In honor of Mar10 Day, the annual celebration of Super Mario — so chosen because when abbreviated March 10 resembles the name “Mario” — BetCalifornia.com is shining a spotlight on video games’ ultimate mustachio’d hero.
Despite the fact that it has been over four decades since he first appeared in 1981 as the player character in the inaugural Donkey Kong arcade game, Mario remains extremely popular among the residents of California.
In fact, BetCalifornia.com took a break from California sports betting and used Google Trends to determine the search volume for the phrase “Super Mario Bros.” in each of the U.S. states, and California ranked 4th on our list.
And with a new amusement park attraction open now and the highly anticipated “Super Mario Bros. Movie” set for release next month, there’s lots for Mario fans to be excited about.
Californian’s looking for a new way to celebrate Mar10 Day are in luck. Earlier this year, Super Nintendo World opened its doors inside Universal Studios Hollywood. After entering the attraction through a long green pipe, guests will arrive inside a real life version of Princess Peach’s castle. As of now there is only one ride within Super Nintendo World, but it sounds like a doozy.
Known as Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, the ride begins like a typical theme park ride, with guests climbing aboard a life-sized Mario Kart set on tracks. But by utilizing augmented reality, riders will be challenged to defeat Bowser, the big-bad of the Super Mario universe, as they speed through the attraction.
Another way to celebrate Mar10 Day is by checking out the final trailer for the highly anticipated "Super Mario Bros. Movie," which is set for release on April 5.
The big-budget computer animated feature is a joint collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination (of "Despicable Me" fame). It is Nintendo’s first foray into the film world since the critically panned 1993 adaptation “Super Mario Bros.” bombed at the box office.
Ever since, the game developer has steered clear of the big screen, but this latest film is expected to be a major draw when it’s released.
Featuring voice work from Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” promises to serve up major fan fare in the form of Bob-ombs, Yoshi’s, and Mario’s Racoon Suit, which inexplicably grants the plucky plumber the ability to fly.
While the actual plot details have been kept mostly under wraps, the trailer suggests that instead of Princess Peach getting captured by Bowser, this time it’s Luigi who’s in need of rescuing — a nice touch to avoid the “damsel in distress” trope that defined the “plot” of the early video games from the ’80s and ’90s.
With 2023 already showing signs of a turnaround in the theatrical market place, Nintendo is surely banking on a big box office performance this time around.
Judging from what we’ve seen so far, the film undoubtedly looks like a marvel of animation. Let’s just hope Pratt’s much-maligned Mario characterization isn’t a sign of bigger problems.
Once everything launches in The Golden State, BetCalifornia.com will be your go-to source for the best California sportsbook promo codes.
Author
Jeff Parker is an entertainment writer for BetCalifornia.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with a Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.
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