It is impossible to talk about the best platformers without Mario coming up at least once. Nintendo’s greatest mascot is the face of both 2D and 3D platformers, but his skills go beyond just running and jumping. Over the course of the console generations, Mario has dabbled in almost every genre there is, from sports games to RPGs. However, our lovable plumber doesn’t always strike gold with his spinoff games as he does with platformers. Mario has been in hundreds of games over the decades since he made his debut in the arcades, so we have compiled a list of his greatest spinoff games.
Super Mario RPG
76%
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Genre
Role-playing (RPG)
Developer
ArtePiazza
Publisher
Nintendo
Release
November 17, 2023
As surprising as it is, Mario made the jump (pun intended) to RPGs a lot faster than anyone could’ve predicted. Super Mario RPG, at least the original and not the remake, was a collaboration with the legendary JRPG developer Square Soft, and the end product is a modern masterpiece. The game didn’t just throw Mario characters into a Final Fantasy game but translated all the things that made a great Mario platformer into a turn-based RPG. The action commands especially were a revolution that made combat more interactive and has gone on to influence dozens of games. It is also a more casual RPG in terms of difficulty and length, making it a perfect entry point to the genre.
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
85%
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Genre
Racing, Arcade
Developer
Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 7
Publisher
Nintendo
Release
April 28, 2017
The decision to make the premier Mario racing game feature go-karts rather than normal cars is probably responsible for this franchise becoming what it is. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe is the best selling game by a longshot, and not just because it is the newest. The formula of colorful characters racing around fantastic tracks while collecting and throwing out items to upset the rankings caught on with the wider population in ways few games can ever dream of. But it isn’t just friendly to casual players. New and young players can enjoy the game thanks to driving assists, while more competitive racers can master the art of drifting and boosting.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
97%
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
Intelligent Systems
Publisher
Nintendo
Release
May 23, 2024
Even though Nintendo and Square never reunited for another RPG, Mario still went on to star in both the Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario franchises as spiritual successors. Of those, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is both the fan and critical favorite. This is the entry that feels the most like Super Mario RPG in that it has a streamlined but addictive active combat system, an interesting story that is willing to introduce new characters with depth, and a world worth exploring. It does feel a little limited since you can only fight with Mario and one companion, but each one is so distinct and has specific uses in and out of battle that it adds a nice layer of strategy.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
77%
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Tactical, Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Paris
Publisher
Ubisoft Entertainment
Release
August 29, 2017
Just when we thought we couldn’t be surprised by what genre Mario would tackle next, we got Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Sure, Mario and the Rabbids teaming up was arguably the bigger shock, but Mario using “guns” in a tactics game? Put that on our Bingo cards for things we never thought we’d see. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is the sequel that further improves upon the core of the first, but both are still fantastic games. Like his RPGs, this game understands that this might be someone’s first tactics game and does away with the obtuse and complex systems. It is still challenging and requires tactical thinking, but you don’t have to worry about 67% chances to hit, permadeath, or getting yourself into a position where you can’t win 15 hours in but don’t realize it.
Mario Party Superstars
82%
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Genre
Card & Board Game
Developer
NDCube
Publisher
Nintendo
Release
October 28, 2021
Right up there with Mario Kart, Mario Party is the other franchise that invites everyone to play. Mario Party Superstars isn’t the newest game, but it takes the best games and boards from the best N64 entries and brings them up to modern standards. Framing the entire game as a board game is another stroke of genius only Nintendo could come up with. It is instantly readable in its format of rolling a die and moving toward a goal on the board, but the real draw is the minigames. Each one is short but built to be intuitive so anyone can read the rules, have fun, and move on before it gets dull or frustrating. While better players do have a slight edge, skill isn’t essential to win so everyone is on more or less an even playing field.
Super Mario Strikers
76%
Platforms
Nintendo GameCube
Genre
Sport
Developer
Next Level Games
Publisher
Nintendo
Release
November 18, 2005
There’s hardly a sport Mario hasn’t mastered so picking just one was tough. Super Mario Strikers was a Game Cube game that was the first time Mario and the crew got together to play soccer with their own spin on things. Unlike a lot of other Mario-themed sports games, Super Mario Strikers leans more toward the hardcore side of things than casual. Sure, it is still very arcade-y and not at all a simulator, but it has a ton of mechanics that raise the skill ceiling higher than one might think. It is still plenty of fun to play casually with the power-ups and the flashy special strikes that count for two points but has kept a cult following by those who push the systems to the limit. Sadly, Mario Strikers: Battle League toned down the complexity and variety. Unless you want a game that perfectly recreates soccer, Super Mario Strikers might be the most fun soccer game, period.
Dr. Mario
72%
Platforms
Arcade, Family Computer, Wii U, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Genre
Puzzle, Strategy
Developer
Nintendo
Publisher
Nintendo, Playtronic
Release
July 27, 1990
It isn’t quite Tetris, but Dr. Mario is on equal footing for one of the best puzzle games. The framing of dropping pills into a bottle is odd, to say the least, but ignore that and you have a fantastic puzzler about smartly matching colored capsules to match four of the same color to clear the row with the goal of removing all the colored viruses. While it sounds more complex than Tetris, it is incredibly easy and satisfying to pick up and play. Mario’s role here is purely cosmetic, but it doesn’t matter much when the core game is so solid.
