I'll just rank all the Super Mario Games that should give a good idea... but in general I prefer 3d. I can't justify ranking Sunshine/Galaxy above World or Bros 3, but the Mario games I'd be most likely choose to play would be 64/sunshine/galaxy above everything else (Not played Galaxy 2 so can't rank it.)

1st - Super Mario 64

2nd - Super Mario Bros 3

3rd - Super Mario World

4th - Super Mario Galaxy

5th - Super Mario Sunshine

6th - Super Mario Bros

7th - Super Mario Bros: Lost Levels

8th - Super Mario Land 2

9th - New Super Mario Bros (DS)

10th - Super Mario 3D World

11th - Super Mario 3D Land

12th - New Super Mario Bros (Wii)

13th - Super Mario Bros 2 (USA)

14th- Super Mario Land

15th - New Super Mario Bros (WiiU)

16th - New Super Mario Bros 2

When exploration was new, I liked 3D 64 style. Now that it's routine, I like 3D World style.

My favorite is SMB 3. Whatever that is, is what I like.

Well for me the best Mario is Super Mario World.
Level based but with this awesome map on top of it :)

Mario 64 (non linear open-world game) > Mario Galaxy / 3D (linear game) > Sunshine (linear open-world game).

Galaxy

I can't agree with Nintendo's clumping of Galaxy and the 3D Land/World series together. 2D Mario shouldn't be continually shoved into 3D Mario; it was nice for a generation but I'm happy to see Odyssey is stepping away from that mold. Hopefully that means we'll get more superior 2D Marios again.

linear, its closer to the 2d series. The open world gets kinda boring and doesnt hold up as well over time IMO

Mario Soccer

I've only played the Galaxies and 3D World and found them really fun, so I would have to pick that :p

Not that I'm not interested in 64 or Sunshine, just never got to playing them