Super Mario Chess

Chess had been around for about five centuries by the time a legion of bright-eyed computer scientists decided to teach the game to machines. Fast forward a few decades and we've come full circle, with the arrival of a traditional chess board populated by characters from Nintendo's Super Mario franchise.

The $44.99 set of 32 hand-painted figures includes Mario & Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser and many of your other favorites. The only thing I don't understand is why Luigi is forced to play the queen. You'd think Peach would have a thing or two to say about that.

Super Mario Chess Collector's Edition [via Technabob]