Title: It’s A Me, Bald Mario!
Date Completed: June 2024
Design: Lord Libidan
Count: 14
Canvas: White
Colours: 4
Video Game: Super Mario Bros
Did you know that on test cartridges of the Super Mario Land game on Gameboy, there are unused sprites showing a bald Mario?
As a bald man, as soon as I found this out, I knew I had to stitch them up! When else do you get to see a bald Mario after all?
However, when digging into this, it appears all is not as it seems.
We known that Mario does have hair under his cap thanks to Super Mario Odyssey where he regularly takes his cap off to reveal a full head of hair. But it could be someone else entirely!
You see, thanks to some official cards (Nintendo started as a card company originally) back in 1996, we got to see Mario’s pop for the very first time. And you guessed it; he’s bald.
Now, there is no confirmed information from Nintendo, and it was 7 years between the game and the cards, but I wonder if Mario’s dad was originally meant to be in Super Mario Land?
Either way, I thought the pose this character is standing in, which to be looks like a slightly tired old man, to be too good to not stitch! And it hit me whilst I was designing this price that despite stitching numerous other IPs from Nintendo, and stitching Bowser cross stitches a few times, this is the very first time I’ve stitched Mario!
Assuming you don’t count the 2 pixel-high Mario in my Donkey Kong Miniature Retro Game Screens Cross Stitch .
Do you think I should stitch more of our mustached plumber friend?
Happy stitching,
Lord Libidan
Look through the back catalog of Lord Libidan’s Cross Stitch