With everything going on in the world, you may not have realized that 2020 marks the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. on the NES. But Nintendo certainly hasn’t forgotten. And they’ve got big plans to celebrate their mascot. British website Video Game Chronicle reports that Nintendo will release remasters of Mario’s 3D catalog on the Switch. They state multiple sources have told them as such, but the news goes further than some re-releases.
Their report did not specify which games would be receiving remasters. However, a follow-up report from Eurogamer, VGC’s network partner, did. Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario 64 will all receive remasters according to their sources. But it doesn’t end there. Nintendo will also release a deluxe version of Super Mario 3D World with additional levels and a new entry in the Paper Mario series. VGC states Nintendo originally planned to hold an event at E3 this year before it was canceled due to the coronavirus. With that cancelation, Nintendo may choose to make these announcements digitally.
Nintendo’s E3 event would have also given more details about the Super Nintendo World theme park in Japan. The park is a partnership with Universal. The plan was to open this Summer before the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Those were pushed back to 2021, and there’s still no word on an official opening date for the park. The event also would have given details on the animated movie in the works at Illumination Entertainment.
When asked for comment, Nintendo naturally declined. But they usually refuse to comment on “rumors and speculation.” Given that they celebrated Mario’s 30th anniversary in 2015, there’s probably some truth to this. Also, they’ve already partnered with other companies this year in celebration. A playset from LEGO will launch later this year. And a clothing line from Levi’s is also on the way.
