The original Super Mario All-Stars, featuring enhanced versions of the Nintendo Entertainment System’s Super Mario Bros. games, just landed on the Nintendo Switch eShop. It’s part of Nintendo’s celebrations for Super Mario Bros.’ 35th anniversary. It was announced during a special Mario-themed Nintendo Direct.

Super Mario All-Stars is the same as it was for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It includes Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3.

Just like with the original release, all four games boast improved graphics and audio over their NES counterparts.

Unlike the just-announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection, the Switch version of Super Mario All-Stars is not a limited-time release. It’s available now on the Switch eShop — but only as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES Collection. It's not available for purchase at this time.

Still, barring any unexpected shenanigans, it should remain playable for the foreseeable future. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Super Mario 35th anniversary news as it develops. 

10. Super Mario Odyssey

One of the hottest and most trending games ever developed by Nintendo, Super Mario Odyssey finds Mario and Bowser at it once again. This time, Mario is out to stop Bowser from marrying the princess. Decked out in wedding attire, Bowser's hat is equipped with punching gloves at which Mario can toss Cappy in order to seize control. Avoiding the traditional fire breath in addition to other hats and tail swipes, Mario must get up close and unleash a barrage of punches at Bowser to send him into an electric fence. After a few successful attempts, Bowser is knocked unconscious, Peach is free, and the wedding is over.

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Which Mario vs. Bowser battle is your favorite? Post your comments below, and thanks for reading!

9. Super Mario 3D World  

Bowser ups the ante in Super Mario 3D World, using a magical bell to transform himself into Meowser. In the final encounter of this game, Mario must scale the tower in order to save the magical fairies in Meowser's clutches. While Mario scales the tower, he needs to watch out for the sneaky Meowser's attacks. He can attack from sliding down, climbing up, swiping his tail, and bursting the tower and clawing him. After scaling up the tower midway, he knocks off Meowser standing on a POW box. Mario scales the building at super speed using a pipe, only to see Meowser cloning more enemies. Once Mario reaches the top, he has to knock Meowser off a bigger POW box while avoiding fireballs. After successfully doing so, Meowser flies into the air and explodes into fireworks, setting the captive fairies free.

8. Super Mario Galaxy 2

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario and Bowser are at it again in space -- only this time, Bowser bought the heavy artillery. A mega-sized Bowser plans to smash Mario with his super fist, which Mario must avoid along with asteroid balls and electric balls. Luckily, Bowser gets his fist stuck in the moon, which allows Mario to walk on the asteroid balls and use them to his advantage. After stunning Bowser a couple of times, it looks like the battle is over. However, Bowser is tricky as always and finds a way to return to the battlefield. One last encounter sees Mario walking on the asteroid balls with plans to defeat Bowser one last time, which he does successfully. The dark galaxy world returns to normal, and Peach and Mario are happily reunited.

7. Super Mario Galaxy

Mario and Bowser battles go into zero-gravity mode in Super Mario Galaxy. Here, the longtime foes fight in space, which makes things much more interesting. On three separate moons, Mario must use his speed and maneuvers to attack his nemesis. On the first moon, Mario has to avoid Bowser's attacks. Then, Bowser turns into a rolling asteroid, which allows Mario to attack him by punching his face. Afterwards, Mario must use green, balloon-like objects to attack Bowser. However, he must avoid Bowser as he transforms into a spike ball trying to run over poor Mario. Finally, on the last moon, Mario must avoid fireballs, a spike ball, and being crushed. Fortunately, the moon is filled with lava, and if Bowser lands in the crystal-filled lava, it will burn him, allowing Mario to attack. Successfully defeating Bowser sends him to the lava below and allows Mario to fly away with the star.

6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Returning to his roots of platform gameplay but now with 3D graphics, Mario once again faces his nemesis Bowser in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Mario must rescue Peach from Bowser by avoiding his attacks and triggering a button that retracts the bridge, sending Bowser to his doom. At first it looks like Mario wins the battle, but it appears the princess was the wizard all along. Fooling Mario, the wizard uses his powers to make Bowser 10x bigger. Now running for his life and avoiding the gigantic Bowser's attacks, Mario sees Peach and a large trigger on the other side. After smashing the trigger, the lava begins to decrease, and Bowser is sent along for the ride. Finally, the princess is let out of her cage and reunited with Mario. 

5. Super Mario Sunshine 

There is nothing wrong with a family vacation, but that doesn't mean you have to kidnap someone and force them to go with you (apparently Bowser never got that memo). For the Mario vs. Bowser battle in Super Mario Sunshine, Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. are swimming around in a giant hot tub atop Corona Mountain when Mario comes to save the day. This time, he has to face off against both Bowser's traditional fire breath as well Bowser Jr.'s mini-sub as he works to destroy the five platforms holding the hot tub together. Luckily, he has his trusty water pack, F.L.U.D.D. (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device), to help him out. Once victorious, everybody is safe and sound on the island, including Bowser and his son, who will one day meet Mario again.

4. Super Mario 64

The evolution of Mario vs. Bowser battles jumped into 3D in the groundbreaking Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64. Meeting up high in the sky, Bowser has plans to defeat Mario once and for all, but in this three-dimensional world, Mario has some new tricks up his sleeve. In this epic boss battle, Mario has to grab Bowser by the tail and swing him around (almost like an Olympic hammer throw) into bombs just off the platform. However, his task is made no easier by having to constantly watch out for Bowser's fire breath. After three successful attempts, Bowser is defeated, and Mario uses the golden star to fly away and meet with his beloved princess.

3. Super Mario World

On top of Bowser's Castle, amidst a backdrop of thunder and lightning, our plumber hero has to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser once again in Super Mario World. This time, it is a much more complex battle than their previous encounters. With Bowser zipping around in a flying ship, Mario must throw Bowser's own toy-like minions, Mecha-Koopas, back at him, all while avoiding large, black balls and a barrage of fireballs. After Bowser has finally been defeated, Princess Peach drops down to Mario safely, and Bowser disappears to prepare himself for the next showdown with his mustached rival.

2. Super Mario Bros. 3

In his clash with Bowser in the classic Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario must again avoid fireballs and stomping as he attempts to escape the room in which he's trapped. Fortunately, every time Bowser attempts to crush Mario and misses, he smashes a couple of bricks into tiny pieces. No power-ups are going to defeat Bowser in this encounter; the only way to win this one is to make him crush all the bricks so that his own doing sends him plunging to the depths below. To add to the battle's complexity, Mario has to make sure that he himself doesn't fall! After defeating Bowser, he is finally reunited with Princess Toadstool.

1. Super Mario Bros.

We can't begin this list without the one that started it all. In the final level of Super Mario Bros., Mario has to reach the other side of a drawbridge without getting hit by fireballs and flying axes (not to mention avoiding getting stomped by Bowser). Luckily, Mario does figure out a way to send Bowser to his doom by activating a switch that retracts the drawbridge and drops Bowser into the lava below. After doing so, he rescues Princess Toadstool, and his adventure ends happily.

In my opinion, the Mario versus Bowser boss battles have to be some of the greatest hero vs. villain battles ever. Every time they fight, it feels different from their last encounters. No doubt about it, the evolution of their battles over the years has been very influential to the gaming world. It's time to take a look at ten of these historic rivals' greatest boss battles. 

Super Mario Bros. 3: Overworld 1 Acapella

Smooth McGroove

Smooth McGroove has over 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube for his acapella covers, thanks to his magnificent vocals and equally magnificent facial hair. His cover of this Super Mario 3 tune provides the same sensation of hearing the iconic theme for the first time, while still feeling totally fresh. The high-pitched vocals and swingy beat create an immediate earworm, and may very well be some of Mr. McGroove's best work. 

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All of these covers are successful because they don't stop at just mimicking the original soundtrack from classic Mario games. Instead, they move beyond the point of imitation and reflect something about the people that make them. From island beats to metal tracks, each cover also underscores just how influential the Mario series continues to be for a number of inspired musicians.

What are some of your fan-made Mario song covers? Let us know down in the comments! 

Super Mario Bros Meets Metal

331Erock

331Erock is easily one of the most famous guitarists on YouTube, and this Super Mario Bros cover serves as a reminder of why. He's known for completely adapting songs from TV, film, and games alike into intense masterpieces.

Over the course of this particular cover, 331Erock plays themes from all across the first level of the NES title and is able to make it completely his own. Killer guitar solos and heavy riffs somehow never feel out of place as the musician creates something that nearly rivals the original in terms of its distinctiveness. 

Super Mario Athlete's Rag Air Platform

Tom Brier

Tom Brier performs this classic tune from Super Mario World while seeing the sheet music for the first time -- and executes it perfectly. He even gives it a stronger sense of ragtime style, probably from never hearing the original song before. However, this combination allows for an equally interesting cover to come about.

At the end of the cover, Tom Brier goes on to perform the song even faster with equal ease. "Piece of cake."

Super Mario Sunshine: Delfino Plaza

SquidPhysics

Super Mario Sunshine has an audio-visual style unlike any of the other Mario games -- and the cover above shows exactly why the GameCube classic stands out. Many of the instruments used are never featured in other titles simply because they are so emblematic of the game's island theme.

User SquidPhysics plays each instrument in this cover, and captures the holistically joyous tone of the game with each strum of his ukulele. 

Mario 64: Dire Dire Docks

VGM Acoustic

Dire Dire Docks is among the most relaxing levels in all of Mario 64 -- at least on an auditory level. Tom Winters capitalizes on the soothing tones of the game perfectly, playing all of the instruments that are used throughout the score using just an acoustic guitar. The result is positively beautiful.

It's practically a lullaby for those familiar with the Nintendo 64 title. 

The new theme for Super Mario Odyssey is nothing short of stellar, embracing a musical styling that has never been explored by a Mario game before. The most evident change in style is the fact that this theme has vocals -- and incredible ones at that. The theme feels perfectly at home in any Broadway musical, reflecting the game's New York inspirations.

But as good as this new theme is, there are some other iterations that give it a serious run for its money. There are a number of Mario covers by fans that rival this masterpiece -- and in the next few slides, we're rounding up some of the best.

And that's it for this list! There are a ton of Mario wannabees out there.  And -- like all things -- some are good, some are bad, and some are unbearably ugly.

But, it's not like it'll matter once Super Mario Run comes out. Nothing can top the original -- hopefully.

What's the worst Mario clone you've ever played? Let us know in the comments!

Super Androix

Is it an homage? Is it a clone? Is it possible to be both?

Featuring eight randomized worlds with twelve levels each, boss battles, and the exact same map layout as Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Androix is basically a Mario game already. Except, y'know, it's Androix.

Super Androix, though legitimately fun and challenging, because it straddles that line between tribute and knock-off. Unfortunately, there's little to no chance that anyone will play it once the real Mario hits mobile.

Rufio Adventures

No, not that Rufio.

This game could be way, way worse. But it could also be way, way better. It's basically Super Mario Bros. 3 with random levels, some new power-ups and neat backdrops. It doesn't have the music, sound effects and functioning control scheme.

It's easy to see that this game didn't want to be a straight-up clone, but the laziness of the developers wound landing it in a weird in between-zone, where it's not really a clone, but it's not really its own game, either.

Super Boy Run-Jungle World Adventure

"World" games seem to occupy a massive part of the iTunes App Store and, when I say there's going to be a massive content purge, I mean there's going to be a massive content purge of these games.

Most of them are just trash that you can rely on your brain to skip over, but this one has the audacity to be trash twice.

The App Store actually has this game two times, and the only difference between them is that one is called Boy Run Adventure and has you collecting apples instead of coins. The Post-Super Mario Run launch App Store would never allow for these kinds of shenanigans! I hope.

Also, this game's mascot looks like a Super Why version of Mario.

Lep's World

One could argue that Lep's World is actually a pretty good game. Sure, it's no masterpiece, but the bright visuals and simple gameplay are great for when you need that platforming itch scratched on the bus or something.

But, once the real Mario is out there, I don't really see people ever coming back to Lep.

It's kind of a shame, too. With three games and just under 175 million downloads, it seems like they had a little franchise going.

Super Run Mario Boy Adventure

Okay so, this game isn't awful by shovelware standards, but it's definitely not very good. Though just being "not good," is kind of a compliment for a game like this one.

The art style is cute, but every screen is so jam-packed with enemies and obstacles that it's hard to react to anything, let alone appreciate the artwork.

Also, Mr. "Run Mario Boy" here looks exactly like the actual Mario. How has this not been pulled already?

For what seems like ages, people have been clamoring for a mobile Mario game. To fill that void, they turned to a plethora of Mario look-a-likes, knock-offs, and "inspired-bys" as an alternative.

However, with Super Mario Run now just over the horizon, the market for these games is vanishing, and is sure to disappear altogether with the massive content purge Run is sure to bring.

So here's a list of games that better watch out. Some are actually pretty good, while others... definitely aren't.

Nintendo has released a trailer for their upcoming NES Classic Edition. The NES Classic Edition is an extremely compact version of the classic Nintendo system, which was released in 1985.

Players just plug the NES Classic into their TV, and will instantly have 30 titles available to play. Heavy hitters like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros 3, and Final Fantasy are just a few of the classic games which will be included in the system. 

Along with the 30 games that come along with the NES Classic Editions, each package will include 1 gray NES controller, an HDMI cable, and an AC adapter. It would have been nice for Nintendo to include one more controller with the bundle, as many of the games, such as Excitebike and Tecmobowl are a lot of fun to play with a friend.

Extra controllers are being sold separately for $10 -- and while that is relatively inexpensive, two controllers that probably cost only a couple dollars to make doesn't seem like too much to ask.

NES Classic Edition will be released on November 11th, 2016 for $59.99.

The Results...

After looking over these lists, it would be easy to compare the top-rated games, name Ocarina of Time the champion of games, and call it a day. But this overlooks some significant factors; many of these games, whether No. 1 or not, appear in numerous lists far more than others.

For instance, Dark Souls was given the highest honor in GamesRadar+'s list, but it appears not once in any other list (unless you count VideoGamer's inclusion of Dark Souls 2).

In order to establish the most authoritative Top 10 list, we have gone over the data to find which games appear most out of these nine lists (including ranks 1-20, as all of these sources provide 20 or more rankings), then calculated their average ranking to find which games were most consistently considered the best.

Here are the results. GameSkinny is proud to present the Top 10 Best Video Games, According to the Internet!

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1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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2. Half-Life 2
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3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
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4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
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5. Resident Evil 4
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6. Mass Effect 2
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7. Tetris
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8. Super Mario Bros. 3
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9. Portal 2
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10. Shadow of the Colossus
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What do you think of this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Gamespot

Though they haven't quite yet supplied its readers with a "Top 100 Games of Awesomeness" equivalent, Gamespot recently went over their list of 10/10 reviews and discussed their reviewing process. These games were not given a numeric ranking, but are instead equally considered "essential" experiences for gamers of any kind. Another modern-focused list, the oldest games on this list (and by a margin) are Chrono Cross and the one and only The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

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• Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
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• Journey
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• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
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• Bayonetta 2
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• Grand Theft Auto 4
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• Soulcalibur
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• Super Mario Galaxy 2
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• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
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• Chrono Cross
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• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
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• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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Slant Magazine

Though more of a multi-medium magazine than a video game-centric outlet, Slant Magazine respects the delicate nature of compiling a list of pieces from an art form still in its historic "infancy." 

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How...do you compare the limited efficiencies of an 8-bit side-scroller to the gleaming HD vistas of a next-gen open world? How do you survey everything that video games are capable of, every idiosyncratic way they've been shaped and contorted, and come up with a list that accommodates all of it? How do you account for outmoded styles or formats, or obsolete technologies, or milestones beginning to show their age?

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By going with a sure thing, of course! Like many before them, Slant put The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time at the top of their list, followed closely by the old and the new - titles like Chrono Trigger, Portal 2, Super Metroid, and Bioshock.

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1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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2. Chrono Trigger
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3. Super Metroid
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4. Red Dead Redemption
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5. Shadow of the Colossus
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6. Half-Life 2
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7. Portal 2
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8. Braid
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9. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
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10. Bioshock
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Game Informer

With its 200th issue back in December of 2009, Game Informer rallied up and put together a list of the Top 200 Games of All Time. Heading the list is none other than the original The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Released back in 1986, this seminal piece of gaming history was the first to feature a battery-powered save system and a fully open world to explore. Immediately following this masterpiece is Super Mario Bros. and Tetris, completing the Nintendo trifecta. This may not be the most modern list of gaming achievement, but old-school gamers will certainly be appreciative.

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1. The Legend of Zelda (NES)
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2. Super Mario Bros.
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3. Tetris
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4. Grand Theft Auto 3
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5. Half-Life 2
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6. Doom
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7. Metroid
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8. Final Fantasy VI
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9. Super Mario Bros. 3
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10. Ms. Pacman
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VideoGamer

Possibly the most divergent of these lists, Videogamer's Top Games of All Time lists thirty "sheer class" video games which will allegedly leave the player with immense satisfaction. What sets this list apart from the rest is its clear focus on contemporary games. Of the top ten out of thirty games listed, none date further back than 2005. This could be due to a possible bias against older games like Super Mario Bros, which "can occasionally venture into the infuriating," or the Final Fantasy series, which sports "pretty silly" stories and a laborious number of battles. Topping this list is Rocksteady's most recent title, Batman: Arkham Knight, which is currently sporting an 8.5 on Metacritic.

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1. Batman: Arkham Knight
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2. Grand Theft Auto 5
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3. Bloodborne
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4. The Last of Us: Remastered
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5. Dark Souls 2
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6. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
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7. The Last of Us (PS3)
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8. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
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9. Batman: Arkham City
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10. Resident Evil 4
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WatchMojo

After completing lists for the best games of each console generation, WatchMojo gathered the results of these lists and scrutinized over them to create their grand finale. For their countdown of the top 10 video games of all time, only one game per series could qualify for the short list. Heading this compilation of gaming excellence is, once again, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time. The N64 classic was applauded for its "precise gameplay, revolutionary mechanics, well-paced storyline, replayability, fantastic level design, combat variety, and [epic scope]."

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1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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2. Tetris
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3. Half-Life 2
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4. Super Mario World
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5. Chrono Trigger
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6. Portal 2
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7. Mass Effect 2
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8. Skyrim
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9. Resident Evil 4
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10. 007 Goldeneye
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GamesRadar+

 As part of the evolution process from GamesRadar to GamesRadar+, the team of fresh blood and senior members thought it pertinent to join forces and establish a list of the 100 best games ever. Boasting a list which bypasses nostalgia and historical significance, GamesRadar+'s countdown is one of the few to not feature a Nintendo game in the top spot.

Applauding its precise and well-honed mechanics, its severely challenging and rewarding gameplay, and its dense lore; GamesRadar+ awarded Dark Souls the title of best game ever, followed closely by other modern masterpieces like Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted 2, Resident Evil 4, and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

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1. Dark Souls
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2. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
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3. Resident Evil 4
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4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
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5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
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6. Red Dead Redemption
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7. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
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8. Half-Life 2
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9. Grand Theft Auto V
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10. Shadow of the Colossus
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IGN

IGN's Justin Davis called Super Mario Bros. 3 an unrivaled "master class of platforming excellence," praising its variety show of ingenious design ideas, as well as its timeless playability. Standing as the greatest game of all time in IGN's top 100 games of all time, Super Mario Bros. 3 heads this list as the sequel of all sequels, followed closely by titles like Portal 2, Half-Life 2, Halo 2, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

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1. Super Mario Bros. 3
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2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
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3. Doom
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4. Super Mario Bros.
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5. Portal 2
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6. Half-Life 2
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7. Super Metroid
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8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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9. Halo 2
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10. Tetris
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G4

For their top 100 videogames of all time list, G4tv.com awarded Super Mario Bros. the No. 1 spot, praising it for saving the video game industry while simultaneously making millions of kids gamers for life. While more than half of the top ten spots are dedicated to aged Nintendo exclusives, G4 also acknowledges some slightly more recent titles like Bioshock, Shadow of the Colossus, and World of Warcraft.

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1. Super Mario Bros.
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2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
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3. Bioshock
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4. Asteroids
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5. Tetris
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6. The Legend of Zelda (NES)
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7. Super Mario Bros. 3
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8. 007 Goldeneye
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9. Shadow of the Colossus
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10. World of Warcraft
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Metacritic

Though this list may not have been slaved over by an authoritative group of passionate gamers, it's still a very valuable source of data. Metacritic collects the most noteworthy reviews for a single video game and calculates its average rating based on numeric scores. Their list of the 100 all-time best reviewed games has a few repeats due to multi-platform reviews and re-releases, but by omitting these duplicates, we are given an objective list of the top ten best games, according to user and critic reviews. At the top sits The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Here are the top ten of the list:

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1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
3. Grand Theft Auto IV
4. Soulcalibur
5. Super Mario Galaxy
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2
7. Grand Theft Auto V
8. Perfect Dark
9. Metroid Prime
10. Halo: Combat Evolved

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Organizing a list of the greatest games of all time is a bold, challenging, and sometimes presumptuous feat. Producing results which are unanimously satisfying is impossible. Nevertheless, several game journalism outlets have taken on this endeavor over the years - a brave few even went as far as compiling lists of one hundred games! Projects like these require many hours of unrelenting dedication and teams of passionate, intelligent individuals who should be congratulated.

With this wealth of informative content at our disposal, it all begs to be measured up and analyzed. What would one find from making comparisons between IGN's top 100 games and Gamespot's ten perfect-scored titles? Many of the sites have varying opinions on the top ten, and some had surprising entries in the No. 1 spot. In some cases, many games found their way to the top 10s or 20s of almost every list around.

This all brings up some interesting questions: which games appeared the most? How many top-ranking games were from recent generations? And most of all - can comparing these lists reveal to us the greatest video game of all time?

Super Mario Maker is becoming one of the most anticipated games of the year, and I have some expectations. The game will be all about the community creating levels and making it great, so here is what I want:

1. Top 10 Levels of the Week

It can be top 5, or top 20, but I want to be able to have a playlist set up where the top-rated levels from the week are readily available. Again, this is dependent on the community consistently creating levels, but I think it's a reasonable request.

2. Recreating classics

This can come from either Nintendo or the Super Mario Maker community, but I want the classic Mario games remade via Super Mario Maker. Imagine getting to play any level from Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, or Super Mario World! Let's make it happen.

3. Save the levels!

I really hope that you can save your favorite levels, or even download them. It would be a bummer if you had to search for a level in order to replay it. Hopefully there will be playlists that you can create to have your favorite levels readily available. We know that players will be able to follow creators and favorite levels, so one must assume that this request will be granted in some form.

4. Miyamoto-made levels

With 100 levels being packaged with the game, I have to assume that some of them will be designed by Shigeru Miyamoto himself. It would be super cool if they distinguish which levels were designed by Miyamoto, as well as other designers. This probably won't happen, but I really hope it does.

5. Consistent updates and designer-made levels

I hope that Nintendo consistently updates the game, giving creators more and more options so that they can create the craziest, best levels possible. I also hope that some of the design geniuses at Nintendo continue to add their own awesome levels.

Super Mario Maker releases for Wii U worldwide on September 11th. These are the five things that I really want from Super Mario Maker, but what do you want from the game? 

Super Mario Maker will come pre-packaged with 100 courses upon release. This number comes from the Nintendo UK Website, which states that these initial 100 levels will be playable without an internet connection.

These courses will only be the tip of the iceberg, with Super Mario Maker allowing players to create and share levels. 

We have to assume that the initial 100 levels will be brand new, although we may see some remakes of classic levels sprinkled in.

If not, I am sure the Super Mario Maker community will work on recreating some of the classic side-scrolling Mario games. Personally, I would love to see Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World recreated by the community.

Instead of classic levels, perhaps we will recieve sheer Mario madness! Some of the levels played at the Nintendo World Championships were absolutely crazy.

For those excited to create their own Mario levels, or to explore the levels of other creators, Super Mario Maker comes out on September 11th. 

1. Super Mario

Series highlights:

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• Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES - 1990)
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• Super Mario World (SNES - 1991)
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• Super Mario Galaxy (Wii - 2007)
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What did you expect? Nintendo's favorite plumber is not only their most successful mascot, but it's the most popular. Super Mario titles have sold well and Nintendo has no problems throwing the mascot on a game that may not sell as much, but Mario will spawn title sales.

Whatever their last names are, both Mario and Luigi deserve getting some props. They've been a part of the Nintendo franchise from the beginning, and it will never dissolve.

2. The Legend of Zelda

Series highlights:

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• A Link to the Past (Super NES - 1991)
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• Ocarina of Time (N64 - 1998)
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• Wind Waker HD (Wii U - 2013)
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What else did you expect? We've barely talked about the top-down action adventure with a hint of RPG elements, but it's exactly what the doctor orders after a long week. The long quests featuring Link are both legendary and unique. While the series has gotten a tad stale with the same names again and again, changing things will help them in the long run.

Ocarina of Time, the first title on N64, is regarded by some (including me) as the best game ever created. Every title's been a stellar hit, but when the games kick ass, you can easily be talked out of it.

3. Pokemon

Series highlights:

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• Pokemon Red/Blue (Game Boy - 1998)
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• Pokemon Yellow (GB Color - 2000)
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• Pokemon Crystal (GB Color - 2001)
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You can't deny Nintendo's most infamous small mascots. It's hard to keep track of them all -- especially since they branched out and don't try to play cross-country games. The original concept of having 150 total monsters and needing to play two games and trade with others playing a different cartridge was ideal -- even though you left with no points.

There's only one franchise -- Pokemon -- that's sold over 260 million total titles in the franchise.

4. Mario Kart

Series highlights:

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• Mario Kart 64 (N64 - 1997)
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• Mario Kart Wii (Wii - 2008)
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• Mario Kart 7 (3DS - 2011)
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What was played before Super Smash Bros. ruled the college dorms? Nintendo 64's rendition of the Mario Kart franchise. MK64 is widely hailed as the franchise's high point, and the sequels have since kept up with its formula with the music, sounds, and familiar tracks.

The Mario Kart franchise is the second-best selling product under the Mario umbrella with over 100 million copies, topping Madden, Assassins' Creed, and even the realistic racer, Gran Turismo.

5. Donkey Kong Country

Series highlights:

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• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Super Nintendo - 1995)
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• Donkey Kong 64 (N64 - 1999)
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• Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii - 2010)
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The Super Nintendo trilogy was one of the most beautiful looking games in the 16-bit era, and while some didn't love the transition to a 3D platformer, the series ultimately fell to a sudden halt after Rare bolted to Microsoft.

It made a triumphant return nearly 10 years later on the Wii with one of the hardest remakes in the franchise. DKC Returns will give absolutely anybody fits, even the masters of the original platformer during the SNES era. Even though DK64 has its place in history, it's hard to say this franchise doesn't thrive on its 2D brilliance.

6. Mario Party

Series highlights:

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• Mario Party 3 (N64 - 2001)
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• Mario Party 5 (Gamecube - 2003)
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• Mario Party 8 (Wii - 2007)
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Agreed, there's very few Nintendo franchises as uninventive as Mario Party, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most fun. Any game will test the patience of any video game player that truly says they don't get pissed if things aren't going their way in a multiplayer contest.

Despite just having numbers after the titles, each game does have their own feel and uniqueness that fans will be asking for their favorite at a party. Ever have some buddies over and trying to figure out what to do with a case of beer? It doesn't get much better than a round of Mario Party.

7. Metroid

Series highlights:

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• Super Metroid (Super Nintendo - 1994)
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• Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy - 1991)
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• Metroid Prime (Gamecube - 2002)
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It wasn't the best selling Nintendo franchise, but it featured one of the company's most unique and great games. One of the best platformer titles of all time -- Super Metroid -- is a game that many tried to mimic but couldn't duplicate. Even the jump to a first-person shooter felt comfortable because it didn't feel forced, weird, or much different from the predecessors.

Metroid deserves to sit next to all the other popular Nintendo franchises. It won't be the first that comes off the tongue, but it may have had some of the best games ever created under the company's umbrella.

8. Wii Sports

Series highlights:

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• Wii Sports (Wii - 2006)
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• Wii Sports Resort (Wii - 2008)
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• Wii Sports Club (Wii U - 2013)
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Not many people would immediately think about Wii Sports as a franchise, but it's one of Nintendo's most successful games in history. The packaged add-on to the Wii console generated so much conversation that the franchise itself has sold over 109 million copies. Wii Sports was essentially a demo of what the Wii could do in its early stages. Unfortunately, the revolutionary machine couldn't do much past it, and gamers preferred the traditional controller over the Wiimote and Nunchuck combination.

Still, the original five-sport demo was a blast to pop in whenever you were bored, and the sequel was just as fun with the additional games and play modes -- regardless of how simplified they are. Don't tell me there weren't multiple playthroughs of the 3-point challenge in basketball in Wii Sports Resort!

9. Mario Sports

Series highlights:

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• NES Open (NES - 1991)
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• Mario Tennis (N64 - 2000)
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• Mario Super Sluggers (Wii - 2008)
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Realistic sports are a blast to play, but sometimes it's fun to add a little bit of craziness to it. Midway had the infamous NBA Jam and NFL Blitz titles, but Nintendo added their own spin with their most popular mascot and his friends. From the NES to the Wii U, Nintendo has always had a wide variety of sports titles featuring the plumber.

Just trying to narrow it down to three titles is next to impossible. Outside of a solid football title, a popular North American sport, if there's any sport that you want to enjoy on a Nintendo console, a game with the mustached mascot will generally exceed expectations.

10. Super Smash Bros.

Series highlights:

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• Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64 - 1999)
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• Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube - 2001)
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• Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii - 2008)
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Who knew that putting Nintendo mascots in one big four player brawlfest would have become so popular? The series kicked off with the insanely fun N64 debut, but the series hit its high point with SSB: Melee, a game that ruled dorms and parties throughout the turn of the millennium and partly why the Gamecube was as successful as it got. For a series that just has three titles, selling over 22 million copies is a true testament to how fun the game is.

There's nothing quite like Nintendo franchises in the video game industry. It's why the Japanese giant continues to publish on their own systems -- there's a huge variety of games that simply can't be found on other consoles or the PC.

The reason for why the rankings are as they are is a combination of popularity, sales, and the historic value of the series. Each of these franchises own a piece of history that will be stored in Nintendo's vault and be treasured for the rest of time. Generations will pass, and with each new one that comes, they'll get to admire where not only it all began, but the legendary chapters since.

Enjoy a ranking of the best 10 Nintendo franchises of all time, and debate which you think should be higher or lower on the chart, or if you believe a franchise has been left out.

In this part of our speed gaming series, we will look at where to find some of these runners and look at just how massive is the speed gaming community. In case you missed it, here is Part One. To start, here are just a few of the major sites for speed gamers:

• www.speeddemosarchive.com - Pretty much the authority on speedrunning. They have a MASSIVE forum section and over 900 games that have world record runs with videos you can watch. Pretty much everything you could want to know is in the forums on this site.
• www.speedrunslive.com - An absolutely great site to watch speedruns. It has streams on the front page you can swap between and it also has a races tab to watch races. I have watched at literally every hour possible and trust me, there's always someone streaming. Another great part of this site is the Tools tab which goes over a lot of the tools that people use while speed gaming such as capture cards, timers, screen broadcasting software, and has the bingo cards discussed in part one of this series.
• www.zeldaspeedruns.com, www.marioruns.com, www.khleaderboards.com - These are examples of sites that are devoted only to certain series of speedruns. If you're interested in a game or game series, chances are it may have a site as well. 

Twitch Streaming                         

Almost all speed gamers use twitch.tv. Twitch is a way to live broadcast on the internet. People in the speedrunning community are known by their Twitch handles and not names. Some in the community do discuss real life details such as their name with their chat, but they are known in the community by their handle.

Twitch allows their users to set up a subscription system for their channel. By doing so people can subscribe to your Twitch channel and pay $4.99 or sometimes less a month to subscribe to your channel. Some users have custom emotes for subscribers and others even do a subscriber only broadcast every once in a while to make subscribers feel they get everything out of their monthly pledge. 

In addition to subscriptions viewers can also donate to many runner through PayPal. A good number of speedrunners on Twitch accept donations and most are up front about what you are donating towards. For some it is upgraded capture cards to improve streaming quality or possibly a new system or computer. But I would say the majority of runners accept donations to help get them to streaming marathons put on by different groups throughout the year.

Marathon Speedrunning, Gaming For A Good Cause

Marathons are a big deal in the speedrunning community. Not only are they impressive events that stream speedruns of various games 24 hours a day, but they usually raise money for charity. 

CrystalsForLife is an example of a marathon that just ended May 4. The marathon lasted five days and during that time it raised $32,661.94 for JDRF which is a Canadian organization researching a cure for Type 1 diabetes. This particular marathon focused on running RPGs and each run was fairly lengthy. 

Speed Demos Archive puts on two events each year and they are what would be considered the Super Bowl of speedrunning. The events, Awesome Games Done Quick and Summer Games Done Quick, take place in January and June. Each event is at least seven days long with some bonus streams before and after the main event. The video at the top of this article is announcement that AGDQ 2014 raised over one million dollars for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. SGDQ 2014 is coming up soon and you can find the schedule of games here.

Next time to close out th series we will look at what you need to do to get involved in speedrunning, both as a spectator and a runner yourself!

Mario has always battled Bowser, King of the Koopas. However, even Bowser needs some help from time to time. The year was 1990, and Super Mario 3 hit store shelves--and with it, one addition to the Koopa Troop. I'm talking about the Koopalings, Bowser's kids. Join me in taking a look back at some of the gaming moments the Koopa Kids have been a part of.

The First Time

Like I said before, the year was 1990 and my favorite game, Super Mario 3, came out in the United States. The game brought us the likes of the Pipe Maze and the Tanooki Suit. It also brought us an addition to the King Koopa family, the Koopalings. The Koopalings took over each of the seven areas of the Mushroom Kingdom, and terrorized the kingdom and the king. They include: Lemmy, Iggy, Ludwig Von, Roy, Wendy O, Morton Koopa Jr, and Larry. They were named after popular rock and roll personalities of the time. They were also a major part of the cartoon series based on Mario 3. Mario 3 is one of, if not my favorite, game in the Mario franchise.

The Super Nintendo Days

Late in August of 1991, Super Mario World was released and in it, the return of the Koopalings. Dinosaur Land was King Koopa's next desired land for conquest, and the Koopa Kids were put in charge of a castle in the seven locations in Dinosaur Land. The battle styles varied among the Koopa Kids, though them had similar attacks. The game also had an animated series based on it, which didn't last long, but I liked it. Super Mario World brought the world Yoshi, and we're grateful for that. It also brought Mario into the 16-bit era, and he hasn't skipped a beat since.

Modern Times

It was quite a long time between games for the Koopalings, but they were brought back in New Super Mario Brothers Wii as part of the Koopa Troop again. They were in charge of a different land that Mario, Luigi, and the Toads had to beat to defeat the Koopa Troop. Mario Brothers Wii brought Mario into the multiplayer platform realm, and it worked well for Mario.

It was a pleasant surprise to see the Koopalings back in the Mario-verse, and Nintendo must have agreed since the Koopa Kids were in the Wii U New Super Mario Brothers U, and will be part of the new Mario Kart 8 for Wii U as new Drivers. As a fan of the Koopalings, I can't wait to see what they have in terms of driving; like how weights will be distributed for each Koopa Kid.

Now I know what you're thinking, "What about Bowser Jr.?" I know that some feel Bowser Jr. is one of Bowser's kids. Time to check history. The first sighting of Bowser Jr. was Baby Bowser in Yoshi's Island. He was just Bowser as a baby to go along with Mario and Luigi as babies. Then some time passed, and Bowser Jr. was his own character different from Baby Bowser. That would make Bowser Jr. a different character as well and one of Bowser's kids, separate from the Koopalings. I think the only thing I've come up with from this is that I'm thinking way too much into this.

To conclude, the Koopalings are part of the Koopa Troop and a part of Bowser's family. It's hard to comprehend at times because you never see a Mrs. King Koopa, but now I know I'm thinking too much. From Giant Land to Dinosaur Land and everywhere inbetween, the Koopa regime is seen all throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario, Luigi, and Company have their hands full at times, but they get the job done. Now how will the Marios deal with the Koopalings while driving go-karts? Only time will tell!