A rumor is igniting the Nintendo community: a major Nintendo Direct would be planned in a few days, with a major announcement surrounding a new 3D Mario game. What if it was true? Fans of the Switch and Mario could well experience an eventful end of February. According to informant Nash Weedle, relayed in the podcast Attack The Backloga large-scale Nintendo Direct event would be scheduled between February 16 and 20. “big Mario in 3D” will be confirmed, he claims, relying on the same sources that correctly predicted Donkey Kong Bananza last year.
A 3D Mario already “confirmed” by several sources
This isn’t the first time that rumors have preceded a Nintendo Direct, but this time there are many signals. Analyst Ghaith Dalhoumi also relayed the information on
The window mentioned, “the third week of February”, coincides with Nintendo’s usual strategy for its major announcements. Even if nothing is official, the schedule seems plausible: Mario Tennis Fever comes out this week, Pokémon Pokopia arrives in March, and the return of Tomodachi Life is planned for April. It would therefore remain an ideal place for a flagship revelation.
Mario Odyssey studios in action again?
Speculation is rife about the team in charge of development. Production Group No. 8, known for Super Mario Odyssey, was reportedly split in two during production of Donkey Kong Bananza. One half would have finalized the game, while the other half was working on a brand new Mario 3D.
One element reinforces this theory: the imminent release of the Super Mario Galaxy film, scheduled for April. What if Nintendo was preparing a galactic return for its plumber? As the source article puts it, “a new galaxy is in the making.”
Caution required despite excitement
Even if the hypothesis of a new 3D Mario is a dream, some recommend not getting carried away. “It’s best to take all of this with a grain of salt,” recalls Olly Smith. Indeed, Nintendo remains silent and could very well postpone its announcements until the summer, during a more summery Direct.
Regardless, between leaks, cross-sources and clues left by the calendar, the announcement seems more and more credible. And even if the suspense remains, fans won’t have long to wait.