Mario may be Nintendo’s biggest star, but he’s far from the only Nintendo mascot to star in his own game.
In reality, dozens of Nintendo mascots have been given the opportunity to shine. While some haven’t been up to the task, or worse, relegated to the bench in recent years, there’s still plenty of great titles featuring Nintendo’s biggest stars throughout the company’s illustrious history.
Before we begin, I want to give some honorable mentions to some mascots who haven’t always had a chance to shine across multiple games.
14Inklings - Splatoon 3
Paint It Black
Splatoon 3
It never ceases to amaze me that Nintendo decided to develop its own team-based shooter franchise.
The Splatoon games have steadily improved with every release, withSplatoon 3being the best of the bunch. Don’t dismiss it as a watered-down, kid-friendly version of competitive shooters, though. Yes, it has a distinct Nintendo look and feel, but gameplay-wise, things are incredibly solid and deep.
Turf War is a fantastic hook on the competitive shooter genre; it puts equal emphasis on completing the objective over eliminating opponents, but it also presents itself with objective-based gameplay that’s actually fun and engaging.
One thing that helps make Splatoon 3 the best in the series is its combination of polish, refinement, and a fantastic single-player campaign. There’s plenty to see and do here, helping the series become one of Nintendo’s most successful today.
13Luigi - New Super Luigi U
An Underrated Platformer
New Super Luigi U
New Super Luigi Uis able to take a pretty average and forgettable Mario game and transform it into something great. Yes, the Luigi’s Mansion series has become a fan and critical darling over the years, but I’m sorry, Super Luigi U has it beat.
It feels similar enough to the New Super Mario Bros. games, where you have that sense of familiarity, but there are plenty of unique twists that help make it unique. The game’s design accounts for Luigi’s attributes, mainly his ability to jump higher than his brother.
Additionally, this is a surprisingly difficult game. Now, we’re not talking on the level of, say,Donkey Kong Country, but New Super Luigi U is no pushover.
It’s a very welcome breath of fresh air at a time when the Mario franchise felt content to play it safe; Super Luigi U felt like a new way of thinking and is a nice change of pace.
12Wario - WarioWare: Twisted!
WarioWare: Twisted
TheWarioWarefranchise is known for its short, zany, and wild collection of mini-games. In the mid-2000s, Nintendo took things a step further by introducing several gimmicks with each release.
Surprise, surprise, the Nintendo DS was all about utilizing its touchscreen, but its predecessor, WarioWare: Twisted!, had more unique gimmicks and innovation.
The GBA cartridge for Twisted had a gyro sensor in it, allowing for motion controls long before the Nintendo Wii was even a thing. The result was some of the most imaginative, hilarious, and fun collection of mini-games I’ve ever experienced.
It’s not the first WarioWare game, but I’d argue it’s the one that put the series on the map. If Nintendo could ever find a way to bring this to Nintendo Switch Online, I’d be a very happy man.
11Kirby - Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby’s Time to Finally Shine
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirbyhas gone through so many highs and lows over the years. From the original Dreamland games to the imaginative Canvas Curse on the Nintendo DS, to the uninspiring and overly simple platformers like Epic Yarn, I started to lose hope that we’d see another memorable Kirby game.
EnterKirby and the Forgotten Land, which makes me wonder what the heck he’s been up to over the years.
Every Nintendo Switch Game Getting A Switch 2 Upgrade
Finally, Tears of the Kingdom at a stable 60 FPS.
This is the Kirby platform I always dreamed of playing, dating back to spending far too many hours playing the Dreamland games on the original Game Boy. Kirby transitions to the 3D platforming space with ease, retaining his core gameplay loops of swallowing enemies or items to obtain power-ups and using them to progress through each level.
Believe it or not, this is the first fully 3D game in the Kirby franchise, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. Kirby controls like a dream during platforming sections, combat, and even boss battles. Can it feel repetitive at times? Yes, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a delight from start to finish, and I can’t wait to play through the new content in Star-Crossed World.
10Captain Falcon - F-Zero GX
Given New Life on Nintendo Switch Online
It has been far too long since we’ve seen a newF-Zerogame. No, as nice as F-Zero 99 is, that doesn’t count, although I’d argue it’s a perfect example of the demand for a new game in Nintendo’s futuristic racing franchise.
In the meantime, we can now play the Nintendo GameCube’s F-Zero GX on Nintendo Switch Online for the Switch 2. You better believe it was one of the first games I booted up, even beforeMario Kart World.
I’m impressed at how well the game has held up. Back in the day, F-Zero GX was one of the best-looking games on any console. Obviously, as the game ages, the lack of HD polish becomes more noticeable, but don’t let that detract you from how beautiful the game is or how well it plays. It’s still one of the most exciting racing games you may play today.
There areplenty of competitorsout there that have been able to satisfy our hunger, but nothing scratches the itch like F-Zero GX. Please, Nintendo, listen to us andbring the franchise back.
9Isabelle - Animal Crossing: New Leaf
The Best Animal Crossing Game
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Animal Crossing: New Horizonswas a good time, but it lacks the staying power of the Nintendo 3DS’New Leaf. It’s without a doubt the most hours I’ve put into any of theAnimal Crossing games, and that includes the original for the GameCube.
New Leaf offers an immense amount of content, giving you impressive control over your town. It’s also the introduction of Isabelle to the franchise, who has surpassed Tom Nook as Animal Crossing’s unofficial mascot.
Strangely enough, as I quickly became bored with New Horizons and wondered to myself where all the content went, I started to feel nostalgic for New Leaf. I remember starting the game up for the first time in 2013, picking up at midnight before flying out to E3. I couldn’t put the thing down, even as I was learning about the new PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
I also remember having that same energy when some friends first picked up the game a few years later. Animal Crossing may not be a forever game for me, but New Leaf is the closest it’s come. I guarantee you that if I boot it up now, you won’t hear from me for a month.
8Fox McCloud - Star Fox 64
Still A Great Arcade Shooter
Star Fox 64
Normally, I’d use this space to talk about the merits ofStar Fox 64; there are plenty, don’t worry. I love this game. It’s the first game I played when theNintendo 64 gameswere added to Nintendo Switch Online. It’s also the first game I played on my honeymoon flight.
I may or may not have also played it on the flight back.
Instead, I would like to share my thoughts on formatting for this list:“Let’s check the media library for Star Fox 64 images. Oh, I don’t like any of those. Let’s boot it up and get a good one. Oops, I just beat it.”
Star Fox, sadly, may not be suited for the modern gaming world, but I will never stop loving this game. If there are no Star Fox 64 fans, it means that I am dead.
7Link - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
A Technological Achievement
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Fextralife Wiki
Now we’re getting into the heavy hitters, the games that would otherwise be the best of the best for nearly every other developer out there. Yet for Nintendo, it was justa Tuesdayanother entry in their fabled library.
I want to make it clear that this isn’t me stalling or beating around the bush; we all know thatTears of the Kingdomfeels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m firmly in the camp of it being better than Breath of the Wild.
Best Order To Play All Mainline Zelda Games
This series has gotten so convoluted, it’s almost looped back to being simple.
The biggest reason is that Tears of the Kingdom makes its predecessor, a masterpiece in its own right, feel like a tech demo. The massive world of Hyrule is back. Oh, and it has floating islands and an underground cavern to explore, too.
Yet, the real hook is the infinite number of crafting options available in the game. If you can think of it, you can make it.
6Captain Olimar - Pikmin 4
The Newest Pikmin Is Also The Best
For the longest time, I was convinced that there would be no topping Pikmin 2.
The original is great, but the time restriction mechanic is limiting. Pikmin 3 is an excellent return for the franchise, but it lacks the depth, magic, and challenge of its predecessor. Thankfully,Pikmin 4is more than up to the task.
Some will argue that the game is a little too easy in parts, but there’s a huge difference between challenging content and gameplay mechanics that are outdated and frustrating. As much as I love Pikmin 2, it absolutely had the latter. I’m not yelling at the game anymore. Instead, I’m getting lost in each level, exploring every nook and cranny, trying to be as efficient as possible.
Pikmin 4 is the most polished, refined, and deepest game in the series. It offers an impressive amount of content that perfectly balances the tightrope of nostalgia and innovation. Oh, and I didn’t even talk about the fact that there’s a dog in this one!
5Mario - Super Mario Odyssey
Mario’s Best Outing
Super Mario Odyssey
I mean, look at that image. you may be a T-Rex, and that’s in one of the opening levels! That’s the appetizer to whet your appetite as you dive into the delicious meal that isSuper Mario Odyssey.
Never before has a platformer ever felt so open, so free, and so fluid. Mario can do virtually everything you ask him. There’s no mountain too tall to climb, no structure too massive to scale, no collectible too out of the way to obtain.
Nintendo and the Super Mario Bros. franchise as a whole are no strangers to revolutionary gameplay, and that’s what Odyssey is. It’s the ultimate platforming playground of our dreams, complete with an incredible soundtrack, countless easter eggs, and more ideas than most games know what to do with.
Mario Odyssey also has the distinction of having a co-op mode that doesn’t suck; my wife and I, despite having two very different playstyles (she wants to collecteverything, I want to progress at a much faster pace), had an absolute blast playing the game together. I’m pretty sure we didn’t stop smiling the whole way through.
