It’s Super MAR10 Day! Today celebrates the more than 30 year-old Super Mario franchise. This year, Nintendo is encouraging people of all ages to enjoy a host of heartfelt and joyous activities to honor one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. For example, Australian and New Zealander Facebook users will be able to use a free Mario-themed frame for their profile from today until March 12. There are also some stores that are offering game sales for the franchise. Cool!
To celebrate Super MAR10 Day even more, here are five books about the character for kids or die-hard fans!
image via amazon
1. super Mario: how nintendo conquered america
This book is about Nintendo’s rise and how the icon of Mario made it possible. The author of this book, Jeff Ryan, shares the story of how lawsuits, Hollywood, die-hard fans, and face-offs with Sony and Microsoft are all part of the drama that led to Nintendo’s success. The book highlights Mario’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, who was considered expendable at one time, Minoru Arakawa, the son-in-law of Nintendo’s president rise to success at Nintendo, and even Nintendo’s approach to reinventing itself as offering the gaming system for the non-gamer.
image via amazon
2. super Mario encyclopedia
This book is packed with content from all seventeen Super Mario games – spanning all the way from the original Super Mario Bros in 1985 to the upcoming Super Mario Maker 2. In it, you can track the evolution of characters, like Goomba, from their appearances/art style to their personalities, witness the birth of new ones, like Yoshi, and relive your favorite (or maybe your most hated!) levels from games past. The book contains an interview with producer Takashi Tezuka, tips to find all items in the games, and even explanations of glitches! If you’re a kid or die-hard fan, you’ll love this book for it’s resources.
image via amazon
3. Super Mario odyssey kindgom adventures box set
There are six books in this set, and they can all be found on separately if you wish, but think of this as a premium set. The series of books basically follows Mario as he journeys through the world of Super Mario Odyssey. In it, you can see the sights of the worlds in the game, meet the inhabitants, and get your hands on the best souvenirs. The box set also comes with a 12″ X 18″ poster as well as three foam sheets you can use to build a display case. Pretty cool!
image via amazon
4. super Mario adventures
This book is actually a comic! It is inspired by the bestselling video game franchise and contains a collection of comics that used to run in Nintendo Power magazine in 1992-1993! As always, Princess Toadstool (otherwise known as Princess Peach) is kidnapped by the scheming Bowser, but the famous plumber brothers, Mario and Luigi, create a plan with their new friend Yoshi to rescue her. This comic was out of print since the early 90s, but it’s back in its full-color, graphic glory!
image via Mario wiki
5. super Mario brothers: trapped in the perilous pit
This is an old comic from 1990, but it could be really worthwhile to the die-hard fan (even though it’s aimed at children) who wants to delve deeper into the beginnings of the Super Mario franchise. Mario and Luigi are seen doing their plumber duties when they are sucked into a Warp Zone and taken into the Mushroom Kingdom, where they are forced to work for Princess Toadstool until they can find a way back home! The brothers are replacing the palace pipes, when King Koopa (another name for Bowser) attempting to kidnap the princess, but Mario and Luigi use their signature powerup, the Super Mushroom, to ward him and his goons off, thus protecting the princess and setting the narrative in motion.
featured image via nintendo
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