Nintendo giveth, and Nintendo taketh away… sometimes on the same day. Throughout 2020 Nintendo announced new releases in celebration of the Super Mario Bros. and Fire Emblem franchises while at the same time confirming they would be delisted months down the line. Well, the end of that line is in sight so here’s a friendly reminder to grab these Nintendo releases before the end of March because they may not come back around again. NOTE: All digital titles can be re-downloaded by the account that purchased them.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light
The inaugural Fire Emblem release on the Famicom got an english translation and an elaborate physical package in December of 2020 but it doesn’t include a cartridge. According to Nintendo’s product page it will be delisted from the eShop on 3/31/21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Super Mario Bros. 35
The online-only, multiplayer Mario Bros. game followed in the footsteps of Tetris 99 but didn’t seem to hook players nearly as well. This is your last chance to jump in for a few more rounds. As part of the 35-year celebration of the original Super Mario Bros. it was always planned as a limited-time offering and according to Nintendo will be available through March 31, 2021.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
This is probably the big hitter of these titles; the 3D collection that fans have been asking for for years, although not quite in the form they wanted. Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy return in high(er) resolution but without the niceties that people expected like controller options and gameplay tweaks. According to Nintendo the physical edition “will continue to be shipped to retailers and available for purchase through March 31, 2021 or while supplies last. The digital edition will be available through March 31, 2021″.
Super Mario Maker for Wii U
The original, and arguably best, version of Super Mario Maker was delisted in January of 2021 after Nintendo announced that its upload and online features would be retired at the end of March. “As of March 31, 2021, it will no longer be possible to upload courses in the Super Mario Maker game for the Wii U system. On the same day, the Super Mario Maker Bookmark website will also close”. Super Mario Maker 2 for Nintendo Switch and its online features are not impacted.
Game and Watch: Super Mario Bros.
This one was never available digitally but since it’s part of the limited-time 35th Anniversary stuff I figured I’d mention it. According to Nintendo the Game & Watch handheld “will continue to be shipped to retailers through approximately March 31, 2021, and will be available for purchase while supplies last”.