Nearly 6 years have passed since the release ofSuper Mario Odyssey, so it’s highly likely that a new game in theSuper Mario Bros.franchise is in development at Nintendo. According to known Nintendo content leaker Zippo, a newSuper Mariogame is nearing the end of development and will feature a cast of four playable characters, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. Although the credibility of this rumor is uncertain, if the next game were to feature four playable characters, Nintendo should swap Toad with the underutilized Daisy.
Toad has historically been the fourth playable character inMariogames that feature multiple playable characters such asSuper Mario Bros. 2andSuper Mario 3D World. The character will also be featured in the upcomingSuper Mario Bros. Moviebeing voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, making his return as a playable character all the more likely if Nintendo plans to tie a new game in with the release of the movie. However, Daisy has been a part of theSuper Mariofranchise for nearly as long as Toad, but has been mostly relegated to spin-off and side games thus far.
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Daisy Deserves a Chance in the Spotlight
Daisy took over for Peach as the damsel-in-distress character in the 1989 Game Boy titleSuper Mario Landwhere she appeared as princess of Sarasaland. Following this entry, Daisy would not appear in the franchise again until the release ofMario Tennisin 2000 for the N64. Her role in the series from then on was typically that of a spin-off character used to fill out the roster for theMariosports titles andMario Kartseries, also appearing as an Echo Fighter for Peach in 2018’sSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Despite her underutilization in the main series, Daisy was designed with a lot more personality that some otherMariocharacters. Her energetic, excitable traits were meant to compliment Peach’s refined, regal persona and have allowed Daisy to blossom as her own character, rather than just another version of Peach. She even was chosen for her role inMario Tennisthanks to her differentiation from Peach as Nintendo had rejected the idea of creating aWario-like Peachfor the game.
Adding Daisy as the fourth playable character therumored newMariogamewould also help balance out the gender representation of the cast. Typically, Peach has been the only playable female character in mainlineMariogames, with Rosalina and Toadette occasionally making the roster. Daisy could be a much-needed new female character to shake up the traditionally male-dominated roster ofMariocharacters, and an appearance like this could help her break free from the image of simply being a love interest for Luigi. She could also use her status as a spin-off character as the basis for her play style, with abilities drawing from her sports and karting experiences.
As a character, Toad is rather bland and unnecessary among a limited playable cast. Toad lacks any unique identity outside of being one of the Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants notable for telling Mario his princess is in another castle. Specific Toad characters likeCaptain Toadhave their own identifiable traits, but the average, generic Toad doesn’t have anything special about them—aside from a typically faster movement speed—to warrant a continued place on a roster of mainline playable characters. While theSuper Mario Bros. Moviecould develop Toad into a more interesting character, there is enough personality in Daisy to earn her a playable role in a mainlineMariogame over that of Toad.
A newSuper Mario Bros.game is rumored to be in development for the Nintendo Switch.
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