List of references in publications
- This article is about publication references on Super Mario games. For books starring Mario, see List of publications.
This is an alphabetical list of Super Mario-related sightings and references in novels, comic books, comic strips, magazines, and other print publications.
Book references[edit]
33 Minutes[edit]
The main character, Sam Lewis, discusses vegetables in a salad bar, and says that "Mushrooms are only acceptable as an extra life in video games."
A to Z Mysteries[edit]
In "The Jaguar's Jewel", one chapter mentions a "tall man with a green outfit", and the image shows a man that resembles Luigi in a bellhop outfit.
Alex Rider series[edit]
In the novel Skeleton Key, when Alex Rider is playing on his Nintendo DS, the book quotes, "At least, he'd got to level five of Super Mario and so far it hadn't exploded in his hands."
Bad Girls[edit]
On page 162, the following text occurs:
'Can I see what you've written, Arthur?' I said. 'Here, I bet those two haven't even heard of King Arthur and all the knights of the round table. They're still way down at the Super Mario and Sonic stage.'
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again[edit]
When Jem is talking to Nanny on the Chateau Bateau, they have the following conversation.
Jem: It's just . . . a house like this - I thought he'd have Playstations and a Wii. I thought he'd want to play 'Mario Kart.
Nanny: Mario Kart? What's 'Mario Kart?
Jem: It's a game - a racing-car game. We each have a steering wheel and you choose a car from all kinds of different designs . . .
Danganronpa Visual Fanbook[edit]
In an interview with the execution art designer for Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Dai Nakajima, execution concepts were proposed for characters that did not have one. This includes Chihiro Fujisaki with an execution titled "Super Fujisaki Bros.", in reference to Super Mario Bros.
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire[edit]
At the very end of the book, Nigel states that he is tough to beat on Mario Kart.
Drawing Basics and Video Game Art: Classic to Cutting-Edge Art Techniques for Winning Video Game Design[edit]
The book exemplifies the application of certain artistic principles in video game art using artwork and screenshots pertaining to various video games, including Super Mario franchise games. For instance, to illustrate the emotional language of basic geometric shapes and their use in character design, page 181 contrasts Mario's round, friendly physical features with the more triangular, "aggressive" features of Wario and a Goomba; at page 205, the book recalls this contrast, stating that Super Mario games can be conceptually seen as a task where players have to "[restore] harmony by ridding [Mario's] circular world of aggressive triangular characters".
EB City 2004[edit]
The book has information regarding upcoming GameCube games at the time, including Super Mario games. Some of the games came out without any changes, some came out on different platforms, and others never came out at all.[1]
Geek-Art: An Anthology: Art, Design, Illustration & Pop Culture[edit]
The front cover of this book features fan art of Mario (in his Paper Mario appearance) on the front, and several pieces of Super Mario fan art inside as well.
Goosebumps: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb[edit]
Page 146 reads: "She thought she was really hot stuff because she could get to the last level of Super Mario Land."
Halloween: The Mad House[edit]
While in an arcade, a character named Brandon spots "the new Mario Brothers game".
Josh Baxter Levels Up[edit]
It has been requested that this section be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Actually include the references
Numerous references to Super Mario are made during the book. One of the chapters is called "Your Princess is in Another Classroom".
Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack[edit]
Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack, written by Andrew Schartmann for the "33 1/3 series", discusses the soundtrack of the original Super Mario Bros. as composed by Koji Kondo. It details Kondo's experience and various works, as well as the limitations of the NES console and how it was used to great effect. As the author says, "[i]t is my job, over the next ~100 pages, to convince you that Kondo's Super Mario Bros. soundtrack is just as important - and just as culturally and musically rich - as any great album of the twentieth century."
Mockingbird[edit]
In Chapter 5, Caitlin says "I still feel like a Fake Item Box that Mario is going to run over any minute now."
The Edumacation of Jay Baker[edit]
When Jay is referring to his lack of athleticism, he states, "I caught Luigi on my Mario Kart, not balls."
The Loser List[edit]
In Chapter 6, Danny Steve nearly trips over a beanbag chair next to an old-fashioned Super Mario machine, which may refer to the NES. The beanbag chair appears in the image, but the Super Mario machine is not shown.
Mac B, Kid Spy[edit]
Mario is directly mentioned in a book titled The Tale of Mario. Also, Spy Master plays like a Super Mario game and is produced by Nintendo.
Monogatari[edit]
In the first story of the Monogatari series, Bakemonogatari, The Mayoi Snail arc has Mayoi Hachikuji attack Koyomi Araragi by attempting to bite him. He then has inner monologue, stating:
"I recalled there being an enemy in some old video game like her (it looked like an iron ball with a chain) as I soothed her."
Midnight Arcade[edit]
The Midnight Arcade book series features interactive stories involving the reader being transported inside the worlds of parodies of video games. The second book in the series features the game "Excellent Ernesto Cousins 3", an obvious parody of Super Mario Bros. 3.
N.E.R.D.S.: Attack of the B.U.L.L.I.E.S[edit]
In chapter 19, Matilda played Donkey Kong at Marty Mozzerella's.
The Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet: The Good, the Bad and the Fuzzy.[edit]
In chapter 6, when Mr. Piffle asks Danvers what the names of Columbus's three ships, 2 of Danvers' responses were "The Mario and the Luigi".
Reboot Adventure Game[edit]
Virtual Life: In a book based on the CGI television show, after narrowly winning a game, Enzo complains about how awful it was, and Bob replies, "At least there weren't any Italian plumbers!"
Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2013: DOWNLOAD THE WEIRD[edit]
Page 168 contains an entry about a man named Mitsugu Kikai, who set the record for the largest collection of Super Mario memorabilia. The entry states that he was born in 1985, the same year that Nintendo released the first Super Mario Bros. game, and has more than 5,400 items of Super Mario memorabilia.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2014: DARE TO LOOK![edit]
- On page 188, there is an entry which says;
"In New Berlin, Wisconsin, in 2011, 425 people dressed as characters from video games including Angry Birds, Super Mario Bros., Halo 3 and Pac-Man."
Runnerland[edit]
A minor character named Mike Magee, the owner of an arcade parlor, was rumored to have crazy-glued all the doors and windows of his high school because he wanted to figure out how Super Mario could get through a locked-door maze.
They Both Die At The End[edit]
On page 46, Mateo finds his junior year photo of him wearing a Luigi hat after winning a Mario Kart contest online. The hat is mentioned a few times throughout the story.
Later, on page 78, Rufus tells Mateo, "We can get a handshake going when we meet, but until then I promise to be the Mario to your Luigi, except I won't hog the spotlight."
TimeRiders[edit]
Throughout the series, Liam frequently plays Mario Kart.
Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done[edit]
The start of Chapter 16 reads:
- I march down to Principal Scrimshaw's office as a man at the peak of his tactical power. Like *Napoleon in Austerlitz.
- (Picture of Napoleon)
- Grant in Vicksburg.
- (Picture of Grant)
- Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom.
- (Picture of Mario)
- Only to find no mushrooms.
The House of Hades[edit]
At one point during the battle with Hygea, Leo and Jason mention Mario Party 6.
Zac Power[edit]
In the book Zac Power: Blockbuster, it is mentioned that riding in a golf cart from a robot security guard is harder than Mario Karts.
Comic book references[edit]
Adventure Time[edit]
The D cover to issue 2 of the Fionna & Cake special has Fionna flying in Cake's body as a reference to the boxart to Super Mario Bros. 3.
Archie Comics[edit]
Archie & Friends Double Digest #2[edit]
During the first story, which is the second of Cyber Adventures, Archie is in a virtual game, and enters a castle to save Betty. Inside, he has to go through a few enemies, which resemble enemies from the Super Mario franchise - specifically Goombas, Hammer Bros., Bullet Bills, Spinies, and Piranha Plants. After fighting off the enemies, he goes into a room with an enormous amount of Fire Bars. After getting past that room, he comes across a bridge, where he has to fight a Bowser look-alike. Archie defeats him by using an ax to cut a chain, which causes the bridge to collapse. Finally, he comes across Betty, who's wearing a pink dress and crown that closely resembles Princess Peach's outfit.
Sonic & Mega Man: Worlds Collide (part 10)[edit]
A Goomba makes a cameo on board the Wily Egg along with a group of Buzz Bombers, Metts, and Motobugs in Mega Man issue 27.
Sonic the Hedgehog[edit]
In issue 160, Bean the Dynamite exclaims "Shine Get!" upon showing Fiona Fox's keys to Shadow the Hedgehog, referencing Super Mario Sunshine.
In issue 221, there is a background character that resembles Mario. Besides the resemblance and similar clothing, the character itself appears to be a raccoon, similar to how Mario can transform into Raccoon Mario when collecting a Super Leaf.
In issue 263's back-up story "Consequences", one of Dr. Eggman's monitors is on a site titled "Mustacio Afficionado" (spelled with an extra "f"). The site shows a glimpse of both Mario and Luigi's mustaches, along with Dr. Light and Dr. Wily.
The Beano[edit]
On page 38 in the November 10th, 2008 issue, the introduction to Dodge of the Week is:
Uh-Oh! I've forgotten to do my homework. Well, I say 'forgotten', but what I really mean is 'spent my evening playing Mario Kart on Wii multiplayer online'. Be warned fellow dodgers, no matter how good you think you are, there's someone in Japan who's better.
On page 8 in the issue released on the 13th August 2013, a maze with Les Pretend as a plumber where he is trapped in the sewer appears. One of the possible paths to take shows Les dressed as Mario holding a plunger and jumping towards some small 1-up Mushrooms.
Cable & Deadpool[edit]
In Issue #35 (Past Indiscretions), Deadpool passes a videogame store with what appears to be Mario wearing a baseball uniform.[2] In another issue, when Deadpool is underground, he says "Sewer pipes. The Super Mario Strategy. Always works for him, So why shouldn't it work for me?"
The Dandy[edit]
From Issues #3571 (February 11, 2012) to #3576 (March 24, 2012), there is a mini-strip called "Stupid Barrio Bros", which satirizes many elements from the Super Mario series.[3]
Darkwing Duck[edit]
In Issue #8 (Crisis on Infinite Darkwings), one of the alternate universe Darkwings is based off of Mario.
Futurama Comics[edit]
Issue #38: Rumble in the Jungle
- At the beginning, instead of Fry doing what Leela asked him to do, he played on his handheld video game, stating, "Come on, you dumb hedgehog, get those rings, or you can't survive the lava pit! I don't want to lose you the same way I did Crash, Lara and Mario!".
Issue #44: The Fry and the Furious
- When Fry is in court with the chicken lawyer, Mario is in the jury.
Annual #1: Bendocchio!
- When Professor Farnsworth is entering his house, Mario and Princess Peach are walking hand-in-hand down the street behind him.
Invincible[edit]
In Volume 9: Out of This World, a man is depicted wearing a shirt with Francis and his catchphrase "hi-technicaaal" on it.[4]
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic[edit]
Friends Forever Issue #4
- There are several scenes in this issue that have two stallions that look like Mario and Luigi. Both stallions are light-blue color Crystal Ponies with black mustaches and wearing respective red and green caps. Their cutie marks are a red mushroom and an "L" shape pipe respectively.
Old Master Q[edit]
The 89th book of the series has material that references various Super Mario games, with the cover being based off of Super Mario World, the title page referencing Super Mario Bros. and the maze activity being based off of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Simpsons Comics[edit]
Issue #110: Bad News Bearer
- Near the beginning, Bart is seen playing a Donkey Kong-like game, while Milhouse tells him what to do:
Milhouse: Come on, Bart, jump over those cement-filled barrels and make it to the top of the Gorilla Mafia ladder!
Bart: I know Milhouse! I know!
Bart: Aaaah! He got me!
- While on screen the characters speak:
DK (in a blue tux): I'm a legitimate business monkey!
Mario: You-a-Italian stereo-types demean us all! Mama mia!
- Near the end, Ned Flanders, after coming home from the hospital after becoming unconscious because he played too many video games, says he will make a mushroom pizza. In the next panel, a Toad-like being appears by Ned. In the next full page panel, Ned is Luigi, chasing him. The Simpsons are also computer Game characters. Homer is DK, Bart is Mario, Marge is Lara Croft, and Lisa is Sonic the Hedgehog.
Marge: Get him, Homer!
Homer: I'm on it!
Bart: Mama Mia!
Issue #130: Marge the Sellout
- Marge gets into the habit of auctioning off all of the family's possessions online. She soon auctions off Bart's old video games to the chef character Luigi Risotto. After Luigi wins the auction, the next panel reveals that he has a brother; a plumber who is dressed up like Mario. The "Mario" character asks Luigi to help him fix a leaky pipe, to which Luigi responds "Hold your mushrooms! I'm-a coming!".
Issue #161: Mighty MMORPG Player Rangers
- The cover is a reference to Donkey Kong. Homer and Bart assume the roles of Donkey Kong and Mario respectively, with Homer tossing barrels of toxic waste. Lisa appears to be standing in for Pauline, but seems more interested in reading a book.
Simpsons Super Spectacular[edit]
Issue #11
- During the Comic, Fat Tony wants Mario's Moustache. Mario asks him to take an eyebrow instead but this version of Mario has no eyebrows.
Sonic The Comic[edit]
Sonic The Comic #18
- A trio of villains known as the Marxio Bro's (a parody and fusion of the Marx Brothers and the Mario Bros.) appear as antagonistic electricians.
Turma da Mônica (Monica's Gang)[edit]
Mônica (Abril series) Issue #172
- The first story "A Incrível Aventura Eletrônica", Monica and Jimmy Five are teleported into a video game. In one part of the story Monica wears clothing similar to Mario and rescues Pauline from Donkey Kong, as a reference to the game Donkey Kong.
Mônica (Panini first series) Issue #68
- The first story "Cada Um na Sua História" is a reference to the classic Super Mario games. Jimmy Five uses the Marina's magic pencil to transform the neighborhood in a scenario similar to Yoshi's Island stages from Super Mario World. During the whole story, enemies such as Koopa Troopas, Bullet Bills, Rexes, Thwomps, Goombas, and Bowser can be seen.
Cascão (Panini second series) Issue #2
- The strip on the last page is a reference to the Mario games, with Smudge is imagined as Mario.
Clássicos do Cinema Issue #52
- This issue features an issue-long story called "Gamebusters", a parody of the original Ghostbusters movie, in which the ghosts are represented by retro video game characters. In the Sedgewick Hotel sequence, the ghost haunting the hotel is instead a chef-themed parody of Mario called "Mariano". He grows to giant size after Smudge comments on what would happen if he ate a red mushroom, but soon he gets contained in a proton pack.
Turma da Mônica Jovem (Monica Teen)[edit]
Issue 31: Meninos x Meninas
In this comic, Smith (teen Smudge) is playing a Nintendo DS with some friends. He eventually says: "Pula seu encanador bigodudo! Pula!" (Jump, you mustachioed plumber! Jump!). The boys also comment about playing "Dario Party", a reference to Mario Party.
In another comic, the gang is at a costume party. Toddy is dressed as "Superdário", another reference to Mario. The comic also introduces an overweight woman in a princess costume known as "Princesa Píti" ("Píti" being pronounced similarly to "peach"). Her title is princess of the Caramel Kingdom (Reino dos Caramelos, an allusion to Reino dos Cogumelos, Mushroom Kingdom translated to Portuguese).
Comic strip references[edit]
Adam@home[edit]
- 2010-11-14 - Super Mario Galaxy 2 is mentioned as part of Clayton's Christmas gift list.
- 2012-09-06 - Clayton tells his friend that he "really want[s] the new Wii", and when his friend comments on how "console gaming [is] dead", Clayton replies with "be careful... I hear Mario and Luigi hold a grudge".
Alley Oop[edit]
- 2019-01-22 - After Dr. Wonmug brought Oop and Ooona to the future, he brought Oop to an arcade place to play Donkey Kong. Oop thought that the titular Donkey Kong is him, adding a quip that he hated plumbers.
The Argyle Sweater[edit]
- 2010-10-19 - One of the featured people with "Majestic Mustaches" is Mario.
- 2012-08-15 - It is alluded that Mario is the one who dealt with a giant ape with a Hammer, in reference to Donkey Kong.
- 2014-01-07 - Mario was interrogated by the police because of his possession of Mushrooms.
- 2015-07-31 - Mario raises his hand as one of the students when answering the question about a crescent moon.
- 2017-11-29 - A huge pixel Mario is shown blocking the basketball shots, while a Mushroom is being held by an umpire, who believed that the team Mario is on used Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED).
- 2018-03-05 - Mario is shown to be in terminal condition due to flatlining, while one of the nurses rushed to the doctor with a 1-Up Mushroom.
- 2024-05-06 - Mario is sitting in an armchair reading a newspaper. On the wall behind him are the mounted heads of a Goomba, a Piranha Plant, a Cheep Cheep, Bowser, a Koopa Troopa, and Donkey Kong.
B.C.[edit]
- 2021-06-14 - In a fortune telling session, a character that resembles Mario stomps on a tortoise out of a shell similar to the Koopa Troopa's behavior in Super Mario World, and kicks the shell back to the same tortoise without the shell.
Big Nate[edit]
10/29-31/2020 - Teddy and Francis are respectively dressed as Mario and Luigi for Halloween.
Bizarro[edit]
- 2001-08-26 - Batman was annoyed by Commissioner Gordon calling him repeated, while he and Robin were playing a Super Mario game on TV.
FoxTrot[edit]
- 10/14/1990 - The Sunday strip published on this date revolves around Jason playing Super Mario Bros., all the while Paige demands he turn the game off so she can watch Star Search. This strip is reprinted in the collection Eight Yards, Down and Out.
- 1/14-19,21-26/1991 - A two-week storyline where Jason gets upset that his friend Marcus has beaten Super Mario Bros. first. Attempting to beat the game himself, Jason stays up all night playing it, so Andy takes it away for two weeks, despite his complaints. She eventually gives it back to him a week early because Roger would not stop playing it himself. This storyline is reprinted in Eight Yards, Down and Out.
- 9/??/91 - Jason begs Andy to buy him a Super Nintendo, one of his reasons being "it's got the latest Mario cartridge", and if she does not buy it, "I'll be stuck playing dumb ol' Mario 3 forever!" Reprinted in Bury My Heart at Fun Fun Mountain.
- 7/??/92 - Andy unplugs Jason's NES while he is playing Mario Bros. in order to make him come to dinner. This leads to Jason becoming so furious that he kicks his NES and destroys it. Reprinted in Say Hello to Cactus Flats.
- 12/17/93 - At the end of an unrelated storyline, Jason bothers Peter by holding up a game cartridge and saying, "Super Mario Universe 2 awaits..." Reprinted in Take Us to Your Mall.
- 2/??/97 - Jason plays a game titled Super Earthworm Mario Country 3 and has trouble finding a Blue Star in a level called the Rainbow Sewer. Paige infuriates him by suggesting he triple-jump to a ledge with a secret door (she knows this from reading the strategy guide). Reprinted in Come Closer, Roger, There's a Mosquito on Your Nose.
- 12/13/2005 - As part of a storyline where Jason attempts to make his own remake of King Kong, Peter wears a Donkey Kong mask and tie. Reprinted in Houston, You Have a Problem.
- 04/01/2006 - How Come I'm Always Luigi? is released. The cover shows Jason and Marcus pretending to be Mario and Luigi (based on a week of strips where the boys imitate video game scenarios while playing in the snow).
- 01/25/2005 - the strip the anthology was based on. After Peter asks his mom if she actually told Jason he could not play video games (with Andy correcting him and saying he had to play outside before acknowledging it was the same thing), it shows Marcus and Jason re-enacting Super Mario Bros. 3, with Marcus, standing on a mushroom, asking irritably why he is always Luigi, with Jason, while leaping down, promising he can be Mario next time.
- ??/??/?? - A comic where Jason played all of his video games to put "Mom" as #1 for Mother's Day. One of the games he had was called "Mario Vs. Predator".
- 4/27/14 - In this Sunday comic strip, Jason designs his signature to be "Crazy hard to forge," featuring many doodles of various TV shows, movies, etc. The first part of the signature shows a Goomba, Mario, 2 pipes, and a flag.
Gui & Estopa[edit]
In one strip, Gui tells a joke to Cróquete about why girls like dolls so much. On the next frame, as he calls her habit childish and plays with a superhero toy, a Mario action figure can be seen among other characters in the background.
Howard & Nester[edit]
- October 1988 - Howard gives a tip for Super Mario Bros. 2.
- June 1990 - Howard and Nester debug Super Mario Bros. 3.
Both these strips can be seen at The Howard & Nester Comics Archive.
In The Bleachers[edit]
- 2024-05-20 - Mario appears in 8-bit form and in the process of a slam dunk. The other basketball players discuss his reputation for getting "air."
Off the Mark[edit]
- 2008-08-25 - Several Marios are in heaven for the several deaths that they experienced, which based on what is seen, includes "Fell", "Hit by a barrel", "Touched by an enemy" and "Ran out of time". All of these death scenarios are possible in Donkey Kong.
- 2014-05-25 - Mario is shown as one of the characters in need of treatment, for being "on mushrooms".
- 2014-09-27 - The panel is a parody of Mario Kart Wii's boxart, in which Mario and Luigi are shown dismembered as though they are figurines.
- 2015-12-03 - Several Marios with some differences are seen, with the subtitle stating: "Super Mario Fertility Drug Bros.", shown alongside a Goomba in a Pipe.
Pearls Before Swine[edit]
In one strip, Larry, a crocodile, jumps on his son, Junior, to prevent him from going to school. Junior says "Most parents inspire their chidren to go to school, dad." In response, his father says "Not me. Stay home. Play Wii." In the last panel, Larry's wife, Patty, is shown holding a hammer from Super Paper Mario and says "Look over here, Super Mario."
Phoebe and Her Unicorn[edit]
- 2021-10-31 - Marigold, the titular unicorn, is dressed in Mario's signature clothing for Halloween.
- 2023-10-29 - The titular Phoebe is dressed in Princess Daisy's dress for Halloween.
Plok The Exploding Man[edit]
In episode #136 of the official Plok! webcomic, the unused Super Mario Sunshine enemy Hinokuri2 (referred to as "Tramplin' Stu" in the strip) appears and destroys the exterior of Wubba's cafe.
Retail[edit]
- 2009-03-15 - Lunker makes a box sculpture of the blocks from Super Mario Bros. and has Cooper punch the one that looks like a ? Block. Cooper is immediately buried beneath a cascade of coins, and while he good-naturedly comments on the authenticity, Lunker admits it did not work how he imagined it would.
- 2012-11-01 - Lunker wears a Wario costume. The request from Cooper to Lunker to shake Josh for money is a reference to Wario's shaking move in Wario Land: Shake It!.
Sally Forth[edit]
10/27/06 - New storyline has Sally and Ted dressed as the Super Mario Bros. for a Halloween party. Unfortunately, no one has any idea who they are supposed to be, and the closest guess is "an affront to the Italian Defamation League?" Also, a Donkey Kong-like costume can be seen in the background of one of the strips. The strips can be seen here.
The Far Side[edit]
One panel includes the caption "Hopeful Parents", which includes a boy playing on an NES, and his parents thinking of him writing articles about Nintendo needing Mario experts in 2005.
xkcd[edit]
- Super Mario themes appear in xkcd 151, 290, 409, 423, 1350, and 2873.
- One picture that can be seen in 1037 makes a reference to Boos.
- In the interactive comic (1110), if the reader goes right from the starting point, after a mountain there is redrawn version of World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros.
- Super Mario Bros. is also referenced in 1416.
Manga references[edit]
Air Gear[edit]
In chapter 18, during the battle with Buccha, Ikki uses the "Reverse Donkey Kong" moves with a bunch of flower pots, and even a parody of the actual game takes place, apparently named "Air Gear Kong".
Animal Crossing New Horizons: Deserted Island Diary[edit]
In the chapter "Creating the Ideal Spooky Home!" of Volume 5, Villager Coroyuki changes into an outfit to match the spooky theme of the house that Clay wants to live in, and one part of Coroyuki's outfit is a mustache heavily based on Mario's. Himepoyo, one of Coroyuki's friends, even points this out.
Assassination Classroom[edit]
In chapter 18, when the sniper Red Eye is reminiscing about his past targets, Mario's cap is briefly visible.
In chapter 116, as Nagisa talks about how talents can be used in a variety of ways, his dialogue is illustrated by Mario playing baseball, golf and tennis. Mario is realistically proportioned and his eyes are obscured, but he retains his trademark nose and mustache.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations[edit]
In chapter 29, Boruto is seen playing a Super Mario Bros.-like game on a console resembling the Nintendo Switch.
Cat + Gamer[edit]
The back of Volume 3 features an image heavily based on New Super Mario Bros., with Musubi filling in the role of Mario, Riko coming out of a Warp Pipe, and the cat toys filling in the role of Goombas and Koopa Troopas respectively.
City[edit]
In chapter 4, Nagumo picks up some of her items after they had been stolen; one of these items is a ? Block.
Death Note[edit]
In Chapter 16 of the manga, Ryuk asks Light to play Mario Golf with him.[5]
Densetsu no Stafy (Yumiko Sudō)[edit]
Wario appears in chapter 8 of volume 2 of the Densetsu no Stafy manga illustrated by Yumiko Sudō. This chapter is called Wario to Saikyō Tag da Fii! (Japanese: ワリオと最強タッグだフィー!), roughly meaning "With Wario, this is the Best Tag Team, Fii!". The chapter has Wario looking for treasure near a town in Starfy's world, before losing his treasure map, so Starfy and Moe decide to use Wario's treasure map to look for treasure and the map leads them to a cave containing the treasure, however, Moe gets separated from Starfy after Starfy accidentally activates a trap door.
When Wario comes (despite losing his treasure map), Wario and Starfy team up to find the treasure and they use the Wario Attack and Shooting Star ability to break a boulder blocking their way (which fell after Starfy activated the trap door) but it turns out that Moe had already found the treasure before them. When Wario and Starfy find Moe eating at a restaurant, they use the Wario Attack and Shooting Star ability against him.
Densetsu no Stafy R[edit]
In chapter 5, "Otaku no Seichi, Biba! Akiba!!" (Japanese: オタクの聖地、 ビバ! アキバ !!) of the Densetsu no Stafy R manga, roughly "Holy Place of Otaku, Viva! Akiba!!", Starfy and Moe find a bookshop called "Book Spring" in the fictional city Akiunabara (based on the real world {{wp|Akihabara}), where drawings of characters like Mario, Tom Nook and Grandpa Danger appear. Mario is referred to as "Sawarayukio", a corruption of the name of the author of Super Mario-Kun, Yukio Sawada, like how there are corruptions of the names of other things in this manga.
The Girl in the Arcade[edit]
In Chapter 7, Mobuo and Nanora decide to play a racing game that strikingly resembles Mario Kart Arcade GP with Nanora playing as a princess and Mobuo playing as a plumber, with both of those characters being equivalent to Peach and Mario respectively. Additionally, the racing game they play feature ?! Blocks containing items such as mushrooms, banana peels and squids (though the mushroom and squid items portrayed here are functioned differently than the Super Mushroom and Blooper items).
Heaven's Lost Property[edit]
In chapter 67, Mikako Satsukitane and Yoshitsune Hououin can be seen in the background playing what appears to be the original Super Mario Bros. on the Wii. Later on in the same chapter, Ikaros and Mikako can be seeing playing it this time, revealing that it is a parody of the game featuring main protagonist Tomoki Sakurai and his grandfather.
Hunter × Hunter[edit]
In chapter 346, Pekotero asks Ging to play a Mario game with him.
Hyperdimension Neptunia[edit]
In one chapter of the Japanese-only manga version of this series, the main character Neptune ends up rolling down a road while trying to slow down a baby carriage she was keeping her rejuvenated sister and friends in. In a direct reference to the Mario Kart series, they pass by a group of floating Item Boxes, out of one of which pops a Koopa shell.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo[edit]
The old janitor who works at Giorno Giovanna's school wears blue overalls and a red undershirt and cap, referencing Mario's iconic outfit.
Kaidan Tochuu no Big Noise[edit]
Chapter 2 features the main characters looking for an advisor for their club. Keito suggests asking the odd-looking Katosen, but Tsukumo objects and proceeds to list off Katosen's dubious nicknames. One of them is accompanied by a depiction of a Toad surrounded by Mushrooms.
Kirby Manga Mania[edit]
In volume 1, one of the comic strip theaters on page 116 features a four panel comic called Mario Kirby. In the comic, Kirby dons a Mario hat, moustache, and nose, and sets off to rescue Princess Peach, who he mistakenly refers to as "Peaches" while imitating Mario's accent. Throughout the comic, King Dedede tries to correct Kirby and gets increasingly frustrated with him, resulting in Princess Peach accepting "Peaches" in the final panel to attempt to end the argument.
KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops[edit]
In Volume 170, Hayato Honda plays WarioWare: D.I.Y. on a Nintendo DS Lite.
Komi-san wa Komyushou Desu[edit]
In chapter 48, the main characters play a parody of Super Smash Bros. Parodies of Ness and Captain Falcon are depicted, while the main characters directly play as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Zelda.
My Hero Academia[edit]
In chapter 3, as Present Mic explains the rules for the UA entry exam, he uses silhouettes inspired by the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 to illustrate them. Heroes' powers are represented by Super Mario, Tanooki Mario and Fire Mario, while the enemies are represented by a Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant and Thwomp; Present Mic directly references the latter enemy and the game by name as he continues his explanations.
My Little Pony: The Manga[edit]
In chapter 2, Pinkie Pie asks if Princess Celestia can beat her high score in Super Mar-io brothers, but Celestia is fixated on banishing a claw machine to the moon for disrespecting her.
Nichijou[edit]
In chapter 18, it is revealed that the Professor modified Nano, a robot girl, to make her react in over-the-top ways to jokes and absurdities. One of these reactions involves Nano bouncing and hitting Brick Blocks, out of which pop coins
In chapter 135, an item resembling a ? Block can be seen on a street merchant's stall.
In chapter 151, as part of her over-the-top reactions to Sasahara's antics, Misato prepares a catapult and loads it with a Bullet Bill.
Not Lives[edit]
In Chapter 10.5 — Let’s Play a Retro Game, Mikami and Amamiya participate in a video game based off of World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros., featuring a boss referred to as Mappa rather than Kuppa (Bowser), enemies referred to as Malonbo instead of Kuribo (Goomba), and !? Blocks. Having developed a taste for them, Amamiya claims a large number of size-altering mushrooms as her prize upon completing the game. In Chapter 11, Amamiya makes reference to the Tanooki Suit. In Chapter 35.5, Mikami and Amamiya Play a game of Nario Cart on the Shining Road track (based on Mario Kart and Rainbow Road) while respectively playing as characters resembling themselves mixed with Bowser and Princess Peach, in addition using power-ups based on Bullet Bills and Torpedo Teds while assisted by Lakitu.
One Piece[edit]
The cover art for Chapter 1028 features Nami and Usopp playing a video game referencing Super Smash Bros., with several of the other Straw Hat Pirates' outfits referencing a character from the series; Jinbei's outfit references Mario, Franky's outfit references Donkey Kong, Zoro's outfit references Link, and Luffy's outfit references Ken Masters.
Onii-chan is Done For[edit]
In Chapter 27: Mahiro and Girl's Night (Part One), a game titled Super Marimo Party (based on Super Mario Party) is played.
Plus-Sized Elf[edit]
The game Hyper Potato Kart Remix, which is heavily based on Mario Kart 8, is a recurring game that appears in a few chapters. One instance of the game appearing is in Chapter 10 of volume 2 Elfuda, Kuroeda and Oga are playing said game, with Elfuda demanding Kuroeda to let go of a shell, followed by Kuroeda saying that the shell hit Elfuda before she could reach the goal. The game would later be mainly focused in the bonus chapter "Elves and Video Games" of volume 5, where Elfuda teaches her aunt Oeda how to play video games. While explaining how video games work, Elfuda is using said game as an example of playing video games and is on the vehicle select, strongly resembling the vehicle select menu of Mario Kart 8. Additionally, Elfuda is playing as a plumber character, further referencing Mario.
Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan[edit]
In chapter 3 of volume 0, when Saiki is commenting on a street magician's life choices, he remarks "If this was Mario Kart, Lakitu would have turned him around forever ago." Lakitu's eyes (as well as the eyes on his cloud) are notably censored out.
Squid Girl[edit]
In chapter 128, Eiko hands Squid Girl and Kiyomi a copy of a game called "Ponkey Kong", a parody of Donkey Kong.
Chapter 316 features Eiko replacing her broken-down Famicom with a Nintendo Wii. The console's home menu screen can be seen in one panel, with several games bought from the internet; some of these look strikingly similar to Super Mario Kart and Super Mario World. At the end of the chapter, Eiko and Squid Girl are seen playing Super Mario Kart, specifically its Battle Mode.
To Love-Ru Darkness[edit]
In chapter 69, Nemesis is playing a game on Rito's Nintendo DS, which greatly resembles the original Super Mario Bros. Mario, who is shown to be named "IIIGEO", can be seen jumping on a Goomba.
The World God Only Knows[edit]
In chapter 24, as Keima is summing up how escaped spirits attempt to resurrect, he uses paper cut-outs of Boos to represent said spirits. In chapter 57, an 8-bit Keima dressed as Mario, complete with fake nose, is shown performing the unlimited 1-Up trick from the original Super Mario Bros. game.
World War Blue[edit]
The entire manga is a re-imagining of the console wars between Nintendo and Sega. One of the antagonists, Marcus, is clearly based off of Mario due to his mustache and the letter M on his forehead. Marcus is the general of the Ninteldo Empire who occasionally rides a green dinosaur named Yozu, based on Yoshi. Marcus' brother Guliji, the commander of the Ninteldo Army, is based on Luigi and has the letter L on his forehead.
Gaming magazine cover references[edit]
Club Nintendo México[edit]
- In the first number, Cape Mario can be seen landing on Mexico City in the "Ángel de la Independencia" area.
- Year 1 No. 2 - it features Super Mario World as the cover.
- Year 2 No. 8 - it features Super Mario All-Stars as the cover.
- Year 3 No. 5 - it features Donkey Kong for the Game Boy being played on the SNES with the Super Game Boy
- Year 3 No. 11 - Donkey Kong Country in the cover.
- Year 4 No. 10 - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island appears in the cover.
- Year 4 No. 12 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest as the cover.
- Year 5 No. 1 - Mario beholding the Nintendo 64 as cover.
- Year 5 No. 2 - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars in the cover.
- Year 5 No. 7 - solo artwork of Mario in a plain white background from Super Mario 64 as cover.
- Year 6 No. 9 - Win a signed Nintendo 64 gold controller signed by Shigeru Miyamoto promo appeared.
- The special publication in April 2007 was a tribute to the Mario games where the title was "El Arte de los juegos de Mario Bros." and where Charles Martinet sign an autograph that reads: "Para mis amigos de Club Nintendo ustedes son el número 1!!! Woo Hoo!!! - Charles Martinet."
- Year 20 No. 1 - Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition on cover.
Edge[edit]
- Edge Christmas 2007 – Ice Mario appears on the cover, debuting the Wii game Super Mario Galaxy.
EGM[edit]
- EGM #16 – Super Mario World on the cover, formerly called Super Mario Bros. 4 during development.
EGM2[edit]
- EGM2 #23, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars appears on the cover
- EGM2 #26, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario 64 is the cover story
- EGM2 #27, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario 64 appears on the cover
- EGM2 #28, Ziff Davis Publications – Super Mario 64 appears on the cover
- EGM2 #30, Ziff Davis Publications – Mario appears on the cover
- EGM2 #32, Ziff Davis Publications – Mario Kart 64 appears on the cover
- EGM2 #45, Ziff Davis Publications – Yoshi's Story is the cover story
- EGM2 #6, Ziff Davis Publications – Donkey Kong Country 2 appears on the cover
- EGM2 #31, Ziff Davis Publications – Donkey Kong Country 3 appears on the cover
- EGM2 #32, Ziff Davis Publications – Donkey Kong Country 3 appears on the cover
- EGM2 #41, Ziff Davis Publications – Diddy Kong Racing appears on the cover
- EGM2 #43, Ziff Davis Publications – Diddy Kong Racing appears on the cover
Expert Gamer[edit]
- Expert Gamer #58 – Mario Party is the cover story
- Expert Gamer #59 – Super Smash Bros. Melee appears on the cover
- Expert Gamer #69 – Mario Party 2 is the cover story
- Expert Gamer #75 – Mario Tennis is the cover story
- Expert Gamer #75 – Paper Mario is on the cover
GamePro[edit]
- GamePro #213 – New Super Mario Bros. is on the cover.
- GamePro #231 – Mario flying in space in the cover, debuting the Wii game Super Mario Galaxy.
Gamemaster[edit]
- Gamemaster #37 - Mario is on the cover.
Nintendo Gamer/NGamer[edit]
- Nintendo Gamer Mario Party 8 appears on front cover.
NGamer (Spanish version)[edit]
- Nintendo Gamer #1 - Super Mario Galaxy appears on front cover.
NGamer (Brazilian version)[edit]
- Nintendo Gamer #3 - Mario Kart Wii appears on front cover.
- Nintendo Gamer #6 - Super Mario Galaxy appears on front cover.
- Nintendo Gamer #8 - Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears on front cover.
- Nintendo Gamer #10 - Mario Kart Wii appears on front cover.
Nintendo World[edit]
As the official Nintendo magazine in Brazil for many years, and a long-running Nintendo-dedicated publication even after losing official status, Nintendo World had many of its covers dedicated to or featuring Mario, including:
- Nintendo World #7 - Mario Party appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #18 - Mario Party 2 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #29 - As a retrospective of 2000 releases, Mario shares the cover with Conker (for Conker's Bad Fur Day), MegaMan Volnutt (for Mega Man 64) and Spider-Man.
- Nintendo World #30 - Various incarnations of Mario appear on the cover, because the issue's main feature is focused on thr character's trajectory up until Paper Mario, then the most recent release.
- Nintendo World #34 - The issue's main feature was the coverage of E3 2001, where the Nintendo GameCube's first games were unveiled; Mario as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Luigi as he appears in Luigi's Mansion, among other Nintendo characters, appeared on the cover.
- Nintendo World #37 - Mario appears holding the "newborn" GameCube in his hands on the cover.
- Nintendo World #38 - Mario Kart: Super Circuit appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #41 - A reproduction of the Super Smash Bros. Melee box art, with Mario, Bowser, Link and Pikachu fighting.
- Nintendo World #43 - Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #48 - Super Mario Sunshine appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #58 - Mario Kart: Double Dash, then having been announced at E3 2003, appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #63 - Mario Kart: Double Dash, now released, appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #64 - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is one of the RPG titles that illustrate the issue's cover.
- Nintendo World #70 - Mario appears on the cover, as the issue covers the series' forthcoming releases for 2004.
- Nintendo World #90 - Mario Kart DS appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #91 - Super Mario Strikers appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #94 - New Super Mario Bros. appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #97 - Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #98 - Super Paper Mario appears on the cover
- Nintendo World #99 - Super Mario Galaxy appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #104 - Mario Party 8 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #108 - 50 Mario's best power ups and special moves, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Super Mario Galaxy appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #109 - Mario Kart Wii appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #115 - The magazine's commemorative 10th anniversary issue, has a golden statuette of Mario on the cover, holding a Nintendo DS and a Wii Remote while surrounded by a Luma.
- Nintendo World #118 - A Super Mario-themed vacation cover.
- Nintendo World #124 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii, after its announcement at E3 2009, appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #128 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #134 - Super Mario Galaxy 2 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #142 - Mario Sports Mix appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #143 - Mario appears leaping out of the top screen of a Nintendo 3DS on the cover.
- Nintendo World #150 - Super Mario 3D Land appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #151 - Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #153 - Mario Kart 7 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #155 - Mario Party 9 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #157 - Mario Tennis Open appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #160 - New Super Mario Bros. 2 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #163 - Paper Mario: Sticker Star appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #166 - Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #170 - Mario & Luigi: Dream Team appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #172 - Cat Mario appears on the cover, although Super Mario 3D World is not the main feature.
- Nintendo World #175 - The commemorative issue of the magazine's 15th anniversary, the cover has a large "15" made up of characters and elements from various Nintendo games, Mario included.
- Nintendo World #177 - Super Mario 3D World appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #181 - Mario Kart 8 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #185 - A reproduction of the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS box art, which features Mario, Yoshi and Rosalina among its characters.
- Nintendo World #187 - Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #189 - Mario Party 10 appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #192 - Super Mario Maker appears on one of the variant covers.
- Nintendo World #195 - Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #198 - Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games appears on the cover.
- Nintendo World #200 - The cover is a mosaic of Mario's face made up of the magazine's past covers.
n-Revolution[edit]
- n-Revolution #6 – The cover depicts of a preview of Mario Strikers Charged.
Official Nintendo Magazine[edit]
- ONM #12 – Among the group of characters in the cover, there is Mario, Luigi, Wario, Bowser, Peach, and Donkey Kong carrying Pauline.
- ONM #34 – Wario Land: The Shake Dimension on the cover.
- ONM #40 – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games on the cover.
- ONM #56 – There are five versions of this issue, all of them depicting the review of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The following versions include: The subscriber version with Mario riding on Green Yoshi, Cloud Mario form, Rock Mario form, Mario using the Spin Drill, Mario riding on Bulb Yoshi, and Mario riding on Blimp Yoshi.
Pocket Games[edit]
- Pocket Games #4 – Wario Land 3 appears on the cover.
- Pocket Games #6 – Mario standing on a Game Boy Advance. At the right is the logo of Super Mario Advance.
- Pocket Games #7 – Mario leaning next to a Nintendo GameCube, and its controller.
- Pocket Games #14 – Artwork of Mario and Luigi from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
- Pocket Games #16 – The debut of the Nintendo DS game, Super Mario 64 DS.
Super Play[edit]
- Super Play #36 – Features Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island on the cover. It mentions a preview for Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Total 64[edit]
- Total 64 #9 – Yoshi's Story appears on the cover
Graphic novel references[edit]
Down to Earth[edit]
In this graphic novel from the platform Webtoon, the game Epic Bash Dudes (a parody of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), is a recurring game that appears in a few chapters. One instance of the game appearing is in Chapter 13, where Kade and Zaida go to MallMart (a parody of Walmart) to buy some groceries as well as buy a Tendo Swap (a parody of the Nintendo Switch). Epic Bash Dudes is one of the games that Kade and Zaida see in the electronics aisle, along with the Go Cutie series (a parody of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, respectively) as well as games parodying The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and DOOM. The game also appears in Chapter 41, where Kade, Zaida and Ethan talk about Kade's problems at work while playing said game, with Ethan playing as Mario, Zaida playing as Kirby and Kade playing as Pikachu, respectively.
In Chapter 189, to celebrate Zaida's return to Kade's house, Ethan and the gang decide to play Hero Cart Super 12, which is heavily based on Mario Kart 8, even having the boxart resembling the one from the aforementioned game. While playing, the gang race on a course loosely resembling SNES Donut Plains 3.
Fazbear Frights: Graphic Novel Collection Vol. 5[edit]
During the third story "Find Player Two", the protagonist and her roommate's bedroom is shown on page 148, in which a poster of a mustachioed man wearing a reddish-pink hat and clothes with the word "SUPER" written above him can be seen.
Psycho Kid vs. Psycho Dad[edit]
While Jesse (YouTuber McJuggerNuggets) is enjoying his time at a gaming convention, Jeffrey Sr. invades the convention and fights against Jesse as revenge for killing him and taking the money. While this happens, Jeffrey Sr. punches Jesse into a statue of Mario at one point.
Scott Pilgrim[edit]
The band that Scott plays in for much of the series is named "Sex Bob-omb". Also, in Chapter 4 of the first book, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, when Ramona is trying to explain about the subspace highway running through Scott's head and how she uses it to travel long distances in a short amount of time, he asks "Is it like in Super Mario 2?" After staring at him for a moment, she replies "Ummmmmm... No. It isn't really like that at all." However, the star-emblazoned doors Ramona uses to enter subspace were inspired by the design of the doors in Super Mario 64. In Chapter 11 of the second book, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, when Ramona asks Scott if they were "an item", he responds in confusion and a thought bubble showing a Super Mushroom, a Star and a Fire Flower from the first Super Mario Bros. appears next to him. In the final book of the series, Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour, Scott pictures himself wearing a Tanooki Suit when he tries to remember what his relationship with Envy was like.
Smile[edit]
In chapter 1 of the book, Amara is playing on a Nintendo Entertainment System, and Raina says "You can only watch your sister die at Super Mario Brothers so many times..." in her thoughts. In chapter 2, Jane's brother has a Mario poster on his bedroom wall. In chapter 3 when Raina is describing her summer, in the Nintendo panel a Super Mushroom and Star can be seen. In chapter 5, Raina can be seen playing Super Mario Bros. In chapter 6, Raina is reading Nintendo Power issue with a picture of Mario on the front.
Magazine references[edit]
Blip[edit]
The first issue of Blip, a short-lived gaming magazine released by Marvel Comics in 1983, features a comic based on Donkey Kong.
The comic begins with news reporter Vic Video (accompanied by two unnamed members of a press crew) interviewing Mario. Vic quickly proves to be rude and inconsiderate, interrupting Mario's responses and continuing to follow him to ask him questions even when Donkey Kong suddenly appears and Mario begins chasing him down. Donkey Kong has kidnapped a damsel who resembles Lady, although Mario claims that he does not know her. After she is rescued, Donkey Kong kidnaps Vic, who attempts to interview him, only to be thrown off the construction site. Mario rescues him just as Donkey Kong captures the damsel again and flees. Mario and Vic chase him, during which Mario reveals some backstory: Donkey Kong was genetically engineered in Japan to help with construction work, but he instead chose to kidnap damsels, which is how he and Mario first met. Mario explains that the reason Donkey Kong kidnaps damsels is that "they remind him of the mother he never knew," and he fights Donkey Kong only because he feels he is the only one able to do so. As he and Vic reach Donkey Kong and the damsel one last time, Mario tells the damsel to scratch Donkey Kong behind the ears, which soon pacifies him. As the three begin to relax, Vic asks Mario how they plan on getting down from the construction site, in response to which Mario simply asks, "Down?" Vic Video then promptly concludes the interview.
Cracked Magazine[edit]
- Cracked Summer Special #3 (1993) features a five-page comic featuring a satirical look behind the scenes of the Super Mario Bros. movie, where the real Mario and Luigi are working as creative consultants.
- Cracked Collectors' Edition #109 (January 1997) features a four-page comic in which Mario is interviewed about the "Ninnytendo 64". According to this comic, Mario is Nintendo's mascot because he saved all the employees when their plumbing sprang a leak. The Super Mario Bros. movie parody comic is also reprinted here.
- Cracked Collectors' Edition #115 (July 1998) features cover art of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider coming upon skeletons resembling Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man, and Goro.
Disney Adventures[edit]
- Disney Adventures Volume 9 Issue 6 (May 1999) - The "Secret Lives of Video Game Stars" feature includes a section titled "Mario's Secret Notebook" (written by Yolanda Crous), which features a satirical synopsis of Super Mario 64 from Mario's perspective.
Mad[edit]
- Mad #292 (Jan 1990) features cover art of Mario and Luigi (the latter one wearing the clothes as seen in Super Mario Bros. and having an M on his cap) attacking a TV hooked up to a Neumantendo System. On the screen is a pixelated picture of Alfred E. Neuman. Despite what the cover implies, the actual article does not lampoon any existing video games.
- Mad #457 (Sep 2005) - The cover article is entitled "50 Worst Things About Video Games" and features various video game characters on the cover, including Mario. The Super Mario franchise is referenced three times throughout the list.
- 2 - "Console manufacturers selling systems without basic essentials like memory cards or a second controller, so you have to shell out another 60 bucks before you can see so much as a hair on Luigi's mustache."
- 20 - "Donkey Konga, which combines the '60s-era art of bongo drumming with none of the mind-bending hallucinogens that made it tolerable in the first place."
- 25 - "Mario's ridiculous Italian accent, which comes in just behind Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's infamous "Kill all the Haitians" message as the worst ethnic offense in gaming."
- Mad #510 (August 2011) - In "Green Lunkheads", Yoshi appears as one of the Green Lunkheads along with Frankenstein's Monster, Oscar the Grouch and other famous green people.
- Mad September Special (2011) - In "Harry Plodder is Definitely Halted-Adieu!", Harry mentions Donkey Kong Country, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Mario Kart Wii among other video games with mine carts.
Mad Kids[edit]
- Mad Kids #10 (March 2008) - The cover depicts Mario, having tangled himself in a Wii Nunchuk cord with the headline "The Dumbest Wii Games Ever!" The actual article, entitled "The Least Popular Wii Games", showcases several fictitious Wii games, most of which center around various chores. The game entitled "The Wii Omelet Station" stars a blue character who resembles Princess Peach.
Record book references[edit]
1001 unbelievable Facts[edit]
One of the facts is: "There are no donkeys in the Donkey Kong computer game."
Guinness World Records[edit]
- Main article: Guinness World Records
- Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling video game of all time for many years, until it was beaten out by Wii Sports, meaning the series received no mention in the 2011 and 2012 edition.
- In Guinness World Records 2014 there is a videogames section on pages 216 & 217. It contains the "Largest collection of videogame memorabilia" record,
In 1989, eight-year-old Brett Martin's (USA) parents gave him a 4-cm-tall (1.6in) Mario holding a Mushroom. As of October 2012, Brett had amassed a treasure trove of 8,030 gaming items, which he stores at his Video Game Memorabilia Museum (videogamemm.com). The Mario inflatable (left) come's from a store display and is one of Nintendo's earliest and rarest Mario marketing items. More merchandise was produced for Mario than for any other games character, though Link is Brett's favourite.
the "Most Super Mario Kart world records" record,
Thirteen-year-old Leyla Hasso (UK) wasn't born when Super Mario Kart (Nintendo EAD) was released in 1992, but by 19 September 2012, she held 30 out of 40 possible time trial records on the PAL version. That's 26 more records than her closest rival Tanja Bronnecke (Germany).
the "Best-Selling Games by Genre" records,
Platform: Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985)- 40.24 million
Racing: Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, 2008)- 33.33 million
Fighting: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo, 2008)- 11.49 million
and one of the "Most Critically Acclaimed Games" records.
Wii: Super Mario Galaxy 2..................... 97%
Guinness World Records: Gamers Edition[edit]
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008[edit]
- Mario has been referenced and mentioned throughout the entire book, as well as having a notable mention in the Platformer Games page. There are also two pages dedicated to the series Super Mario and Mario Kart. Mario's Super Mario 64 DS artwork is shown on the cover.
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2010[edit]
- Mario is mentioned a lot throughout the book and is dubbed the 6th most popular series of all time. Additionally, his Super Mario Galaxy artwork is shown on the cover.
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2011[edit]
- One page states that Super Mario Bros. was remade on the Nintendo 64, which is false.
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2013[edit]
- Mario's Super Mario 3D Land artwork and a Super Star are shown on the cover. Additionally, the review at the top of the book says:
"Will have your head spinning like a weekend in Mario Land"
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2015[edit]
- Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. are in positions 2 and 15 respectively as determined by the readers.
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2016[edit]
- Artwork of Luigi on the Poltergust 4000 from Mario Kart DS and Lakitu riding his Cloud are featured on the first page's logo.
- In the foreword written by Smosh Games, they make a comment about the book having plenty of content for all interests, "[w]hether your thing is for moustachioed plumbers, League of Legends champions or giant Minecraft cities."
- Artwork of Bowser is featured on the pages detailing how to submit a record.
- While describing Nintendo's plans to enter the mobile market, the cover art for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is featured above. Other news also includes the leaked e-mails from Sony Pictures which mentioned wanting to make an animated feature film about Super Smash Bros.
- The book summarizes the year's various gaming awards ceremony, which includes several Super Mario-related series:
- At The Game Awards, Mario Kart 8 was the "Best Sports/Racing Game" and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was the "Best Fighting Game".
- At the South by Southwest Gaming Awards, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was awarded the "Excellence in Multiplayer".
- At the DICE 18th Annual Awards, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was the "Fighting Game of the Year", Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS was the "Handheld Game of the Year", and Mario Kart 8 was the "Racing Game of the Year".
- A section of the book is dedicated to the "Evolution of Mario", which features the sales of the series' various installments from Donkey Kong in 1981 (basing their sales on the Atari 2600 release) to Super Mario 3D Land in 2011. It also mentions several pieces of trivia, such as how the Boos were based on Takashi Tezuka's wife, that Mario has fought "1,925 different types of enemies and 588 bosses", and that Mario was originally named Jumpman before being renamed to honour Nintendo's landlord, Mario Segale, as well as how New Super Luigi U is the first platformer in the Super Mario franchise not to feature Mario (instead featuring Luigi).
- On a feature page for Metacritic, in which it lists the games with the highest score for each console, Super Mario Galaxy is listed as the Wii's highest-rated game with an average score of 97 and Super Mario 3D World is listed as the Wii U's highest-rated game with an average score of 93.
- On a feature page listing "Classic Rivalries", Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog are compared: Super Mario boasts the highest-rated game (Super Mario Galaxy with 97.64% against Sonic Adventure with 86.51%) and the most overall sales (533.31 million against 110.04 million).
- The Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros. spent 125 weeks in the Billboard ringtone chart and has been performed by various orchestras during concerts.
- One of IGN's articles is quoted when it mentions the Cat Suit, as IGN described it as the "most powerful skill-based Mario power-up in history".
- Super Mario Maker, referred to as simply Mario Maker, is mentioned in a section detailing future video game releases.
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2017[edit]
- The Mario Kart section covers twenty-five years of the series.
Software references[edit]
Encarta[edit]
The photo for the Video Games article depicts a family playing Mario Paint.
Other references[edit]
1001 Unbelievable Facts[edit]
One of the facts is "There are no donkeys in the game Donkey Kong."
1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die[edit]
In this book, Donkey Kong is listed number 23, Dr. Mario is listed as number 27, Mario Kart Wii is listed as number 59, Super Mario 64 as number 104, Super Mario Bros. as number 105, Super Mario Bros. 2 as number 106, Super Mario Bros. 3 as number 107, and Super Mario World as number 108.
365 Fun Facts, Weird Trivia and Amazing Lists on Nearly Everything You Need to Know![edit]
In this Australian book published and released in 2006, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Mario Pinball Land are listed as two of the top ten most popular video games in Australia.
Brain Quest[edit]
In the fourth grade edition in "page" 65, one of the questions is "Which game is the oldest: Super Mario Brothers, Monopoly or Game Boy?".
Hot dog![edit]
- Hot dog! #58, Scholastic – Mario's face is the cover.
- Hot dog! #74, Scholastic – Mario and Luigi fighting Bowser can be found on the back cover.
It's a-me Density![edit]
The physics paper It's a-me Density!, published in the Journal of Physics: Special Subjects, by the Department of Physics and Astronomy at England's University of Leicester, discusses the physics, density and astronomy from Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel.
The paper also explores the effect of short-range gravity on the Mario Brothers, along with their jumping abilities and overall appearance.
"Clearly, the degeneracy pressure far outstrips the gravitational pressure by eleven orders of magnitude," the paper concludes. "The outcome of this discrepancy is that if constructed, the planet would survive for only a very brief moment before violently destroying itself and any short plumbers who happen to be running about on its surface."
Mirai Japanese Course Book Stage 2[edit]
On page 118 of this Japanese language education textbook, there is a picture of what looks like a screenshot from Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.
Maths Quest 7 for Victoria Second Edition[edit]
In this Australian mathematics textbook, the first part of a question on page 68 reads: "Mario, Luigi, Zoe and Daniella are playing on a playstation." The fact that both names were mentioned in one question and that it is about video games (despite Sony's PlayStation having no relation with Nintendo), it is very likely that the question was intended as a reference.
Nintendo Fun Club News[edit]
- Nintendo Fun Club News #1, Nintendo – Contains an article about Super Mario Bros.
The Picture of Everything[edit]
- Several Super Mario characters, items, enemies and other Super Mario elements can be seen in The Picture of Everything.
Snort[edit]
- The 2025 calendar features Super Snort 98 for June, which is a parody of the Nintendo 64 game Super Mario 64.
Transformers[edit]
- Geno and Samus Aran appear in an illustration for the TransTech prose story "Gone Too Far."
References[edit]
Super Mario in culture | ||
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References | By external sources | Advertisements • Film • Internet • Music • Publications • Real life • Television (animated · live-action) • Theater • Video games (Nintendo · third-party) |
Within Super Mario media | References in the Super Mario franchise • References in The Super Mario Bros. Movie • References in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! • References to Super Mario Bros. | |
Other lists | Advertisements • Controversies • Rumors and urban legends • Unofficial media acknowledged by Nintendo |