In case you’re looking for some light reading to pass the time between rounds of Super Mario Odyssey, October 23 will mark the U.S. release of the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia. Released by Dark Horse Publishing, the 256-page tome chronicles 30 years of Mario and Luigi’s adventures, starting with the game that first introduced us to that plucky little plumber, 1985’s Super Mario Bros. (Apparently, Donkey Kong’s Jump Man doesn’t fit the bill.) Additionally, 2013’s Super Mario 3D World is the most recent game that gets extensive coverage in this particular volume, so don’t expect much information on Odyssey.
Even without his Switch foray, the encyclopedia will be a must-read for any Nintendo fan. It’ll offer expert insight on 17 games, tips and tricks for completionists who never could find that one last secret item, and, perhaps most excitingly, the stories behind in-game glitches.
The Amazon description also cites “the evolution of the Goomba,†something I’ve never considered but will have at the back of my mind for months to come. (I’m also hoping this means I’ll get more information on Birdo’s origin story and off-screen redemption arc, and I can’t be alone in this.)
So far, we only have the release date for the standard edition, which will retail for $39.99. (If you simply can’t wait to guarantee you’ll get a copy on release, you can pre-order it on Amazon.) Judging from what Dark Horse has done with other franchises and The Legend of Zelda in particular–you can also pre-order the display-worthy, Nintendo cartridge-mimicking special edition of that–something cooler and pricier will be coming down the pike later.
In the meantime, you can formulate your own theories on how glitches worm their way into otherwise perfect games and eventually see how right or wrong you were.
Which game are you most excited to find out more about? Let us know in the comments!
Images: Nintendo, Digital Spy
More on Mario!
- Have you seen the U.S. curler who looks like Mario?
- Enjoy this Super Mario feline fan film
- How will the animated Mario movie do at the box office?
