Mario is getting his own version of Hasbro's classic board game The Game of Life, featuring characters from Nintendo's Mushroom Kingdom. The two companies have partnered to release the upcoming edition, which will be an all-new adventure for the mustachioed plumber and his friends. The tabletop game should tide players over as they wait for the release of Mario Party Superstars for the Nintendo Switch.
Ever since his first debut in 1981, Mario has been one of the most recognizable characters in gaming. The Nintendo superstar has featured in hundreds of video games over the years, even crossing into physical territory with his own versions of games like Monopoly and Uno on store shelves. The mascot recently celebrated his 35th anniversary, with Nintendo releasing various games in his honor, some of which were timed releases. Battle royale game Super Mario Bros. 35 was a limited release online game, free for Nintendo Switch Online members. It was discontinued on April 1 as the 35th-anniversary celebrations came to a close. Similarly, the triple-pack collection of classic 3D Mario titles Super Mario 3D All-Stars was removed from sale around the same time. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is being sold from third-party retailers at inflated costs just months after Nintendo ceased official sales.
Mario's next big adventure will be The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition, which is due to launch this summer. The game will put a Mario spin on the classic The Game of Life gameplay, which normally involves players working their way through the board in a simulation of life from college to retirement. The Super Mario Edition will instead guide characters Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi through the Mushroom Kingdom, culminating in a battle with Bowser. Players will collect coins and power-up items as they travel the board, and mini-games such as Rock Paper Scissors and Thumb Wars will also be featured. In a press release, Hasbro explained the boss battle: "As they approach Bowser’s Castle, players will also buy stars to boost their battle-spin; each star collected adds 1 point to their spin total, and players will need to spin higher than a 12 to defeat Bowser and win the game."
The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition should provide something for the whole family, offering a new take on the original game. The Game of Life was first introduced in 1860, and the addition of new gameplay elements should be very welcome with players both new and old. This isn't the first time that the classic game has dabbled in video games, with multiple digital releases under its belt. The Game of Life 2 released in 2020, offering some innovative ideas to change up the tried-and-tested formula. Hasbro and Nintendo's The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition is sounding like it could be even more creative with its gameplay.
The game won't be Mario's only board game adventure this year. During the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, the company announced Mario Party Superstars, the next in the longstanding series which turns board games into a video game experience. Mario Party Superstars will be the second Mario Party game on Switch, but will have a much more nostalgic flavor. The title will reintroduce five classic boards first seen in the Nintendo 64 games, along with 100 mini-games from across the entire series. The reveal was met with criticism from players of 2018's Super Mario Party, which some feel lacks content. It's been argued that Mario Party Superstars should have been DLC, and not a full-fledged game.
Super Mario Party will be available for Nintendo Switch on October 29. The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition will be available from August 1.