A new rumor is claiming that a new major Super Mario title is in development over at Nintendo and could potentially be one of the early titles to promote the much-hyped Switch successor console that will likely be arriving sometime in 2024. Nintendo is currently heavily promoting the release of the next 2D Mario title, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which is set to release in October.
Super Mario Odyssey was one of the early titles for the Nintendo Switch that secured the console as a hit, breaking Nintendo’s cold streak of underperforming hardware after the Wii U. Since Mario is the character most synonymous with Nintendo as a brand, it only makes sense that the company would want a new game accompanying the release of the heavily rumored Switch successor, which many are saying will arrive sometime next year. A new rumor from a credible Nintendo insider is saying this may just be the case.
The Rumor of Mario for Nintendo Switch 2
The rumor about a new major Super Mario title comes via Zippo, who’s done a number of Nintendo rumors in the past, many with a large degree of accuracy, such as giving early confirmation of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. That certainly makes it seem like this latest rumor could have some truth to it as well, although there’s nothing in the rumor giving any concrete timeline about when this new title can be expected.
Zippo writes, “A little birdie has told me that a brand new major Mario title in the works for Nintendo’s next system will be using Unreal Engine 4.”
It seems as though Nintendo may be easing into using the Unreal Engine with many more of its upcoming first-party titles in the future. It’s already the engine that powers games like Pikmin 4, and if this Switch follow-up is indeed largely due to the outcry for more powerful hardware from the player base, then this would be the perfect time for Nintendo to put out titles using the Unreal Engine to really showcase its next generation.
The rumor also states that a number of Nintendo developers are already working with the Unreal Engine and could already be working on Switch 2 launch titles utilizing it. Those developers include Game Freak (Pokemon), Intelligent Systems (Fire Emblem), and Monolith Soft (Xenoblade Chronicles). It’s particularly exciting to consider the idea that Game Freak may be working with the Unreal Engine considering the technical problems currently plaguing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet even after months of patches to fix many of the initial bugs.
