A lot needs to go into crafting the perfect first world in a Mario game. While the game mechanics tend to remain simple and accessible, that doesn’t mean newcomers won’t need to come to grips with the controls. A good first world balances fair challenges with levels that also teach you everything you need to know.

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It’s tough to find the perfect difficulty of a first world, and as a result, developers often can make things a bit too easy for some. Regardless of the difficulty, the vibrant worlds that introduce each of the Mario titles are always a blast for you to run and jump through.

10 Super Mario Odyssey

Mario as a frog from Super Mario Odyssey, in front of a tower wearing a hat and the moon large in the background

It would be impossible to call Super Mario Odyssey’s Cap Kingdom bad, but things certainly go bad for Mario from the start. It’s a whimsical world that does a fantastic job of getting you acclimated to the various mechanics you’ll find deeper into the game. As far as starting sandboxes go, it’s tough to do better.

With that said, it is fair to say that it isn’t exactly as vibrant and exciting as the first world of many other Mario games. It’s one of the easiest first worlds in series history — something that may be a bit of a misstep for some, but to others, something that was created to perfection.

9 Super Mario 3D World

Promotional art for Super Mario 3D World, showing the main characters in different costumes on a backdrop of a level
via Nintendo

Whether or not you enjoy Super Mario 3D World’s opening world will depend on a lot of things. While the game didn’t change up much in the Mario format, it did try to keep things fresh with a few newer mechanics.

For many, the first world is an incredibly forgiving one, making it near-impossible to not have a good time. It’s a great first world, but a lot of people may already find themselves over the heavily pushed cat gimmick featured throughout the game.

8 Super Mario Bros. 3

The opening level of Super Mario Bros. 3, featuring a Tanooki suit and a goomba.

Going into Super Mario Bros 3 nowadays, everyone should know exactly what to expect. You’re in for plenty of vibrant, upbeat, and incredibly lush green levels. It’s quite different from other Mario games and introduces a lot of new concepts, but you never feel bombarded at all.

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It’s hard not to love this world, especially for the added reason that you can get your hands on a Magic Whistle if you know what you’re doing. This item lets you warp ahead to one of the other worlds, something that comes in handy if you’re interested in speedy completion.

7 Super Mario Bros.

The cover art from Super Mario Bros, showing Fire Flower Mario jumping and shooting a fireball

The original Super Mario Bros. is still considered to be a masterpiece. It’s not hard to see why when you play through the game’s first world. Few games as simple as the original Super Mario Bros. were able to give players all the tools they needed to succeed as effectively as this game.

The first world shows you all you need to know about the game, stopping just short in order to keep a few surprises up its sleeve for a little deeper into the game. You know what kinds of enemies you’ll find, how to deal with them, and the threat of Bowser and his nefarious castles.

6 Super Mario Galaxy 2

Mario and Yoshi flying through the sky, with a Mario-shaped house in the background

Pretty much everyone loves the beginning of Mario’s second big space journey, Super Mario Galaxy 2. Providing players with some of the simplest enemies in the game, it begins with as much spectacle as possible for new players.

Blasting through the sky from planet to planet will always be incredible. As it's essentially a tutorial world, it's simple, but is also one that will probably stick in your mind thanks to all the fantastic creative decisions.

5 Super Mario Galaxy

Mario fllying in space with a few stars in Super Mario Galaxy

You could say that the opening hub world technically counts as the first world in Super Mario Galaxy, but everyone is interested in the big gameplay. The Good Egg Galaxy is the first place you get to fly off to, and it oozes plenty of modern Mario charm.

Much like the rest of the game, Good Egg Galaxy is filled with phenomenal music to listen to as you adventure through the planets. It’s not anywhere near the heights of the game, but it’s a welcome beginning for coming to grips with the game’s unique mechanics.

4 New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Promo art featuring characters From New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Sometimes, simple is best. Many didn't expect anything all that exciting when it was announced that Mario was returning to a 2D style, but New Super Mario Bros. Wii proved that Mario can still make a big impact no matter what style of game he's in.

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Some credit this game with renewing people’s love for 2D games, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s one of the most accessible games in the series, and being able to experience the simple opening world with a friend made it all the better.

3 Super Mario World

A level in Super Mario World, with Mario riding Yoshi, a Chargin' Chuck, and a Piranha Plant

The Mario series has always done a fantastic job of introducing players to their games, and Super Mario World helped the Super Nintendo generation come to grips with the latest vibrant entry in the series.

You start on an optional level where you can quickly learn the basic controls, something which was a great idea at the time. You learn more as you progress, but introducing basic power-ups, Yoshi, and even a Yellow Switch Palace right away was a fantastic way to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

2 Super Mario Sunshine

Bianco Hills from Super Mario Sunshine, with Mario looking out across a series of walls from a wooden platform

While there had certainly been fun stories to experience in Mario games beforehand, Super Mario Sunshine kicked things into an entirely new gear. The game’s exciting-but-lengthy opening quickly sees you adventuring around Bianco Hills.

Rather than being the perfect tutorial world, it’s one of the tougher first worlds in Mario games — and shows that Sunshine is far from your average Mario. With plenty of new and unique mechanics to try out, there’s a reason Super Mario Sunshine was a smash hit that fans still want a modern sequel for.

1 Super Mario 64

View of the Bob-omb Battlefield in Super Mario 64, with a Chain Chomp looking menacing

When it comes to crafting the perfect first world, a lot has to be considered. To many, it seems like Bob-omb Battlefield of Super Mario 64 was lovingly crafted to be the best possible introduction to a Mario game. The first 3D Mario effort was a defining moment in its unique era of gaming.

While the level doesn’t find a way to make use of every mechanic in the game, it does manage to use almost everything. You learn that a world can change ever-so-slightly, and that you have more than a handful of options to complete most tasks.

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