Happy International Mario Day! Seriously, it’s a thing…
Today, March 10, is officially International Mario Day – in honour of the iconic character from the popular Nintendo gaming franchise.
Why, you may ask?
Well, it’s purely an aesthetic thing. You see, the date MAR10 looks just like the word MARIO. A little silly, yes, but then so are the electronic icon’s antics most of the time.
Mario first appeared in 1981 in Nintendo’s ever-popular game Donkey Kong. In his early days, dedicated fans knew him as a dodgy tradesman.
In fact, at his digital birth, Mario started out as a carpenter named Jumpman. Then in 1983, Nintendo launched a game in which bad guy Jumpman reinvented himself into good guy Mario – an Italian plumber who’s main aim was to rescue princesses.
Enough history, then, and back to the here and now. Because it’s Mario Day, a handful of Mario games for Nintendo Switch are currently on sale for just $38.99 (normally $59.99) and these can be purchased online through Amazon, GameStop, Target and from the Nintendo eShop.
Ordinarily, retailers commemorate the occasion with a day’s worth of discounts on Mario-themed products, but this year Nintendo has decided to extend the festivities to all week long, so you’ve got until this Saturday to score some great deals.
Choose from Super Mario Party, a board game-style star-collecting contest for up to four players; Luigi’s Mansion 3, a ghost-busting romp through a haunted hotel starring Mario’s brother; Super Mario Maker 2, a side-scroller that lets you create custom 2D courses; and Mario Tennis Aces, an arcade game that pits Mario against other Mushroom Kingdom characters in intense tennis battles.
Game on, then.
Antonino Tati
CREAM MAGAZINE 
Feel free to leave a comment!