Something to celebrate
Nintendo’s Mushroom Kingdom wouldn’t be the same without Mario.
For more than 35 years (since the debut of the arcade hit Super Mario Bros.) the red-hat-wearing plumber has been flattening Goombas, avoiding Hammer Brothers and stomping Koopas out of their shells – all in the name of protecting Princess Peach.
It’s no surprise that Mario gets his own day on March 10 (decided because MAR10 looks like his name).
Nintendo released the first game to feature Mario (and his brother Luigi) on its 8-bit gaming console in 1985.
The side-scrolling game consisted of eight levels, each broken down into four parts, and spawned dozens of others.
The most recent addition is Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury game, released last month on the system’s handheld console, Nintendo Switch.
The family-friendly Mario-based video games have helped Nintendo’s bottom line during the pandemic, according to a recent Associated Press article.
“Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” and “Super Mario 3D All-Stars” were both released in 2020.
The latter included “Super Mario 64,” “Super Mario Sunshine” and “Super Mario Galaxy,” all re-releases from other Nintendo-based platforms. It came out in September, in celebration of Mario’s 35th birthday.
The AP reported the company’s profits soared last year, as the bottom line for the first three fiscal quarters nearly doubled.
Thankfully, Mario Day doesn’t coincide with another of this week’s celebratory occasions. The National Day of Unplugging, an effort to disconnect from technology, hits on Friday, March 5.
Maybe that one exists to help those who want to spend MAR10 piloting their favorite plumber through the warp pipes of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Other things to celebrate include:
n March 4: National Grammar Day, Marching Music Day, National Dance the Waltz Day
n March 5: National Day of Unplugging, National Dress in Blue Day, National Employee Appreciation Day
n March 6: National Dentist’s Day, National Dress Day, National Oreo Cookie Day
n March 7: National Be Heard Day, National Flapjack Day
n March 8: International Women’s Day, National Oregon Day
n March 9: National Barbie Day, National Get Over it Day
n March 10: National Mario Day, National Pack Your Lunch Day