Switch 2 Should be Mario's easiest layup in years, especially with Nintendo's latest direct as fans have been waiting for gaming's most famous mascot to finally take the spotlight again. Instead, the live came and went without the announcement of a new standalone 3D was killed No game or any indication that one even exists, leaving the Switch 2 with the odd distinction no Nintendo console wants to be involved with. Notably, Mario is now more than eight and a half years removed from his last original 3D platforming adventure, making it the all-time record drought for the iconic plumber.
Super Mario Odyssey launched on October 27, 2017, and it still stands as the last complete, standalone 3D was killed Nintendo game continues. of course, Bowser's Fury It is acceptable to arrive in 2021 and used with a more open-ended structure, but it was packaged. Super Mario 3D World and was never built or sold as a complete standalone successor. It was also incredibly short, which made it feel more like a loop than a messy fair read as The End of the Drought. was killed's current state, where he seems to be ignoring Switch 2 for now.
After Ocarina of Time and Star Fox, another N64 remake of the Switch 2 seems obvious
After Ocarina of Time and Star Fox, the Switch 2 already has the perfect opening to give a remake of another classic N64 title.
Mario has never gone this long between full 3D games
About the disappointing part was killedLong waits between 3D entries are nothing new, the current absence on the Switch 2, but this is clearly different. Nintendo has never done the 3D treatment was killed As an annual franchise, though, that's actually a good thing, as it's helped each new entry feel like a big event worth waiting for. Yet the later gap the odyssey The series now stretches well beyond every major wait that it has seen Super Mario 64.
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Every drought between major 3D Mario games
- Super Mario 64 who Super Mario Sunshine: 5 years, 10 months, 28 days
- Super Mario Sunshine who Super Mario Galaxy: 5 years, 2 months, 17 days
- Super Mario Galaxy who Super Mario Galaxy 2: 2 years, 6 months, 11 days
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 who Super Mario 3D Land: 1 year, 5 months, 21 days
- Super Mario 3D Land who Super Mario 3D World: 2 years, 9 days
- Super Mario 3D World who Super Mario Odyssey: 3 years, 11 months, 5 days
- Super Mario Odyssey To date: 8 years, 7+ months
Considering the wait in between Super Mario Odyssey And another 3D was killed With the game now quickly approaching 9 years, once the next entry finally arrives, it's possible that the drought will double the longest release gaps in the franchise's history. The previous longest stretch came in the middle Super Mario 64– Original 3D was killed Game – and Super Mario SunshineWhich makes sense in light of the size of the leap from the Nintendo 64 to the GameCube era. but the odyssey The Switch 2 wait is almost three years longer than that now, with no confirmed successor on the calendar.
Bowser's Fury complicates things, but it still doesn't count
The Bowser's Fury Debate is the only real complication, and even then, it doesn't do enough to clear the record. Bowser's Fury It was exciting because it felt like a glimpse into 3D was killed A connected playspace and another can go with a more experimental approach to structure. However, it was still an add-on paired with a sophisticated Wii U port, meaning it acted more like a proof of concept. was killedAnother major adventure.
Later gap the odyssey The series now stretches well beyond every major wait that it has seen Super Mario 64.
Historically, 3D was killed Games are defining beginnings for Nintendo hardware. Super Mario 64 introduced players to the Nintendo 64 and its capabilities, Super Mario Galaxy became the Wii's best creative showpiece, and Super Mario Odyssey Gave the original Nintendo Switch one of its most important early exclusives. having switch 2 Mario Kart World Great and all, but a racing game can't quite replace the sense of discovery that comes with new 3D was killed Built around new hardware.
Fans are not happy with the absence of 3D Mario on Switch 2
The longer the wait, the more fans start talking about the missing 3D was killed As one of the Switch 2's strangest and most defining absences. A Reddit post by user West-Exam-4136 points out that there will be nine years in October 2026. the odyssey And asked if Nintendo will show the new was killed Game this year or save for it the odyssey10th anniversary of. The same post summed up the impatience bluntly, saying 10 years is “too long.”
Other comments show how the gap is starting to influence people's feelings about the Switch 2. In the same post, user GOAt_tWO3 said the odyssey That was the game that made them want the Switch in the first place, which is exactly the kind of statement that explains why the absence seems so obvious. User OilMeUpStewart also wrote Donkey Kong Banana Looked good, but not enough to make them buy the Switch 2, while new was killed The game tells them to “pull the trigger.”
There are also more forgiving noises, though, and they're worth acknowledging because this, well, is Nintendo. Some fans are still willing to accept the new 3D was killed Finally coming, user AttleesTears argues in a Reddit post by user ChiTownDog that the problem isn't a lack of good games but the fact that the Switch 2's launch library and release schedule don't feel up to what people expect from a brand-new Nintendo console. And that's the heart of the issue, really, because the frustration isn't about Nintendo not having anything to play but about Nintendo not having full 3D. was killed When its new system feels ready for one.
Zelda keeps getting games, Mario doesn't
Comparing the original switch makes the condition of Switch 2 more difficult to ignore. In 2017, it started with the first switch The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and then received Super Mario Odyssey Less than eight months later. That first year gave Nintendo fans a new full 3D was killed and new Zelda game, which instantly makes the Switch feel like a full-on general reset rather than a simple but much-needed hardware upgrade.
since then, Zelda continue to receive treatment in kind was killed Fans are still waiting. Tears of the Kingdom A big sequel arrived in 2023 Breath of the Wild, An echo of wisdom Started a year later, and now Ocarina of Time A remake is on its way to Switch 2 in 2026. Zelda There's a new open-world entry, a refined Switch 2 focus, a brand new installment featuring a new main protagonist, and a remake of one of the most beloved games ever in 3D. was killed are still living the odysseylegacy of
The disappointment is not about Nintendo not having anything to play but about Nintendo not having full 3D. was killed When its new system feels ready for one.
Any of this means that Nintendo has completely ignored it was killed Overall, though. Super Mario Bros. Wonder Given 2D was killed A major creative win, Mario Kart World Already gave the Switch 2 a great multiplayer game, and was killed The brand in general is still healthier than almost any franchise in gaming. The problem is that none of those things answer the specific question fans are asking the odysseywhich rotates around another 3D was killed the game
So, Switch 2 has now broken the wrong type was killed record because Nintendo allowed each historical comparison to wait to advance. The company may finally reveal 3D was killed A game that makes silence feel justified, and history suggests that Nintendo is more than capable of turning patience into payoff. Until that disclosure, however, was killed's most notable Switch 2 achievement is, unfortunately, the longest drought the 3D series has ever seen.
