Mario has had quite the year, but his 35th anniversary celebrations have finally wound down at the end of March. Fans have been able to relive the golden days from the mustachioed plumber's early ventures into three dimensions, compete against each other in what might have been the first in the coveted platformer/battle royale genre, and plenty more besides, but Nintendo is clearly a little anxious about whether it overdid it a bit.
The celebrations officially ended on 31st March, when Nintendo removed Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Bros. 35 from its online store, something that garnered a bit of an outcry from the fanbase, many of whom objected to the idea of limited-time releases in a digital medium. Between that and claims of Mario fatigue from other voices in the community, Nintendo appears to have decided to try and get the lay of the land, according to a survey sent out to My Nintendo members this week.
Twitter user Akfamilyhome was the first to highlight the most meme-able question on the survey: "How did participating in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary influence your perception of Mario?" The question offers five possible answers, ranging from the savage ("I never cared about Mario") to the saccharine ("I love Mario even more"). Perhaps the most relatable choice for anyone answering the question in the year 2021 is the weary, ever-so-slightly recriminatory "I am tired of Mario at the moment."
The line "I no longer care for Mario" has also garnered plenty of chuckles across Twitter, with many people likening it to a gag from the late, great Jessica Walter in Arrested Development or appending the quote to various pictures of discarded Mario toys. All in all, it seems folks from all across the spectrum of Mario appreciation are joining forces to crack wise about the bizarrely-worded question.
For all the laughs, though, the survey does actually serve a purpose, as Akfamilyhome points out in a follow-up Tweet. It's primarily about My Nintendo missions, but "they do ask for opinions on the anniversary event at the end, so this is an actual good opportunity to tell them what ya think." The point made is a good one: whether respondents are suffering from an overabundance of Mario in their diet or are aggrieved at the disappearance of Super Mario 3D All Stars from the eShop, this provides something of a direct line to Nintendo to address those issues.
Fans who are still searching for more Mario to fill the void have a healthy array to choose from. Super Mario Party recently received an update that improves its online multiplayer, while Mario Kart Tour is due to host a new event at the beginning of May. Those hoping for a re-release of Mario 3D All Stars, though, ought to keep an eye on their inbox and make sure to let Nintendo know exactly how they feel about their favorite mascot.