Switch 2 Just Handed Mario a Record Nobody Wanted

Switch 2 should have been Mario's easiest layup in years, especially after Nintendo's latest Direct had fans waiting for the most famous mascot in gaming to finally take the spotlight again. Instead, the Direct came and went without the announcement of a new standalone 3D Mario game nor any indication that one even exists, leaving the Switch 2 with a strange distinction no Nintendo console wants attached to it. Specifically, Mario is now more than eight and a half years removed from his last original 3D platforming adventure, making it an all-time record drought for the iconic plumber.