Mario Paint, Nintendo's most creative game, comes to Switch Online – and yes, it also supports mouse controls

Indian Express

2 days ago

Nintendo is bringing back its most creative, artsy game, Mario Paint, to Switch and Switch 2 platforms as part of its Switch Online service. The game was surprisingly released on Wednesday, though many had expected Mario Paint to debut alongside the Switch 2 launch in June.
Mario Paint was first released in 1992 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES. The game, essentially Nintendo's take on Microsoft Paint, is a simple drawing program that gives you access to a digital drawing board with 15 colours and 75 patterns. All you need to do is choose your colour, select your pen, and start filling in black-and-white drawings of familiar Nintendo characters. Nintendo developed the game in collaboration with a Japanese developer called Intelligent Systems.
You can watch the trailer of Mario Paint below:
However, Mario Paint isn't limited to painting. The game also includes a music-making program. As part of the game, you can arrange a set of Nintendo-themed stamps, each representing a different sound effects.
Around that time, Mario Paint introduced many kids to computer graphics and digital tools—years before home computers caught up. The game was also one of the few SNES titles that came with custom hardware: a computer mouse and mouse pad.
Mario Paint is now available via Switch Online, Nintendo's subscription service, in its original form. The game also supports mouse input. While Switch 2 users will be able to utilise the console's built-in mouse functionality, players on the original Switch will need to use a compatible USB mouse.
Mario Paint remains one of Nintendo's most creative games. Unfortunately, the company never created a proper sequel or made the original game available on later consoles until now. In 1999, however, a spiritual successor called Mario Artist was released in Japan, featuring a more modern-looking mouse and real 3D graphics. But it was only playable on the 64DD, a floppy disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 that commercially flopped so badly it was never released in North America.
Nintendo keeps dropping classic games on its Switch Online service from time to time, and it's great to see Mario Paint finally arriving after 33 years on both the Switch and Switch 2. This move broadens the game's appeal to a new generation of players who have never experienced it before. In addition, Nintendo has added the music from Mario Paint to the Nintendo Music App, a sort of Apple Music for Nintendo's classic gaming tracks.
The Japanese gaming giant is at its peak in terms of popularity, thanks to the massive success of the Switch and now the Switch 2, which recently became the fastest-selling video game hardware device in US history. Beyond the Switch, Nintendo is also becoming a Hollywood sensation, with back-to-back movies in the pipeline. The company recently announced a film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda video game series, which is scheduled for release in May 2027.
Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at indianexpress.com who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin.
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