Summary
- Mario games offer versatility for couples, from cooperative to competitive gameplay experiences.
- Titles like Mario Tennis Aces, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe provide thrilling and engaging multiplayer dynamics.
- These games turn casual nights into memorable experiences with a mix of strategy, chaos, shared laughter, and healthy competition.
It’s no secret that Nintendo’s mascot has dabbled in just about everything over the decades—platforming, kart racing, Olympic events, even board games with enough chaos to threaten lifelong friendships. However, when it comes to games for couples, the Mario franchise is surprisingly versatile. Whether it's passing a Joy-Con back and forth during a laid-back co-op session or going head-to-head in a digital duel of reflexes and sabotage, these games bring out both the best and the most hilariously competitive sides of any relationship.
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Each of these Mario titles offers a slightly different flavor of multiplayer mayhem. Some are built for cooperation, others for competition, and a few are the perfect mix of both. What they all have in common is the way they turn a casual night in into something worth remembering—even if one of the players “accidentally” throws their partner off a cliff or hurls a blue shell at the worst possible moment.
6 Mario Tennis Aces
Love Is A Racket, And That’s A Compliment
Mario Tennis Aces
- Released
- April 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Sports
There’s something oddly romantic about a competitive tennis match where one player is Chain Chomp. Mario Tennis Aces is a surprisingly deep sports game dressed in cartoon absurdity, and it works beautifully as a couples game because it rewards both strategy and pure button-mashing chaos.
The game features a varied roster of characters, each with different speed, power, and control stats, which means players can experiment to find a combo that complements or clashes with their partner’s playstyle. The addition of Zone Shots, Trick Shots, and racket durability mechanics adds real depth, turning matches into mind games of counterplay and risk.
For couples who enjoy working together, there’s Doubles mode—two versus CPU or other players—which is way more fun than it has any right to be, especially when one person is playing the net while the other tries not to get flattened by a slow-motion spike. Matches can be short or stretched into long back-and-forth rallies, and every single one ends with someone shouting “No way that was out!” It’s dramatic, ridiculous, and surprisingly intense; the kind of experience that sticks around long after the controllers are down.
5 Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
When You’re Too Competitive For A Walk, But Not Fit Enough For Sports
Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
- Released
- November 1, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Cartoon Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sports
There are few things as funny as watching two people wildly swinging their Joy-Cons like they're actually fencing, only to realize they’re playing as Waluigi and Dr. Eggman in track suits. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is full of these kinds of moments—silly, sincere, and often sweat-inducing.
The core of the game is a collection of Olympic-style mini-games, but they’re polished with just enough Nintendo-Sega flair to keep things fun without demanding precision. Players can box, swim, do the triple jump, or even take on Dream Events that toss fireballs into what would otherwise be standard track-and-field activities.
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Where the game really shines as a couples game is in its mix of physical and button-based controls. Some events rely on quick reflexes, others on rhythm or timing, and a few embrace total chaos. There’s even a retro 2D mode where players can experience the events in an 8-bit and 16-bit throwback style, complete with chiptune soundtracks and pixelated versions of their favorite characters. It’s not about who wins gold. It’s about watching Daisy get launched from a trampoline while Shadow fails a triple axel in the background.
4 Mario Party Superstars
It’s Like A Board Game, If The Board Could Punch You
Mario Party Superstars
- Released
- October 9, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Party Game
If competitive chaos is the love language of a particular couple, then Mario Party Superstars is pretty much date night gold. It’s a distilled version of everything Mario Party has ever done right—classic boards from the N64 era, tight mini-game selections, and none of the gimmicky motion controls that muddied some of the later entries.
There’s something uniquely satisfying about sabotaging a significant other in Mario Party. Maybe it’s landing on a Bowser space after a twenty-minute truce, or maybe it’s using a Warp Block to swap places right before they grab a Star. The mini-games are quick, varied, and often ridiculous, ranging from button-mashing mayhem to surprisingly strategic puzzles. Even better, the full game can be played online or locally without any weird limitations.
The board game element ensures long-form competition, while the mini-games give plenty of bite-sized chances to gloat or redeem. It’s equal parts skill and dumb luck, which means no one stays on top for long. That balance keeps both players engaged in—and slightly terrified of—what might come next.
3 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
One Couple. Four Toads. Infinite Betrayals
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
- Released
- January 11, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone // Comic Mischief
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Side-scrolling co-op platformers are practically a stress test for communication skills, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe doesn’t pull any punches. This is classic Mario—tight jumps, hidden exits, power-ups flying around like confetti—but it’s all shared across the same screen, with both players bouncing around and occasionally (okay, frequently) knocking each other into pits.
On paper, it’s a cooperative experience, but as soon as someone picks up the acorn and turns into Flying Squirrel Mario, things start spiraling. One missed jump, one well-timed ground-pound, and suddenly the whole level needs to be restarted, ideally after a brief cooldown period to avoid passive-aggressive Bubble usage.
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What helps make this game more approachable is the inclusion of Toadette and Nabbit, two characters designed to smooth out the experience for less experienced players. Nabbit, in particular, can’t take damage from enemies, which is perfect for anyone just there to vibe and occasionally steal all the coins. The level design is classic Mario with a modern twist, full of creative stages that throw new mechanics at players without overwhelming them. It’s a great mix of old-school challenge and modern polish, with the kind of couch co-op that starts with synchronized jumps and ends with both players yelling, “Stop picking me up!”
2 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Catsuits, Chaos, And Couples Therapy
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- Released
- February 12, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Few games balance pure platforming joy with relationship-testing mischief quite like Super Mario 3D World. It’s cooperative in theory, but once the timer starts and the Cat Suits come out, it turns into a full-blown scramble for power-ups, secrets, and that shiny golden flagpole.
Up to four players can jump into this one, but with two, it’s a tightly-packed co-op platformer that demands coordination and patience. The level design is smartly built around shared space—players are constantly bouncing off each other, intentionally or not—and almost every power-up or enemy encounter has room for both sabotage and support.
What really sells it, though, is the level variety. One stage might be a clear-cut sprint, the next a rhythm-based puzzle, followed by a Bowser boss fight in a flaming sedan. Thanks to the addition of Bowser’s Fury in the Switch version, couples can also explore a dynamic open-world-style side mode where one player controls Bowser Jr., offering a more laid-back support role.
It’s vibrant, unpredictable, and just the right amount of ridiculous, and when one player accidentally throws the other off a cliff while trying to grab a Stamp, well, it makes for a good story later.
1 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
That Time You Won An Argument With A Well-Placed Banana Peel
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Released
- April 27, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Genre(s)
- Racing
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn’t just a racing game, it’s a relationship litmus test disguised in neon lights and anti-gravity tracks. One minute everything’s peaceful—two karts, side by side, gliding through Moo Moo Meadows—and then someone picks up a red shell and suddenly there’s a 3-lap Cold War brewing.
The strength of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a couples game lies in its flexibility. Players can race together on the same team in co-op Grand Prix, face off in head-to-head time trials, or settle long-standing domestic disputes in the arena-style Battle Mode. The item system has a healthy dose of chaos baked in, which means that even if one player isn’t as experienced, a lucky Bullet Bill or Lightning Bolt can shake up the entire race.
Every track from the original Wii U version is here, along with a massive roster of characters and vehicles to suit every playstyle. Thanks to the Booster Course Pass, the selection of tracks has nearly doubled, mixing old-school nostalgia from Double Dash!! And Mario Kart DS with brand-new courses. Whether players are pros at taking tight corners with inside drift bikes or are just there to throw green shells backwards out of spite, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe makes sure both sides are laughing, fuming, or both by the time the race ends. The real joy, though, comes from the shared memories: the screaming, the fist-pumping, the "I can't believe you did that" moments that somehow always end in a rematch. This isn’t just a party game—it’s a ritual, and for many couples, a nightly one.
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