'Mario Paint' (Image: Nintendo)
The 30-year-old Nintendo original, Mario Paint, is back and now available on Switch Online.
The art creation game Mario Paint was released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo. Similar to Microsoft Paint, Mario Paint is a free rein drawing program, allowing users complete freedom to draw and create as they please.
Even with its new release, Mario Paint still has its ’90s retro charm, but with a few new modern elements to maximize user enjoyment. Players can connect a compatible USB mouse to their Nintendo Switch system or use the Nintendo Switch 2’s Joy-Con controller as a mouse.
Game Elements
Coloring Book
Players can select from existing pictures to color each part of their picture to their liking, using the tool “Fill-Paintbrush” along with a multitude of different colors and patterns available to bring your painting to life.
Drawing Board
Players have full control to design their own unique painting, unlike a coloring book, multiple brush types and tools are accessible to accommodate the player’s artistic vision.
Breakroom
An interactive mini-game where players can swat at gnats flying across the screen.
Stamp Designer
This mode allows users to create virtual stamps and game sprites. A total of 15 stamps can be saved and combined to create larger stamps.
Animations
Players can move their stamps through up to nine frames before they loop, steering them along any path to shape their animation.
Music
This mode features 15 unique sound options that players can use to compose an original music score for their animations.
Online Reactions
With the recent release of Mario Paint, new and past users have taken to social media to express their opinions on the classic game. Under the r/NintendoSwitch subreddit, a user stated, “Yo, why was this Nintendo’s best video of 2025????”
YouTube commenters added to the excitement under the official gameplay walkthrough. “This game was literally my whole childhood I’m so excited for this,” one user wrote. Another chimed in, “Mario Paint on a modern console is going to go on a generational run.”
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