Nintendo is reportedly launching a Super Mario cereal in collaboration with Kellogg’s. According to a breakfast blog Cerealously, the pack, for now, would only be available in the U.S., and the flavor is described as “mixed berry cereal with marshmallows.”
Super Mario cereal box – the main attraction
Along with the news of Nintendo coming up with a Super Mario cereal, the packaging of the box itself is quite interesting.
“This box is a special amiibo” and to “try it with Super Mario Odyssey,” reads the packaging of the box. Possibly, the box could be a key to unlocking something at Odyssey.
I hope this Nintendo cereal (with amiibo functionality) is real and they bring back the commercial https://t.co/bmiapgouTO pic.twitter.com/KdwRf1rmrx
— Wario64 (@Wario64) November 28, 2017
Though Nintendo has yet to announce anything officially, the news is almost confirmed. Kellogg’s told one eager Cerealously reader to keep an “eye out” for the Super Mario cereal that is available now.
“This star-shaped cereal features Super Mario-inspired marshmallows, and a limited number of packages will have an Amiibo powerup sticker that can be used on the Super Mario Odyssey game with the Nintendo Switch gaming console,” Kellogg’s said.
As of now, there is no clarity over what the buyer would get from just viewing the box. Since Amiibo comes with a cereal box, there are good chances that it would be something related to powerup the in-game performance. There are reports of the Super Mario Cereal already appearing on inventory systems of major U.S. retailers.
Rising use of Amiibo to woo gamers
Just like most of the Switch games, Super Mario Odyssey also enables the player to use various kinds of Amiibo brand interactive figurines in a number of ways. For instance, Uncle Amiibo lets the player tap figurines to find hidden Moons, and tap any figure at any time to get a few coin boost or a heart. Some of the most interesting ones are Peach and Browser Amiibos as they have special powers. If the player wishes to dress Mario in a wedding gown, they simply need to buy the new editions of these figures in their wedding outfits, notes Kotaku.
Previously we have seen cereal makers offer free video games, putting it in the box itself, or snack makers offering cosmetic items and XP bonuses with the snacks. However, the Nintendo-Kellogg’s offering is unique for it possibly offers an in-game powerup instead of the usual cereal box figurines and toys. It seems like Nintendo is extending its efforts to turn Amiibo into a physical DLC. Just a couple of months back, Nintendo partnered with Post to put Mario branding on cereals like Honey Bunches of Oats, Golden Crisp, Honeycombs and more.
Highlighting the importance of such marketing, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima last year said that the change in the gaming landscape has resulted in less people discovering the Nintendo games through actual games, but rather they are getting to know about Nintendo and its characters through things such as officially licensed Mario toothbrushes and so on, notes Gamespot.
At the time, the executive added that fans could expect such licensing deals to continue. So, there are good chances that this Super Mario cereal is a part of that effort.
