Unofficial Holiday Sparks Increased Demand for Mario Games
Mario Day (aka MAR10 Day) occurs every March 10 with Nintendo fans celebrating the day by playing — you guessed it — Mario games. We measured demand for different types of games leading up to the holiday and, according to our analysis, Super Mario Party was by far the most popular with a whopping 130% increase in demand.
Why it matters: Though the first Mario game was released nearly 40 years ago, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down in terms of popularity. With the unofficial holiday fast approaching and the Super Mario Bros movie set to release this April, now is a critical time for video game retailers to prepare for increased demand.
What we’re seeing: Despite being a lesser-known holiday, Mario Day still drove increased demand for several games, including:
- Super Mario Party +130%
- Super Mario Odyssey +54%
- Mario Party Superstars +48%
- Paper Mario +39%
- Super Mario 3D World +34%
- Mario Kart 8 +32%
- New Super Mario Bros +24%
- Bowser’s Fury +21%
- Super Mario Maker 2 +20%
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate +18%
Yes, but: Out of those top 10, Mario Day is the number-one day of the year for only four of them:
- Super Mario Party saw a 110% spike in week over week demand during the week of Mario Day 2022.
- Super Mario 3D World +77%
- New Super Mario Bros +58%
- Paper Mario +39%
This means the niche holiday still has a long way to go to reach maximum impact among consumers.
Other noteworthy influences: Perhaps more impactful than Mario Day were the recent movie trailer releases promoting the new Super Mario Bros movie. In fact, the days leading up to the second movie trailer release were the highest demand days for the following games:
- Bowser’s Fury +112%
- Mario Kart 8 +146%
- Mario Odyssey +116%
- Mario Party Superstars +294%
- Super Mario Maker 2 +31%
However: It’s important to note that the second trailer release also coincided with Black Friday 2022. The seasonal deals could have been a leading factor behind the increased demand during this time.
The takeaway: While Mario Day is not a national holiday, it still has the power to influence consumer demand. Video game brands should take heed by offering the games their customers want to enjoy most during their holiday celebrations.
- Pattern’s data science team analyzed consumer demand on Amazon during every day of 2022 and 2023 so far to understand where Nintendo fans channel their passion on Mario Day. If you’re interested in using information like this to power your ecommerce strategy, contact our team today.
