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If you want another game with Super Mario 64-style movement, exploration, and collectibles, start with Banjo-Kazooie for an N64-era collectathon, A Hat in Time for a modern classic 3D-platformer feel, or Cavern of Dreams for a deliberate retro throwback. The best match depends on which part of Mario 64 you want more of: its movement, open-ended stages, or collectible-driven exploration.
What makes a game feel like Super Mario 64?
“Like Mario 64” can mean several different things. A game may share its playful movement but use linear courses, or offer open levels and collectibles with a very different character and control feel. Compare these traits before choosing:
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Mario Kart™ World (Nintendo Switch 2) | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Super Mario Galaxy™ + Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 | $64.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time | Buy on Amazon |
- Movement: Is running and jumping fun on its own, with expressive moves or momentum to learn?
- Exploration: Can you look around and choose goals, or does the level guide you along a fixed route?
- Collecting: Do items reward searching and encourage replay, or are they incidental pickups?
- Level structure: Does the game use open stages, self-contained courses, puzzle spaces, or linear obstacle runs?
- Access: Is it a standalone release, part of a subscription catalog, or an older game whose current availability depends on platform or region?
The recommendations below are grouped by the kind of similarity they offer, rather than treated as interchangeable copies.
Best games for a Mario 64-style experience
Banjo-Kazooie: the N64-era collectathon
Banjo-Kazooie is the natural first stop if what you miss is the colorful, collectible-heavy exploration associated with Nintendo 64 platformers. Nintendo Life describes it as a joyful, bountiful platformer and discusses it alongside Mario 64’s influence and appeal. Its worlds and collecting give it a strong genre and era connection, though it remains its own game rather than a Mario clone.
#1 Best Overall
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
Nintendo Life’s guide lists it in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack catalog. Because subscription catalogs can change and availability may vary by region, check Nintendo’s current catalog and the required tier before subscribing for this game.
Best for: N64-era atmosphere, playful worlds, and collectathon exploration.
A Hat in Time: a modern classic-platformer feel
For a contemporary game that recalls classic 3D platforming, try A Hat in Time. Nintendo Life praises its tight controls and varied, inventive levels, and recommends it to fans of both Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. That makes it a strong choice for familiar movement and platforming, not an exact recreation of Mario 64’s structure.
The same guide flags camera and performance issues. Those are worth keeping in mind, but performance can depend on platform; the available recommendation does not establish a platform-by-platform comparison.
Rank #2
- New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
- Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
- Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
- Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
- Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
Best for: Players who want a modern game with varied levels and a classic 3D-platformer sensibility.
Cavern of Dreams: a deliberate retro throwback
Cavern of Dreams leans into the look and feel of 64-bit-era platformers. Nintendo Life compares the pleasure of exploring its spaces to exploring Grunty’s Lair in Banjo-Kazooie, making it a good fit for players who value discovery and retro presentation.
It is specifically a throwback, rather than a modern platformer that happens to share some of Mario 64’s qualities. Its appeal may be less immediate if you prefer newer platforming conventions.
Best for: Retro aesthetics and compact, discovery-led exploration.
Rank #3
- Race from one course to another through interconnected paths that span the world
- Traverse mountains, forests, cities, and more—with shifting weather patterns and a day/night cycle
- Ride on rails, jump off walls, skim across water, and more as you race for the finish line
- Take on the adrenaline-packed Knockout Tour—a fierce 24-driver elimination mode
- Explore courses at your own pace and wander the world to discover fun surprises in Free Roam
Good alternatives with a different structure or emphasis
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury: more Mario on Switch
If you want another Mario game on Nintendo Switch, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury offers 3D platforming and two distinct experiences. The main Super Mario 3D World is more linear and course-oriented than Mario 64’s exploratory stages. Nintendo’s description of the series places it in the tradition of Super Mario 3D Land, which adds depth, distance, and speed to a more guided, 2D-like course style. Bowser’s Fury is an additional adventure, but the available sources do not establish it as a one-to-one structural match for Mario 64.
Nintendo Life lists physical and digital retailer links for the Switch release. Check the current listing for your region, edition, stock, and price before buying.
Best for: Switch owners who want more Mario platforming, including local multiplayer.
Astro’s Playroom: cheerful PlayStation platforming
Astro’s Playroom is a PlayStation alternative if you want approachable platforming with a contemporary Mario-like sense of fun. Push Square highlights the joy of controlling Astro and presents the game as a hardware showcase. Its presentation and controller-focused features make it an adjacent recommendation, rather than a direct match for Mario 64’s level design.
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- Journey through space in two Super Mario adventures, now improved for the Nintendo Switch system!
- Travel the stars with enhanced resolution, improved UI, and additional content
- Learn more about the Lumas from additional Storybook chapters, groove to a bit of additional music
- Get additional Health and fall recovery in Assist Mode
- Join Rosalina and the Lumas to restore the Comet Observatory and rescue Princess Peach in Super Mario Galaxy.
Push Square describes it as downloadable and playable by owners of Sony’s current-generation console. Check the current PlayStation Store and console access details for your region.
Best for: PlayStation 5 owners looking for an approachable platformer and console showcase.
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy: open levels and plenty to collect
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy fits the exploration-and-collecting side of the comparison. Push Square describes the series as partly inspired by Super Mario 64, with wide-open levels and many pickups, including eggs, keys, and gems. Spyro’s movement and combat have their own vocabulary—gliding, charging, and breathing fire—so it is a stronger match for open-level wandering and collectibles than for Mario’s precise movement feel.
Best for: Players who enjoy exploring broad levels and gathering different kinds of items.
Best Value
- Become the Hero of Time and save Hyrule from darkness
- Venture into dungeons, solve puzzles, and travel across time in two different eras to restore balance to the land
- A classic tale, reborn for the Nintendo Switch 2 system, featuring voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, symphonic orchestral music, visuals built from the ground up for Nintendo Switch 2, and more
- Play Link’s in-game ocarina by humming or singing into the Nintendo Switch 2 system microphone
Side paths for a different kind of 3D platforming
Super Mario 3D Land: guided courses with a sense of depth
Nintendo describes Super Mario 3D Land as playing like a 2D Mario game while adding depth, distance, and speed. Choose it if you want a more guided course structure, rather than the open-stage feel that defines much of Mario 64.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy: a broader platformer recommendation
PC Gamer includes Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy among platformers worth checking out. It is a useful side recommendation for someone browsing beyond close Mario 64 comparisons, but that editorial listing does not establish direct influence from Mario 64.
Crash Bandicoot: linear challenge, not open exploration
Crash Bandicoot is a better fit if you want precision and linear obstacle courses. PC Gamer contrasts Crash’s fixed-perspective, linear approach with the more open 3D platformers of the era, so it is a weaker choice if free exploration is your priority.
Quick picks by what you want next
| What matters most | Try | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| N64-era collectathon exploration | Banjo-Kazooie | Colorful worlds and collectible-heavy platforming associated with the same era. |
| Modern classic 3D platforming | A Hat in Time | Tight controls and varied levels, as described by Nintendo Life. |
| Retro presentation and discovery | Cavern of Dreams | A deliberate throwback with exploration compared to Banjo-Kazooie. |
| Another Mario game on Switch | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | Mario platforming variety, with the main game’s more linear course structure in mind. |
| PlayStation platforming | Astro’s Playroom or Spyro: Reignited Trilogy | Astro offers cheerful contemporary platforming; Spyro emphasizes open levels and collectibles. |
| Guided courses or linear precision | Super Mario 3D Land or Crash Bandicoot | Both are better suited to players who want less open-ended level structure. |
These distinctions draw on recommendations from Nintendo Life, Push Square, Nintendo UK, and PC Gamer. They do not establish a complete, current availability or price list across platforms and regions.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
