Why Did Nintendo Stop Making Mario & Luigi Games?
The straightforward answer is that the bankruptcy of developer AlphaDream in 2019 put the future of the Mario & Luigi RPG series in indefinite limbo. As the studio behind every entry in the franchise, their financial collapse left the IP dormant with no clear path forward for new titles.
The Decline of AlphaDream and the Mario & Luigi Series
AlphaDream was the subsidiary of Nintendo responsible for developing the Mario & Luigi line of RPGs ever since the acclaimed Superstar Saga released on GBA in 2003. However, the past decade saw a downward slide in both critical and commercial success:
| Year | Game | Metacritic Score | Total Japan Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Bowser‘s Inside Story | 85 | 1.47m |
| 2012 | Dream Team | 75 | 0.65m |
| 2016 | Paper Jam | 76 | 0.15m |
| 2019 | Bowser Jr‘s Journey | 69 | 0.06m |
As the table shows, the later Mario & Luigi titles failed to match the high review scores and multi-million sales of the initial trilogy. Financial troubles spiraled over AlphaDream‘s final years until they were forced to file bankruptcy in October 2019 with debts exceeding $10 million based on creditor liabilities.
Industry analysts pointed towards the rise of mobile gaming in Japan, increased competition from other Switch RPGs, and player fatigue around the repetitive Mario & Luigi formula as potential factors in the declining popularity of recent entries.
"The Mario RPG experience was feeling stale – AlphaDream failed to significantly innovate to match fan expectations in the modern era," remarked Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Securities.
So with AlphaDream bankrupt, Nintendo lost the studio equipped to develop new games in the series – placing the franchise in an uncertain limbo moving forward.
Will There Be A Mario & Luigi Revival?
Nintendo has yet to announce definitive plans to revive the Mario & Luigi games. However, there are some positive indicators that give fans hope:
Success of Luigi‘s Mansion 3 – Next Level Games developed this Switch title starring Luigi, selling over 10 million copies worldwide as of 2022. Nintendo was so impressed they acquired Next Level in 2021, leading to speculation they could handle a new Mario & Luigi entry.
New Paper Mario Expected in 2024 – Fans theorize that if this Switch Paper Mario sequel (developed by Intelligent Systems) succeeds, Nintendo may look to revive the other Mario RPG branch down the line too.
Mario‘s Upcoming Anniversary – 2025 will mark the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros – fans predict Nintendo could use this milestone to announce remakes, ports or a new entry in the Mario & Luigi series as a nostalgia play.
Of course without an official announcement, the fate of the franchise remains unclear – but there appears to be internal desire at Nintendo to keep experimenting with Mario RPG spin-offs. And as veterans of the AlphaDream team look to rebuild under new studios, the expertise to craft these unique handheld experiences still exists in some capacity.
As a lifelong Nintendo gamer myself, I hold hope that Switch owners will one day get to enjoy a modern revival of the acclaimed Mario & Luigi games. Perhaps not soon – but likely before the decade closes out.
