So you’ve just left the theater after seeing The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Your brain is buzzing from the visual sugar rush and you’ve been bombarded with nostalgic references. You’re ready to break out your Switch (2) and head to the Mushroom Kingdom for a bit. Maybe you’re looking for a few suggestions to get your Mario fix, or perhaps you want to try one of the games from the various crossover characters that appear in the film? Well, here are a few suggestions for games you can play easily on modern hardware.
Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 is widely considered the best game in the intergalactic adventures of Fox McCloud, maybe because the poor guy hasn’t gotten a new game in over a decade.Thankfully, it’s playable on Switch and Switch 2 through a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. Star Fox 64 definitely feels a little dated by modern standards, but the space combat sim still glistens with a retro-future vibe and a ton of attitude. It’s easily the best place to start if you’ve never played a Star Fox game before.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2 is playable on the NES Nintendo Classics offerings on the Switch, and if you’ve seen The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, you’ll recognize a few villains Mario faces along the way in the platformer. Wart, Birdo, and Mouser all debuted in this game back in 1988. Originally called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic when it was released in Japan, the game was subsequently reworked with Mario characters to become the game we know today as Super Mario Bros. 2. Those origins are part of why some of the series’ iconic characters, such as Bowser, don’t appear in the game, though it did introduce a number of characters that would go on to become iconic mainstays.
Super Mario World 2 Yoshi’s Island
In the movie you saw Mario and Luigi briefly become babies and have their pacifier-sucking hides saved by Yoshi. Well, in Yoshi’s Island you get to spend an entire game doing that. Available through Switch Online, the SNES adventure platformer has tons of imaginative levels full of puzzles and secrets to discover. It’s far and away the best Yoshi game and still one of the best Mario games ever made. All of the whimsical adventuring that the Mario Galaxy Movie didn’t take time to flesh out is presented in beautiful 16-bit detail with a great soundtrack to boot. – Ethan Gach
Super Mario Galaxy 1+2
Odds are, most folks will want to dive right into the games the movie is ostensibly based on, and thankfully, Nintendo has ported both Super Mario Galaxy games to the Switch. And boy, do they hold up. You can get both games on the Switch in a $70 bundle, which is pretty pricey, I’ll admit, but it’s cheaper than buying them both separately at $40 a pop. The Wii platformers are still some of Mario’s most magical adventures to date, and you’ll see a hell of a lot more Rosalina than you got to in the movie.
Super Mario Wonder
If you’ve not touched Super Mario Wonder since it launched in 2023, the game got a Switch 2 upgrade just in time for the movie. The game is still great on the OG Switch, but the Switch 2 edition has a new Meetup in Bellabel Park expansion that adds several multiplayer-focused levels and brings Rosalina and Luma in as a playable duo. That’s brand synergy for you. Wonder is one of the best Mario games to play if you’re looking for a quick multiplayer romp with your family, which might be great if you’ve got kids who are similarly jazzed about Mario after watching the movie. If you bought the game on Switch, the Switch 2 upgrade will run you $20.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
If you are somehow one of the Switch owners who’s never bought Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it sure feels like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has the crossover fighter top of mind with those cameos from Fox, Pikmin, and Mr. Game & Watch. The base game has plenty of fighters to play and master, but if you’re willing to shell out around $55 extra bucks, you’ll get both fighter passes and an additional dozen fighters like Sora from Kingdom Hearts and Steve from Minecraft. You and the kids will probably still be playing this one when the third movie eventually comes out.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey
The rest of these games are playable on Switch, but we do have one recommendation for those with a 3DS lying around. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey is a remake of the DS game with an add-on starring Bowser Jr. set during the events of the main game. Physical copies are running for semi-reasonable prices on sites like eBay, so if you want something a bit different than your average Mario game and a turn-based RPG sounds like your jam, this is a hilarious and really creative adventure and you’ll get to see a lot of characters from the movie along the way.
