2020 marked the 35th anniversary of Nintendo's Super Mario franchise, and the Big N celebrated with new releases and other bonuses. The Super Mario celebrations will continue into 2021 with the release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury in February, and after that, Nintendo is expected to start focusing on the Pokemon and Zelda anniversaries.

Not only will 2021 see the end of Nintendo's Super Mario anniversary celebration, but it will also mark the end of Nintendo's support for various Super Mario-themed products. Super Mario games and online services will be discontinued just a few months into the new year, and so it's set to be a rather depressing time to be a Mario fan.

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Here's why March 2021, particularly March 31, 2021, will be a tough time for Super Mario fans.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D All-Stars Video Game Promotional Banner

One of the biggest Nintendo Switch games of 2020 was the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, which brought together Super Mario 64Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy into one convenient package. While Super Mario 3D All-Stars has earned a great deal of praise from fans and critics alike, the collection has been criticized for Nintendo's decision to only make it available as a limited-time release.

Starting March 31, 2021, Super Mario 3D All-Stars will no longer be available for purchase. Not only will the game no longer be restocked at retail locations, but Nintendo is also pulling the plug on the digital version. Nintendo hasn't offered a reason behind why it's made this baffling decision, but there are a couple of possibilities that come to mind.

One possible reason is that by making Super Mario 3D All-Stars only available for a limited time, this will create a sense of urgency that will make players feel as though they have to get it now, or else risk not getting it at all. Another reason is that Nintendo may be looking to sell the games featured in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection as individual releases at some point down the road. If the collection was readily available, potential consumers would be less likely to purchase the individual versions of Super Mario 64Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. However, it should be stressed that Nintendo itself has not offered an explanation for why it decided to make Super Mario 3D All-Stars a limited-time release.

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.

game and watch handheld box

Nintendo released the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection as part of its celebration for Mario's anniversary, which is also the case with Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is the latest iteration of Nintendo's old-school Game & Watch handheld systems, with Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. obviously being themed after the original Super Mario Bros. NES game.

Earning mostly positive reviews from critics, Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. lets players play through the entirety of the original Super Mario Bros., as well as the notoriously difficult The Lost Levels. Not only that, but the device is stuffed full of clever references to the Super Mario franchise in general, with 35 easter eggs hidden for fans to find. On top of all that, Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. also includes the classic Ball mini-game from older Game & Watch handles, but with Mario and Luigi as the playable characters instead.

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Just like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is scheduled to be discontinued beginning March 31, 2021. The handheld is much more difficult to find than Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which means that there may very well be hardcore Nintendo fans that want one, but simply won't be able to get one in time.

Super Mario Bros. 35

super mario bros 35

The final piece of the Super Mario anniversary celebration puzzle is Super Mario Bros. 35. Essentially a Super Mario Bros. battle royale that takes its cues from Tetris 99Super Mario Bros. 35 is, much like Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 3D All-Stars, no longer going to be available starting March 31, 2021. But Nintendo shutting down Super Mario Bros. 35 seems to make even less sense than the discontinuation of Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. 35 is available as a free bonus to those subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online service. One would think that Nintendo would want to keep a game like that available as an incentive for people to stay subscribed to Switch Online. However, it has made it clear that come March 31, 2021, Super Mario Bros. 35 will simply no longer be available to play for Switch Online subscribers or anyone else.

It's possible Nintendo is planning to pull the plug on Super Mario Bros. 35 to encourage people to play it a lot before then, therefore ensuring that its community remains active enough to support it. However, Tetris 99 has had no problem keeping an active playerbase since it debuted on the Nintendo Switch Online service, and so there's no reason to think Super Mario Bros. 35 couldn't enjoy similar success and longevity.

Whatever Nintendo's reasoning, Super Mario fans that are interested in Super Mario Bros. 35 should be sure to play it before March 31, 2021.

Super Mario Maker

super mario maker title goomba builder suit

Not all of the games mentioned here are for the Super Mario anniversary celebration. Super Mario Maker for the Wii U is also set to lose its support come March 31, 2021. On that date, Super Mario Maker fans on Wii U will no longer be able to upload new courses to the game's servers, and prior to that, it will be delisted from the eShop, on January, 12, 2021. This will likely have a much smaller impact on players than the other titles mentioned here, but it will still be disappointing to those playing Wii U that have yet to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch.

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