Mario is one of Nintendo’s core franchises and the plumber’s history will always be ingrained in gaming and pop culture. Select retailers are celebrating Mario Day (March 10) this year by promoting some weeklong great deals on select Mario games and accessories. There’s even a new Nintendo Switch bundle launching for the big day, which is a great jumping-on point for those grabbing Nintendo’s red-hot console for the first time.
The following promotion runs through March 12. You will be able to save $20 on select Mario titles — including many of our picks for the best Nintendo Switch games — and Mario Kart Live Home Circuit will be discounted by $40.
Of the titles listed, here are the top 5 that we’d recommend:
Mario makes a new friend named Cappy that allows him to control other characters and objects. It’s an open-ended 3D platformer game with lots of charm and a variety of environments ranging from beaches to deserts.
This is one of the most robust racing games of all time. It has an enormous amount of tracks to race on and plenty of replay value for you and your friends, and is still getting new content to this day via the Booster Course Pass. Its fun and energetic racing mechanics will entertain for hours on end.
This game stars Mario’s brother, Luigi, as he and his pet ghost dog Polterpup explore a haunted house and rescue their friends from King Boo. It’s not a scary game by any means, which makes this perfect for kids and adults alike.
This is another solid 3D Mario title where up to four players can team up as Mario and friends to rescue fairy creatures called Sprixies from Bowser. Bowser’s Fury is a new addition that has some open-world elements seen in Super Mario Odyssey and is an incredible adventure on top of Super Mario 3D World.
This unique level creation game lets you design your own custom Mario levels. Its online functionality allows players to share their own levels for others to play too. It also includes a single-player story mode and new assets from Super Mario 3D World.
Mario Day console and hardware deals
Available starting March 10, this bundle gets you a Nintendo Switch with special Mario Red Joy-Cons and your choice of Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. We would suggest either picking up Super Mario Odyssey or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — the former is an amazing 3D platformer game and the latter is an endlessly entertaining racer.
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