So you no doubt saw the news this morning that Super Mario would be returning to the breakfast aisle for the first time in years with an all-new cereal offering, coming to stores on December 11th. This looks to be a rather yummy meal, with mixed berry cereal and Mario-themed marshmallows – not to mention Amiibo compatibility on the box that can earn you bonus goodies in Super Mario Odyssey.
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But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to video game oriented cereal. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, there were a number of offerings available that would allow you to chow down on cereal based on your favorite games.
Let’s take a trip back in time and glance back at some of the cereals that came out way back when. It almost makes us wonder if Nintendo is going to bring back Donkey Kong cereal at one point. Hmmmmm.
Pokemon Cereal
Introduced in the 2000’s just when the Pokemon trend was starting to pick up steam, this oat cereal with marshmallow bits was a huge hit for Kellogg’s at the time, especially since said marshmallows were based on Pokemon characters. That meant you could devour Pikachu heads and not actually be looked at in shame. This cereal didn’t last nearly long enough on shelves, and boxes are going for around $50 or so on eBay.
It may not be the greatest cereal around, but it certainly beats the nightmare dish the mother was trying to create in the commercial below. Stop it, mom. Stop it.
Pac-Man Cereal
General Mills made all the right moves when it came to producing a cereal based on Namco’s popular dot muncher. Rather than trying to make something different, it simply introduced puffs that looked like dots in the game, alongside ghost marshmallows that you could happily devour, even if you didn’t get a 1600 point bonus in doing so.
Another type of cereal also released in the mid-80’s, but with Pac-Man marshmallows – and a really questionable video telling everyone to “do the Pac-Man.” Hey, great, but can we eat breakfast first? We need the energy.
Donkey Kong Cereal
While the Donkey Kong cereal that came out in the 80’s didn’t have the pizazz – or the marshmallows – of other types that were on the market, there was still something appealing about being able to crunch down on several barrel-shaped pieces at the same time, without the need of a hammer.
And the commercial was rather goofy for its own time as well, insisting that a live plumber, his girlfriend and a giant ape would come pouring out of your cereal box. Granted, you wouldn’t get something like that out of Rice Krispies. And if we did…oh, man. We’d totally call about quality control.
Nintendo Cereal System
What’s better than one type of video game cereal? How about two? At the height of the Nintendo Entertainment System’s release, we were able to snag the Nintendo Cereal System, which featured two types, fruity and berry, in the same box, based on Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. The box was authentically designed, featuring art similar to the 8-bit games. And, on top of that, you could register to win a Power Set with the cereal’s release.
It wasn’t the same as playing on your actual NES, and there wasn’t any expansion for Final Fantasy, but it was still great – and you have to love the commercial’s jingle. “It’s a breakfast now!)
Donkey Kong Jr. Cereal
With the introduction of its Donkey Kong Jr. cereal, Ralston decided to step away from what the original Donkey Kong offering did, in favor of something relying more on “wild” fruit flavor, with bananas and berries. It was something right out of Trix‘s playbook, but still, it did well enough for the company to keep it around for a while. Plus, it also came with activity books, giving something for kids to dig around in the box for.
One thing, though – if we pour a bowl, are we really going to be thrown into an animated jungle? Because we’re still in our pajamas.
BONUS: Sonic the Hedgehog in Honey Nut Cheerios
While Sonic the Hedgehog never got his own cereal – at least, in the U.S. – he did have an interesting promotional appearance that tied in with Honey Nut Cheerios, in which he took on the traditional bee character and raced him on the box. It was all part of a partnership with Sega that would also offer game tips on Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and Toe Jam and Earl In Panic On Funkotron, as well as the chance to win Sega Genesis systems and t-shirts.
While we think Sonic is well overdue for some cereal exposure, this team-up worked rather well, based on the fun commercial included below. Also, THAT JINGLE.
No matter what kind of breakfast cereal you choose, we can agree that any of these are better than this. Nightmare fuel.
