Rare 90s N64 Super Mario Promo Statue Is Heading To Auction

If you never experienced seeing Mario in 3D for the first time, then you won't ever understand how amazing it truly was. Up to the arrival of Super Mario 64 on the N64, Mazza had always been in 2D adventures. We'd had the isometric viewpoint of Super Mario RPG, sure, but a few months later, when Nintendo launched SM64, we would finally get to see Mario in full all of his 3D glory.

The N64 remains my favourite console of all time. I don't care how many Teraflops the new PS6 comes with, it won't beat a console where you've got to blow in the cartridges (even though they say not to) to get them working, and a controller that gave me so many aches that have contributed to my RSI today.

This promotional statue was made by Dutchland Plastics in Wisconsin in the 90s to promote the arrival of the N64 and Mario's maiden 3D voyage. There were only 400 of them made, and of those 400, very few have survived the test of time.

As you can imagine, this statue is incredibly rare. I've never seen one of these at auction before, and at four-feet tall, it's a life-size replica of everyone's favourite moustachioed plumber that I would love to have in my game room (if I could just get it into the house and past my girlfriend without her knowing). There were also similar statues of Star Fox and Pikachu, though 'the holy trifecta' of N64 marketing is probably a set that has lost been to legend.

This Mario statue is a real showstopper. If I had walked into a Best Buy in America and seen this, I would have lost my mind, and then shortly after, hidden the statue so I could take it home and store it in my attic until it became an antique. According to Insert Bid, they cost Nintendo around $500 each to make and are perfect replicas of their poster boy, right down to the brown boots and red hat.

And what I love the most about it is that it's Mario from the 90s. It takes me straight back to being a child; it doesn't make me think of the Wii or Switch era, but it's exactly how we all thought he looked on the N64 in Mario Kart and Smash Bros. It's a slice of Nintendo history, and it could be yours.

The stature is in incredible condition to say it's been on the earth for over three decades. There's the usual wear and tear that you would imagine would happen with a promotional material, but it wouldn't put me off bidding. It also comes with the original base too.

Bidding for this auction starts on February 22nd at 7pm Central Standard time, which is 2am UK time. The opening bid is $50, and there are no reserves, but I have a strong feeling that this is going to head into the thousands range because of its rare nature.

Bidders can pay over 3 or 6 months, too, so if you do fancy your chances, then head to Insert Bid to create an account and bookmark the page.