Super Mario Gets Two Licensed Controllers In Anticipation Of 35th Anniversary

A ubiquitous Italian plumber is about to be honored with two officially licensed periphery devices next month right on time for a special occasion.

The Nintendo Switch is about to receive two officially licensed controllers bearing the likeness of Nintendo mascot Super Mario next month to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of “Super Mario Bros.”

Peripheral firms Hori and PowerA will release the two controllers ahead of September 13, the birthday of “Super Mario Bros.” notes Video Games Chronicle.

The Horipad Mini arrives first on September 1 and is designed for younger players, with artwork featuring Mario and Bowser. It will be sold for $24.99.

Featuring a red and gold design and imagery from the “Super Mario” series, the enhanced wired controller from PowerA is designed for extended gaming sessions. Also to be sold at $24.99, pre-orders for this controller are already live on Amazon.

Prior to these controllers, Nintendo had previously announced two major licensing deals to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of the Italian plumber. A special interactive LEGO Mario set began selling in July.

Lifestyle and clothing brand Uniqlo also launched specifically branded shirts celebrating the Super Mario Bros. anniversary.

In July, special Super Mario versions of popular games Monopoly and Jenga were also released. All of these are in line with Nintendo’s plans to celebrate the 35^th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. in a huge way in the form of several major releases.

Released in 1985 on the Nintendo Family Computer and in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, “Super Mario Bros.” saw players take control of either Mario or his brother Luigi traveling through several side-scrolling stages in the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool.

“Super Mario Bros.” was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and is a landmark game for many who cite it as one of the best video games of all time. It sold more than 40 million physical copies and is cited as one of the key factors in reviving the gaming industry after the crash of 1983.

Sources have indicated that, as part of its anniversary celebrations, Nintendo would reveal plans to re-release most of Super Mario’s 35-year back catalog this year, remastered for Nintendo Switch. These could include 1996’s “Super Mario 64,” 2002’s “Super Mario Sunshine” and 2007’s “Super Mario Galaxy.”

A new installment in the “Paper Mario” series, called “Paper Mario: The Origami King,” was released on July 17 to positive reviews.