Some Switch 1 Games Aren't Happy About Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Some Switch 1 owners are unhappy with Nintendo’s plan to release the Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder with platform-exclusive content. The pushback underlines broader fan concerns over the company’s Switch 2 re-releases.

The Switch 2 version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder was officially announced during the September 2025 Nintendo Direct. It is scheduled for launch on March 26 under a wordy new name: Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. The moniker reflects the new Bellabel Park world included in the enhanced edition, offering a selection of 23 levels designed around co-op and competitive multiplayer. Several new playable characters will also be part of the package, together with an Assist Mode that allows players to overcome challenges more easily. None of the extra content will be available on the Switch 1 in any capacity.

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Fans Argue Some SMBW Switch 2 Edition Content Should Be Available on Switch 1

The content exclusivity has drawn criticism from some fans, with their complaints seemingly growing louder as the Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder gets closer to its late March release. In a recent testament to this trend, Reddit user The_Weeb282 made the front page of the r/Mario subreddit by calling the Switch 2-exclusive additions a slap in the face to owners of the original game. Their post sparked hundreds of comments echoing the complaint and positing that Nintendo is effectively putting DLC behind a hardware paywall.

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

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While multiple Bellabel Park mini-games make use of Switch 2 mouse controls, a significant chunk of the new content could, in theory, also run on the Switch 1. Some fans have also criticized the fact that the Assist Mode is locked behind a Switch 2 upgrade, arguing that there is no reason to withhold accessibility options from players. Several Switch 1 owners chiming in on the discussion have argued that Nintendo should have at the very least allowed them to buy the new content via DLC, much like they can buy it for $20 on the Switch 2.

The current crop of complaints reflects some wider issues that fans have with the Switch 2 edition of Nintendo Switch games. Chief among them is the fact that these upgraded versions of last-gen titles have so far been fairly inconsistent in terms of both feature sets and pricing. In some cases, Nintendo opted to offer free Switch 2 upgrades for Switch 1 titles. In others, it locked them behind paywalls, usually because they were bundled with content additions, however minor. A few particularly popular Switch 1 games—The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom—received paid Switch 2 editions that offer no new content beyond performance upgrades.

Some fans have also taken issue with the fact that the Switch 2 editions, upgrades aside, are priced as full-fledged re-releases, retailing for as much as $79.99. Critics argue that the baseline offer for newcomers feels out of step, especially considering plenty of third-party publishers have been offering heavy discounts on their Switch 2 titles, even in cases of them being brand-new ports rather than just upgraded versions of existing Switch 1 games. For instance, the newly launched Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is retailing for only $39.99.

Nintendo is due to report earnings in mid-May, covering the quarter and fiscal year ending March 31. The results could offer the first clue as to the commercial performance of the Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which is scheduled to hit the market just five days prior to the end of the reported period. A more detailed sales breakdown may not be available until August 2026.