Nintendo confirms new Super Mario game for Switch 2 but when is it out?
Nintendo has said that fans should 'stay tuned' for news of a new 3D Super Mario but why is taking so long?
Nintendo has said that fans should ‘stay tuned’ for news of a new 3D Super Mario but why is taking so long?
As the most famous Nintendo character, and star of both the world’s best-selling video game franchise and the highest grossing video game movie (for now at least), it was surprising not to see a new Super Mario game announced, or even teased, at this month’s Nintendo Switch 2 showcase.
Yes, Nintendo is launching a new Mario Kart alongside the console, which is still a very smart choice for a killer app, but a traditional 3D platformer starring the portly plumber was presumed to be among the Switch 2’s first wave of games.
It always seemed fair to assume one is underway but while Nintendo has now confirmed that it is, it’s still unclear when exactly it’s going to be announced or released.
In the wake of the Switch 2 showcase, at the beginning of April, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser sat down with CNN to discuss the new console.
When the topic of a new 3D Mario was brought up, Bowser said: ‘Stay tuned. You know, we have a long, long catalogue, and a long list of (intellectual property) that I’m sure will make its way to the platform.’
The fact that there would be a follow-up to Super Mario Odyssey, which sold more than 29 million copies, was never in doubt, but as you can see, Bowser is purposefully not saying any more.
Who is the developer for Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch 2?The uncertainty around the next 3D Mario centres around what developer EPD (Entertainment Planning & Development) is doing at the moment, since Nintendo’s top studio has been behind the series since the early 90s.
EPD is split into several different teams and Nintendo doesn’t usual specify which one works on what games (Nintendo’s general attitude towards crediting developers has been shameful in the last year, as they’ve repeatedly withheld the details of who makes their games until the last possible moment).
Nevertheless, it’s believed that the Odyssey team, under Yoshiaki Koizumi, hasn’t worked on anything significant since that game was released in late 2017.
It was rumoured years ago that the Super Mario Odyssey team was working on a 3D Donkey Kong game and that seemed to be confirmed by the announcement of Donkey Kong Bananza, which will launch on July 17, just over a month after the Switch 2.
Nintendo has not said who the developer is, but if it is the Odyssey team then that could mean the next 3D Mario is still many more years away.
That seems hard to believe though. Nintendo won’t want the Switch 2 to lack a premiere Mario platformer for too long, especially when Odyssey was such a sales success. And especially because 3D Mario games, as opposed to 2D ones, don’t necessarily always sell that well – Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii sold less than half that of Odyssey, for example.
The most likely explanation is that either Donkey Kong is not by the Odyssey team or somehow EPD is managing to churn out two big budget titles in quick(-ish) succession, which is not something they normally do but which they do have the capacity for, in theory.
If Donkey Kong Bananza is not by EPD there’s very few other developers that would have the expertise to make a game like that or who Nintendo would be willing to trust with such an important IP.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 developer Next Level Games is one possibility, especially as they haven’t announced a new game since 2022’s Mario Strikers: Battle League Football. Although three years doesn’t seem quite enough time to make a game of Bananza’s importance.
When is the next 3D Mario for Nintendo Switch 2 out?Before the Switch 2 showcase, most would’ve been confident in predicting that a new 3D Mario would launch for the console by the end of 2025, but it’s looking like that may not be the case.
If it were, you’d think Nintendo would make that known during the showcase. Instead, its big 3D platformer for the year is the aforementioned Donkey Kong Bananza, with other franchises like The Legend Of Zelda, Metroid, and Pokémon padding out the rest of 2025.
Nintendo 2025 release schedule - every first party game coming to Switch 2 Mario Kart World – June 5 Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour – June 5 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – June 5 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – June 5 Donkey Kong Bananza – July 17 Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV – July 24 Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World – August 28 Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment – Winter 2025 Drag X Drive – 2025 Kirby Air Riders – 2025 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – 2025 Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – 2025The next best guess would be 2026, if only because Nintendo has the second Super Mario Bros. movie locked in for April 3, 2026. Although, Nintendo had no new game to cross-promote with the first movie, when it hit cinemas in 2023, so there’s no evidence that Nintendo considers that important.
Doug Bowser’s ‘stay tuned’ comment makes it seem like fans won’t have to wait too long for news to be shared on a 3D Mario, but if Nintendo does have one prepped for the near future, it’d be even stranger that it didn’t show it as part of its big Switch 2 preview.
It’s all very puzzling and as the chances of a release in 2025 ebb away, there’s no obvious answer as to why Nintendo didn’t consider the game a priority for the Switch 2’s first year.
Mario fans will need to get their 2025 fix from Mario Kart and Mario Party (Nintendo)Email [email protected], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.
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