Super Mario Odyssey: The Torchbearer Awaits a Successor as Nintendo's Big Reveal Looms

Get ready, gaming fanatics! If there's one iconic franchise that's been at the heart of our pixelated adventures, it's Mario! Imagine my excitement when I not only got to delve into Super Mario Odyssey back in 2017 but got to review it for IGN. That leap into one of the greatest 3D platformers ever made was a career highlight.

But here we are, it's 2026, and the wait for Odyssey's successor stretches beyond eight years. Remember the last mainline 3D Mario release? It was Super Mario Galaxy 2, all the way back in 2010. That's right, it was a long seven years of waiting till Odyssey, a wait that has now been surpassed as we hunger for the next mind-blowing Mario odyssey.

Wasn't last Fall supposed to be the moment? Nintendo's perfect opportunity to make history on the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. A colossal new 3D Mario to propel the Switch 2 into the spotlight, much like Odyssey did for the original Switch in 2017. But alas, the anniversary lights dimmed with just a 4K remaster of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.

Nintendo has been clearing up its arsenal of blockbusters - what's left in their chamber? They checked off a new 2D Mario with Super Mario Bros. Wonder in 2023, launched Mario Kart as the Switch 2's inaugural masterpiece, and dropped Tears of the Kingdom just two-and-a-half years after Breath of the Wild seized our imaginations.

Every game from their big universes brought excitement: Echoes of Wisdom for a nostalgically 2D Zelda in 2024, Donkey Kong Bananza booming at Switch 2's launch, and Super Mario Party Jamboree lighting up 2024. As Animal Crossing gears up for an update and the fading echo of Ultimate potentially marking the end of Super Smash Bros., the question remains—what's next?

With Metroid trotting out Dread (2021) and Prime 4 just last month, the anticipation for a revolutionary Mario experience intensifies. Even with Pokemon Legends: Z-A bursting onto the scene last Fall, the allure of a brand new 3D Mario adventure is what every Nintendo devotee dreams of!

So, buckle up, comrades! Nintendo's dynamic road ahead may just light up with that red-capped icon on an all-new adventure, potentially unveiling a game-changer that could surpass all expectations and bring about the next epoch in Mario's legendary legacy.