It hasn’t been entirely clear what’s next for Super Mario. The famous plumber hasn’t starred in a new major game for eight years. The Super Mario series is arguably the most recognizable in gaming history, and it played a huge role in popularizing video games as Nintendo’s main character, appearing in many games when the company first started.
Nintendo first found lasting success with the 1981 game Donkey Kong, but it was the release of Super Mario Bros. in September 1985 that truly boosted their home console sales. Building on the arcade game Mario Bros. – which introduced characters like the Koopas and Luigi – Super Mario Bros. created a complete and expansive side-scrolling adventure. The game also launched iconic characters like Bowser and Princess Toadstool (later known as Princess Peach), who would eventually star in their own games.
Mario Has Only Had 1 Main Series Title in 8 Years
Despite being the face of Nintendo, a major gaming company, there hasn’t been a new main Super Mario game in eight years. A Reddit user named TJmaster87 recently noted that Super Mario Bros. Wonder, released in 2023, is the only major Mario title since 2017. While Wonder was a hit with players, some fans are hoping for a completely new game instead of the planned downloadable content, and this sentiment was recently discussed on a *Mariofocused Reddit thread about an upcoming version for the Switch 2.
Between 2007 and 2017, nine Mario games were released, starting with Super Mario Galaxy and ending with Super Mario Odyssey. Both of these games will influence the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and many fans are hoping a new game will follow to build on the success of the movie. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, released in April 2023, earned over a billion dollars globally, making it the most successful video game movie ever. Just over four months later, in late October 2023, Super Mario Wonder came out and quickly became the fastest-selling Super Mario game of all time, leading some Nintendo fans to anticipate similar success in the future.
While Wonder is a great game, many longtime fans are hoping for a new 3D platformer starring Mario. Super Mario 64 was hugely influential in creating the 3D platforming genre in the 90s, and every subsequent 3D Mario game has been fantastic. With recent games like Astro Bot proving the genre is still popular, there’s a clear opportunity for Mario to return and solidify his position as the king of 3D platforming.
Many fans believe Nintendo has been hinting at the future of the Super Mario series since the Switch re-release of Super Mario 3D Land. The game included extra content called “Bowser’s Fury,” which featured a huge, intimidating Bowser and a more open-world style of gameplay. This felt like Nintendo was testing out ideas for future Mario games, but so far, those ideas haven’t fully come to fruition. With the new Nintendo Switch 2 launching in June 2025, a new Mario game is expected, and it could represent a significant change in direction for the franchise.
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2026-02-17 21:34