The Super Mario Bros. Movie offers an origin story for how the famous plumber-and-brother duo, Mario and Luigi, became the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom. Somewhat in its own universe from the games, the brothers start the story living in Brooklyn before a magic Warp Pipe takes them to another world. Soon, they will encounter Princess Peach and King Bowser, in addition to a whole cast of familiar video game characters.
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Long before the film, Mario and Luigi have appeared in a variety of media throughout the years. This includes shows and movies as well as games.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Release Date
- April 7, 2023
- Director
- Aaron Horvath , Michael Jelenic
- Rating
- PG
The 2023 film is naturally filled with Easter eggs, honoring Mario’s history. Even some of the most obscure media, and some of the most surprising versions of the famous characters get shout-outs in the film. Nintendo historians might also notice a few company in-jokes here and there. This also means longtime fans of the franchise might just see the version of Mario they grew up with get acknowledged in a scene.
10 There Are Many Shout-Outs to Nintendo’s Products
Nintendo started selling playing cards, but has gone on to become an icon in the video game industry. Naturally, various Nintendo hardware and games appear in the movie, showcasing the company’s history. in fact, even the company’s earliest origins are highlighted in the film: a street is seen named Hanafuda Ave., named in honor of the playing cards that were the company’s first products.
Nintendo Is Known for Durability
That’s just the start of it. Mario plays a Kid Icarus game on a Nintendo Entertainment System. Toad is told to blow into something to get it to work, which is what a lot of real-life kids did to cartridges to get them to work. Peach has a map that resembles a Nintendo 64 controller. Luigi even has the GameCube jingle as a ringtone. Added to this, Luigi is able to use his phone after breaking it, which many fans felt was a reflection of how durable Nintendo products can be.
9 A Line Is Quoted from the Super Mario Adventures Comic
Super Mario Adventures was a comic book series that ran in the Nintendo Power magazine. It used Super Mario World as a starting point, but branched out into its own story. Over the years, it’s become well-known in the Mario fandom for featuring elements that would later be introduced into the games. This includes Luigi’s fear of ghosts, foreshadowing Luigi’s Mansion, and Princess Peach switching roles with Mario before Super Princess Peach. There are even fans who cite the comic as their favorite adaptation of the game.
The First Trailer Even Had This Easter Egg
The comic also gets a few shout-outs in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. At one point, Mario is given the line, “Mushroom Kingdom, here we come!” This is taken from the actual comic. In fact, the line was featured prominently in the movie’s first trailer. The design of the Koopa Troopas in the film also notably resembles how they appear in the comic.
8 Luigi Interrupts Mario Just Like in Mario’s First Film
Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Save Princess Peach! is one of the first full-length films to be based on a video game, adapting the adventures of Mario and Luigi. It’s also one of the first anime to feature a character trapped in a video game, making it an early example for the isekai genre. The story involves Mario entering a Famicom video game in order to save Princess Peach, who has been kidnapped by King Koopa.
Mario Has Always Been a Gamer in the Movies
In the Mario fandom, the film is infamous for its ending: a dog that accompanies Mario on the journey, Kibidango, turns out to be an enchanted prince, as well as Peach’s true love instead of Mario himself. The scene of Mario first playing the game in the earlier film is replicated in the 2023 film. Mario is seen playing a game on an NES. He is even interrupted by Luigi in both films, who is either bringing his brother something to eat or drink.
7 Bowser Repeats a Trick from Skylanders: SuperChargers
The characters of the Mario franchise are well-known and have made appearances in a variety of media, including cross-overs. Bowser, for example, appears as a guest character in the Skylanders games, where he is dubbed “Hammer Slam Bowser.” Despite normally being an antagonist in his own games, this version of Bowser has joined the fight against Kaos and the Darkness.
Bowser Has a Bit of a Temper
“Hammer Slam Bowser” clashes somewhat with the more villainous portrayal in the 2023 film, who some fans have noted comes off as even more sadistic than he was in the games. However, this version of the character still gets alluded to. In one moment of the film, King Bowser reduces one of his minions into a Dry Bones, effectively a skeletal version of the Koopa, for speaking out of turn. In Skylanders: SuperChargers, an upgrade allows Bowser to transform Koopa Paratroopas into the similar Parabones, a winged variant of the Dry Bones.
6 “Jumpman” Gets an Arcade Game
Long before becoming the star of his own franchise, Mario made his first appearance in Donkey Kong. While nameless in the original Japanese release, English instructions for the game dubbed him “Jumpman,” which was also his name during development. This early version of the character shared a few more famous differences, notably having a love interest named Pauline instead of Peach.
Mario Meets His Doppelgänger
Mario’s origins are highlighted throughout the 2023 film. One of the more notable times can be seen at the Punch-Out Pizzeria. The setting hosts a Donkey Kong-style arcade game dubbed “Jump Man,” in honor of Mario’s original name. The game itself appears to feature a yeti instead of Kong. The game is even played by a character named Giuseppe, who shares Mario’s color scheme and is voiced byMario actor Charles Martinet. Donkey Kong himself also appears as one of Mario’s first opponents in the film, reflecting how he marked Mario’s first game.
5 A Few Plot Points First Appeared in the Mario TV Shows
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! was a hybrid animated/live-action series featuring characters from the Mario franchise. The episodes featured live-action segments featuring Mario and Luigi living in Brooklyn, often meeting up with celebrities, while their animated counterparts have adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom. It would eventually be followed by The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. For many young fans of the time, it was their introduction to the Mario universe.
The “Plumber’s Rap” is Now a Commercial Jingle
The series gets a few references in the movie. The series’ theme song, also known as the “Plumber’s Rap,” is referenced in the movie’s Super Mario Bros. Plumbing ad. Uncle Tony, a character briefly mentioned during the live-action portion of the series, makes his first on-screen appearance in the film. A few episode plot points also appear to be alluded to. For example, “Mario and Joliet” has Princess Toadstool escape a dungeon after finding Fire Flowers in a bouquet. A similar scene happens in the film, except with Peach finding an Ice Flower.
4 The 1993 Live-Action Film Gets a Few Shout-Outs
One earlier attempt to bring Mario and Luigi onto the big screen occurred in 1993, which saw the release of the live-action Super Mario Bros. Mario and Luigi, a pair of Brooklyn-based plumbers, come across a parallel reality where reptiles are the dominant species, finding themselves in the cyberpunk-esque Dinohattan, run by President Koopa. The film, which has developed a cult following over the years, is notable for being one of the first live-action theatrical films based on a video game. It’s also noted for being edited with computer software, marking cinema’s early forays into CGI.
A Princess Sent from Another World
The Super Mario Bros. Movie features a few allusions to the earlier, live-action film. At one point, Mario and Luigi mimic poses seen on the 1993 movie’s poster, holding up a wrench and a plunger, respectively. The brothers also see their van break down while driving to a job, similar to a scene in the live-action film.
Both films also feature a princess, Peach in the animated film and Daisy in the live-action film, entering another world as a baby. One difference, though, is that Daisy is born a princess and is unaware of her true origins. Peach, on the other hand, is made a princess in her new world.
3 Dark Lands Pays Homage to Luigi’s Mansion
Luigi’s Mansion is a game that famously gives Luigi a chance to be the hero of the story, making it the first in a Nintendo-produced game, though it’s preceded by the educational Mario Is Missing! game. The story involves Luigi winning a mansion in a contest he never actually entered. While there, he soon learns that the abode is haunted, and the ghosts have made Mario their prisoner. With the help of the Poltergust 3000, Luigi must go on a mission to capture all the ghosts themselves.
King Boo Makes a Cameo
When Luigi appears in the Dark Lands, he mimics his default state from the game, calling out for Mario while looking around with a flashlight. Some of the games’ music, such as King Boo’s boss theme, also plays during the Dark Lands sequence. A sequence in the film dealing with Luigi breaking a dog’s toy is also based on a similar sequence from the games involving the Polterpup.
King Boo also makes a minor appearance in the film, during Bowser and Peach’s wedding, though his design resembles his appearance in Super Mario. King Boo is also the sole Boo to appear in the film.
2 Peach’s Younger Form Has Been Seen Before
In the Mario games, Princess Peach having a more humanoid form than the other inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom is rarely explained, with her presumably being born there. In the 2023 film, however, it’s shown that Peach ended up in the Mushroom Kingdom as a small child through a Warp Pipe. Eventually, the Toads made her their princess. While Mario suggests she could be a human from Earth, the film doesn’t give a definitive answer.
Baby Peach’s Backstory Might Also Reference Another Character
Peach’s appearance during this sequence resembles Baby Peach as seen in the time-traveling-themed game, right down to the short hair and pacifier. In addition, some fans also believed Peach’s backstory in the film was a reference to Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy, who formed a family of sorts with the Lumas, while functioning as their authority figure.
1 Papa & Mama Mario Were Based on Unused Sketches
Mario and Luigi’s parents, known as Papa and Mama Mario, notably make an appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This isn’t the first time versions of Mario and Luigi’s parents have appeared in media. One of the first times Mario was shown to have parents was in an animated short retelling the Japanese fairy tale of the “One-Inch Boy” in Super Mario Issun-bōshi. Mama Mario also appeared in live action during The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
Papa Mario Should Also Sound Familiar
However, their appearance in the 2023 film is notable for a variety of reasons. Upon learning Mario’s parents were to appear in the film, Nintendo sent the filmmakers unused sketches of the characters. Regarding the sketches, Mario’s father is said to greatly resemble the previously unseen design, while his mother was a slightly revamped.
Another detail to note about Mario’s father in the film is that he is voiced by famed Mario voice actor Charles Martinet. Other family members also appear in the film. These include Mario and Luigi’s uncles, grandfather, an aunt, and even a niece.
