The best multiplayer Nintendo games of all time

Key points

• Nintendo offers a variety of family games that can be played alone or with friends/family.
• Some Nintendo games such as Mario Party and Super Smash Bros are best enjoyed in multiplayer mode.
• Titles like Wii Sports, Mario Kart 8 and Luigi's Mansion 3 offer immersive multiplayer experiences.

The face of family gaming, Nintendo has reached the pinnacle of being one of the largest and most successful game studios of all time, with its most popular franchises Mario AND The Legend of Zelda, among many others in their diverse catalog. In these games, players take on the role of a hero who saves the princess from monsters, and most of the time they do it alone.

But that's not always the case. There are games that encourage you to get some friends or family together to share the fun and mayhem, whether it's fighting in Mario Festa or welcome each other Smash Bros. These are the best multiplayer titles Nintendo has to offer.

7 WiiSports

Enjoy virtual sports games with Wii motion controls

Those who purchased a brand new Nintendo Wii in 2006 received a free copy WiiSports bundled with it, something to play with in the meantime before buying their first big Wii game. This collection included five games in total: tennis, baseball, bowling, boxing and golf, making perfect use of motion controls. There was a lot of fun, especially with another player.

The game was well received upon its release, although there were reports of many people accidentally breaking their TV screens or remote controls while playing these games. Even though the Wii's bright years are behind us, this will always stand out as an excellent, free multiplayer game.

6 Mario Party Superstar

Lots of minigames that are more fun with other players

Mario Festa is one of the funniest, yet potentially friendship-breaking, game series in Nintendo's vast catalog. It looks very similar to a virtual board game. Players race around a game board, collecting stars and coins, and the number of stars determines the winning player. But there's more to it than simply jumping from space to space on the board, as players will have to compete in fun and chaotic minigames, which are randomly selected each time.

Being one of the most modern titles, Mario Party Superstar it's also one of the best. Contains over 100 mini-games to ensure there is little chance of repetition even after multiple playthroughs, ensuring the game never stops being fun, new and exciting. Additionally, for those who prefer the minigame aspect over the board game, there is a mode that allows players to freely choose which games to play.

5 The Legend of Zelda: The Adventures of Four Swords

Play together or against each other with multiple game modes

The only thing better than one sword is four, and that's exactly what players get The Adventures of the Four Swords. The game begins with fears circulating in Hyrule that a terrible event is imminent, and Princess Zelda believes this may involve Vaati breaking the seal holding him. Fears are realized when Shadow Link appears to help free Vaati so he can rain chaos on the kingdom once again.

After arming himself with the Four Sword, Link splits into four copies, identical except for the colors of his clothes and some aspects of his personality. Together, they will work together to save the kingdom. Players can share the main campaign with up to three friends, which is rare in a Zelda title. Once they complete the campaign, they will be able to take on other game modes such as Shadow Battle or Navi Trackers for chaotic PvP gameplay.

4 The villa of Louis 3

Experience the thrills and chills of multiplayer modes

Most Mario The games feature the eponymous hero on adventures across the land to rescue Princess Peach. Occasionally, however, it fades into the background, as in Louis' Palace series. The third chapter of this spin-off series sees the brothers take a well-deserved vacation to a place called The Last Resort together with Princess Peach. But the place is not as relaxing as promised, as it turns out that the owner lured them there under King Boo's instructions.

Most of the gameplay in Louis' Palace the games are single-player and focus on his efforts to capture ghosts and save the day. However, The villa of Louis 3 has some excellent multiplayer game modes for sharing the spooky fun with friends. ScareScraper pits friends in cooperation against a randomly generated tower, where they must climb to the top by taking out ghosts on each floor. ScreamPark is a team-based experience that gives players the chance to play as Luigi or Gooigi in three different game modes.

3 Mario Kart 8

The definitive Mario Kart experience

Mario Kart has been an essential and long-running series in the broadest sense Mario franchising. It has been around since the SNES under the title Super Mario Kartfeaturing famous characters from the series racing against each other on themed tracks. The series has made great strides since the original, introducing new mechanics, characters, maps, vehicles, and game modes with subsequent entries. Mario Kart: Double Dash was considered the best for a long time, but then Mario Kart 8 was released, thrilling and delighting fans.

All the mainstays from previous installments are included, such as motorbikes, hang gliders and underwater sections. There are also new additions, like Link from The Legend of Zeldaand some brand new and fun racing tracks to compete on. The famous Rainbow Road makes its return, of course, along with other familiar tracks. Whether playing with friends on the couch or online, players are sure to have hours of fun racing against each other in this high-octane racing game.

2 Splatoon 3

The ultimate Paintball game

Nintendo has branched out into the world of shooters, but has managed to stay paint gun friendly in the world of Splatoon. Three games in the franchise have been released so far, and a fourth is likely on the way in the future. These games take place on an alternate version of Earth devoid of humans and almost all mammals. However, aquatic life forms are thriving now that the oceans have inundated much of the land.

Splatoon 3 takes players to a new area called Alterna, covered in snow to counteract the deserts Splatoon 2and explores the reemergence of nearly extinct mammals. As in previous games, players can tackle the story mode and delve into the tons of multiplayer content on offer. There is, of course, a Turf War mode where two teams compete to cover the area in their group's colours, PvE mode, Salmon Run Wave Next and a card mini-game, offering varied and fun gameplay.

1 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The ultimate brawling experience

THE Smash Bros The game series is one of the most unique entries in Nintendo's catalog. It pits famous characters from their games, as well as some other popular gaming mascots, in a test of fighting skills on themed battle maps. Each character has their own weapons and abilities to learn, so at least one is guaranteed to fit each player's skill level and preferred playstyle.

There are many contenders for what might be the best of the bunch, as each title shines with its own unique strengths, but Final could be the best for both new and existing fans. The generous roster of characters and new game modes such as Spirit Mode. One of the most quintessential multiplayer series of all time, Smash Bros Ultimate is one of the best games for competitive groups of friends or family to play against each other and settle the years-long debate over who truly is the best player.