March 31st, 2021. A day that shall live in infamy. The events transpiring will ripple throughout the very being of culture for generations to come. Let it be known that this day marks the death of beloved Nintendo mascot and the world’s deadliest plumber, Mario.
Dramatics aside, Nintendo announced last year that they would pull all Super Mario merchandise and games released in 2020 for the 35th anniversary of the mascot from both online and physical retailers. One of the most noteworthy releases being Super Mario 3D All Stars which was a collection of popular franchise games throughout the character’s life span with full graphical upgrades. These included : Super Mario 64(1966), Super Mario Sunshine (2002) and Super Mario Galaxy (2007). Three games that defined both a franchise but the evolution of Nintendo consoles for decades. Those who have purchased the game digitally before the deadline will still be able to download the game even after it’s departure. If you were planning on showing up to work decked in Mario merch, well then your time is running out.
Fans and casual gamers alike are baffled by the decision by the gaming giant. Nintendo of North America president Doug Bowser (His real name btw) commented on the decision during a December 2020 interview with Polygon.
When asked about the decision Bowser comments saying “It just-this is a celebration. And we wanted to celebrate in unique and different ways..”. Also going on to say “..we will be doing that through future releases such as Super Mario World 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.” The title was recently released on the Nintendo Switch in February of this year. Bowser didn’t elude to any other reasons and mentions that he cannot speak of any plans following March 2021.
From a consumer standpoint, there’s no rhyme or reason. If you or someone you know is a fan of Mario and wanted to explore the latest adventure on your Switch, you may just be out of luck come next year. This only speaks to a much larger issue at hand. Practices conducted by gaming companies and developers alike have never been universally approved by the masses. Micro transactions included in nine out of every ten games released, pay to win incentives for those who can afford to buy advantages and also the releasing of unfinished projects and the immediate undertaking of severe maintenance while the game is live. Now we must deal with games that are by all intents and purposes very popular and beloved, being taken off the market only to almost certainly be repackaged as an overpriced, special collector’s bundle edition to fill the gaps between full fledged new releases for the consoles. As it turns out, money is much louder than the loudest person in the room. Yet with all the money in the world, Nintendo still can’t fix their damned joy cons.
The Nerd and Co. 