Key Takeaways
- Mario & Luigi: Brothership was rated for release in Germany on January 11, 2024.
- This suggests the game was ready to launch long before its November 7 release date.
- This wouldn’t be the first time that Nintendo held back on a game’s release.
It appears that Nintendo once again held back a game that was ready to launch some time ago. As spotted online, Mario & Luigi: Brothership received an age rating in Germany 301 days before it went on to release, suggesting that it was largely playable around that time.
As spotted by ResetEra user Moltz20, BlueSky user pierre485 noted that Mario & Luigi: Brothership was rated and approved for release by USK, the German age rating board, on January 11, 2024. With Brothership going on to launch on November 7, that means there was a difference of 301 days between rating and release, which is lengthy even for a Nintendo game.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership Might Have Been Ready To Release In January
According to pierre485’s analysis, this makes it one of the longest gaps between age rating and release for an original Nintendo game. Nintendo is known to sit on releases for a long time, at least judging by these gaps, so many speculate that the studio always has games ready to go at any given time.
Earlier this year, we reported on how the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake was seemingly ready to release in 2023, as it received an age rating in June 2023 ahead of its May 2024 release.
Of course, this opens up speculation on what else it could be waiting to release, especially as some games may be held back for the Switch 2. Given that Nintendo fans are always speculating on what games are going to be remastered or remade next, this only adds to the rumour mill.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is out now, available exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
All hands on deck for an island-hopping adventure starring Mario and Luigi
The brothers return for a brand-new adventure on the high seas! Set sail with Mario and Luigi on Shipshape Island (part ship, part island) and journey through the vast world of Concordia. Launch out of Shipshape’s cannon to visit, explore, and quest your way through islands that range from tropical rainforests to bustling cities. Meet new friends along the way, like Connie and Snoutlet (definitely not a pig), and encounter familiar faces from the Mushroom Kingdom like Peach and Bowser, who may help—or hinder—you on your journey!
You’ll have to rely on Mario and Luigi’s brotherly bond to succeed. Use Bros. Moves to get past obstacles while you explore, and powerful Bros. Attacks in a dynamic twist on turn-based combat. You’ll need every edge this “brothership” will give you to save the day!