This year marks the 35th anniversary of Super Mario, Nintendo's flagship video game series and titular plumber. Joining the revelry, Seven-Eleven Japan has rolled out a special line of foods themed around the series’ characters.
Every entry is visually impressive, but actual tastes vary. The Super Star-shaped pineapple agar (¥226 after tax) boasts a rich fruit flavor, while the Yoshi-themed melonpan (¥151 after tax) looks neat, but tastes like every regular version of the snack. But that's still better than the spotlight sandwich, Mario's Mix Roll (¥183 after tax), which crams egg salad, spaghetti and a croquette between a bun. That one is game over for your stomach.
The true standout dish comes from the bad guy. Bowser's Fried Chicken & Chili Sauce roll (¥354 after tax) is one of the spiciest items to grace konbini shelves in recent memory, powered by a very effective dressing. For those who consider themselves heatseekers, get it before the Mario birthday celebration comes to a close.