Mario is synonymous with video games. It's one of the tentpoles of the video game industry that's nearly as old as gaming itself. So, you can't exactly blame other developers for trying to copy what Mario did if only to get a smidge of the success of the popular Nintendo franchise. But, for some reason, one of the worst Mario knock-offs found its way to the Xbox Store.

As reported by Pure Xbox, the poor Super Mario recreation, Supertan Marioner 3D Infinity World Adventures, is a sad and shameless attempt at a side-scrolling endless runner.

We feel sorry for those who thought that it was a Super Mario game and bought it. If it's any consolation, the game is no longer available to download and play. Also, we heard that the Xbox Store has a pretty lax refund policy. Since it's probably not been 14 days yet, you'll most likely get your money back if you ask. Unless, of course, you spent an inordinate amount of time playing the game, in which case, you do you.

Nintendo is very protective of its IPs, so we're surprised that Supertan Marioner 3D Infinity World Adventures even got on the Xbox Store. Some intern must have thought of it as a fun joke, which the higher-ups must have vetoed after the public got wind of it. If not, Microsoft could be looking at a potential lawsuit from Nintendo, just like what the company did to an unofficial Mario game last year.

Speaking of Mario, fans can look forward to the Italian plumber's next outing later this year. Rumor has it that Nintendo is eyeballing a holiday release for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.