomping becomes a combat encounter. Even veteran players have to reconsider stages they thought they knew by heart.
The original release arrived on Newgrounds in April 2010 and received praise for its attention to 8-bit detail. Because major versions were made with Flash, present-day access can be inconsistent. Treat it as a preserved piece of fan-game history, use trustworthy sources, and expect more setup than a modern Windows title requires.
5. Mario Forever: A Traditional Windows Adventure
Best for: Players who prefer classic running and jumping without crossover mechanics or complicated creation tools.
Mario Forever, originally developed by Buziol Games, became a recognizable Windows fan game during the 2000s. Its foundation closely resembles the original Super Mario Bros., but the game introduces enhanced graphics, smoother scrolling, a save system, additional enemies, secrets, and new level ideas.
The appeal is immediate. You run, jump, collect coins, enter pipes, grab power-ups, and confront Bowser’s forces across a sequence of worlds. It is less experimental than Mari0 and less expansive as a creation platform than SMBX2, but that conventional structure is precisely why many players remember it fondly.
The Biggest Caution
Numerous versions, remakes, installers, and repackaged downloads have circulated over the years. Some third-party packages may contain bundled software or other unwanted additions. Verify the developer and version, avoid download pages covered in misleading buttons, scan the installer, and decline unrelated software offers. Nostalgia is lovely; a browser toolbar from the shadow realm is not.
6. Super Mario Flashback: The Most Beautiful Unfinished Choice
Best for: Pixel-art enthusiasts and players interested in polished design experiments.
Super Mario Flashback reimagines stages and concepts from several eras of Mario history with exceptionally fluid custom pixel animation. Its visual direction recalls the philosophy of Sonic Mania: celebrate a series’ past without simply reproducing old sprites and layouts.
The game applies abilities associated with three-dimensional Mario adventures to a 2D platformer. Demonstration builds have featured wall movement, sliding, a health meter reminiscent of Super Mario 64, Green Stars, remixed environments, and more elaborate routes through familiar settings.
There is one substantial catch: this is an unfinished fan project rather than a complete campaign. Development has experienced long pauses, and no dependable full-release date exists. The available material is best treated as a short showcase. What is present can be delightful, but do not arrive expecting a 40-hour tour of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Playing Mario Fan Games on PC Safely
Fan games occupy an uncertain space. They use intellectual property owned by Nintendo, may disappear after a complaint, and can be abandoned without notice. Their free availability does not make them official or guarantee that every mirrored installer is trustworthy.
- Start with the developer’s established project page whenever it remains available.
- Confirm that the game is free; do not purchase unauthorized Mario software.
- Scan downloaded archives and executable files with current security software.
- Do not install the discontinued Adobe Flash Player to run an old browser game.
- Use maintained preservation software, such as the open-source Ruffle emulator, when appropriate.
- Back up custom levels separately before updating an engine such as SMBX2.
- Use a controller for traditional platformers, but keep a mouse handy for Mari0 and level editors.
A 500-Word Player Experience Guide
The best way to explore these Super Mario Bros games on PC is to avoid treating all six as interchangeable copies. Each one captures a different part of Mario’s appeal, so a weekend sampling plan works better than downloading everything and creating a folder called “Mario Stuff Final FINAL 2.”
Begin with Mario Forever if you want an immediate test of traditional platforming. Connect a familiar controller, play a few early stages, and pay attention to acceleration, jump height, and stopping distance. Fan-made physics rarely match Nintendo’s games exactly. Spending ten minutes adapting is more productive than blaming the keyboard, the developer, and every Koopa in North America.
Move to Mari0 when ordinary jumping starts to feel predictable. Its opening stages teach you to think about surfaces, momentum, and portal placement. The most satisfying moments occur when a solution combines platforming instinct with spatial reasoning: fall into one portal, preserve speed, and emerge across a gap that seemed impossible. Local multiplayer adds slapstick energy, although beginners should first learn portal colors and controls separately. Four players discovering the same button simultaneously is not cooperation; it is a plumbing emergency.
Reserve a longer session for Super Mario 63. Instead of rushing from left to right, examine Peach’s Castle, revisit areas after gaining experience with FLUDD, and chase optional Star Coins. The game rewards curiosity, and its size is still surprising for a project born in the Flash era. Save progress carefully when using an emulator, because browser storage and local save behavior may differ across preservation platforms.
Next, use Super Mario Bros. Crossover as a design experiment. Play the same stage with Mario, a ranged fighter, and a character with specialized movement. Notice how each moveset changes the level’s difficulty. A staircase may be trivial for one hero but awkward for another; an enemy group may switch from platforming hazard to target practice. This comparison reveals how much of level design depends on the player character’s abilities.
Give Super Mario Flashback a shorter showcase session. Focus on animation, alternate routes, and how three-dimensional moves translate into a flat course. Its incompleteness is easier to accept when approached like a playable concept album rather than a finished box set.
Finally, install SMBX2 when you are ready to settle in. Try a recommended community episode before opening the editor. This demonstrates what the engine can do and prevents the classic beginner mistake of constructing a level containing 300 Hammer Bros., one platform, and no exit. When you do create a stage, build a simple challenge around one idea, test it repeatedly, and ask another player to try it without instructions. Their confusion will teach you more than another hour of decoration.
Together, these games show why Mario’s basic formula has endured: running and jumping are easy to understand, yet tiny changes in momentum, tools, objectives, or level structure can create entirely new experiences. The most memorable PC fan games do not merely imitate Nintendo. They ask playful questionsand occasionally answer them with a portal gun.
Which Mario PC Fan Game Should You Choose?
Choose SMBX2 for the greatest amount of content and the best level editor. Pick Mari0 for ingenious puzzles and chaotic local multiplayer. Explore Super Mario 63 for collectibles and adventure, or try Super Mario Bros. Crossover to see classic levels through the abilities of other retro heroes.
Mario Forever is the most conventional option, while Super Mario Flashback provides the most visually impressive short demonstration. None replaces an official Nintendo release, but each illustrates what talented fans can create when they look at a familiar platformer and ask, “What if this pipe led somewhere much stranger?”
