One of life’s great mysteries is the exact date Super Mario Bros. launched in the U.S. An impressively extensive 2012 Gamasutra article narrowed down the timeframe to sometime in fall 1985, but couldn’t pinpoint a specific release date. However, we do know that Super Mario Bros. shipped in Japan on September 13, 1985 for the Family Computer (a.k.a. Famicom), because it arrived with this tantalizing TV commercial that highlighted the game’s theme songs and high points, from the growth-aiding magic mushrooms to the fire-breathing castle levels. The commercial also describes Super Mario Bros. as a “Super Dream Adventure Game,” which is a rather apt summary of the cartridge’s charms. Watch the brief ad, along with an entire treasure trove of Famicom commercials posted by YouTube user Satoshi Matrix, below.
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