Nintendo’s next Direct is conveniently timed a day before the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., but what could that mean in terms of announcements?
After Nintendo celebrated the 35th anniversary with a surprising amount of enthusiasm, things have been suspiciously quiet about the upcoming 40th birthday for Super Mario Bros.
The 1985 platformer may not be the genesis of Mario (he first appeared in 1981’s Donkey Kong), but it set the foundations for the plumber’s modernincarnations – with 2D side-scrolling stages, the classic theme tune by Koji Kondo, and the classic mushroom and fire flower power-ups.
While Nintendo has been silent about any potential celebrations, a Nintendo Direct has been announced for a day before the game’s 40th anniversary on Saturday, September 13. Considering the company went so big on the 35th, with game collections and special merchandise, the timing feels like a not-so-subtle hint as to what’s in store.
Based on what Nintendo released for the 35th, along with some overdue absences, there’s a surprising amount Nintendo could do to mark the occasion. If you’re out of the Mushroom Kingdom loop, we’ve run down all the likely possibilities below.
Super Mario Sunshine on Nintendo Switch Online
This is a boring one, but we already know this is happening. Nintendo confirmed Super Mario Sunshine is coming to Nintendo Switch Online back in April, but a release date has yet to be announced for the old GameCube game. As such, this feels like a shoe-in for a drop this month.
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Mario Kart World DLC
It’s unclear if any DLC will be specifically themed around the 40th anniversary, but it’s certainly a possibility. The future of Mario Kart World has been a hanging question ever since the title launched with the Switch 2 in June, so a celebratory track (or event) based around Super Mario Bros. could be a good way to kick off some kind of future roadmap.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Aside from the bizarre time limited release, the absence of Super Mario Galaxy 2 in the original Super Mario 3D All-Stars was the collection’s biggest fumble. Nintendo has a knack for making you pay for old games over and over, so it could resurrect this collection for the 40th anniversary with some additional extras.
It makes no sense why Nintendo would package Super Mario Galaxy 2 exclusively into a Switch 2 edition (the original game came out on the Wii in 2010), so that’s exactly why it feels possible that it could happen.
The return of Super Mario Bros. 35… but 40!
In a similar spirit, Nintendo could bring back its 2020 online multiplayer battle royale take on the original Super Mario Bros., albeit with even more players. This was released for the 35th anniversary, exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online, but for no obvious reason, it was taken down on April 1, 2021.
Cast announcements for The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2
The Direct presentation, which rolled out the cast announcements for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, is still, to this day, one of the greatest moments in the history of social media hysterics. While we might not hit those same heights again with the sequel, there’s a chance Shigeru Miyamoto might dish out some unexpected newcomers.
Based on the original film’s ending, we already know Yoshi will be involved in the sequel, which is scheduled to be released on April 3, 2026. Although we’d bet the likes of Wario (Danny DeVito, please), Daisy, or even Diddy Kong could also debut in Mario’s next big screen outing.
Super Mario Maker 3
It’s been six years since Super Mario Maker 2 hit the Nintendo Switch, which is more than enough time to make another follow-up. The sequel featured level assets based on Super Mario 3D World, so a third outing could borrow crazier tricks from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, or lean into its ‘3’ name with a jump to 3D levels.
A new 3D Mario
This is the one most people will be hoping for. It’s been a massive eight years since Super Mario Odyssey, which was the plumber’s last major 3D outing (if you don’t count Bowser’s Fury). A sequel is long overdue, and with the next Mario movie around the corner, it feels like 2026 would be the perfect time to launch his next era on the Switch 2.
Nintendo has discussed Mario’s next big 3D adventure in the past, but it’s unclear if it would be a direct sequel to Super Mario Odyssey or something brand new. The question of who is working on it is a real mystery too, considering we’ve just had Donkey Kong Bananza from the same team (although not the same director).
With every new Nintendo console, there’s always a countdown to the next tentpole Mario title – so the 40th anniversary might launch the first look at what’s to come.
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