List of references in animated television
This is an alphabetical list of Mario-related sightings and references in animated TV shows and movies.
Class of 3000
In the episode Funky Monkey a gorilla escapes from the class and takes refuge at the top of a construction site. Li'l D climbs the platforms to reach him, and the gorilla throws barrels at him in the process like in Donkey Kong. Li'l D even uses a large mallet to knock the barrels away.
The Fairly OddParents!
"Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary" (originally aired Sep. 13, 2002)
In this episode, Timmy challenges his newest rival, Remy Buxaplenty, to a fairy duel. In the first portion of the duel, the fairies must save their respective godchildren from a gorilla, who throws barrels down girders at them, ala Donkey Kong.
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
"The Buck Swaps Here" (originally aired May 18, 2007)
In the episode, there are two men carrying a large mirror - one is tall in green overalls and a blue shirt, the other short and plump with red overalls and a blue shirt. This makes the two resemble the Mario Brothers. Also, when attacking the robber, they shout with Italian accents.
Futurama
Episode 3ACV18: "Anthology of Interest II" (originally aired Jan. 6, 2002)
This episode centers around the shows various characters using the Professor's "What If?" machine to show them various alternate realities. In the second act of the episode, Fry wants to know what life would be like if it was more like a video game. The machine shows a world where Earth goes to war with the Planet Nintendu 64. At the start of the scenario, President Nixon is signing a peace treaty with Donkey Kong, who is the Nintendu 64ian ambassador to Earth. DK turns on Nixon, however, and Mario, who is part of the Earth U.N. (for Italy), expresses fear: "Mamma mia! The cruel meatball of war has-a rolled onto our laps, and-a ruined our white pants of peace."
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
"Bearded Billy"
Mandy says "My method is on like Donkey Kong!".
"Billy and Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure"
The Warp Pipe sound effect is used at one point.
The Legend of Zelda
"Doppelgänger"
Near the beginning of the episode, Link can be heard whistling the Mario theme.
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Episode 1: Stimpy's Big Day / The Big Shot
This episode starts off with a fake commercial, showcasing a boy who is offered a bicycle, which he rejects. The boy is then offered a video game, which he also rejects. But when "Log" is offered to the boy, he graciously accepts. The video game, although only a still shot of it is shown for a few seconds, clearly resembles Super Mario Bros.
Robot Chicken
Gold Dust Gasoline (originally aired Mar. 6, 2005)
This particular episode closes up with a segment titled "Three Fast Three Furious", featuring racing action figures, among them Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Wario. Near the end of the race, the following dialogue springs up:
- Luigi: Mario, we're-a losing!
- Mario: It's time to use the blue tortoise shell now, no?
- Luigi: Do it, you magnificent stereotypical [bleep].
Mario fires a blue shell while Wario describes it ("The blue tortoise shell is Mario Kart race's ultimate weapon. It-a magically finds the lead car in the race, and it takes it out. Mwa ha ha ha."), and it knocks out the orange car in front of them. Although the Mario Bros. don't win the race, they at least manage to survive. Yoshi is seen in the background when Luigi and Mario talk.
The Sack (originally aired Jul. 3, 2005)
Near the middle of this episode is a segment called "Halo Kong", which, as the name implies, is an unofficial crossover between the arcade game "Donkey Kong" and the Halo video game series. In it, Mario (or rather Jumpman) starts out the first level as normal. However, three Spartans (Master Chief) invade the game while Jumpman is just below Donkey Kong. The Spartans then go up to his level using a grappling hook, and, after taking his hammer away, break his neck. One of the Spartans then sets a bomb underneath the ape as the other two rescue Pauline. The Spartans and Pauline manage to escape as the bomb goes off, but one comes back and shoots DK in the head, killing him. As he leaves, another one returns and puts out a fire that had been going on before they came in.
Lust for Puppets (originally aired Nov. 5, 2006)
The final segment in this episode is a segment named "Grand Theft City", in which the Mario Bros. accidentally end up in Vice City from the Grand Theft Auto series of games. The segment starts as Mario and Luigi see that the bridge is closed (while they are driving their go-kart from Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64). As such, the brothers end up at a fork in the road. Choosing to go right (they could also turn left, which Yoshi does at the end), they find themselves in Vice City. Immediately after they enter the realistic city, one of their tires goes flat, and, noticing the convenience, they have it fixed at an auto repair garage (which was right next to them). However, when they come out, they find themselves inside a "pimped-out ride", as Mario calls it (which very much resembles the car that Wario drives in some of his games). However, they soon find that some of their antics don't exactly work too well in Vice City (in order, breaking bricks for coins, stomping on turtles, rescuing the "princess", eating mushrooms to heal, and driving at high speeds). Due to such antics, the police chase after them, causing them to crash. Though the duo surrenders, Luigi accidentally held up a wrench, which ended up with him being shot to death. Out of anger, Mario pulls out a sub-machine gun and destroys two police cars and a helicopter, as well as the fact that he killed the police officers that were there. He soon runs out of ammunition, and when backup arrives, he too is killed. Soon afterward, Yoshi finds himself at the same fork in the road and decides to turn left, saying that "Raccoon City sounds lovely." However, when he arrives, he is quickly devoured by zombies from the Resident Evil series.
The Simpsons
Episode 3F07: "Marge Be Not Proud" (originally aired Dec. 17, 1995)
In this episode, Bart wants the new extremely violent video game Bonestorm, but is having trouble getting it. After Jimbo and Nelson brag to him about their shoplifting, Bart observes that the display case housing Bonestorm has been left open. As he contemplates stealing the game, some video game characters pop up in his mind, the Mario Bros., Donkey Kong and Sonic among them.
- Luigi: Go ahead-a, Bart, take-a the Bonestorm.
- Mario: The store, she's so rich. She'll-a never notice.
- Donkey Kong: Duh, it's the company's fault for making you want it so much.
- Lee Carvallo: Don't do it son. How's that game going to help your putting?
- Sonic: Just take it! Takeittakeittakeittakeittakeit TAKE IT!
Interestingly, in this cameo, Mario and Luigi's heights are switched.
Episode 3G01: "The Springfield Files" (originally aired Jan. 12, 1997)
At the Noiseland arcade, Donkey Kong is shown sitting under a banner declaring that on Friday he can be met in person, but no one seems to be coming to see him. The Manager walks by and says, "Sorry Donkey Kong, you're just not a draw anymore." DK responds by throwing a barrel at him, to which he replies, "Hey, he's still got it!"
Episode CABF19: Treehouse of Horror XII"
In the "House of Whacks" segment, the robot house falls in love with Marge, similar to TEC-XX in Paper Mario: The 1000 Year Door falling in love with Peach.
Episode HABF20: "Please Homer, Don't Hammer'Em"
When Marge and Homer are in their carpentry clothing, Marge wears overalls and a green shirt while Homer wears overalls and a red shirt, the respective colors and weights of Mario and Luigi.
Episode GABF02: "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" (originally aired Feb. 6, 2005)
Shortly after Homer's showboating makes him a laughingstock, a bus full of Italian-Americans shows up in front of the house while he's taking out the trash. Mario comes out of the crowd, stands next to Homer, and says, "Master master, take my picture with-a the Internet marmalok!" Homer then starts throwing trash cans at him in the style of Donkey Kong until he finally knocks him out.
Episode GABF09: "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" (originally aired May 15, 2005)
At the beginning of the episode, when Skinner is introducing the school play, he says, "Now kids, since the Middle Ages had no compact discs or Super Mario Men..."
Tiny Toon Adventures
Episode 65: K-ACME TV
Halfway through this episode, a fake commercial plays, advertising "the brand new hit video game, Super Plucky-o Bros.!" The game parody features Plucky-o and his brother Linguini (two Plucky Ducks) being guided through Fungoworld, where they must rescue Princess Loon (Shirley the Loon) from the Toadstool Tower by picking a magic kumquat from a tree. Linguini tries to do so, but is then chased away from said tree by the Dizzy Doofus (Dizzy Devil), and then Pluckyo eludes various enemies larger than himself, until finally he finds "The Giant Nyah Nyah of Power" (a magic egg) that turns him into an invincible giant who defeats the enemies and plucks Loon from the tower. The game then ends, and we find Plucky playing it in an arcade. "It's more than a game, it's an obsession!" he says, right before a set of false teeth come out of the game and begin chasing him around as the segment ends.
Jump In!
In Jump In!, Izzy calls Mary "Jumpgirl", a reference to Mario's original name, "Jumpman".
Megas XLR
Episode 18: Thanksgiving Throwdown (First aired: Saturday November 27, 2004)
The "Fabio Brothers" in this episode are very similar to the known Mario Brothers. In this episode there are another allusions to other fictional characters as Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sound Effect Sightings
Sound effects from Mario games are also fairly common in modern animated series, particularly those with scenes that involve arcades, video game systems, or computers. Here is a list of animated TV shows where Mario sound effects can be heard (listed in alphabetical order). Strangely, most of the sound effects are heard in Disney shows.
- Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
- Kim Possible (in one episode, they are in an arcade. Sounds from Sonic and Pac-Man are also heard)
- Mucha Lucha!
- Teacher's Pet
- Teamo Supremo
- The Weekenders
- Dave the Barbarian (as well as the "Barrier" sound from Sonic)
- Lloyd in space
- American Dragon: Jake Long
- Batman: the Animated Series (used as sound effects for the "Maze of the Minotaur" game)
- Invader Zim (the coin sound effect is used)
- Oruchuban Ebichu ep. 9 (The coin sound affect is used)
- The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (the warp pipe sound used in Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure)
For animations staring Mario, visit the TV & Movies page.
