A retro interactive game featuring Nintendo’s Super Mario characters was quietly deployed on select Japan Railways trains between 2020 and 2022, offering passengers a unique challenge during their commutes. The game, titled “60 Second Challenge! Save Luigi!”, tested players’ reflexes and knowledge with a simple premise: correctly answer one question out of three within a minute to prevent Luigi from falling into lava.
The game’s failure state was particularly memorable. According to a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), if players failed to answer both questions correctly, an animation would play showing Luigi nearly falling into the lava, only to be saved by Mario—who would then playfully slap his rear. See the animation here.
«60 Second Challenge! Save Luigi!» was an interactive train quiz held on some Japan Railways trains from 2020-2022. The player had 2 chances to select 1 correct answer out of 3 to save Luigi being dropped in lava. Getting both guesses wrong would result in Luigi almost dying. pic.twitter.com/I8jReZXSXb
— Supper Mario Broth (@MarioBrothBlog) March 15, 2026
Conversely, a correct answer triggered a celebratory animation, as demonstrated in this YouTube video. The game’s existence resurfaced recently as part of celebrations surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise.
JR Kyushu as well operated a “Super Mario”-themed train, welcomed by fans in southwest Japan, beginning in December 2025. More details on the train are available here.
The interactive game and themed train demonstrate Nintendo’s continued innovation in blending its popular intellectual property with real-world experiences. Fans can also explore a complete list of Super Mario games by release date.
