news culture Super Mario Bros. the Movie: Mario Kart, Yoshi, Smash Bros… all the iconic references from the trailer!
Don’t be afraid of words: The second trailer for the Super Mario Bros. movie will set the gaming world on fire tonight, and not just with Bowser’s wrath or fireballs launched from Mario or even Peach! This trailer proved to be particularly rich in fan service, and we’ve provided you with a roundup of the many references to Super Mario lore we discovered in it.
summary
- Back to the origins of the myth
- An incredible sense of detail
- Countless classics at the rendezvous
- Expanded universe respected
Back to the origins of the myth
Although he’s never looked so lively and dynamic, Mario isn’t very young anymore! Indeed, the first appearance of the most famous character in the history of video games dates back to an antiquity, the very first Donkey Kong from 1981 (back then it was called “Jumpman”). First up in this arcade classic that has been remastered several times by Nintendo no then next game boythe plumber confronts the famous gorilla, whom he must evict from the top of a building under construction. The historical game’s metal beams, ladders, and other barrels all appear in the arena where these two video game myths collide.
It is also, symbolically, the first sequence aired in the trailer, which, however, ties in with the development of Gorilla Adventures, which was modernized in the 1990s with Donkey Kong Country. We see a whole bunch of bananas, “DK” logos in the decoration of the locations, and the trailer also introduces a whole bunch of characters from the big Kong family, like Cranky (on a Roman imperial throne in the Coliseum). Funky or Diddy (visible later in the Mario Kart tribute sequence, which we’ll get to below).
In the same register of origins of the legend, the Mario/Luigi siblings appeared in 1983 with Mario Bros. where the plumber was definitively baptized and his brother introduced to the world lore for the first time. The two heroes develop in the sewers of Brooklyn, one of the famous boroughs of New York where the start of the controversial 1993 film takes place. We can even legitimately wonder if the latter, despite its sad reputation, doesn’t benefit from a little wink when Mario falls into a colored whirlpool to save his brother who seems to have been teleported to another dimension.
This sequence is certainly the one that will make the connection between the “real world” in which our two New York plumbers work (their work is undeniably evoked when we see Mario examining a sink faucet, and Luigi, who equipped with a tool kit (a suction cup or a wrench) and the Mushroom Kingdom, where we could see an incredulous and somewhat lost Mario land in the first trailer. We may be wondering who is the silhouette seen behind Mario on the Brooklyn street window shopping in front of a grocery store: and if, a bit like in the case of Stan Lee in the Marvel movies, a subtle appearance by Charles Martinet, his voice actor in the games, was confirmed as part of the cast?
An incredible sense of detail
As everyone knows, Super Mario has been the gold standard in platform gaming for over 35 years. This style of play, with the elements that characterize the different episodes of the saga, is often used in a trailer that gives a lot of importance to the hero’s jumping abilities, especially during a plan with a lot of humor where he jumps from a moving platform (first appeared in 1985’s Super Mario Bros.) to a “donut” elevator (discovered in 1988’s Super Mario Bros. 3), under the gaze of a Peach, first conquered and then dismayed by her abilities was by his clumsiness. In a similar register presents us with a scene with the hero trying to avoid the flying fish Cheep Cheep on a bridge, reminiscent of levels 2-3 and 7-3 of Super Mario Bros. Original…
Attention to detail is also particularly immense, with a whole host of less notorious details being respected to the letter. One will particularly think of the colors of Peach’s dress as it turns red and white, having undoubtedly grasped a Fire Flower. Used in 2013’s Super Mario 3D World on Wii U (where Peach is playable and capable of transforming into Fire Peach), this color has its origins in the 1989 cartoon, where the princess, for once, plays the heroine to free the plumbers by equipping herself with Mario’s usual ultimate weapon.
Speaking of Peach’s outfits, not to mention the jumpsuit she wears when she appears to take up arms to defend her kingdom, who is neither more nor less than what she wears in Mario Kart 8 when riding a motorcycle or quad? Toad isn’t to be outdone either, outfitted with a backpack inevitably reminiscent of Captain Toad, who was introduced on Wii U in the Super Mario series. After all, on the map showing Toad, Peach, and Mario from behind, the statues rising above the clouds look a lot like Easter Island in the 3-1 world of Super Mario Land, don’t they?
[Image:3075256[Bild:3075256[image:3075256
Countless classics at the rendezvous
As these are typical elements across a number of specific titles, it’s important to remember the brief (but notable) appearance of Mario’s famous tanuki costume. Introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, A favorite of fans of the series, this outfit returned with great fanfare in Super Mario 3D Land in 2011. and we can’t wait to find out in what context Mario sets up this legendary combo! And speaking of the iconic elements of the saga, we were able to find with joy the stained glass window with the image of Peach from Super Mario 64, here sublimated in a castle that has never been so beautiful and whose paintings adorn the walls recalls those that allow entering each of the levels of the launch hit of the Nintendo 64.
Perched on top of an unusual hill, which nonetheless bears witness to some degree of liberty by the Illumination, Peach’s castle was once seen threatened by Bowser’s. The main antagonist appears to rule over a giant lava slab that hovers over the Mushroom Kingdom. through a plan that may have false airs from one of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailers, where Hyrule Castle rises above the plain. Speaking of antagonists, The sequence with the king of the koopas holding Luigi captive reveals a huge group of villains. From the countless Hammer Brothers to the Piranha Plants, via Spiny or the Bob-Ombs, our heroes will have plenty to do and it seems that all the great classics of the saga are included. And as the world map surrounded by a kind of “toad council” suggests, we should see the country and we haven’t seen it all!
Expanded universe respected
Although his role seems discreet at the moment, Yoshi will also be part of this film. Absent from the first trailer (just like Peach and Donkey Kong introduced this time), The little dinosaur is almost anecdotal, but looks like an Easter egg. We do, in fact, briefly see a horde of Yoshi running around in what is most likely their famous island setting, which is very reminiscent of the Super Smash Bros. introduction section. Melee dedicated to them. A reference that is not isolated if we consider that on a horizontal plane the arena battle between Mario and Donkey Kong is clearly inspired by those staged in Nintendo’s famous series of fighting games!
Finally, how not to mention the incredible homage to Mario Kart that ends this trailer in style? A lot of fans were hoping for it a little without believing it, but yeah, Movie Super Mario Bros. will feature a series of karts on the most famous track of the series: the famous Arc-en-Ciel route, of course! The legendary storyline that closes each episode of the series, and has done so since Super Mario Kart in 1992, serves as the framework for a fast-paced chase that will pit Mario against Peach, Toad… but also Donkey Kong and many characters from his own universe seems to compete. Is this intended to be a tribute to Diddy Kong Racing? roster very “Kong” oriented? We look forward to learning more and getting answers to all of our potential questions easter eggs repeated here and there!
The Super Mario Bros. movie hits theaters exclusively in France on March 29th.
Table of Contents
