Les jeux Mario annulés ou jamais sortis : que sait-on ?

Cancelled or Never Released Mario Games: What Do We Know?

1275 mots | Temps de lecture : 6 minute(s)

With hundreds of titles to its name, the Super Mario franchise seems unstoppable. Yet, over the decades, several Mario games have been cancelled, rethought, or never released. Whether confidential prototypes or abandoned concept projects, these phantom titles pique the curiosity of fans and fuel fantasies about the Nintendo universe. Here's a selection of phantom Mario games... and what we know about them.

Summary

1. Super Mario’s Wacky Worlds (Philips CD-i)

Designed in 1993 as a spiritual sequel to Super Mario World on the Philips CD-i, as a result of a commercial agreement between Nintendo and Philips.

  • Developed by NovaLogic
  • Mario was meant to visit historical sites like Egypt and Ancient Greece
  • A playable prototype was leaked, but the project was quickly abandoned

Due to Nintendo's lack of direct involvement and the commercial failure of the CD-i, this game became the quintessential example of a license poorly exploited outside its ecosystem.

2. Super Mario RPG 2 (Nintendo 64)

A direct sequel to Super Mario RPG (1996), this project was planned for Nintendo 64. Nintendo first offered Square (developer of the first installment) to develop it, but Square declined, busy with Final Fantasy VII and focused on the PlayStation; development was then entrusted to Intelligent Systems.

The concept was completely reinvented and became Paper Mario (2000), with an unprecedented graphic style. A successful transformation... but very different from the original ambition.

3. Super Mario 128 (GameCube)

Presented at Space World 2000, the demo showed 128 Marios interacting on a circular platform with real-time physics.

  • Inspired Pikmin (group management)
  • Laid the groundwork for gravity in Super Mario Galaxy

Never finalized under this name, but a key project in Nintendo's R&D.

4. Mario Takes America (Philips CD-i)

An educational project combining live-action and mini-games where Mario traveled across the United States to Hollywood.

The technical limitations of the CD-i and the high budget for filmed sequences led to its cancellation. Only a few storyboards remain.

5. Mario Motors (Nintendo DS)

Conceived by Yoot Saito (creator of Seaman), the game was meant to allow players to design engines piece by piece before testing them in a race.

Shigeru Miyamoto was enthusiastic, but the concept, deemed too niche, remained in the prototype stage.

6. Super Mario Spikers (Wii)

By Next Level Games (developers of Mario Strikers): a mix of volleyball and wrestling, with WWE-style finishing moves.

Nintendo canceled the project, finding the aesthetic too aggressive for Mario's family-friendly image.

7. Donkey Kong Racing (GameCube)

Presented at E3 2001: animal-back racing (Rambi, Enguarde) in destructible tropical environments.

Rare's acquisition by Microsoft in 2002 ended development. The project was reworked at Rare as Sabreman Stampede (Xbox 360), which was also eventually canceled.

8. Mario Artist: Game Maker (64DD)

Extension of the Mario Artist software for the 64DD: create your own mini-games with scripts, sounds, and visuals.

The failure of the 64DD doomed the project, but it laid the groundwork for WarioWare DIY and especially Super Mario Maker.

Why were these projects abandoned?

  • Technical constraints and production costs
  • Partnership issues (Square, Philips, Rare)
  • Incompatibility with brand image (violence, complexity)
  • Commercial failures of platforms (CD-i, 64DD)

Nintendo nevertheless recycles ideas and mechanics: nothing is lost, everything is transformed.

For rarities and curiosities, see also Hotel Mario, Mario's Time Machine and games released only in Japan.

Summary Table

Subject Canceled or unreleased Mario games
Publisher Nintendo (involved partners: Philips, Square, Next Level Games)
CD-i Examples Super Mario's Wacky Worlds, Mario Takes America
Project that became Paper Mario Super Mario RPG 2 (planned for 64DD then Nintendo 64)
Project related to Super Mario Maker Mario Artist: Game Maker (64DD)
Influential Demo Super Mario 128 (Space World 2000)
Reasons for abandonment Technical constraints, partnerships, brand image, platform failures

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FAQ

  • What happened to the Super Mario RPG 2 project?
    Originally planned as a sequel to Super Mario RPG, it was developed by Intelligent Systems. Following contractual complications with Square (who held the Super Mario RPG name), the project was renamed (Mario Story in Japan) and became Paper Mario, released in 2000 in Japan and 2001 in the rest of the world.
  • What was Super Mario 128?
    A tech demo presented at Space World 2000 (GameCube) showing up to 128 Marios moving on a manipulable circular platform, to illustrate the physics engine. Never turned into a game under that name, it inspired Pikmin and techniques later used in Super Mario Galaxy.
  • Why were the Mario games on Philips CD-i canceled?
    Super Mario's Wacky Worlds and Mario Takes America suffered from the commercial failure of the CD-i and Nintendo's limited direct involvement; Mario Takes America (Cigam studio) also had its funding cut by Philips due to insufficient progress.
  • Why was Super Mario Spikers abandoned?
    Developed by Next Level Games for Wii, this mix of volleyball and wrestling was rejected by Nintendo, who deemed its fighting moves too violent and aggressive for Mario's family-friendly image.
  • Which canceled project is related to Super Mario Maker?
    Mario Artist: Game Maker, a planned component of the Mario Artist suite for 64DD, would have allowed players to create their own games. The failure of the 64DD doomed the project; the idea of a game creation tool would later reappear in WarioWare and Super Mario Maker.

Conclusion

These canceled games remind us that an icon like Mario follows a path full of trials, prototypes, and strategic choices. Some prototypes will never see the light of day, but the ideas they sowed continue to flourish in the Mushroom Kingdom.

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