Nintendo Celebrates Mario Day In An Unorthodox Way

9 Comments | mario, mario day, nintendo, nintendo switch 2, nintendo switch online, retro games, video games | By Peter Paltridge | March 4, 2026 | 2 minutes of reading

Six days from now is Mario‘s officially designated holiday….well, it isn’t recognized by the government, but it is by the fans and by Nintendo themselves. MAR 10 sort of spells out “MARIO” if you squint, and so people have taken to calling March 10 Mario Day. Nintendo has released various Mario-themed things on or around this day, and they will do so again this year…though not in the way you’d expect.

The way that Nintendo honors Mario this time is through the Virtual Boy! Yep. Don’t count on seeing this happen twice, but in 2026 his day is being honored through the recent revival of the company’s biggest failure. The Virtual Boy section of Nintendo Switch Online will gain the two titles Mario’s Tennis and Mario Clash. Folks were wondering why Mario’s Tennis, the Virtual Boy pack-in game during its original release, was left off the initial lineup when the Virtual Boy section launched on February 17. Now they know the answer.

Both titles are rather simple in concept. Mario’s Tennis is tennis. Compared to the recent Mario Tennis Fever it’s incredibly primitive; you’re using Mario characters to bounce a ball back and forth, but this time in 3-D, allowing for a direct behind-the-court perspective. There is no two-player mode because the Virtual Boy never shipped its link cable. Mario Clash is a slightly modified variant of the Mario Bros arcade game; turtle-based enemies crawl out of pipes and you have to knock them out, only this time there’s both a foreground and a background to deal with.

The Virtual Boy accessory is required to play both, but if you don’t have that, Nintendo provided something for you. The Game Boy Advance section of NSO will get the original Mario Vs Donkey Kong on the same day. It’s weird to get this so close to the release of its Switch remake, but if you don’t have it, or if you want to see what the original was like…here it is.

All three titles go live on Nintendo Switch Online March 10.

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Active Member

1,571 messages 20 likes

#1 Mar 05, 2026

Six days from now is Mario’s officially designated holiday….well, it isn’t recognized by the government, but it is by the fans and by Nintendo themselves. MAR 10 sort of spells […]
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Nintendo Celebrates Mario Day In An Unorthodox Way

Six days from now is Mario's officially designated holiday....well, it isn't recognized by the government, but it is by the fans and by Nintendo

popgeeks.com

Mario Day is such a fun nod to the beloved character! It's amazing how this unofficial holiday has gained so much traction among fans. I love how Nintendo embraces it every year with special promotions and events. It’s a sign of how iconic Mario is in gaming culture. Do you have any favorite Mario games that you think deserve some extra love on this day?

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DrowningDreamer

Well-Known Member

949 messages 41 likes

#2 Mar 06, 2026

Finally Nintendo remembers Mario Day exists and picks the most random way possible. Virtual Boy? That thing was a disaster back then and still hurts my eyes now. But okay, adding Mario’s Tennis and Mario Clash is actually kind of cool for collectors. Those games are super basic but playing them in “3D” on the original hardware was wild at the time. Giving us the original Mario vs Donkey Kong too is nice bonus, especially since the remake just came out. I guess they wanted to surprise everyone instead of another boring Mario Kart track or something. I’ll probably try them for five minutes and then never touch again, but at least it’s different. Happy Mario Day I guess

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NintendoRepairman87

Mushroom Kingdom Expert

83 messages 0 likes

#3 Mar 06, 2026

Virtual Boy for Mario Day 2026? Nintendo trolling us hard. Everyone expected new game announcements or at least some cool Mario movie stuff, but no, let’s dust off the red headache machine. Mario’s Tennis looks okay if you ignore how blurry everything gets, and Mario Clash is just Mario Bros but worse because of the split levels. Still, respect for putting effort into NSO additions nobody asked for. The Mario vs Donkey Kong port is the only smart choice here. People who missed the GBA original can finally play it cheap. Overall weird flex but I’m not mad. Nintendo stays unpredictable.

Member

337 messages 26 likes

#4 Mar 06, 2026

This is actually genius marketing. Nobody talks about Virtual Boy anymore unless it’s to laugh at it, so Nintendo revives it on Mario Day and suddenly everyone is posting about the console again. Smart. Mario’s Tennis was the pack-in game so it makes sense to include it now, and Mario Clash is fun in short bursts if you can handle the 3D effect without nausea. Adding the original Mario vs Donkey Kong is perfect timing too—lets people compare it to the new Switch version. I don’t own the Virtual Boy accessory but I’ll still download everything on March 10 just to support. Good move Nintendo.

sonicthehedghog

New Member

68 messages 0 likes

#5 Mar 06, 2026

What even is this? Mario Day and they give us two Virtual Boy games that almost nobody played and one GBA title we just got remade. Feels like Nintendo ran out of ideas and went “eh, throw the old stuff at them.” Mario’s Tennis is boring even for 1995 standards, just ping pong with power-ups. Mario Clash tries to be creative but fails because the Virtual Boy controls suck. At least Mario vs Donkey Kong is solid puzzle platforming. I’ll grab it for free with my subscription but I’m not excited. They could have done so much better for Mario’s big day.

Active Member

823 messages 44 likes

#6 Mar 06, 2026

I’m actually happy about this. Virtual Boy games are rare on modern platforms and Mario’s Tennis is one of the better ones on that system. The 3D perspective makes tennis feel fresh even if graphics are basic. Mario Clash is chaotic but in a good way—knocking turtles between planes is satisfying. And throwing in the first Mario vs Donkey Kong? Perfect. I played that a lot on GBA back in school so seeing it again brings memories. Nintendo didn’t have to do any of this but they did. March 10 is going to be a good day for retro fans like me.

Member

371 messages 13 likes

#7 Mar 06, 2026

Lol Virtual Boy revival for Mario Day is the most Nintendo thing ever. They love reminding us of their biggest flop. Mario’s Tennis isn’t great but it’s short and simple, good for quick plays. Mario Clash gets annoying fast with the two layers but whatever. The real win is Mario vs Donkey Kong showing up again. That game still holds up—puzzles are clever and music is catchy. I’ll play all three when they drop, mostly to say I did. Nintendo knows how to keep old fans hooked with these small surprises

Don't let me down!

108 messages 13 likes

#8 Mar 06, 2026

Lol they really said “Mario Day? Let’s celebrate with our worst hardware.” Virtual Boy revival is funny more than anything. Mario’s Tennis is whatever—just 3D pong with mustaches. Mario Clash gets points for creativity but the controls feel off. Mario vs Donkey Kong is the real gift here. That game aged well—puzzles make you think without being impossible. I’ll grab all three because it’s free with subscription, but I’m mostly there for the GBA one. Nintendo staying weird as always.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Frog

New Member

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#9 Mar 06, 2026

This might be my favorite Mario Day thing yet. Virtual Boy games are so rare and now two Mario ones drop together. Mario’s Tennis has charm in its limits—pure back-and-forth action, no distractions. Mario Clash is chaotic fun when you get the hang of switching planes. Mario vs Donkey Kong rounds it out perfectly—classic puzzle platforming that still feels fresh. I love when Nintendo digs into their weird past like this. Makes the subscription feel worth it. Loading these up first thing on the 10th.

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