Nintendo
Nintendo raises expectations for a new 3D Mario title: “Stay tuned”
The president of Nintendo of America hints that fans won’t have to wait long to see the next big 3D Mario adventure.
In the collective imagination, there is always the idea that a new Super Mario title has to accompany the launch of a new Nintendo console. While this hasn’t been a constant since the Nintendo 64 era, the absence of the company’s main mascot in a title of his own during the Nintendo Switch 2 presentation earlier this month left many wondering, When will we see Mario again? Now, the president of Nintendo of America has weighed in on the matter.
In an interview with CNN, Doug Bowser directly addressed calls for a new Mario adventure in the style of Super Mario Odyssey. While he avoided explicitly confirming its development, his words suggest that fans won’t have to wait indefinitely for news. “Stay tuned,” Bowser said. “You know, we have a long, long catalog and a long list of (intellectual property) that I’m sure will make its way to the platform.”
These statements are far from an official confirmation, but they also represent a glimmer of hope for the community. While it wasn’t a total absence of Mushroom Kingdom characters—Mario Kart World is confirmed for the console—it was a lack of Mario starring in a new 3D adventure. For now, the first confirmed 3D platformer for Nintendo Switch 2 is Donkey Kong Bananza.
A new Super Mario 3D is on the horizon
And here’s the thing: If we’re being really picky, it’s been many years since the last original Super Mario 3D installment. The most recent was Super Mario Odyssey, which was released in October 2017, the same year as the debut of the first Nintendo Switch.
In those eight years, the closest we’ve come is the Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection, which brought back classics like Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Even with titles like Super Mario Wonder and other games featuring Mario in sports or party environments, it had been too long since the plumber’s last great adventure in his natural environment: the three-dimensional world.
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