While we were all distracted by the excitement around The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, Nintendo has quietly refreshed the identity of another one of its biggest franchises. It's rolled out a new Super Mario logo on the Nintendo website, and the striking redesign is fueling intense fan speculation.
In an era in which many brands seem to refresh their identities every couple of years, the Super Mario logo has been remarkably enduring. The last tweak to the familiar multicolour wordmark was made 15 years ago, way back in 2011. So why's Nintendo giving it a glow up now?
And a glow up it is – or a power up maybe. The iconic colours and letterforms remain immediately recognisable, but the presentation has been upgraded to 3D. The flat black outline has been replaced with a grey bevel that feels almost metallic, and the letters now carry a glossy, toy‑like finish, adding depth and volume to the design without losing its familiar charm.
The Super Mario logo has long been central to the identity of Nintendo's most famous video game franchise, instantly identifiable even to those who’ve never picked up a controller. A change could signal something big for the series – the last refresh coincided with the release of Mario 3DS, AKA Super Mario 3D Land, in 2011.
That refresh adjusted colours, making the 'S' blue and the 'U' yellow. It also introduced plumper, tighter letterforms with a stronger inner shadow. The new design keeps those elements but gives the design a 3D polish (for the moment, Nintendo's using the new logo horizontally only. We've yet to see whether it will also use the new design in a traditional stacked version.
The decision to bring a 3D look to the standard Mario logo is making many fans recall the individual game logo designs for Mario 64 and the 2013 Nintendo Wii U title Super Mario 3D World. As a result, many are interpreting the update as a sign that a new 3D Mario game is coming in 2027 or 2028.
"Mario 64 remake next year," one person predicts on X. Others are pointing out that the video game podcaster and leaker Nate Drake and the anonymous Malo leak both claimed there would be a 3D Mario game next year, and they have already been proven right about the new Star Fox and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake being on the roadmap.
That said, I have to accept that there's also a chance that the logo redesign doesn't mean anything at all. There has been a bit of a trend lately of brands turning back against 2D flat design and returning to a more 3D look. Google and Microsoft have reintroduced gradients for more textured detail.
If there's any brand that deserves something more than modern minimalism, surely it's Mario. The 3D logo design should also look good on physical game releases, which is an area where Nintendo's trying to differentiate itself from the other big console makers.
While we wait with bated breath for the next Nintendo Direct, check out current deals below.
