Nintendo Celebrates Mario’s 35th Anniversary with Classic Games on the Switch
Nintendo surprised its fans yesterday with a Nintendo Direct celebrating Mario’s 35th anniversary. They announced some exciting classics for the Switch as well as a Mario battle royale and an augmented reality.
Yet another surprise Nintendo Direct premiered yesterday to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Nintendo’s Super Mario franchise. There were a lot of expected but exciting announcements along with some unexpected ones too.
The biggest announcement, of course, was that the classic Mario titles, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy would be released for the Switch. All three games can be bought together in a bundle called the Super Mario 3D All Stars collection. The collection is available for preorder now on the Nintendo eShop, but it debuts on the Switch on September 18th.
Aside from this, there is also the Super Mario All Stars collection which contains the 2D classics. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3, as well as Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels. Just in case you are more of a 2D Mario fan. The Super Mario All Stars collection is available for free to all Nintendo Online subscribers today as a part of the Super NES - Nintendo Switch Online collection!
Nintendo also announced Super Mario Bros. 35, a Mario themed battle royale game that takes a lot of inspiration from Tetris 99. Compete on screen with 34 other players to see who can survive a gauntlet of Mario levels the longest. Super Mario Bros. 35 releases on the Nintendo eShop on October 1st.
The original Super Mario Bros. game will also be available as a part of a reboot of the original Game & Watch handheld device on November 13th. Just in case things weren’t nostalgic enough already.
Super Mario 3D World, which originally launched for the Wii U, will also make its way to the Switch. This game is unique for its ability for up to four players to cooperate or compete both locally and online. The Direct also showcased something new, called “Bowser’s Fury,” which seems to be an addition to the original 3D World, but Nintendo hasn’t said much on the topic. Super Mario 3D World arrives on the Switch on February 12th.
Perhaps the most unique game showcased in the Direct was what appeared to be an augmented reality version of Mario Kart, called Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. The game functions via a remote control Kart with a camera that maps out the track on your Switch screen. Maybe it would be best to just check out the trailer for yourself. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit arrives on October 16th.
Nintendo has also planned many other smaller products and events to take place between now and March 2021. Many of these classic titles will only be available until March, so if you’re a fan it’s best not to wait around too long.
Which Mario game are you most excited to try out on the Switch?
