Eagle-eyed baseball fans recently spotted a Mario ad that could add more support to the latestSuper Mariogame leak. Last month, rumors started to spread thatNintendo is working on four newMariotitles, including a new mainline 2DSuper Mariogame, a remake of the fan-favoritePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and two sports-related spin-offs. The first of these two is said to be anotherMario and Sonic at the Olympic Gamestitle, while the second is believed to be a newSuper Mario Baseballgame.While Mario had already stepped up to the plate as a guest character inBaseballfor the original Game Boy way back in 1989, he and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom would make their diamond field debut in the aptly-namedMario sports titleMario Superstar Baseballin 2005. A follow-up was released on the Nintendo Wii in 2008 titledMario Super Sluggers, which added nine playable characters and motion controls to the frantic party-style gameplay of the original. However, the series has spent the following years in the dugout, with the closest thing to another installment being a baseball minigame in 2017’sMario Sports Superstarsfor the Nintendo 3DS.RELATED:Rumor: New Mario Baseball Game Could Have Guest CharactersThis might be changing soon though, as ComicBook.com reports that fans who attended the latest Seattle Mariners game were greeted with an intriguingSuper Mario-related tease. As can be seen in a video from Twitter user and Peacock pitching analyst Rob Friedman, there is a billboard ad of Mario holding his bat from theMario Baseballseries positioned near the pitcher’s mound. Naturally, many Nintendo fans have taken this as a sign that a newMario Baseballgame is in the works, though others have pointed out that it could just be a generic promotional image as Nintendo happens to be a partial owner of the Mariners.
This sign and May’sMarioleak aren’t the first potential hints ata newMario Baseballgame, as many have speculated that Nintendo could start a new wave ofMariosports titles in the wake ofMario Strikers: Battle League’s release last year. This theory gained support in February thanks to rumors of aMario Baseballsequel for the Nintendo Switch, one that could branch out from theSuper Marioseries and include guest characters like Pac-Man.
With the surprise success ofThe Super Mario Bros. Moviestill fresh in the public’s mind and rumors ofanother Nintendo Direct being held next month, the timing could be just right for a wave of newSuper Mariogame announcements like the ones hinted at in last month’s big leak. A newMario Baseballtitle could be included in that list, at least if the latest sighting of Nintendo’s favorite plumber at the recent Mariners game is indeed an omen of things to come instead of a simple sports-based promotion.
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