Summary
Nintendo has yet to announce theSwitch 2console, but if it’s backward compatible with the original Switch, it has the chance to be the ultimateSuper Mariogaming machine. TheNintendo Switchsuccessor console has not been announced at the time of this writing, but many are confident that Nintendo will reveal and release the device at some point in 2024.
For what it’s worth,Nintendo has denied the Switch 2 rumors, pushing back against the claims that it’s demoed the device at industry events and has sent out dev kits. Despite Nintendo’s denials, rumors have been swirling about the Switch 2 and the features it could bring to the table, like backward compatibility.
Nintendo has a spotty track record when it comes to backward compatibility. The Super Nintendo was not BC with the NES, the Nintendo 64 was not BC with the SNES, and the GameCube was not BC with the N64. However, the Wii was fully capable of playing GameCube games, and the Wii U was BC with the Wii. The Switch was not BC with the Wii U, but there is already some evidence to suggest that theSwitch 2 could very well be backward compatible.
Switch 2 Being Backward Compatible Would Make It the Dream System for Mario Fans
Nintendo has already suggested thatSwitch Online accounts will carry overto the Switch 2 console, or whatever the next system ends up being called. Presumably, this would mean that the classic games associated with Switch Online would be carrying over as well. Since some Switch Online benefits are tied to existing Switch games, the assumption can be made that the Switch 2 will most likely be BC with Switch games, though it should be stressed that nothing to that effect has actually been announced at the time of this writing. This is all speculation and should be treated as such until Nintendo decides to offer concrete details.
In any case, the next Nintendo console having access to the Switch Online’s library of classic games would give fans access to a wide variety ofSuper Mariogames, from the originalSuper Mario Bros.on the NES to the ground-breakingSuper Mario 64. If the next Nintendo console is fully BC with the Switch, most of the classicSuper Mariogames will be readily available to fans at that point, though some will still be missing from the lineup.
On the 2D side of things, fans will still be missing access to Game Boy gameSuper Mario Land, Nintendo DS titleNew Super Mario Bros.,New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and the 3DS’New Super Mario Bros. 2. If the next Nintendo console is fully BC with the Switch, it will have access toalmost all the 3DSuper Mariogamesexcept forSuper Mario Galaxy 2andSuper Mario 3D Land. Otherwise, every other 3DSuper Mariogame is playable on Switch in some capacity.
List of Super Mario Games Playable on the Switch
There are clear paths for these missingSuper Mariogames to come to the next Nintendo console. For instance, Nintendo is running out of games to add to the currently-represented consoles on Switch Online, so perhaps it will extend the service to include classic Nintendo DS, Wii, or 3DS games. This would solve the problem, but Nintendo may be tempted to sell some of theseMariogames as premium experiences instead of adding them to Switch Online. Releasing a newcollection ofSuper Mariogamescould be the way to accomplish that, or the games could be re-released through a Virtual Console-style service.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the Switch 2 will not be backward compatible with the Switch. If so, it may not have anySuper Mariogames playable on it at all for a while, though there are rumors that anopen worldSuper Mariogameis in active development for the new system.
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. is one of the biggest names in gaming. The first Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985, a game that helped the industry claw its way back from its crash in 1983.The series is still going strong today, with new entries consistently performing well critically and commercially.
