Mario Party is a classic game series in which friends (at least for now) compete in a series of games to claim victory over one another. Along the way, many players experience laughter, betrayal, possibly shouting, and even accusations that the game itself is conspiring against them. It makes for a hilarious afternoon as players compete in what feels like a high-stakes situation.
Currently, the hit Netflix show Squid Game is dominating the television landscape. With the simple premise of life or death games with an unfathomable amount of cash as the prize for winning it all, it's an easy setup to really get into. Though many times more violent, there is a certain amount of overlap to Mario Party, which may be why one artist saw fit to combine the two into one picture.
In the middle of this week, Reddit user u/JTrace18 shared a picture to the main Mario subreddit which cast Mario, his friends, and his enemies as participants in the system which Squid Game is centered around, and it doesn't look like Mario will be playing on one of the relaxing boards he's used to playing on. With the tagline "45.6 Billion Coins, It's Childs Play" as well as some clever use of lighting and framing, the game is on for the portly plumber and friends.
While any of the mini-games in Mario Party could make for an interesting life or death game, the real creativity of the picture is in how it blends together elements from both Mario and Squid Game. Above everyone hangs the pot of coins everyone's playing for, but instead of a piggy bank like the show has, all of the coins are stored in a Mario-themed "?" block.
In the foreground, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, and Waluigi look like they've been to better parties with Mario. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot that Mario's number appears to be 781, far more than Squid Game's 456, meaning way more competition. There are a few cameos behind them in Yoshi, Toad, and Koopa, who definitely have seen better days, but perhaps the most creative details are behind them.
Just behind the weary players stands their captors. The workers and guards facilitating the game form imposing ranks, and are played here by Shy Guys, which is a delightfully fun way to take advantage of the fact that they already wear masks, making a natural fit. Most appropriately in the center commanding them all is Bowser himself, sporting a stylish mask of his own face in the style of Squid Game's mysterious Front Man. While his face can't be seen, one can bet that Bowser intends to give Mario and company a party like no Mario Party they've ever played before.
Mario Party Superstars hits the Nintendo Switch on October 29th.