Super Mario 35 Battle Royale Game Lets You Play the Nintendo Classic Like Never Before

Nintendo is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. in a very big way this year. Not only is the Big N releasing a collection that brings Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy to the Switch but also a brand new game that that is unlike any Mario game before it. Super Mario Bros. 35 is a new battle royale title that pits 35 little plumbers against each other until there’s only one Mario standing.

Check out some gameplay footage for Super Mario Bros. 35 below (starts at 3:35):

No, this isn’t the type of battle royale game you’re probably used to. Unlike popular genre mainstays like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty Warzone, Super Mario Bros. 35 doesn’t just drop 35 Marios onto one big map. Instead, each player competes on his own course, defeating enemies, dodging obstacles, and hitting that next platform while the other 34 competitors attempt to do the same. Enemies you defeat in your course are sent to the other players’ courses, which is essentially the way you’ll attack others and try to trip them up in the battle royale mode. But beware that other players can send their own enemies to you, too.

An item roulette and four strategies tied to the right stick on your Switch will be the tools you’ll use to try and outpace your opponents in the game. It looks like unleashing special abilities on the item roulette just at the right moment will be key to outlasting the other 34 competitors.

The 35-player split-screen approach certainly looks hectic and will likely make for some very tense multiplayer sessions. At a time when every publisher is looking for a slice of the battle royale pie, it’s nice to see Nintendo isn’t just going the conventional route with this entry. What could have been some sort of Super Smash Bros. battle royale mode has turned out to be something that looks a bit more interesting. I can definitely see this becoming a thing at parties — if we’re ever able allowed to all be under the same roof again.

Super Mario Bros. 35 is available exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers and will be playable only from Oct. 1 through March 31, so you’re going to have to hurry if you want to get whatever the Mario equivalent of a chicken dinner is.

Also announced during a Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary Nintendo Direct were a Switch port for Super Mario 3D World and a new AR Mario Kart game.