Five Best Mario Games: These are the most acclaimed games featuring the Italian plumber

He's starred in more than 200 games, has been around for almost 45 years, and is still battling Bowzer to save Princess Peach.

Mario made his debut in 1981’s Donkey Kong – a late addition after Nintendo couldn't get the rights to use the character of Popeye.

Since then the Italian plumber has becoming one of the most profitable computer game characters in history.

This week saw the release of his latest adventure, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which has garnered rave reviews – but not enough to break into his five best outings, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Mario is one of the world's most recognisable video game characters.

Super Mario Galaxy

The first Super Mario Galaxy is one of three Mario games that has an impressive score of 97 (out of 100) on Metacritic, but takes top spot due to its larger number of reviews. It sees Mario on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and 120 Power Stars. Once you've finished you can replay the whole game as Luigi.

Super Mario Odyssey

This Nintendo Switch game, released in 2017, also earns a rating of 97. Mario journeys across several kingdoms to save Princess Peach from the horrors of a forced marriage to Bowzer. He's helped out by new character Cappy - a sentient hat that allows him to control items and other characters.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Like the other two games to achieve a rating of 97, the second Super Mario Galaxy 2 features 3D gameplay. It sees Mario, as ever, in pursuit of Bowzer – but this time he heads to outer space where Princess Peach has been imprisoned at the centre of the universe. It was released on the Wii in 2010.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3

This Gameboy Advance game is an enhanced version of the classic NES title Super Mario Bros 3, which also featured in the Super Nintendo’s Super Mario All-Stars. The side-scrolling platformer featured a multiplayer mode for the first time and the ability to scan e-Cards to add content. It has a Metacritic rating of 94.

Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World was one of the main reasons to buy a Wii U console back in 2013, attracting a rating of 93. The sixth 3D version of Mario's adventures saw the Italian plumber attempt to rescue magical animals called Sprixies from the ever-bothersome Bowser.