Super Mario Galaxy 3 Leaves Gamers Split

Bursting on to the Wii back in 2007, the Super Mario Galaxy franchise has become a cornerstone of Nintendo’s Mario IP as a whole. Marking the third 3D platformer in the Super Mario saga, Super Mario Galaxy saw the titular character embark on an extraterrestrial journey to, once again, rescue Princess Peach, and save the universe from pesky Bowser.

With the first entry, Super Mario Galaxy, launching in 2007, its sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, followed in 2010, with both receiving critical acclaim and whilst there may be plenty of other Mario entries to get stuck into, it seems as though fans have recently been debating the launch of Super Mario Galaxy 3, despite it not having been confirmed or teased by Nintendo itself.

Not only that, but with the recent arrival of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to cinemas early this year, it makes sense that Nintendo would want to cash in on its commercial success, even if its reviews ranged from mixed to downright negative.

A discussion kicked off earlier this year over on r/Mario with one user asking, “Would you prefer Mario Galaxy 3 as the next mainline Mario game or something completely original? I mean, both would be nice, but realistically, it’s definitely one or the other. Alternatively, something that continues from Odyssey could be cool as well, but I feel like with Donkey Kong Bananza, a lot of people could want something different.”

With over 300 comments racked up over the past four months, it is safe to say that Mario fans have their opinions on the future of the Super Mario Galaxy franchise, with one user saying, “I’d prefer something completely original that wasn’t a sequel. The thing that I like about 3D Mario is the experimentation with new mechanics in each title.”

Another agreed, adding, “I mean, yes and no. I’ll take any Mario game, but knowing it’s 8+ years between each game, I would definitely say a more traditional 3D platformer would be preferred over a Galaxy game. Would be excited to play Galaxy 3, but that would also likely mean it’d be 2042 before the next 3D Mario, and I’d be in my mid 50s having waited 24+ years for a traditional 3D Mario.”

It seems as though the consensus is that, although a potential Super Mario Galaxy 3 would be as fun as its predecessors, it is “the Nintendo way” to create something original next, something that fans are hoping for. As such, the end of the Galaxy saga may just be on the cards for the future of the Mario franchise.