Gab Hernandez 
Mario Day 2024 was a big one, with the video game end of things being highlighted by the announcement of release dates for the Nintendo Switch releases of Paper Mario: TTYD and Luigi’s Mansion 2.
Nintendo celebrates Mario Day every year on March 10, and 2024 promises an exciting year of Mario games to enjoy. Nintendo first embraced the holiday in 2015, and since then, the company has found creative ways to celebrate it. For the first few years, Nintendo would post entertaining Mario skits or offer free Mario-themed cosmetic changes on social media. By 2019, Mario Day became an anticipated “holiday” for Nintendo fans eager to hear what’s next for the Italian plumber.
For 2024, Nintendo CEO Shigeru Miyamoto started Mario Day with news of The Super Mario Bros Movie sequel and its release date. After the update on the film, Miyamoto waved the viewers goodbye, and a series of release dates for Mario games in 2024 came in quick succession.
Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD release dates confirmed for Nintendo Switch
Nintendo confirmed the release dates for multiple Mario games in 2024.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will arrive on May 23, 2024. Nintendo announced the highly anticipated remake in the September 2023 Nintendo Direct. 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the beloved RPG.
The second announcement was that Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD will be released on the Nintendo Switch on June 27, 2024. Known as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon in North America, it is a long-awaited remaster of the handheld classic. The game was only available on the Nintendo 3DS until the company announced its Switch port on the June 2023 Nintendo Direct, a decade after its initial launch.
Finally, Game Boy classics Dr. Mario, Mario Golf, and Mario Tennis arrive on Nintendo Switch Online on March 12, 2024.
Nintendo Switch Online continues expanding its classics library, but for some fans, these releases can’t come fast enough. Nintendo’s shutdown of the Nintendo 3DS and numerous campaigns against piracy have seen classic Nintendo games become almost impossible to play legally. Notably, Nintendo did not hint at a next-gen Mario game or any new content for Super Mario Wonder during the celebration. The spring and summer release dates for Paper Mario: TTYD and Luigi’s Mansion 2 indicate that the company is looking to space out its major releases across 2024, though things are looking barren by the fall.
Will the Switch 2 have a Mario game on launch?
Nintendo has not announced a Mario game for the Switch 2’s launch, or even any plans for a new console. Leaks from official sources such as game publisher Activision and Switch component manufacturer Nvidia confirm its existence, however.
Nintendo typically has one major first-party release from its major IPs as a launch title for its new consoles, with other new endeavors alongside it. The Nintendo Switch had The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a launch title alongside 1-2-Switch and SnipperClips.
The next-gen Nintendo console is likely to have at least one, but could have more with its release date reportedly pushed back into 2025. As for what games it will have, that’s unclear but the biggest confirmed game for Nintendo is Pokemon Legends Z-A, which is slated for 2025.
