The 10 best Mario games for Nintendo Switch

With all the Mario games on the Nintendo Switch, which ones are the best? If you don’t own any of these and you have a Switch, you’re doing a disservice to yourself.

Nintendo Switch’s 10 best Mario games

The following games have to have Mario’s name in the title. They also have to feature him to some extent widely. I apologize in advance to anyone who was expecting a Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Peach, or Toad title on this list. Most games that feature them as the main act are also quite fun, but it’s about everyone’s favorite plumber from 1981. 

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Yes, this is a Wii U port of the game with the Luigi standalone game bundled in. But the thing is, many people skipped out on that console and this was a great game regardless. NSMBU Deluxe is the definitive edition of the game and it’s such a fun game to run solo or with friends.

Apart from the main mode, there is the Challenge Mode that provides even more difficulty to those who find the base game easy. This also applies to the New Super Luigi aspect of the game. 

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

I’m going to cheat here a bit and allow this compilation game to make it onto this list. Yes, these are games that originally appeared on older Nintendo consoles, but it’s bundled into one package and there’s a lot of nostalgia to be unpacked. Perhaps the emulation isn’t that great and some versions of the games are different than what oldheads are used to (Mario 64 Shindou version and the lack of BLJ).

It might be a bit difficult to find a copy nowadays since it was a limited-run game for some reason, but if you can snag it, don’t think twice.

Super Mario RPG

The faithful remake of the classic game back is one to definitely look into. Even if you’re not into the genre, the remake of Super Mario RPG is one that might make you fall in love with the genre. Most features of this game aged well and will provide you a solid 13 to 20 hours to beat, depending on what type of player you are.

Super Mario All-Stars

Once again, I am breaking the rules here. If you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you have to go into the SNES library and get to this game. It’s yet another compilation of Mario games, but from the 8-bit era now in SNES graphics. It contains the original Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3. 

Over 30 years later, these games still hold up.

Mario Party Superstars

This version of Mario Party on the Switch beats Super Mario Party by a long shot. It’s a Mario Party game that contains boards and mechanics from the series on the Nintendo 64 and contains mini-games from every game. Unfortunately, not every mini-game made the cut, but what we got is a solid selection. 

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

This is another game from the Wii U era that was ported over to the Switch. Super Mario 3D World was an incredible game, and now with the Bowser’s Fury standalone mode, we get a game that many have missed out on plus an entirely new mode where you face off against a Godzilla-inspired Bowser.

Super Mario Maker 2

It’s unfortunate that Super Mario Maker 2 stopped getting content updates because this sandbox game has limitless possibilities. All the user-generated content can provide an infinite amount of time if you like the 2D platforming aspects of Mario games. From playing the original NES, SNES, Wii, and Wii U eras of 2D Mario is just so fun.

You can just jump into the game, play a few levels, and call it a day. Or, take on the Super Worlds made by people where you play sequences of levels in an overworld map. There are a lot of garbage levels to sift through, but the good outweighs the bad here.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

If 2D Mario games are your jam, Wonder knocks it out of the park and then some. It takes so many aspects from past games in a very pretty package. The movement is great, the new powerups are fun and wacky, the whole Wonder Flower system adds a surprising amount of depth and surprise, and the challenge is there for collectors. 

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

At this point, if you don’t have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on your Switch, you never got one during a Black Friday sale, or you dodged every retail bundle chance. Despite it being shoved in every Switch owner’s face, this game is the most definitive experience of Mario Kart yet. It’s not the strongest in the series (cough, Mario Kart Wii), but it’s a hell of a good time.

Not to mention, with all the DLC out, there are 96 race courses and 48 characters to choose from, with variations for some.

Super Mario Odyssey

3D Mario games have been bangers for quite some time right now, and Odyssey is no exception. The platforming is top-notch, paired with the capturing mechanic and synergy with Cappy and smooth traversal of the various Kingdoms.

While the gameplay and exploration are fantastic, so are the visuals and the music. This is just one of those titles that will leave a good mark on your gaming journey, despite what genres of games you like.