In the past few month, jokes regarding Mario's death have ramped up, taking Twitter and Facebook groups by storm, especially as the end of March looms closer and closer. However, a little bit of context is needed to understand the reference, which means it may be confusing for those who don't have their finger on the pulse of the video game world. Everyone knows who Mario is, but why is he dead? And who killed him?
"RIP Mario" and "Mario Is Dead" stem from the strange release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. 35. Both of these games were launched to celebrate the Mario franchise's 35th anniversary. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a collection of the popular 3D Mario games Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy (although Super Mario Galaxy 2 is mysteriously missing). Meanwhile, Super Mario Bros. 35 is sort of a new game and sort of not - like Tetris 99, it's an online, multiplayer battle royale centered around an already existing concept. In this case, of course, it's the original Super Mario Bros. game.
But how are two new(ish) games killing the gaming industry's favorite plumber? It's a good question, and it all has to do with how Nintendo releases certain products.
Mario Isn't Really Dead, But His Latest Games Basically Are
On September 3, 2020, Nintendo hosted an event to celebrate Mario's 35th anniversary, which is when both Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. 35 were announced with a release date of September 18, 2020, and October 1, 2020, respectively. There was a strange catch, however. Each Mario game would only be available until March 31, after which it would be pulled from online stores and no longer distributed to shops.
These two games aren't the first instance of Nintendo engaging in a timed-release in recent memory, either. In fact, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, which was released on Switch to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary, also disappears from the eShop on March 31. It's a strange move, though, and while it's nice to be able to play classics like Super Mario 64 on Switch, the limited-time release is a move that has been widely-criticized from industry analysts, journalists, and players since its announcement last September.
Regardless, that's where the joke comes from, and why everyone is tweeting that they hope he he rests in peace. Mario dies the second the clock strikes midnight, bringing the world into April, because for some reason Nintendo decided to not let Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. 35 live past March 31. It's a bummer to see an industry legend like Mario be laid to rest, but what is there to do? Nintendo has the last say on what happens to their iconic character.