Could Wii U Launch with Super Mario Bros. 4?

Nintendo has now confirmed that it is working on a 2D Super Mario Bros. game for the Wii U based around the “Mario Experience” demo presented at E3 last year. At the same time, speculation is running wild that this game may be related to the supermario4.com domain recently registered by Nintendo. If the game is already well underway, could Nintendo be returning to those magical days when a new system meant a Mario game on day one?

If so, I’m afraid I will find myself in another lineup outside an EB Games this fall.

This is not just exciting for Mario fans. It would be a very smart business move by Nintendo. There would be no better way to sell as many Wii U systems in the first year than having Super Mario Bros. 4 there at launch, assuming of course, that they could keep up with production of consoles this time around. Getting as many Wii U systems out the in the critical period before Sony and Microsoft’s systems launch will make a big difference in amassing a giant user base to court third party developers. Remember that 2D Mario games consistently outsell their 3D counterparts. New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold more than both Galaxy games combined, as still sells as a slow burner today. NSMB Wii was also the critical factor in the Wii selling out again over the 2009 holiday season – a full three years after the system launch. The title itself proved very hard to find due to high demand. There is no denying that 2D Mario games sell lots of systems.

My only hope is that Super Mario Bros. 4, if that is what the game is being called, feels like a fresh true sequel to the classic Super Mario Bros. games. I really enjoyed New Super Mario Bros Wii. The gameplay was really fun and the multiplayer added a lot, but I’m hoping for something a bit more ambitious this time around. I think Nintendo is certainly up to the task.

Excellent Mario paintings once again from Orioto.