The Magic Kingdom is under attack! Team up with Mario to defeat the power-hungry Origami King, and his Folded Soldiers, who are trying to fold our friends into brain-washed Origami.
Super Mario: The Origami King reveals a new bad guy to defeat. He goes by the name King Olly and is a threat to everyone, including Bowser. King Olly recruits Bowser's minions and turns them into the Folded Soldiers, his own personal Origami army. In a rare occurrence, Mario works alongside Bowser instead of against the mean old Koopa King. The game relies on puzzle-style challenges to proceed through the worlds and destroy King Olly's streamers.
Filled with impressive back-drops, and pleasing Origami versions of our favorite characters, it is no surprise that The Origami King is on the Top 10. In fact, the entire Paper Mario series is so well-loved, fans are still wondering why there isn't an unlockable Paper Mario available for Mario Kart. Hopefully, Nintendo reads this and agrees.
9. Mario Party Superstars (2021)
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Choose your Mario character and roll the dice! Advance across different boards, compete in mini-games, collect coins, and win the game by stashing the most stars.
The first of many party games added to the list because Nintendo is fantastic at designing games that create an emotional paradox - being incredibly amusing and equally infuriating. Be prepared to be challenged by deceitful thieves in a board game that can, literally, change with a roll of the dice.
Superstars features 5 different boards that are littered with special spaces. This contributes to the pure mayhem that Mario Party is known for. Some of these spaces add coins to your bank, some of them allow players to place wagers for mini-games. Tip: Stay away from Bowser Spaces. These spaces always have damaging consequences because Bowser is a greedy turd-le. The best part of the game (maybe, arguably, the worst part of the game) are the King Boo Spaces. If you land here, you will have the opportunity to steal a star from an opponent. Or, you could play with honor and buy your own stars for 20 coins each. But, that's no fun!
8. Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021)
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Register your Mii and golf with Mario at the country club! Learn the basics in training, level up your characters, and master your golf skills to earn coveted badges.
In Nintendo fashion, Mario Golf: Super Rush pays close attention to detail. The game boasts a wide array of terrains to test your skills on, and golf battles against beasty bosses. You will collect coins to purchase new golf clubs to use on your journey to becoming a pro. For some extra coin, you can also unlock golfing attire that comes equipped with specials to help you beat your opponents. With an additional 6 courses to unlock, the game offers hours of fun that the whole family can enjoy.
My favorite part of Mario Golf: Super Rush is a separate mode, Speed Golf. This game mode is like Mario Kart's cousin. It is inundated with chaos and fast-paced decisions, making it a great party game. As the title suggests, the objective in Speed Golf is to sink your ball the fastest. To add, everyone is playing at once. The pressure to calculate your shot is constantly weighing on you, upping the ante. And, it is so satisfying to watch your opponents crumble under said pressure.
7. Luigi's Mansion 3 (2019)
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Invited to a celebration, Luigi and his friends all get duped! It is up to Luigi to venture through The Last Resort Hotel to save his friends from being captured in paintings. Defeat the ghosts that haunt the hotel, and knock out King Boo, to save the day!
Luigi's Mansion 3 is a must-play for both gamers and Mario fans, alike. Flipping between unwelcoming scenes and epic fantasy displays on 17 themed floors, players will face many challenges at varying difficulties. You can also find hidden references during the game - like a replica of Gloomy Manor from Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon - which offers a bit of nostalgia to fans. After all, Luigi is our long-time, favorite scaredy-cat.
Speaking of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Nintendo is expecting to release a 'Dark Moon' reboot in the summer of 2024. That's not all - there are also some rumors of a fourth Luigi's Mansion being added to the series. Fingers crossed, we love seeing Luigi step out of Mario's shadow!
6. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (2022)
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Cursa, the main antagonist, is on a mission to spread dark matter and warp the galaxy. Join Mario, Rabbids, and friends on their interstellar quest to defeat Cursa, and become heroes!
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a game that depends on strategy and tactics. Each hero is equipped with different abilities, allowing players to organize a versatile team to secure wins. For instance, Luigi is great for long-range attacks. Additionally, it is always useful to add a healer to your team. Rabbid Peach is perfect for this task, as she can restore the health of her teammates. Each member on your team has one lethal attack and one tactical attack to use against opponents. Like a game of chess, paying close attention to everybody's location and calculating the outcome of moves will increase your chances of winning.
Sparks of Hope is a sigh of relief, especially compared to some of the rage-inducing Mario games on this list. I mean, you get to choose from 3 different difficulties and one of them is called, "Relaxing." Yes, please. This free-roam, open-world game offers 6 planets to explore, and is filled with charm and spirit. Definitely a great addition to family (video) game night!
5. Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)
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Mario and friends have a new objective! Help them complete courses, collect coins, and buy supplies to reconstruct a brand-new castle for Princess Peach.
Super Mario Maker 2's story mode is made up of 100+ courses. It really is a fun, educational tool for the online mode, where players will gather instructions on how to create courses. Accordingly, the online mode gives creative freedom for fans to design and publish their own Mario courses.
The focus of Super Mario Maker 2 seems to be the Course Mode/online mode. Within the level editor, players can apply different game styles, create a plethora of obstacles, and play with different elements to build their ultimate Mario course. Thus, creating an endless list of fan-created courses to play. I will add - some of these courses will require the skill of a samurai, and the breathing techniques of a sensei. Come prepared.
4. Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
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Assist Mario in locating all of the Power Moons so he can power up the Odyssey hovercraft. Move from Kingdom to Kingdom and, ultimately, stop the well-known villain, Bowser, from marrying Peach.
Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches. Damn, Jack Black's Peaches would have been amazing for Super Mario Odyssey, right? Looking back, this may be the game that prompted me to, finally, buy the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo does a wonderful job of preserving the heart of Mario while expanding his world and his capabilities. Keeping that pattern, Super Mario Odyssey introduces Cappy - Mario's helpful hat - and partner. Together, they adventure through 16 worlds that are bursting with color, Bowser's henchmen, and Power Moons. By collecting all of the Power Moons - FYI: there's over 800 of those bad boys - players can unlock additional rewards. This is a time-consuming challenge, so head over to online mode and play Luigi's Balloon World - a Hide-and-Seek style mini-game - and enjoy a much-needed break from the Power Moon grind. The grass outside isn't going anywhere, you can touch it afterwards.
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)
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Battle with the best of them in Nintendo's flagship brawler! With dozens of characters to choose from, the objective is simple: Yeet your opponents out of the arena.
This may be a controversial entry, but because of the large presence of Mario-related characters and the massive fan-base, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lands itself on this list and I am not mad about it. In the words of Luigi, "Bang, bang!"
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover fighting game and the best-selling game in the Super Smash Bros. series. An ambitious roster that includes Mario, Wario, Bowser, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Petey Piranha, and a variety of characters from other franchises - it deserves all of the praise that it gets. Players can enter the Adventure Mode, World of Light, to learn about a new game mechanic and unlock Spirits. Spirits add an additional layer to Super Smash, giving your physical fighters new abilities. There are hundreds of Spirits to collect - and to stay on topic - you can expect a plethora of Spirits to be Mario-related. The only thing we are still waiting for - is Waaah!Luigi to be a playable character!
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)
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Including exclusive courses, new racers, and a re-introduction to the battle arena - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is Nintendo's ultimate racing game.
This game will take from you. It will dig into your free time. It will wear on your patience, and might even steal a small piece of your sanity. A simple tip for players who rage: put down the controller (gently), and breathe. Losing in MK8D is twice as frustrating when you also have to replace a Joy-Con. Trust me, I know.
Seriously, though, MK8D is just as much fun as it is chaos! It includes an extensive list of items to hammer your opponents with, and protect yourself with. And, just like past Mario Kart games, the maps are sprinkled with short-cuts to inch you closer to first place. If you have ever played a Mario Kart game, you know that getting into first place and staying there are two different challenges.
1. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023)
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Prince Florian welcomes Mario and Company to the Flower Kingdom to observe the newfound Wonder Flower. Bowser stops by, touches the flower, and fuses with Prince Florian's castle. Mario and friends must stop Bowser from spreading destruction by using the magical Wonder Flower.
Yes, we have reserved the #1 spot for a game that has not, yet, been released. Per Nintendo News, fans can look forward to copping the new Super Mario Bros. Wonder game on October 20th, 2023. This side-scrolling, 2D platformer is highly anticipated - we cannot wait to experience Mario in his new environment with fun throwbacks, new enemies, and trippy power-ups.
The Flower Kingdom is made up of 6 new worlds that envelope Petal Isles, which is where Bowser has set up shop. Nintendo has released a sneak-peek of 3 worlds, leaving 3 of them a mystery. Players will traverse courses with distinct landscapes - like forests, magma, and water - in search of Wonder Flowers. These flowers are like the pill from Alice in Wonderland, causing players to change form and altering the landscape itself. Nintendo has also confirmed some all-new power-ups that will be introduced in Wonder. This includes an Elephant power-up that uses its trunk to destroy enemies and blockades, and a Bubble power-up which doubles as a platform and a tool to capture enemies.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a combination of everything we love about Mario games. New elements, revisiting old friends (like, Nabbit!), innovation, vibrant atmospheres, entertaining storylines, and fresh characters are reasons why fans are so hyped for October 20th!
When I am not adulting, I try to sneak in a few rounds of Call of Duty. Inevitably, I will rage quit and refer back to my next passion, writing. Or I will melt my brain watching trash TV. Sue me.
