Super Mario Games of the 90s: From 2D to 3D
Mario's mainline games spent the 90s perfecting 2D platforming before jumping to 3D at the very end of the decade, with handheld entries and non-platformer spin-offs running alongside the whole time.
Mainline release order
- Super Mario World (1990 Japan, 1991 North America)
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (August 1995)
- Super Mario 64 (1996)
Play Mario's jump to 3D: Super Mario 64
An original cartridge of Super Mario 64 (1996), the game discussed above that took the series from linear 2D levels into open 3D exploration.
Check price on Amazon →Handheld entries
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) brought a mainline-style Mario platformer to the original Game Boy, distinct from the console releases.
2D vs. 3D design
The 2D games built tightly scripted, left-to-right levels with precise jump timing. Super Mario 64 replaced that with open 3D spaces you could explore in multiple directions to find each level's stars, a genuinely different design problem, not just the same game with an added dimension.
Where spin-offs fit
Super Mario Kart (1992) and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996) both use Mario's cast without being mainline platformers; they're genre experiments (racing, and a collaboration with Square on an RPG) rather than the next step in the platforming series.
Frequently asked questions
What was the first 3D Super Mario game?
Super Mario 64 (1996) was Mario's first mainline 3D game, following the 2D Super Mario World (1990/1991) and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995).
Is Super Mario Kart part of the main Mario platformer series?
No. Super Mario Kart (1992) is a spin-off racing game using Mario's cast, separate from the mainline platformer series.
What handheld Mario game came out in the 90s?
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) was the decade's mainline-style handheld Mario platformer, released for the original Game Boy.
Sourcing and corrections
Release dates for Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Land 2, Super Mario Kart, and Super Mario RPG were checked via web search against sources including Wikipedia in September 2026.