The 11 Super Mario side characters who deserve their own game

It’s MAR10 Day today but while there are plenty of games starring Mario himself, which of his allies and enemies also deserve a spin-off game?

While the Super Mario franchise’s actual anniversary is September 13, international Mario Day is actually March 10, since the US date format renders today as MAR 10 – if you’re using the right kind of digital watch or other old school display.

Nintendo has adopted it as an official holiday but it usually doesn’t do anything other than run a limited sale for Mario games, so don’t expect a surprise 3D Mario game reveal. Although there have been rumours of a relatively big Mario Kart World update.

Mario himself has had plenty of games over the decades and while he’s occasionally stepped aside to let others, like Luigi and Wario, take the spotlight, there are still several Mushroom Kingdom residents who are overdue the chance to headline their own adventure.

1. Toad

No, we’re not talking about Captain Toad, who already starred in his own game, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. We mean just… Toad. While the mushroom headed citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom are also called Toads, a singular Toad, called Toad, has frequently appeared as his own character in the various sports and party game spin-offs.

Aside from being one of the four playable heroes in Super Mario Bros. 2, he’s missed out on most of Mario’s recent mainline adventures, with blue and yellow Toads taking his spot in 2D platformers like Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Maybe he’s retired and prefers to hold down the fort at home. Given the popularity of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and, most recently, Pokémon Pokopia, a Mario version of those games where you’re a humble Toad building and managing a town in the Mushroom Kingdom sounds like one of those ideas so obvious it’s surprising it hasn’t been done yet. Especially if you could end up making it look like it does in the animated movie.

2. Goomba

The poor Goomba race has been getting stomped on by Mario and friends for 40 years, so when will they get their turn in the spotlight? Their standing has improved over time; in fact, the Switch 2 has seen their racing and tennis debuts with Mario Kart World and Mario Tennis Fever.

However, we’ve yet to see a Goomba be the star of the show. The closest is the Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga remake, which added a real-time strategy side-game where a lowly Goomba leads Bowser’s minions on a quest to find their missing king.

The idea could be fleshed out into a proper tactics game, with you challenging other armies in a bid to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom in Bowser’s name, but we think a puzzle platformer similar to the Captain Toad games would be a better fit, with a dash of Pikmin thrown in where you recruit more Goombas to bypass certain puzzles.

3. Lakitu

Much like the Goombas, Lakitus (Lakiti?) have frequently served as Bowser’s minions, but a few have been friendly enough to assist Mario, whether it be as the cameraman in Super Mario 64 or as a party member in Paper Mario.

Nintendo clearly sees Lakitu as important, since one has served as a referee in multiple sports games and, even after a promotion to playable character, kicks off races in all the Mario Kart games. So, why not give Lakitu their own game?

Since they’re typically seen flying on clouds, how about a Mario themed horizontal shooter à la R-Type, with them throwing their Spiny shells as their main projectile? Or, since they’re known for fishing racers back onto the track in Mario Kart, a chill Lakitu fishing game.

4. Boo

Boos are the most famous ghost characters in the Mario franchise, but there have been other types of ghosts throughout the series, most notably in the Luigi’s Mansion games. So, what makes the Boos different? Feels like there’s some untapped lore there.

Like Goomba and Lakitu, there have been plenty of playable Boos throughout the spin-offs (sometimes it’s even been King Boo), but no dedicated Boo games outside of the Luigi’s Mansion series, where they serve as primary antagonists.

A Boo-led game would probably be the reverse of that – a stealth game of sorts where you sneak up on Luigi and scare him before he spots you. Kind of like a child friendly Dead By Daylight that replaces the bloody murders with cartoonish jump scares. The fact that most Boos can’t look you in the face seems like a game mechanic ripe for exploitation.

5. Kamek

One last minion before we move on, Kamek has been Bowser’s right-hand baddie since the king was a baby and is important enough to have his own name, distinguishing himself from the generic Magikoopa enemies.

He also gets to be one of the main enemies in the Illumination Mario movies, and yet it took until 2012’s Mario Party 9 before he finally got to be playable. He’s since had a few more playable appearances in spin-offs but after finally making it into the racing games with Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, he was demoted to just an item in Mario Kart World.

Given his position in Bowser’s army, Kamek might be a better lead role for a strategy game than a Goomba and his flying broomstick and spells make him a good fit for any kind of arcade-style shoot ‘em up. Alternatively, a Kamek game could focus on his early years rearing Bowser, kind of like a Nintendogs life-sim parody where you’re taking care of an evil toddler and trying to make him even more evil.

6. Waluigi

While Luigi’s lanky doppelganger has thrived in the spin-off games, he’s never so much as been acknowledged in the mainline entries. He’s completely absent in the Wario Land and WarioWare games too, despite being Wario’s partner in crime.

The closest he’s come to having a substantial role in the franchise is as the starting villain in 2005’s Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix and even then, he serves as the first boss fight, vanishing completely after he’s bested in a dance off.

Like Wario, Waluigi’s unhinged personality means any game he’d star in could afford to get really weird in ways a regular Mario game can’t. Something akin to those bizarre Legend Of Zelda adventure games starring Tingle would suit Waluigi’s weirdo vibes perfectly, where you explore dungeons and complete puzzles to gather treasure. At the very least, it’d be great to see him appear as a co-op partner in a new Wario Land platformer.

7. Princess Peach

Okay, yes, we’re cheating with this one as Peach has already had the lead role in two games: 2005’s Super Princess Peach and 2024’s Princess Peach: Showtime! So, why are we including her on this list? It’s because we feel neither of those games did her justice.

Super Princess Peach was a perfectly fine 2D platformer but suffered from some (presumably unintentional) sexist overtones and while not without its charms, Princess Peach: Showtime! is patronisingly easy even for a kids game and does little to expand on Peach’s character in the same way Luigi’s Mansion did for Luigi.

A more dedicated platformer, with Peach as the lead, makes a lot more sense now that the animated movies have turned her into a hyper-competent action hero, but we’d also welcome an expansion on Showtime’s formula if it had more engaging gameplay and a funnier script. Maybe even give it to Luigi’s Mansion studio Next Level Games, so it can flex its animation chops.

8. Daisy

Like Waluigi, Daisy is mostly known for her appearances in the spin-offs, serving as Peach’s louder and more tomboyish counterpart. Unlike Waluigi, though, she finally made the jump to the mainline platformers in 2023 as one of Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s playable characters, 34 years after her debut in Super Mario Land.

Hopefully this is a sign she’ll appear more frequently in the platformers and considering the games often hint at her being a love interest for Luigi, she’s arguably overdue an appearance in a Luigi’s Mansion game, though ideally not just as a kidnap victim.

A Daisy-centric platformer would also be the perfect excuse to return to her home kingdom of Sarasaland, which still has untapped potential for new locations. Or alternatively she could share the spotlight with Peach in a hypothetical Showtime sequel, as a co-op partner.

9. Nabbit

Debuting as a new enemy in 2012’s New Super Mario Bros. U, Nabbit’s antagonistic role was quickly dropped in favour of him being the beginner friendly playable character in the 2D games. Since he’s completely invincible (although he’s not immune to falling into pits) he’s meant for little kids who have never played a platformer before.

A Nabbit game, though, could be a good opportunity to return to his roots. His whole thing was speeding away after robbing someone’s house, so how about a Super Meat Boy-esque platformer where the levels are bite-sized and the emphasis is on how fast you can complete them, with you helping Nabbit flee his pursuers.

Such a game could also explain where Nabbit came from and why he’s made a habit out of stalking Mario and company in the 2D games. Super Mario Bros. Wonder describes him as ‘someone keeping an eye on Mario and his friends,’ so maybe he’s just lonely and awkward.

10 & 11. Geno and Mallow

The Mario role-playing games are full of fan favourite characters, but if any of them were going to headline their own game, our vote is for the double act of Geno and Mallow, who both served as party members in Super Mario RPG. Coincidentally, that game turned 30 years old the day before MAR10 Day, on March 9.

You’re likely already familiar with Geno thanks to the enduring fan demands that he be playable in Super Smash Bros., but if not, he’s a sagely star spirit who inhabits the body of a wooden doll and fights with energy blasts and kid-friendly firearms.

Mallow, meanwhile, is an adorable cloud boy raised by frogs who wields weather-based magic. He’s also the only party member with a real character arc, joining Mario on his quest to track down his birth parents and eventually outgrowing his cry-baby tendencies.

Super Mario RPG’s overall plot was rather thin, but a direct sequel with a script thatrelies on the comedic stylings of the Paper Mario games would be very welcome and the perfect opportunity to further flesh out Geno and Mallow. Alternatively, their unique abilities could be used for a co-op platformer in the style of Hazelight’s games like Split Fiction.

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