Gaming’s golden boy is a man of many talents. Of course, we all know him for his famous exploits of Goomba and gorilla-stomping and princess rescuing throughout the years since his emergence back in 1981’s Donkey Kong. However, the famous plumber is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to his athletic abilities.
We’ve seen the Italian take his talents to the tennis and basketball courts, the soccer and baseball fields, and even the Olympic games against a familiar blue hedgehog. Mario is gaming’s most well-rounded protagonist, often bringing his friends along for the ride. We are going to take a look and see which ones made us keep coming back to play one more game.
Updated on March 1, 2023, by Branden Lizardi: To this day, Mario's love for sports and leisure has yet to waiver. New iterations of different sports games have already come and gone, each showcasing the Mushroom Kingdom's finest characters in the sports we all love. We've updated this list to ensure that you don't miss out on the more noteworthy options on the market today.
10 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games
The first follow-up to 2007’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, this title differed from the previous title as it took place at the 2010 Vancouver Winter games. This title used took advantage of the Wii’s newly released balance pad accessory for sports like snowboarding and skiing. This game would not have gone over as well if it was just another Summer Olympic game.
This title was a nice addition to the series as it wasn’t a carbon copy of its predecessor since it featured a completely different line-up of events. It was only the second entry in the series, but now the familiar formula has become stale, and the bi-annual release isn’t doing it anymore.
9 Mario Golf
Released back in 1999 on the N64, Mario Golf was the first golf entry to feature Mario’s name in the title, and it was certainly a step in the right direction for Mario’s days on the fairway. Even today, it is the best entry in the golf series and, despite numerous new iterations, it still is loved to this day.
Despite the dodgy graphics and the unorthodox controller that the N64 had, the game received pretty much universal acclaim. It went on to spawn several follow-up titles that failed to surpass this entry in the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere. It is a testament to the N64 era that it seems to feature some of the most enjoyable Mario games in existence, and this game certainly ranks among them.
8 Mario Tennis
Probably the best Mario sports game to ever be released on the N64, Mario Tennis was a true marvel. The gameplay was smooth, the characters were enjoyable, and the game modes were challenging. The game brought a ton of new characters to the forefront, like Waluigi and Princess Daisy, to name a few. This game was far ahead of its time and created a game that is remembered for its intricacy, execution, and character. Keep in mind, there wasn’t much of that going around in terms of sports games at the time.
The game was released back in 2000, and even all these years later, it is still one of the best sports titles to ever feature Mario and friends. This is one of those games that all other sports games should aspire to be.
7 Mario Hoops 3-On-3
Though it was somewhat of a hidden gem, Mario Hoops: 3-on-3 was the first time that Mario and his friends took it to the hardwood for a game of basketball. It had it all: fun courts, lots of characters, challenging AI, punishing tournaments, and even guest characters from the Final Fantasy series. What else could you want from a handheld sports title?
To this day, many people aren’t even aware that this game came out, which is a shame. This is the only title where Mario exclusively plays basketball, and we are still baffled by how that’s so. Maybe someday it will get a sequel that isn’t watered down and thrown into a compilation sports game with four other sports.
6 Mario Superstar Baseball
Baseball already lends itself beautifully to cartoonish characters. The relatively simple rules of running, jumping, and hitting things with a bat complements the character's quirky powers and abilities. The gameplay is easy to understand, leaning on the bombastic, making for an exciting game of baseball. With plenty of characters, locations, and modes, there's plenty to keep busy with. Not to mention the (at the time) impressive graphics.
Functionality aside, Superstar Baseball deserves mention purely for their teaming system. You can customize each team, choosing team captains and standard characters, each with stat differences that alter the overall team's strengths. More than just that, the team name and logo scheme will change based on this. Waluigi's team can be known as the Waluigi Mystiques, The Waluigi Flankers, and more, depending on how you balance your team player's skills.
5 Mario Tennis Aces
Mario Tennis Aces may not have re-captured the magic that was Mario tennis multiplayer. But compared to the Wii U game, Aces was a noticeable step up. It featured improved gameplay mechanics, better controls, and an engaging single-player campaign.
This is improved further with a more vibrant and dynamic visual style that really emphasizes the power and excitement they want to see in a fast-paced tennis match. It's one of the best iterations in the Mario Tennis line.
4 Super Mario Strikers
The world’s favorite sport finally saw the plumber lace up his cleats in 2005’s Super Mario Strikers, and it did not disappoint. The game received mostly very positive reviews, and it was just another great example of a non-realistic sports game done right.
Choose Mario or any of his friends as your team’s captain and a bunch of sidekicks and go up against your opponents by trying to score goals using your Super Strike to add a little extra “oomph” into it. Even the unlockable Super Team consisting of all robots are fun to play as (probably because they are the best by a huge margin). Plus, you can use items to screw your friends and the computer over, which makes it even more fun!
3 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
The first in what would become a very exhausted game series, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games brought two of the greatest gaming characters ever together to participate in athletic events. Sure, it made no sense for Sonic the Hedgehog to lose the 100m dash to a chubby plumber, but that’s not what mattered. Sonic and Mario finally met in a video game.
The game’s many events were fun to play against friends and see who was the true virtual Olympian. The game also had a large selection of characters to choose from, as both Sonic and Mario brought their friends along for the challenge. The novelty of this game was a large part of its success, and even if the game wasn’t perfect, it was still a fun time.
2 Mario Power Tennis
This was one of the pinnacles of Mario sports games and can be considered the best Tennis game in the series, although the argument can also be made for Mario Tennis to hold this title. This game features a large roster of 18 characters to play as in either singles or doubles, each with their own special moves.
It features numerous courts to play on and a handful of fun mini-game modes such as Artist on the Court and Gooper Blooper Volley. The smooth and engaging gameplay makes it one of the easiest to pick up play. If you’re looking for something challenging, this game has that as well; the later tournaments will challenge you.
1 Mario Super Sluggers
Of all the sports games that have featured Mario, Mario Super Sluggers is, without a doubt, the most immersive and impressive one to date.
Released on August 25th, 2008, no other game has the sheer amount of content that this game offered, and it was accompanied by a bevy of great gaming mechanics, a slew of savory characters, and not to mention a story where you must travel to different baseball parks and assemble a dream team from the Mushroom Kingdom’s many inhabitants.
It’s a blast to play by yourself or with friends and is filled to the brim with bonus game modes if a regular Mario-style baseball game isn’t exactly what you’re looking for. As far as Mario’s athletic exploits go, there is no better game out there than Mario Super Sluggers.