New 2D Mario rumored, let’s hope it leaves behind ‘New Super Mario’ art style

Rumor: New online 2D Mario in the works

Welcome back! It’s another Tuesday, which means tonight there will be a new episode of the Spot Dodge Podcast exclusively on Destructoid. Topics: Tonight the crew discusses Mortal Shell launching on Switch, Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters coming to most consoles, and a new rumored 2D Mario game in the works!

Zippo claimed last August that a new 2D Mario game is in the works and it’ll have an art style that will “surprise” people. They also claimed it will feature online multiplayer. Lastly, this alleged new 2D Mario game will not be a part of the “New Super Mario Bros.” series.

Fast-forward to now, Zippo returns with some new info about the alleged 2D Mario game. Apparently, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad are all playable characters — the exact same lineup as in Super Mario Bros. 2 for NES.

One thing is for sure, I really hope this claim about an art style that will “surprise” people is true. We’ve gotten four mainline 2D Mario games and one major expansion that used the “New Super Mario Bros.” art direction and it has been bland from the start. It’s time for something new and exciting for 2D Mario, and a stylish new art direction is exactly what the series needs to spice things up. Hell, something along the lines of the fan-made Super Mario Flashback would be nice.

Our lovely cast from around the web: Brett Medlock (me) and Mary Stowe from Destructoid, John Friscia from The Escapist, Greg Bargas from PC Invasion, and Brett Larsen, our extra special guest. Behind the scenes, Gamurs’ Eric Weichhart is live-editing this week’s show. Let us know in the comments!

Spot Dodge is a weekly Nintendo-focused Podcast here at Destructoid where we dedicate an hour or two to go over the latest Nintendo news and discuss the games we’re playing. If you’re a fan of Nintendo Switch, RPGs, or having a good time, Spot Dodge will be a great addition to your podcast rotation. So be sure to subscribe!

Spot Dodge is streaming live every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET on Twitch channel. ICYMI: We now have a dedicated Spot Dodge YouTube channel! All future episodes will be live-streamed and uploaded there.

Afterward, the show will be available on-demand for audio listeners via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. The live video version will remain on both YouTube and Twitch (don’t forget to follow and subscribe). So many options!

Brett Medlock

Head of video at Destructoid