Shigeru Miyamoto’s Super Mario Odyssey Comment Sparks Fresh Nintendo Switch 2 Excitement

2 June 2026
Nintendo Switch 2
8 min.
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Shigeru Miyamoto’s Super Mario Odyssey Comment Sparks Fresh Nintendo Switch 2 Excitement

Summary:

Shigeru Miyamoto has given Mario fans a fresh reason to look toward Nintendo Switch 2 with wide eyes, raised eyebrows, and maybe one hand hovering near the nearest question block. In a Super Mario 40th anniversary-themed issue of Casa BRUTUS, Miyamoto reflected on Super Mario Odyssey and suggested that Nintendo had achieved what it wanted from the original Switch system through that landmark 3D adventure. His words do not confirm a new Mario game by name, and they should not be treated as a formal reveal. Still, they carry weight because Miyamoto rarely comments casually on the future of Mario without choosing his words carefully. Super Mario Odyssey remains one of the defining releases of the Switch era, blending open-ended exploration, playful transformations, clever movement, and that unmistakable Nintendo sense of toy-box joy. With Nintendo Switch 2 now established as Nintendo’s next hardware step, Miyamoto’s excitement about how the current Mario team will handle the future naturally invites speculation. The big question is not only what a more powerful system can do technically, but how Nintendo can make Mario feel new again without losing the bounce, clarity, and charm that make the series feel like home.

Shigeru Miyamoto’s comment gives Super Mario Odyssey a bigger legacy

Shigeru Miyamoto’s latest comments give Super Mario Odyssey an even stronger place in Nintendo history, especially because he framed the game as a kind of creative high point for the original Nintendo Switch. His remark suggests that Odyssey was not simply another successful Mario release, but a project that allowed Nintendo’s developers to fully express what they wanted from that hardware. That matters because Mario games often act like a handshake between players and a new Nintendo system. They show what the machine can do, but more importantly, they show what play can feel like when Nintendo is at its most confident.

The wording is careful, but it still feels meaningful. Miyamoto did not announce a new title, name a release window, or promise a specific direction for the next 3D Mario. Instead, he looked back at Super Mario Odyssey as a complete expression of the Switch era and looked ahead with curiosity toward what the current team might do next. That creates a fascinating little spark. It is not a fireworks show yet, but it is definitely the sound of someone lighting the fuse somewhere behind the curtain.

Super Mario Odyssey still feels like the Switch’s defining Mario moment

Super Mario Odyssey earned its reputation because it understood something simple but powerful: Mario feels best when movement itself is fun. Before the player even starts chasing Power Moons, the game makes running, jumping, diving, rolling, wall-kicking, and cap-throwing feel like a tiny circus act under your thumbs. Cappy added a playful twist without burying the series under complicated systems. Suddenly, a Goomba stack, a taxi, a dinosaur, or a spark pylon could become part of Mario’s vocabulary. That made every kingdom feel like a playground filled with strange toys.

It also helped that Odyssey had range. New Donk City gave Mario a jazzy urban stage with festival energy, while the Sand Kingdom, Luncheon Kingdom, Wooded Kingdom, and Seaside Kingdom each had their own mood, rhythm, and sense of discovery. The game was bright and inviting, but it was not shallow. Players could cruise through the main path or spend hours poking at corners, testing tricks, and asking the classic Mario question: what happens if we jump over there? More often than not, the answer was a reward, a joke, or a small design wink from Nintendo.

Nintendo Switch 2 raises the ceiling for Mario’s next big leap

Nintendo Switch 2 changes the conversation because stronger hardware can give developers more room to experiment, but raw power alone has never been the secret sauce behind Mario. The real excitement comes from what Nintendo might do with that extra breathing room. Larger worlds could feel more alive. Denser environments could hide more playful surprises. Animation could become smoother and more expressive. Camera work, physics, lighting, and multiplayer ideas could all shift in ways that make the next Mario feel less like a bigger Odyssey and more like a fresh toy box with new rules.

Still, expectations need to stay grounded. Miyamoto’s quote points toward excitement and curiosity, not a confirmed feature list. Nintendo has not laid out what the next major 3D Mario will look like, and that silence is part of the tension. Fans can imagine bigger kingdoms, more dynamic characters, stranger transformations, and better use of Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware, but the most likely Nintendo move is also the hardest one to predict: finding one central idea that sounds odd at first, then making it feel obvious once it is in your hands.

The next Mario needs surprise, charm, and familiar magic

The challenge for the next Mario is not simply to be larger. Bigger is easy to understand, but bigger is not always better. Mario works when every action feels clean, every space has a reason to exist, and every surprise feels like it was placed by someone who wanted the player to grin. That is why the next step after Super Mario Odyssey feels so tricky. Nintendo cannot just add more moons, more kingdoms, and more costumes and call it a day. That would be like adding extra frosting to a cake when what everyone really wants is a new flavor.

What fans likely want is that rare mix of comfort and shock. Mario still needs to jump like Mario, move like Mario, and radiate that cheerful mischief that makes even failure feel funny rather than frustrating. At the same time, the next game needs a hook that instantly separates it from Odyssey. Cappy did that job beautifully in 2017. The next big idea has to carry the same kind of weight, whether it involves new movement, world structure, character interaction, co-op design, or something nobody is guessing because Nintendo has hidden it in a very Nintendo-shaped box.

Nintendo’s console history gives this quote extra meaning

Miyamoto’s comment lands harder because Mario and Nintendo hardware have always been closely linked. Super Mario Bros. helped define the NES. Super Mario World gave the Super Nintendo a colorful statement of confidence. Super Mario 64 transformed expectations for 3D movement. Super Mario Sunshine brought its own tropical experiment to GameCube, while Super Mario Galaxy turned the Wii’s era into a cosmic playground. Even when the timing is not always perfectly tied to launch day, Mario often becomes the clearest expression of what Nintendo thinks its hardware can make possible.

That history makes the Nintendo Switch 2 question feel natural. When a new Nintendo system arrives, fans instinctively wonder where Mario is. Not because every console needs Mario immediately, but because Mario often acts like the company’s most readable design language. He shows how Nintendo thinks about play, space, controls, surprise, and accessibility. So when Miyamoto says Odyssey achieved what Nintendo wanted from the Switch and then says he is excited to see what the current team does, it sounds less like a throwaway comment and more like a quiet handoff to the next chapter.

The current Mario team now carries the creative spotlight

One of the most interesting parts of Miyamoto’s recent reflections is the way he positions the current Mario team. He remains a defining figure for the franchise, but modern Mario is not a one-person act. It is the result of decades of shared design instincts, internal feedback, technical craft, and careful protection of what Mario should feel like. Miyamoto’s excitement about the current team suggests trust. That matters, because Mario’s future depends on developers who understand the series deeply enough to preserve its identity while still being brave enough to bend it.

That balance is delicate. If a new Mario game plays things too safely, fans may enjoy it but wonder why it took so long. If it changes too much, it risks losing the warm simplicity that makes Mario welcoming to nearly anyone. The best Mario games thread that needle with almost annoying confidence. They make new mechanics feel natural. They hide complexity inside simple inputs. They invite children, returning fans, speedrunners, collectors, and curious newcomers into the same colorful space. That is not easy. If it were, everyone would have a Mario.

Mario’s wider world makes the next game feel even more important

Mario now exists far beyond the console screen, which makes the next major game feel even more important than it might have a decade ago. The character has become a broader entertainment figure through films, theme park attractions, merchandise, and anniversary celebrations. That wider presence can introduce new audiences to Mario before they ever pick up a controller. For Nintendo, the game still has to be the beating heart of the brand. The movies and parks can expand the world, but the jump button is where Mario truly lives.

This creates an interesting pressure point. A new Mario for Nintendo Switch 2 would not only serve long-time players who have been waiting since Odyssey. It would also meet a larger audience that may know Mario from different places. That audience might expect familiar faces, cinematic energy, and recognizable worlds. Nintendo, however, tends to work best when it remembers that Mario does not need to behave like every other entertainment brand. He is strongest when play comes first and everything else follows, like coins trailing behind a perfect jump.

What fans should take from Miyamoto’s careful wording

The safest reading of Miyamoto’s comment is also the most sensible one: Super Mario Odyssey was a major creative achievement for Nintendo Switch, and Miyamoto is eager to see how the current development team approaches Mario on newer hardware. That does not equal a formal announcement, and it does not confirm a direct sequel. It does, however, show that Nintendo’s own creative leadership sees Odyssey as a completed statement rather than unfinished business. For fans, that is enough to make the imagination start running laps around Peach’s Castle.

The bigger takeaway is that Nintendo likely knows the next major Mario has to matter. Super Mario Odyssey set a high bar, and Nintendo Switch 2 gives the company a chance to answer a difficult question: how do you follow one of the most beloved 3D platformers ever made without simply repeating it? The answer will probably not come from spectacle alone. It will come from that familiar Nintendo magic trick where a small idea grows into an entire world. One hat changed everything last time. The next surprise could be hiding in plain sight.

Conclusion

Miyamoto’s comments turn Super Mario Odyssey into more than a fond memory from the Switch era. They frame it as a milestone that gave Nintendo what it wanted from the system, while quietly pointing attention toward what might be possible on Nintendo Switch 2. Nothing has been formally revealed, so the smartest approach is to enjoy the excitement without treating speculation as fact. Even so, it is hard not to feel the buzz. Mario has always been at his best when Nintendo finds a new way to make a simple jump feel fresh again, and that is exactly why the next step carries so much promise.

FAQs
  • Did Shigeru Miyamoto confirm a new Mario game for Nintendo Switch 2?
    • No. Miyamoto did not formally announce a new Mario game. His comments reflected on Super Mario Odyssey and expressed excitement about how the current Mario team may handle future work on newer hardware.
  • What did Miyamoto say about Super Mario Odyssey?
    • He suggested that, with Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo achieved what it wanted from the original Switch system. That makes Odyssey sound like a major creative milestone for Mario on Nintendo Switch.
  • Why are fans connecting this quote to Nintendo Switch 2?
    • Fans are connecting the quote to Nintendo Switch 2 because Miyamoto looked back at Odyssey as a complete Switch-era achievement and then expressed interest in what the current team will do next.
  • Could the next Mario game be a direct sequel to Super Mario Odyssey?
    • That has not been confirmed. A direct sequel is possible in theory, but Nintendo has not announced the next major 3D Mario or explained whether it will continue Odyssey’s ideas.
  • Why is Super Mario Odyssey still important today?
    • Super Mario Odyssey remains important because it captured the freedom, charm, and movement-focused design that helped define the Nintendo Switch era. It also set a very high bar for whatever Mario does next.
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