Nintendo has announced special editions Monopoly and Jenga to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Super Mario.
In collaboration with Hasbro, the special editions are both set to release on August 1, 2020 and will bring a Super Mario twist to the classic tabletop games. The Super Mario Celebration edition of Monopoly features trade locations from iconic Super Mario games, along with characters and themes from the franchise throughout years.
The Mushroom Kingdom teams up with two classic games for even more fun! The Monopoly Super Mario Celebration Edition and Jenga: Super Mario will be available 8/1. pic.twitter.com/Y853JtkYUlJuly 16, 2020
Rather neatly, it will also include a Question Block with sound effects that can change up a player's luck, which sounds like such a fun way of shaking up the game in a way the famous moustached plumber would approve of. Instead of Monopoly's traditional hotels and houses, Toad houses and Princess Peach's castles will take their place, with special Mario-themed tokens to move around the board.
And as someone who grew up playing Jenga, it's very cool to see the classic blocky tower get a Super Mario makeover. Instead of the usual wooden blocks, the Jenga tower is made up of classic Mario-themed bricks, and the way you play the game is also a little bit different. While you still have to ensure the tower doesn't fall over, you have to climb up the tower as one of four Super Mario characters in a bid to try and defeat Bowser. The characters come in the form of pegs, and as you climb, you can collect coins that add to the points you score. You also use a spinner to determine each move you have to make.
With 2020 marking the 35th anniversary since Super Mario first released back in 1985, these special edition games are such a delightful and nostalgic way of celebrating the iconic series.
Looking for more tabletop goodness? Here's our pick of the best classic board games. Or you can check out our review of Mario's latest adventure, Paper Mario: The Origami King.