As one of Nintendo’s most iconic and memorable characters, it’s no wonder that Mario also serves as a prominent face in the Super Smash Bros. series. The Mario series has the most stages of any other video game series in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, meaning there’s a lot of variety among Mario-themed places you can duke it out with your friends.
While some Mario stages seem to be copies of others in the game, there’s a large amount of creativity and originality across them. With so many Mario games across the decades, this is hardly a surprise. Ready to find out which are the best? Let’s-a-go!
10 Princess Peach’s Castle: Simple Yet Elegant
Princess Peach’s Castle appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee as an updated version of the original game’s Peach-inspired stage, and returned for the first time in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Though a fairly simple stage, its shifting platforms, switches for items, and Banzai Bill appearances add some intrigue and uniqueness to battles.
Its design is the highlight of the stage, presenting a modernized version of Princess Peach’s Castle from Super Mario 64. In particular, the statement stained-glass window near the top of the castle is extremely elegant, a perfect home base for the princess.
9 Mushroomy Kingdom: Sidescrolling Challenge
Mushroomy Kingdom from Super Smash Bros. Brawl transports your battle right into the heart of the most iconic Super Mario Bros. level: World 1-1. This stage incorporates key elements of Super Mario Bros. levels, including the famous question mark blocks that provide items.
There are a few key differences from the original World 1-1 level in Ultimate, however, with the main one being that this stage is an automatic sidescroller. Mushroomy Kingdom’s sidescrolling can make it a pain to fight on, but it adds an interesting challenge compared to other arenas.
8 Mario Bros.: Battle In The Arcade
Super Smash Bros. Brawl introduced the world to the Mario Bros. stage, which brings you and your opponents right into the middle of a classic Mario arcade game. Its fun, retro vibe makes it unique among the Mario stages.
However, the stage’s hazards can be annoying. With Shellcreepers and Sidesteppers crawling around, there are additional ways to inflict damage on others and yourself. It is also an extremely difficult stage to KO your opponents, as there is no out of bounds on the sides of the stage, only up.
7 Mushroom Kingdom: Level Up!
A blast from the past, the Mushroom Kingdom stage reappeared in Ultimate for the first time since the original Super Smash Bros. This stage is inspired by the first Super Mario Bros. game, designed to resemble the end of one of Mario’s platforming levels. This classic stage has a nostalgic vibe, and its refreshed graphics are perfectly executed.
The best feature of this stage is the presence of useable warp pipes, which take you from one end of the stage to another. Beware of the pipes, though: piranha plants lurk inside, ready to inflict additional damage.
6 Super Mario Maker: Super Random Layouts
The Super Mario Maker stage, introduced in the Wii U and 3DS version of Super Smash Bros., adopts the level design element of the Super Mario Maker game. The stage features an off-screen level editor making changes to your environment as you fight, adding in random platforms also seen in Mario levels, warp pipes, and even the occasional enemy or hazard.
The game also switches up its background periodically. Its constantly shifting layout makes it a fun place to battle on over and over again, as no two experiences are alike.
5 Delfino Plaza: Sunshine City Tour
The Delfino Plaza stage will take you right back to Super Mario Sunshine. Debuting in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, this stage takes you across the classic seaside city to battle for supremacy. With many stops along the way, there are plenty of references to Super Mario Sunshine and the Mario series in general, including warp pipes and the Shine Gate.
Delfino Plaza also switches up the layout of its platforms as you move along to different locations. It’s an entertaining stage that successfully plays on a classic Mario installment.
4 Mario Galaxy: Out Of This World
Introduced in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U, Mario Galaxy is a take on Gateway Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy. It is one of the most creative stages, using the space theme excellently in its design. The surface curves like the planets from Super Mario Galaxy, and the gravity is abnormal to emulate the feel of fighting on another planet.
Occasionally, a shower of star bits spawns too. These colorful star bits don’t hurt or heal you, but it adds an extra touch of immersion to the Mario Galaxy stage.
3 Figure-8 Circuit: Mario Kart Classic
Figure-8 Circuit, also known as Mario Circuit, originated in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. A stage inspired by Mario Kart, its main danger appears in the form of the occasional racers zooming through, either cutting below the platforms or leaping across the upper portion of the stage. Shy Guys race the Karts, which cause damage to you and your opponents.
There is also no visible out of bounds in this stage, which can make it difficult to launch your opponents out of battle. Overall, Figure-8 Circuit is an enjoyable and unique stage, especially for Mario Kart fans.
2 Luigi’s Mansion: Hauntingly Great
An homage to our favorite plumber in green, Luigi’s Mansion is the perfect homage to the game of the same name. First appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the stage features a house that gets destroyed and rebuilt during the course of battle. You can battle on different floors or on the roof of the haunted mansion.
If you take a break from punching your opponents long enough, you might notice that each room of the mansion corresponds with an actual room Luigi hunts for ghosts in, as seen in the Luigi’s Mansion game.
1 Paper Mario: Stellar Storybook
Paper Mario is a visually incredible stage that transports you on a storybook-style journey through pieces of Paper Mario’s adventures. Specifically, the backgrounds for your battles on this stage come from Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. From a peaceful windmill to a ship attacked by a giant Blooper, this stage makes it feel like you're playing through a Paper Mario game.
The stage not only has fun Paper Mario references and awesome graphics, but includes plenty of hazards to spice up your battle too.