List of references in the Super Mario franchise

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: include references in comics; many of these references are unsourced and seem to be based on pure speculation (tagged on May 10, 2017)

This article is about references made within the Super Mario franchise to outside media and real life. For references to the Super Mario franchise made by external sources, see Lists of references.

The following is a list of references to works and elements of the media, other assets of popular culture, and real-life celebrities and historical persons that have appeared in the Super Mario franchise and its partner franchises. Note that references to other Super Mario media are not included here, nor are references in crossovers referring to the original series' source material. Historical or geographical references are also not included.

Arcade games[edit]

Donkey Kong[edit]

Donkey Kong Jr.[edit]

Mario Bros.[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros.[edit]

All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.[edit]

Mario in World 2-1
Sunplaza Nakano's likeness is used for the Goombas and the Piranha Plant.

An officially licensed retool of Super Mario Bros., many of the game's graphics have been altered or completely changed to feature references to All Night Nippon:

  • The faces on the Goombas and the Piranha Plants are based on Sunplaza Nakano, one of the show's DJ's.
  • Starmen are replaced with Hiranya, a symbol popularized by the Japanese radio show Young Paradise.
  • The symbol that appears on the flag raised when Mario enters the end-of-level fortress and the axe at the end of each of the castle levels is replaced with the logo for Fuji Television.
  • The mushroom retainers saved at the end of each castle have been replaced with the show's hosts. Respectively, they are: Miyuki Nakajima (World 1), Takaaki Ishibashi (World 2), Noritake Kinashi (World 3), Kyōko Koizumi (World 4), Takeshi Kitano (World 5), Daisuke Matsuno (World 6), and Hideyuki Nakayama (World 7).

Super Mario Bros. Special[edit]

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]

  • The skidding sound (which would later be used in Super Mario Bros. 3) sounds similar to the tire screeching sound from the Famicom game F1 Race.

Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

  • The "Magic Whistle" item is the Recorder from The Legend of Zelda; it summons a whirlwind to warp the player character to another location and plays the same tune when used, which has become a reoccurring melody in the original series. Also, the music that plays in Water Land is very similar to the Fairy Fountain theme.
  • The island on which the castle of Water Land is located is designed after Japan; the castle itself is also placed in the same location that Kyoto would be, the city in which Nintendo's headquarters is located.
  • In the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System versions, the sound effect for the Raccoon Mario transformation (as well as the Tanooki Mario transformation) is taken directly from the sound used when certain enemies appear in The Mysterious Murasame Castle.
  • Excluding Larry Koopa,[1] the Koopalings are named after rock-and-roll musicians or classical music composers:
    • Morton Koopa Jr. is named after former country/western singer-turned talk show host Morton Downey Jr., since he "looked like a loudmouth."[1]
    • Wendy O. Koopa is named after Wendy O. Williams, lead singer of American rock band The Plasmatics.[1]
    • Iggy Koopa is named after Iggy Pop, lead singer of American rock band The Stooges.[1]
    • Roy Koopa is named after early American rock musician Roy Orbison, since they both wore glasses.[1]
    • Lemmy Koopa is named after Lemmy Klimister, late lead singer of British rock band Motorhead.[1]
    • Ludwig von Koopa is named after composer Ludwig van Beethoven, due to their hairstyle.[1]

Super Mario Land[edit]

  • The theme that plays for the Super Star in this game is taken from a portion of Offenbach's "Infernal Galop".
  • The background music for ground levels in Chai Kingdom opens with the Oriental riff, a passage popularly used in western music to represent East Asia, especially imperial China.

Super Mario World[edit]

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]

Super Mario 64[edit]

  • Whomps are based on Nurikabe, which in Japanese folklore is a living wall that gets in the way of travelers.
  • Bowser's roars and growls used in this and other games are stock sound effects that were previously used for King Kong and other movie monsters throughout several decades.

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

Il Piantissimo unmasked
Il Piantissimo with his mask off

Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

The gashapon capsule/Pokéball planet in Buoy Base Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

  • World 5-2 is based on the dungeons in The Legend of Zelda, in honor of the series' 25th anniversary. Additionally, when Mario or Luigi opens the area that contains the second Star Medal, the "found a secret" theme as heard in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is heard.

New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

  • The Reznor's roar bears a strong resemblance to Godzilla's roar.
  • Dry Bones' dance during vocal riffs in the Tower theme resembles some of the choreography in Michael Jackson's Thriller music video.

New Super Mario Bros. U[edit]

Super Mario 3D World[edit]

  • When Bowser captures the Sprixie Princess at the start of the game, he does so by trapping her in a bottle, which is the same way Link catches fairies in The Legend of Zelda.
  • In Rainbow Run, a secret area similar to the one from Bob-ombs Below appears, except this time the blocks make up an 8-bit sprite of Link. After stepping on every block, the "Item Get" tune from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will play, followed by a remix of the series' theme.

Super Mario Maker[edit]

E3 2015 press site image.
Mario wearing a Link costume

Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

  • Takamaru and multiple ninjas from The Mysterious Murasame Castle appear as part of the animation for the "Ninja Attack!" sound effect that plays a sped-up version of the game's main theme.
  • The course creators Agent 1, Agent 2, Celebrity MC, and Celebrity DJ are respectively based on Callie, Marie, Pearl, and Marina from the Splatoon series.
  • A 16-bit arrangement of part of the music for the Famicom Disk Writer plays during the balloon Toad House minigame in a Super World, which is inspired by an animation in the Disk Writer where a bald man pumps air into an inflatable replica of himself.[2]
  • A 16-bit arrangement of the title theme from the Baseball plays when starting the baseball Toad House minigame in a Super World. The minigame also uses sound effects from the game.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

Mario Teaches Typing series[edit]

  • The games' Mario in Real Time segments have several references in them:
    • When Mario says "Look, I'm a video game.", he moves his head in a similar fashion to the ball in Pong.
    • When Mario says "Sorry; that's-a hard for you, but easy for me. You know why?", he sings part of the chorus for "I Ain't Got Nobody".
    • Mario, offscreen, shouts "I've fallen, and I can't get up!". He then finishes by saying "That is my impression of American advertising!", referencing the fact that said line originated from LifeCall, an American company.
    • When Mario says "Can I sing a song for you?", he sings the chorus of "That's Amore", then sings a variation of it with an eel-related pun.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Super Mario Kart[edit]

Mario Kart DS[edit]

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

Baby Mario's Blue Falcon
Baby Mario in the Blue Falcon

Mario Kart 8[edit]

Mario Kart 8 screenshot of Toad Harbor
A Peach statue based upon the Statue of Liberty.
Kung Fu Lakitu poster from GBA Ribbon Road.
Kung Fu Lakitu

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

Role-playing games[edit]

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]

  • Link can be found sleeping in the Rose Town inn after beating Bowyer in the Forest Maze. Talking to him plays the series' classic discovery jingle.
  • Samus can be found sleeping in the guest bed of the Mushroom Castle after beating Speardovich, and before going to Land's End. When spoken to, she says she is "resting up for Mother Brain", a recurring villain in the Metroid series.
  • A Samus action figure and a remote-controlled car resembling the F-Type from Stunt Race FX can be found in a toy box in Booster Tower, among other toys. The game's Nintendo Switch remake clarifies that one other toy is of the Family Computer Disk System mascot Diskun. Additionally, R.O.B., based on his Family Computer Robot design, can be seen partly obscured by the Princess Peach doll in the remake.[5]
  • Cinder Toad's shop in Barrel Volcano has models of Captain Falcon's and Samurai Goroh's F-Zero machines (Blue Falcon and Fire Stingray, respectively) from F-Zero, and an Arwing from the Star Fox series.
  • Several references to the Final Fantasy series are in this game, due to the game being produced by Squaresoft.
    • A model of Magitek armor from Final Fantasy VI can be seen on one of the desks on the ground floor of Booster Tower; this is made more apparent in the remake.[6]
    • Culex is an optional boss designed to resemble a Final Fantasy boss. The music heard during the battle is a remix of "Battle 2", the boss battle theme in Final Fantasy IV, and after the battle is won, the famous Victory Fanfare theme is played. The Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind Crystals are from the Final Fantasy series and appear in the same game. In Japanese, Culex mentions「次元じげんのはざま」(jigen no hazama, dimensional rift), which is a location in Final Fantasy V. In addition, his English name is a genus of "mosquito", referencing a villain from Final Fantasy IV, Golbez, whose name is taken from a type of fly. His title of Dark Knight of Vanda in the English version may also be an allusion to Cecil, introduced as a Dark Knight of Baron.
    • In the Japanese version of the game, Culex's dialogue is based around the use of 2D sprites in the six Final Fantasy games in existence at the time, in contrast to Super Mario RPG's pre-rendered 3D graphics. In addition, the item he gives the player upon defeating him, the Quartz Charm, is named "Crystal Charm", another reference to the crystals of the series.
    • In the Japanese version, two of Dr. Topper's possible answers are Exdeath from Final Fantasy V and Kefka from Final Fantasy VI, which were respectively replaced with Chompweed and Goomba in the English version.
    • The Czar Dragon shares its name with a boss that does not appear in but exists within the coding for Final Fantasy VI, and its second form, Zombone, is named after the enemy from the same game.
    • In the English version, the enemy Bahamutt is named after the powerful dragon Bahamut from the Final Fantasy series, and Whuhoh's original name Hidon is named after a boss from Final Fantasy VI.
  • Various thoughts in the Japanese release are references to Japanese pop culture:[7]
    • Terrapin says "Yo, I'm Nokohei! Are you watching, Grandpa?!" This references two of Son Goku's catchphrases in the 1986 anime adaptation of Dragon Ball.
    • The Hammer Bro says "My hammer tonight is a little bit different, turtle-turtle." This references one of Zenigata's catchphrases in the multimedia franchise Lupin III.
    • Shadow says "How sexy your side profile is right now..." This is a direct quote from the 1980 Akira Terao song "Shadow City".
    • Rat Funk, named Chūtarō in Japanese, says "Hey, know what? Chūtarō has..." This parodies a line from the theme song to the 1971 anime adaptation of Shin Obake no Q-tarō.
    • The Crook says "Mustn't run away... Mustn't run away..." This quotes a mantra by Shinji Ikari, the main character of the 1995 anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.
    • The Guerrilla says "This character has no relation to any persons, living or dead. Any resemblance is purely coincidental." This references a common disclaimer used in films to reduce the possibility of a libel lawsuit. This reference was restored in the translation of the remake.[8]
    • The Jester says "O Lord, please forgive me, for I use neither gimmick nor trick." This quote the catchphrase of Meimi Haneoka/Saint Tail, the main character of the 1995 anime and manga Saint Tail.
    • Knife Guy and Grate Guy respectively say "Can happiness be obtained without sacrifice?" and "Can a new era be achieved without tragedy?" These quote two haves of Dr. Kasuma's dying words in the 1995 OVA series Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still.
    • Thropher says "Bullying? Bullying?" This references a catchphrase by Shimarisu-kun in the 1995 anime adaptation of Bonobono.
    • Pulsar says "Hit me and you will be punished when I go up in smoke!" The wording and delivery of the line references the catchphrase of Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon in the multimedia franchise Sailor Moon.
    • Crusty says "To~re tore pi~chi pichi." This quotes the lyrics to a famous jingle for the Kani Dōraku chain of seafood restaurants.
    • Stinger says "My beat keeps the rhythm!" This references a line by Jonathan Joestar in the 1987 manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood.
    • Belome says "I'mmm happiest when I'm sleeping." during the first fight and "I'mmm also happy when I'm eating." during the rematch, both times parodying catchphrases by Kiyoshi Yamashita in the 1980 TV series Hadaka no Taishō Hōrōki.
    • Jinx says "You're ten years too early!" during the first fight against him, quoting Akira from the 1993 arcade game Virtua Fighter. During the second fight, he says "Evildoers do not deserve the Buddha's mercy!" This quotes splash text from Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still. During the third and final fight, he says "I've etched your hot fists into my mind! I'll now call you my rival (friend)!" This references an idiosyncratic writing choice in the 1983 manga Fist of the North Star, where the main character Kenshiro uses the kanji for "rival" with an alternate reading that means "friend."
    • When fighting Culex, the Wind Crystal says "Hyu~ruri~ Hyu~rara~." This quotes the 1983 song "Ettō Tsubame".
    • Valentina says "He's just a show-off. He's a small man." This quotes a line from Ritsuko Akagi in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
    • Zombone says "Not yet. I'm not dead yet." This quotes a line from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.
    • During the second phase of the Axem Rangers fight, the Blade says "C'mon, just use me from the start..." This references an in-joke among fans of the Super Sentai franchise asking why the titular heroes don't open battles with their mechas.
    • The Star Cruster says "KANI KANI doko KANI." This references a line from the 1987 Famicom game Sanma no Meitantei, joking about the game's use of a crab for its cursor (as "kani" can mean both "crab" and "where?").
    • Forkies say "Tsun tsuku tsuku tsuku tsu~~n." This references a skit by Japanese comedians Shirō Itō and Masao Komatsu, in which they recite the New Year's carol "Haru no Umi" with this set of nonsense syllables.
    • The Ameboid says "I don't know what kind of face to make at a time like this." This references a line by Rei Ayanami in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
    • The Ninja says "Nin nin nin nin nin nintomo kantomo." This references a catchphrase by the title character of the 1964 manga Ninja Hattori-kun.
    • The Hippopo says "I'm not piloting it by choice either..." This refences a line by Shinji Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
    • The Machine Made version of Claymorton says "Mario! I have returned!!" This references a line by Anavel Gato in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.
    • Domino says "Blam-blam-blam-blam... WON-DER-FUL♥" This references the ending of the 1981 film adaptation of Sailor Suit and Machine Gun.
    • Poundette says "AI WA KATSU." This quotes the title of a 1990 song by Japanese musician KAN.
    • One unused thought in the game data says "I REALLY hate males...!" This references a quote by Quess Paraya ("I hate young guys because they say things like that!") in the 1988 animated film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.
  • A number of Psychopath blurbs in the English version of the SNES release also reference western popular culture:
    • The Stinger says "Strike the pose!" This quotes a line from the 1990 Madonna song "Vogue". This reference is absent in the English translation of the remake.
    • The Goombette says "Me speak soft, BIG STICK!" This parodies a quote from 26th United States president Theodore Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." This reference is also omitted in the remake's English translation.
    • The Machine Made version of Mack says "Mario! I'm BAAAAAAAACK!" This parodies the tagline to the 1986 horror movie Poltergeist II: The Other Side. Unlike the two references above, this one is preserved in the English translation of the remake.[9]
  • Upon encountering Bowyer, Mario attempts to simply charge toward Bowyer, fist punching, but Mallow holds him back and exclaims, "Who do think you ARE??? Bruce Lee!?" This reference is removed in the English translation of the remake.
  • The game's end credits sequence features a nighttime portion heavily based on the Disney theme parks' Main Street Electrical Parade, and the music track "Happy Parade, Delightful Parade" is a soundalike of said attraction's theme tune, "Baroque Hoedown."
  • While translating this game, Ted Woolsey initially wanted to name Punchinello "James Bomb," a reference to James Bond, but Square America would not allow it.[10] In the final game, however, Punchinello does introduce himself with a line referencing Bond's introductory quote: "The name's Nello...PUNCHINELLO!" He also says "It's clobbering time!", the catchphrase of The Thing from The Fantastic Four, which is also used by Domino. These references are removed in the English translation of the remake.
  • A mole girl in Moleville sings the "Mi" and "Ti" portions of the "Do-Re-Mi" show tune from The Sound of Music.
  • In the original English localization only, the password clues on the Sunken Ship are attributed to famous explorers.
  • The Axem Rangers are based on the Super Sentai franchise. Their English name takes after Power Rangers, an Americanized version of the Super Sentai series which combines redubbed footage from the Japanese shows with original material.
  • In the remake, Kerokero Cola is retranslated as Croaka Cola,[11] referencing the American soft drink brand Coca-Cola.
  • In the remake, High Boo's English thought says "*sigh* ♪Stomp, stomp, clap. Stomp, stomp, clap.♪" This references the 1977 Queen song "We Will Rock You", which features an identical rhythm of stomps and claps for its percussion section.
  • Link's cameo

    Link's cameo

  • Samus's cameo

    Samus's cameo

  • Arwing, Blue Falcon, and Fire Stingray

    Arwing, Blue Falcon, and Fire Stingray

Paper Mario series[edit]

Paper Mario[edit]

  • The Koopa Bros. are based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
  • When tattling Moustafa after he reveals his true identity, Goombario says, "Da da da Duuum!", the theme for collecting an item in a treasure chest from The Legend of Zelda series. In addition, Moustafa's alter ego Sheek is a reference to Sheik from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
  • Like in Super Mario RPG before it, this game's end credits sequence references the Main Street Electrical Parade.
  • During the second fight against Bowser in the hallway, he says "Now witness the power of this fully operational Star Rod!" parodying a line from Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi.
  • Exclusive to the Japanese version of the game, the song that plays when recruiting a new partner sounds identical to "America" from West Side Story, but, for legal reasons, was replaced in the North American and European releases. Despite this, the first credits theme in all versions contains a portion of the song from the Japanese version.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

Talking to the Toad kid in Petalburg.
The Toad kid talking about Fire Emblem in the remake
  • In the English version of the game, a Toad in Petalburg mentions that his favorite Game Boy Advance game is Fire Emblem when talked to. In the Japanese version, the game he mentions is Super Mario Bros.
  • Petalburg shares its English name with a city in the Pokémon series. Two of the key items the player must obtain in this chapter, the Sun Stone and Moon Stone, are also two types of evolutionary stones in Pokémon.
  • TEC-XX is likely based on HAL 9000, the artificial intelligence serving as the antagonist of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Furthering this reference, in the Japanese version, as well as the Switch remake in all regions, TEC's camera has a red lens.
  • In TEC's quiz, one of the choices when he asks how to defeat the demon is a "legendary sword", a reference to the Master Sword from the The Legend of Zelda series.
  • Peeka and Lahla's outfit is based on the Playboy Bunny outfit, with cuffs and a bow tie. In the Japanese version, they wear bunny ears, though this was changed to cat ears in the North American and European releases, as well as in all versions the Switch remake.
  • One of Goombella's tattles on the moon in the original game mentions a Goomba was sent there in "'69", referencing the Apollo 11 moon landing.
  • A Flurrie fan in west Rogueport mentions plays Flurrie starred in such as "A Mid-Winter Day's Nap", "Scrambled Eggs and Hamlet" and "The Cowing of King Steer", which are references to William Shakespeare's plays.
  • The Shadow Queen's emergence through use of countless shadowy hands in the remake references the Disney film Fantasia, more specifically the emergence of the demon Chernabog in the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment where similar shadowy demon hands appear to summon him.
  • During the opening of the song "Invasion of the X-Nauts!", the sound of losing a life from the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man plays. This is true for both the original GameCube version and the remake on Switch.

Super Paper Mario[edit]

Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]

Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]

  • The Fan Thing animation movie—in which a giant fan emerges from Earth's horizon in outer space—is a reference to the final scene of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, including the music played during said scene.
  • In Bloo Bay Beach, the Five Fun Guys manager references the real life Watergate scandal. He mentions "Shufflegate: Exposed," referencing Watergate Exposed, a book on the event.
  • In Indigo Underground, the Shunned Guy turning backwards as horror music plays references the film The Exorcist.[12]
  • In Violet Passage, during the Shy Guy attack on the ship, Huey evades a cannonball by tilting backwards, and the scene is played in slow motion while the camera turns around him. This references the famous bullet-dodge scene in The Matrix.[13]
  • In Fort Cobalt, the blue Rescue Squad Toad hiding in a cardboard box at the beginning, who claims to be "practically invisible in this inconspicuous cardboard box", is a reference to Konami's Metal Gear series, whose main protagonist often uses a cardboard box to hide from enemies. The Toad also mentions the discovery of a secret weapon, which is the main plot of the series.
  • The Toadmaster General says, "Nothing can stop the mail! Not rain, nor sleet, nor hail, nor crooked signs, nor Draggadon... Well, maybe Draggadon. But the point is that we're back on the straight and narrow." This is a parody of the United States Postal Service creed, which reads, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
  • One of the quotes uttered by the Shield Guy enemies "Defense wins games!" references the Bear Bryant quote "Defense wins championships."

Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]

  • Olivia says "Alright! Shake it like a piece of outdated photographic paper!" before lowering the entrance to Overlook Tower, a paraphrased version of the lyric "Shake it like a Polaroid picture" from the song "Hey Ya!" by the hip-hop group Outkast.
  • Samus's helmet appears in the game as the Space Warrior Mask.
  • King Olly's creation of the thousand origami cranes is a reference to the Japanese orizuru legend.
  • In Autumn Mountain, Mario can find a Toad climbing a cliff near the Water Vellumental Shrine. This Toad says he does not have enough stamina to make it up the cliff, but says he is glad it is not raining, which is a reference to the climbing system in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
  • The entire Great Sea area is based on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and shares its name with the sea in said game. Additionally:
    • The sailing mechanics play out very similarly to the ones in said game.
    • Mario needs three orbs to unlock the Sea Tower, like Link needs three pearls to open the Tower of the Gods.
    • On Diamond Island, Mario completes the Trials of Courage, Wisdom, and Power, which correspond to the Triforce pieces from the Zelda series. The temples these trials are found in also match the color scheme of their respective pieces.
    • The Sea Chart looks very similar to the map in The Wind Waker, and is filled out in a similar way.
    • The Sea Tower is visually reminiscent of the Tower of the Gods, has a similar setup in terms of progression (self-contained floors with a major puzzle spanning multiple rooms) and has similar outdoor sections where Mario needs to climb the outside of the tower to proceed up to the boss.
    • Some of the rooms of the Sea Tower are based on the four Vellumental temples, similar to the four areas of Ganon's Tower that take on the theme of the four main dungeons.
    • If Mario talks to Olivia after completing the three trials, she says, "You've got power, wisdom, AND courage, Mario...but I don't think that's a secret to anybody." This references a line of dialogue from the series' first game, The Legend of Zelda: "It's a secret to everybody."
  • The music that plays in the ring puzzles in the Battle Lab has a sound strongly reminiscent of the Yamaha YM2612, the FM sound chip used by the Sega Genesis.
  • On Spade Island, there is a Toad stuck in a barrel at the centre of the island. The way Mario frees him (by using other Toads as keys to push him up out of the barrel) seems to be a reference to the Pop-up Pirate toy.
  • Mario can find a Toad near Shogun Studios shouting "Let me in — LET ME IN!", which is a reference to a skit in The Eric Andre Show.
  • The last two acts at the Big Sho' Theater are based on West Side Story and Swan Lake respectively, with the latter using the same music as well as an arrangement of it.
  • There is a side mission that involves going out to the Great Sea and finding a shell to cook it. Inside the shell is a topless Toad, and the way he poses when opening the shell is a reference to the painting The Birth of Venus, painted by Sandro Botticelli.[14]
  • In Toad Town, one Toad lives in a house with a bunch of Goombas. He comments, "It's like we're total opposites! Say, this gives me a great idea for a TV show that's never been done...," referencing The Odd Couple.
  • A Toad who is transformed into a bug in the Earth Vellumental Temple mentions that he has read a book about it before, referencing The Metamorphosis.
  • A text box reading "Paradise Found" appears over the introduction of Shangri-Spa, which is a play on the title of Paradise Lost.
  • The game contains a running gag in which numerous characters say a variation of the phrase "I'm [verb]-ing here," a reference to the line "I'm walkin' here!" from the 1969 buddy drama film Midnight Cowboy.[15]
  • "Thrills at Night" is a soundalike of "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. The scene where Mario and the faceless Toads dance to the track is a reference to the music video for the song, featuring similar dance moves.[16]
  • A video clip posted by Nintendo Australia on Twitter, showing gameplay footage of Bob-omb getting in predicaments at Autumn Mountain, has the caption "Dang it Bobby!",[17] referencing Hank Hill's catchphrase in in King of the Hill.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)[edit]

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]

Kirby Story
Legend of Stafy
Movie posters at the Yoshi Theater.
  • In the original game, two posters at the Yoshi Theater advertise films centered around Kirby and Stafy.
  • Starbeans Cafe is a pun on Starbucks.
  • Wario, Fox McCloud, Captain Olimar, Samus Aran, an Excitebike Racer and Link were all going to make appearances at the shop, but they were all replaced by a single appearance from Professor E. Gadd. They were all planned to give Mario certain special items, but these are given out by E. Gadd and most were renamed in the final game. The items would have been as follows:
    • Fox would have given the Gold Ring, a reference to the Supply Rings of the Star Fox series (renamed the Bonus Ring).
    • Olimar would have given the UV Lamp, one of his ship parts in Pikmin (renamed the Cobalt Necktie).
    • Samus gives an Energy Tank from the Metroid series (renamed the Power Grip).
    • The Excitebike Racer gives the Excite Spring; this is the only item that was not renamed for the released game.
    • Link gives Mario and Luigi the Triforce (renamed the Great Force). Coincidentally, for the remake, not only was the Great Force redesigned to resemble the item it replaced, but Mario and Luigi's obtaining it was also accompanied by the Legend of Zelda games' "item get" jingle.
  • In Bink's mini-game Barrel, an 8-bit Stalfos sprite from the original The Legend of Zelda will appear on the right for a few seconds once the player gets 30 points.
  • The Secret Specs, a version-exclusive item that replaces the Power Grip in the remake, resembles the top half of a Virtual Boy.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]

  • The Shroobs' method of fueling their ships is to extract Toad Vim, a reference to The War of the Worlds and how the Martians use human blood to fuel their ships.
  • Princess Shroob's throne has three legs, making it resemble a Tripod from The War of the Worlds.
  • The way the Shroobs are destroyed via baby tears references how, in The War of the Worlds, the Martians are destroyed by bacteria.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]

  • Wakeport is a pun on Wayport, Inc. This place also appears to be based on Mykonos.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership[edit]

Mario Party series[edit]

The English names of many minigames in this series are references to popular culture.

Mario Party 2[edit]

Mario Party 3[edit]

Mario Party 4[edit]

Mario Party 5[edit]

Mario Party 6[edit]

Mario Party Advance[edit]

Mario Party 7[edit]

Mario Party 8[edit]

Mario Party DS[edit]

Mario Party: Island Tour[edit]

Mario Party 10[edit]

Mario Party: Star Rush[edit]

Super Mario Party[edit]

Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]

As a side note, the New Record jingle in Mario Party 3 sounds almost similar to the jingle from the Pokémon series when an item is picked up in the overworld.

Mario Golf series[edit]

NES Open Tournament Golf[edit]

  • The English localized title for this spiritual predecessor to Mario Golf is a reference to the actual U.S. Open golfing championship.

Mario Golf (N64)[edit]

  • The names of various The Legend of Zelda and Star Fox characters appear on the scoreboard in the international version.

Mario Golf (GBC)[edit]

  • The last club is called "Links Club" and uses the Triforce as its logo.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour[edit]

Pikmin flying out from a patch of flowers.
  • If the golf ball is hit and lands on a patch of flowers, several Pikmin will pop out from the ground.
  • The Coin Attack mode can spawn coin formations in the shape of the Triforce.

Mario Golf: Advance Tour[edit]

Mario is Missing! (PC)[edit]

Mario's Early Years![edit]

The following is a list of songs appearing in Mario's Early Years! Fun with Letters, Mario's Early Years! Fun with Numbers, and Mario's Early Years! Preschool Fun.

Kinopio Live[edit]

The game features songs by Elton John and the song "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion translated in Japanese.

Mario Ice Capades[edit]

The "Purple Plunger for Bravery" is a reference to the Purple Heart military medal.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![edit]

Most episodes of the show are references to books, movies, and songs, usually from around the 1980s.

Episode Reference
Day of the Orphan Day of the Dead
Butch Mario & The Luigi Kid Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Mario's Magic Carpet Aladdin's magic lamp
Slime Busters Ghostbusters
Rolling Down the River "Rollin' on the river" (from Proud Mary)
The Mario Monster Mash Monster Mash
Mario and the Beanstalk Jack and the Beanstalk
Will the Real Elvis Please Shut Up! "Will the real [name] please stand up?" (from To Tell the Truth)
Alligator Dundee "Crocodile" Dundee
Wild Thing Wild Thing
Toad Warriors The Road Warrior
E.C. The Extra Creepy E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Count Koopula Count Dracula
Pirates of Koopa The Pirates of Penzance
Do You Believe In Magic? Do You Believe in Magic
Two Plumbers and a Baby Three Men and a Baby
The Adventures of Sherlock Mario The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Mario Hillbillies The Beverly Hillbillies
The Pied Koopa Pied Piper of Hamelin
Koopenstein Frankenstein
Baby Mario Love Baby Love
On Her Majesty's Sewer Service On Her Majesty's Secret Service
9001: A Mario Odyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey
Mario and Joliet Romeo and Juliet
Tutti Frutti, oh Mario "Tutti Frutti Oh Rutti" (from Tutti Frutti)
Hooded Robin and His Mario Men Robin Hood and his Merry Men
20,000 Koopas Under the Sea Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Mario Meets Koop-zilla Godzilla
Koopa Klaus Santa Claus
Little Marios Little Women
George Washington Slept Here George Washington Slept Here
The Mark of Zero The Mark of Zorro
The Trojan Koopa Trojan Horse
Quest for Pizza Quest for Fire
Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Karate Koopa The Karate Kid
Mario of the Apes Tarzan of the Apes
Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Little Red Riding Princess Little Red Riding Hood
The Provolone Ranger Lone Ranger
Goodbye Mr. Fish Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Escape from Koopatraz Escape from Alcatraz
Tutti Frutti Mario Tutti Frutti
Raiders of the Lost Mushroom Raiders of the Lost Ark
Cyrano de Mario Cyrano de Bergerac
Crocodile Mario Crocodile Dundee
Star Koopa Star Wars
Santa Claus is Coming to Flatbush Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Robo Koopa RoboCop

The episode "Star Koopa" contains many references to the first three Star Wars movies: the Koop Star is based on the Death Star, Stormtroopas are based on Stormtroopers, Lightplungers are based on Lightsabers, Mushroom Starfighters are based on X-wing starfighters, the Flying Pizza is based on the Millenium Falcon, the Mushroom Planet is based on Tatooine, the Stormtroopa's starfighters are based on TIE fighters, the Garbage Pod is based on an escape pod, Obi-Wan Toadi is based on Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Koopa is based on Darth Vader, Mouser's role and costume is based on Grand Moff Tarkin, the Intergalactic InSinkErator is based on Garbage Compactor 3263827, Mario Skywalker is named after Luke Skywalker, and the phrase "May the pasta be with you.", said by Princess Toadstool and Obi-Wan Toadi, is a reference to the phrase "May the force be with you." The Intergalactic InSinkErator is also named after the InSinkErator brand of garbage disposals.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

The songs "Smelly Town" and "My Karoobi" are parodies of the real songs "Surf City" and "My Sharona" respectively.

Super Mario World television series[edit]

Several songs are parodies of real, copyrighted songs.

Parody Song Original Song
At the Circus This Is It (from The Bugs Bunny Show)
Wizard Thriller
Rockin' With the Sleigh Bells Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Time to Get Wild Born to Be Wild
Listen to the Grapevine I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Rockin' the High School Rock 'n' Roll High School

In "Rock TV", several shows, TV channels, and companies in the episode are either parodies of or are actually real life shows, channels or companies including Mr. Koopa's Neighborhood, PBS, Koopasonic, and World Dinosaur Wrestling Federation. Mario's line "I want my Rock TV!" is a parody of MTV's slogan, "I Want My MTV." The family that King Koopa spies on is watching Wheel of Fortune.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

  • Kirby makes a cameo in one volume.
  • Mario makes a passing reference to Doraemon in volume 3, confusing Doraemon with "Dorabon" (or "Drabon" in the French localization), the Japanese name for Rex.
  • In the French release of Super Mario-kun volume 3, after having trouble recalling enemies from Super Mario Land, Mario finally recognizes their origin game, but Luigi asks if he meant Sonic the Hedgehog.[20]
  • In volume 4, there is a chapter based on The Legend of Zelda, in which, while on the way to save Princess Peach, Mario and friends are warped to Hyrule. At the end of the chapter, several F-Zero racers make a cameo.

Game & Watch[edit]

  • The original release of the Table Top version of Mario's Cement Factory uses the bass riff from the 1980 song "Another One Bites the Dust" by English glam rock band Queen as the startup jingle.[21] This was replaced in a later revision with an original jingle.[22] An update of this jingle reappears in the Game Boy Gallery version.[23]

Super Mario Bros. Watches[edit]

Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up[edit]

  • Link makes appearances in the Chef/Waitress page, as a patron at Mario's restaurant, and on the Travel Guide page as the travel guide. A Bot, Daira, and Moblin, enemies from the early Legend of Zelda series, appear on other pages.

Wario Land series[edit]

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3[edit]

  • Several sound effects of this game are borrowed from Metroid II: Return of Samus, such as the pause sound effect and the sound that plays when Wario hits a boss. Both games were developed by the same developers, and run on the same engine.

Wario Land II[edit]

Flagman D-D title screen
Flagman D-D

Wario Land 3[edit]

The Pocket Pet

In The Big Bridge, there is a collectable based on the Pokémon Pikachu.

Wario Land 4[edit]

The shop owner giving a Smile to the player.
The smile in the Item Shop menu.

The smile is a reference to the Japanese McDonald's menu, in which the charge of a smile is ¥0.

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

Cranky's Video Game Heroes
  • Dixie Kong's hat features a Rare logo pin on it. This stayed with her until 2002, after the company was bought out by Microsoft.
  • Chief Thunder, a character from Killer Instinct, makes a cameo on a poster found in Cranky's Monkey Museum. Also within the museum is a Killer Instinct arcade cabinet.
  • After the player has beaten the game, they can take part in Cranky's Video Game Heroes competition. The competition is simply whichever video game hero can collect the most DK Coins. When the player first sees this competition the heroes already present are Mario, Yoshi and Link. A garbage can can also be seen in the bottom corner of the screen next to Sonic the Hedgehog's shoes and Earthworm Jim's raygun, with a sign saying "No hopers" on the can, a jab at Sega. These were removed in the Game Boy Advance version, which was released after that company's rivalry with Nintendo ended.
  • The music for the swamp levels has a part that sounds similar to Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight". The composer for the game, David Wise, confirmed that the similarity was intentional.[26]

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

  • When talking to Bazaar and asking about the owner of the castle in the Northern Kremisphere, refusing his offer to tell for two coins has him say that Link also came in "just last week" and asked about the castle as well. Bazaar also mentions that when he left he was muttering about his shell being the wrong shape, a reference to the Secret Seashell sidequest in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. These references were removed from the Game Boy Advance port.
  • In the French release, Baron K. Roolenstein asks during the first fight against him if Dixie Kong and Kiddie Kong are familiar with KREM le Survivant, a riff on the 1983 manga Fist of the North Star (titled Ken le Survivant in the French localization of its 1984 anime adaptation).[27]
  • When KAOS is destroyed in the final battle and Baron K. Roolenstein appears, one of his quotes is: "[...] and I'd have gotten away with it... ...if it wasn't for you meddling kids." This is a reference to a quote from the Scooby Doo franchise, which is uttered by the criminal after they are unmasked before being taken away by the police.

Donkey Kong Country Returns / Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D[edit]

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]

Samus's Gunship, in the background of Busted Bayou.
The Gunship in the background of Busted Bayou.
  • In the level Busted Bayou, in the area where the "K" can be found, the player can find Samus Aran's gunship sitting on some tree branches similar to the plane wreckage.
  • In the level Amiss Abyss, if the player passes the first signpost and giant illuminating statue, reaches the end of the trench and heads back towards the statue through the anemone (the player must have more than one hit point to do this), a Metroid can be seen floating in the background.
  • When hovering over the Crash Guard in Funky's shop, he says, "Vehicle trouble? It's dangerous to go alone--take one of these!", a reference to The Legend of Zelda.
  • Donkey Kong can be seen playing a Nintendo 3DS during his idle animation; in addition to two Mario games and his own Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, one of the games he can be heard playing during this is Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Donkey Kong Land series[edit]

Donkey Kong Land[edit]

Donkey Kong Land III[edit]

BS Super Mario Collection[edit]

Shitamachi Ninjō Gekijō[edit]

Hotel Mario[edit]

Yoshi's Island series[edit]

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]

Yoshi's Island DS[edit]

  • When Kamek is introducing Hector the Reflector to Yoshi, he says "Mirror, mirror on the wall, I've got a friend who's the ghastliest of them all! Are you frightened yet, little Yoshi?" This references a quote from multiple incarnations of Snow White, specifically the quote uttered by the Evil Queen each time she addresses her sentient mirror.

Yoshi's Story[edit]

Pikachu
Pikachu and Zelda

Yoshi Topsy-Turvy[edit]

Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]

Diddy Kong Racing / Diddy Kong Racing DS[edit]

  • Banjo and Conker were included in the original playable roster as "sneak previews" for their then-upcoming games Banjo-Kazooie and Twelve Tales: Conker 64 (which would later be reworked into Conker's Bad Fur Day).
  • In the original Diddy Kong Racing, Timber's hat has the Rareware logo on it. This was replaced with the Nintendo DS logo in the remake.
  • In Diddy Kong Racing DS, Dixie Kong's hat shows a silver Rareware logo on it, but only when an event happens while racing that she is shown through a box.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

The Beam Sword
  • The Beam Sword bears a strong resemblance to the lightsabers of the Star Wars franchise. The sword uses sound effects taken from the Star Wars films in all regional releases of all installments except Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, which use such sound effects in their Japanese releases only.
  • Samus's green alternate costume that appears in every game in the series is referred to by Masahiro Sakurai on the Japanese Super Smash Bros. website as "mass-produced Samus", a reference to the Gundam franchise.
  • Sakurai considers the dual blades that Pit uses in Super Smash Bros. Brawl similar to Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, as well as the television series The Clone Wars. He also revealed himself to be a fan of the Star Wars series in an issue of Nintendo Power.
  • Galleom being able to convert between vehicular and humanoid forms heavily lends itself to Asian "transforming mecha" series - the most well-known example of which is the Transformers franchise.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Jetpac
Gameplay of Jetpac
  • Two classic games, Jetpac and Donkey Kong, are included as bonus features in this game.
  • In the final boss fight of this game, Nintendo and Rareware, the game's publisher and developer respectively, are announced as the sponsors.
  • An earlier version of the game featured a shower stall in Donkey Kong's Treehouse with Banjo and Kazooie on the side.
  • The first part of the background music for Creepy Castle is an arrangement of "Dauði Baldrs" by Burzum.

Luigi's Mansion series[edit]

Luigi's Mansion[edit]

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon[edit]

Luigi's Mansion 3[edit]

  • In the hallway in the theater on the Paranormal Productions floor, framed posters depicting other games by Next Level Games can be seen. Among them are a poster depicting Little Mac from Punch-Out!! in his victory pose with Doc Louis and Mr. Sandman in the background, as well as a poster depicting the soldiers from Metroid Prime: Federation Force facing a large alien framed in shadow. Pulling on the Punch-Out!! poster with the Suction Shot will destroy it, causing a large green boxing glove (similar to those worn by Little Mac) to fly out.
    • Little Mac's gloves can also be found on the floor in the Fitness Center's gym, having been worn by a Hammer.
  • The music Amadeus Wolfgeist plays on the piano before his boss battle is an arrangement of the title theme from Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
  • Some of the movie sets in Paranormal Productions are references to real movies:
  • If the player reveals GumBoo in the Grand Lobby after failing to catch them once, they will say, "Yoo-hoo! I'm GumBoo! You're no match for me, I gua-ran-tee!". "I gua-ran-tee" was the catchphrase of famous Southern American comedian and chef Justin Wilson, who specialized in Cajun-inspired dishes including gumbo, GumBoo's namesake.
  • The carpet in the Hall and the Gallery of the Twisted Suites resembles the one from the 1980 film adaptation of the horror novel The Shining, and the flooring underneath references the floor seen in the 1990's cult-classic paranormal live-action TV series Twin Peaks.
  • Johnny Deepend's name is possibly a reference to actor Johnny Depp.

WarioWare series[edit]

"Sheriff" from Mega Microgame$! was an early Nintendo arcade game.

Wario World[edit]

The NES treasure from Wario World

Donkey Konga series[edit]

Main article: Donkey Konga § List of songs
Main article: Donkey Konga 2 § List of songs
Main article: Donkey Konga 3 JP § List of songs

The Donkey Konga series includes both songs from popular culture and music from other Nintendo franchises. The songs are different in each region.

Mario Superstar Baseball[edit]

  • During the intro sequence, Mario points his bat towards deep left field before hitting a home run in that direction, referencing Babe Ruth's called shot that was aimed at deep center field.
  • During the closing cinematic, which plays after completing Challenge Mode via Special Cup, Mario exits a cornfield to a baseball field in the middle of it, referencing the setting from the 1989 film Field of Dreams.

Mario + Rabbids series[edit]

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[edit]

Mario and the gang find a chest in Sherbet Desert
Mario and the gang find the chest concealing "A Song of Ice and Desert"
  • The title screen theme takes a few tunes from Tribalstack Tropics in Yooka-Laylee, as both games were composed by Grant Kirkhope.
  • The soundtrack that plays during the sandy portions of Sherbet Desert is titled "A Song of Ice and Desert", in reference to George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire.
  • The beginning of one of the battle themes, titled "Cold Start, Hot Finish", borrows a riff from the Freezeezy Peak theme from Banjo-Kazooie. Both games' soundtracks were composed by Grant Kirkhope.
  • Spawny's visor is designed after the giant robots that inhabit the titular domain in the 1986 animated film Castle in the Sky.[30]
  • The Ziggy enemy is named after Ziggy Stardust, a character and stage persona created by English rock musician David Bowie. The Garden Ziggy variety further references the artist and character by featuring a bright yellow mohawk and lightning bolt designs across each eye, referencing the mullet and makeup worn on the cover photo for Bowie's 1973 album Aladdin Sane (his last album before retiring the Ziggy persona).
  • In Spooky Trails, the player can find a Rabbid sleeping on a house-like structure. When observed, Beep-0 will say, "He'll catch the Red Baron one of these days." This references Snoopy from Peanuts, particularly his "Flying Ace" persona.
  • In Spooky Trails, Beep-0 says, "Coincidence? I think not," a quote from the 2004 Pixar film The Incredibles.
  • When examining the Disco Ball at Sherbet Dessert, Beep-0 says, "'Bwah' is the word. It's got groove, it's got meaning." This comes from the 1978 Frankie Valli song "Grease", the title theme to the film of the same name (itself adapted from the 1971 stage musical).
  • After the Icicle Golem's defeat, the Rabbid member of the team plays with it for a moment in a manner similar to the "Alas, poor Yorick" scene from Hamlet, then sets it down for Peach to kick it back into the giant refrigerator.
  • When talking to Madame Bwahstrella, Beep-0 says, "We'll let you get back to separating the slack-jawed yokels from the money they saved to buy pickled pigs' feet." "Slack-Jawed Yokel" is another name given to the character Cletus from The Simpsons.
  • At the beginning of the battle against the Phantom, Beep-0 describes him as a "greedy songbird", a term from the film Amadeus.
  • A scrapped animation for Rabbid Peach is based on the transformation sequence of the title character from the manga and anime Sailor Moon.[31]
  • Many of the weapons in the game feature pop-culture references in their names, designs, and descriptions:
    • Hell in a Shell is named after the WWE event Hell in a Cell.
    • Yellow Submarine is named and modeled after the song by The Beatles. Its description includes a reference to the line "And our friends are all aboard".
    • Sons of Bwahnarchy is named after the American TV series Sons of Anarchy.
    • The "Wrecking Smasher" artwork resembles Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball music video.
    • Flannel Phantom's description references a slogan used by The Glad Products Company: "Don't get mad! Get Glad!"
    • Rainbow Runner's description references the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz.
    • Electron, Renegade, Grid Gavel, and Master Control are all references to the film Tron.
    • Run For the Hills' name and description reference The Sound of Music.
    • Megalodon 2: Payback's description references the tagline for Jaws 2: "Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the water..."
    • Surly Temple is named after the Shirley Temple.
    • Big Finish's description references the popular 1986 song "The Final Countdown" by the band Europe.
    • Nasty Yella Fella's description references a famous line from the film Scarface: "Say hello to my little friend!"
    • Matrix Mashup is named and modeled after the film The Matrix. Its description references an iconic scene where the protagonist must choose between ingesting a red pill or a blue pill.
    • Gemcutter's description references the theme song to Jem and the Holograms.
    • Hammer Time is named after a lyric from the M.C. Hammer song "U Can't Touch This".
    • Bat Out of Heck is named after the Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell and its titular song.
    • Deadeye Dino's description references a famous line from Jurassic Park: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
    • Killer Extinct's design and description are a reference to the film Jurassic Park, while its name is a reference to the fighting game Killer Instinct.
    • Fatal Frame is named after the Fatal Frame series of horror video games.
    • Attack From The Future II's name and description both reference Back to the Future Part II. The sentry's description, "It's back! It's back from the future and believe me, it looks VERY gloomy for you enemies[...]", references the events of the film, as Marty McFly returns from 2015 to a dystopian alternate 1985.
    • Iron Curtain's design is based on the Marvel superhero Iron Man. Its description mentions a "wise-cracking computerized A.I.", likely referring to J.A.R.V.I.S..
    • Louis Harmstrong is named after famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Its description includes a reference to his song "What a Wonderful World".
    • The King is named and modeled after Elvis Presley, whose nickname is "The King".
    • Von Quackington's description parodies a famous quote from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
    • The description for Scubam! mentions a "famous Rabbid explorer" named "Bwahcques Bwahsteau", a reference to real-life marine biologist Jacques Cousteau.
    • Sam Kingfisher is named after Sam Fisher, protagonist of the Splinter Cell series also produced by Ubisoft.
    • Disco Duck shares its name with a song by Rick Dees, and its description references "Stayin' Alive" and "Super Freak" by the Bee Gees and Rick James, respectively.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope[edit]

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Switch / Nintendo 3DS)[edit]

Play Nintendo[edit]

Stargazer[edit]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]

Stuart from the Despicable Me series riding on a kart in the Illumination logo for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Stuart from the Despicable Me and Minions series on the kart in the Illumination logo for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
  • The kart used by Stuart in the Illumination logo is inspired by Gru's vehicles from the Despicable Me franchise, with Gru's emblem located on the kart's side, an exhaust resembling that of Gru's airship and car, and a backrest with a skull similar to Gru's motorcycle from Minions: The Rise of Gru.
  • In the dinner scene with Mario and Luigi's family, Uncle Arthur jokingly tells the brothers (in reference to their Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial), "They gave them the Oscar for worst actors?", a reference to the Academy Awards.
  • In the scene where Mario and the Koopa soldiers are driving on Rainbow Road, the Wilhelm scream can be heard.[34]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Klepek, Patrick (December 29, 2015). How A Mario Character Was Named After Motorhead's Lemmy. Kotaku. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  2. ^ SeraphmIII (August 1, 2020). Famicom Disk Writer (ディスクライター) HQ. YouTube (Japanese). Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Play Nintendo (May 14, 2022). Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury – GET THEM GOOMBAS! 💪🍄 | @Play Nintendo (01:04). YouTube. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  4. ^ DidYouKnowGaming (January 23, 2021). Mario Kart DS - DidYouKnowGaming Ft. Remix. YouTube (English). Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  5. ^ Lane, Gavin (June 22, 2023). Random: The Super Mario RPG Switch Remake Clarifies A Couple Of Cameos. Nintendo Life. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  6. ^ https://imgur.com/a/qCd2uRk
  7. ^ Mandelin, Clyde (June 29, 2020). The Pop Culture-Obsessed Monsters in Japanese Super Mario RPG. Legends of Localization (English). Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Hagues, Alana (November 2, 2023). "Super Mario RPG Is The Most Faithful Remake We've Ever Played". Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  9. ^ Nintendo Unity (November 16, 2023). Super Mario RPG Remake - All Enemy Thoughts. YouTube. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  10. ^ Bob Rork Woolsey Interview. Chrono Compendium (English). Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Shacknews (November 2, 2023). Super Mario RPG Remake Item Shop Gameplay. YouTube. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  12. ^ Paper Mario: Color Splash internal filename (\content\script\btl\enemy\heiho\as_btl_heiho_exorcist.bin.lz)
  13. ^ Paper Mario: Color Splash internal filename (\content\script\btl\enemy\heiho\as_btl_heiho_matrix.bin.lz)
  14. ^ Paper Mario: The Origami King internal data. Entries for KNPN in data_npc_model.elf.zst name the animations for the pose ヴィーナスポーズ起きる (Venus pose getting up), ヴィーナスポーズ静止 (Venus pose standing), and ヴィーナスポーズ話し (Venus pose talking).
  15. ^ MarioBrothBlog (June 1, 2021). Paper Mario: The Origami King contains a running gag where Dustin Hoffman's line "Hey! I'm walkin' here!" from the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy (left) is referenced in various ways. Below are all instances of the reference in the game.. X. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  16. ^ Paper Mario: The Origami King internal data. Entries for KNP_Dance in data_npc_model.elf.zst name the animation for the dance スリラー, translating to "Thriller".
  17. ^ NintendoAUNZ (August 4, 2020). Dang it Bobby! #PaperMario. X. Retrieved July 25, 2024. (Archived August 4, 2020, 05:11:25 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  18. ^ NintendoAmerica (June 21, 2024). Mario’s blasting off again...! #PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor. X. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  19. ^ Nintendo of America (November 2, 2024). Nintendo of America's X Account Post X. Retrieved November 2nd, 2024
  20. ^ Mario (beaten up): "Oui! Vous étiez dans le jeu Super Mario Land... ("Yes! You were in the game Super Mario Land...")
    Luigi: "T'es sûr que ce n'était pas Sonic le Hérison? (You're sure that wasn't Sonic the Hedgehog?)"
    Sawada; translated by Florent Gorges. Super Mario: Manga Adventures, volume 3, p. 153.
  21. ^ Old80s: Retro Stuff And More (January 15, 2020). Game & Watch: Mario's Cement Factory (Table Top, CM-72) (Another One Bites The Dust) (1983 Nintendo). YouTube (English). Retrieved May 14, 2022. (Archived June 6, 2024, 15:52:33 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  22. ^ Old80s: Retro Stuff And More (January 21, 2022). Game & Watch: Mario's Cement Factory (Table Top, CM-72A) (Alternate) (1983 Nintendo). YouTube (English). Retrieved May 14, 2022. (Archived August 10, 2024, 00:46:19 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  23. ^ All Nintendo Music (November 18, 2019). GameBoy Gallery Complete Soundtrack. YouTube (English). Retrieved May 14, 2022. (Archived March 30, 2023, 22:47:20 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  24. ^ Sly DC (November 19, 2015). Nintendo Mario's Egg Catch Game Watch. YouTube. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Sly DC (November 20, 2015). Nintendo Luigi's Hammer Toss Game Watch. YouTube. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  26. ^ Wise, David (March 6, 2015). @pantalytron No coincidence. I was trying to get the SNES to sound like the Roland CR78 that Phil Collins used for In the air tonight.. X. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Super Mario Wiki (January 13, 2021). Fun fax: The French script of Donkey Kong Country 3 has K. Rool reference Hokuto No Ken (or rather its famously deranged French gag dub Ken le Survivant... mais bon). X. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  28. ^ DidYouKnowGaming (December 1, 2018). Obscure Mario Facts - Did You Know Gaming? Ft. Greg. YouTube (English). Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  29. ^ Nintendo of America (June 11, 2019). Luigi's Mansion 3 Gameplay Pt. 1 - Nintendo Treehouse: Live | E3 2019 (20:34). YouTube (American English). Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  30. ^ Soliani, Davide (August 26, 2017). Ahahaha great. You just found 1 of the two references 😄😍. X (English). Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  31. ^ DidYouKnowGaming (December 1, 2018). Obscure Mario Facts - Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Greg. YouTube (English). Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  32. ^ NintendoAUNZ (August 9, 2018). Don’t worry Captain Toad, there are no Castlevania stages in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker…. X (Australian English). Retrieved June 15, 2023. (Archived May 18, 2020, 23:17:37 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  33. ^ NintendoAUNZ (August 9, 2018). Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Switch & Nintendo 3DS). Facebook. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  34. ^ @JoeMoor01284044 (March 10, 2023). The Super Mario Bros. Movie Got A Brand New TV Spot And Had New Footage. We’re So Close To April 5th!. X. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
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Super Mario in culture
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 to Super Mario Bros.
Other lists Advertisements • Controversies • Rumors and urban legends • Unofficial media acknowledged by Nintendo
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