10 Reasons Super Mario World Is The Best 2D Mario Of All Time

10. It Spawned A TV Show And A Prequel

Following its release in 1990, in Japan at least, Super Mario World recorded sales of over twenty million and would become one of the most talked about games across the decade. Its popularity grew so much that it even established its very own mini-franchise within the Super Mario series with a television show and a couple of prequel games.

The Super Mario World animated television series first began in 1991 and, though it would only last for thirteen episodes and completely forget about legendary characters such as Toad, can still be found referenced every now and again online to this day.

It also helped create the Yoshi's Island series of games starting from 1995. The unique and colourful origin story of babies Mario and Luigi being brought up by the cutest collection of dinosaurs going, Yoshi's Island would build on the level designs and colour schemes of Super Mario World and win critical acclaim, be followed by several sequels on various home consoles and sell four million copies.

All in all, no other game in the Mario series has established a universe and theme in the way Super Mario World did back in the 1990s.