According to VGC, Nintendo is planning to celebrate the 35 year anniversary of the mainline Super Mario series. Most of its back catalog will be released and remastered for the Nintendo Switch. New Super Mario games will also be released throughout the course of the year.
Remastered titles are rumored to include Super Mario 64 (1997), Super Mario Sunshine (2002), and Super Mario Galaxy (2007). These titles were reported by Eurogamer and Getmatsu, both relying on information from trusted sources. In terms of new games, sources say new Paper Mario is in the works, as well as a Deluxe Super Mario 3D World. VGC asserts the news will be revealed alongside new details about their Universal partnership. When contacted for comment, Nintendo simply replied that they don’t speak on rumors and speculation.
VGC also says Nintendo originally meant to unveil their 35th anniversary plans at E3 2020, but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now reevaluating their plans, and could possibly opt for digital presentation. The company celebrated Mario’s 30 year anniversary back in 2015 across multiple events. Nintendo released merchandise and licensed memorabilia including 8-bit Mario Amiibo’s and Hot Wheels products. The commemoration culminated with the release of Super Mario Maker for Wii U in September 2015.
Whether these efforts will be replicated with the 35th anniversary remains to be seen, though it’s rumored a lot more back catalog will be revamped this time. It’s been confirmed that Lego will contribute to the celebration with future releases. Check back for updates on Nintendo’s plans.