Super Mario Eclipse is the free 'brand new' Mario game Nintendo Switch 2 owners are missing

Nintendo Switch 2 owners are still waiting for their exclusive 3D Super Mario game, but should check this alternative out in the meantime.

The Super Mario games are almost always a good time. Even some of the weaker entries have their fans, and those fans sometimes go the extra mile and create all-new games based on what they’ve played.

Super Mario Eclipse is one of those games and has been described as the best ‘new’ Mario game in years. It’s also free.

Super Mario Eclipse is a masterfully enhanced version of Super Mario Sunshine

Each new Mario game tends to bring a new ‘gimmick’ along with it. Super Mario Odyssey, for example, introduced a capture mechanic and the rumoured Super Mario Titans will let you turn Nintendo’s famed plumber into a superhero.

Super Mario Sunshine’s gimmick was F.L.U.D.D, a water-based tool that we’d really love to see return in a future game.

Building off that mechanic comes Super Mario Eclipse, a fan-made expansion by JoshuaMK02 and Tempo. It turns Isle Delfino and its surrounding areas into one interconnected open-world, with 120 new Shine Sprites to acquire as well as an expanded move set for Mario.

It was released back in 2024 but has received several updates since, the latest of which dropped last month.

VideoGameEsoterica shared the update on X and did a breakdown of everything the new update adds in a video on YouTube.

If you haven’t played it yet and have been longing for a new 3D Mario game, Super Mario Eclipse should scratch that itch nicely for you. The best part is that you don’t even need a Nintendo Switch 2.

The only caveat is this expansion relies on you owning your own copy of Super Mario Sunshine for the Nintendo GameCube. If you have a physical copy, you can rip the ROM for it and run it through an emulator, then you simply download Super Mario Eclipse and add them both together.

Fortunately, old copies are readily available on the secondhand market and aren’t too expensive, which is another reason why PlayStation shelving physical games in 2028 is such a woefully stupid idea.

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However, please remember that it’s illegal to download a ROM for a game you’ve found online. It’s piracy and should be avoided at all costs.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will get its 3D Super Mario game soon

It’s only a matter of time until a new 3D Mario game gets released for the Nintendo Switch 2. So far we’ve had a new Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Metroid and Star Fox game released for the new-gen system, and we’re presumably months away from the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.

What we’re waiting for at the moment is another Nintendo Direct, which is expected to drop somewhere during Summer.

That’s the best bet for when a new Super Mario game will be announced but hopefully, we get a few more Mario games added to Nintendo Switch Online in the meantime.