I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater

I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater
Developer(s)Nintendo
Publisher(s)Royal Industries
SeriesSuper Mario
Platform(s)Famicom Disk System
ReleaseAugust 27, 1986
Genre(s)Educational video game[a]

I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater[b] is 1986 educational video game[a] released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. It was designed by Royal Industries, a Japanese appliance and sewing machine company, in collaboration with Nintendo.[1]

Overview

A screenshot of a knitting chart in progress. Instructions on how to knit the pattern are given at the top right corner of the screen, while the current row of stitches is marked by red arrows.

After a user inputs their body measurements and knitting gauge, the game displays knitting instructions and the amount of yarn needed to create a sweater, cardigan, or vest.[2][3] The software includes colourwork knitting charts featuring characters from the Super Mario franchise such as Mario, Luigi,[2] Princess Peach, and Goombas.[3] The game also allows users to create their own custom patterns,[2] but only in child sizes.[3] The user can then use the patterns to knit a sweater by hand.[4] In the past, users had the option to mail their own patterns to Royal Industries to physically produce the sweaters for purchase.[5] The sweaters could be purchased for ¥2,900.[6] The game was sold at craft stores rather than toy or game stores.[7][8]

Reception and legacy

A direct follow up, titled, I Am a Teacher: Teami no Kiso was released for the Famicom Disk System a month later in September 1986. This entry taught users how to knit by hand.[9] A spiritual follow up, titled, Jaguar Embroidery-Only Sewing Machine Software: Mario Family was released for the Game Boy Color. It is compatible with the Jaguar JN-100 embroidery machine and allows users to embroider designs.[2]

I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater has been noted to be an unusual entry in the Super Mario franchise, with GamesRadar+ describing it as "utterly bizarre".[6] It has been described as one of the "weirdest" Super Mario games by TechRadar.[10]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Due to the minimal interactivity of I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater, it is sometimes described as an educational software rather than a video game.[7][8]
  2. ^ I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater (Japanese: アイアムアティーチャースーパーマリオのセーター, Hepburn: Ai amu a Tīchā: Sūpā Mario no Sētā)

References

  1. ^ "I Am a Teacher: Super Mario no Sweater". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  2. ^ a b c d Vincent, Brittany (7 January 2021). "Sweater Design? Gin Rummy? Typing? These Are The Mario Games You've Never Heard Of". NPR. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Lost in Untranslation". Nintendo Force. No. 47. July 2020. p. 59.
  4. ^ Hudson, Laura (2015-06-16). "A brief history of yarn in video games". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  5. ^ "7 Mario Games That Never Made it to the US". PCMAG. 2016-09-28. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  6. ^ a b Sullivan, Lucas (2012-08-17). "12 Mario games youve probably never heard of". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  7. ^ a b "アイアムアティーチャー スーパーマリオのセーター-おきらくゲームソフト事典" [I Am A Teacher Super Mario's Sweater -Ukariko Game Software Encyclopedia]. gamesoft.ukariko.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  8. ^ a b "ディスクシステム - パッケージアート1" [Disk System - Package Art 1]. pony.velvet.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2025-05-29. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
  9. ^ "I Am A Teacher: Teami no Kiso". Grouvee. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
  10. ^ Lynch, Gerald (2017-03-11). "The weirdest Super Mario games ever". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 2019-05-26. Retrieved 2025-07-06.