Non-Mario Mario: top 10 Mario spin-offs

Mario has some of the most spin-offs in gaming history. Some of the spin-offs are so good, they're up there with mainline Super Mario platforming games. This list was incredibly hard to rank. What do you think?

10. Mario Tennis - Camelot / Nintendo - Nintendo 64, 2000

Camelot is one of Nintendo's most trusted studios. In the early '90s they created the venerable Shining Force series for Sega, but since sparking the Mario sports craze with Mario Golf in 1999, they've been partners with Nintendo. Also created the much-loved Golden Sun RPG series for Nintendo's handhelds.

9. Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Nintendo Software Technology - Game Boy Advance, 2004

This may be more of a Donkey Kong spin-off than a Mario one, but Mario is the protagonist and headliner, so I'll let it slide. Based on the highly successful 1994 Donkey Kong Game Boy game, it's a puzzle-platformer through and through. Created by Nintendo Software Technology, Nintendo's Redmond, Washington-based studio focusing on games that appeal specifically to the North American market.

8. Mario Paint - Nintendo R&D1 / Intelligent Systems - Super Nintendo, 1992

One of the strangest games on this list, Mario Paint was part of a string of Mario edutainment games during the late '80s and early '90s, along with games like Mario Is Missing! and Mario Teaches Typing. But Mario Paint was the cream of the crop. It came with a mouse and mousepad and provided a basic drawing application for the Super Nintendo, but also had a slew of other "minigames." Most notable of these was the music editing program, which may be even more famous than the painting program.

100 Greatest Games of All Time

Entertainment Weekly recently published lists of the 100 greatest everythings. Greatest movies, greatest books, greatest TV shows, greatest albums, greatest plays. Of course it's impossible to write a 100 greatest anything list without making people angry. But they left out their 100 games list. So here's mine, in chronological order. It'll make you angry. "Greatest" is a pretty ambiguous term. My criteria lean towards games that push the medium forward as an art form.

Pong - Atari, 1972 - It's Pong. If you're reading a website like this one, you already know what Pong is.

Colossal Cave Adventure - William Crowther, 1976 - One of the most important early text-based adventure games. Crowther based it on the real-life Mammoth Cave system in Kentucky, as a way to connect with his daughters. Sometimes referred to simply as Adventure or Colossal Cave. You can play it for free here.

Space Invaders - Taito Corporation, 1978 - The first international blockbuster in gaming history. Expanded the medium from a novelty to an industry. Designer Tomohiro Nishikado was allegedly inspired by a dream about schoolchildren waiting for Santa Claus who are attacked by invading aliens. He also took influence from The War of the Worlds.