MAR10 DAY

March 10 known as MAR10 DAY by Nintendo fans is just around the corner. Nintendo has some fun promotions for this year's "Mario Day" honoring the world's favorite adventuring plumber featured in many super video games.  Eligible fans looking for adventure can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to visit SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ at the all-new Universal Epic Universe theme park at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. If you are flying to Florida to check out SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™, maybe it will be in a custom-painted aircraft featuring Mario and friends now that Nintendo and JetBlue have joined together for a promotional partnership. For those looking for some MAR10 DAY fun they can enjoy closer to home, the Nintendo Switch -- OLED Model + Super Mario Bros Wonder Bundle as well as select Mario themed video games will be discounted on March 10, 2025. 

Take a Warp Pipe over to Mario.Nintendo.com for a full list of MAR10 Day activities where you can:

• Bring Home Super Mario Fun for the Whole Family: Dive into the Super Mario Bros. Wonder game this MAR10 Day with the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model + Super Mario Bros. Wonder Bundle. For the suggested retail price of $349.99 (a combined savings of $67.98), you get a Nintendo Switch – OLED Model system, a digital download of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a three-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership.
• Retail Offers on Nintendo Switch Games Featuring Mario and Friends: On March 9, select Nintendo Switch games featuring Mario and friends will be available for a suggested retail price of $39.99, including Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Super Mario RPG, Princess Peach: Showtime! and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. Also, Mario vs. Donkey Kong will be available for a suggested retail price of just $29.99! Participating retailers include Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Walmart.
• Wake Up with Mario and Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo: Starting March 9, Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo will be available at select retailers including Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and Target. Featuring a sensor that reacts to your movements, Alarmo is more than just an alarm clock. Alarmo can track your sleep activity and also create soundscapes from Nintendo Switch games throughout the day.
• Enter An Epic SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ Sweepstakes: Starting today, fans can visit My Nintendo for a chance to win a trip for four to Orlando, Florida to experience all four theme parks of Universal Orlando Resort, including the immersive worlds of the all-new Universal Epic Universe, featuring SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™. Experience your favorite video game characters like never before. From steering through iconic Mario Kart™ courses, to riding a mine cart through Donkey Kong Country™, to hitting ? Blocks and collecting digital coins as you explore, it’s interactive fun for everyone.
• JetBlue Aircraft Featuring Mario and Friends: JetBlue and Nintendo have partnered on a custom livery featuring Mario and friends! The Airbus A320 Restyled aircraft named “Cloudtop Cruiser” features a bright, colorful design featuring Mario, Princess Peach, Luigi, Bowser, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. Inside the aircraft, the welcome screens of the plane’s seatback entertainment touchscreens will also include Mario and some of his Mushroom Kingdom pals. JetBlue customers and Nintendo fans can now spot the Cloudtop Cruiser flying throughout JetBlue’s network!
• Join a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Community Challenge Event: Join the My Nintendo Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe Community Challenge for an opportunity to receive 310 My Nintendo Platinum Points. Between March 7 and March 17, players will join forces to try and finish one million combined laps in the game! Even if you participate for just one lap, you will be eligible to receive the Platinum Points if players worldwide combine to meet the goal. Enter the tournament code 1152-2501-4827 to get started. A Nintendo Switch Online membership is needed to join the race and if you don’t have one, you can claim a code for a 14-day free trial membership. 

With so much to do this MAR10 Day, you can keep the celebration going whether you’re at home or on the move! Let’s-a go!

LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR

Here's a good way to get a teenager in your life motivated to get a summer job ... have them play LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR now that it is available to play on Nintendo Switch. This video game from astragon isn't just about cutting grass, it promotes entrepreneurship and business skills. Green isn't just the color of grass it is the color of money!

In LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR players build their own lawn mowing empire. This involves hiring new employees, keeping an eye on finances, marketing your business and purchasing new machines. The game includes replicas of real-life licensed lawnmowers from the Toro, SCAG, STIGA and EGO brands recreated in a detailed manner. Each mower comes with its own unique challenges, accessories and upgrades that players have to consider in order to get ahead in a cut-throat business landscape.

Game scenarios send players to various sites that include lively residential areas, historic castle grounds and huge equestrian fields. Each location presents an individual challenge that requires careful inspection of the terrain, the correct choice of blade height and monitoring of the engine load. In addition, accessories such as mulchers, strip rollers, recyclers, grass collectors and flail mowers add to the high level of realism.

LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR offers individual gaming experiences for every preference with the career mode, the exclusive Quick Mow Mode, which is currently only available in the Switch version, and a challenge mode. Additionally, the Landmark Edition for the Nintendo Switch includes additional content beyond the game's Standard Edition. The Nintendo Switch Landmark Edition also consists of "Dino Safari", where players are transported to four enclosures of a dinosaur park whose lawns need to be carefully tended as well as "Ancient Britain" where the green spaces of remarkable sites in England have to be maintained.

Do you have what it takes to build a lawn mowing empire? Give it a shot on the Nintendo Switch LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR from astragon. If this game has piqued your interest, you may also want to check out astragon's construction, police and firefighter themed simulators.

NINTENDO SWITCH DADS PLAY TOO

I appreciate Nintendo including me in a who's who of "dad bloggers" to participate in their DADS PLAY TOO event. This was an online hang out where the company's marketing team highlighted the gameplay and engaged in Q&A for recent and upcoming Nintendo Switch releases. Then we engaged in a DADS ONLY Splatoon 3 tournament. 

Growing up in the era of rotary dial telephones and Atari 2600 gaming consoles, the technological advances of easily video conferencing on Zoom and playing Splatoon 3 against people located across the country during this Dad's Night In made me feel both very old as well as brought out the youthful exuberance of my inner kid at heart. In the interested of total disclosure, I did have to have my teenage son provide a bit of IT support to get me up and going for the Splatoon battle. Doah! I hated to admit that. 

Nintendo hooked me up for the event sending Splatoon 3, gaming headphone and their idea of a dad cap my way. They also provided me a Nintendo Switch Online subscription so I could connect with the other guys participating in this Dads Night In event to play Splatoon 3 online. I was GEEKED to learn more about a variety of Nintendo Switch games and have fun playing against competitors who were far less competitive and more my own speed then the teenagers who live in my house and their friends who quickly blow me away when I jump in on their Fortnite games with them. Wow, I really am starting to sound like my dad! 

Nintendo showcased the following games for us during their DADS PLAY TOO event:

METROID PRIME REMASTERED

Journey through the diverse biomes of planet Tallon IV as you uncover the Space Pirates’ sinister experiments and gather information about the toxic substance that left the planet in ruin. Blast forward to your next objective or take time to stop and scan your surroundings and delve into the creatures and culture of Tallon IV. From the quiet stillness of the snowy Phendrana Drifts to the magma geysers of Magmoor Caverns, this alien planet introduces beautifully harsh landscapes and labyrinths.

Become intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran and explore an alien planet in this critically-acclaimed first-person adventure Use and upgrade abilities like the Morph Ball, Missiles, and an array of beams to survive the harsh environments and lethal creatures of the planet Tallon IV Gain abilities and revisit areas to uncover the different routes and secrets hiding in a beautiful-yet-threatening interconnected world Scan your surroundings to gather information about the planet’s history and the creatures that call it home or to reveal enemies’ weak points Choose from multiple control options and experience revamped graphics, sound, and unlockable art in this remastered classic.

THE MAGESEEKER: A LEAGUE OF LEGENDS STORY

an action RPG that takes place in the League of Legends universe. In the kingdom of Demacia, the Mageseekers hold the power to oppress magic-using citizens in the name of public order–by inducting and indoctrinating them, locking them away, or driving them into hiding. Play as Sylas, a spell-stealing mage who has just broken free of his unjust captivity at the Mageseekers’ hands. Wielding the chains that once bound you, you must liberate your homeland from tyranny, one Mageseeker at a time.

MINECRAFT LEGENDS

The piglins’ Nether corruption is spreading across the Overworld, scorching everything it touches. Are you the hero who will protect this gentle land? Plan your strategy and face the piglins in epic battles – but be warned: they always fight back. Take on piglin bases by day and defend your allies after dusk. Explore lush biomes filled with treasures and perils, meet new friends, and reunite with familiar mobs. With the allays by your side, all that’s left to do is save the world.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM  

An epic adventure across the land and skies of Hyrule awaits in the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game for the Nintendo Switch™ system. The adventure is yours to create in a world fueled by your imagination. In this sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you’ll decide your own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above. Can you harness the power of Link’s new abilities to fight back against the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom?

Which of these four games are you, or your kids, most GEEKED about playing? Metroid Prime Remastered, The Mageseeker, Minecraft Legends or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

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MAKE EVERY DAY A MARIO DAY

March 10 has become to be known as MAR10 DAY in honor of the popular mustachioed hero from Nintendo video games. This year for "Mario Day" a number of retailers are offering discounts on Nintendo branded products and Illumination dropped the final trailer for the studio's upcoming The Super Mario Bros. Movie which hits theaters on April 5, 2023. HAPPY MAR10 DAY! 

Nintendo though isn't just hyping Mario today but promoting the video game franchise throughout the month of March. Here are some ways you can make every day a Mario Day!

• Nintendo Switch Mario Choose One Bundle: Make every day a MAR10 Day with a Nintendo Switch system with Red Joy-Con controllers, your choice of a free Mario full game download (a $59.99 value) and stickers from the upcoming Super Mario Bros Movie. Anyone that purchases the bundle can select one of the following games: Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. The bundle is available starting on March 10 at a suggested retail price of $299.99 at the My Nintendo Store and select retailers. 
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass Wave 4: The next eight courses that are part of Wave 4 of the Booster Course Pass DLC** are coming to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game on March 9. The newly added Fruit Cup and Boomerang Cups are composed of Tour Amsterdam Drift, GBA Riverside Park, Wii DK Summit, Yoshi’s Island (which is making its Mario Kart debut!), Tour Bangkok Rush, DS Mario Circuit, GCN Waluigi Stadium and Tour Singapore Speedway. A new playable character, Birdo, will also be added to the game in this wave of the DLC. 
• GameStop In-Store Mario Events: Celebrate at select GameStop locations on March 11 from noon to 4 p.m. local time to continue making every day a MAR10 Day! Play games featuring Mario and friends, like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and more, and receive free Mario themed-items, while supplies last. 
• Save on Select Mario Games!: Celebrate the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom with two waves of savings on select Nintendo Switch games. The first half of the sale starts on March 10 (MAR10 Day!) at 12 a.m. PT and lasts until March 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT. It features deals on digital games and DLC featuring Mario and friends, including Mario Party Superstars, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Yoshi’s Crafted World and Luigi’s Mansion 3. The second wave of the sale runs from March 24 at 12 a.m. PT until April 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT. This sale includes savings on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Super Mario Maker 2 and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Games on sale can be purchased directly in Nintendo eShop or on Nintendo.com at https://www.nintendo.com/store/sales-and-deals/#mar10-day. 
• Mario & Friends Retail Sale: From March 5 to March 11, fans will also be able to head to select retailers to save up to $20 on select games featuring Mario and friends, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Mario Party Superstars and many more. Additionally, fans can save $40 on the high-octane Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit! 
• SUPER NINTENDO WORLD Opening: The day all Mario fans have been waiting for is finally here! SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal Studios Hollywood is officially open to the public. At SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, guests can battle Team Bowser on the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride, dine at Toadstool Café, level up with Nintendo-themed merch from the 1-UP Factory store and wear an interactive Power-Up Band (sold separately) to participate in activities throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. 
• Win a Trip to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD!: My Nintendo wants to send you to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal Studios Hollywood! Starting on March 10 until April 25, head to https://my.nintendo.com/ to enter the SUPER NINTENDO WORLD Family Fun Sweepstakes. One lucky winner with up to three guests will win a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood to visit SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and see the Mushroom Kingdom in real life!
• Play Nintendo Fun: Kids can also join in on the Mario fun, today and every day, with activities and videos at Play Nintendo. Visit the Play Nintendo website and Play Nintendo YouTube channel for DIY crafts, quizzes, gameplay and more featuring Mario and friends! 

For a full list of MAR10 Day activities, including special announcements from Nintendo’s partners at LEGO, First 4 Figures and PDP Promotions, please visit http://mario.nintendo.com.

NINTENDO KID REVIEWERS

A GEEK DADDY is excited to announce a new aspect to the blog that we're doing in partnership with Nintendo.  While my son and daughter are often featured on this website and its social media channels, for the first time they will be involved in actually crafting their own reviews to share with you.  Over the course of the next year, my kids are going to be participating in Nintendo's KID REVIEWERS program where they'll be sharing their impressions about video games, gaming systems, and a variety of other Nintendo branded items.

Keep an eye out for upcoming KID REVIEWERS posts from my little Mario and Luigi as we explore the magic of Nintendo!  From amiibos to Zelda, the twins are going to delve into all things Nintendo and share with you what they think about some of the company's newest products.  My son and daughter are really excited about all the upcoming Nintendo video game fun that is coming their way and looking forward to sharing these experiences with you.

Nintendo isn't financially compensating A GEEK DADDY for participating in their KIDS REVIEWERS program but will be providing complimentary video games and other items to be reviewed.  While my kids are serving as brand ambassadors for Nintendo, opinions expressed by them will be honest and their own.  Lets-a-go!

Play DONKEY KONG for FREE on your Internet Browser

I'm dating myself but when I was a kid the new high-tech toy was going to the arcade in my hometown to play DONKEY KONG.  I spent a fortune in quarters jumping barrels trying to rescue the lovely Pauline. This game featured the first appearance of Mario who later rose to fame with the video game Super Marion Brothers, for its time had better gameplay than the other games out at that time and was the best selling arcade machine of the early 80s.  As we play Playstation 4 in our living room, my kids don't believe me that when I was a child we had to go to places to play video games rather than just sit on your own coach and turn on the tv.  I try to use Chuck E. Cheese to explain it to them but that pizza chain has really become more about mechanical rides and skee ball than video games so they didn't really get the connection. Oh how the times have changed, but I still have fond memories of warm summer evenings watching the neon lights flicker on the video screen as I took on the evil Donkey Kong trying to save the day.

Nintendo who produced the game and owns its rights to boost its home video game platform sales so far has been reluctant to allow its classic games like Donkey Kong and Super Mario Brothers to turned into apps that can be played on smart phones and tablets.  That is a bummer but probably helping me stay productive and not losing track of time while dodging barrels and grabbing coins on my phone's screen all the time.  You can though now play DONKEY KONG for FREE on your Internet Browser by visiting ArcadeYum.com.

Time warp back to the 1980s with this online game that provides the basic controls of left-right-up-down and jump as you try to make your way up the construction site to rescue your kidnapped girlfriend from the dreaded Donkey Kong.  Here's a screen capture of a game I recently played on my PC on the AracadeYum website.  Note you have to use Flash to be able to play the game but this may work on some tablets and phones that have compatibility.

CLICK HERE to play DONKEY KONG!

Be aware that ArcadeYum doesn't charge any money for you to play the games on their website but they do download some software that allows them to target you with advertisements when you are online. I've found that if you click this link the website doesn't download this software but if you visit this link it won't allow you to play without downloading the software.  For more information about ArcadeYum's software downloads, what they do and how to remove them, click here.  So far I haven't seen the ArcadeYum software listed on my computer or seen any advertisements generated by it so I think you're clean if you use the flash version of the game in the first link I posted. Just be alert to click cancel or no if you are prompted to download anything when you visit this website unless you are OK with receiving advertisements from them and having some of your Internet browsing habits tracked.

There really is a Fix It Felix Jr video game!

Growing up in the 80's one of my biggest thrills was a trip to the local arcade and playing the high-tech 8-bit games of the time, like Donkey Kong, Burger Time, Q-bert, and Pacman, with their neon blinking lights and chirping sound effects that left us kids in awe and amazement.  My favorite video game of the time was Popeye which I spent hours upon hours playing with dollars upon dollars of quarters.  You played the famous comic strip sailerman trying to grab the hearts thrown out by your love Olive Oyl as the bully Bluto chases after you trying to knock your block off.  But if you gained enough points and grabbed a can of spinach you could super punch Bluto off the screen and keep him from kidnapping your beloved Olive Oyl.  Compared to today's three dimensional high definition games that you can play online against dozens of people who can be located anywhere in the world at once Popeye is really "old school" but it is still one of my favorite games of all time and I have really fond memories of those arcade visits of my youth.  I really wish someone would make an adaption for my Ipad or Iphone of Popeye like they've done for Pacman and Frogger. Unfortunately, Popeye is a Nintendo creation which at the moment won't publish their games, like Donkey Kong & Super Mario Brothers, for smartphones and tablets because they see it as competition to their own game counsel business.

I rented the Disney movie Wreck It Ralph and watched it with my kids last night.  The movie brought back a lot of nostalgia for those arcade games of my youth.  In the movie Ralph is the bad guy in an arcade game called "Fix It Felix Jr" which is celebrating its 30th anniversary thus putting it's origination at around the time period games like Popeye and Donkey Kong were popular.  Ralph "wrecks" an apartment building in the game and throws bricks at Felix Jr, the "hero" of the game who fixes the damage caused by "Wreck it Ralph" with a magic hammer. "Wreck it Ralph" becomes tired of being overshadowed by Felix Jr. and being treated poorly by the other characters in the game so he sets out to turn himself from "villain" to "hero" in which the movie's adventures ensue.  For more about the movie visit the official Disney site  http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/  

 While watching Wreck it Ralph my kids were asking me if they could get the "Fix It Felix Jr." video game to play. I smiled and told them I didn't think it existed and was just a part of the movie but curiously typed "Wreck it Ralph" into the Apple app store search feature on my Ipad.  Low and behold what did appear? The "Fix it Felix Jr." video game did exist and it was available for FREE on the app store!  Disney has recreated the "Fix It Felix Jr." game from the movie in all its 8-bit graphics glory.  My kids and I have had a blast playing  it this weekend ... I guess you can go back to the arcade again! I really enjoyed sharing an experience with my children that was similar to my own childhood experiences where we all had fun playing together.  Whether or not you grew up in the Pacman/Donkey Kong generation I think anyone will have a good time trying out this fun retro themed video game.

CLICK HERE to download the "Fix it Felix Jr." video game from the Wreck it Ralph movie.

I'm an ios guy with iphone, ipad & itouch mobile devices so most of my posts about tech stuff will have Apple app store links ... that doesn't mean there aren't similar apps for androids, windows, etc just means I may not have looked for them.