The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Choose Super Mario Odyssey for solo exploration and collectibles, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for local group play and two different adventure styles, Kirby and the Forgotten Land for approachable stages with adjustable difficulty, or Sonic Frontiers for speed, open-zone exploration, and combat. These games all bring 3D platforming to Nintendo Switch, but they are not built around the same pace, structure, or multiplayer experience.
At a glance: which Switch 3D platformer fits you?
| If you want… | Start with… | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Solo exploration, movement experiments, and collectibles | Super Mario Odyssey | Its sandbox-style kingdoms, Cappy’s capture abilities, and Power Moon hunt center on exploration; one or two players can play on one system. |
| Local group play plus more than one adventure format | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | 3D World supports up to four players on one system, while the separate Bowser’s Fury adventure offers free roaming and optional help from a second player. |
| Guided stages, selectable challenge, and two-player co-op | Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Choose between two difficulty settings and invite a second local player as Bandana Waddle Dee. |
| Speed, open-zone exploration, combat, and challenge stages | Sonic Frontiers | Its open areas combine exploration and combat with portal-based Cyber Space platforming challenges. |
This is a feature-based comparison drawn from Nintendo’s U.S. product descriptions, not a ranking from comparative playtesting. The right pick depends most on whether you prefer designed courses or open exploration, whether you want local co-op, and how much combat you want mixed into the platforming.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - US Version | $53.67 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Super Meat Boy 3D - Nintendo Switch 2 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
SOUTH PARK - SNOW DAY! - Nintendo Switch | $22.93 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo Switch | $114.45 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch) (EU Version) | $46.99 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How the games differ in structure and pace
Super Mario Odyssey: roam, experiment, collect
Nintendo describes Super Mario Odyssey as a sandbox-style 3D Mario adventure set across different kingdoms. Cappy gives Mario ways to throw, cap-jump, and capture objects, animals, and enemies; collecting Power Moons advances the Odyssey airship. The result is the clearest fit here for a solo player who enjoys poking around environments and trying different ways to move or interact. Nintendo’s U.S. product page lists one to two players on one system. The second player controls Cappy, so this is a distinct, more limited co-op setup than a group moving through a course together.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury: courses and a separate open adventure
This package contains two adventures with different structures. In Super Mario 3D World, players work through colorful courses, collect items, and use power-ups, choosing among Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and later Rosalina. Its course-based play supports up to four players on one system. Bowser’s Fury is separate: Mario explores Lake Lapcat, collects Cat Shines, and can receive help from a second player controlling Bowser Jr. That combination makes the package a strong fit for households that want a more conventional group-course game alongside a free-roaming option. See Nintendo’s U.S. product page for the package details.
#1 Best Overall
- Enjoy two Mario adventures solo or with friends
- In Super Mario 3D World, choose a character each with distinct playstyles as you dash and climb through dozens of colorful courses, collecting Green Stars and power-ups along the way
- Cooperate (and compete) with friends locally or online to reach each stage’s goal. A crown is awarded to the highest-scoring player, making for a friendly frenzy
- In addition to added multiplayer options, the Nintendo Switch version of the Super Mario 3D World game has been improved with faster character speeds and more
- Explore a seamless feline world in Lake Lapcat, complete objectives to collect Cat Shines, and defeat a giant Bowser in the new Bowser’s Fury adventure
Kirby and the Forgotten Land: guided stages with a choice of challenge
Nintendo describes Kirby and the Forgotten Land as a 3D platforming adventure. Kirby rescues Waddle Dees and uses copy abilities as well as Mouthful Mode transformations. The stage-based structure and explicit difficulty options make it a good match if you want a lighter presentation and more control over the challenge than the other descriptions here establish. A second player can join locally as Bandana Waddle Dee. Nintendo’s U.S. product page also offers a free three-stage demo.
Sonic Frontiers: open-zone speed, combat, and platforming challenges
Sonic Frontiers is the most action-oriented, open-zone alternative in this group. Nintendo describes exploration across five Starfall Islands, with puzzles, structures to climb, side quests, and enemies to fight. Portals lead to Cyber Space levels with more focused 3D platforming challenges, while combat systems and skill upgrades play a prominent role. Choose it if speed and action are as important to you as platforming; do not expect every part of it to follow a course-based structure. Nintendo’s U.S. product page describes the Switch version.
Rank #2
- Tough-as-nails precision platforming action. Brutal, but fair levels designed to break you.
- Boss. Fights. Dark World levels so tough, you'll scream in the rain at a bus stop.
- A soundtrack that was once described by a Guitar Center employee as “hey, either buy the guitars or get out. We’re seriously going to call the cops!”
- n-game text languages: English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish (Spain).
- 3D!
Choose by multiplayer and challenge needs
- For up to four players on one system: choose Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for its 3D World courses. Online play for two to four is also listed, but it requires a Nintendo Account and Nintendo Switch Online membership; online availability varies by country.
- For two-player local co-op: Kirby and the Forgotten Land adds Bandana Waddle Dee, while Bowser’s Fury lets a second player help as Bowser Jr. Odyssey has a second-player Cappy role. These are different co-op arrangements, not interchangeable versions of four-player course play.
- For an explicit difficulty choice: Kirby and the Forgotten Land offers Spring-Breeze, with more health and easier enemies, and Wild, with tougher enemies and more rewards.
- For a primarily solo experience: Odyssey is the straightforward match if exploration and collecting are your priorities. The other games have local multiplayer options described above, though you can also choose them for their solo adventures.
Check editions, hardware, and online requirements before buying
The linked product pages are Nintendo U.S. pages; edition and availability details may differ elsewhere. Nintendo lists physical editions for Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. The reviewed Sonic Frontiers page establishes a Switch product but not a physical edition, so verify the format on the listing you plan to use. Retailer prices, bundles, and stock change; check the live listing for your region.
Nintendo lists TV, tabletop, and handheld modes for Odyssey, 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and notes that the experience may differ on Nintendo Switch Lite. Check Nintendo’s current support information for any specific hardware constraint. For online 3D World play, the Nintendo Account and Switch Online requirements apply; they are not requirements for the local co-op recommendation.
Rank #3
- Battle your way through the snow-covered town of South Park in this all-new 3D co-op game.
- A blizzard of epic proportions has blanketed the town of South Park and it’s up to Cartman, Stan, Kenny, Kyle, and you, as the New Kid, to save the town from an endless winter.
- Experience cooperative gameplay for the first time ever in a South Park game with up to three friends or ally bots - unleashing powerful, coordinated attacks on your foes.
- Equip and upgrade devastating melee and ranged weapons. Deploy special abilities and powers that will bring hordes of enemies and epic bosses to their knees.
- Use a wide range of iconic cosmetics and customize your New Kid with endless possible combinations from beanies to Cheesy Poof T-shirts to chin balls.
Nintendo’s pages also contain platform-specific notes for Switch 2, including a free update for 3D World + Bowser’s Fury and separate Switch 2 edition or upgrade information for Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Those notes concern Switch 2, not features to assume in the original Switch editions. Keep the edition and system you intend to play in mind when checking a listing.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Take control of Donkey Kong and his buddies as they try to get back their stolen bananas from invaders from the polar regions
- Travel through a variety of environments, including Jungles, Deserts and Forests spread over 7 worlds
- Play through the entire game with a buddy in local co-op
- This version adds Funky Mode and a new playable character, Funky Kong (only available in Funky Mode) these additions are aimed at making the game more accessible for inexperienced players
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
Rank #4
- Discover (or rediscover) three of Mario’s most memorable adventures all in one package—available on the Nintendo Switch system
- Take these three adventures on the go with the Nintendo Switch system’s handheld or tabletop mode
- Jump into paintings to collect Power Stars and save Princess Peach in the Super Mario 64 game
- Spray away paint-like goop with the help of your water-spouting friend, FLUDD, in the Super Mario Sunshine game
- Travel from planet to planet and power up Rosalina’s Comet Observatory in the Super Mario Galaxy game—motion controls and a two-player Co-Star mode included
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.
