In honor of Mario's 35th Anniversary, Nintendo announced a limited Game & Watch handheld system coming this November that features a Super Mario twist. Super Mario Bros. made its debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985 making Mario Nintendo's #1 mascot for the past 35 years. To celebrate, Nintendo is going all out with its Mario-related releases.
Super Mario turned 35 this year, but fans had begun to speculate that Nintendo was wasting Mario's 35th anniversary. Outside of a few Mario-themed LEGO sets, Nintendo hadn't officially announced anything video game-related to help celebrate Mario's big milestone. Some pretty convincing leaks surfaced in March that claimed Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy were getting remasters this year but were followed by a drought of announcements from Nintendo. Now, Nintendo has opened the flood gates of Mario announcements, including a fresh take on a classic system.
Today, Nintendo released a 16-minute Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct that showcased a number of games coming to the Nintendo Switch to honor Mario's legacy. The first announcement made was for a limited edition Super Mario Bros. themed Game & Watch handheld system. The system comes with Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: Lost Levels, and a Mario version of Game & Watch Ball. Since it is a Game & Watch system, it also functions as a clock with 35 different Mario-themed easter eggs for owners to discover.
The original Nintendo handheld system will launch on November 13th with some serious upgrades. The traditional left and right buttons have been replaced with a D-pad for smoother controls while playing Super Mario Bros. The system also sees the addition of "A" and "B" buttons. It also comes with a full-color liquid-crystal display making sure every jump, twist, and stomp is pixel perfect. Supplies won't last long, so Nintendo fans might wanna set their Game & Watches for the big day later this year.
This kind of product release is Nintendo's specialty. It has a way of revamping older systems that pull at the nostalgic heartstrings of ageing gamers. While 1985's Super Mario Bros. is no longer the most fun game on Mario's resume, it's definitely his most iconic. The mustachioed hero teaming up with Nintendo's original handheld is a great move for Nintendo and is a fantastic way to celebrate Mario's 35th anniversary.
Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. arrives on November 13, 2020.
Source: Nintendo