Nintendo surprised everyone when it released aSuper Mario Bros.-themed Directwith no prior announcements. TheSuper Mario Bros.Nintendo Direct was full of its own surprises, including the strange fact that a few of the biggest announcements are only going to be available to the public for a limited time.
Firstly, theGame & Watch: Super Mario Bros. deviceis going to launch on November 13 in limited quantities, and will be discontinued come March 2021. This particular limited-time release makes more sense. After all, Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is more of a novelty item than anything else, and will likely only appeal to hardcore Nintendo andSuper Marioenthusiasts. However, some of the other limited-time games make less sense.
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For example,Super Mario 3D All-Starsis only going to be available until March 2021, even the digital version. This means Nintendo Switch fans have a limited window if they want to own the game, which combinesSuper Mario 64,Super Mario Sunshine, andSuper Mario Galaxyin one package. It’s possible that Nintendo has plans to release the games individually in the future, and so by removing the collection from the eshop and retail storefronts, it could potentially get consumers to buy the individual releases instead. However, that is just speculation and Nintendo hasn’t given any actual reasoning for this decision.
It’s unclear why Nintendo is deciding to release these titles in limited quantities, but it could be an attempt to create a sense of urgency for consumers to buy them. If fans know that they can only playSuper Mario Bros. 35for a limited time, they may be more tempted to renew theirSwitch Online subscription. If fans know thatSuper Mario 3D All-Starswill only be available in limited quantities and on sale for a limited time, they may be more tempted to purchase the collection right away.
HopefullyNintendooffers some more insight into its decisions soon, as many fans are left scratching their heads.
