The 10 BEST Mario Character Spin-Off Games

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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays and today we're looking at the best times characters from the world of Mario

00:09branched out into different games. However, we won't be including the franchise's sports or party games.

00:20Before we begin, we publish new content all week long,

00:23so be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.

00:27Princess Peach Showtime

00:35In only her second solo outing, Princess Peach took the reins for a delightful action-adventure

00:40game. Showtime follows Peach as she attends a play, only for a new gang of villains called

00:45the Sour Bunch to attack. As she works to free the theater from their tyranny, each level gives

00:50her a literal different hat to wear. Whether she's a detective, a ninja, a figure skater,

00:55or a mermaid, each one brings new mechanics and some lovely level design due to being structured

01:00like a stage play. It's certainly not a very deep or challenging game,

01:04but it has enough charm to please Mario fans.

01:13Wario's Woods

01:20This puzzle game has the honor of being a spin-off for not just one character,

01:24but two. While Wario's name is in the title and he does play the central villain,

01:28players control Toad. It follows the Mushroom Servant trying to free a bunch of woodland

01:33critters from Wario, who has placed them under a spell to control them. Toad can clear screens

01:38of monsters by rearranging them next to bombs of the same color, forming groups of three.

01:43As you progress, Toad must deal with different types of monsters, along with the increase in

01:47quantity and speed that's to be expected. Sure, it's simple, but it's just the type of hectic

01:52puzzler to suck you in. Diddy Kong Racing

02:06Hey, if Donkey Kong is a Mario character, so is Diddy. Before the sidekick jumped into Mario Kart,

02:12he starred in his own racing game from Rare on the N64, and it was so good that it even

02:17rivaled Mario's racers. The most unique thing about it was that, depending on the course,

02:22players could race not just in karts, but boats and planes too. A level of variety not heard of

02:27then. It also had a fleshed out single player mode, with an actual story to it instead of just

02:32Grand Prix's. Despite it being a one-off, other than the 2007 DS remake, Diddy Kong Racing remains

02:39a fan favorite of the N64 all these years later. Wario Land 4

02:52After debuting in the Game Boy's Super Mario Land 2, the vile villain Wario was given his own

03:00series of platformers. Of the bunch, it's his outing on the Game Boy Advance we like the most.

03:06Wario Land 4 is the perfect summation of the character's platforming mechanics.

03:11Not only that, but it was a visually impressive feat in 2001, and those graphics have aged like

03:16a fine wine. There was no drag to this game, instead moving players along at a brisk,

03:22highly entertaining pace. Plus, Wario's signature humorous greed was well intact.

03:28He may star in the WarioWare series more often these days, don't worry, we'll get to it,

03:33but Wario Land 4 still rules. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

03:38Nintendo took the Captain Toad mini-levels from Super Mario 3D World and expanded on them for a

03:48full game. Although a puzzle platformer without the ability to jump sounds odd, Treasure Tracker's

03:53levels are so good, you won't miss it for long. Each of the diorama-like levels act as obstacle

03:59courses to overcome. By changing perspective, you can spot new areas and items to help you

04:04along the way. They grow far more expansive than one might initially expect as well,

04:09introducing all kinds of creative features and enemy types that play along perfectly

04:13with the design. Here's hoping the Captain embarks on another solo adventure in the future.

04:23WarioWare Gold

04:28Yes, Nintendo truly does love Wario. While some characters have yet to get their own spinoffs,

04:34Bowser, Wario has gotten a couple. Beginning with the 2003 original, WarioWare has gone even

04:40smaller than many games, tasking players with completing various extremely silly micro-games.

04:46Because the base concept is essentially the same across all entries, favorites can vary,

04:51but Gold certainly has a lot to offer. Combining new and old micro-games alike,

04:56it had more than any other entry at 300. And just like all the rest, it excels in its quick pace

05:02for which players must keep up with. Not for nothing, but it was also the first WarioWare

05:06to feature voice acting. Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island

05:17Being both a prequel and a spinoff, Yoshi's Island was both familiar and original. It followed Yoshi

05:22and his fellow dino pals escorting baby Mario while on a quest to save baby Luigi from a young

05:28Bowser. While it was a platformer like Mario's Adventures, Yoshi had a few things to stand out.

05:33One was the timeless storybook aesthetic, which still looks incredible today. Another was his

05:38gameplay. Yoshi's clutter-jump and his egg-flinging mechanic are now two defining characteristics.

05:45Sequels have merely expanded on the greatness here, like finding new ways to give Yoshi a

05:49similarly artsy look. And while they're perfectly adequate, Yoshi's first platforming adventure

05:55is a classic. Luigi's Mansion 3

06:12Some fans may argue that Luigi's first ghost-busting game is the best, but we say

06:16nay. The third and most recent game in the series perfects what Luigi's Mansion is all about,

06:22despite not actually being set in a mansion. It follows Luigi and co after they're lured into a

06:27trap, with the scaredy-cat brother being the only one left to save everyone. Developer Next Level

06:32Games had a ton of fun designing different themed floors for the hotel, and we had a ton of fun

06:38playing them. From the medieval times, to an Egyptian pyramid, to a fully-fledged film studio,

06:44they all brought a level of detail and delight that we simply couldn't stop admiring. Plus,

06:49it's always nice to see an underdog like Luigi play the hero.

06:58Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze

07:07Technically speaking, Mario spun off from the Donkey Kong arcade game, but let's not split hairs.

07:13After making Mario a platforming star, Nintendo gave the DK brand to Rare,

07:18who produced the seminal Donkey Kong Country. Many of Donkey Kong's games following the

07:23revival are excellent, but today, we're showing love to Tropical Freeze. A follow-up to developer

07:29Retro's Country Revival, it's one of the best 2D platformers in existence. Level design is superb,

07:35from the lush art style, to the actual structure, to the mechanics that have us jumping, rolling,

07:40and walloping our way through them. It's also incredibly tough, while still being manageable

07:45and rewarding. As an added bonus, it made Cranky Kong, the canonical original DK, playable for the

07:51first time. Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door

08:06Not even counting his sports or party games, Mario has had several spinoffs into different genres,

08:12but his RPGs are his best. You could argue for the classic Super Mario RPG,

08:18or the adventures with his brother. To us, The Thousand Year Door still holds the crown.

08:23It improved on everything in the first Paper Mario. It took advantage of its paper art style

08:28and world in new ways, while turn-based battles were just as addictive. Where it really shined

08:33was with its story and characters. Goombella, Vivian, Koops, and a dozen others are so whimsical

08:40and endearing that they've stood the test of time for two decades. Even though it's

08:44not one of his traditional games, The Thousand Year Door is still one of Mario's best.

08:55Which Mario character got your favorite spinoff?

09:02Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great gaming

09:06videos every day.

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