HORI and PowerA Celebrate Mario’s 35th Anniversary
Two new Nintendo Switch Mario controllers are coming out next month from HORI and PowerA, respectively — and they both promise to enhance your experience playing on Nintendo’s hybrid handheld console.
Gaming industry tweeter @Wario64 reported on the reveal of two new third-party controllers for the Nintendo Switch, both of which are officially-licensed Nintendo products. Interestingly, both of these controllers are debuting in early September 2020, just one week before the original Super Mario Bros. release date of September 13, 1985.
The first controller is the Super Mario Edition of the Hori Nintendo Switch Mini Pad. Designed with younger gamers in mind, this controller serves most of the same functions as a pair of Joy-Cons but at a super-cheap $24.99 price point. (Unfortunately, it does not include NFC support for Amiibos, rumble, or a gyroscope.) This controller is up for pre-order and is set to launch on September 1, 2020, but that’s not all that’s on the way.
Also arriving in early September is the “Golden M” PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller. This is the opposite side of the aisle — it features a detachable wire and a larger controller size adorned with a golden M, also at a $24.99 price point. There aren’t many details on this particular product, but the Q&A of a similar controller from PowerA shows that it probably doesn’t have rumble or gyroscope either. You can pre-order it now before it’s September 4, 2020, launch date.
Are These Nintendo Switch Mario Controllers Hinting at a New Game?
New controllers coming out from accessory manufacturers isn’t anything new, but @Wario64 does point out one curiosity — both of these controllers are arriving a little more than a week before the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.‘ launch on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Is this hinting at a new game coming out?
Earlier this year, VentureBeat reported on rumored plans for Mario’s big birthday. According to its sources, Super Mario All-Stars 2 is on the way. Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy are rumored to be included in this bundle.
It should be noted that the VentureBeat piece correctly predicted the reveal of Paper Mario: The Origami King more than a month before it was revealed to the public. Nintendo announced that new Paper Mario game out of the blue with a pretty quick release date roughly one month later — an awfully fast timetable for a developer that is traditionally quite conservative with its game releases.
On the flip side, however, is the announcement of Pikmin 3 Deluxe earlier this month. This, too, was a somewhat surprising reveal, but the Pikmin 3 Deluxe release date is all the way in October.
Do these new Nintendo Switch Mario controllers herald a surprise launch of Super Mario All-Stars 2 or something else Mario-related? It’s certainly possible and I doubt that Nintendo would let the 35th anniversary slip by without something to celebrate it — perhaps they’ll surprise us.
What do you think of these Nintendo Switch Mario Controllers from HORI and PowerA? Do you enjoy full-sized Switch controllers or do you prefer the O.G. Joy-Cons? Let us know in the comments below!
