One of the safest major game franchises available — no violence, no sexual content, no profanity, no dark themes. Pure platform gaming with creativity, perseverance, and teamwork. Minor supernatural elements (Bowser, magic) are cartoonish and culturally universal.
The Super Mario franchise is the clearest example of a major video game series that raises essentially no content concerns for Christian families. There is no realistic violence, no sexual content, no profanity, and no ideological agenda. Mario rescues Princess Peach, defeats Bowser, saves the Mushroom Kingdom. The narrative is simple, heroic, and universally accessible.
The games reward perseverance, creativity, and exploration. Mario Kart adds competitive play in a genuinely fun and non-violent context. Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild — wait, that's Zelda — both demonstrate Nintendo's commitment to wonder, discovery, and family-accessible adventure.
Mario games contain cartoonish supernatural elements — Bowser is a dragon-king, Kamek is a sorcerer, various magical elements appear throughout. These are so culturally established and universally understood as cartoon fantasy that they raise no meaningful spiritual concern for virtually all Christian families. For families with extreme sensitivity to any fantasy supernatural imagery, this is worth noting. For everyone else, Mario is Mario.
Mario Kart (88/100) and Mario Party are excellent family gaming options. Mario Kart is one of the best multiplayer experiences for families — genuinely fun, competitive without being toxic, and appropriate from age 5+. It builds sportsmanship skills including how to lose gracefully. These are positive character-building experiences, not just entertainment.
See the full Super Mario franchise overview for the complete catalog.
Available on Nintendo Switch.
Children's media shapes formation in ways adult media does not — children are not yet equipped with the critical distance to evaluate what they're consuming. The question is not just "is this harmful?" but "what is this teaching?" GodlyScore evaluates children's content with heightened sensitivity to family depiction, LGBT normalization, spiritual content, and whether the overall tone encourages virtue or passivity. Score: 88/100 Spiritually Safe.
See our Christian TV Reviews hub for similar content evaluated with the same framework. Common Sense Media provides detailed age-by-age content guidance.
For the 2026 animated film, see our guide Is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Appropriate for Christians?