Nintendo comments on removing certain games after March 2021

If you’re interested in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, you only have a few months left to pick up the collection. After March 2021, it’ll no longer be sold in any form. Shipments to stores will cease and it’ll be removed from the Switch eShop. The same thing is actually happening with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light.

Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser was asked about this approach in an interview with Polygon. When asked about the logic in removing games, he explained:

“Yeah, I think I use a simple word: celebration. It just – this is a celebration of Mario’s 35th anniversary. And we wanted to celebrate in unique and different ways, and we’ve done that through games like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, or we will be doing that through future releases, such as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.

And then we’ve also done it through releases such as Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros., or through Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. There are various ways that we’re celebrating Mario’s 35th. And with some of these titles, we felt it was an opportunity to release them for a limited period of time. They’ve done very, very well. Super Mario 3D All-Stars has sold over 2.6 million units in the U.S. alone. And so clearly, consumers have been able to jump in and enjoy that. And it’s not strategy that we’re going to be using widely, but it’s one we thought was very unique for the actual anniversary.”

Bowser concluded by noting that “at this point, the decision was really made around that celebration feature and aspect.” He also “can’t speak to plans beyond the the end of March.”