Nintendo's Next 3D Mario May Finally Be Getting Ready for Release

Since Super Mario Odyssey came out in 2017, Nintendo fans have had the same question: Where is the next big 3D Mario game? Now, there is new talk in the gaming community about Mario's future on Switch 2 after Shigeru Miyamoto said some things that made it sound like Nintendo might finally be ready to talk about it. Those who know said that Miyamoto recently talked about the next Mario game in a special piece honoring the franchise's anniversary.

While he stopped short of revealing anything directly, fans quickly noticed the wording. Miyamoto said that Nintendo has always put out big Mario games at the same time as new versions of consoles. He also said that he was looking forward to seeing what the current development team would come up with next. It was just a few words, but people were speculating a lot, which is normal for Nintendo.

What makes the case really interesting is the timing. There have been rumors for weeks that Nintendo will have a big Direct presentation in June. Fans who have been following the company for a long time say this situation seems oddly similar. In an interview in 2023, just before Nintendo officially announced Super Mario Bros., Miyamoto said similar things. Think about it.

At the time, a lot of people thought the tease was just advertising. After two months, Mario Wonder was one of Nintendo's most important news stories of the year.

That history has led many players to believe Nintendo could be repeating the same playbook again. The company has remained extremely quiet about its long-term Switch 2 software plans, but Nintendo is preparing for a massive launch period. According to the sources, Nintendo initially forecasted sales of 16.5 million Switch 2 units during the current fiscal year.

However, newer reports claim the company may actually be preparing inventory closer to 20 million units, suggesting confidence that demand could be even higher than expected. Big hardware launches usually need equally big games attached to them, and few franchises carry more weight than Mario.

Nintendo has often used major Mario releases to define the early years of its consoles, which is why many fans are beginning to wonder whether the company is ready to finally show what comes after Odyssey. However, things are not quite as simple as they seem. Some news outlets say that Nintendo might be focusing on remakes, spin-offs, and returning titles at the moment, ahead of the next mainline 3D Mario game.

They say that Nintendo is discussing a possible remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, games related to Star Fox, and other big projects for the future.

That has created a split among fans. Some believe Nintendo may want to save the next 3D Mario reveal until closer to launch in order to maximize hype. Others argue the company needs a major first-party announcement soon, especially as conversations grow around whether the Switch 2 launch lineup relies too heavily on remakes and updated older titles.

There is also growing curiosity around what the next Mario game could actually become. According to the sources, some developers tied to Super Mario Odyssey have also contributed to newer Nintendo projects, including Donkey Kong Bonanza. That overlap has sparked theories that Nintendo may already be testing ideas that could eventually appear in the next Mario adventure.

Fans have been particularly interested in bigger worlds and worlds where players can connect with each other. Nintendo has been trying out sandbox-style areas that are bigger and feel more linked and alive than in previous games. Others think that companion mechanics could also get better, with characters like Yoshi possibly having a bigger role in exploration and gameplay instead of just being power-ups or extras.

For now, Nintendo is not telling anyone anything. People still haven't heard anything about 3D Mario, and the company won't say anything about more projects either. Miyamoto’s latest words came amid growing excitement surrounding the Switch 2, sending ripples of reports through the business world once again.

Still, it’s becoming more and more clear that Mario’s next big adventure is coming soon, regardless of whether the upcoming Nintendo Direct gives us a small taste or not. When Nintendo finally does reveal the next 3D Mario, will it be worth the wait? That’s the real question.