In its most recent Nintendo Direct stream, Nintendo called attention to the fact that 2020 marks the 35th anniversary of the release of Super Mario Bros. for the Famicom in Japan. And now as the celebration of the event gets fully underway, a new Japanese-language website for that classic game has been launched.
The Super Mario Bros. website promotes Nintendo’s platformer as if it were a new release, complete with an introduction to the game’s story, primary characters, and enemies. The site also breaks down some of the power-ups found in the game and explains a few of Mario’s abilities like jumping on multiple enemies in a row or knocking them off of blocks from below.
Near the very bottom of the new website, fans of Super Mario Bros. can download a PDF version of the original Famicom game manual. Entirely in Japanese, the manual expands upon the information given on the site, providing a more complete roster of the game’s enemies along with further explanation of game mechanics like coins and jumping on the flag pole. A new website for Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, has launched as well.
Continuing the 35th anniversary celebration, Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch will be released on November 13. The small portable device recreates the look of the first handheld gaming system released by Nintendo in 1980. According to an announcement post from Nintendo, the Game & Watch will come preloaded with Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, as well as 35 Mario-themed “touches to discover.”
Besides the launch of two new websites, Nintendo has a number of things planned for Super Mario Bros.’ 35th anniversary. Perhaps one of the most controversial is the timed release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a bundle that includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Both the digital and physical versions of the game will only be available for purchase between September 18, 2020, and March 31 of next year. And even that is not a sure thing, considering that pre-orders for Super Mario 3D All-Stars have sold out at both Amazon and Target.
Meanwhile, Super Mario Bros. 35 will be Nintendo’s contribution to the battle royale genre, pitting 35 players against one another as they jump and climb through maps inspired by the original Super Mario Bros. Following the winning formula established by Tetris 99, as players progress though the levels, each enemy they vanquish will teleport into the level of a random opponent. And a timer at the top of the screen, whose time gets replenished with each enemy defeated, will add a further component of difficulty to Mario 35.
Source: Nintendo.com