The ‘Super Mario Bros.’ series celebrates its 35th anniversary with new releases

Margaret Troup

2020 marks the 35th anniversary of “Super Mario Bros.,” the first of the arcade platformer games in the “Super Mario” franchise.

To celebrate this long-standing series, video game company Nintendo has announced a series of rereleases of some of their classic games coming to the Nintendo Switch as well as some new merchandise.

The first new item that debuted in their announcement video is that of the “Game and Watch.” This new handheld console allows players to play the original “Super Mario Bros.” and “Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels” with a plus-control pad, similar to the original arcade-based consoles the game debuted on in 1985. As this new system is a “Game and Watch,” it also acts as a clock for players to keep track of real-world time. This limited time only console is available starting Nov. 13.

The following two announcements made by Nintendo were the inclusions of “Super Mario 3D World+” and “Bowser’s Fury” coming to the Nintendo Switch. These games hold all of their original gameplay aspects with higher resolutions in their graphics. These games will become available for the Switch starting Feb. 12, 2021.

For fans of the original “Super Mario Bros.” players will be able to compete in the game’s various levels against other players around the world starting Oct. 16 and ending March 31, 2021. Allowing up to 35 players at a time, Nintendo is making sure their original game is getting more than a fresh coat of paint. This feature will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members.

Not every announcement made by Nintendo related exclusively to new video game content. Starting Oct. 16, kids of all ages will be able to play “Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.” This game is a unique hybrid of both virtual and physical reality. Upon purchase of the remote-controlled cars with either Mario or his brother Luigi at the wheel, players will be able to virtually paint a course around their homes and control both the toy karts and their virtual in-game karts at the same time, using a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Lite. “Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit” brings to life the fantasy of playing “Mario Kart” in one’s own home.

From Sept. 3 to March 21, 2021, players will be able to complete online mini challenges such as taking Mario-themed quizzes and visiting the “Super Mario” official website to earn prizes, such as the 35th anniversary pin set. Additional events held during this year will be a “Super Smash Bros.” online tournament along with Mario-themed furniture that will be added to Nintendo’s “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” game.

One new collection coming to the Nintendo Switch will be “Super Mario: All Stars,” which will contain four classic “Mario” games. “Super Mario Bros.,” “Super Mario Bros. 2,” “Super Mario Bros. 3” and “Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels” will all be included in this new collection. Upgraded visual graphics will keep both old and new fans excited to see these remakes. “Super Mario Bros.: All Stars” is available on the Nintendo eShop as of Sept. 3.

The final announcement from Nintendo is one that spans the most amount of decades. Remastered versions of “Super Mario 64,” “Super Mario Sunshine” and “Super Mario Galaxy” will all become available to the Nintendo Switch in the “Super Mario 3D All Stars” collection beginning Sept. 18. The classic soundtracks from each of these games will also be included in the Music Player mode section, allowing players to listen to any song from the games’ soundtracks while playing.