To say that Nintendo has had a rocky year would be an immense understatement. The company's first few years with the Switch featured release-after-release of huge AAA titles, one after the other. The Switch has had an incredible run overall and is only about halfway through its life. But then 2020 came -- the console's new game releases slowly fell to a crawl, with only the occasional hit coming every few months. Undoubtedly, the hybrid system's biggest hit of the year came in the form of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which released way back in March of this year.
The biggest issue with Nintendo's 2020, however, was the overall feeling of uncertainty that it brought with it. What did Nintendo have planned for the rest of the year? What about next year? Was the Switch receiving any new games at all, within the foreseeable future? Nobody knew. Nintendo hadn't released a proper Nintendo Direct in over a year, with only a couple of disappointing Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcases and a Indie Showcase that brought nothing major to the table. It was time that Nintendo brought something substantial to the table, something that fans could get excited for again.
And then it happened: Nintendo surprised everyone by dropping the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct. The surprise Nintendo Direct not only announced several new Mario titles coming for the Nintendo Switch, but also reminded fans why they love Nintendo so much and making players become excited for the company's future, yet again.
Giving the Fans What they Want
The biggest part of the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct was the announcement of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a brand-new collection of three of Mario's biggest 3D platformer games. The title was heavily rumored for several months, and its official announcement is making many fans lose their minds right now. Players have been clamoring for a re-release of Mario's old 3D adventures, with Super Mario Sunshine in particular being begged by many hardcore fans. And now that the collection is finally coming and in only a couple of weeks, Switch owners will finally have a big 2020 game in hand.
Aside from the big reveal, Nintendo gave fans another beloved collection: the original Super Mario All-Stars, which originally released back on the Super Nintendo and then again on the Wii for Mario's 25th Anniversary. It was announced that the title would be available free of charge via the Super Nintendo Switch Online app immediately for all Switch Online subscribers. This addition was nothing more than an added bonus, but many fans have been wanting to see the re-release of this classic collection for quite some time now.
Introducing Brand-New Experiences
The Direct not only brought the heavily hyped Mario collection to the players, but also plenty of smaller things that other Nintendo fans can appreciate. For example, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit brings a brand-new experience in the form of Augmented Reality and real-life toys that hasn't really been seen in the gaming world, and looks to defy what truly constitutes a "toy" and a "video game," by essentially combining the two together.
Another interesting reveal during the Direct was the new Super Mario Bros. 35, which seems to be taking a little inspiration from the popular Tetris 99 by essentially Battle Royale-ifying the original Super Mario Bros. game. Being exclusive to Switch Online players, the game is a truly unique take on the Super Mario franchise, and offers an experience that is sure to appeal to an entirely different crowd, in addition to all of the Mario lovers.
It was lovely to see Nintendo think more outside of the box with these titles, and the new games really helped to add some depth to the Direct overall. But these reveals felt especially important, as they showed that Nintendo isn't just simply appeasing its fans; the company is still thinking creatively and continues to take the red plumber in new directions, even after 35 years.
Building Excitement for 2021 And Beyond
The company didn't stop at the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, but also announced the Wii U classic, Super Mario 3D World, to be also coming to the platform. Instead of adding it to the 3D collection, the company is deciding to release it stand-alone with additional content, giving it the same treatment as so many other Wii U titles before it. It was revealed that the title would be releasing in February 2021, much later than the 3D collection. This launch window could be taken negatively for some, but for many, it gives players a peak at Nintendo's next year.
While not many games have release dates announced, players are still aware that Breathe of the Wild 2, Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and No More Heroes 3-- which are all sure to be heavy-hitters-- are still coming to the platform sometime in the future. The fact also remains that 2021 will be The Legend of Zelda's 35th Anniversary and, being Nintendo's second most popular franchise, is incredibly likely to also get a similar anniversary celebration. Zelda fans are overdue for some new titles and re-releases, so it seems very likely that that will have a chance of occurring later down the line.
Acknowledging and Honoring the Past
On top of all of the games announced during the Direct, Nintendo payed honor to the history of Mario through a montage at the end of the presentation -- the company took players through the long history of Mario, by incorporating a sizzle reel of every mainline Mario game, from Super Mario Bros. on the NES to Super Mario Odyssey on Switch. It was a fun, yet unnecessary addition. Nintendo could have very well just confirmed Super Mario 3D All-Stars and ended the Direct right then and there; instead, it took fans through the history of gaming's biggest icon ever. In many ways, the sizzle reel felt just as important as the actual game reveals.
Overall, the Switch hasn't had the strongest year; 2020 hasn't exactly been a good year for anyone with the way that the things currently sit in the world. But at the very least, the Super Mario 35th Anniversary Direct feels like a great recovery for Nintendo. It showed that the company hasn't forgotten its fans, still has plenty of great new gaming experiences in store, and still isn't without its surprises.
