Super Mario toys can often be found doing the rounds at McDonald's restaurants around the world these days, but it's pretty crazy to think that this was also the case 30 years ago.
Back in 1990, this Super Mario Bros. 3 Happy Meal box was produced alongside a handful of new toys. According to DinosaurDracula, this particularly tasty option arrived in restaurants just after the launch of the game in the US and there were four collectable toys available in total. They're not exactly amiibo standard, but as a freebie that comes with your burger and fries, they'll certainly do.
It gets even better, though, because there was also a fantastically '90s TV ad to go with it. Here, we learn that the figures shown above could all do fancy little tricks - as long as you can make it past the bit with Ronald McDonald in it.
We'll leave you with another look at the box, complete with a quiz of sorts for buyers to complete. 'What does Mario's Frog Suit help him do in this watery world?' Leave your answers below!
[source dinosaurdracula.com, via twitter.com]
Comments 60
While I still have all 4 toys displayed on my nerdy trinket shelf, I don't think I've seen the box or that commercial since I was around 5 years old. That was some heavy nostalgia there.
I also remember the description of Goombas in the happy meal being something about how they lived in messy houses, and that's why they were always grumpy. It's been a few decades though, so the details are fuzzy (that hurt to type)
This is both scary and lovely at the same time.
I have the luigi and mario ones
Sweet nostalgia, I had that Luigi toy as a little kid. I remember it, it was like one of those wind-up-like cars. The kind you pull back, and it goes. Surprisingly had it before I ever played a video game too.
I had that Mario toy back in the day. Long gone now though, unfortunately.
Funny how both the Luigi and Knuckles HMT's use a similar-looking cloud. Wonder if it was the same designer?
I had a couple of these back in the day.
Rubbish then and rubbish now!
@kyleforrester87 lol just lol about as rubbish as you taking the time to say that lol
These came out JUST before my time, but that commercial and the Happy Meal box design both take me back to simpler times. I didn't miss out on most of the 90s at least.
Now that I'm reminded that I'm almost 30....
I don't know. I kind of like the old school look of these figurines more than the amiibo, even if they aren't a 100 percent accurate repesentation. Nostalgia is a strong thing, and in addition to that, I adore that happy meal box. The colors pop!
I keep wishing I was old enough to have this stuff while also enjoying the fact that my 28th birthday is several months away.
The meal box is fantastic.
That Mario looks like he's had enough burgers though.
Nowadays I much prefer to eat at either Burger King or Five Guys. Specially Five Guys they make really good food.
@Darkyoshi98 lol I just lol disagree lol
Yeah, I've got the goomba and mario. The sucker cup on the goomba's chin had perished though
I still own my 1990 Mario figure from McDonald's. Looks good just by my amiibos.
I had the mario and the goomba omg I cant believe stupid me ever let those go
'Reminds us of simpler times' writes Ryan Craddock (24 and-a-half).
I now see where the "hits blocks with his head" confusion comes from.
I had managed to hold on to my Luigi and Goomba up until a couple years ago. They accidently got tossed in a garage cleaning. Sad times.
I remember holding on to that Luigi toy for god knows how long. It was the closest I had ever gotten to a Nintendo related action figures. Though I am not really sure what the market was for Nintendo action figures back then anyways
I remember this. Their advertisement for Nintendo Power with it started my subscription to it. Started with Volume 16 and ended with Vol 264. Still have all but a few of them
I remember having the Paratroppa toy as a kid, and I recall the daycare having the Luigi toy.
My grandma actually collected these and still has them, the toys I mean not the actual happy meals. But yeah these were super cool back in the day and I wouldn't mind getting my hands on them for display purposes. The Goomba toy was always my favorite one.
I still have two sets. One set all four are still sealed and the other set isn't.
I had the goomba and the paratroopa.
Loved them both.
These are actually look neat. As a kid, I never had a chance to get my hands on any Happy Meal toys but this reminds me of choco egg figures I used to collect back then.
I had the Koopa Paratroopa one until it recently went MIA while moving homes.
It was awesome, and the pneumatic jumping mechanism almost worked!... More of a creep than a jump, but awesome. At the time it was so difficult to find Nintendo toys.
I totally had that terrible racoon mario suction toy that rarely worked as intended
I still have all of these toys lol
I remember begging my mom to take me to McDonald's so I could collect them all. That was the one of the few ways you could get Nintendo toys back then. Now I have a room full of amiibo.
Back in the early 90's when eating out even once a week at a fast food place was a treat!
I still have the spring loaded Mario!
I remember a Luigi on a cloud toy in some burger place kids meal here in the UK for SMB3, but don’t think it was this one.
Pretty sure Mario was considered a lot more mainstream 30 years ago though, so not really a surprise they were used for fast food toys.
I remember LOVING those toys, when I was 9.
@UmbrageHill
At least you can take comfort in knowing you're not alone. Those are the two I remember having way back in the day - and they are long, long gone by now...
I used to really like McDonald's as a kid. But I flat out can't eat it anymore. It's just a salty laxative.
I bet if they saved the dood, it would also look the same as when purchased! 😆 Nice piece of nostalgia!
Was McDonald’s food better quality back in 1990 than today? Just curious.
@Dpullam Yeah, that box is beautiful
@Don Actually not at all; McDonalds has greatly improved the quality of their burger meat and especially their chicken nuggets. Their base, single cheeseburgers are about the same though (read: crap)
@HexagonSun Yup, Nintendo figurines and plushies were very hard to get in the West back then. Needless to say, I fell hard into the Amiibo craze, and I can’t believe it took them so long to realize such a thing.
I had the Luigi and Goomba. That brings back memories.
@Antraxx777
Thanks for the info. I was curious because one of my friends said Burger King and Wendy’s have gone down in quality. I didn’t go to McDonald’s much when I was a kid so I don’t remember whether the food tasted better back then.
I want a burger for my lunch now x
Happy Meal Toys, bad back then, still bad now.
This was literally the only time I managed to snag all the toys from a Happy Meal set. My Koopa's tube broke after a few months, then my Goomba stopped walking, and a few years ago, my Mario's base broke. All I have left is my Luigi wind up toy which still works, though is missing some paint.
@kyleforrester87 Butthurt I see
I still have these in a box in my basement somewhere! Dang now i feel old!
@mikegamer butt hurt? Are you suggesting I’ve had my anus abused..?
I have the Luigi and Goomba toys somewhere. Remember the days of getting those happy meals and hoping for the best toys. Hard to believe it’s been 30 years!
@kyleforrester87 You never heard that term before? Ouch. And why are you so bitter about this? Grow up.
@mikegamer I’ve heard of it, but have you thought about what it actually means? Have a think, and then grow up yourself and stop saying it.
I’ve still got all four on my shelf here in clean working condition too. Often the turtle loses the pipe and bladder.
@kyleforrester87 Whatever you say
@mikegamer that’s what I like to hear!!!
@kyleforrester87 I'm sure it is
@mikegamer on the level though, my issue with this is that McDonald’s is disgusting (even if I am hypocrite and do eat it from time to time), but 90’s McDonald’s was even worse. And they are giving away plastic junk with them. So called “Happy Meals” are just straight up bad news and always have been.
I think they look cool!
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