Nintendo Direct reveals four new Switch 2 games for Super Mario 40th anniversary

The 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. will see four new titles released for the Nintendo Switch 2, including a new Yoshi game and Mario Tennis Fever.

The timing of the latest Nintendo Direct already suggested the company was teeing up some announcements for the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and it delivered on that suspicion within the opening 10 minutes.

Nintendo kicked off the presentation with a segment dedicated to their celebrations. While the 40th anniversary is tomorrow (Saturday, September 13), nearly all the announced games are planned for next spring, when the new Super Mario Bros. movie will be out.

The most surprising title is a brand new Yoshi game titled Yoshi And The Mysterious Book, a 2D side-scroller stylised in a similar vein to Yoshi’s Story on the Nintendo 64.

As shown in the trailer, the game takes place inside a book called Mister Encyclopedia (aka Mr. E) and you’ll use a brush to interact with levels. It looks like a very meditative experience, with seemingly no enemies, where your goal is to fill out details of creatures and flowers you encounter in the book.

Whether there are really no enemies at all is unclear but it does seem to be very focused on platforming and puzzle-solving. Yoshi And The Mysterious Book is set to launch on Nintendo Switch 2 in spring 2026.

Another new title was Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which comes with new multiplayer orientated content in the added Bellabel Park. Nintendo promised other new content will be announced in the future too, so hopefully there’ll be more single-player levels as well. Like Yoshi, this is set to be released in spring 2026.

The other surprise was Mario Tennis Fever, a sequel to Mario Tennis Aces which features different ‘fever rackets’ you can select. These rackets come with different powers, including the ability to duplicate yourself, deploy ice fields, or shrink opponents.

The game features 38 playable characters, the biggest ever line-up for a Mario Tennis game, and also features a seemingly robust set of modes, between Tournament, Trial Towers, and Mix It Up – which features surrealeffects from Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Mario Tennis Fever is set to launch on Switch 2 on February 12, 2025.

The last key game announcement was a re-release of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Nintendo Switch, which will launch on October 2, 2025.

This new compilation features new pages in Rosalina’s book (which will now appear in the second title as well) but seemingly no other new content. There’s also two new amiibo inspired by Super Mario Galaxy, with separate Mario and Rosalina figures set to launch on April 2, 2026.

Beyond amiibo, there were a number of other physical collectors items too, including a replica of Rosalina’s book from Super Mario Galaxy and an actual talking flower from Super Mario Bros. Wonder. More details on the book are set to be released on the My Nintendo Store website later today.

While all these games were announced, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto highlighted the upcoming sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the main event of the 40th anniversary. The film received a brief teaser trailer, which revealed that it is called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

A bunch of returning cast members were confirmed, including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan Michael-Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek.

The omission of Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong suggests he won’t return for the sequel, following rumours of a dedicated movie. Other new additions to the cast were hinted at but not annouced.

As for the Switch 2’s slate for the rest of this year, Pokémon Legends Z-A is set to launch on October 16, followed by Kirby Air Riders on November 20. Metroid Prime: Beyond is now dated for December 4.

Along with the above Mario titles, Nintendo’s line-up for 2026 includes Splatoon Raiders, Rhythm Heaven Groove, and Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream. While the former is a Switch 2 exclusive, the latter two are primed for its predecessor.

Sales of the Nintendo Switch 2 have already surpassed six million units within eight weeks, making it the fastest-selling console ever.

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