Nintendo's Next Direct Could Finally Bring 3D Mario or Smash Bros.

There is always a risk when expectations get too high ahead of a Nintendo Direct. Nintendo fans have seen plenty of presentations where rumors and wish lists created massive hype, only for the actual show to go in a completely different direction. After the last two Nintendo Directs, there are certainly reasons to remain cautious. Still, something about this upcoming presentation feels different.

Nintendo is reportedly preparing a double Direct to close out the year, and the timing has made these presentations feel more important than usual. The company also recently raised the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 to $500, which adds even more pressure on how Nintendo plans to justify the value of its new hardware. That could be when Nintendo finally delivers one of the big announcements fans have been waiting for since the Switch 2 was revealed.

You don't need to get the whole presentation just right.

There will probably be smaller announcements and games that aren't for everybody, as is usually the case with Nintendo Directs. But Nintendo could save its biggest reveal for the end, and if that happens, two games stand out above almost everything else: a brand-new 3D Mario game or the next Super Smash Bros.

There are other possibilities. Luigi's Mansion 4 would be a significant announcement, and Nintendo could always reveal something completely unexpected. But considering where Nintendo currently is with the Switch 2 and the franchises that are due for major new entries, 3D Mario and Super Smash Bros. feel like the strongest candidates. Both games have reportedly been in development, although the rumors surrounding the next 3D Mario game have been especially persistent.

According to recent claims, a new 3D Mario game is planned for release in 2027. Other sources have also suggested that 2027 could be the year when Mario finally receives his next major 3D adventure. If those reports are accurate, this upcoming Nintendo Direct could be the moment when Nintendo officially reveals the game.

Both franchises have been waiting a long time. By October, it will have been nine years since the release of Super Mario Odyssey. Meanwhile, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will reach its eighth anniversary in December. Both franchises are among Nintendo's biggest, and both are reaching the point where fans expect news about what comes next. These are also the kinds of games that could significantly increase the appeal of the Switch 2.

Nintendo's decision to raise the Switch 2 to $500 has naturally put more focus on upcoming software.

Major presentations like the Zelda-focused event and the general Nintendo Direct will receive plenty of attention because Nintendo now has an even greater reason to demonstrate what makes the new console worth owning. The Zelda side of things already appears to have plenty going on, with the franchise's 40th anniversary bringing speculation surrounding possible Ocarina of Time-related announcements and other Zelda projects.

That leaves the general Nintendo Direct in an interesting position. Nintendo may have an opportunity to end the show with something entirely different and equally significant. One of the biggest reasons this upcoming presentation feels important is because Nintendo has reportedly stated that it will be the first show focused entirely on Nintendo Switch 2 games. If that is the case, viewers should not expect announcements for the original Switch, making this Direct feel more like Nintendo's true transition into the Switch 2 generation.

So far, many Switch 2 games were reportedly projects that began development for the original Switch before later moving to Nintendo's newer hardware.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave may be one of the first exceptions, although it is unclear whether it was developed entirely for the Switch 2 from the beginning. For the most part, however, a large percentage of the Switch 2 library so far appears to consist of games that were originally connected to the previous generation in some way.

This Direct could therefore offer the first major look at a group of games designed specifically with the Switch 2 in mind from the beginning. That does not necessarily mean Nintendo is preparing a presentation packed with dozens of new announcements. Around two or three major announcements would already be enough to make the event feel significant, but at least one major bombshell feels necessary. Right now, 3D Mario and Super Smash Bros. remain the strongest possibilities.

A new Animal Crossing may still be too early, while Pikmin also does not seem likely to receive another major entry so soon. There are plenty of Nintendo franchises that could return, but very few have the same level of impact as a new 3D Mario or Smash Bros. These are flagship franchises that sell extremely well on Nintendo hardware and can immediately give a new console a stronger lineup.

Nintendo also has a history of introducing new 3D Mario games relatively early in a console's life cycle.

That doesn't mean anything for sure, but the lack of any major 3D Mario news for the Switch 2 is getting harder and harder to ignore. Smash Bros is in the same boat. Of course, Nintendo won't let the franchise sit idle forever, and it's been eight years since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate dropped. But that hasn't stopped Nintendo from staying tight-lipped about the next game.

Recent rumors have fueled the speculation. Malow932, a leaker who has seemingly been on point with several Nintendo announcements and Direct presentations throughout the year, has done it again. The source has apparently predicted several events correctly before briefly disappearing from online discussions, then reappearing with new information.

According to recent claims attributed to the source, a brand-new Super Smash Bros. game is currently in development and will not simply be a port of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Another leak also pointed to the return of Nintendogs, which would be a surprising comeback given the franchise's long absence. Fox McCloud is also referenced in the rumor, and there's also a Mario Kart World DLC in the works for 2027.

Additional claims point to a new Star Fox Adventures-style game, along with a new Wario Land project. Some confusion reportedly emerged after Central Leaks made a typo involving Wario World, but the intended rumor appears to point toward Wario Land instead. A new 2D Metroid game is also reportedly part of Nintendo's plans for next year, adding even more major franchises to the rumored lineup.

Several of those games could easily become major announcements during a Nintendo Direct.

A new 2D Metroid would certainly be important, especially after Metroid Dread became a major release for the franchise and received a strong response from fans and critics. It also performed well commercially, proving that Nintendo's 2D Metroid games still have significant appeal. The rumored new game is reportedly called Metroid Ravenous, although the title has not been officially confirmed.

Even so, a new 2D Metroid does not feel like the strongest choice to close a major Nintendo Direct focused exclusively on the Switch 2. It would work well as an opening announcement or as a major reveal somewhere in the middle of the show. But if Nintendo wants to end the presentation with something that immediately dominates the conversation, 3D Mario would likely have a much bigger impact.

The same can probably be said about a new Wario Land game. A new entry in the franchise would be exciting, particularly because Wario Land has been absent for so long. But it feels more like a middle-of-the-show announcement or something that could open the presentation before Nintendo moves toward its larger reveals. That leaves the rumored 3D Mario game in a particularly interesting position.

If Nintendo truly has a new 3D Mario planned for 2027, it would give the company a massive title that doesn't appear to have an obvious equivalent on next year's release schedule.

Other major Nintendo franchises are also expected to release games. Pokémon will likely remain one of Nintendo's biggest brands, and Xenoblade could potentially play a larger role as well. However, a new 3D Mario would be on another level when it comes to convincing people to buy a Switch 2.

It is the kind of announcement that could make someone decide they need the console before the game arrives. The possibility has also become more believable because of how quiet things have been surrounding the rumored project. Normally, when a major Nintendo presentation approaches, insiders and leakers begin discussing whether they have heard anything about a specific game. Sometimes reports appear suggesting that a game is unlikely to show up.

This time, the conversation around 3D Mario has been strangely quiet. No major attempts have been made to shut down the rumors, but there has also been no widespread confirmation that the game will appear during this Direct. Instead, the general attitude seems to be that a new 3D Mario is coming next year, that it will be one of Nintendo's biggest releases, and that the only real question is when Nintendo plans to reveal it.

The alternative would likely be an announcement early next year, but Nintendo's presentation schedule remains uncertain. Nintendo did not begin this year with a Nintendo Direct, so there is no guarantee the company will return to a traditional early-year presentation next time. If Nintendo skips another early Direct, the next major presentation could potentially arrive much later in the year, possibly around June.

That would be a long wait for the reveal of a game reportedly planned to release in 2027.

If the next 3D Mario is truly coming next year, Nintendo may not want to wait until midyear to officially announce something that big. The timing of the Direct, the Switch 2-only focus, the rumored 2027 release window, and the lack of clarity surrounding Nintendo's presentation schedule all make this particular show feel increasingly important.

Of course, 3D Mario is not the only game capable of creating that level of excitement. A new Super Smash Bros. would also be a massive announcement. It has been eight years since Ultimate, and Nintendo has reached a point where the next entry is becoming increasingly inevitable.

The biggest question would be what Nintendo actually does with the franchise. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate set a very high bar, with a mammoth roster of characters and positioning itself as the ultimate celebration of the series. It's going to be hard to make a direct follow-up, because just trying to do Ultimate again on a bigger scale might not be feasible.

That is why a soft reboot could make sense. Nintendo could rebuild the roster, redesign familiar characters, and approach the series from a completely different direction. A new story mode could also give the next Smash Bros. game something that immediately separates it from Ultimate. Introducing entirely new characters and changing how the franchise works could make the next game feel fresh, rather than simply adding more content to what already exists.

A new Smash Bros. could be huge for the Switch 2, although it still feels possible that Nintendo is saving the reveal for a little later.

That might sound strange considering that Ultimate will soon be eight years old, but the next Smash Bros. could still be further away than fans expect. The game is certainly due, and an announcement within the next six months would not be surprising.

By the summer of next year, fans could know whether a new Smash Bros. is actually coming. A possible release window around the summer of 2028 would also make sense. It may sound far away, but major Smash Bros. games require an enormous amount of development time, particularly if Nintendo is planning a significant change to the formula.

Still, when you look at Nintendo's biggest franchises and consider which games could realistically close a major Switch 2-focused presentation, 3D Mario continues to stand out. Super Mario Odyssey will soon be nine years old, Nintendo's next generation is already underway, and rumors continue to point toward a new 3D Mario arriving in 2027.

The upcoming week could also be a major one for Nintendo beyond Mario.

The Zelda franchise is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with speculation pointing toward potential Ocarina of Time-related announcements and other surprises connected to the series. If Nintendo follows that with a general Direct filled with major announcements and then closes the presentation with the long-awaited reveal of the next 3D Mario game, the two events could become one of the company's most memorable stretches of presentations in years.

For now, the rumors remain unconfirmed, but the pieces are beginning to line up. Whether Nintendo chooses 3D Mario, Super Smash Bros., or something nobody has seen coming, this upcoming Direct could be an important moment for the Switch 2. Should Nintendo decide to close out the show with the next big 3D Mario adventure, it could finally bring in the new era many fans have been waiting for.