Pirates of Koopa

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode
"Pirates of Koopa"
Production number	112
Airdate	September 28, 1989 (English) September 20, 1990 (French)[?]
Writer(s)	Ted Pedersen
Plumber's Log #	6 - 97
Cover song(s)	"Limbo Rock" by Cover Version in the Style of Chubby Checker
Replacement song(s)	"Life Of A Dog"
Title reference	The Pirates of Penzance
Live-action segment	Do You Believe In Magic?
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"Pirates of Koopa", or "Pirates of the Koopa", is the sixteenth episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. Its corresponding live-action segment is "Do You Believe in Magic?".

Plot synopsis

In Pirate Waters, located in Pirate World, Mario and Luigi are in the middle of peeling potatoes onboard a ship. As he peels potatoes, Mario remembers how he, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool came to be on this ship; while traveling to Princess Toadstool's Castle, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool were hired as the crew of the only ship willing to sail Pirate Waters.

Continuing their peeling of potatoes, Mario and Luigi are approached by their captain, Captain Clump and his parrot, Patches, who reprimand Mario and Luigi, saying that they are peeling the potatoes too thin, making them into strings. As Mario explains to Clump that he and Luigi are planning to use the thin potato peelings to make "spatatoghetti", the nearby Toad, who is mopping Clump's ship's deck, accidentally hits Clump on the head with his mop. After Toad hastily apologizes to him, Captain Clump, after telling Toad to watch what he is doing, asks himself why he ever bothered hiring Mario, Luigi and Toad as his shipmates; Captain Clump's musings prompt Luigi to ask Clump why he did hire them. Captain Clump responds to Luigi's question by saying that his previous crew had abandoned him, being too fearful to sail Pirate Waters with Blackbeard Koopa on the prowl.

At the sound of the name Blackbeard Koopa, Mario, Luigi and Toad instantly become nervous and anxious, with Toad saying that they thought they would be safe from King Koopa and his minions on the open seas. When Toad exclaims this, Clump says that no one is safe from Blackbeard Koopa and proceeds to look across the horizon with his telescope, which prompts Luigi to use a hollow pipe to look across the sea as well.

As Clump and Luigi survey their surroundings, Princess Toadstool emerges from below the deck of the ship, carrying a tray covered in food; after Princess Toadstool exclaims that now would be a good time for a snack, she suddenly says that a storm is brewing. As Luigi claims that the weather is fine, he is suddenly hit with a barrage of rain drops as Captain Clump's ship is enveloped by red colored clouds. As everyone onboard the ship begins to panic, Mario, using a saw, cuts a square in the extremely thick clouds. Now capable of looking through the thick clouds, Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Toadstool and Clump see a horrific sight, the ship of Blackbeard Koopa, with Blackbeard Koopa himself on the deck of it.

Seeing Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Toadstool and Captain Clump, Blackbeard Koopa begins to taunt them and orders Clump to surrender to him. When Captain Clump refuses to do so though, Blackbeard Koopa orders two of his Koopa Troopa minions to blast Captain Clump's ship. Doing as they are instructed, the two Koopa Troopas load a nearby cannon on Blackbeard Koopa's ship and activate it, launching a Bob-Omb on to the deck of Clump's ship. As Princess Toadstool, Toad and Clump run from the Bob-Omb, Mario grabs Clump's dropped wooden sword and uses it to bat the Bob-Omb right at Blackbeard Koopa's face, knocking him backwards; getting off the deck of his ship, Captain Koopa, enraged, prepares to throw the Bob-Omb back at Mario, only for the explosive to detonate in his hand.

Blackbeard Koopa, angered even more by being taunted by Toad, orders his "Koopa Pirate Pack" to board Captain Clump's ship. As Captain Clump's ship is invaded by Koopa Troopas, Bob-Ombs and a Goomba, Mario begins to try frantically to fight the invaders, throwing Bob-Ombs overboard and even throwing one at several Koopa Troopas and a Goomba, knocking them away. As Luigi tries to trap a Bob-Omb in a barrel, only to be launched through the air by it, Mario and Patches begin to try and defeat the rest of the Koopa Pirate Pack, with Mario knocking three Koopa Troopas unconscious, while Patches detonates a Bob-Omb.

As the Koopa Pirate Pack continues its attack on Captain Clump's ship, Princess Toadstool dodges a lunging Koopa Troopa and throws him overboard; as Princess Toadstool mocks the Koopa Troopa, several more Bob-Ombs are launched by Blackbeard Koopa at Captain Clump's ship, creating several explosion which create a thick smokescreen. As the smoke spreads throughout Captain Clump's ship, Princess Toadstool is grabbed by two Koopa Troopas and forcibly taken to Blackbeard Koopa's ship, claiming that Blackbeard Koopa had told her that if she allowed herself to be taken willingly by him, he would leave Mario, Luigi, Toad and Captain Clump alone; Blackbeard Koopa, amused by Princess Toadstool's ranting, tells her that this deal was voided, as she didn't come willingly.

Over onboard Captain Clump's ship, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Clump himself have all been tied to the mast of the ship with rope; Luigi, trying to remain optimistic about the situation, decides to begin singing, with Luigi's singing apparently irritating Clump, who begins trying desperately to escape his restraints.

Elsewhere, on a dock called Pirate's Port near a castle, several Koopa Troopas, as well as Mouser, Tryclyde, Clawgrip and a Goomba, are waiting for the arrival of the rapidly approaching Blackbeard Koopa. As Blackbeard Koopa's ship draws ever closer, fireworks are launched by his minions in his honor. On board his ship, Blackbeard Koopa begins taunting Princess Toadstool, saying that its party time and that she is the guest of honor; Blackbeard Koopa goes on to say to Princess Toadstool that he plans to sell her to whoever can steal him the most Gold Coins.

On Clump's ship, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Clump are still trying to escape their bonds; it is only when Luigi is splashed on the face by some water that Mario, Luigi, Toad and Clump notice that Captain Clump's ship is sinking, due to having several holes drilled in it by Blackbeard Koopa and his Koopa Pirate Pack. As his ship continues to sink, Clump notices that a swarm of Trouters have began to circle the ship, with their knives and forks at the ready.

Sometime later, the ship is nearly submerged underwater, with only its masts still above water. As the mast still continues to sink, Mario makes a feeble attempt to jump from the mast; after Mario's failed attempt at jumping, Luigi suddenly notices that Mario struggles have pushed him, Mario, Toad and Captain Clump up the mast slightly. Soon after realizing this, Luigi instructs Mario, Toad and Clump to push upwards as hard as they can. After a lot of struggling and squirming, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Clump manage to move up the mast of the ship, only to hit their heads on the crow's nest atop the mast.

When Mario, Luigi, Toad and Clump hit their heads on the crow's nest though, it awakens Patches, who had been knocked unconscious by a Bob-Omb and blasted into the crow's nest. Getting up rather clumsily, Patches hits his head, which causes several stars to float around his it. Noticing the stars surrounding Patches' head, Mario instructs the dazed parrot to toss him one, the star being tossed by Patches to Mario being revealed to be a Starman. Grabbing this, oddly red colored Starman, Mario Transforms into Super Mario and using his newfound powers, vaporizes the ropes binding him, Luigi, Toad and Clump, causing them to accidentally fall into the water, except Mario. After Toad, Luigi and Clump fall into the ocean, Mario manages to defeat the Trouters trying to devour them by stomping on their heads.

With the Trouters vanquished, Mario helps Luigi, Toad and Clump to climb into the ship's crow's nest with Patches. Once Luigi, Toad and Captain Clump are in the crow's nest, Mario, grabbing Clump's sword, manages to cut the crow's nest loose from the ship's mast, making a boat for him, Luigi, Toad, Clump and Patches to ride in.

At Blackbeard Koopa's fortress, a party, attended by several dozen Koopa Troopas and Goombas, is occurring, with Blackbeard Koopa overseeing the festivities atop a balcony. As he looks downward at his guests, Blackbeard Koopa begins to taunt a resistant Princess Toadstool, who is in a hanging cage, before starting his auction of her, the starting bid of which is one thousand Gold Coins.

Back at the crow's nest, as Mario and Luigi use their plungers to row the crow's nest forward, Captain Clump, using his telescope, sees Pirate's Port. At Clump's announcement of the approaching Pirate's Port, Mario grabs the telescope and uses it to see the flag of Blackbeard Koopa and his Koopa Pirate Pack. Just after Mario sees this flag though, he loses his Super Mario form, which causes both Luigi and Toad to seriously doubt their chances of defeating Blackbeard Koopa and his Koopa Pirate Pack. Ignoring Luigi and Toad's claims that Blackbeard Koopa can't be beaten, Mario exclaims "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, then beat 'em."

At Pirate's Port, Mario and Luigi, having donned pirate themed clothing and the aliases of Captain Kidder and Long John Spaghetti, show Toad and Clump their outfits. Despite Toad having doubts that Mario's plan will work, he, as well as Clump, follow both Mario and Luigi into Blackbeard Koopa's fortress, after Mario manages to get permission to pass by the fortress' Koopa Troopa guards.

Once inside Blackbeard Koopa's fortress courtyard, Mario tells Toad and Captain Clump to try and sneak near Princess Toadstool's cage, while he and Luigi go to a nearby bar in the courtyard, which is run by a Koopa Troopa. After being told by Mario to act tough, Luigi makes the mistake of ordering a glass of milk at the bar, prompting him to get an odd look from the Koopa Troopa bartender and a Koopa Troopa patron. After Mario tells the Koopa Troopa bartender that Luigi wants his milk in a dirty glass, Luigi himself hears Blackbeard Koopa announce that the current bid for Princess Toadstool is one million Gold Coins. Upon hearing this, Luigi offers his bid of a billion Gold Coins for Princess Toadstool, a bid that surprises Blackbeard Koopa and causes him to announce Luigi as the winner of the auction, which causes all nearby Koopa Troopas and Goombas to glare at Luigi.

After Luigi purchases Princess Toadstool, two Koopa Troopas lift him and Mario up above their heads and begin to carry them towards Blackbeard Koopa, who is busy counting a large amount of money. As Blackbeard Koopa busies himself with his money counting, Toad sneaks over to Princess Toadstool's cage, which he unlocks. After unlocking Princess Toadstool's cage though, Toad trips, alerting Blackbeard Koopa to his presence. Before Blackbeard Koopa can react though, he is knocked off his balcony by Princess Toadstool, who hits Blackbeard Koopa in the face with the door of her cage.

After Blackbeard Koopa is knocked from his balcony, landing on several Koopa Troopas, the two Koopa Troopas carrying Mario and Luigi drop the two. After they are dropped, Mario and Luigi, upon hitting the floor, lose their pirate disguises and are instantly recognized by Blackbeard Koopa. As Blackbeard Koopa orders his Koopa Troopa minions to attack Mario and Luigi though, he, along with the Koopa Troopas, are knocked to the floor by Princess Toadstool, Toad and Clump, who jump on to their heads from the fortress balcony.

As Princess Toadstool taunts a dazed Blackbeard Koopa, she, along with Mario, Luigi and Toad, are instructed by Clump to run from the fortress. Doing as Captain Clump commands, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool exit Blackbeard Koopa's fortress and board his ship, which is docked near Pirate's Port. Once onboard Blackbeard Koopa's ship, Toad fires a Bob-Omb from a cannon on it; once fired, the Bob-Omb explodes near Blackbeard Koopa's fortress, knocking several Koopa Troopas who were exiting it unconscious. After his Koopa Troopas are defeated, Blackbear Koopa and what's left of his Koopa Pirate Pack manage to make it aboard his ship and begin to battle Toad, Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, Clump and Patches.

After several Koopa Troopas and Bob-Ombs are defeated by Luigi, Toad, Clump, Patches and Princess Toadstool, Mario defeats Blackbeard Koopa himself by swinging from a rope and knocking him to the floor as he saves Princess Toadstool from his clutches. Before Blackbeard Koopa can get up and fight again, he is grabbed by Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Toadstool and Clump and tied to the ringing of his ship, which is pulled back and let loose, launching Blackbeard Koopa over the horizon. With Blackbeard Koopa vanquished, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool, and Clump have a hearty laugh before lowering the flag on Blackbeard Koopa's ship and replacing it with one displaying a Mushroom.

Characters

• Mario
• Luigi
• Princess Toadstool
• Toad
• Blackbeard Koopa
• Captain Clump
• Bob-Ombs
• Trouters
• Koopa Troopas
• Goombas
• Mouser (no dialogue)
• Tryclyde (no dialogue)
• Clawgrip (no dialogue)

Cast

• Lou Albano — Mario
• Danny Wells — Luigi
• Jeannie Elias — Princess Toadstool
• John Stocker — Toad, Mouser, Koopa Troopa #1
• Harvey Atkin — King Bowser Koopa, Captain Clump, Koopa Troopa #2

Animation and continuity errors

• In several scenes, Mario continues to switch between wearing his regular outfit and his Super Mario one.
• Patches' eyepatch continues to disappear and reappear in several scenes.
• When Toad shouted "You blew that one Koopa Stoopa!", the ground of the ship's color changes to blue, which is the same ground color of Blackbeard Koopa's ship.
  • Additionally, Blackbeard Koopa's pirate garb is instantly repaired as soon as the shot returns from Toad after being blasted.
• When Mario said "We're making spotatoghetti, sir!", his voice played before his mouth moved.
• When Mario and friends ran to Blackbeard Koopa's ship, Captain Clump is nowhere seen.
• At the beginning of the episode, the mushroom on the flag does not have a face, but when Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Captain Clump were sailing on the mast, the mushroom on the flag had a face resembling Toad's head, at the end of the episode, the mushroom had no face once again.
• In some zoomed-out shots of Captain Clump's ship, nobody is seen on deck (this also happens to Blackbeard Koopa's crew once he appears).
• When Captain Clump rants about why he allowed Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad onto his ship, Mario's eyes close abruptly until Luigi speaks.
• When the fireworks are shot in the air from Blackbeard Koopa's pirate fortress in celebration of Princess Toadstool's capture, no boats are seen by the port, but later at dusk the ships reappear.
• When Luigi is singing "100 Bottles of Milk on the Wall", Toad is seen without his vest.
• Although Captain Clump's sinking ship is stationary, the background appears to be moving when Clump laments about becoming fish food.
• The stars around Patches' head are normal stars before he tosses one to Mario, where it suddenly obtains a face.
• As the brothers use their plungers as oars, the water surrounding the mast-raft is strangely purple, unlike the surrounding green ocean.
• The cage imprisoning Princess Toadstool has no lock when Mario and Luigi enter the pirate fortress.
• When Captain Clump spies Blackbeard Koopa's ship docked in the harbor of his fortress, the ship is incorrectly colored as Captain Clump's ship, which is improbable since Clump's ship sank after Koopa's attack (except for the crow's nest).
• When Blackbeard Koopa officially declares the auction has begun, Princess Toadstool seems to somehow be blinking with her eyes open and keeping her eyes shut when they should be open.
• The Koopa Troopa bartender's bandana is first blue when Blackbeard Koopa gets the crowd's attention (after Mario and Luigi sneak in), turns red when Mario and Luigi walk get to the bar, then reverts to blue when Luigi bids a billion gold coins for Princess Toadstool.
• The Koopa Troopa in the back of the crowd holding Mario and Luigi in celebration is missing its yellow "skin" behind its eyes.
• No chests of gold coins are shown atop Blackbeard Koopa's balcony as Toad unlocks the cage holding Princess Toadstool, but soon reappear as Toad stumbles into Koopa.
• As King Koopa falls off the balcony onto the Goomba and the two Koopa Troopas, the Goomba's left eye lacks detail.
• The Koopa Troopa pirate flung between Mario and Luigi (atop the two Koopa Troopas) is oddly going back and forth at the bottom right of the screen.
• As Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad flee the pirate fortress from Koopa's band of pirates, Captain Clump is not shown with the group.
• When Patches attempts to grab the Bob-omb, he misses it, but it then teleports to his talons.

Profiles

• Netflix: The Princess is in shackles once again when Long John Koopa takes her as his prisoner, forcing Mario and Luigi into a pair of pirate disguises.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
French	Gare aux Pirates[?]	Beware of Pirates
Italian	I pirati di Attila[?]	The pirates of Koopa
Portuguese	Os Piratas de Koopa[?]	The Pirates of Koopa

Trivia

• King Koopa's alias of Blackbeard Koopa is a reference to Edward Teach, an infamous pirate better known by the name of Blackbeard. Oddly, official summaries of this episode refer to Blackbeard Koopa as Long John Koopa, which is a reference to Long John Silver, a character from the pirate-centered novel, Treasure Island.
• Mario and Luigi's alternate names in this episode are Captain Kidder and Long John Spaghetti, which are references to real-life sailor Captain William Kidd and the aforementioned Long John Silver.
• This is the first episode to break the fourth wall.
• During the intro, the usual rectangle with Mario's face on it is a star in this episode.