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The best Mario Switch games you should buy right now

Everyone knows who Mario is. Here are the best games that feature Mario in them.
By

Published onAugust 9, 2021

Mario is a beloved and classic Nintendo character. From the beginning of Nintendo’s journey, Mario has always been there. Whether in games by himself or games with other characters, like Luigi or Yoshi, Mario Switch games are usually big hits for Nintendo. 

There are so many great games featuring Mario. Although it was hard to narrow the list down, we were successful. Here are 9 of the best Mario games you can play right now on your Switch. 

Best Mario Switch games:

Super Mario Odyssey

If you don’t own any other Mario games on your Switch besides this one, that’s okay. Super Mario Odyssey was a breath of fresh air when the Switch first came out in 2017 and it’s still an awesome game today. 

In the game, you travel around in the Odyssey airship with Mario and his new hat friend Cappy. You visit various kingdoms that all have different aesthetics, a certain number of Power Moons to collect, and so much more. There’s a lot to explore in this game and the gameplay along the way feels incredible. 

Check out: Best Switch games for kids 

Your ultimate mission is, of course, to save Princess Peach. But it’s a Mario game, so there’s nothing new there. The boss battles have the same repetitive nature as previous Mario boss battles, but with unique twists that require Mario to use his hat friend. 

This game can be a two-player experience, but it’s best experienced as a single-player game. 

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a hilarious online game that combines the Mario franchise with the Rabbids franchise. The game follows the aftermath of a vortex bringing Rabbids to the Mushroom Kingdom. 

In the fight to restore the Mushroom Kingdom to its former glory, you can play as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, or their Rabbid hero counterparts. There are four worlds to play through, full of interesting puzzles to solve and weapons to collect. 

Super Mario Party

Super Mario Party is one of the best local multiplayer games for Switch. The fact that Mario is playable in it just makes it even better. 

There are a few different ways you can play Super Mario Party with friends and family. You can play the traditional virtual board game and compete for stars and coins. Or, there are also tons of mini-games that you can cycle through. 

There’s also a third option – online play. To play online, you will need to purchase a Nintendo Switch Online membership and also have a Nintendo account. Once all that’s set up, you’re free to compete in the Online Mariothon against players from all over the world. 

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is another installment of the classic side-scrolling Mario games we all know and love. As always, you have different worlds to explore and collect coins in. Each world is full of fun levels, bosses, and challenges. 

Also, for less experienced players who may find the game to be a little hard, there are special characters that offer assistance. If you want assistance, you can play as either Toadette, a brand new playable character, or Nabbit.

This game is great for casual players who only want to hop on for a short while at the end of the day. Or, it can be a lot of fun as a multiplayer game if you have 1-3 other family members or friends to play with in person.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the best games for the Switch in general, not just one of the best Mario games. It’s fun whether you like to race single player or against friends and family members. 

See also: Best multiplayer games for the Nintendo Switch 

There are so many great Nintendo characters to race as. Of course, there are a few different versions of Mario, but you can also play as Yoshi, Bowser, Princess Peach, Luigi, and more. Depending on which character you decide to race as, your vehicle will accordingly be small, medium, or large. 

Once you unlock new items, it’s fun to customize your vehicle and test out different combinations of speed, handling, and acceleration. For less experienced players, there are ways to make the game a little easier, like auto-steer and auto-acceleration.  

Super Mario Maker 2

Super Mario Maker 2 is the classic side-scrolling Mario adventure combined with the ability to make your own levels.

If creating levels doesn’t sound like your thing, that’s totally fine. There’s a story mode in the game that you can play and the levels can present quite a challenge sometimes. Or, you can also play through levels that other players create. 

If you’re feeling creative or you’ve always wanted to make your own video game level, you have that option. Although it may seem intimidating at first, creating a level is really easy to do in Super Mario Maker 2. And it’s fun to see other players experiencing your level too!

Mario Tennis Aces

Mario Tennis Aces is fun to play either locally, online (with a Nintendo Online subscription), or by yourself. If you simply want to play tennis, you can certainly do that. Or, you can make things more interesting by playing in Adventure mode.

Related: Best sports games for the Nintendo Switch 

In Adventure mode, you can practice your skills by doing missions and battling bosses. Once you’ve mastered Adventure mode, you can play with friends and family or test out Tournament mode, where you can take on the CPU.

For those who need more accessible controls, Swing mode is available; you can play with motion controls and the CPU will help move your character automatically all over the court. 

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a package of three great games: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. 

In Super Mario 64, you can jump through paintings and experience Mario’s first 3D platforming adventures. This game was originally released in 1996. Though it’s gotten a facelift, the core controls are the same and the game is still a gem. 

In Super Mario Sunshine, it’s your mission to clear a dirty island of all its goop by spraying water everywhere. This game was originally released in 2002. There are enemies and mysteries to uncover as you clean up the island. 

In Super Mario Galaxy, you fly from planet to planet, knocking out all the enemies and progressing through the galaxy. This game was initially released in 2007. Your ultimate mission is to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, but the path you take to get there is gravity-defying.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

This is the latest installment in the Paper Mario series and it’s a fantastic game. It’s been a while since a Paper Mario game was released and Nintendo did not disappoint with this one. 

Also read: Best free Nintendo Switch games 

Nintendo incorporated origami into the latest Paper Mario game in an inventive way. In the game, Mario and Luigi get an invitation from Princess Peach to attend an origami festival in Toad Town. But when they get there, they find out that Princess Peach has been turned into origami by King Olly, the ruler of the Origami Kingdom. 

It’s their mission, along with King Olly’s sister, to defeat King Olly. Bowser even ends up helping them out along the way, something you don’t ever see in a Mario game. 

This is such a fun, unique Mario game and definitely one to add to your collection. 

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