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The 5 Best Mario Sports Games (And The 5 Worst)

By February 26, 2022Sports games

Mario has proven himself an athlete for the wide variety of sports he has played since his sporting debut as a player in the 1987 game. NES Open Tournament Golf. Since then, sports-derived games for the mario franchise have become more popular. However, not all of them were huge hits, like Mario Tennis and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64.

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Besides being a playable athlete, Mario also had experience as a referee in the 1987 NES game. Mike Tyson Punch!!, surprisingly without permission. With All The Weird Jobs Mario Has Had, Players Still Can’t Forget Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix, no matter how hard they try.

ten Best: Mario Tennis Featured The Meme-Worthy Waluigi


Mario Tennis N64 box art.

The second part of Mario Tennis The franchise was released for Nintendo 64 in 2000. It follows on from the 1995 title Mario’s tennis for the virtual boy. Mario Tennis includes 20 playable characters and an entertaining story and co-op mode.

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Among the 20 characters, several characters from the mario the franchise has risen to prominence in this game. This includes the in-game debuts of the loveable Waluigi, Daisy, and Birdo. Characters can also be transferred from the Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis.

9 Worst: Square Enix characters make cameos in Mario Sports Mix


Nintendo Mario Sports Mix Basketball

Mario Sports Mix was developed by Square Enix and released worldwide for the Nintendo Wii in 2011. The game features several familiar characters from the mario franchise, as well as various Square Enix characters making appearances, such as Moogle and Ninja. Players can participate in four sports: volleyball, ice hockey, dodgeball and basketball.

The game received average reviews based on the period graphics and cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. However, Mario Sports Mix lack of replayability. Although Square Enix’s guest stars are admittedly cool.


8 Best: Mario Golf is considered the first modern Mario sports game


Mario Golf for Nintendo 64

One of the best sports games mario franchise, the Nintendo 64 game Mario Golf came out a year ago Mario Tennis and serves as the first installment in popular golf spin-off games in the mario franchise.

While Mario made appearances in several sports games before this one, this one is considered the first modern game in the beloved sports spin-off series. Currently, Mario Golf was set to release on Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo 64 expansion pack after being re-released on Wii U’s Virtual Console in 2015.


7 Worst: Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix was the first DDR title on Nintendo consoles released outside of Japan


dance dance revolution is a very popular rhythm and dance game franchise produced by Konami, which was first released in 1998 in Japan. As the franchise has been popularized in arcades around the world, several titles have made it to home consoles.

For example, Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mixreleased for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. It was the first DDR title to be released on a Nintendo home console outside of Japan. The game received mixed reviews among critics, mostly for its lackluster single-player campaign and simple difficulty.


6 Best: Super Mario Strikers Will Change


Super Mario Strikers for Gamecube

Super Mario Strikers was released for Nintendo GameCube in 2005 and was the last mario game for the console in Japan and North America. This is the first time players have seen Mario don soccer cleats and battle other franchise characters.

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Players choose a team captain as well as sidekicks to score goals using the Super Strike feature. Players can also put opponents at a disadvantage by using items like bananas and red seashells. Another title in the franchise was recently announced for the Nintendo Switch, called Mario Strikers: Battle League.


5 Worst: Mario Sports Superstars is an even more heartbreaking sequel


Nintendo Mario Sports Superstars Horse Racing

Mario Sports Superstars was released for Nintendo 3DS in 2017 and is a sequel to Mario Sports Mix, another sports game that deserves a place at the bottom. As Mario Sports Mix, Mario Sports Superstars feature 5 different playable sports.

This time it’s football, baseball, tennis, golf and horse racing. Similar to its predecessor, the game lacked flair allowing players to win the title more than twice. The game is everything gamers despise Mario Sports Mix and more, given the lack of Square Enix guest appearances.


4 Best: Mario Super Sluggers is a common favorite among Mario Sports fans


Mario Super Sluggers game with DK at bat

Mario Super Punchers is a 2008 Wii title that follows the 2005 GameCube game Mario Superstar Baseball. Mario Super Punchers was released exclusively in Japan and North America and did not arrive in Europe or Australia.

This game is a favorite among fans of the Mario Sports franchise, especially for the amount of content it has. The game is entertaining to play, whether in single or multiplayer mode. Players love the wide range of characters and different maps like DK Jungle and Luigi’s Mansion that act as baseball parks.




3 Worst: Mario & Sonic at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is the most disappointing Olympic title


Mario and Sonic Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics is the fourth part of the Mario&Sonic series and arguably the worst Olympic title. The game is the first title to be released for Wii U and feature online multiplayer. However, like the console it’s intended for, the game is forgettable. Reviewers praised the game for its character roster and engaging visuals. However, it is a recycled version of the games that preceded it and lacks originality. The game also features frustrating controls and was actually just a way to promote the 2014 Olympics.


2 Best: Mario Hoops 3-On-3 is the first Mario basketball game


Mario Hoops 3 of 3

Mario Hoops 3 on 3known as Mario Slam Basketball in Europe, was developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo for the DS in 2006. It was the first game to feature Square Enix characters in guest roles before they appeared together in Mario Sports Mix.

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This title is the first mario basketball game ever released, and the second mario game developed by Square Enix. Players face opponents in a three-on-three basketball game format on different courts. The game was also released for the Wii U Virtual Console in 2016.


1 Worst: Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is a skippable tennis entry


Mario Tennis Ultra Smash Daisy Posing Screenshot

Not all Mario Tennis title is as entertaining as the eponymous Nintendo 64 title and Mario The Aces of Tennis for the Nintendo Switch. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash was released for Wii U in 2016, and critics hated almost every aspect of this title. While the visuals were a step in the right direction from previous games, the number of modes and characters featured were a huge disappointment for gamers. If players are interested in choosing a title from the Mario Tennis series is a title to avoid.

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