Gaming

Nintendo just unleashed a new handheld and several new Mario games

A new color version of the Game & Watch with "Super Mario Bros.", Mario compilations for the Switch, and an AR Mario Kart R/C video game. Take our money!

Nintendo is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. with a bonanza of goodies, including a new handheld, Mario games, and toys, that will make you broke this holiday season. First up is an updated version of the Game & Watch handheld with a color screen.

Before the Game Boy, there was the Game & Watch. The monochrome handheld helped catapult Nintendo from toy maker to video game behemoth. Launching on November 13, the new version has a color display and two pre-installed games: Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels and a monochrome version of Game & Watch: Ball with Mario.

The Mario edition of the Game & Watch has other modern features like a directional pad + A and B buttons, a built-in battery that Nintendo says lasts 8 hours (weird, it takes 3.5 hours to charge up, though), and charging via USB-C (yesss!). The 2.4-ounce handheld also doubles as a digital clock.

The Game & Watch $49.99 and release in "limited production." Translation: expect these to sell out fast like the Lego NES.

Here's the box because it's gonna be a collector's item:

So cool.Nintendo

New Mario games — Alongside the new Game & Watch announcement, Nintendo also announced Super Mario Bros. 35, a — yep, you guessed it — 35-player version of the classic NES platformer where you "race against time, defeat enemies, and sabotage your opponents in an online battle to be the last Mario standing!" according to the company. Super Mario Bros. 35 is an exclusive digital game for Switch Online members when it comes out on October 1. Nintendo also says it's "playable until March 31, 2021," which means it'll disappear by then?

There's also Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, a port of the Wii U 3D platformer game for the Nintendo Switch with additional content. But you'll have to wait until next year to play the game when it releases on February 21, 2021. It seems so far away, but it's really half a year away.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury comes out on February 21, 2021.Nintendo
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is a port of the Wii U game with new content.Nintendo

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a compilation of classic Mario games. It includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, and has higher resolution graphics. Nintendo says there's a "limited production" of the game when it launches on September 18 and it'll only be available until March 31, 2021.

Super Mario All-Stars, a retro compilation that includes Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3, is also coming to the Switch today with "enhanced 16-bit graphics" for Switch Online members.

Mario Kart R/C — Finally, there's Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a partnership with Velan Studios that lets Nintendo fans race real R/C Mario karts against opponents with a connected Nintendo Switch. Here's what you get per Nintendo:

The physical Kart responds to boosts in-game and in the real world, stops when hit with an item and can be affected in different ways depending on the race. Players place gates to create a custom course layout in their home, where the only limit is their imagination. Race against Koopalings in Grand Prix, unlock a variety of course customizations and costumes for Mario or Luigi, and play with up to four players in local multiplayer mode.

Take a look at the video below of the game and toy in action. This looks like augmented reality!?

This is some augmented reality stuff.Nintendo

A Mario or Luigi kart set will be available when the game launches on October 16 for $99.99. Like we said, you're going to be broke this holiday season.

Nintendo's also got a slew of other 35th-anniversary Mario merch coming out including a Puma sneaker collaboration, new Monopoly game, Mario Jenga, action figures, and more. There's never been a better time to be a Mario fan.

These look more like Sonic shoes than Mario kicks.Puma

The Puma RS Dreamer Nintendo sneakers are sneakers with Mario and Sonic at the Olympics written all over them.