Ever since the original Animal Crossing game released overseas on the GameCube back in 2002, neat Nintendo and Super Mario-themed items have been included for fans to pay homage to their favorite Nintendo icons. This trend continued in every subsequent Animal Crossing game, with more items being added with each new installment. However, many fans noticed that such items were absent from the newest game in the series, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
For the most part, all fans could do was wait and wish for these special items to be added to the game in a future update, but last summer Nintendo finally announced that Super Mario-themed furniture would come to New Horizons this year in celebration of Mario's 35th anniversary. Now that the commemorative in-game items are available for players to enjoy, fans have been getting very creative, showing off their ideas online.
While some players have opted to simply capture clever moments using their Super Mario-themed items, others have taken their creations to another level by utilizing the brand new Warp Pipe item, which allows players to place them on their island to quickly warp to another location. Meanwhile, other fans have shown off their incredible design skills by recreating Princess Peach's castle in its entirety.
I saw a bunch of people doing subway entrances and wanted to give it a try too; my boyfriend suggested I use the pipes to make a working subway system on my island! from AnimalCrossing
One player has seemingly threatened to wake Gullivarr up using one of the new Thwomp items based on the classic Mario enemy, which actually come crashing down when players get near one, just as in the Super Mario Bros. games. Another fan has discovered that the new Floating Block items can be used to create a sort of tunnel on their island. By far, the main attraction of this new Super Mario-themed update seems to be the Warp Pipe, as fans have been excited to gain the ability to travel all around their island quicker than ever before. Several fans have creatively made their own "subway systems" complete with subway stops, vending machines, and stairwells.
Another Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has gotten creative by combining the new Super Mario items with pre-existing items in order to create a makeshift Chain Chomp on their beach. Of course, the new Super Mario items have only been available to most players for about a day-and-a-half, so there is sure to be even more Super Mario-themed creations shared by fans in the coming weeks.
Although the 35th anniversary for Nintendo's iconic mascot officially took place last year, celebrations have continued well into 2021, especially with the release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury just last month. However, it seems that most Super Mario celebrations are scheduled to end by the end of March, so fans should be quick to celebrate the plumber how they see fit.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.