New Super Mario Bros. game coming to 3DS ‘next fiscal year’

“There will be more and more highly-anticipated titles for the Nintendo 3DS,” Nintendo president Satoru Iwata promised. One of them is a brand new 2D Mario game.

January 27, 2012 6:30 AM7

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata called two games the “centerpiece of evergreen titles for the 3DS.” They were Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. (Given their sales, it’s easy to see why!) But that’s just the beginning for Nintendo’s 3DS strategy. “There will be more and more highly-anticipated titles for the Nintendo 3DS,” Iwata promised.

The next fiscal year, which begins in April, already has a number of key titles: Paper Mario, Luigi’s Mansion 2, Mario Tennis, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, and more. But of course, everyone’s favorite Italian plumber will be making a return.

“We are planning to release a totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year,” Iwata promised. He offered no other details, but given the mention of 2D, it is likely to be similar to the New Super Mario Bros. series. A fiscal year release means it will be available for sale before March 2013.

As opposed to the end of last year, when Nintendo’s heavy-hitting 3DS games seemed to come all at once, this year’s line-up is expected to be a bit better planned. “We intend to release these various titles without any extreme interruptions.” Plus, “in addition to what you can see here, a number of titles unannounced from third-party developers will be available.”