Nintendo has announced two new retro games for Nintendo Switch Online, and one might be another hint as to the next 3D Super Mario.
A successor to 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey feels long overdue at this point and if rampant speculation is to be believed, that is exactly what is planned for early on in the Nintendo Switch 2 ‘s lifespan.
Nothing has been announced about the next inevitable 3D Mario, but there are plenty of signs it could involve his historic rivalry with Donkey Kong – based on rumours going back to 2021, the recently launched Donkey Kong Country area at Super Nintendo World, and a number of re-released games over the past few years.
Nintendo also appears to be hammering the point home in its latest additions to the Nintendo Switch Online service, with one of the titles being another classic Donkey Kong entry.
As of today, 1994’s Donkey Kong and 1995 puzzle game Mario Picross – which were both originally released on the Game Boy – have been added to Nintendo Switch Online.
The former is a sort-of sequel to the 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game, which combines the classic barrel-dodging sprints with levels where you guide Mario around to hunt for keys and open locked doors, in manner similar to 2004 spiritual successor Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
Mario Picross, meanwhile, is exactly what you’d expect from a Mario-themed Picross game. The game was a flop in the West but sold well in Japan, leading to two sequels, Mario’s Super Picross (also available on Switch Online) and Picross 2, which were Japanese-only exclusives.
While at face value these are pretty innocuous additions, Nintendo appears to be doubling down on Donkey Kong as of late.
Aside from the ape’s key role in the Mario movie and the newly launched theme park, we’ve had a Mario vs. Donkey remake, a Donkey Kong Country Returns remaster, and several Donkey Kong Country games added to Switch Online over the past year. He’s even received a re-design in the next Mario Kart on Switch 2.
After several years in the wilderness, it certainly seems as if Nintendo is trying to revive interest in the character and, even without the rumours, that makes it reasonable to imagine they’re working on a new game.
Donkey Kong was Mario’s main antagonist before Bowser stole his thunder in 1985’s Super Mario Bros., but he’s never had a key role in a major 3D Mario outing – although arguably the best part of 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey was a sequence inspired by the Donkey Kong arcade game.
If Donkey Kong is a key part of the next 3D Mario, the big question is in what capacity? It could be a co-op adventure, taking cues from their joint sequence in the Mario movie, or an evolution of the sandbox design in Bowser’s Fury, whereby Donkey Kong is a looming antagonist instead of the King of the Koopas.
Of course, there’s a chance Nintendo is doing this for no particular reason, other than to get more mileage out of some of their older games, but there’s enough circumstantial evidence to suggest this is all a considered move towards an ape relaunch. Hopefully, with Funky Kong included.
We might find out about Donkey Kong’s potential comeback in Nintendo’s upcoming presentation for the Switch 2, which is slated for April 2.
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