The Best Free Super Mario Games You Can Play Today

With Mario having just made the jump to the big screen (again) with the release of the Super Mario Bros movie, it’s the best time to leap into the world of Mario games. If you just want to try some out before you decide to devote 40 hours to travel the globe with a plumber in Mario Odyssey, the best free Super Mario games are a great place to start.

Nintendo isn’t known for handing out games for free, or even cheap. There are some Mario games you can try out for free though! Through their online service and other demos, there are plenty of great choices to try things out before you buy! These are all of the best Super Mario games available for free (or close to it) right now!

The Best Free Super Mario Games

Super Mario Run

This is one of the only truly free Mario games here, even if it’s just the demo! This mobile title is a weird experiment from the company into bringing their biggest franchises to the most accessible platform. While Nintendo hasn’t followed up with more mobile Mario titles, there’s a lot to like here.

Super Mario Run is a fun twist on the platformer where Mario auto-runs. There’s still a lot of timing required and some puzzle-solving to get collectables through. It’s a worthy mobile instalment of the most iconic platformer.

Best Free Super Mario Games On Nintendo Switch Online

Unless we’re going to get into flash games hosted on websites that are likely days away from Nintendo hitting the cease-and-desist button, the best free Mario games have to come to Nintendo Switch Online.

Now, this isn’t entirely free. However, you can access a free trial of Nintendo Switch Online which lets you try out all the Mario you want for a while! On top of that, the small subscription fee gets you access to the entire catalogue of Nintendo games on classic consoles. These free Super Mario games are some of the most influential video games of all time. These are the highlights.

Super Mario World

This might be the absolute pinnacle of 2D Mario and even 2D platforming. It’s the big leap forward that came for the game on the SNES. Visually the pixel art is another level to what came before. In gameplay, it’s some of the best level design Mario has ever had. It’s got more fun power-ups, Yoshi, and a variety of stages that show everything Mario to offer.

Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins

This Game Boy instalment of Mario was often overlooked but it’s one of the highlights of the series. Compared to the first game in the series, it delivers the entire Super Mario experience on a Gameboy’s hardware. It also has some of the most unique and fun level designs. It’s a game that takes you into space, shrunken down to fight with insects in a house, and even explore a giant robot of Mario for some reason.

Super Mario 64

If you can grab the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pack for Switch Online, you get all of the N64 titles too! Super Mario 64 is one of the biggest leaps forward ever taken in gaming. It brings Mario (and a good portion of the gaming audience) into 3D for the first ever time.

This is a ground-breaking title. Aside from some camera wonkiness it has aged wonderfully too. It still has one of the best feeling control schemes for Mario and really creative worlds to explore. Mastering all of Mario’s moves to open up the game still feels rewarding. It’s not a title you need the best Nintendo Switch controllers to enjoy, Mario’s moves are still completely intuitive.

Super Mario Kart

It’s not all just platforming, the best free Mario games has to include the kart racer spin-off! The original version is still accessible as part of the Nintendo Switch Online offerings. Super Mario Kart is where the whole franchise of kart racing started. While the track selection is more repetitive than it would become, each of them is a fun course. Its Rainbow Road is one of the most iconic in the series too.

Super Mario Bros

Also included in Switch Online is the very first Mario, Super Mario Bros. Not the character’s debut, but it does introduce the modern gameplay style for the plumber. This one even includes voices from the movie too. Perfect if you’re especially hyped to hear the Chris Pratt version of the character that’s won such rave reviews as “contractual obligation”.

Those are some of the best free Mario games that are available, and mainly those that you can play for free for a limited time! With these titles you can dip your feet into the world of Mario and catch up on all those big past titles you might have missed.

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