As a fan of platformers, I'm eagerly awaiting any announcements about a new Mario game coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. However, I'm not terribly concerned about the state of the next 3D Mario title. Don't get me wrong, I've loved all the 3D games up until this point, and I'll be excited to play what comes next. That said, a great 3D Mario game like Super Mario Odyssey is essentially the norm for Nintendo, so I'm more worried about the future of a different type of Mario game.

There are a ton of different types of Mario games, and the Switch 2 is already giving us one of my favorite kinds, a new Mario Kart. Mario and his fellow Mushroom Kingdom residents have also starred in sports titles, RPGs, and puzzle games. Although I enjoy many of these, I've always been the biggest fan of Mario's platforming roots. Mario games tend to have tight controls and creative twists on the platforming genre, and there's one Super Mario platforming game that I'd love to see a follow-up to on Switch 2.

Super Mario Wonder Deserves A Switch 2 Follow-Up

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Was One Of The Most Creative 2D Entries In The Series

Super Mario Bros. Wonder was one of the best 2D Mario games in recent memory, and I would love to see it get a follow-up on the Switch 2. Even if this isn't a direct sequel, I'd hope Nintendo's next 2D Mario game is a spiritual successor and follows Super Mario Bros. Wonder's cue when it comes to creative innovations. One of the best things about Super Mario Bros. Wonder was all the new, creative ideas it introduced.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder took classic features from 2D Mario games and added fun new twists. Traditionally static elements of the map like pipes moved around more frequently, even crawling around like caterpillars. I was shocked at an early level when the Pirhana Plants started jumping out of their pipes to chase me down, and even more shocked when they, and the hills in the background, started singing together.

There was also a slew of new transformation items in Super Mario Bros. Wonder that added fun new dynamics to each level. The elephant lets you water plants to get coins, or crash through blocks. You can roll around as a giant spiky ball destroying enemies and obstacles, or you can even become a Goomba to safely walk over environmental elements that would normally hurt you. These are just a few of the many creative ways Super Bros. Mario Wonder lets you navigate its levels, and a follow-up to the game could add even more fun new ideas.

I also really appreciated Super Mario Bros. Wonder's large roster of playable characters. Aside from Mario and Luigi, you can also play as Peach, Daisy, Toadette, Nabbit, and several styles of both Toad and Yoshi. This lets you tackle levels with the character best suited to them, and also creates a fun opportunity for replayability, as you may want to go back and try earlier levels with a different character. Overall, Super Mario Bros. Wonder added a lot of great new gameplay ideas, something that was sorely lacking in 2D Mario games for a while.

2D Mario Games Spent Years In A Creative Rut

2D Mario Games Stagnated In The New Super Mario Bros. Era

The first batch of 2D Mario games, starting with the original Super Mario Bros., did a great job at constantly innovating. However, after the release of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island in 1995, there was a massive drought when it came to new 2D Mario content. While the existing games would be re-released for the Game Boy Advance in the intervening years, the next new 2D Mario game was New Super Mario Bros. in 2006.

When it first came out, New Super Mario Bros. felt like as big an innovation in the series as Super Mario Bros. Wonder did. Not only did it completely rework the way the games looked, but it also introduced some gameplay elements from 3D Mario games. This included things like ground-pounding, triple jumps, and wall jumps. However, while New Super Mario Bros. was an exciting step forward, the momentum it created for new 2D Mario games quickly stagnated. The game was followed by numerous sequels which, while fun, didn't seem like they were taking major creative risks.

After four New Super Mario Bros. games, Nintendo came out with Super Mario Maker. Nobody can argue that this wasn't a creative idea, nor that a lot of cool fan-made levels came out of the Mario Maker games. However, these games mostly used gameplay elements from existing 2D Mario titles and, apart from their unique format, didn't add that many new ideas. They also weren't the same as getting a full new 2D Mario game with intentionally designed levels from Nintendo.

When Super Mario Bros. Wonder came out, its gameplay innovations felt even more exciting because of this long period of stagnation. My hope would be that, whatever the next 2D Mario game is, it will continue to differentiate itself from past entries in bold ways. Given the track record for 2D Mario games, I'm a bit more concerned about their future than I am about that of the 3D platformers.

3D Mario Will Likely Be Great On Switch 2

3D Mario Games Are Consistently Unique

3D Mario games are consistently strong, and often have a unique identity. Except for Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, the games in the series all feel completely different from one another. Super Mario Sunshine's F.L.U.D.D. mechanics were very different from Super Mario Odyssey's hat shenanigans, both of which were very distinct from the ways Super Mario Galaxy played with things like gravity and smaller planets. With so much constant change and creativity on display in the world of 3D Mario games, I'm sure the Switch 2's new hypothetical entry will be just as original.

It would be great if each 2D Mario game were as fresh as each new 3D one. That's why I hope the Switch 2 gives us a 2D Mario game that is just as unique as Super Mario Bros. Wonder was. It would establish an expectation that each new game in the series would feel new and exciting, instead of getting stuck in a rut like the New Super Mario Bros. series did. I have my fingers crossed that the Switch 2 will take the series in the right direction.