Summary
An upcoming Switch game calledThe Legend of Santashares a striking resemblance toSuper Mario Bros. 3. The game has been out on Steam since November 2023, and will come out on theNintendo Switchon May 25, 2025. Interestingly enough, Nintendo did not seem to mind that the game looks to have followed in the footsteps ofSuper Mario Bros. 3.
Admittedly, it’s not such a bad idea to closely mimic any of theMariogames, let aloneSuper Mario Bros. 3. Many fans considerSuper Mario Bros. 3to be the benchmark for platforming games, with some even claiming that it’s the bestMariogame to ever come out. Though it might be a risky move to pull off,The Legend of Santareleasing on Switch already has a release date, so Nintendo may have let the similarities slide.
The Legend of Santais a platformer by Plow Games, in the style of earlyMariotitles. The visuals are very familiar, looking akin to a recolored and reskinnedSuper Mario Bros. 3, with the titular Santa replacing Mario. Players will be able to play as Santa throughout a set of Christmas-themed stages where he can stomp on enemies, punch blocks, and shoot power-ups. Steam’s review scores are largely positive, which could mean good things for the title. With manyfans longing for more 2DMariogames,The Legend of Santamight just scratch that itch.
Should Nintendo be Worried About The Legend of Santa?
Withhow strict Nintendo can get regarding copyright claims, its very surprising thatThe Legend of Santapassed the company’s quality control. While it may not be infringing on characters and settings that Nintendo owns, many fans have already noticed how familiar the graphical assets of the game seem. That’s why some fans are concerned if this would cause problems down the line.
Granted, there are a few things thatThe Legend of Santadoes differently. It seems Santa’s sprite graphic changes depending on the location. The game also offers multiplayer options for up to four players. The levels aren’t totally restricted to an outdoor winter wonderland either, with some looking to take place in caves. There might be just enough differences that Nintendo probably considered the similarities surface-level. In this case, theMarioformula has had historical success for Nintendo, and a Christmas twist could do wonders. There are onlya few Christmas-themed gameswhich come to mind, and even fewer on the Nintendo Switch.The Legend of Santacould be a good addition for not only fans ofMario, but also for people who want to celebrate the holiday season.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console launched in 2017, capable of being played in handheld mode or docked to a television. The Switch Lite, a handheld-only model, followed in 2019, with an OLED refresh coming in 2021.
