Super Mario 40th Anniversary Shorts Stealth Dropped by Nintendo

Nintendo has surprised fans by dropping two new stop-motion shorts for Super Mario's 40th anniversary, Screen Rant reports. The shorts are part of the "My Mario" branding, a product line aimed at young children and their parents.

The first short, running 52 seconds, features Mario and Toad running through a level full of pipes, warping around and causing mischief. Classic Mario music plays throughout. The second, titled "Shell Scramble," also stars Mario and Toad, this time playing with a green shell in a setting reminiscent of classic game levels.

According to Screen Rant, Nintendo describes the shorts as "stop motion shorts featuring Mario and his friends" from the My Mario product line, designed for families to enjoy together. Select My Mario products are available at Nintendo New York, Nintendo San Francisco, and select retailers.

However, the My Mario line remains difficult to find in many markets. Even in the U.S., most items are only sold at official Nintendo stores. This has driven up prices on secondary markets. For example, the 30-piece Mario & Friends wood block set, which includes wood block amiibo, retails for around $129.99 but can nearly double on eBay.

Mario fans have plenty to enjoy right now, between these new shorts and the successful Illumination film series. While not every anniversary celebration is equal, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down.

• 40th anniversary
• My Mario
• Nintendo
• stop-motion
• Super Mario
• Toad