Industry insiders are buzzing with speculation that Nintendo is preparing a major celebration for the 40th anniversary of the iconic Super Mario franchise in 2026. Though Mario first appeared in 1981's Donkey Kong, Nintendo officially recognizes 1986's Super Mario Bros arcade release as the character's true debut. This milestone anniversary has fans anticipating significant announcements from the gaming giant.

Nintendo traditionally makes Mario-related announcements on March 10 (Mar10), a date that cleverly spells out the plumber's name. Previous Mario Day reveals have included everything from LEGO Super Mario sets to special Mario Kart 8 Deluxe events. This annual celebration seems the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to unveil any anniversary plans.

According to leaks from trusted gaming forum member Johnny Skinny (shared by SpiritofAce on r/GamingLeaksAndRumours), Nintendo may be compiling a special collection featuring three classic Mario titles:

Potential Mario Anniversary Collection Lineup

• New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS, 2006)
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009)
• New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo 3DS, 2012)

The leaker claims this information comes from internal scheduling documents and localization assets shared by a QA contractor. Notably absent are New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Luigi U, which already received Switch ports as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.

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