Must-Have Mario Platformer Switch Games

The 8-year-old Nintendo Switch lies on it's deathbed surrounded by loved ones, and younger-sexier PC handhelds, so as an aspiring Switch collector - 

*throws money into trash can* Am I doing it right?

- celebrating its death, I'm deciding which mascot Mario platformers belong in the perfect Switch collection... according to me! Doctors say my hubris might not be treatable, but my 2-month-old baby assures me he doesn't want to go to college, so let's blow some cash.

It starts with Super Mario Odyssey, an exclusive launch-year 3D platformer with giant unique levels. It's widely accessible, pretty common, and synonymous to the console, and is the easiest game here to recommend, definitely yes, 5/5.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a later-life 2D platformer that blends nostalgic gameplay, fun new twists, and Mario absolutely tripping on shrooms, absolutely yes, 5/5.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a great platformer in a more standard 3D-Mario style salvaged from the sunken Wii U ship, maybe good enough on its own, but with a great new inclusion Bowser's Fury, it's another 5/5.

I consider those three the must-haves, but what if you're ready to stop casually dating and get serious with your Mario Switch games? 

Super Mario Maker 2 can't quite replicate original's one good use of the Wii U game pad (just ahead of frisbee and doorstop) and its best potential is internet dependent, but it's basically infinite 2D Mario for cheap, so it's in... probably, 4/5.

On the flipside, if you have enough time to play games but not so much to make them yourself, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a solid Wii U port in the 2D New Super Mario lineup that includes Luigi Bros. as well. Wonder and even Maker 2 might scratch a similar itch, so unless you only want one or two of that bunch, it's probably in, 4/5.

But what if you're really ready to settle down with your Switch? You know, the collector truly dedicated... to setting money on fire? 

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of a 2004 Game Boy Advance game of that classic puzzle-platform gameplay style that probably lacks broad appeal. I'll spend twice as long thinking about it right now than actually ever playing it, but it offers new casual and co-op modes, plus some new content, so it's possibly in - it's on my wishlist - but discretion advised, 3/5.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a collection of Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario 64 for which the packaging and presentation are barebones, and the emulation choices are weird, but it gets too much flack just because it costs closer to triple digits than MSRP. It's decent and I'm a sucker for compilations, so it's possibly in... or not, your call, 3/5. 

There you have it, the must-own Mario platformers... and also some other stuff.

*shows same trash can with like 3 games in it* Look, it worked!

And some other day I'll do some more other stuff like Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, etc.

A lot of my favorite games are great first-party experiences really built to a console's strengths, and Odyssey actually moved the needle on my wife and I getting our first ever current console - a Switch - back in 2017, so that's pretty sentimental. And several of the other games listed here play to the console's strengths of not being the Wii U, so that's just pretty handy! Thanks for being here, see you next time!