Mario is such a popular character that Nintendo often releases new sub-franchises with his name attached, or follow-ups to other sub-franchises previously created. Nintendo fans will likely point to this as a strength of the company, whereas you may see this as a crutch if you prefer other Nintendo titles.
9 Mario Games That Have Never Been Remade Or Ported
It turns out even Mario can be left behind sometimes.The Nintendo Switch managed to erase the failure of the Wii U almost overnight and is home to tons of great games, with many of them featuring the iconic Mushroom Kingdom plumber. Its Nintendo Switch Online subscription also gives you access to a ton of old NES and SNES games, including older Mario games.
Updated on October 24, 2023, by Alfredo Robelo: While the popular old Mario titles are no longer available for purchase, Nintendo keeps remaking the classic franchise with each new entry. Fans are still not pleased with being unable to buy the classics anymore, but the release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder has certainly eased the waters. Being their best and most inclusive title yet, we've updated the list to showcase the latest adventure of Mario and company.
14 Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Sometimes, a cool concept is enough to sell a game more than the game itself. Although the main Mario Kart title on the Switch is still Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nintendo released Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit for a premium price. It adds a new gimmick to make things fresh: augmented reality tracks.
The game comes packaged with remote-controlled cars that navigate real-life environments in a virtual space. It takes a bit of creativity and time to set something up, but similar to the Nintendo Labo, the results can be incredibly worth the time invested. It's a very creative title, albeit a tad pricier.
13 Mario Tennis Aces
In Mario Tennis Aces, you're provided with a fun new tennis adventure alongside Mario and his friends, as well as enemies of the Mushroom Kingdom. The game received mixed-positive reviews upon launch, since many people felt the single-player campaign featured an unnecessary and grueling difficulty spike that led to hard stops in both progression and enjoyment.
It may not be the best Mario game on the Switch, but it's still a fun time if you can laugh at the sudden difficulty spikes. And it's even better if you play its multiplayer mode.
12 Super Mario Party
Super Mario Party is a return to form for the Mario Party franchise, but it lacks some content and updates that seem like no-brainers for the game. Thankfully, though, Nintendo moved away from the design of the previous entry where players were on a weird Uber trip alongside Bowser. Instead, Super Mario Party features the traditional setup you know and love.
Super Mario: Which Games Are Co-Op?
We take a look at all the Mario games that have co-op modes and what the feature brings to the gameplay experience.There are a good number of fun new minigames that take advantage of the JoyCon. You can also use two Nintendo Switch systems if you're playing locally with multiple people.
11 Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario is one of the titles available with a Nintendo Online subscription. It's basically a match-three puzzle game with a Mario and medicine theme, but you might be surprised by how often you'll find yourself coming back to it.
Though Dr. Mario's gameplay seems perfectly designed for the mobile gaming audience, Dr. Mario World didn't last long, ending its service after around two years. Luckily, Dr. Mario is still around to play on the Switch. It's nothing really new or innovative, but it does the job of occupying your time well when you need it.
10 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe brings over the mainline 2D Mario game from the Wii U, so you don't have to miss out on it if you never bought a Wii U. This version also adds New Super Luigi U from the start, whereas you originally had to purchase it as DLC. Luigi's levels are designed to be shorter and more challenging.
You can also play as any character in the single-player mode, as opposed to being stuck as Mario or Luigi. The game is good and fast entertainment, and the Deluxe version just makes things better. Bringing it with you while waiting for your appointments is a decent time-killer.
9 Super Mario All-Stars
One of the many new announcements made during the celebration of Mario's 35th anniversary was the rerelease of Super Mario All-Stars on Nintendo Switch Online. Included with the other classic SNES titles, Super Mario All-Stars is everything the original was, and that's awesome.
Super Mario: 10 Best Final Worlds From The Series, Ranked
There's nothing better than a great final world to round off a Mario game, but which from the series comes out on top?Despite some minor inconsistencies with graphics, physics, and music, Super Mario All-Stars is often considered the definitive way to play the NES Mario trilogy (and Lost Levels). The games all still hold up well, and it's a great alternative to the NES counterparts also available.
8 Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a controversial title. The bundle was only available for a limited time, a marketing tactic to create fear of missing out over ports of old games. At the same time, this was the first time Super Mario Sunshine was freed from its GameCube prison, even if the port was iffy at times.
However, it's hard to argue that these games aren't classics. All three are excellent titles in their own right, and getting all of them together in one spot was certainly worth it for some. In terms of a complete package, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is an exceptional bundle if you're a fan of the series. Sadly, it's no longer available to purchase digitally or physically, unless you're willing to pay a lot more than you should to buy it secondhand.
7 Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle seems like a strange title... and it is. But it's weird in the best possible way. At first, people were worried about a Ubisoft and Nintendo crossover where Rabbid versions of beloved Mario characters seemed to be millennial-fied.
However, the turn-based tactics game turned out to be a pleasant surprise and was met with great critical reception. The gameplay is fun, and the comedy surprisingly works. It's definitely worth a try if you love any combination of turn-based strategy games, Mario, humor, and Rabbids.
6 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Cart-racing games are a niche genre inside a niche genre. Nintendo does them well with the Mario Kart series, and Mario Kart 8 was one of the infamous games that fans thought was stranded on the Wii U.
Months after the release of the Switch, however, they were treated with a beautiful port of it in the form of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The Switch version offers many additions and improvements to the original, like faster loading times, improved resolution and graphics, and even a revamped Battle Mode. These make an already awesome game even more satisfying to play.
5 Paper Mario: The Origami King
The Paper Mario series has been held in limbo for some time. There's a clear split in the series between the first three titles and everything after Super Paper Mario (arguably going back to Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door). The series evolved from turn-based RPGs to adventure games with turn-based adjacent battles, for worse more than better.
Despite that, Paper Mario: The Origami King is one of the freshest and most fun titles released in the Mario series in a long time. There's clearly a lot of love that went into creating every aspect of the game, and combat is finally actually fun and worth doing again. It also brings back partners, including one of the best in Olivia. It's a fantastic game, despite not just being Thousand Year Door again.
4 Super Mario Maker 2
Despite the Wii U's poor sales performance, it managed to deliver a handful of great games that were fortunately ported to the Switch, including Super Mario Maker. However, Super Mario Maker 2 is much more than just a port marketed as a sequel.
It differs from Super Mario Maker in a lot of positive ways. There's a full-fledged story mode, a whole new Mario game style, multiplayer, and much more. There are numerous Mario fans who've blessed the game with their own amazingly creative levels. This creator is special not just because of its content, but also because of what the community can do with said content.
3 Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey wasn't just the first 3D Mario platformer on the Switch; it represented an entire generation's nostalgia for Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64. Though there have been other notable Mario 3D platformers, they've all felt and played unique to themselves.
Super Mario Wonder: 8 Tips For Using Every New Power-Up
Never forget these tips and tricks for the Elephant power-upBoth the Super Mario Galaxy and Sunshine games invoked shades of the beloved 3D platformer but didn't quite feel close enough. Super Mario Odyssey is the Super Mario 64 spiritual successor you probably wanted for over a decade, and it finally happened on the Switch.
2 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Super Mario 3D World was a beloved co-op-focused free-roaming game that was trapped in the Wii U for a while, so you may not have had the chance to play it back then. With Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, you're able to experience the joy of the game, along with some additions and improvements.
The resolution is better and characters seem to move a bit faster, among other little changes. Additionally, Bowser's Fury is an entirely new experience that has you cooperating with and even playing as Bowser Jr to save Bowser. Honestly, regardless of the gameplay or story, the feline outfits alone make this bundle worth playing.
1 Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Mario is back with an adventure that feels both classic and refreshing. Super Mario Bros. Wonder brings a new coat of paint to the franchise, with new and fantastic animations and more involved mechanics. It's the easiest game to pick up and the one with the deepest strategy, adding the concept of builds to Mario games.
It even expands on the multiplayer aspect. It still supports four-player co-op like the previous titles, but removes collision, so it doesn't feel like the least optimal way to play. The Yoshis are now playable characters, so the only way to ride one is through local multiplayer. There's even an online component, with visible ghosts of other players that can help you in innovative ways.