No, Super Mario Odyssey Wasn’t Originally Developed For the Wii U

Since its release last October, Super Mario Odyssey has become one of the most quintessential – and enjoyable – games for the Nintendo Switch. No, seriously. It's sold over six million copies since its release, and it's not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

But its timely release – approximately seven month since the console's release – has some people wondering if it was in development long before that. Like, back in the days of the Wii U, Nintendo's previous console before the Switch.

While speaking with Game Informer, the game's producer, Yoshiaki Koizumi, took down that theory very quickly. "It was always planned for Nintendo Switch," he noted. "We really were considering a lot of the hardware capabilities specifically for this game, and wanted to make the most use out of them." So, no, it was never built with the Wii U in mind.

Shinya Takahasi from Nintendo also added to the conversation. "I think the idea of what the Nintendo Switch is became very important around here, because it can both function as a console or portable device. We really thought about what sort of software features would make the best use of those capabilities.

"Super Mario Odyssey really answers to a lot of that capability in the way we had hoped. We wanted to time it for year-end release to make the most out of that as well."

Besides, the Wii U already has two Mario experiences to call its own, between the launch time title New Super Mario Bros. U, which came out in 2012; and Super Mario 3D World, a game featuring unique costumes (cat outfit, anyone?) and multiplayer support. So it's not like the system was missing out on Mario's adventures.

In case you missed out on Super Mario Odyssey, you can read our full review here. Matthew Hayes noted, "I said that Super Mario Odyssey is Nintendo at its best, and I meant that. It will surprise and delight you; it will make you smile; at one point it may even scare you! This is the kind of game that makes you fall in love with gaming all over again, and I can't tell you how deeply touched I am to know that this will be the first Super Mario game played by an entire generation of young people. If you need proof that Nintendo has reached an unprecedented apex of quality and development, this is it."

Super Mario Odyssey is available now for Nintendo Switch.