Will the next 3D Mario game take a few more years after Donkey Kong Bananza?

Hyperborean said:
I thought Donkey Kong: Bananza was a launch game :(. Mario Kart will have to keep me entertained through the launch window period. Looking forward to Bananza though.
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Its only a one month wait after launch, which isnt that big of a deal when you consider odyssey released 8 months after the switch
 
I had this basically locked in for this year, but now DK makes me think it's their big 2026 game.

We'll get something Mario later this year though. I hope it's not just Super Mario Maker 2 Switch 2 Edition - now with mouse controls.
 
Any chance we'd see a new 2D Mario on S2? Maybe they can pump one out while making the next 3D Mario.
 
Woopah said:
I'm not sure we ever got a full breakdown of what the split was, but I just had a quick look through the credits and saw plenty of Nintendo people as well as Eightin people, and not just in the very senior positions.
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Could be the case, but the point is that they were deep involved on actually designing the game. Not sure if NST or 1UP were ever on this position (though I did hear about NST itself making Bowser's Fury).
 
Usually I'd say they'll wait for the Launch to die down and swing for Holiday 2025 but I think like the Switch 1 they'll wait a bit longer between big releases and let MK and the like drive it, Metroid and possibly a new Mario Sports title will be holiday sellers and then about a year in drop a new Mario

Keep in mind Odyssey wasnt the last Mario game, Wonder was so I could see them drop a Switch 2 version with DLC in there
 
blacktout said:
That codename leak from a few months ago contained codenames for both a new game based on Mario Odyssey but probably not staring Mario (SilverStar for the new game vs. RedStar for Odyssey), which was probably Donkey Kong, and a completely new 3D Mario game (SpRed).

It also contained codenames for unannounced games that later were confirmed (Mario Party Jamboree and Echoes of Wisdom), so it's extremely likely to be legit.

Granted, we don't know how far out these games are, but as of right now, I believe only three haven't materialized: SpRed, Legacy (Monolith's new project), and Spiral (likely Splatoon 4). So we're not talking about Nintendo's entire slate for years to come, probably just games that are deep into development.

So it seems like some team, somewhere has been working on a new 3D Mario in parallel to Donkey Kong, or they all but finished DK a while ago but held it back for the SW2 (probably because the SW1 couldn't handle the environmental destruction mechanics).
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This would be my guess as well.

This code-name leak hasn't had a single miss yet.
 
nial said:
That's Mario Kart World and it's a launch title, what do you mean?
Pokémon is a thing, btw.
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Obviously they need a launch title, but why launch Bananza in July? Pokémon is cross gen so it's not a factor.

My point remains that DK would have launched at least in September if it was supposed to be the big hitter.
 
Hard to say. Bananza is most likely being done by the 3D Mario team. It uses some iteration of the BotW/Odyssey engine. I dunno if the 3D Mario team has the capacity to work on 2 games, but I have a hard time believing that Nintendo wouldn't work on the next big Mario game.
That being said, Bananza looks like it will be the best Red Faction game ever, so I am all for it.
 
Honestly I think it's cool their giving DK a game for once, it completely changes the move set because he's a powerful ape, it's like having a game where you play as Bowser.

Honestly I wish they would make a new Wario game instead of Mario. All we have had is Wario Ware over and over, but the Wario Land games where all top tier back in the day. As fun as Oddesy was i wouldn't mind a console skipping Mario as long as they make sure other characters get a chance instead.
 
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I think the next 3D Mario will be 2026 with the next 2D Mario a year after that. They are going to want a steady stream of big releases and not do a Microsoft where you will have one amazing year followed by nothing.
 
RoadHazard said:
Yeah, they are quite off-putting.
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Yeah, they don't "feel" like DK colours. The palette is off somehow.

Nintendo Forecast usually knows what studios should be doing what, I gotta see if he has released anything about it on YT.

During the Switch 1 era Nintendo released one bigger 1st party game per quarter right?
 
It will be Mario Galaxy series on Gamecube or Switch 2 edition ..

I orginally fthought they would have a Mario game for this christmas, now I am not so sure.
 
Super Mario 128 in 2026.
A spiritual successor to Mario 64 while also celebrating 64's 30th birthday.

(not gonna happen but I want it to happen...)
 
They need a strong horse to sell that Switch 2 OLED, once everyone and his mother acquired the LCD Version.
 
Others have already said it, I don't think they will double dip on Mario the same year with Kart and mainline. Instead they will spread out their ammunition. Seems a no brainer for next year to maintain momentum. Thirst will be high for it. So the DK move was pretty smart, it's something different to "let us buy" while waiting lol.

But then the new Hyrule Warriors comes out late this year, putting a major dampener on hopes for a some other Zelda holiday draw like OOT remake. I find myself really unable to guess their plans for games at all and just ready for more news. I hope they come out of left field with something ludicrous and unexpected like making Starfox good again.
 
I'm leaning towards the idea that this Donkey Kong and the next Mario have been in development in tandem for ages now. There is obviously a lot of EADNA in this Donkey Kong game but there could easily be a new division created. The 3D Mario team is nearly done if not completely done with their next Mario title and Nintendo's just been sitting on it.

I expect 3D Mario to be the big holiday title. Multiple 3D platformers be darned. We've had RPG's like Mario + Rappids and Xenoblade 2 released within a few months from one another. Then the following year Kirby Star Allies released about 2 or 3 months from DK Tropical Freeze. We even have another racer in Kirby Air Riders releasing within 6 months of Kart. *shrug*

At an immediate glance Donkey Kong's gameplay is distinct enough that I imagine the general consumer won't accuse Mario and DK of being too similar. Well unless the next Mario game focuses entirely on the Bowser ending sequence of Odyssey.
 
Holiday 2025
Believe Jason Sudeikis GIF by Apple TV
 
Chukhopops said:
Obviously they need a launch title, but why launch Bananza in July? Pokémon is cross gen so it's not a factor.

My point remains that DK would have launched at least in September if it was supposed to be the big hitter.
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Pokémon will be their second (if not the first) best-selling game this year, so yes, it's a factor.
 
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I thought Bananaza looked better than a new 3d Mario. I don't want one unless it's much more inventive than Odyssey.
 
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Hyperborean said:
I thought Donkey Kong: Bananza was a launch game :(. Mario Kart will have to keep me entertained through the launch window period. Looking forward to Bananza though.
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Welcome Tour is a launch game so I think you'll have plenty enough games to keep you busy until DKB.
 
Love 3D Mario games, but I'm happier about the Donkey Kong game than another 3D Mario.

The last truly 3D Donkey Kong game was back on the N64, it's been too long, and the destruction mechanics seem like the perfect evolution.
 
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nial said:
Could be the case, but the point is that they were deep involved on actually designing the game. Not sure if NST or 1UP were ever on this position (though I did hear about NST itself making Bowser's Fury).
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1UP staff were level designers for both Odyssey and Bowser's Fury (and yes you're right that NST also did level design on Bowser's Fury).
Chukhopops said:
Obviously they need a launch title, but why launch Bananza in July? Pokémon is cross gen so it's not a factor.

My point remains that DK would have launched at least in September if it was supposed to be the big hithitter
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Pokémon will be the big
Emedan said:
Yeah, they don't "feel" like DK colours. The palette is off somehow.

Nintendo Forecast usually knows what studios should be doing what, I gotta see if he has released anything about it on YT.

During the Switch 1 era Nintendo released one bigger 1st party game per quarter right?
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They were consistent at releasing a game almost every month, but not in terms of size. You'd get one quarter with three small games and then a quarter with 2 or 3 big games.
 
Apparently according to the workers at the Switch 2 event in Paris, Bananza was developed by the Odyssey team. So it sounds like we might not get a proper 3D Mario for a while.
 
The next Mario 3D release will have nothing to do with Donkey Kong, Kirby, Metroid or whatever. They'll release it when ready.

This September Super Mario Bros will start its 40th anniversary, so pretty likely will announce it and release it within that context (somewhere between Sept. 2025 and Sept. 2026).
 
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