The simplest official way to play the original Super Mario Bros. today is through Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics on a Nintendo Switch-family console. You download the collection from Nintendo eShop, sign in with a Nintendo Account that has an active Nintendo Switch Online membership, and launch the game from the NES library. Nintendo lists the 1985 game in the collection and supports the software on Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, Switch – OLED Model, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The membership is essential: Nintendo says the NES Classics library is available while Nintendo Switch Online remains active, with no current plan to sell these games individually outside the service. You can play after downloading without a continuous connection, but the console must verify the membership online at least once every seven consecutive days. Nintendo’s NES-style controllers can make the experience feel more period-authentic, but they are optional.
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What you need before you start
There are three practical requirements for the current official route:
- Compatible hardware: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, or Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo’s current product listing confirms Switch 2 support; the support instructions also identify the original Switch models.
- Nintendo Switch Online: An active membership on the Nintendo Account you use to open the collection. Nintendo identifies the NES library as part of the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership, not an Expansion Pack-only feature.
- Internet access for setup and periodic checks: You need a connection to obtain the software and to validate the membership. After validation, offline play is allowed for up to seven consecutive days.
The software and membership are separate from optional accessories. You do not have to buy Nintendo’s NES-style controller pair to play; Nintendo explicitly describes those controllers as optional.
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| Requirement | What it does | What the official information establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Switch-family console | Runs the Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics software | Switch, Switch Lite, Switch – OLED Model, and Switch 2 are supported on Nintendo’s current listings. |
| Nintendo Switch Online membership | Unlocks the NES Classics library | Access continues while the membership is active; the games are not currently offered as individual purchases through this service. |
| Internet connection | Downloads the collection and validates membership | Online validation is required at least once every seven consecutive days for offline use. |
| NES-style controller | Provides a period-styled control option | Optional; standard compatible controllers are sufficient. |
How to play the original Super Mario Bros. on a Switch
- Confirm the account and region. On your Switch-family console, use the Nintendo Account that holds an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. Nintendo’s cited pages are US-facing, and catalog availability can differ by country, so check the Nintendo eShop and support pages for your region.
- Open Nintendo eShop. Select the eShop icon from the HOME Menu and search for Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics. Nintendo publishes the collection as the software that houses the NES games.
- Download the collection. Select the software’s download option and wait for installation. The membership grants access to the library; downloading the application does not turn the individual games into permanently owned purchases.
- Launch the library. Open the Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics application from the HOME Menu while signed in to the eligible account.
- Choose a play mode and controller arrangement. The support instructions direct you to select the available play mode and controller setup before choosing a title. Use the controller you already own, or pair the optional NES-style controllers if you want that layout.
- Select Super Mario Bros.. Nintendo’s catalog identifies the game as an NES title from 1985. Choose it from the list to begin.
- Validate before an offline session. If you expect to play without internet access, open the collection while connected first. The membership check must be completed online at least once in every seven-day period.
The exact wording of menu buttons can vary with system language and regional software, but the sequence is the same: eShop, download the NES Classics application, launch it under the subscribed account, select a controller arrangement, and choose the game. Nintendo’s step-by-step support article is available at How to Start a Nintendo Classics Game.
How the Nintendo Switch Online requirement works
It is an access condition, not a one-time game purchase
Nintendo says classic games in the NES, Super NES, and Game Boy collections remain accessible while the Nintendo Switch Online membership is active. The current support FAQ also says, “There are no plans to make the games available outside of the Nintendo Switch Online service.” That means the official route described here is a subscription-based library rather than a standalone download of Super Mario Bros..
Offline play has a seven-day limit
The games can run without an internet connection after the application is downloaded, but the console must periodically confirm the membership. Nintendo specifies at least one online validation every seven consecutive days. If more than seven days pass without a successful check, connect the console to the internet and open the collection so it can validate again.
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When the membership ends, access to the classic games ends until the account renews. Nintendo says save data remains on the console, so renewing restores access to the collection without implying that the game became a permanently owned purchase during the lapse.
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Which membership tier is necessary
Nintendo identifies the NES collection as part of the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership. The Expansion Pack is described as necessary for additional libraries such as Nintendo 64, SEGA Genesis, and Game Boy Advance; it is not identified as necessary for the NES collection. Do not upgrade solely to play the original Super Mario Bros. unless you also want those additional libraries.
What “other 1985 classics” means in the current catalog
Nintendo’s product page labels Super Mario Bros. as a 1985 NES release and lists a selection of other NES games. It does not establish that every notable game released in 1985 appears in the service, nor that every listed title was released in that year. The collection is a curated library whose contents can also vary by region.
| Title or group | What Nintendo’s current information establishes | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. | Listed in Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics and identified as a 1985 NES title. | This is the confirmed 1985 game addressed by the main question. |
| Excitebike | Listed on Nintendo’s NES Classics page. | A catalog example; the cited page does not establish a 1985 release year for it in this context. |
| Ice Climber | Listed on Nintendo’s NES Classics page. | Available as part of the listed NES selection where the regional catalog includes it; do not treat the page as a complete 1985 release list. |
| Golf | Listed on Nintendo’s NES Classics page. | Another example from the NES library, without a year claim made here. |
| Pinball | Listed on Nintendo’s NES Classics page. | Included as a catalog example, not proof that every 1985 classic is represented. |
| Tennis | Listed on Nintendo’s NES Classics page. | Included where available in the live regional catalog. |
| The Legend of Zelda and Metroid | Nintendo’s page highlights them as later titles, from 1986 and 1987 respectively. | The collection spans multiple release years, so its total size is not a count of 1985 games. |
Nintendo advertises “more than 100 total NES and Super NES classic games.” That figure combines the two collections; it is not the size of the NES library alone and is not a count of games released in 1985. For the live list, consult Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics and use the catalog displayed for your account’s region.
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Checking regional availability
The cited Nintendo pages are aimed at the Americas, while Nintendo operates separate regional stores and service catalogs. A title shown on the US-facing product page should not be treated as a promise of identical availability in every country. Before planning a purchase or subscription, check:
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- Whether Nintendo Switch Online and the NES Classics application are offered in your country.
- Whether Super Mario Bros. appears in your region’s Nintendo eShop listing.
- Whether the supported console models and account requirements match your system.
- Whether the particular games you want remain in the current regional catalog.
This matters especially for the phrase “other 1985 classics.” Nintendo’s published selection is not a complete global index of that year’s releases, and the available list can change by region or service policy.
Choosing between the subscription route and original hardware
The Switch route prioritizes convenience: one modern console can access a curated NES library, and the software supports offline sessions subject to the seven-day check. It does not provide permanent ownership of an individual game outside the active membership.
The original-hardware route is a used NES console paired with a compatible cartridge. It suits players who value physical ownership and the feel of playing on original equipment. Current inventory, seller quality, cartridge condition, and regional compatibility were not established by the cited Nintendo sources, so inspect each listing carefully rather than assuming that any console or cartridge will work with your television or region.
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| Decision factor | Switch and Nintendo Switch Online | Used NES and cartridge |
|---|---|---|
| Access model | Ongoing membership access to a curated digital library. | Physical ownership of the console and cartridge you acquire. |
| Up-front commitment | Requires compatible Switch hardware plus an active membership; specific current prices are not established in the cited sources. | Requires finding and buying a working console and compatible cartridge; current market prices and stock vary. |
| Library breadth | Includes the NES selection and, with the standard service, access to the Super NES and Game Boy collections; Nintendo advertises more than 100 NES and Super NES games combined. | Usually centered on the cartridges you own, unless you build a larger collection. |
| Offline behavior | Works offline after download, but requires online membership validation at least every seven consecutive days. | No Nintendo Switch Online validation is involved; hardware and cartridge condition determine whether it works. |
| Period feel | Optional NES-style controllers provide a more historically styled control layout. | Uses the original console and cartridge format. |
| Risk to access | Access stops if the membership expires, although Nintendo says save data remains on the console. | Access depends on maintaining the physical equipment and cartridge. |
Choose the Switch route if you want the least complicated way to sample several NES games on hardware you already own. Choose original hardware if owning a cartridge and using the original console are more important than a broader curated library or modern convenience. These are different ownership models rather than interchangeable versions of the same purchase.
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- 6.2” LCD screen.
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
Controllers and play arrangements
Nintendo’s NES-style controller pair is an optional accessory. It is useful for readers who want a control layout modeled on the original NES, but the collection does not require it. A compatible controller already paired with the console can be used through the play-mode and controller-arrangement selection described in Nintendo’s support instructions.
Because the controller is optional, budget for the membership and compatible console first. Buying the accessory does not replace the Nintendo Switch Online requirement and does not convert the software into a standalone purchase.
What the collection does—and does not—promise
It provides a selected library
Nintendo’s wording is “more than 100 total NES and Super NES classic games,” which refers to the combined collections. The NES application is therefore best understood as a selected catalog, not an archive of every NES release or every important game from 1985.
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It spans several years
The same Nintendo page identifies later games such as The Legend of Zelda (1986) and Metroid (1987). Their presence illustrates why the collection’s overall size cannot be used to answer how many 1985 games it contains.
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- One player can use a Joy-Con in each hand
- Two players can each take one
- Multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options (additional Joy-Con sold separately)
- Slip a set of Joy-Con into a Joy-Con grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
It does not establish a complete worldwide list
The available evidence confirms the official route and examples in Nintendo’s current catalog, but it does not establish identical game lists in every region. Use your local eShop listing as the final check before subscribing for a particular title.
Troubleshooting common access problems
The collection opens but says a membership is required
Confirm that the console is using the Nintendo Account with the active Nintendo Switch Online membership. The library is tied to membership access, not merely to having downloaded the application. If the account has no active membership, renew it and launch the collection while online.
The game worked before, but not while traveling offline
Reconnect the console to the internet and start the collection. Nintendo’s rule is an online validation at least once every seven consecutive days. After a successful check, offline play is available again until another validation is due.
The membership expired and the games disappeared
Renew the Nintendo Switch Online membership on the account that originally used the collection, then reopen the application. Nintendo says save data remains on the console even when access ends during a lapse.
You cannot find the title in the eShop
Search for the full software name, Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics, rather than only searching for the game. If the application still does not appear, verify that the service is available in your country and that your eShop region matches the account region. Nintendo’s US-facing listing cannot guarantee that every region displays the same catalog.
You expected every famous 1985 release
The catalog is selective. Nintendo confirms Super Mario Bros. as a 1985 title and lists other NES games, but neither the product page nor the support FAQ says that every 1985 release is included. Check the current regional list for each specific game.
Quick Recap
Useful official references
- Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics: current catalog examples, supported behavior, optional NES-style controllers, and the combined NES/Super NES library-size wording.
- Nintendo Classics – Nintendo Switch Online Overview & FAQ: membership requirement, seven-day validation, access after membership expiry, and Nintendo’s statement about individual sales.
- How to Start a Nintendo Classics Game: Nintendo’s setup flow for opening the collection and selecting a game.
- Super Mario Bros. Instruction Booklet: the original manual, which identifies the game as ©1985 Nintendo.
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