The toys that McDonald’s serves up with its Happy Meals are often the best reason to visit the fast food joint, but instead of targeting kids, McDonald’s in China is going after nuggs fans with a penchant for retro gaming. On sale now at locations across the country is a super-sized, Tetris-playing Chicken McNugget that you’ll want to keep far away from dipping sauces.
The Chicken McNugget has become such an iconic part of McDonald’s menu that you’d assume it was a debut item alongside its fries and hamburgers when the chain’s first franchise location opened in 1955. But the nuggs didn’t actually become available worldwide until 1983, making this year their 40th anniversary of being the second best dunk-able item on McDonald’s menu. And that, more or less, is what gave McDonald’s in China the inspiration to put Tetris in a giant plastic nugg.
According to retro gaming site RetroDoDo, and some early unboxing videos appearing online, this handheld is a fully-licensed device created through a partnership between McDonald’s, The Tetris Company, and Tetris Holding LLC, which owns the worldwide rights to the popular puzzle game. It’s not a clone or a cheap knock-off thrown together from off-the-shelf parts, as the custom LCD display actually features the McDonald’s arches logo.
The handhelds arrive in the same packaging that actual Chicken McNuggets are sold in (at least in China) and come with a fabric carrying case. They went on sale yesterday for 30 Chinese Yuan, which is about $US4.25 ($6) in US dollars, and as you’ve probably guessed, immediately sold out across the country. So if you want one to add to your collection, booking a flight to China probably isn’t a good idea. Your best approach is to keep an eye on eBay, and budget accordingly.