Nintendo apparently has big plans for the 35th anniversary of its most beloved character. According to reports, the Japanese video game company is planning a big celebration for Mario that will see some retro classics hit its latest console as well as some new games and even an animated movie.
According to UK gaming website Video Games Chronicle, Nintendo is going big for the 35th anniversary of the stout plumber’s first appearance, including new titles and a surge of “most” games in its Mario back catalog remastered for the Nintendo Switch.
Multiple sources have told VGC that the platform holder is planning to hold an event to coincide with this year’s anniversary, which marks 35 years since the start of the mainline Super Mario series in 1985.
As part of its anniversary celebrations, Nintendo will reveal plans to re-release most of Super Mario’s 35-year back catalogue this year, remastered for Nintendo Switch, VGC was told.
According to the report, the plans include Super Mario 64 from 1997, 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy, which came out on the Wii console in 2007. There’s also word of a new version of Paper Mario and Super Mario World 3D. We know of at least one new Mario game coming soon which is set in the Lego universe and features building toys based on the series. That was revealed with a video earlier in the month.
The big news was apparently supposed to arrive at E3 in June, but with coronavirus canceling the expo Nintendo had to make other plans. The VGC report indicated that new anniversary plans could be made official when Nintendo speaks about its forthcoming partnership with Universal, which is supposed to include Super Nintendo World theme parks and, intriguingly, a new Super Mario animated movie.
This is all great news for Nintendo fans, and even more reason to buy a Switch these days. Just good luck finding one at retail price.