When asked about new mainline entries, Miyamoto acknowledged that Nintendo likely has teams exploring Mario projects at all times. He suggested that Super Mario Odyssey represented much of what the team could accomplish on the Switch, and wondered how current developers will approach the challenge when new hardware arrives — recalling that historically the series has often accompanied console launches. He also noted that Donkey Kong Bananza, developed by the 3D Mario team, served as a strong technical and creative follow-up to Odyssey, and confirmed that more Mario experiences are in development.
Miyamoto added that his immediate wish is simple: to “stay healthy until Mario’s 50th anniversary.” He reminded readers that Mario first appeared in 1981’s Donkey Kong and starred in his own arcade title, Mario Bros., in 1983; Nintendo typically dates major franchise anniversaries to Super Mario Bros., which celebrated its 40th milestone this year.
Looking farther ahead, Miyamoto said he expects the Mario franchise to endure even to a hypothetical 100th anniversary — as long as future creators remember the essence of the platformer: running and jumping.
