Today was the first big Nintendo Direct to happen since the company launched the Switch 2 earlier this year. 2025 is also the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. So I was excited that the pre-recorded event started with a whole section dedicated to Mario. And then I was very sad.
Super Mario Odyssey launched all the way back in 2017 as a very early Switch game. And it was great. A truly wonderful 3D platformer. There wasn’t a more perfect time than today for Nintendo to announce the next mainline 3D Mario game. But that didn’t happen.
Instead, Mario’s dad, Shigeru Miyamoto, came out and talked about a marathon, some ticket designs, a theme park, a lightshow, an art museum, and then revealed the first look at the new Mario movie. I’d be fine with all that, except after showing off The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Miyamoto said this:
“The movie will be the main event of the Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary event.”
Oh… well, uh, I guess that’s one way to celebrate video gaming’s most iconic character. And don’t worry, Chris Pratt is back to voice him.
The rest of the section dedicated to Mario’s 40th Anniversary was a bit better. Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 are coming to Switch and Switch 2. Super Mario Wonder is getting a Switch 2 upgrade and new co-op modes. And Mario Tennis Fever was revealed.
But then, Nintendo had one more announcement. Finally, it was time to end this section all about Mario’s big milestone with the thing we all wanted. And then Nintendo announced… a (very cute-looking) Yoshi game.
Welp, I guess no 3D Mario game is coming anytime soon. That’s a shame. And while I understand that Donkey Kong Bananza likely is the reason, and that game is awesome and I love it, I can’t help but feel like Mario’s 40th anniversary event was a dud.
Call the police. Call the Mushroom Kingdom’s law enforcement agency. Put out a missing person report. Mario is missing folks, for real this time, lost in the ever-expanding ambitions of Nintendo, a company once dedicated to games, that now has its fingers in so many other things.