If you go on social media today, you might hear people talking about how Mario, Nintendo's iconic mascot and character, is going to die today. It sounds like shocking news, but it's actually a joke about the removal of a few of his more recent games, and fans are running with the joke.
Around September last year as part of the mustachioed hero's 35th-anniversary celebration, Nintendo released two new Mario games. Super Mario 3D All-Stars brought remastered versions of 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy to the Nintendo Switch, while Super Mario Bros. 35 gave the original NES game a battle royale twist. However, Nintendo made the odd decision to make both of these games and assorted merchandise (for some reason) limited-time offers and they'll no longer be for sale past today.
This upcoming deadline is causing people to joke that Mario is going to die. Although we all know that Mario isn't going anywhere anytime soon, people are more than willing to run with the joke. Some folks are digging through the plumber's past to bring up some of his odder moments:
UPDATE: Mario is indeed dead, but Luigi is trying his best to fix that pic.twitter.com/rYjdY7Jy1S
— Will 💖💜💙 (@WillSwagler) March 31, 2021
Others are looking at the present and near-future to think about what he'll miss out on:
rest in peace mario, you would have loved super nintendo world pic.twitter.com/YTqycTtLNZ
— ✿ kippo ✿ (@k1ppo) March 31, 2021
Some even reference one of the fan projects from the golden age of Flash animation:
And others bring some of Nintendo's more recent franchises into the mix:
One fan even brought in Sonic and Miyamoto as they recreated one of satirical news outlet The Onion's more famous political cartoons:
However, despite all the jokes, some websites and fans like storyboard artist Ian Mutchler are still taking the time to point out the elephant in the room. "Nintendo delisting Mario games today is still absolutely ridiculous. What’s the incentive?" he asks. The is also something that affects the Fire Emblem series, which had a limited-time launch of one of the original NES games in the West for the first time. Super Mario 3D All-Stars has sold over 8 million copies in 2020 alone.
What are your thoughts on Mario's "death?" Do you have any great jokes of your own? Let us know in the comments below!
