The next big Switch title–and sure to be one of Nintendo’s biggest games of all time–is just days away, as Super Mario Odyssey readies its worldwide launch on Friday, October 27th.

To get ourselves ready for the next landmark Mario adventure, we’re ranking the 3D Mario platformers that have brought us to this new, ambitious entry. The 3D Marios have been a rare treat, with just six being released in the last 21 years across five consoles, but they’ve firmly established themselves as one of Nintendo’s most financially successful and critically acclaimed gaming lines.

Here’s how we see them stacking up! Let’s a go!

6. Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo 3DS)

Placing at the bottom of this list isn’t indicative of a bad game. Quite the contrary, Super Mario 3D Land was a solid title–it just doesn’t stand up to the rest of the grander 3D Marios, and that’s to be expected when it was built for a handheld platform. Super Mario 3D Land’s claim to fame, however, is that it successfully put a 3D Mario on a handheld. It may not have the intricacy or scale of its home console peers, but Super Mario 3D Land still boasts the same charm and color as them, all within creative platforming that made efficient use of the 3DS’s hardware.

5. Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo GameCube)

Similar to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (also first released on the Gamecube), Super Mario Sunshine initially divided fans–primarily with its aesthetics– but over time has garnered greater appreciation for all that it brought to the Mario franchise. The tropical setting may have gotten repetitive, and the F.L.U.D.D. wasn’t beloved by all, but few can deny that the F.L.U.D.D. helped make for tons of fiendishly-challenging platforming sections. Some fans would even tell you that Super Mario Sunshine’s free-roaming stages were a superior design choice to more focused, linear stages like in the Mario Galaxy games.

4. Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo Wii U)

Super Mario 3D World wasn’t the first Mario platformer to feature a multiplayer component, but it was the first to allow multiple players to control Mario and the gang in the 3D sphere, and it achieved that perhaps better than anyone could have anticipated. Playing with a pal–or as many as three pals–throughout the stages is one of the most raucous, enjoyable forms of co-operative multiplayer in the last several years. Even when you had to go it solo, Super Mario 3D World was more than entertaining. Later levels featured the detail and difficulty that would test even the most seasoned Mario veterans.

3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Wii)

The original Super Mario Galaxy was so fantastic that it deserved the opportunity to wow us a second time. This direct sequel to the 2007 classic took us back to the space-themed level design of the first, giving players a whole new round of wondrous, out-of-this-world stages to explore and bound across. It nearly matched the original as far as sheer creativity goes, and the healthy bump in difficulty certainly surpassed its predecessor. To date, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the most jammed-pack 3D Mario, with 242 stars to collect. This is primarily thanks to the addition of the 120 Green Stars, most of which are fiendishly well-hidden across the many levels and require true dedication for all to be found.

2. Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64/Nintendo 3DS)

The first Mario game to be rendered in 3D graphics was revolutionary not just for its franchise and its publisher, but for the entire video game industry. Super Mario 64’s very structure was one giant contribution to the medium, creating the blueprint for how to build an action/adventure game in a 3D setting. Its dynamic camera system was a groundbreaking feature that would go on to become a staple of 3D video games. The sandbox-like HUB that was Princess Peach’s Castle, the 120 stars, the sprawling, free-roaming stages all set precedents for what 3D Mario would be for decades to come.

1. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)

Prior to its release, Mario voice actor Charles Martinet gushed that Super Mario Galaxy would be the greatest game of all time. When the rest of the world finally got to play it in November of 2007, they learned that he may not have been embellishing his praise. Super Mario Galaxy is the apex of Nintendo’s boundless imagination, taking shape in the awe-inspiring, space-inspired stages, and the wild game design that goes along with them. The gravity-based mechanics were the only thing that could make such outrageous setpieces possible, as Mario was able to run, leap, and fly in more directions than the video game icon ever could with his own two feet. You’ll be hard pressed to find any other game with platforming segments that can equal the creativity and dynamism of such standouts like Buoy Base Galaxy, Good Egg Galaxy, Gusty Garden Galaxy, Rocky Road, and Luigi’s Purple Coins. As the first Mario game to be fully orchestrated, it features one of the most memorable soundtracks that Nintendo has ever composed, capturing every measure of the joy, thrill, and wonder that players experience in the cosmic adventure.

Agree with the rankings? Where do you think Super Mario Odyssey will sit in when all is said and done? Let us know in the comments or on one of our social media channels, and keep a look out for our review of Super Mario Odyssey for the Nintendo Switch!

Jeff Pawlak is the Nintendo Expert on the Geekiverse; he’s been exploring dungeons as Link, leaping across obstacles as Mario, and blasting aliens as Samus for the past 24 years. You can find him on Twitter @JeffreyPavs, where he’s never short on words for what’s going in the world of Nintendo.

If you want to see more fresh Geeky content, support us through our Official Patreon Page & simultaneously earn perks & exclusive rewards.

If you enjoyed this video, be sure to keep up with The Geekiverse across social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram and share with a friend. View live video game streaming on our Twitch Channel & watch regular videos & shows on Youtube. Lastly, listen to The Geekiverse Podcast Station on iTunes or Soundcloud today!