Nintendo Switch Online Has a Free Trial for Mario Day

Mario Day doesn’t take place until next week, but Nintendo’s celebration has started a little bit early this year. As part of the festivities, the company has announced a free 14 day trial for Nintendo Switch Online, which can be redeemed between now and March 17th at 11 p.m. PT. The two week trial has been timed to coincide with the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Community Challenge, so if you have a copy of the game, you can participate in the event even if you aren’t a regular subscriber to Nintendo Switch Online. A code for the free trial can be claimed right here.

Once the code for the free Nintendo Switch Online trial has been claimed, it must be redeemed through the eShop by March 31st at 11:59 p.m. PT. During that window, users will have access to all of the benefits of a standard Nintendo Switch Online subscription; not only will users be able to play games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Party Jamboree online, but they’ll also be able to use the Nintendo Music app on mobile devices, and the NES, SNES, and Game Boy apps on Nintendo Switch.

At this point, it’s hard to imagine too many Nintendo Switch owners that don’t have some form of subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. However, for those that don’t, this is a nice opportunity to try out the service and experience everything it has to offer. Over the years, we’ve seen Nintendo Switch Online’s benefits expand quite a bit, as more classic games have been added, and as Nintendo Music has seen more soundtracks listed. As Mario Day approaches on March 10th, it’s possible we could see more from both. For example, there are still some major Mario soundtracks conspicuously missing from Nintendo Music, including Super Mario Bros. 3.

At this time, we don’t know about Nintendo’s specific plans for Mario Day itself. It’s possible we could see some announcements that day, either related to upcoming games, or the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is set to be released in theaters next year. It’s also possible we could see some announcements from Nintendo’s partners like LEGO or Jakks Pacific. Both of those companies have done a lot with the Mario brand over the last few years, and we could see some new merchandise revealed on that day.

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Discounts are a yearly staple of Nintendo’s Mario Day celebrations, and those will begin on March 9th, at select retailers. This year, the line-up includes multiple Nintendo Switch games that were released in 2024, so fans that have held off on buying games like Princess Peach: Showtime! or Mario vs. Donkey Kong might have the perfect excuse to rectify that. A full list of games included and participating retailers can be found right here.

Do you have a current subscription to Nintendo Switch Online? Will you be taking advantage of this free trial? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!