Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesmade its debut at the latest Nintendo Direct with only a few months to go before it launches.Three Hopesin itself isn’t particularly surprising; the originalFire Emblem Warriorswas warmly received as a Nintendo-flavoredDynasty Warriorsgame, andFire Emblem: Three Houseswas so well-loved that it’s more than worthy of a spinoff.What’s really significant aboutThree Hopesis how it further cements Nintendo’s interest in turning its IPs into hack-and-slash action RPGs. WithZeldaandFire Emblemso thoroughly steeped in theWarriorsfranchise, it only seems like a matter of time beforeSuper Mariogets the same treatment.
ASuper Mariospinoff with aWarriorsangle may sound a little ridiculous to some. Mario and his friends aren’t generally known for waging war, even if they do plenty of fighting in their time. However, with Nintendo repeatedly ordering newWarriorsspinoffs from Omega Force, it seems more and more likely that Nintendo’s less martial IPs will join the trend. Above all,Super Marioseems the ripest for such a spinoff, considering how many lucrative side franchisesMariohas created so far.Super Mariohas all the right pieces to create a surprisingly compellingWarriorsgame too.
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Imagining Super Mario Warriors
Even if it’s not a franchise about epic fantasy conflicts,Super Mariohas all the necessary pieces to form a compellingWarriorsgame. For one thing,Super Mariohas tons of core characters who could be converted into playable characters; Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser would all certainly be playable, but Wario, Waluigi, Rosalina, Daisy, and many more recurring characters seem plausible too. If Bowser serves as the antagonist of aSuper Mario Warriorstitle, then endless legions of Goombas, Koopas, andother famousSuper Marioenemiescould populate the game’s battlefields. Even the battlefields could derive unique topography fromSuper Mario’s many settings and biomes.
Perhaps most importantly,Super Mario Warriorswould be an excellent opportunity to dig deep in the greaterMariouniverse in search of unique playable characters. The originalHyrule Warriorsdid this to great effect, making surprising characters like Agitha, Marin, and Ravio playable at various points of its life.Hyrule Warriorsfelt like a much more complete depiction ofThe Legend of Zeldathanks to that diversity.Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars’Geno may not be inSmashyet, but he could represent the RPG inSuper Mario Warriors.The game’s roster could consist of nostalgic stars like Pauline as well as niche picks likeMario Party 8’s MC Ballyhoo, ultimately capturing the length and breadth ofMariohistory.
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Why Super Mario Warriors Seems Likely
Super Mario Warriorswould definitely be something of a deviation from the overallMariobrand, considering just how action-oriented it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. On the contrary, Nintendo seems more than willing to let Mario and friends leap into battle lately. Ubisoft’sMario + Rabbidsseries letsSuper Mariocharacters take on tactical battles with high-tech weapons, offering a much more intense look atMario.Similarly,theMario Strikersrevival allows for some major violenceamongSuper Mariocharacters. If these games are possible, thenSuper Mario Warriorswouldn’t be that strange at all.
If Nintendo keeps investing inWarriorsspinoffs, then it seems unlikely that the trend will stay exclusive toFire EmblemandThe Legend of Zelda.Sooner or later, Nintendo will decide to experiment with another one of its major IPs, andSuper Marioseems like a surprisingly good choice. A game that unitesSuper Marioregulars with one-hit wonders and sends them to battle in colorful locations based onSuper Mario’s most famous levels could be a serious hit. Nintendo just has to be willing to give it a try.
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