The most comfortable Mario games

If it's autumn, then you need some cozy games. Of course, if it's any other season, you still need them, let's be real. Fall in certain regions can't claim a monopoly on cozy vibes just because of its crisp leaves, perfect temperatures, gorgeous cloudy skies, and… was there a point here?

Right, yes, the point is, any time of the year is perfect for a nice, relaxing, cozy video game to soothe your tired brain. As for which ones, you might assume that the Mario games would be prime candidates for this. But then again, Mario Party. So which of the iconic plumber's offerings offer the most comfortable experiences?

10 Mario Tennis: Power Tour

Less fighting God, more mastering a sick Topspin

A high-energy sport like tennis may not seem like the most comfortable of activities to you. But maybe that's just because you haven't seen it treated like a classic RPG. Why play tennis when you could put a nice low-stakes story behind it?

Camelot's Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance takes the knowledge of the RPG developer, who would later create the excellent Golden Sun games, and applies it to what could have been a typical sports game. The result is a super satisfying mix of story and bouncy ball action.

9 Super Mario Galaxy

In space, no one can hear you

It's true, Super Mario Galaxy can get pretty frustrating and certainly not comfortable during some of its optional challenges. After all, it's a 3D platformer that takes gravity more as a suggestion than a scientific law. But when you get into the groove, it positively sings.

As you blast through space (while trying not to blast), you'll find some incredibly cozy locations like Rosaline's Observatory, which slowly builds its own orchestral soundtrack throughout your adventure. Just sitting there for a while is gratifying enough, but you'll definitely be stopping throughout the game just to admire the various other locations and tracks.

8 Mario Golf

How many other games have a cheer button?

The later Mario Golf games certainly retain an air of low-impact fun that keeps things comfortable. But where they tend to add more action to the mix, the near-original Mario Golf on the Nintendo 64 knows how to stay relaxed all the way through. Camelot knows its comfortable sports.

Right from the start, it plays a nice opening scene, especially showing the characters cheering each other on as they each take swings. That sets the tone for the entire game, and once you discover the “nice shot” button in this truly competent golf game, you'll never stop hitting it.

7 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Can you imagine Bloodborne in this art style?

To get things out of the way, yes, the sound of Baby Mario crying in this game is the exact opposite of comfortable, essentially. But even despite this, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island still manages to quietly charm you back with each stage. Now that's an achievement.

From the ragtime soundtrack to the pencil-style visuals, everything about Yoshi's Island (except one thing) is tailored to make you smile. It's also an extremely well-made 2D platformer, finally giving over-serious gamers a reason to bond with their laid-back counterparts.

6 WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!

Dozens of games in minutes, now that's efficiency

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! it was good enough to essentially spawn a new genre of gaming and set Wario apart from his vaguely villainous origins with a whole new cast of fascinating characters. But it also turns out that having the attention span of a toddler can be fun.

WarioWare games throw quick 'microgames' at you, each lasting just a few seconds, keeping you on your toes the entire time. But between the lovingly designed characters and the simply intuitive controls, don't be surprised if you find yourself in a comfortable, zen-like state where nothing matters but the shout.

5 Mario Paint

Happy little mushrooms

A very quick way to make sure the game is comfortable is to make sure the player can't die or even get hurt. In Mario Paint, the goal is to make music and art and just have fun with the Super Nintendo Mouse peripheral. If you can find a way to hurt yourself playing this, maybe you need a comfortable game more than most.

It was just an excuse for Nintendo to sell that mouse controller because good luck trying to find another game that uses it. But it's a great way to turn off your brain and relax. The concepts are simple, the art is mostly just filling in the blanks, and the closest you get to raising your blood pressure is that fly swatting minigame.

4 Princess Peach: Showtime!

Arm your wardrobe

Having trouble deciding between an exciting adventure, a stealth action or a cooking game? Princess Peach: Showtime! I heard your thoughts, you briefly wondered why you had such specific desires and ran with it.

This game does a lot and somehow manages to do it all very well. As Peach changes outfits, she gains new abilities, all against the backdrop of, well, the backdrop. It's set on a theater stage, you see. The plot makes as much sense as any Mario game, but the premise and gameplay work so well together that you'll be grinning from ear to ear the whole time.

3 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Nathan Drake's Fever Dream

If you're playing a game entirely about Toad, it's most likely not exactly in danger of triggering traumatic responses. The underrated Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a puzzle platformer of sorts, with the titular Captain Toad traversing small self-contained stages using the Super Mario 3D World aesthetic.

If you remember the Captain Toad stages from 3D World, you'll remember that they aren't exactly MENSA-level challenges. This full spin-off keeps things cool, and the varied levels (including a creative spin on Super Mario Odyssey's New Donk City in the Switch port) are so cute you can't help but smile.

2 Yoshi's Wooly World

Is a sewing kit like a nursery?

Yoshi has been the face of cuteness in the Mario series for decades, and it's not hard to see why. Just look at him. He is so round and soft. Yoshi's Woolly World knew what it had, turning the already huggable dinosaur into a crocheted yarn doll your grandma would probably love as much as you do.

An adorable platformer in the vein of Yoshi's Story, Yoshi's Woolly World keeps the gameplay similar, with Yoshi eating enemies and throwing things, but adds a creative aesthetic that's so satisfying to look at. The eventual sequel Yoshi's Crafted World maintained this idea, but nothing quite captures the feeling in the same comfortable way.

1 Super Mario Sunshine

The worst vacation that didn't involve Chevy Chase

Can a single atmosphere make a comfortable game? Well, if you don't think so, you have to admit that Super Mario Sunshine makes a valiant effort after smoothing out a lot of the rough edges from Super Mario 64. Set in a tropical paradise, it's hard not to feel at least a little relaxed when you even see a screenshot of it.

Of course, if that screenshot involves the Pachinko machine level or Mount Corona, then you'd be forgiven for that spike in blood pressure you feel. But even with all that in mind, a Mario platformer that lets you explore a gorgeous location like Isle Delfino feels so good to experience. Plus, while it doesn't have the best water effects in gaming, it does have some of the most refreshing.