Nintendo set to bring back unexpected Mario game as new trademark filed

Nintendo icon Mario may be set to make his next appearance very soon as an updated trademark has been filed for an unexpected blast from the famed plumber’s past.

We’re still, unfortunately, waiting for a new mainline 3D Mario entry as one has yet to surface during the Nintendo Switch 2 era.

That being said, we’re hardly deprived of Mario content with Mario Tennis Fever, Mario Kart World, Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, and more all having landed in recent years.

It’s a charming little title by the name of Dr. Mario World, however, that could be planning a comeback.

Dr. Mario World is a mobile game that first launched back in 2019, and while it certainly wasn’t on par with Mario’s console releases, it was pretty fun.

Working similarly to previous Dr. Mario games, Dr. Mario World tasked users with removing viruses from their screens as they matched the colours of the various viruses to that of accompanying pill capsules.

If you’ve never played the game, think Candy Crush but Mario themed.

The further you’d progress, the more the level of difficulty would increase, with shielded viruses one of the later obstacles to be introduced.

The game also featured a skill meter which, when full, allowed you to play a special ability - with those special abilities tied to whichever character you were playing as.

Nintendo

Dr. Peach, for example, had the ability to remove a full column of viruses, while Dr. Yoshi could remove three random items.

The game was delisted in 2021 at which point it became completely unplayable.

However, Twitter/X user MikeOdysseyYT has spotted that Nintendo has filed a new trademark for the IP.

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Dr. Mario World could be ported to consoles, perhaps appearing on NSO

As for what this means, well, there are quite a number of possibilities.

Of course, it would be great fun to see this charming little mobile game ported to console - perhaps even as a free addition to Nintendo Switch Online.

We’re still just about within the year dedicated to celebrating the franchise’s 40th anniversary; celebrations kicked off on September 13 2025 and have continued into 2026.

Perhaps Dr. Mario World on Nintendo Switch Online is a nice way to end this celebratory period.

Alternatively, the title could be launched on the eShop at a likely reasonable price point, or it could be re-released on mobile.

The dullest option, of course, is that Dr. Mario World isn’t making a comeback at all and Nintendo is just protecting its copyright over the title.

Truth be told, we’re long overdue a Nintendo Direct so if Dr. Mario World is to have an announcement, it would perhaps appear there.

We know that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is Nintendo’s major holiday launch and yet we don’t have a release date at this point in time.

The Duskbloods is also scheduled for 2026 and remains without a release date, so it’s likely that a Nintendo Direct will reveal all in the coming months.

Let’s hope it includes some Mario news.