Nintendo’s first Super Mario 35thanniversary merchandise is now on sale in the US.
Uniqlo’s range of adults and kids clothingcelebrates Super Mario Bros’ 35th anniversary and features “graphic prints of everyone’s favourite hero.”
The range unsurprisingly puts an emphasis on theNintendomascot’s 35 years, with imagery depicting many of Mario’s classic entries. The rangelaunched in Europelast month.
As first revealed by VGC,Nintendo is planning to celebrate Super Mario Bros.’ 35th anniversary this yearwith several major releases, new and old.
As part of its anniversary celebrations, Nintendo will reveal plans tore-release most of Super Mario’s 35-year back catalogue this year, remastered for Nintendo Switch, VGC was told, including 1996’s Super Mario 64, 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine and 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy.
Nintendo will also release several other Mario titles in 2020, including a new instalment in the Paper Mario series and a Deluxe version of 2013’s Super Mario 3D World.
The Super Mario 35thAnniversary reveal was originally due to take place as a physical event at E3 in June, VGC was told, but Nintendo is now reviewing its plans in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.E3 2020 has been cancelleddue to the virus outbreak and Nintendo could instead opt for a digital showcase.
Nintendo has already unveiled one flagship licensing deal planned to commemorate the anniversary:a special interactive Lego Mario setwhich sees players collecting coins and defeating enemies in real-life ‘levels’.
Nintendo last celebrated a milestone Mario anniversary with the series’ 30thanniversary in 2015.
The company commemorated the occasion with various events and merchandise, including two special edition 8-bit Mario Amiibos. That year’s celebrations culminated with the release of Super Mario Maker forWii Uin September 2015.
While its core business remains making and selling games, Nintendo has increasingly moved to leverage its popular IP in various ways in recent years.
The company’s newNintendo Tokyo store opened in November 2019, while theSuper Nintendo World theme park landat Universal Studios Japan was scheduled to launch this summer.
The company has also recently partnered with fashion brands such as Moschino and Levis for Nintendo-themed clothing lines.
Nintendo presidentShuntaro Furukawa recently saidthe company’s efforts to broaden its audience by leveraging its IP outside of video games was bearing fruit, and Nintendo directorShigeru Miyamotoalso touched on this topic in a Famitsu interview.
