Video game cereal boxes may have made a recent comeback, but their releases are still few and far between. In the past, major cereal brands were aching to get an iconic video game character like Mario or Sonic onto their box.
In fact, if you close your eyes, you can just see the big wig marketing company in the 80’s smoking a cigar and saying, “Kids love those video games, throw a Donkey Kong on the cover, it will sell out!”
Although we don’t get video game branded cereal as often as we used to, it’s time we take a look back at some of the best video game-branded cereal boxes from the past.
Donkey Kong Jr. Cereal
Back in the 1980’s, the Donkey Kong Arcade game was a massive hit. Not only was it impressive then, but it continues to be a mainstay at arcades across the globe and even has spawned its own documentary out of the ever-evolving competition to get the highest score.
Not long after Donkey Kong released in arcades did the sequel, Donkey Kong Jr., hit the scene.
However, in Donkey Kong Jr., the roles are reversed as Mario is the one chucking barrels while the player takes on the role of Donkey Kong Jr. attempting to save his dad from Mario’s evil clutches.
Although the game wasn’t nearly as popular as the classic Donkey Kong came to be, it happened to be just popular enough to spawn its own cereal line that was “WILD with fruit flavor.”
Donkey Kong Cereal
Donkey Kong Jr. wasn’t the only Nintendo character to get his line of cereal. Donkey Kong branded cereal hit store shelves in 1982 and survived for three years under company Ralston Purina (yes, the same Purina that now sells pet food).
The Donkey Kong Cereal was said to be very similar to Cap’n Crunch, but rather than the pillow-like shape Cap’n Crunch is known for, the Donkey Kong line came with barrel-shaped puffs, fitting in with the theme of the game nicely.
Although the cereal itself didn’t last long, the commercials that were created to advertise it were timeless and gave us some of the most impressive Nintendo themed animation we have seen to date.
Nintendo Cereal System
Arguably the coolest idea ever created in the cereal space, the Nintendo Cereal System was meant to be a combination of two types of cereal that, when put together, resulted in a “super taste.”
The Nintendo Cereal System used The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. as its main attractions, giving its consumers the two most iconic franchises in video games in cereal form.
Although the art on the cover looks like it was drawn by an intern who had access to Microsoft Paint, the idea of combining two bags into one box remains a unique idea that screams Nintendo ingenuity.
Kellogg’s Pokemon Cereal
In what might be the most accurate representation of characters in video game cereal, Kellog’s Pokemon brand offers shapes that actually represent the characters they are based on.
This limited-edition cereal came with iconic Pokemon such as Poliwhirl, Oddish, Ditto, and of course, Pikachu. The “Pokemon” title also came in colorful holographic text, reminiscent of the holographic Pokemon cards that kids were obsessed with at the time.
Released in 2000, the Pokemon video game cereal was nearly an exact replica of Lucky Charms, with oat cereal combined with colorful marshmallows. Believe it or not, the cereal was a massive hit for Kellogs, but it did not last long on store shelves.
If you are on the hunt for a box for collectors purposes, you can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $80 on Ebay.
Honey Nut Cheerios – Sonic
In a match made in heaven, the ring-shaped Honey Nut Cheerios partnered up with Sega’s flagship hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, to attract the eyes of children all over the globe.
Although nothing with the cereal itself changed, what made this cereal so iconic was its commercial that seems to be burned into every 90’s kid’s memories.
What was even better was the fact that the box contained “tip cards,” which were physical cards that game in-game tips for Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron. Not only did these cards give tips, but you could mail them in for a chance to win free games, or a “cool” Sega branded t-shirt.
Although these cereal boxes are a nice trip down nostalgia lane, it also serves as a sad reminder that cereal is no longer synonymous with Saturday morning cartoons and video games.
Even though Nintendo is trying their best to revive the idea, the cereal space seems content with sticking with their own mascots to sell their sugar-laced concoctions.
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