The Super Mario series is the golden child of Nintendo—and of gaming in general. It's no wonder, then, that the company's plumber mascot always gets a fair share of titles on any Nintendo console, but not every Super Mario title has seen equal treatment on the Switch 2.
The history of Nintendo is closely intertwined with that of its Super Mario games. These titles have forged new frontiers for both Nintendo and the medium of gaming as a whole; whether it be charting a new renaissance after the videogame crash of 1983, pioneering the jump from pixels to polygons, or assuring the success of the Switch after the Wii U's fallout, Mario's seen it all. With the plumber's Super Mario line of platformer titles turning 40, it's worth looking into which of these games have yet to reach Nintendo's latest machine, the Switch 2. This list will only include games in the Super Mario series, meaning only mainline platformer titles will be considered.
8 Best Mario Games To Play On Switch 2, Ranked
The Switch 2 is home to a ton of fun and memorable Mario games, including a few that have received significant upgrades.
The Super Mario Games That Aren't On The Switch 2
Upcoming Titles (Super Mario Galaxy Remasters, Sunshine on Switch Online)
It's worth noting some Super Mario games that are available on the Switch 2 aren't necessarily accessible. This is the case with Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy, both of which have heretofore been stuck on the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection. This 3-in-1 pack was only available for a limited time during the plumber's 35th anniversary, and the only option to get it now (legally) is at a steep price on the secondary market. Luckily, both games will soon be fully available on the Switch 2; Super Mario Sunshine is confirmed for Switch Online's GameCube expansion, and the recent Nintendo Direct confirmed a Super Mario Galaxy remaster, packaged with a remastered Super Mario Galaxy 2. In the case of the second game, this release will mark its debut on the Switch 2, filling another gap in terms of Super Mario titles on the console.
Games With 'Replacements'
In terms of games that lack a roadmap for a Switch 2 release, there's a category of games that have been effectively 'replaced' by their sequels. In terms of the Switch 2, the most obvious case of this is with the original Super Mario Maker. Super Mario Maker was one of the Wii U's few breakout hits, but it never received a port to the original Switch. Instead, Nintendo released Super Mario Maker 2, which the company and many fans consider simply an expansion of the original, though there are a handful of missing features (such as costumes and the more seamless gamepad integration) that give the first an edge over the sequel for some.
This isn't only the case for Super Mario Maker, however. Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS is not available on the Switch 2, and that will likely remain the case for all time, considering it's long been overshadowed by its cousin Super Mario 3D World. In a similar vein, the presence of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe has long excluded any of its brethren from reaching the Switch family of consoles. These games include:
• New Super Mario Bros.
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• New Super Mario Bros. 2
• Super Mario Run
While a Super Mario mobile game may have never been in the mainline running, it's worth considering it within this list when looking at the totality of exclusions. Though it's certainly possible for a collection of New Super Mario Bros. Games to come to the Switch 2, the fact that their gameplay, structure, length, and aesthetic are all incredibly similar to NSMBU Deluxe, it's likely these titles will all stay on their original consoles for good. However, if DS or Wii games come to Switch Online, it's more than likely that many of these entries could return.
