Here is a quick rundown on Mario games ported to more than one system. This is not the same as it being remade at a later time, these are games that would have come out together or close enough. How picky we are will make sense when I explain below. Some of these listed may surprise you! **NEW** Click for larger images, at least most of the time!
Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, Donkey Kong 3: Arcade, Intellivision, Atari, PCs, NES, Game & Watch, e-reader..![]() |
The original 1981 arcade game got ported over to many home consoles at the time, even before Nintendo's own systems. It was big deal to have arcade games at home (and it sure saved your quarters too). It's on Atari systems, Intellivision, Coleco, home computers and more, even a Game and Watch adaptation. These are not arcade perfect, however. The GBA e-reader also recreates these Donkey Kong games entirely on cards but based on the NES versions. Game and Watch systems also had their ‘unique interpretations of game play. On Virtual Console there are two versions of Donkey Kong, an arcade like recreations and the NES version. You can find interesting details on the differences and availability of it in the ports section of this page. Donkey Kong Jr, not to be confused with the Game and Watch game called 'Donkey Kong ii' is from 1982 and got a similar treatment, actually a launch game for NES in Japan. For some reason there are three versions of it on Game and Watch. Donkey Kong 3 did not get the same attention as others but Hudson did a very obscure and lost for some time remake "Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushuu" or "The Great Counterattack" with some new environments and gameplay changes. Yes the image above is from this. |
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Mario is Missing, Mario's Time Machine: NES, SNES, PC, Other![]() |
Covered here already, these games from 1992 and 1993 were on both the NES, SNES, and even computers as part of the educational Mario Discovery series. Check out the link for more details on these strange games. |
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Yoshi's Cookie: NES, Gameboy, SNES![]() |
This is a puzzle game from 1992 initially. Match the same types of cookies to clear a line. There are a bunch of rounds for single player and a two player mode. Puzzle mode is only in the SNES version where you are given limited moves to clear the stage. Find the manual here. It reappeared in Nintendo Puzzle Collection for GCN in 2003 but that doesn't count for here because it's a revamp.
Interesting notes of this game is that the SNES version which came out in 1993 has a more uptodate and less Super Mario World inspired take on Yoshi where he speaks 'yoshi' for example. There is a Super Famicom only sequel called 'Yoshi no Cookie: Kuruppon Oven de Cookie' and it's a rare game, given out as a contest prize to promote National's new Kuruppon Oven. There are only 500 copies but if you get one you'll get to enjoy a new mode where you learn how to make real life yoshi cookies. Talk about a tie-in that actually makes sense! |
![]() From 'Yoshi no Cookie: Kuruppon Oven de Cookie', a title screen few have ever seen. |
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Mario Golf: N64, GBC![]() Pictured: OCs, missing since 2004.. |
Kind of a weird example but they are ports of each other for this generation. Developed by Camelot in 1999 these are golf games where Mario and co. play on fields with zany elements on them. The game boy color versions kicked off the brief trend where it have you play as humans characters and level up RPG style. Very interesting. You can use the transfer pack to bring characters over from the GBC version you'd never other wise see in 3D (or at all elsewhere).There's an interesting post on them here. There's a bunch of modes in the N64 version from plain golf to ring shots and various skill modes. The main Mario cast is here, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Wario, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and some interesting additions like Baby Mario, the first time he'd be a baby clone inclusion and Metal Mario. This isn't mentioning the humans you can port over. I always thought it was sort of cool that they brought over OCs like that. These characters can have palette swaps too, unseen outside of Smash bros. In the gameboy version there are less playable characters and a different structure with a hub and it involves you winning tournaments against computer controlled characters to rank up. For a portable port it's surprisingly playable and was received as well as the console version. |
![]() Get out there and play! |
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New Play Control!: GCN, Wii![]() Remember all of these? No? |
Mario Power Tennis and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat in 2009 for America. These don’t attempt to not be a port as evidenced by the box art. They add motion control to the games but change nothing else, coming off of course after the Gamecube's death. Some might call it grasping for straws but the titles chosen do beg for some sort of motion based movement. Swinging a Wii remote is not however as cool as those DK bongos, sorry. |
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Anything Virtual Console, Super Mario All-Stars, the Super Mario Advance remakes, the Classic NES series on GBA, Nintendo eShop ports, e-Reader ports, Game&Watch ports, Nintendo Switch ports, and VS. System/ arcade ports: I will touch on a few of these anyway because there’s a lot to unpack there. These usually won’t be examples because they will either recreate the game or are released at a much later date, especially regarding Virtual Console games. This list would be a lot less exciting too since just so much has been made available digitally these days.
Nintendo: Wait.. we can charge people to play old games? Hmm...
-Donkey Kong Land games: 1995’s Donkey Kong Land on Gameboy is not a port often mistaken according to the game. Their presentation is respectable, attempting to resemble the sixteen bit graphics on an eight bit monochrome display (there were Super Gameboy enhancements however), but corners had to be cut. In fact it’s referenced in the first game’s story where Cranky claims that kids only want ‘fancy graphics’.He even arranges for K. Rool to steal the banana hoard all over again for a sequel. Anyway for all three Land titles, while based on the original games the levels and worlds are remade along with a bunch of other changes. Donkey Kong Land iii actually had a Gameboy Color remake ‘Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong’ entirely in… color for Japan only.
-2000’s Donkey Kong Country on GBC and onward: Actually ports as opposed the Land series, keeping the same story for but adding extended and exclusive levels plus minigames. The GBA trilogy of DKC titles are enhanced remakes. There are welcome features such as improved saving system, extra activities, new modes, and more. Unfortunately they suffer from an issue that the Super Mario World GBA port (see my coverage here) struggled with, inferior sound and picture from the console version. This is not an example only because of the time difference with releases.
-Donkey Kong Country Returns: Wii, 3DS: The Wii game is from 2010, a 2.5D platform game and is part of the Donkey Kong Country series. In 2013 the 3DS got an enhanced remake. Their exclusion from the main list is the time between releases and the fact that one kind of replaces the other.
All-star line up, if I do say so myself
-Super Mario Advance (series): Games on the GBA remaking SMB2, SMB3, SMW, and Yoshi's Island. While the first three had been done before with Mario All-Stars, Yoshi's Island was a more fresh take.
-Nintendo Switch and 3DS Ports: I remember back when this happened there was a little controversy in some circles as we were getting remakes for the Switch instead of new games. Some of these are Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Maker, (Poochy) & Yoshi's Woolly World, and Minecraft. Minecraft is a partial example because 3DS got it’s port and the game was on just about every other system. I'm not counting these because for the Switch these ports were to replace the versions of the games on the 'dying' WiiU system rather than be a side by side release. The 3DS games were borderline, as the portable ports couldn't perfectly replicate the console version and were adaptations more than straight ports -but- they have a time difference of months to years from the first release. Not entirely the spirit I'm going for with this list. My thoughts might change over time of course.
-Mario & Luigi RPG remakes: This includes Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions and Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s journey. These are remakes of the GBA/DS games completely with updated visuals and of course as advertised new modes and adventures. Whether the changes in the games are good or bad is subjective but I will say that the effort to add new content as opposed to a straight rip of an older game to a newer system is neat.
-Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door remakes: Same story per above. I mean.. they are decades later so that's not exactly a simultaneous release.. Great games tho!