Since five years have passed since the release of Super Mario Odyssey, the release date of a potential sequel may be just around the corner. Given the huge success of the original game and the direction in which Nintendo is moving, the release date of Super Mario Odyssey 2 seems inevitable. Odyssey has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Super Mario Galaxy and create a direct sequel on the same console.
Super Mario Odyssey has become a landmark game for the Nintendo Switch, selling more than 20 million copies. Along with Breath of the Wild, it was launched during the first year of the console’s release and became the main argument in favor of the sale. In reviews of Super Mario Odyssey, it was called a platformer masterpiece that brought the mustachioed plumber back to a sandbox-style setting. This open-terrain formula dates back to Nintendo’s first 3D platformer, Super Mario 64, and has helped Mario reach new heights.
Thanks to the triumph of Super Mario Odyssey, it is likely that Nintendo will choose a direct continuation of the game in the same style, rather than return to the drawing board. This is also evidenced by the release of Bowser’s Fury in 2021, an expansion of Super Mario 3D World, in which the physics of 3D World was modeled after Odyssey. The release of this project presupposes further experiments by Nintendo within the framework of Odyssey, which means that the successful Bowser’s Fury can become the predecessor of Odyssey 2.
Why Nintendo May Announce Super Mario Odyssey 2 Soon
Another reason to expect Super Mario Odyssey 2 coming soon is that Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that Switch had just entered the “middle stage” of his life during an interview (via Kotaku). The company seems to have long-term prospects regarding the viability of the Switch, so there is a chance that it will not abandon Super Mario Odyssey 2 for a future console. This is obvious given the upcoming sequels releases of other major Nintendo products such as Splatoon and Breath of the Wild. The existence of Splatoon 3 and Breath of the Wild 2 on the same console as their predecessors means that Nintendo is still investing in Switch, and that it will be a destination for future games for quite some time. Add to this the fact that the sequel to Breath of the Wild, an analogue of Odyssey 2017, is coming out next year, and the release date of Super Mario Odyssey 2 is just around the corner.
The absence of a full-fledged Nintendo Direct this summer also gives hope for the appearance of Super Mario Odyssey 2 next. Instead of a full-fledged Nintendo Direct in June, which is traditionally the biggest Direct of the year due to the fact that it coincided with E3, Nintendo introduced Mini Direct with a variety of third-party games that will appear on the Switch. Since the company has postponed the expected demo of the games, it may mean that it did so to finalize the details for the next major Direct, the likes of which may present fans with the announcement of Super Mario Odyssey 2.
