Every Mario Game on the Nintendo Switch, Ranked
Few video game characters are quite as recognizable as Mario. Since making his debut back in the early eighties, the Italian plumber has gone on to appear in hundreds of video games, as well as a variety of other mediums, including comic books, cartoon series, and a couple of big-budget movies. He has countless spin-off games under his belt as well, helping to ensure the series’ place as the best-selling video game franchise of all time.
Given the overwhelming popularity of Nintendo’s mustache-sporting mascot, it should come as no surprise to learn that there are plenty of Mario games for Switch. There are 16 of them in total, and that’s not including spin-offs based around other Mario characters such as Yoshi’s Crafted World, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and Luigi’s Mansion 3. They all offer something a little different, but the very best Mario games for Switch find ways to set themselves apart from the crowd.
This list will not include classic Mario titles that are available through Nintendo Switch Online, nor will it cover Super Mario Bros. 35, which is no longer playable.
16 Mario Strikers: Battle League
Like several of the other sports-themed Mario games that are available on the Switch, Mario Strikers: Battle League suffers from a rather severe lack of content. At launch, there were just ten playable characters to choose from, though more were added further down the line. The single-player experience on offer is also an incredibly brief one, with very little incentive for players to replay it after completing it for the first time.
15 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Like the actual event itself, which ended up being delayed by a year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 didn’t quite live up to some of the great installments of yesteryear. To be clear, it can still be a lot of fun when played with friends and loved ones, but the single-player experience lacks depth despite some of the slight improvements found in the game’s Story Mode.
14 Mario Golf: Super Rush
Credit where credit is due, the Golf Adventure story mode in Mario Golf: Super Rush is actually pretty good and the decision to release free post-launch DLC for the game gave players a compelling reason to dive back in. However, the online experience offered here is pretty atrocious for a game that was released in 2021, with players having to jump through far too many hoops just to play online with their friends.
13 Super Mario Party
Nintendo has always been a little behind the curve when it comes to network functionality, and this is once again evident in Super Mario Party. In addition to its substandard online multiplayer offerings, the game also suffers from a severe lack of content, with only a handful of party boards, several of which are disappointingly small. Some of the mini-games are pretty decent but only one or two deserve a place on a list of the series’ best.
12 Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
On paper, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit sounded like an excellent idea, but the execution left a little to be desired. Sure, putting together elaborate and creative courses can be a lot of fun, but actually racing through them often feels hollow when compared to playing a real Mario Kart game due to the technical limitations of the hardware. It can be enjoyable in short bursts but loses its magic a little too quickly to really justify the high cost of admission.
11 Mario Tennis Aces
Like many of its predecessors, Mario Tennis Aces is a perfectly serviceable tennis game. In fact, when it comes to content, it’s one of the better examples, serving up a wide variety of mini-games and a decent selection of fan-favorite Mario characters for players to hit the court with. Granted, the gameplay is fairly basic and the online support is pretty bad, but those looking for a decent tennis game to play with friends could definitely do a lot worse.
10 Super Mario 3D All-Stars
When Nintendo announced that it would be porting three of the best 3D Mario games of all time to the Nintendo Switch, excitement levels were pretty high. Sadly, the actual release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars wasn’t quite as well celebrated, with many disappointed by the way that some of the games ran and bemused by the time-limited nature of the game’s physical release. The games themselves are understandably pretty dated by modern standards, but can still be enjoyable for those able to cope with the many camera and control issues.
The Paper Mario series has been around since the turn of the century and has seen installments on every Nintendo home console since the N64. Paper Mario: The Origami King is nowhere near as good as the series’ first few releases, but can still be a lot of fun thanks to its crisp visuals, tight controls, and well-thought-out levels. As far as single-player experiences go, it’s one of the best Mario games for Switch and a must-play for Paper Mario fans.
8 Mario Party Superstars
Released just a few years on from Super Mario Party, Mario Party Superstars addresses a lot of its predecessor’s biggest issues. Rather than trying to rework the series’ formula, the game instead celebrates the ones which came before it, bringing back five classic boards and many of the most fondly-remembered Mario Party mini-games of all time. As a result, it’s arguably the best Mario Party game ever made and one of the best Mario Switch games to play with friends or loved ones.
7 Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Although it’s not completely unheard of for Nintendo to trust its flagship IP to a third-party studio, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle caught a lot of people by surprise. Developed by Ubisoft’s Milan and Paris studios, the game sees the Mushroom Kingdom invaded by Rabbids and tasks players with taking down the evil Megabug and its army of corrupted Rabbids in order to return things to the way they were.
6 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
For as enjoyable as the 3D Mario games can be, a lot of people still prefer the 2D Mario experience, as evidenced by the success of the New Super Mario Bros. line of games. Originally released for the Wii U, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe provides players with 164 well-crafted stages, with a selection of Luigi-oriented levels thrown in there just for good measure. It’s an action-packed title and a good shout for those with a soft spot for 2D platformers.
5 Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Given the critical and commercial success of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, the announcement of a sequel came as much less of a surprise this time around. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope improves upon its predecessor in just about every way, almost making the original title obsolete. Those who enjoyed Kingdom Battle will love this game, as too will fans of turn-based strategy titles.
4 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Given the short life cycle of the Wii U and the limited number of people who ended up buying one, it’s easy to understand why Nintendo would want to port some of the best Wii U games over to the Switch. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is more than just a standard port though, also bringing with it a plethora of exciting new content that fans of 3D Mario titles will adore.
3 Super Mario Maker 2
The Mario series has always been popular with modders, with many having tried their hands at creating their own Mario games and stages over the years. The number of people to have done so grew substantially in 2015 after the release of Super Mario Maker and did so again some four years later following the launch of Super Mario Maker 2. The latter is effectively just more of the same, bringing with it a plethora of excellent new options for aspiring level creators.
2 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Most consider Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to be the quintessential Mario Kart game. To be honest, it’s hard to argue too much with that assessment on account of just how much content the game packs in, not to mention the fact that it is both the series’ best-looking and most mechanically advanced installment to date. Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can get even more great content courtesy of the Booster Course Pass, which grants access to 48 new and returning courses and a few extra racers.
1 Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece in video game design and one of the best Mario games ever made. It introduces several new mechanics and boasts more than enough content to keep players busy for countless fun-filled hours. It’s the best Mario game on the Switch by a considerable margin and serves as the very definition of a true system seller.