Completing a 26-toy collection used to require hitting every comic shop in town, but Kinder Joy just moved the hunt to your local grocery checkout. The Italian confectionery brand has partnered with Nintendo on a limited-edition Super Mario collection that transforms candy runs into treasure hunts, available at U.S. retailers from December 2025 through April 2026.
Each special-edition egg pairs Kinder Joy’s signature chocolate-wafer combo with one surprise Super Mario toy, creating what amounts to a collectible Funko Pop experience you can eat.
The Collection Game
Twenty-six toys and five months create the perfect recipe for repeat grocery trips.
This collaboration spans figurines of Mario and Yoshi, functional accessories like pen decorations and zipper pulls, plus novelty items including Toad Question Block photo holders and Boo mini clips. The variety ensures no two eggs feel identical, keeping both kids and nostalgic adults coming back for “just one more.”
Nintendo’s timing feels deliberate. Holiday gift-giving season kicks off the collection window, while the April 2026 cutoff creates enough scarcity to drive completion anxiety among collectors. Major retailers nationwide will stock the eggs while supplies last—meaning popular characters will vanish first.
The collection features 26 unique Super Mario-themed toys spanning multiple formats, available December 2025 through April 2026 at major U.S. retailers. Featured characters include Mario, Yoshi, Super Star, and other Mushroom Kingdom icons through figurines, clips, photo holders, and functional accessories. Limited-time availability creates collecting urgency that drives repeat purchases.
Bridging Generations, One Egg at a Time
Nintendo’s smart licensing strategy meets parents’ willingness to chase complete sets.
“Just like a video game where each level reveals new challenges and hidden bonuses, every Kinder Joy egg offers multiple layers of discovery,” explains Amber Hansinger, Vice President of Marketing for Kinder Joy USA. The gaming metaphor isn’t accidental—Nintendo has methodically expanded Super Mario beyond consoles into theme parks, clothing, and now impulse purchases.
This strategy particularly targets multigenerational households where parents remember the original Super Mario Bros. from 1985. Those adults now watch their kids experience the same anticipation, just with chocolate involved. It’s nostalgia marketing that actually works because the source material remains genuinely beloved across age groups.
For Ferrero, which brought Kinder Joy to the U.S. in 2018, licensed collaborations offer a path beyond standard seasonal promotions. The brand earned “2019 Product of the Year” recognition partly because the toy-candy combination creates inherent collectibility that supermarket psychology can’t resist.
This five-month window ensures the collection stays special rather than becoming another permanent shelf fixture. Smart retailers will position these eggs near checkout lanes, where completion-obsessed parents will grab extras while kids spot their favorite characters through the packaging.
