Nintendo may be planning on releasing Super Mario Galaxy 2 next year for the Nintendo Switch, rather than including it in a collection of other titles. Fans were left incredibly disappointed this week when it emerged that the highly acclaimed Wii sequel was missing from Super Mario 3D All-Stars. But it could be that fans won't have to wait too long to see the sequel come to the console.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars was announced earlier this week in a surprise Nintendo Direct to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise. The package will include Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. That means that the Switch will be home to almost every mainline 3D Super Mario title of the last two decades. One notable exception to this is Super Mario Galaxy 2, which has seemingly been left out of the remastered bundle much to the dismay of fans around the world.

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But there is mounting speculation online that a Switch version of Super Mario Galaxy 2 might still be in the works. As noted by DashGamer, the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection will only be available until March 31 next year. The website suggests this could be for a very particular reason rather than just Nintendo being awkward. According to the outlet, Nintendo might be working on some sort of digital catalog for Nintendo 64, Game Cube, and Wii games on the Switch, which could launch sometime around April next year. At this point, the company would sell titles individually, meaning that there will be no need to have a bundle of the games. Nintendo could then release Super Mario Galaxy 2 separately rather than as part of any previous collection.

super mario's 35th anniversary

As part of the 35th anniversary Nintendo Direct, the company also revealed an array of other games. Perhaps the biggest game announcement other than Super Mario 3D All-Stars was Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. This is a port of the Wii U game but with a significant content update that introduces a brand new series of levels related to the iconic villain alongside improved levels from the original title. Nintendo also unveiled a battle royale version of Super Mario Bros. that takes obvious inspiration from Tetris 99 and an augmented reality version of Mario Kart.

Although there was obvious disappointment when Nintendo revealed Super Mario 3D All-Stars and there was no mention of Super Mario Galaxy 2, it might make sense for the company to hold off on the game for no. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed obvious development problems and the studio might just not have been able to get work completed in time for a September announcement. In that case, holding back on the announcement and releasing the title individually at a later date would seem like the best option. Of course, Nintendo might not even be working on a port of Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Switch, but it would seem unlikely, especially with the strange timed availability of Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

Next: Is Nintendo Wasting Mario's 35th Anniversary?

Source: DashGamer