Everyone knows that Nintendo shows favoritism toward Japan. The company provides Japan-exclusive things that aren't available anywhere else - limited edition merch and accessories, exclusive events, and of course, games. It's been tough for gamers and collectors. The good news is that Nintendo has finally released the previously Japan-exclusive platformer game Mario & Wario worldwide on Switch as part of the NSO SNES collection.
The 32-year-old game features a magical fairy called Wanda who must navigate a temporarily-blinded Mario through a number of obstacles in each level - obstacles that are in fact not there by coincidence, given that Wario has placed traps, and is responsible for the items obscuring Mario's vision. You can unlock the option to play as Peach and Yoshi, who have different speeds, thereby modifying Mario & Wario's difficulty. The game was developed by Game Freak, who, as you may know, humbly went on to develop a little-known multi-billion dollar franchise called Pokémon.
The title joins two more games that have just been released to NSO's Classics collection, with the revival of an iconic platformer, Bubsy in: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind, and fighting game Fatal Fury Special, both being added alongside Mario & Wario. The only bad news is that there's a small catch. Frustratingly, Mario & Wario requires mouse controls to play - which is, of course, only a feature on the Switch 2. Both Bubsy and Fatal Fury are available on original Switch consoles, thankfully, and they're a treat.
Although it's been out for a little while already, Bubsy is a particularly great title to have on modern consoles. The game, although originally getting a mild reception, has grown into a beloved title over the years. A sort of half-Sonic, half-Mario hybrid, the platformer uses a mixture of speed and item collection to provide a fun experience, with lots of dynamic backgrounds and a cheerful soundtrack. If you're nostalgia-bathing as much as I am constantly, you should consider checking it out.
As for the wider implications of Mario & Wario's release, big things could be coming now. Since Nintendo's very first console, the NES, the company has been prone to releasing its products in Japan months or years before they hit the rest of the world.
At first, this made sense - it was a small company, and there was uncertainty about whether Nintendo could grow - but in more recent years, it seems to be tradition-based. Could Mario & Wario's release be part of a shift to globalize everything? Certainly, the Switch 2's mouse controls play a big part in the game's global release, but whatever the reason, I'm hoping to see more formerly-exclusive games arrive soon.
For now, though, prepare yourself for upcoming Switch games by pre-ordering Pokémon Legends Z-A, and check out our guide to the best GBA games while you're taking a trip into retro town.