Mario Day: date, deals, tournament, Gaten Matarazzo (2024)

Q: What deals does Mario Day offer this year?

Mario Day is an annual celebration for all Super Mario fans, held every year on March 10th. At first, players, on their own initiative, celebrated this day unofficially, since the spelling of MARCH 10th is very reminiscent of Super Mario. Since 2015, Nintendo has made it one of the highlights of the gaming platform's year of events, along with Nintendo Direct events.

Mario Day is always a great moment for players of the Mario franchise on Nintendo Switch, with the gaming company offering special promotions and competitions. Find out what's in store for Mario Day 2024 here.

What deals does Mario Day offer this year?

Mario Day is an annual celebration for all Super Mario fans, held every year on March 10th. At first, players, on their own initiative, celebrated this day unofficially, since the spelling of MARCH 10th is very reminiscent of Super Mario. Since 2015, Nintendo has made it one of the highlights of the gaming platform's year of events, along with Nintendo Direct events. This year, not only the company itself, but many retail sites are also celebrating this day. What special offers can we get for Mario Day?

The focus is on the Nintendo Switch console and Nintendo Switch Online. First up is the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournament, which is open to all players who have purchased the game and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. On Mario Day, 21-year-old Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo teamed up with Nintendo to take part in the tournament. "I talk a lot of talk with how good I am at Mario Kart. And then I come across somebody else who's much better and I usually don't fare too well. So, I'm going to try my best (in the open tournament). And I think that's probably going to be the best way one can celebrate Mario Day", the actor told Variety.

From March 10 to March 16, when you purchase any console model, you will receive a $25 gift card, and this promotion includes not only the official Nintendo website, but also Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and Target. But the special deals don't stop there—if you sign up for a 5G or LTE Home Plus home internet plan before March 31, you'll get a free Nintendo Switch from Verizon in addition to a Chromebook or a $200 Target gift card.

For Mario Day, Walmart made a special offer - Nintendo Switch OLED Mario Red Edition for $309, that is, a $40 discount. This next-generation console is especially attractive with its impressive built-in memory and large OLED display. As part of the holiday sale, you'll also find discounts on franchise games and other Nintendo hits.

What is Nintendo Direct?

Nintendo Direct is a series of special live shows produced by Nintendo, where the Japanese video game company showcases its upcoming games, hardware innovations, and anything related to the brand. A Nintendo Direct presentation typically lasts around 40 minutes. Besides general Nintendo Direct editions, there may also be presentations with particular topics. For instance, during the 2022 Nintendo Direct season, there were exclusive shows for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Splatoon 3. Nintendo Direct events are broadcast on the Nintendo YouTube channel.

When Nintendo Direct events took place in 2024?

The last Nintendo Direct event took place on February 21, 2024, after a long pause in the company's event calendar. We saw ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the mist, Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure, Monster Hunter Stories, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI V: VENGEANCE, STAR WARS: Battlefront Classic Collection, SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY! and other games of the season with special discounts.

Other past Nintendo Direct Events

Several Nintendo Direct events have taken place in 2023. At the September 2023 Nintendo Direct conference, on September 14, the new Mario vs. Donkey Kong was announced: it will be released on February 16, 2024. The release date for the new action-adventure game Princes Peach: Showtime! was also presented. It will be released for Nintendo Switch on March 22, 2024.

On February 8, Nintendo revealed the most anticipated games of the year, including а new version of Metroid Prime, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam (read more about these games below).

On March 9, 2023, the spring event took place, which was exclusively dedicated to the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination and Nintendo, this new animated film released for digital download May 16, 2023, and on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD June 13, 2023.

On June 21, 2023, the Nintendo Direct event was dedicated to the games coming to the console this year, focusing on Pikmin 4, the fourth main installment of this real-time strategy series (released on July 21, 2023).

New upcoming game Super Mario Bros. Wonder was the main theme of the Nintendo Direct event, which took place on August 31, 2023. This side-scrolling platform game is scheduled for release on October 20, 2023.

New Nintendo Switch games in 2023

Below we list the most interesting Nintendo Switch releases in 2023:

Fire Emblem Engage

The new Fire Emblem Engage will finally be out in 2023. You are called to become a Divine Dragon and, together with new characters, fight the forces of Evil and save the Elyos continent! The sequel will feature the return of Marth from Fire Emblem 1, a new fusion mode using a powerful ring, and turn-based combat.

Game release date: January 20, 2023.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

The new rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Bar Line for Nintendo Switch will have 104 playable characters, 385 playable songs, and several modes.

Game release date: February 16, 2023.

Octopath Traveler II

The second part of the JRPG game Octopath Traveler will be a separate game introducing eight new heroes. The story takes place in the world "Solistia" during the industrial revolution when steamships fell across the seas. The game will also be released available on PC and PS4, PS5.

Game release date: February 24, 2023.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Kirby, a funny creature able to float and gain the power of objects and creatures through their inhalation, has become a hero of more than 40 games. Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a remake of the 2011 game, one of the Kirby series developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. You will plunge into the adventures of Kirby and his friends Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Waddle Dee on the Popstar planet. They will have to battle with the alien Magolor to destroy the Crown of the Master.

Game release date: February 24, 2023.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

Bayonetta, the action-adventure saga developed by Platinum Games for the Nintendo Switch, is getting a prequel in 2023. In Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, you will play the main character in her younger years, when she must gain experience and skills as an angel hunter in the forbidden Avalon Forest. Together with her demon Cheshire, she will have to fight faeries and solve puzzles. In addition to the gameplay that is different from previous games in the franchise, this edition stands out for the beauty and originality of its graphics, created in a watercolor style.

Game release date: March 17, 2023.

Storyteller

Storyteller is a puzzle game about building stories with a variety of themes and plots. At the start of the game, you are given a story theme (like silt) as well as characters and settings that you must arrange in the puzzle cells to create a cohesive story.

Game release date: March 23, 2023.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The adventures of Link and Zelda continue in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It is a new sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), an adventure open-world video game developed by Nintendo. The protagonists again have to confront the main villain, Calamity Ganon. Players will get new powers and elements, such as floating islands.

Game release date: May 12, 2023.

Minecraft: Legends

Minecraft Legends is another series from the universe of games created by Mojang. It will be a real time action strategy game with epic battles. In addition to the Nintendo Switch, the game will of course be released on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

Game release date: April 18, 2023.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a remake of Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising, and the fifth game in the cult saga. In this turn-based strategy game, you will control the tactical advisor of the Orange Star Army in the Blue Moon War, Yellow Comet and Green Earth. In addition to the stories of the previous games, it will also include the Versus mode that supports both local and online multiplayer, and a map maker.

Game release date: April 21, 2023.

Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4 is the upcoming fourth part of the real-time strategy/puzzle video game created by Shigeru Miyamoto and published by Nintendo. You control plant-like creatures called Pikmin who go through obstacles, collect items and fight enemies. According to its creators, a ground perspective has been added in the sequel, and game controls have been made easier, allowing players to focus more on strategic planning.

Game release date: July 21, 2023.

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is a new game from a series of adventure puzzles dedicated to the professor of archeology Herschel Leighton. The last episode of the series, Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy, was released for Switch in 2019. It is not yet known if the professor's companion and student, Luke Triton, and the previous protagonist, Katrielle Layton, will be in the new game. But we can already tell, judging by the trailer, that the graphics and stories promise to be exciting.