Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Sweden Kungsbacka Bergsala's Super Mario

Bergsala's Super Mario

A statue of the heroic plumber stands outside a company that bluffed its way into being Nintendo's Scandinavian distributor.

Kungsbacka, Sweden

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  Johan SWE / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When driving towards Gothenburg from the south you will at some point see a life-sized Mario sticking out above the treeline, standing on his iconic green pipe. This statue stands on Mario's Street, surrounded by little signs with Nintendo trivia. While it may not seem like much, this is the location of the first Swedish distributor of Nintendo products, as well as the only distributor not owned by Nintendo.

The story begins with a young entrepreneur named Owe Bergsten, who founded a small electronics company called Bergsala along with Pierre Sandsten and Lars-Göran Larsson. In 1981 Bergsten came across the Nintendo Game and Watch on a business trip and brought back some samples. He was impressed with the device and convinced his partners to invest in the product. Bergsten reached out to Nintendo, bluffing a bit about the size of his business and its connections in the Scandinavian market. But the company took the bait and the two made an exclusive deal for the Game and Watch handhelds.  

At first, it proved hard to sell them, but things picked up when a deal was struck with a watch distributor. The initial order of 30,000 units was sold, and soon Bergsala was moving as many as 180,000 of the devices every month. By 1983, 1.7 million consoles had been sold in Sweden.

Eventually, Nintendo opened its own branch in Europe, but the relationship between the two companies remained good and Scandinavian rights have always gone through Bergsala. 

A Super Mario statue has stood outside Bergsala since the 1980s as a symbol of the collaboration between the two companies. However, the first iteration was not a perfect match for Mario. In 2016, the statue was replaced by one that is truer to Mario's official design. It has stood there ever since overlooking the highway, in the middle of a little park filled with Mario trivia.

Related Tags

Pop Culture Statues Video Games

Know Before You Go

The statue is freely accessible.

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Edited By

linkogecko, Johan SWE

  • linkogecko
  • Johan SWE

Published

October 12, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/12/09/the-lie-that-helped-build-nintendo
  • https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/12/the_amazing_story_of_how_one_mans_fib_created_a_nintendo_empire
  • https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Kungsbacka
  • https://nintendowire.com/news/2016/08/25/massive-new-mario-statue-makes-way-sweden/
Bergsala's Super Mario
21 Marios gata
Kungsbacka, 434 37
Sweden
57.507608, 12.054092
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Li Grave Stones

Kungsbacka, Sweden

miles away

Onsala Space Observatory

Onsala, Sweden

miles away

The Waterfall of Kvarnbyn Mölndal

Mölndal, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kungsbacka

Kungsbacka

Sweden

Places 2

Nearby Places

Li Grave Stones

Kungsbacka, Sweden

miles away

Onsala Space Observatory

Onsala, Sweden

miles away

The Waterfall of Kvarnbyn Mölndal

Mölndal, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kungsbacka

Kungsbacka

Sweden

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

7 Places to Fall in Love With Nintendo

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Osby, Sweden

    'Apan och Kaninen' ('Bunny and Monkey')

    These massive animal sculptures were constructed as part of a reality TV show challenge.

  • Tony Soprano at Vilnius train station

    Vilnius, Lithuania

    Tony Soprano Statue

    A 15-foot-tall statue of the head of the Sopranos family greets passengers at a train station in southeastern Lithuania.

  • Irugi Shrine

    Tokyo, Japan

    Irugi Shrine

    A 17th-century Shinto shrine that is home to statues of Mickey Mouse and Pikachu.

  • The shrine.

    Munich, Germany

    Orlando di Lasso Statue

    This tribute to the 16th-century composer is now an unusual shrine to Michael Jackson.

  • Ralph Baer Memorial.

    Manchester, New Hampshire

    Ralph Baer Memorial

    This riverfront statue honors the inventor of the first video games ever sold.

  • Hatch, New Mexico

    Sparky's

    A wealth of pop culture statuary and green chile dishes give this roadside restaurant clout.

  • Statue of Yoda.

    San Anselmo, California

    Imagination Park

    George Lucas donated this park to honor the birthplace of his two biggest movie franchises.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Gorilla Building

    A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.