The Wheel Thing

The Wheel Thing is an the second episode in the Super Mario World animated series.

Plot Sypnosis

The episode starts off with Mario and Luigi watching the people of Dome City painstakingly move various rocks and boulders. Feeling sorry for the cave-people, Luigi and Mario try to think of a way to help them; after some brainstorming, Mario comes-up with an idea...

Inside Mario and Luigi's dome, the two are hard at work producing various wooden wheels, as Kooky Von Koopa looks-on. After getting an idea, Kooky runs off while Mario and Luigi begin to transport the wheels they constructed outside. Outside, Mario runs into two cave-people, Uga and Ugga. Mario then proceeds to hand some wheels over to the two. The two cave-people, not understanding what to do with the wheels, wear them as hats, much to Mario's dismay.

While Mario tries to explain the concept of wheels to Uga and Ugga, Luigi approaches the nearby, napping Yoshi; who proceeds to eat the wheel Luigi was carrying. After burning some holes into some wheels with a Fire Flower, Mario, using a wooden rod and stone slab, manages to make a stone skateboard.

Hopping on this skateboard, Luigi zooms around several amazed cave-people. An overly-excited Yoshi ends-up hopping on Luigi's back, wanting a ride. This added weight causes Luigi to crash, Yoshi to fall to the ground and the skateboard to be flung into the air; as the skateboard begins to fall to the ground, Yoshi happily gobbles it up, proclaiming "Ohhh, is good!"

A while later, Mario begins to show Princess Toadstool his recently constructed car factory. Utilizing things such as Fishbones and Piranha Plants, Mario, with the help of Yoshi and the cave-people, has managed to construct several Goomba-powered cars; despite Mario continually stating that his cars are a good idea, Princess Toadstool is still somewhat worried.

After having created several dozen cars, Mario decides to take a nap, only to be awoken several minutes laster by a panbicking Luigi. Luigi explains to Mario that the cave-people have no idea how to drive and that the accidents are piling-up, quite literally. Mario simply brushes-off Luigi's claims, saying that the cave-people will "Catch on".

In the bowels of Bowser's Castle, Kooky Von Koopa begins construction of what he calls his "his most monstrous invention ever!". Kooky proceeds to begin welding with a Dino-Torch while laughing maniacally.

After some disastrous traffic management, a battered Luigi approaches Mario saying that the city is in a state of dissaray. After a particularly bad accident, the angry people of Dome City, blaming Mario and Luigi for all the trouble thats been happening, banish the two to the Lava Pits.

Outside the walls of Dome City, Kooky reveals his newest invention to Bowser; the Mega Mechanasaur, a fire-breathing weapon of mass destruction. Boarding the Mega Mechanasaur, Kooky and Bowser proceed to rampage through Dome City, which is now defenceless without Mario and Luigi. A panicking Uga proceeds to ask Princess Toadstool's help in getting Mario and Luigi back.

Meanwhile in the Lava Pits, Mario and Luigi are trying, quite unsuccesfully, to cook a pizza over a fire. As Luigi cooks the pizza, Mario gets a morse-code message from Princess Toadstool, asking the Mario Bros. to come back and beat Bowser and Kooky.

As Mario and Luigi try and think of a way to get back to Dome City, A Blargg, attracted by the smell of pizza, attacks the two. As Mario runs from the attacking Blaarg, Mario, using a trampoline manages to get a feather and transform into Cape Mario. In his new form, Mario grabs Luigi and flies-up a nearby Warp Pipe and back into Dome City.

Through the use of some "log speed-bumps", fireball shooting stop-lights and a pot-hole digging Yoshi, Mega Mechanasaur is destroyed and Kooky and Bowser are forced to flee.

A celebration is thrown by the cave-people in Mario and Luigi's honor. As the two Mario Bros. are happily welcomed back to Dome City, the two decide to stave-off inventing things for the cave-people for "a few thousand years".

Trivia

• "The Wheel Thing" was the last episode of the Mario animated series trilogy to feature Kooky in a speaking role. Additionally, "The Wheel Thing" is the last appearance of a Goomba in the Mario cartoons.

• When Luigi asks Mario, “Does that mean what I 'tink' it means?”, Mario’s overalls and shirt are red.

• When Luigi first shows Luigi some wheels, Yoshi's arms are white. Also, several shots in the episode accidently have the "L" on Luigi's cap is white on a blackground.