Nintendo president reportedly teases new games for popular series are in development, which I hope means we're getting a 3D Mario title for Switch 2 sooner rather than later

Super Mario Odyssey screenshot of Mario in the shape of a lavaball as he makes his way down a pink river — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, has refused to comment on the possibility of a Switch 2 price increase but promises that the company is developing games in series that fans are waiting for.

Barring the highly unlikely case that a game gets announced and released before June, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the first home console from the company to not feature a main series Super Mario (Mario Bros. in the Famicom's case) or The Legend of Zelda game within the first year of its launch. Sure, Donkey Kong Bananza filled the role of a 3D Mario game – and surpassed them, in my eyes – but it's still an unusual move from Nintendo.

Speaking to the Japanese newspaper Kyoto Shimbun (in a paywalled article reported on by Nintendo Patents Watch), Furuakawa explains that Nintendo is set to enhance its software output in 2026, saying the company is developing titles for popular series that fans are anticipating (as well as brand-new titles). In terms of its most popular franchises, Nintendo has recently announced that Fire Emblem, Splatoon, and Rhythm Heaven (the most popular in my heart) have new iterations on the way, but naturally, this would extend to the likes of Mario and Zelda too.

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However, in the same interview, Furukawa notes that he believes it's important for Nintendo to have a strong foundation on the financial side so that developers can take their time to get games into a state where they are satisfied with what they release. This mirrors a Bloomberg report that claimed that Nintendo pushed back the launch of the Switch 2 after game designers asked for more time to perfect their titles.

Furukawa is also asked about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 price increase, but reportedly replies with a generic "I cannot comment" response. Granted, with the ongoing RAM shortage and the US government's tariffs, which somewhat derailed Nintendo's Switch 2 pre-order plans – resulting in a price increase on accessories and, bizarrely, the original Switch – I can't say I'm hopeful that price staying the same throughout 2026.