Every year on Mar10 Day, fans everywhere come together to celebrate gaming’s most famous plumber. Maybe you grew up stomping Goombas on the NES, or maybe Super Mario Bros. Wonder was your first adventure—either way, March 10th is all about Mario, his legacy, and the countless memories he’s given us.
This year is even more special because it marks the Super Mario 40th anniversary, celebrating four decades of the world’s most iconic gaming character. That’s four decades of warp pipes, power-ups, and Bowser failing miserably at kidnapping Princess Peach. With Mar10 Day 2025 here, it’s the perfect excuse to revisit some classics, play the latest Mario games, and just soak in the history of the Mushroom Kingdom.
So grab a Super Mushroom, fire up your favourite Mario game, and let’s get into everything happening for Mar10 Day!
Celebrate Mar10 Day 2025 with Mario games, accessories and collectibles at Best Buy Canada
Nintendo is once again celebrating Mar10 Day with game sales, special promotions, and a brand-new Switch bundle—and you can find great deals on these and more Super Mario merchandise at Best Buy Canada.
Mario Games on Sale at Best Buy Canada
For a limited time, select Mario games on Nintendo Switch are on sale, making it a great time to pick up some fan-favourite games. Here’s the full list of games on sale:
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- Super Mario RPG
- Princess Peach: Showtime!
- Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) Super Mario Bros. Wonder bundle
Just in time for Mar10 Day, the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model + Super Mario Bros. Wonder Bundle is now available at Best Buy Canada. It includes:
- A Nintendo Switch – OLED Model system
- A digital download of Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- A three-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership
It’s a great option for anyone looking to experience Mario’s latest 2D adventure on an OLED screen and get $90 in value!
LEGO Super Mario: New Mario Kart and classic sets available now
You can bring Mario Kart to life with new LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart sets, now available at Best Buy Canada. These interactive sets let you build, race, and recreate moments from the games, complete with familiar characters and iconic karts.
Here are some of best LEGO Super Mario sets to celebrate Mar10 Day available at Best Buy Canada:
- LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart Yoshi – Help Light-Blue Yoshi weave between traffic cones, launch shells, and dodge Bananas.
- LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart Toad – Build Mario’s classic Standard Kart, complete with a Super Glider, drifting wheels, and a launch function to fire shells. Includes Toad (Pit Crew) in a red uniform.
- LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart Donkey Kong – Play as Donkey Kong and launch shells to knock Bananas off targets while triggering DK-themed Mario Kart sound effects.
- LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart Mario & Luigi – Race with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, using shells to knock over buildable balloons while activating fun honking and drifting sound effects.
- LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart Blue Toad – Customize a Mario Kart with working car elevators and tire swaps. Includes two Blue Toad figures and interactive features with LEGO Mario, Luigi, or Peach (sold separately).
- LEGO Super Mario: Mario Kart Baby Peach– Build a Mario Kart track with Wild Wiggler, Landship, and Standard Bike vehicles, complete with shell-launching action. Includes a starting gate, a winners’ podium, and four characters—Baby Peach, Lakitu, Lemmy, and Toad, each with accessories for role-play adventures.
LEGO Super Mario World: A nostalgic throwback with Mario & Yoshi
If you’re after a great collectible, the LEGO Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi display model is a perfect throwback. This set brings pixelated Mario and Yoshi to life, recreating their classic SNES look. Turn the handle, and Yoshi starts running with Mario on his back, just like in Super Mario World. There’s even a dial behind Yoshi’s head that lets you move his tongue in and out, mimicking how he grabs enemies and power-ups. Whether you’re displaying it on a shelf or messing around with the moving parts, this set is a fun way to relive Mario’s 16-bit days.
With these new LEGO sets, you can build, play, and bring classic Mario moments to life in a whole new way.
Nintendo Alarmo – An interactive alarm clock for Mario fans
If you are looking to bring a little Nintendo magic into your daily routine, the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is now available at Best Buy Canada. This interactive alarm clock makes waking up fun with animations, music, and characters from popular Nintendo games.
Instead of a standard alarm, Alarmo lets you pick a scene from games like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. When it’s time to wake up, familiar sounds from your chosen game will start playing, followed by a Nintendo character appearing on-screen. The clock also has motion-sensing features, allowing you to snooze the alarm with a simple gesture.
Alarmo includes 42 scenes, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with more being added in free updates. It’s a perfect collectible for Nintendo fans who want to start their day with a bit of Mario magic.
The evolution of Super Mario: 40 years of gaming history
It’s hard to believe, but Mario has been around for four decades. With the Super Mario 40th anniversary upon us, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how far he’s come. That’s longer than some gaming companies, console generations, and probably most of the mushrooms in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Over the years, Mario’s gone from pixelated arcade carpenter to the face of gaming, starring in more than 200 games across multiple genres. From his 8-bit beginnings to modern 3D adventures, the Super Mario 40th anniversary is a celebration of how one character has shaped gaming history.
The 8-Bit beginnings (1981-1989)
Mario got his start in Donkey Kong (1981) as Jumpman, but his true rise to fame came in Super Mario Bros. (1985). The game didn’t just set a new standard for platformers—it helped pull the gaming industry back from the crash of 1983. Running, jumping, and uncovering hidden secrets felt like nothing else at the time.
A few years later, Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) took a different approach. Instead of stomping enemies, you threw vegetables, and each of the four playable characters controlled differently. The game started as Doki Doki Panic before Nintendo reworked it for North America. Meanwhile, Japan got a separate sequel, later known as The Lost Levels, which kept the original formula but ramped up the difficulty.
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) took everything great about the original games and made it bigger. It introduced a world map, sprawling levels, and iconic power-ups like the Super Leaf and Tanooki Suit. Nintendo even gave it a Hollywood reveal in The Wizard, a movie that doubled as a giant ad before the game was even out.
Mario also jumped into handheld gaming with Super Mario Land (1989), marking his Game Boy debut. This time, he wasn’t in the Mushroom Kingdom—he was off in Sarasaland, rescuing Princess Daisy. The game shook things up with submarine and plane sections, making Mario feel completely different on a portable screen.
By the time the ’80s ended, Mario wasn’t just a Nintendo character—he was gaming’s biggest icon.
The leap to 3D (1990s-2000s)
As gaming technology improved, Mario kept up with the times. Super Mario 64 (1996) took the series into full 3D, letting players explore Peach’s Castle and jump into open-world levels. For the first time, there was real freedom to roam, collect Power Stars, and complete objectives in any order. Nintendo also revisited Mario’s 2D roots with Super Mario All-Stars (1993), which remastered the NES classics, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1995), introducing flutter jumps, egg-throwing, and a hand-drawn art style.
The late ’90s also saw Mario branch into party gaming with Mario Party (1998). Designed for multiplayer fun, it brought mini-games and board game-style mechanics to consoles, quickly becoming a favourite for couch co-op sessions. The 2000s kept the innovation going. Super Mario Sunshine (2002) introduced FLUDD, a water-powered jetpack that changed platforming, while Super Mario Galaxy (2007) sent Mario into space, introducing gravity-based platforming. Its sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010), refined the formula with new mechanics like rideable Yoshi and even more creative levels.
Mario’s RPG adventures also expanded. Paper Mario (2000) and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003) blended turn-based combat with humour and platforming mechanics, giving the series a fresh twist. Meanwhile, 2D Mario made a big comeback with New Super Mario Bros. (2006), reviving side-scrolling gameplay with modern visuals, power-ups, and multiplayer. This success led to sequels like New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009), which added four-player co-op, and New Super Mario Bros. U (2012), refining the formula further.
Looking back, it’s incredible how much Mario has evolved leading up to the Super Mario 40th anniversary. No matter the genre, Mario kept evolving without losing what made him great.
The Modern Era (2010s-Today)
Mario didn’t slow down in the 2010s. Before Super Mario 3D World (2013), Super Mario 3D Land (2011) on the 3DS mixed traditional platforming with 3D movement, creating a unique hybrid that made full use of the handheld’s capabilities. Super Mario 3D World then expanded on that formula, combining classic platforming with multiplayer fun. Super Mario Odyssey (2017) brought back open-ended exploration, letting Mario take control of objects and enemies with Cappy. At the same time, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe became the best-selling Switch game, proving that a well-timed Blue Shell can still ruin friendships.
This era also introduced player-created Mario levels with Super Mario Maker (2015). The sequel, Super Mario Maker 2 (2019), expanded on it with more tools, online multiplayer, and extra modes. Nintendo also took a nostalgic turn with Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020), bundling Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy into a single collection. Meanwhile, Bowser’s Fury (2021) experimented with open-world gameplay, mixing free exploration with platforming challenges.
More recently, Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) shook up 2D Mario with fresh mechanics, while Super Mario RPG (2023) revived a fan-favorite SNES classic. This year’s Mario vs. Donkey Kong remake proves that some rivalries never die. Even after four decades, Mario keeps evolving while staying true to what made his games special.
More Than Just Games
Mario’s influence goes far beyond gaming. He’s starred in TV shows, movies, comics, and theme parks, cementing his place as a cultural icon. His first big-screen appearance came in Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (1986), a Japanese only animated film that stayed close to the games. Not long after, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (1989) hit Saturday morning TV, combining animated episodes with live-action segments featuring Lou Albano as Mario. The early ’90s followed up with The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, expanding on the games’ settings.
Hollywood’s first attempt at a live-action Mario movie came in Super Mario Bros. (1993), which took major creative liberties with the series. The film didn’t do too well but gained a cult following over time. It wasn’t until 2023 that Mario got a faithful big-screen adaptation. The Super Mario Bros. Movie leaned into colourful animation and game-inspired storytelling, packing in references from Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong, and Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road. Fans responded, making it the highest-grossing video game movie ever. A sequel is already set for April 3, 2026.
Beyond movies, Mario’s world has expanded into real-life theme parks. Super Nintendo World opened in Japan in 2021, then in Hollywood in 2023, with another location coming to Orlando in May 2025 as part of Universal’s Epic Universe. From video games to films and theme parks, Mario’s legacy keeps growing, proving he’s more than just a character—he’s a worldwide phenomenon. With the Super Mario 40th anniversary being a major milestone, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nintendo has even more surprises planned for the mustached hero.
Mario’s legacy lives on
For decades, Mario has been more than just a video game character—he’s a global icon. From his arcade origins to blockbuster games, movies, and theme parks, his impact on gaming and pop culture is undeniable.
For me, Mar10 Day is always a great excuse to revisit some of my favorite Mario memories. Whether it was playing Super Mario Bros. on the NES for the first time, finally beating Bowser in Super Mario Bros. 3, discovering the secrets of Peach’s Castle in Super Mario 64, or losing hours in Super Mario Maker 2 trying to create the perfect level, Mario has been a part of my gaming life for as long as I can remember. No matter the console, there’s always been a Mario game that brought friends and family together.
With Mar10 Day 2025 here, it’s an even bigger celebration thanks to the Super Mario 40th anniversary. It’s the perfect time to revisit classic Mario adventures, pick up some great deals at Best Buy Canada, or build your own Mushroom Kingdom with LEGO Super Mario sets. Whether you’re racing in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, exploring in Super Mario Odyssey, or waking up to Nintendo Alarmo, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, there is no doubt that Mario embarks on his next big adventure. Whether the Nintendo Switch 2 brings a new 3D Mario, a fresh take on classic platforming, or something completely unexpected, one thing is certain—Mario isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
How are you celebrating Mar10 Day this year? Let us know your favourite Mario game in the comments below!
Shop all of Best Buy Canada’s Mar10 Day deals!
