Video game fans have unofficially dubbed March 10 as Mario Day — Mar 10, get it? — and use it as an opportunity to spotlight everyone's favorite Italian plumber turned Nintendo video game icon.
To celebrate, we headed down to the corner of 16th and Van Buren Streets in central Phoenix to spend some time with "Super Barrio Bros.," the colorful mural created by local artist Angel Diaz.
The artwork covers three sides of the building. The back side of the building, facing the parking lot, was completed first; it has the black background of a "Super Mario Bros." fortress level and includes images of fireball-spitting piranha plants, Koopa Troopas and final boss Bowser chucking one of his famous fireballs.
Along 16th street, visitors can see a "Super Barrio Bros." logo done in colorful letters in the style of the "Super Mario World" game that came out for the Super Nintendo in 1990. That wall also includes Mario riding in a lowrider, Luigi flying through the air, Goomba pacing on the ground and other fun callbacks to the game series.
Toad and Princess Peach greet passersby at the corner, then on the Van Buren side, Yoshi gets stared down by a Banzai Bill and Racoon Mario from "Super Mario Bros. 3" soars over a cartoon landscape.
The mural, which was completed in summer 2023, is a fun and eye-catching addition to the neighborhood.
Jennifer Goldberg
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