Best Mario Toys of 2026

The garden mission is what makes this set more than a pile of bricks: start at the pipe, meet Pink Baby Yoshi, defeat Boo, take on Kamek, and finish at the Goal Pole. That structure gives a 6-year-old a reason to rebuild and replay instead of leaving the model on a shelf.

It is the set we hand to a builder who wants a toy to use after the build. At 210 pieces, it is a manageable weekend project, and the interactive Luigi figure adds reactions and sound to the play. The four-character cast is unusually complete for a set this size: Luigi, Kamek, Pink Baby Yoshi, and Boo all matter to the mission.

We were struck by how much the set leans into movement. Luigi can stomp the Mushroom Platform to knock over Kamek, grab a lantern, and eat the fruit along the route. Those little actions turn the build into a course, and the Start Pipe and Goal Pole give the play a clear beginning and end.

The 210-piece count also makes it a good bridge for a child who has moved past Duplo but is not ready for a giant LEGO set. It is more toy than model, which is the right call for the age range. For a child who already has the Mario starter set, this adds a different mission and a fresh character focus.

At 9.5 inches tall, this is a shelf-and-cuddle Mario rather than a body pillow, and the compact shape suits a desk or a bed. The All Star Collection styling keeps the silhouette recognizable: red cap, blue overalls, and a face that reads as Mario from across the room.

The plush material is soft, and the compact shape keeps it from feeling like a pillow. The stitching looks tidy through the body and limbs, and the bright colors hold the character's look. It is not a weighted plush or a giant snuggle buddy, so the appeal is portability and display as much as cuddling.

This is the plush we reach for when a Mario fan wants something soft and familiar without a screen or a pile of pieces. The character accuracy is the selling point; it looks like Mario rather than a generic mascot in overalls. It also works as a small display piece beside a console or a stack of games.

Size is the main thing to picture. The listed 9.5 inches is the full height, and the body is only a few inches deep, so it is closer to a travel plush than a couch pillow. If you want a big huggable Mario, this is not that. If you want a detailed, packable one, it is hard to beat at this tier.

A 112-card Mario deck in a collector tin is a simple idea, and it is the family game we recommend first because everyone already knows how to play UNO. The Mario layer is light: character images, a Super Star card, and two customizable cards, so the learning curve stays close to zero.

That low barrier is the point. Up to 10 players can join, the listed age is 7 and up, and a round moves fast enough for a dinner table or a rainy afternoon. The tin is a real advantage: it keeps the deck together and makes the game easy to toss in a bag.

We like it best as a travel game or a gift that does not need batteries or setup. It will not replace a big board game for a family that wants a longer event, but it is the one we grab when the group is mixed ages and nobody wants a rules lesson.

Bowser is the headline. The figure is large, bulky, and heavy enough to feel like a boss next to Mario and the Bob-omb, which is exactly the power balance a Mario battle set needs.

The articulation does the rest. Mario has 11 points, Bowser has 9, and the Bob-omb has 3, so you can stage a standoff, a stomp, or a chase without the figures looking stiff. Bowser's arms and legs move well; Mario's smaller joints give him more range for action poses.

The Bob-omb is the sleeper of the set. It is small and cute, and it gives the battle a prop that is not another version of Mario. The paint and sculpting carry the cartoon look without feeling cheap, and the group reads as a scene rather than three separate toys.

For a Mario fan who wants to act out a battle, this is the action figure set we recommend. It is also display-worthy on a shelf, especially with Bowser front and center, and the scale makes the pair look like they came from the same game.

The 421 pieces are only half the story; the little details are what sell this Game Boy: a working-feeling d-pad, a contrast dial, a sliding power switch, and a screen that changes with a lenticular flip. It is a build for someone who remembers the original, and the nostalgia is the point.

This is our display-build pick for adult Nintendo collectors. At 421 pieces, it is a substantial but not punishing project, and the finished model has enough heft to sit on a desk without feeling like a hollow shell. The interchangeable Game Pak and lenticular screens do the work of making it read as a Game Boy from across the room.

We appreciate that the controls are not just printed on. The buttons and d-pad are part of the build, and the power switch and contrast dial give the model a tactile quality that a flat display piece cannot match. It is the kind of set that makes a shelf feel personal rather than decorated.

Seven tiny Mario figures and a tower that punishes every shaky hand: that is the whole appeal. The set includes Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad, Yellow Toad, Goomba, and Boo, which is a better character mix than most party games bother with.

The rules are simple. Roll the die, place or remove a figure, and try not to topple the tower. The tension comes from the tower's wobble rather than from a complicated rule set, so a 4-year-old can take a turn without a long explanation. The figures are also compatible with other EPOCH Mario balancing games, which gives the set somewhere to grow.

This is the one we set out for a quick family laugh before or after a longer board game. Rounds are short, resets are fast, and the tower gives every turn a little drama. It is not a deep strategy game, and it is not meant to be.

This is not Life as you remember it: there is no salary, no retirement, and no little car full of pegs. The goal is to reach Bowser and beat him, which gives the family game a clear villain and a finish line.

Players move through the Mushroom Kingdom as Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Yoshi, choose paths, buy stars with coins, and compete in minigames. The minigames keep turns busy, and the star buying adds a little planning without turning the game into a spreadsheet.

The 2-4 player count and 8+ age range put it in the older-kid camp. That is not a flaw so much as a fit: younger Mario fans will like the pieces and the Bowser goal, but the game is built for a family that already enjoys board games.

This is the board game we set out when the family wants a real game night, not a five-minute filler. The Bowser battle gives everyone a common target, and the minigames break up the route so the table stays engaged. For the right family, the Bowser finish gives the whole table something to play toward.

The coin sound unit is the first thing kids notice, and it is the reason this Monopoly Junior lands with Mario fans who are still learning to sit through a board game.

Players choose Mario, Peach, Yoshi, or Luigi, move around the Mushroom Kingdom, buy properties, and collect coins. The power-up die tells them when to press the sound unit, so the theme is built into the turn rather than pasted onto the box.

The 5+ age range is honest. Turns are short, the rules are simple, and the game ends before a young player loses focus. It is a better first Monopoly than the full version, which is exactly the gap this edition fills.

The board and character tokens carry the Mario look well, and the sound unit is the kind of gimmick that gets a child to ask for another round.

This is the one we hand a 5- or 6-year-old who is ready for a property game but not ready for the full Monopoly rules. The theme does the heavy lifting, and the short round keeps the experience positive. It is not a strategy game for adults, and it does not need to be.

A 100-foot range and an anti-gravity mode put this RC racer in a different class from the little pull-back Mario cars. It is a toy that comes alive outdoors, where the range has somewhere to go.

The 2.4GHz radio is the useful part. It gives the car a more stable signal than older toy-grade radios, and the range means you can send it down a driveway or across a yard without the controller cutting out.

What we like is the showmanship. Anti-gravity mode flips the car into a different stance, and the button also handles drifts, tricks, wheelies, and 360 spins. That is a lot of movement for a 1:16 car, and it gives the toy more than one way to hold a kid's attention.

The included batteries mean the first run is ready out of the box. The 1:16 scale gives the car presence without making it hard to store, and the controller layout is simple enough for an older child to pick up quickly.

This is the one we take outside when a Mario fan wants speed rather than a collectible. It suits an older kid with a driveway or a park, and it rewards a little room to drift. It is not the toy for a small apartment or a child who wants to pose characters.