List of Mario references in video games

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Template:MoreImages A list of references to the Mario series in video games.

1080° Avalanche (GCN)

File:1080Snowboarding.PNG
View of the underside of Ricky Winderborn's board.
  • On the bottom of Ricky Winterborn's "8-Bit Soul" snowboard, a Super Mario Bros. 3 sprite of Mario, using the Super Mario All-Stars color palette, can be seen (or Luigi on the alternate color of that board). Ricky's bio also mentions that he likes to play Nintendo games such as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.
  • An NES controller board makes the Super Mario Bros. jump noise when the jump button is pressed and the Bill Blaster sound when landing.
  • At the end of the stage Midnight City is an ice sculpture of Mario in a victory pose.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + (3DS)

A Question Block as seen in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy +.
An Eurofighter Typhon doing a flyby of a Question Block.

This rerelease of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy adds custom planes themed after various Nintendo characters. The planes can be unlocked by scanning the relevant amiibo or by finding Question Blocks hidden in the missions. The Mario-relevant planes are:

  • Mario: An F-22 Raptor with averaged-out stats, in a reference to Mario's status as the "balanced" character in most Mario games.
  • Luigi: An F-35 Lightning II.
  • Bowser: An A-10A Thunderbolt II with improved armor and attack power.
  • Donkey Kong: An F/A-18 Hornet.
  • Princess Peach: A Eurofighter Typhoon.

The Adventures of Willy Beamish (Multiplatform)

The "Monster Squad" game.
  • The main protagonist, Willy, at one point plays a "Nintari" game entitled "Monster Squad", appears to be a spoof of Super Mario Bros.. Nintari is also a portmanteau of Nintendo and Atari.

Advent Rising (Xbox/PC)

Super Mario reference in Advent Rising
A Warp Pipe-like object in Chapter 1-B of Advent Rising.
  • One of the levels has a secret area which leads to a Warp Zone similar to that of the Mario series, complete with three different pipes.

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (Sega Master System)

"Mario-Oh"
  • During development, the first boss of the game was intended to be a character based on Ken-Oh, the first boss of the Shinobi arcade game, named "Mari-Oh", who bore a striking resemblance to Mario (likely to mock Nintendo, as the Alex Kidd games were all made by Sega, Nintendo's business rival at the time)[1] By the final game, however, Mari-Oh was replaced with the unrelated "Kabuto" boss.

Angry Birds series

Eggsteroid 1 imitating World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros.
The stage referencing 1-1

Angry Birds Space (iOS/Android/PC/Mac)

  • The second Eggsteroid is a homage to World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros., with rocks in the place of ? Blocks and wood in the place of Brick Blocks. The upper "? Block" contains a Bad Piggy which moves in a similar manner to the Super Mushrooms. Unlike in the original game, the ground can be broken and the pig representing the mushroom comes out of the top block, which in Super Mario Bros contained a coin.

Angry Birds Epic (iOS/Android)

Angry Birds Friends (Web/iOS/Android)

The 2015 Retro Game tournament with the Super Mario Bros.-styled level.
The level from Angry Birds Friends.
  • The 2015 Retro Game tournament of Angry Birds Friends featured six levels, each designed after a vintage video game. In this respect, the second level of the tournament borrowed elements from levels World 1-1 and World 1-2 of the classic Super Mario Bros., such as boxes that acted exactly like Question Blocks, coins, a flagpole preceded by a block stairway, a fortress, and last - but not least - a double Warp Pipe.[2]

Animal Crossing series

Animal Crossing (GCN)

  • When Rover calls Tom Nook, he says "It's-a me! Good impression, huh?", referring to Mario's famous catchphrase.
  • There are many rare NES games that the player can find and play once they are in their house. Among them are several Mario games:
  • Two items in the game are rare Mario and Luigi statues, which are gold and silver respectively.
  • While rowing to Animal Island, Kapp'n sings one of a few random songs, and a line to one of them is that he sings better than Mario.
  • After rescuing Gulliver, the player might be told of how he left his pet goldfish in Hyrule and Toad Town.
  • There is a series of Mario-themed furniture that can be unlocked with special cheat codes from Nintendo Power if the player tells them to Tom Nook. They include: a Warp Pipe, a Super Star, a Fire Flower, a Mushroom, a Flagpole, a Koopa Shell, a Cannon (or rather a Bill Blaster), a ? Block, a Brick Block, and a Coin. There is a wallpaper called "Mushroom Mural" which is an exact replica of the backdrop of the first level in Super Mario Bros., and a carpet called "Block Flooring" which is identical to the ground tiles.
  • There are four Mario-related shirts: the "big bro's shirt", a red shirt with Mario's trademark "M"; the "lil' bro's shirt", a green shirt with Luigi's "L"; the "turnip shirt", on which a pattern resembling vegetables appears, and the "toad shirt", which is a red shirt with Toad spots; for some reason, the name in-game incorrectly spells "Toad" with a lowercase "t".
  • Alfonso the crocodile sports the big bro's shirt, and his initial catchphrase is "It's-a me." Additionally, one of the gorillas, Louie, greatly resembles Donkey Kong and wears the lil' bro's shirt.
  • If the player sends Bob the code on his e-card, he will write back in a letter claiming he had a dream of the player running around an island with a water pump on their back, a reference to Super Mario Sunshine.
  • K.K. Slider's song, K.K. Country, is a cover of Choco Mountain from Mario Kart 64. The song is also present in all subsequent games.

Dōbutsu no Mori e+ (GCN)

Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

Mario & Luigi reference in the arcade in the game Animal Crossing: Wild World. See List of references in Nintendo video games
  • The furniture pieces from the original Animal Crossing are available once more, with some new ones added in. However, this time they must be received from Nintendo through letters obtained over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
  • Occasionally when players open up villagers' bureaus, dressers, etc., the message that pops up reads "What are Luigi's clothes doing in here?!"
  • The four shirts from the original return. The hats and mustaches are also in the game.
  • The "Super Mario Bros. 3 Paper" is first in this game, with a background resembling the title screen for Super Mario Bros. 3.
  • The Arcade Machine first appears in this game, featuring a fighting game with characters resembling Mario and Luigi.

Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)

? Block pattern.
Brick Block pattern.
? Block and Brick Block patterns.
The Arcade Machine.
The "Mario" furniture series (top), and the Arcade Machine (bottom).
  • One of the items, the Arcade Machine, has a game resembling a fighting game with Mario and Luigi. The Pinball Machine also features what appears to be the artwork for the original Super Mario Bros. on the screen and artwork of Mario on the table itself. Another item is the Tabletop Game, which looks like a side scrolling shooter; however, the ground appears to be from the original Super Mario Bros. as well.
  • A Banana, Triple Shells, a Yoshi's Egg, a "Bad Bro Mustache" (an accessory that looks like Wario's nose and mustache), a Toad Hat, a Peach Parasol, a Wario Hat, and a Kart (taking the appearance of Mario's Standard Kart from Mario Kart Wii) can all be purchased from the Tom Nook Point System.
  • All the Mario-related items from the original Animal Crossing appear in this game, but instead of using a code to obtain them, the player must shoot down a floating present with a slingshot and open it.
  • If the player finds bags of Bells from a rock using a shovel, the "Extra life" tune from Super Mario Bros. will play for every bag found.[3]
  • If Wendell is given a Red Turnip or a White Turnip, the player gets a ? Block or Brick Block pattern respectively.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

Guliver mentioning Admiral Bobbery.
  • After waking up Guliver on the beach, he may ask the player if he is in the Overthere. If the player chooses to help him, he may say, "Oh, thanks! I haven't met someone so willing to help a total stranger since the residents of Ricco Harbor!"[4]. He may also say, "You mean it?! I haven't met such a noble skipper since old Bobbery of Rogueport! Not even close!" In addition, he may also say how he was glad when he was once washed up on Isle Delfino.
  • When Gulliver describes his destination as Easter Island, one of the options to choose is Yoshi's Island.
  • Mario and Luigi hats and shirts and a Wario hat can be bought at the Able Sisters shop. The first six notes of the Super Mario Bros. theme plays when one of these are put on.
  • Just like in Animal Crossing: City Folk, revealing bags of Bells from a rock plays the Extra life tune from Super Mario Bros.
  • In the Dream Suite, sometimes when the player falls asleep, a soft version of the Super Mario Bros. theme will play.
  • On the official website, there are QR Codes for designs which players can scan using the sewing machine to receive special clothes in-game; two of these designs are Princess Peach and Princess Daisy's dresses.
  • There is a pinball machine that has artwork from Super Mario Bros.. It can be bought along with the arcade machine from the last game.
  • Sometimes, villagers might say they have a game about "a guy in green overalls with a vacuum cleaner", a reference to Luigi's appearance in Luigi's Mansion and its sequel.
  • The tabletop game looks like Donkey Kong 3 as it was shown on a poster.
  • "SMB3 paper" (used to write letters) can be bought at Timmy and Tommy's store, which has a background similar to that of the title screen from Super Mario Bros. 3.
  • The fortune cookies from Timmy and Tommy's store contain lucky tickets, which can be traded in for Nintendo-related items, including items from the Mario series. Besides the carpet and wallpaper, all the 8-bit items from previous Animal Crossing games have changed into their modern designs, specifically those seen in Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. 22 of the lucky tickets are references to the Mario series, more specifically to either Super Mario or Mario Kart:
Fortune # Message Item
1 A red hat may improve your head, as well as your fashion sense. Mushroom mural
2 You will be visited by a mustachioed man. Block floor
7 She who shades herself from an angry sun does so with dignity. Peach's parasol
12 In both life and love, there is always another castle. Toad hat
17 He who breaks blocks with his head must remember to grow up. Block
18 You cannot put a value in your life, unless you have 100 gold coins. Coin
19 He who flaps in front of an enemy may soon be flapping at his boots. Flagpole
20 Sometimes a flower is just a flower, unless it causes fires. Fire Flower
21 He who wishes to grow big would be wise to eat his roughage. Super Mushroom
22 He who kicks his problems away may soon find them returning. Green Shell
23 Power is often fleeting. Super Star
24 You only live once, unless you have another guy. 1-Up Mushroom
25 The future is a mystery that may hold great treasures for you. ? Block
26 There are no shortcuts in life, except for when there are. Pipe
27 He who jumps over fire, does so knowing it is not impressed. Fire Bar
28 Cannons are much like toasters, though bread is bad for cannons. Bullet Bill Blaster
29 Never count your Yoshis before they hatch. Plans often change. Yoshi's Egg
31 Sometimes that which protect you must also fight for you as well. Triple Red Shells
32 You should consider a career as a professional kart racer. Kart
44 Garlic is not a substitute for personal hygiene. Bad bro's stache
45 An itchy nose is worth the sacrifice for a glorious upper lip. Big bro's stache
48 Those who slip are often just given a chance to appreciate the ground. Triple Bananas

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)

  • Some of the Mario-related items in the previous game are reused as items for their homes in this game including the Super Star and the Super Mushroom.
  • Gulliver again makes a Mario reference in one conversation, where he mentions having been washed up on the shore of Wuhu Island, and goes on to bring up its appearance in Mario Kart 7, recalling karts nearly running him down.

Art Academy series

Art Academy (DS)

The Yoshi drawing on the cover of Art Academy.
The Yoshi plush drawing.
  • A pencil-drawn picture of a Yoshi plush toy can be seen on the game's cover. This drawing does not appear in the game, however.

Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! (3DS)

  • On the cover for the PAL version (titled New Art Academy), a pencil-drawn Goomba picture can be seen. Like the Yoshi doll before, this drawing does not appear in the game itself.
  • At one point, one custom lesson for New Art Academy/Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! was distributed by Nintendo via SpotPass, distributed in different periods depending on the region. The custom lesson featured a colored-pencil drawing of a Goomba, and the method which to draw it. The picture featured is different from the Goomba drawing on the PAL version cover as mentioned above, though.

Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (DSi)

Assassin's Creed series

Assassin's Creed II (Multiplatform)

Mario Auditore's introduction.

In Mario Auditore's debut cutscene, he introduces himself with "Don't you recognize me? It's a-me, Mario!", referring to Mario's catchphrase.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Multiplatform)

  • One of the game's achievements/trophies is called "Principessa in Another Castello", referencing the Mushroom Retainers' quote: "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" from Super Mario Bros..
  • In the mission "Femme Fatale," after Ezio has killed all of the guards and dragged Lucrezia Borgia towards Caterina Sforza's cell, she commented "Rescuing princesses from castles now?"
  • The achievement "Plumber" shows a picture of a Warp Pipe.

Astal (Sega Saturn)

sprite of Mario in Astal.
  • A sprite of Mario is present in the game's code.[5]

Asterix & Obelix XXL 2: Mission Las Vegum (PS2, PC)

Roman with Fludd.jpg
  • One of the most common enemies is a Roman dressed in a Mario costume who uses the F.L.U.D.D. device from Super Mario Sunshine to blast water at Asterix and Obelix. His likeness also appears on the Eiffel Tower decorations and the statues on the side of the Arc de Triomphe. Additionally, Romans that resemble other video game characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man appear.
  • There is an area accessed through a Warp Pipe in WCW Arena named "Internetus" which is somewhat of a tribute to the Mario games. There are POW Blocks, Thwomps, Mushroom platforms, Piranha Plant designs on the floor, and more. The music also sounds like that of a Mario game.
  • In the secret entrance to Las Vegum, there is a menhir painted white with green spots, resembling a Yoshi Egg.
  • The wall behind the Eiffel Tower in Lutetia is designed to look like the background of a Mario level.
  • Near the boss in WCW Arena, there are wall tiles made to look like blocks from Mario games.
  • In the night-time area of Venetia, there are giant statues of Donkey Kong, Princess Peach, and a Shine Sprite. Additionally there are two more Shine Sprites in an underground tunnel in the same room.
  • Some flag decorations in Venetia feature Super Mushrooms and Yoshi Eggs.
  • Upon entering the Obelisk area of Lutetia, there are barrels rolling down a slope with Donkey Kong's logo on them.
  • In WCW Arena there is a massive scaffolding which looks and plays just like the first level of Donkey Kong. There is also one on Pirate Island with a giant statue of Donkey Kong on top (the same one seen in Venetia, but wearing an eye patch).
  • On Pirate Island there are carvings of Donkey Kong's face on the ground at one area.
  • In Venetia there are fountains featuring Donkey Kong's face, with the water flowing from his mouth.
  • Beside the merchandise stand on the shores of Pirate Island there is a red towel with a Sidestepper on it and Super Stars on the ground nearby.

Back to the Future: The Game (Multiplatform)

Backtothemario.png
  • During "Episode 1: It's About Time," Marty must make arrangements for Edna to deliver soup (which is actually alcohol) to the Stay Sober Society. At one point, Marty mentions that he's delivered soup to charities before, and Edna asks him which ones they were. Marty responds by telling her "The... um... Mario Brothers...", and Edna goes on to comment that "the Italians do so many good works".

Banjo-Kazooie series

Banjo-Kazooie (N64/Xbox Live Arcade/Xbox One)

  • In the level Click Clock Wood, there is a large beaver named Gnawty who needs Banjo and Kazooie to destroy the rock blocking the entrance to his home. While resembling the Gnawties of the Donkey Kong Country series, he mostly resembles Very Gnawty in size, color, and strength.
  • In the level Bubblegloop Swamp, Tiptup appears and is the conductor of a singing group of turtles.
  • In the voice questions at Grunty's Furnace Fun, Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong's names are seen as answers.

Banjo-Tooie (Nintendo 64/Xbox Live Arcade/Xbox One)

GogglesMole.jpg
Banjo-Tooie Bowser face picture.jpg
File:Mario's reference in BT.PNG
The dialogue referring to Mario directly.
  • In Grunty Industries, Banjo and Kazooie find Loggo, a toilet character from the previous game, who says that he needs unblocking. Kazooie suggests calling a plumber, and says that she thinks Mario's free at the moment. Loggo says he doesn't think Mario does that kind of work anymore. In the Xbox 360 version of the game, the dialogue is altered slightly to say "Italian plumber" instead.
  • Bottles's daughter, Goggles, can be seen playing with a Donkey Kong doll.
  • During the final battle with Hag 1, Gruntilda asks the question "Who appears on the cover art?", and one of the answers is "Banjo, Kazooie, and Donkey Kong".
  • In the Inferno section in the Haunted Zone in Witchyworld, there is a face at the top of the large slide which many believe resembles Bowser's face.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Xbox 360/Xbox One)

The 8-bit Mario.
  • To show the power of the vehicle editor in the game, an 8-bit Mario on wheels is shown in the trailer in Nutty Acres. It then gets destroyed by Banjo and Kazooie. The trailer was later edited to remove the portion when the 8-bit Mario is destroyed. However, the shot of it prior to the destroying remains.[6]
  • In the opening sequence, when Banjo, Kazooie, and Gruntilda encounter the Lord of Games for the first time, Kazooie at one point remarks that they have been in several games already, and Lord of Games responds by saying that they've been in "nowhere near as many as that Italian gentleman."
  • In the Jiggoseum level, on a balcony in the south end of the main area is a pile of giant, metallic dice that Kazooie can pick up and move. Hidden behind them is a large, golden cube with a metallic white question mark on the side of it.
  • At one point, Banjo mentions that he once was in a race with "a genie and a giant pig", referring to Diddy Kong Racing.
  • The achievement unlocked for opening the Terrarium of Terror, an outer-space forest themed world, is called "Super Banjo Universe," a parody of Super Mario Galaxy.
  • One of the questions given by Lord of Games in the quiz at the end of the game is "Which game featured a Banjo appearance but wasn't a Banjo title?" The correct choice is Diddy Kong Racing.

Baseball (GB)

  • Among the in-game players, Mario's name can be seen in the W-Bears team, and Luigi's name can be seen in the R-Eagles team.

The Battle Cats (iOS/Android/3DS)

An advertisement for The Battle Cats POP! in The Battle Cats iOS game, featuring a reference to Mario.
  • To celebrate the game's recent arrival on the Nintendo 3DS, a new Cat was released for all versions alongside "The Battle Cats POP!" event, named Cat Kart R. The Cat's name is a reference to the Mario Kart series, with the "R" referring to the red colour of the cat's cap. This cap is also a reference to Mario's cap, only with an "N" instead of an "M". It rides around in a kart and throws Cat Food (the game's in-game currency) at enemies, which is again a reference to Mario Kart and the ability to throw various items. Its description includes, "Other hobbies: Parties, Tennis, Medicine," which is a nod to the Mario series Mario Party, Mario Tennis, and Dr. Mario. Cat Kart R can be upgraded to become Cat Kart G, with the "G" referring again to the green colour of the Cat's cap. The Cat's new description includes the phrase, "Has a complex thanks to his popular brother." Both the cap and the description are a reference to Luigi and his behaviour with Mario.
  • The upgraded form of the Vengeful Cat, Groucho Cat, rides around in a cloud while holding a fishing rod, which is a reference to the Fishin' Lakitu/Fishin' Boo enemy. However, the fishing rod is attached to a pair of Groucho glasses, referencing Groucho Marx.
  • The upgraded form of the Meowla Meowla, Catorpedo, is in the shape of a Bullet Bill, with a bullet-esque shape and two white arms whose hands are curled into fists. Its description also includes, "Hates being stepped all over. Stop it!!!" which refers to Bullet Bills being defeated when jumped on.
  • The true form of the Jurassic Cat, Catasaurus, features a Cat riding a dinosaur that bears a close resemblance to Yoshi. It attacks by jumping in the air and fluttering while moving his feet, and it sticks out its tongue when knocked back, which are both abilities of Yoshi. Its description also reads, "Discovered a cute dinosaur in a magical land of fungi. Features extra seating for the kids!" The first phrase is a reference to the Mushroom Kingdom, which the second phrase is a reference to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where Baby Mario rides on Yoshi's back.

Bayonetta series

Bayonetta (X360/PS3/Wii U)

Bayonetta's Peach costume
Bayonetta's Peach costume.
  • The Wii U version of the game features costumes for Bayonetta inspired by various Nintendo characters, including ones based upon Princess Peach and Princess Daisy called "Mushroom Kingdom Princess" and "Sarasaland Princess" respectively.[7] The costumes feature ribbons on the arms that have various Mario power-ups on them, and on her waist is a Mario trinket for the Peach costume, and a Luigi one for the Daisy costume. While the costumes are equipped, the Halos enemies drop are replaced with coins, which when collected make the sound effect heard in Super Mario World.[8] Also, instead of summoning demons, Bayonetta summons Bowser's foot or fist. When doing so, Bowser's voice (provided by Kenny James) can be heard.[9]

Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)

  • A Chain Chomp appears as an equippable weapon. It can be obtained by collecting the Angelic Hymns Gold LP "Super Mario 64"[10] During the cutscene of Rodin going to Inferno to make the weapon, a piano rendition of Bob-omb Battlefield's theme plays.
    • The Ubran Elegance for the Chain Chomp gives Bayonetta Mario's hat (with a "B" instead of an "M") and mustache. She also gains a unique taunt in which she takes the hat off (a la one of Mario's taunts in Super Smash Bros. Brawl) while saying "Mamma Mia!". If Jeanne equips the Ubran Elegance, she will gain Luigi's hat and mustache instead.
  • The Nintendo costumes that appear in the port of the original game also appear in this game, including the Peach and Daisy costumes.

Bejeweled Stars (iOS/Android)

One of the Daily Challenges in the game is called "D.Kong", which refers to the original Donkey Kong.

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator (PC)

BenJordanreferences.png
  • In the seventh game in the series, Ben enters a person's house by disguising himself as a plumber. He does this by putting on a colorful shirt and pair of overalls making him look like one of the Mario Bros.

Big Brain Academy series

Big Brain Academy (DS)

  • In "Missing Links", a sketch of Mario's Hat will appear.
  • In "Get in Shape" in the 3-star difficulty, a silhouette of a Piranha Plant will appear.

Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Wii)

  • In "Speed Sorting", one of the pictures of "Has a tail" is Raccoon Mario from Super Mario Bros. 3.
  • In "Point of View", one of the objects in the Brain Quiz category is a pair of Warp Pipes.[11]

The Binding of Isaac / The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Steam)

The Magic Mushroom, 1UP, Mini Mush and Bobby-Bomb.
  • The Magic Mushroom, 1UP, and Mini Mush items resemble several mushroom power-ups from the Mario games. Also, the Magic and Mini Mushrooms change Isaac's size, much like the Super Mushrooms and Mini Mushrooms do.
  • The item "Bobby-Bomb" greatly resembles a Bob-omb.
  • Description of Liberty Cap says: "Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy" - referencing World 1-7 from Yoshi's Island.
  • One of the fortune teller's messages is: "Your Princess is in another Castle", referencing the Mushroom Retainer's line in Super Mario Bros..
  • To unlock jumping, the player has to pick up an object saying jump on it, that contains the box art of Super Mario Bros..
  • Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Bowser, Toad, Toadette, Yoshi, a Goomba, a Chain Chomp, the Fire Flower, Tanooki Suit, Hammer Suit, and Frog Suit appear as playable normal babies in the game's Co-op mode.

Bitcoin Billionaire (iOS/Android)

  • One of the email bonuses received in the game is from The Princess, which reads "I'm in another castle, enjoying this bonus." This is a reference to the Mushroom Retainer's line from Super Mario Bros.
  • One of the unlockable room items is a Goal Pole from Super Mario Bros. It can be unlocked by reinvesting.

Borderlands series

Borderlands (Multiplatform)

  • There is an achievement in the game titled, "My Brother Is An Italian Plumber", which is earned by stomping enemies.

Borderlands 2 (Multiplatform)

DonkeyMong.png
  • A race of enemies called "Bullymongs" are four-armed ape-like creatures; there is a rare subspecies called "Donkey Mongs" which wear red ties and throw barrels, a reference to Donkey Kong, if the player successfully defeats a Donkey Mong, they are awarded with an achievement entitled "Definitely An Italian Plumber", a reference to Mario.

Braid (Xbox Live Arcade/PSN/Steam/Mac App Store)

Donkey Kong 25m level
  • There is a level named "Jumpman" (referencing Mario's original name) which resembles 25m from the original Donkey Kong arcade game. In Indie Game: The Movie, it is shown that the gorilla in said level was originally a sprite of Donkey Kong from the arcade game in the prototype.
  • At the end of most worlds, the ragdoll-like dinosaur character says, "Sorry, but your princess is in another castle", referencing the Mushroom Retainer's line in Super Mario Bros..
  • There are plant enemies which come out of pipes very similar to Piranha Plants.

Brain Age series

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (DS)

  • In "Syllable Count", there is the famous Toad quote written during the game. It reads, "Thank you, Mario, but our princess is in another castle."
  • If the player taps the walking man who appears when the player gets the rank "Walking Speed", he whistles the first six notes of the Mario theme.

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! (DS)

Virus Buster Mini-game from Brain Age 2.
  • If the player goes on 'Training' and taps the last '???', this will start a game called 'Virus Buster', which is a game just like Dr. Mario, even with a soothing version of the in-game music. This mini-game can be played in the WiiWare game Dr. Mario Online Rx, but with the Wii Remote's cursor control.
  • If the player taps the walking man who appears when the player gets the rank "Walking Speed", he whistles the tune that plays after Mario gets a 1-Up.

Brain Age Express (DSiWare)

  • If the player taps the walking man who appears when the player gets the rank "Walking Speed", he whistles the tune that plays after Mario loses a life in Super Mario Bros..
  • The game 'Virus Buster' returns from Brain Age 2.

Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)

  • The in-game description of the item Enopu Mushroom alludes to Mario's plumbing career, along with saving the princesses and preference of mushrooms. This item's name is an anagram of the "One-Up" portion of the 1-Up Mushroom. Its effect is similar in that it grants the target the auto-revive effect. Item description: "Eisenberg legends tell of an affable plumber with a love for mushrooms. This particular one was his favorite, and its power brought him back from the brink of death-by-overwork on many an occasion. While he performed no acts of derring-do such as the saving of princesses, he did nearly single-handedly construct Eisenberg's impressive sewage system."

Breath of Death VII (PC/Xbox Live Arcade)

  • A part of the game has the player searching for a prince named Erik in a castle. If the player speaks to a certain guard, he states "Perhaps the Prince is in another castle.".

Bully: Scholarship Edition (Wii/Xbox 360)

  • The minor character Ray Huges says "They say kids imitate video games. But I have yet to turn into a mustached plumber!".

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Multiplatform)

The callsign emblem.
  • In multiplayer in both games, reaching a 10-kill killstreak with no killstreak rewards equipped nets the player a callsign emblem of Price patterned after the Super Mario Bros. small Mario sprite.
  • In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a video game console called a "Gamestation" can be found in a house. One of the video games lying around it is named "Italian Plumber Princess Rescue".

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate

  • A message from a skeleton says the following:

The terrible state of the pipes down here would peturb even my brother Mario. Some parts have rusted terribly, While others are covered with fungus due to the high humidity. Not all the Mushrooms look good to eat either, Who knows what might happen if I eat one?

Catch the Rabbit (iOS/Android)

  • The rabbit in this game resembles Nabbit.

Cave Story+ (PC/Steam)

Sue in a Peach costume in Cave Story+.
Sue dressed as Peach.
  • If the player plays the game on Halloween, Sue can be seen dressed up as Princess Peach.

Chase Mii (Wii U Tech Demo)

WU ChaseMii.png

Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64) / Conker: Live & Reloaded (Xbox)

  • In order to defeat the game's final boss Heinrich, Conker has to grab and spin Heinrich around by the tail and fling him into an airlock portal towards outer space. This both parodies and references how Mario had to defeat Bowser in Super Mario 64.

Chibi-Robo series

Chibi-Robo! (GCN)

Kid Eggplant.jpg
  • The Eggplant Man enemy from Wrecking Crew makes an appearance in the game, though it's renamed "Kid Eggplant" in the North American version of the game (his name in the Japanese version of Chibi-Robo! is "Nasubi Kamen", the same as Eggplant Man).

Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Richie Ōsōji! (DS)

  • Occasionally, sifting through dust will reveal a Super Star, which plays the invincibility theme from Super Mario Bros when picked up.

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash (3DS)

  • A Mario PEZ Dispenser is among the Snacks the player can collect.
  • Among the Trash is a Banana Peel with the description "Last night, I had a dream. A big gorilla riding a Kart passed a car I was riding in, and then he went and threw a HUGE banana peel at me! Gah!"

Crash Bandicoot series

Crash Bandicoot (PS1)

File:DonkeyKongReferenceInToxicWaste.png
The Donkey Kong-like enemy from Toxic Waste.
  • In early levels there are enemies resembling Piranha Plants and wandering turtles who retract into their shell once jumped on, a parody of Koopa Troopas. These enemies reappear in later installments in the series.
  • In the Toxic Waste level, there are some bear-like enemies that throw nuclear canisters similar to Donkey Kong.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS1)

A gorilla that throws barrels like Donkey Kong.
  • In some ruin levels, there is a log-throwing gorilla enemy which is a parody of Donkey Kong.
  • There are Lab Assistants in the beehive levels who are dressed in Mario outfits and wield hammers, a reference to Mario's role in Donkey Kong.

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PS1)

  • Crash being able to ride Baby T, a baby dinosaur, is most likely inspired by Mario being able to ride Yoshi in several Mario games. Baby T is even found from breaking his egg and runs away when it touches an enemy, just like Yoshi (except the player cannot chase down Baby T after he is hit and must find another egg).

Crash: Mind Over Mutant (Multiplatform)

  • The FMV cutscene after defeating the brainwashed Crunch Bandicoot is named "Crunch Get!" in the cutscene viewer, likely after the phrase "Shine Get!" in the Japanese version of Super Mario Sunshine.

Crash of the Titans (Multiplatform)

  • The Ratnicians can be heard sometimes saying "You thought he was an Italian plumber or something?" when they notice Crash.

Crash Twinsanity (Multiplatform)

A Donkey Kong-like enemy from Crash Twinsanity.
The DK-esque rhino enemy.
  • In the level "High Seas Hi-Jinks", a large rhinoceros throws barrels at the player, just like Donkey Kong.

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (Multiplatform)

  • In the level "Crash and Burn", there is an area that resembles 25m from the original Donkey Kong arcade game.

Crashmo (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

Challenge No. 88 (Buzzy Beetle)
Challenge No. 88 (Buzzy Beetle) in Crashmo.

Createrria (iOS)

  • There is an achievement named "The Italian Plumber" a reference to Mario.
  • In one of the signposts from the level Beginner's Path there is a line saying "...like an Italian plumber!" another reference to Mario.

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (Multiplatform)

  • The game was originally pitched as a 3D platformer starring Yoshi, it being retooled into an original IP after Nintendo rejected the offer.
  • An advertisement poster of this game depicted Croc after apparently eating three video game characters: Mario, Crash Bandicoot, and Lara Croft. Their accessories can be seen: Mario's hat, Crash's sneakers, and Lara's gun.

Danganronpa (Multiplatform)

  • Yasuhiro Hagakure reference to the Piranha Plants of Super Mario while speaking about the giant flower during the game's fifth chapter.

Dig Dug: Digging Strike (Nintendo DS)

  • One of the stages in the game is a reference to Mario Kart. Item Boxes are not included since they are Mario exclusive.
  • The boxart on the back also features Susumu in a kart resembling the style from Mario Kart Arcade GP 2.

Disney Infinity (Multiplatform)

A level from Disney Infinity based on SMB.

Drill Dozer (GBA)

  • The player can unlock various of costumes for the playable character Jill to wear using Password codes. One of the costumes is a pair of blue overalls, which is based on Mario's clothes.

DX-Ball 2 (PC)

  • The ninth level in the "Tribute Set" expansion pack for this game was apparently styled to resemble a classic Starman sprite, consisting of yellow bricks (which is indestructible) in the outer structure with explosive tiles covering the entire inner part. The player is required to hit one explosive tile at the top left to remove the outer bricks and complete the level in a few more hits.

Dying Light (PC/PS4/XOne)

  • The game features an easter egg in a form of a secret corridor which resembles a 3D recreation of World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros., playable from a first-person view. The secret room features Goomba-like enemies, explosive zombies, large green pipes, brown and yellow blocks, and large flag pole at the end. The main platform is only one block wide, and floats parallel to the corridor on a vast pool of blood. The corridor's blue walls are decorated with the extruded decals of pixel-like mountains and clouds. The secret corridor is accessible by squatting on a building's chimney that has a green pipe lodged inside it. The player will be instantly warped to the secret corridor, and exit using another pipe at the end of the main platform.[12]

Mother series

Mother / EarthBound Beginnings (Famicom)

Ss earthbound0 1.gif
  • A child in Twinkle Elementary in Merrysville asks Ninten if he's played Dragon Warrior IV, remarking that he can't get past Dragon Warrior III. In the English version of the game (released as EarthBound Beginnings on Virtual Console), he instead says "Super Mario Bros. 7" and Super Mario Bros. 3, respectively. In the Game Boy Advance port Mother 1+2, there is no longer any name-dropping.

EarthBound (SNES)

Onett arcade.PNG

Earthworm Jim Special Edition (Sega CD)

The Donkey Kong mask in the Sega CD version of Earthworm Jim.
  • The enhanced Sega CD version of this game includes several secret masks for the character, including one of Donkey Kong with an arrow through his head. This is supposedly to spite Nintendo as the release of Donkey Kong Country around the same time prevented Earthworm Jim from making more of an impact.Template:Refneeded

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (3DS)

Thwomp-like enemies from Epic Mickey 2 for 3DS
  • The spiked stone enemies with Pete's face are based on Thwomps, as they resemble and attack in a similar manner to them.

Eversion (PC, Steam)

  • An achievement for the Steam version of this game is titled "The Princess Is In Another Castle", which is unlocked when the player reaches the normal ending without collecting all 240 gems. This is a reference to the line that the Mushroom Retainers say when Mario saves them in Super Mario Bros.

F-1 Race (GB)

  • Mario waves the checkered flag when the player wins a race in the game.
  • Several Mario characters greet the player before the race begins. The following characters appear based on the course he or she appears in:

F-Zero series

Rainbow Road
  • The Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 64 appears in F-Zero X. The Japan-exclusive F-Zero X Expansion Kit also changes the music to be a rock cover version of the track's theme from Mario Kart 64.
  • Mr. EAD's head and mustache resemble those of Mario. His belt buckle is also designed after a Super Star. Additionally, when interviewing him in F-Zero GX, his answer to his favorite food is Italian, and his dream for the future is to "wear overalls every day and take it easy."

FaceBreaker K.O. Party (Wii)

  • The back of the boxes' screenshot of the Punch-O-Matic minigame has the players listed as Mario, Peach, Yoshi, and Wario with the images being a pair of lips, a raptor, and a skull and crossbones. (Mario's image isn't shown.)

Family Feud: 2010 Edition (Multiplatform)

  • One of the families played against in the game's 1P mode includes two brothers named Marco and Luis who are plumbers. They are references to Mario and Luigi. Marco's wife is named Patricia, she may be a reference to Princess Peach. Patricia has a nephew named Ted, a reference to Toad. Ted's afro is likely a reference to Toad's cap. These characters somewhat look like their Mario counterparts and do similar poses.

Fez (Multiplatform)

  • Gomez can enter wells similar to how Mario enters Warp Pipes.

Flappy Bird (Multiplatform)

Flappy Bird, which references the Mario series by featuring Warp Pipes.
Flappy Bird.
  • The pipes used as obstacles in the game heavily resemble Warp Pipes.
  • The Bird itself also resembles a Super Mario World-style Cheep Cheep.

Flipnote Studio 3D (3DS eShop)

Coins, with stars on them, from Flipnote Studio 3D.
Coins in Flipnote Studio 3D.
  • Coins, that look similar to Star Coins, can be collected. This currently only applies to the Japanese version of the app.

Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! (3DS)

In the Deluxe version of this game, Formees are able to smash blocks, collect coins, and eat Super Mushrooms.

Geometry Dash (iOS/Android)

The Geometry Dash background that looks similar to the background in SMB3.
The Super Mario Bros. 3 background as seen in the Level Editor.
  • In update version 2.0, one of the backgrounds closely resembles the hills found in Super Mario Bros. 3. Similarly, the checkered floor ground also resembles the floor of the kings' chambers in the game.
  • The "Thief! Thief!" cube resembles the Shy Guy.
  • The "Nice shot!" cube resembles the Rotating Block from Super Mario World.
  • The "Ultimate ToE2" cube resembles Boo.
  • The "I R Unstoppable!" UFO resembles the Koopa Clown Car.
  • In the Update 2.1 sneak peek video, there is an obstacle that bears a strong resemblance to the Fire Bars.

Giana Sisters series

The Great Giana Sisters (Amiga/Amstrad CPC/Atari ST/MSX 2/C 64)

Screenshot of the Game "Great Giana Sisters".
Giana after obtaining a Fire Wheel.
  • The first level of The Great Giana Sisters is nearly identical in layout to the first stage found in Super Mario Bros., and the game plays almost identically. The immediate similarity to Super Mario Bros. ensured that The Great Giana Sisters was quickly noticed by both the public and the video game industry itself. Nintendo pressured the makers of The Great Giana Sisters with warning of legal action should they not take appropriate action, and the game was voluntarily withdrawn from sale.[14] The difficulty in obtaining copies of the game has led to them being sought out as collector's items.

An unofficial sequel called Giana Sisters II was released on the Commodore 64 in 1993, originally with commercial purpose plans though later released for free on the Internet. In 2008, another unofficial sequel was released, entitled Giana's Return.

Giana Sisters DS (Nintendo DS)

Giana Sisters (iOS/Android)

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (PC/Xbox 360/PS3/Wii U)

Goat Simulator (PC)

In Goat Simulator, one of the Mutators is called "Italian Dinosaur Goat". With this mutator, the goat can swallow physics objects and turn them into eggs, which can be thrown. This is a reference to Yoshi's ability to swallow enemies and turn them into eggs. In the Android/iOS version, there is a Warp Pipe in Goatville. If players grab a black oval with the tongue and carry it to the pipe, players can enter it. Doing so brings players to a pipeline area. The icon in the Android/iOS version used to activate your Goat's attack looks like a Red POW Block.

GoldenEye 007 (N64)

  • A cheat mode in this Rare-developed game is "DK Mode", after Donkey Kong. In this mode, players have big heads and small bodies.

Grand Theft Auto IV (Multiplatform)

  • An 8-bit character jumping in the same way as Mario is seen on the wall of the Videogeddon arcade among other 8-bit sprites.

Guacamelee! (Multiplatform)

  • A poster in the game says "Tag Team #1 Los Super Hermanos". They have mustaches and their masks are red and green. One of them has an L on their mask and the other has an M.
  • At the beginning of Desierto Caliente, there is a large obstruction resembling barrels with Donkey Kongs on top.
  • At the end of the Temple of Rain, Juan must run from the Alebrije that is chasing him. At the end of the area is a bridge over lava with a gold axe on the other side; collecting it causes the bridge to collapse under the Alebrije as it falls into lava. Afterward, Juan is greeted by X'Tabay, who says, "Sorry Luchador, but your princess is in another castle."
  • On a wall in Santa Luchita, the outline of Mario's sprite from the original Super Mario Bros. can be seen.

Guitar Hero Live (Multiplatform)

Hard'n Heavy (Amiga/C 64)

  • Originally meant to be a sequel to the famous Super Mario Bros. clone The Great Giana Sisters, this game was originally known as Giana 2: Arthur and Martha. This changed due to a lawsuit, as Nintendo threatened to take legal action due to the game's deliberate similarity to their flagship franchise. Just like the The Great Giana Sisters, Hard'n Heavy features two heroes (Heavy and Metal) who make their way through a Mario-styled, vertically-scrolling futuristic world.

A Hat in Time (PC/Mac)

  • The backer-exclusive hat is called the Time Sisters hat, which resembles Mario's Cap. A promotional artwork of the game shows Hat Kid wearing said hat, with the name "Time Bros" written underneath, but with "Bros" crossed out and replaced with "Sisters".[15]

HarmoKnight (3DS eShop)

Icon Pop Quiz (iOS/Android)

The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions (PC)

Super Mel Brothers
  • In the "Easy" contraption lineup, there is a puzzle named "Super Mel Brothers". In said contraption, Mel has a younger brother named Angus, referencing how Luigi is Mario's younger brother.

Jet Force Gemini (N64)

Greenwood Village
  • An exact replica of Greenwood Village is included as an unlockable track for the multiplayer races, the only difference is that one of the shortcuts has been removed.

Jill of the Jungle (DOS)

  • A "News Bulletin" announces Mario, at age 72, is giving up superhero status because of Jill's "incredible" popularity. "We are not cool enough. We just did not stand a chance." states the newsflash. It also says that he will return to his old job, cleaning gorilla cages at the local zoo.

Jurassic: The Hunted (Multiplatform)

  • A turret based boss fight in a swamp features combat against two Tyrannosaurus Rexes, one a lime green and the other a pinkish color. The pallet choices were based on the Nintendo characters Yoshi and Birdo, who are often paired up by fans as a couple to match other characters in the Mario franchise.

Just Dance 3 / Just Dance Wii (Japan) (Wii)

MarioJustdance3.png
  • Mario appears as on track called "Just Mario" with the artist credited as "Ubisoft meets Nintendo". This was due to the time when Ubisoft collaborated with Nintendo.

Kart Sweetie (App Store)

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

  • When Palutena tells Pit about Powers, Pit says, "Looks like all that Dr. Mario is about to pay off!"
  • In chapter 19, there is a segment while climbing the tower featuring barrels rolling down toward Pit which also has jump pads to leap over them. At this point, Pit mentions that "Something seems familiar about this..." with Hades saying, "I guess the Chariot Master has played Donkey Kong."

Kirby series

Kirby Super Star (SNES) / Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS)

  • Mario, Toad, Luigi, Birdo, Bowser, and Princess Peach, as well as Wario in the DS remake, are in the audience of the Megaton Punch Contest and the King Dedede battle in "Spring Breeze" along with several 1-Up mushrooms. Bowser and Peach are only visible in Spring Breeze, and are hidden off-screen (though Peach is still partially visible). In the remake, Peach is moved to a more visible position in the audience.
  • A picture of Mario appears in the credits of "Milky Way Wishes" and, in the remake, "Revenge of the King".
  • Several of the items in "The Great Cave Offensive", such as the "Koopa Shell", "Bucket", "Phanto Mask" and the DK Barrel are from Mario games.
  • When Kirby activates his Stone ability he will (very rarely) turn into a gold statue of Mario. The statue also appears in the credits for Revenge of the King in Kirby Super Star Ultra.
  • In the remake, Kaboola, now known as Kabula, has now a Bullet Bill-like appearance. Kabula showed off one of its special attacks involves in attacking to Kirby by shooting giant Bullet Bill-like missiles at him.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe (Nintendo 3DS)

Stone Kirby as a Brick Block in Kirby: Triple Deluxe
The Brick Block transformation in Kirby: Triple Deluxe
  • One of the possible forms of Stone Kirby is a Brick Block.

Kirby: Planet Robobot (Nintendo 3DS)

Wheel Kirby performing a Rocket Start in Kirby: Planet Robobot
The Rocket Start in Kirby: Planet Robobot.
  • The Brick Block is one of the forms that Stone Kirby and Smash Bros. Kirby can use.
  • One of the possible moves Wheel Kirby can perform is the Rocket Start, which refers to the boost in the Mario Kart series when the race begins.

League of Legends (PC)

Rammus' alternative skin based on Bowser.
Rammus' skin based on Bowser
  • One of the Rammus' skins, King Rammus, is based on King Bowser.

The Legend of Zelda series

The Legend of Zelda (NES)

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

A portrait of Mario on the wall.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB)

Mamu and his frog choir performing the Frog's Song of Soul for Link.
Wart
  • Tarin resembles Mario. He even transforms into a raccoon by eating a mushroom, as Mario transforms into Raccoon Mario by using a Super Leaf. Likewise, the Cuccoo keeper resembles Luigi.
  • There are many enemies from the Mario series, though some of them were named differently in the English translation. There are Goombas, Piranha Plants, Podoboos, Cheep-Cheeps, Bloopers (called "Bloobers," their original name), Thwomps, Pokeys, Boos (called Boo Buddies), and Shy Guys (Called Mask-Mimics). Also the Bombite enemy bears a striking resemblance to Bob-omb.
  • A Yoshi Doll is found at the Trendy Game shop in Mabe Village. Link can win the Yoshi Doll by controlling the crane and hovering over it. When the doll is received, the text box states that it has appeared in many games recently, another reference to the Mario games.
  • The character Wart reappears in this game under his original Japanese name Mamu and acts as an ally to Link by teaching him the Frog's Song of Soul.
  • When Mr. Write shows the player the picture sent to him by Christine, a goat living in Animal Village, the picture of "Christine" is actually one of Princess Peach.
  • BowWow, known in the Mario series as a Chain Chomp is featured in the game and 'befriends' Link as it actually helps him access one of the dungeons.
  • A cave in the second dungeon is made to resemble World 1-2 of Super Mario Bros., with Piranha Plants coming out of what appear to be real pipes and Goombas walking side to side. Unlike most enemies, Goombas are stompable, just like in Mario games.
  • The egg of the Wind Fish, seen on the title screen as well as in the game, heavily resembles a Yoshi egg.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)

New Super Mario Bros. wallpaper in Hyrule Castle
  • The pictures of the Mario characters seen in one of the windows of Hyrule Castle courtyard, were changed from the original, instead showing the background of World 1 from New Super Mario Bros..
  • Like in the original, Ingo and Talon both look like the Mario Bros; Ingo, Talon, and Malon all wear necklaces with Bowser's head on it and Talon's sleeping pose is still similar to Mario's from Super Mario 64.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

Artwork of the Happy Mask Salesman, who carries a Mario mask amongst his wares, for The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
  • A Mario mask is on the back on the Happy Mask Salesman's backpack, but it is not wearable.
  • Romani and Cremia, like Malon and Talon, wear Bowser necklaces, due to them reusing Malon's child and adult models.
  • When the music house in Ikana Canyon is playing music again it resembles the Big Boo's Merry-Go-Round music.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC)

  • In a linked game, there is a part where Link has to rescue Zelda from Vire, in a mini-game resembling Donkey Kong.
  • Like in Link's Awakening, Thwomps appear as enemies.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (GBC)

Talon and Malon
  • The artwork for Talon strongly resembles Mario. His hat for this game has an "M" on it in the same style as Mario's, and like in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time he is given a necklace depicting Bowser's face.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (GBA/DSi)

  • Chain Chomps appear as an item.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN/Wii U)

Armos Knight
  • Armos Knights have noses and mustaches resembling Wario's.
  • There are multiple test rooms in this game accessible via an action replay device. These rooms use assets from Super Mario Sunshine, most notably the very similar semi-transparent water effects that could suggest the ocean was originally intended to be see-through.Template:Refneeded

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GCN)

  • In various platforming stages, creatures resembling Thwomps appear.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

Link encountering some Bob-ombs in the Cave of Flames in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Lakitu sprite in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  • Lakitus appear as enemies who throw lightning bolts at Link, then disappear into their clouds.
  • Bob-omb is also found in this game, and if struck with the player's sword, will scurry around and then explode. A second hit will cause it to stop and then explode.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN/Wii)

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)

  • One of the themes played while traveling via train greatly resembles that of the Ghost Houses in Super Mario World.
  • Star Fragments, like Gratitude Crystals from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, resemble Star Bits from Super Mario Galaxy and are based on the Japanese candy konpeitō.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U)

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS)

  • The Fire Gloves, introduced in this game, allow players to throw fireballs, which function similar to those from the Mario series and use the same sound effects from Super Mario Bros..
  • The Hammerwear outfit is designed after the appearance of a Hammer Bro.
  • One of the obtainable materials is called the Crimson Shell. Its description reads "A mysterious shell that never misses a foe when thrown.", a reference to the Red Shell item from the Mario Kart series.

The Legendary Starfy series

Densetsu no Stafy 3 (GBA)

Densetsu no Stafy 4 (DS)

  • One of the collectible costumes for Starfy and Starly is based on Princess Peach. It is called "Princess and Umbrella" (Japanese: おひめさまとカサ) and was a winning design from the Wanted Kisekae contest. When Starfy or Starly wear it they also hold Perry, the magic talking parasol from Super Princess Peach.

LEGO series

LEGO City: Undercover (Wii U)

Due to this Lego game being published by Nintendo, the game has many Mario refrences.

  • Chase McCain, the game's protagonist, can build a Warp Pipe out of Lego bricks and enter it just like Mario, complete with the Super Mario Bros. sound effect.
  • Five ? Blocks appear. The player can jump up and hit them, producing the same sound effect as if a Coin had been collected (though nothing comes out of them aside from several Lego studs after they've been hit three times).
  • There is a parade with floats of stars, and one of them looks like a Super Star. These can also be built around the city, and when all five are built, the Pop Star character token is unlocked.
  • To unlock the fisherman, the player must fish at the Wharf, catching a Lego Cheep-Cheep.
  • Under one of the tunnels is an aquarium where another Cheep-Cheep can be seen. A shark will eventually come to eat the Cheep-Cheep, but will instead be eaten by a larger Cheep-Cheep.
  • There is a Lego Wiggler wandering back and forth over an ivy-covered tunnel entrance.
  • A buildable Bob-omb is used to break the cage containing the Chan Chuang token.
  • In an area of downtown, there are cannons that fire Lego Bullet Bills, which act like they did in Super Mario Galaxy.
  • A Large Lego version of Dry Bones can be built in the museum once Rex Fury has been unlocked.
  • A Venus Fire Trap can be built at the farm once the farmer costume is unlocked. It is hostile and will spit fireballs.
  • A Flagpole can be interacted with at Fort Meadows. It does the exact same thing it does in New Super Mario Bros., complete with fireworks.
  • One Red Brick enables Chase to wear Mario's hat.
  • In the "Miner Altercation" level, the player comes across an area with multiple ladders and boulders falling down ramps. As the player traverses the area, Chase remarks, "I hope there isn't a giant ape at the top of this thing!" This is a reference to Donkey Kong in his debut game.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (Wii U)

  • Right before the level Bifrosty Reception, the Human Torch will make reference to the Mario Kart series by saying the following:

Human Torch: Something about that big rainbow road... Looking at it, I just feel like... I wanna RACE!

LISA (PC)

  • In Area Two, a man dancing has a man dressed in red resembling Mario on his left with a man dressed in green resembling Luigi to his right. The man in green will talk about how much he hates his life, a possible reference to how Luigi is constantly picked on by other characters. The man in red, however, will talk about how he used to chase after females, a reference to how Mario is constantly rescuing Princess Peach.

LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)

  • When bouncing on a Bounce Pad, Sackboy will occasionally strike Mario's classic jumping pose.

Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck (DS)

  • After clearing Level 5 of Exploding Piano, Daffy will say "Goombas ate my lunch, my dear plumber."

Magic Touch: Wizard for Hire (iOS/Android)

  • Characters which are not unlocked yet wear a ? Block on their heads.
  • The background "Flame" appears to be based off Bowser's Castle, and it also contains an enemy resembling a Chain Chomp. ! Blocks are on the ground.

Maniac Mansion (NES)

  • When the player turns on a "video game," some music is played, and the player hears the first five notes of the famous Super Mario Bros. theme.

Maplestory (PC)

  • King Croopa, a character that appears during Mushroom Castle quest, is a parody of Bowser.

McPixel (Android/PC)

  • Mario appears as a patient in the hospital of Chapter 2, Round 3.
  • At Chapter 2, Special Round, Mario and Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appears in a level. In the level, the three are in a bridge with lava underneath it. A mushroom is found in the bridge, and a Fortress and a Toad are seen in the level. If McPixel pick the mushroom and give it to Raphael, he will spit a fireball which will hit Mario, causing him to get smaller.
  • Mario appears in the hub of Chapter 3.

Mega Jump (iOS/Android)

SuperRedford.jpg
  • An unlockable playable character called "Super Redford" is the game's protagonist Redford but sporting a mustache and cap similar to those of Mario. This character was only available for a limited time during November 2011 to support Movember. Super Redford's name come from Mario's neutral form, Super Mario.

Mega Man series

Mega Man Battle Network 3 (GBA)

  • Mario's clothes appear on the wall in Yai's room.

Mega Man ZX (DS)

Mario ZX.PNG
  • Two brothers in Area C, named Yu and Lou, resemble Mario and Luigi.

Metal Gear series

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GCN)

Mario and Yoshi Doll MGS.jpg
Gamecube MGS.jpg
  • Mario and Yoshi dolls can be found in Otacon's Lab. Shooting the Mario statue plays the 1-up jingle and awards Snake with a small health boost, and shooting the Yoshi doll simply makes it say "Yoshi!". Additionally, there is also a Nintendo GameCube that can be found in the same place.
  • Psycho Mantis may mention Super Mario Sunshine ("You've been playing Super Mario Sunshine, haven't you?") and Super Smash Bros. Melee ("Oh, so you've played Super Smash Bros. Melee before.") if the player has save data for those games on their memory card.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (3DS)

Mgs3-Yoshi.png
  • Yoshi dolls appear as collectible items, replacing the Kerotan dolls found in the original PlayStation 2 game. Their presence in the game is explained by Para-Medic as being due to Yoshi's popularity in the Soviet Union increasing.[17] The game takes place in the 1960s, long before the Mario series even existed.

Miitomo (iOS/Android)

  • Miis can purchase and wear Mario's cap and clothing, among other outfits.
  • Any mention of "Nintendo" plays the Coin sound effect.

Minecraft (Multiplatform)

Minecraft Painting 100m.png
"Super Mario Mash-Up Pack" for Minecraft: Wii U Edition
"Super Mario Mash-Up Pack" for Minecraft: Wii U Edition
"Super Mario Mash-Up Pack" for Minecraft: Wii U Edition
"Super Mario Mash-Up Pack" for Minecraft: Wii U Edition

Mirror's Edge (PS3/Xbox 360)

The "Hey, it's-a-me!" achievement/trophy from Mirror's Edge
  • A secret achievement/trophy called "Hey, it's-a-me!" can be unlocked by executing a Stomp on an enemy, which is a reference to Mario's catchphrase.

Monster Hunter 4 (3DS)

  • Mario appears as a downloadable skin in the game.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2/Xbox)

  • The area where the player rescues Kabal from a cage is a homage to the Donkey Kong arcade game. Nameless Shokan soldiers throw boulders at Liu Kang and Kung Lao and they must climb up several cliffs while avoiding them until they reach Kabal and free him from the cage.

Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen (Super Famicom)

Nintendogs (DS)

File:Luigi Hat.PNG
A husky wearing the Green Hat
  • There is a Mario and Luigi cap (though they were called Red and Green Hats, respectively, in the game) that can be worn by the player's dogs. The description says "This hat is standard gear for mustachioed master (apprentice for the Green Cap) plumbers."
  • The player can find a Mario, Peach or Bowser Kart toy, a ? Block and a classic Super Mario Bros. Mushroom.
  • When starting a Beginner or Open Class contest, the music that plays is similar to Super Mario Bros.'s world clear theme.

Nintendogs + Cats (3DS)

  • Players can obtain Mario and Luigi Hats, and Mario, Peach, and Yoshi Karts; as well as a Mushroom Toy, Mushroom-Table Set, and Koopa-shell Chair.
  • Players are able to choose the Mario Style Interior, which shows a Green Pipe outside.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted U (Wii U)

  • In the Wii U version of the game, there are three green pipe structures scattered throughout the map resembling Warp Pipes. Positioning the player's car on top of one of these pipes correctly causes the car to be lowered inside Mario-style, and the player is taken to one of three secret rooms. Within all three rooms is stylized text on the wall reading either "Level 1-1," "Level 2-1," or "Level 3-1"; green pipes scattered throughout the room, yellow Warp Pipe structures marking the exits; and construction beams painted on the walls positioned in a similar manner as Donkey Kong.
    • Within the "Level 1-1" room is an 8-bit stylized "?" on the wall above an Ariel Atom 500 V8 in red with blue trim, the colors of Mario.
    • The "Level 2-1" room features an 8-bit crown above a Caterham Superlight R500 colored pink with white stripes, referencing Princess Peach.
    • The "Level 3-1" room contains an 8-bit egg on the wall above a BAC Mono painted light green, Yoshi's colors.
  • Revealing each of the rooms unlocks three special license plates: one with the red Ariel Atom with "Plumber" inscribed upon it, one with the pink Caterham on it with "Princess" inscribed on it, and one with the green BAC Mono with the word "Dinosaur" on it.[22]

N (PC) / N+ (XBLA/PSP/DS)

A diagram of the Thwump enemy from N and N+.
A diagram about the Thwump enemy from N and N+.
  • In N+, two of the selectable player skins strongly resemble Mario and Luigi, named "Player 1" and "Player 2" respectively.
  • A Thwump, a reference to Thwomps, is introduced in both games. The official description for this enemy is as follows:

"According to legend, in pre-robotic times there existed a race of large, spiky stone dolts whose complete invulnerability and hereditary hatred of heroic Italian plumbers led to their persecution, and eventually to extinction. Thankfully they've been recreated, in robot form, and 3 of their 4 sides have been rendered harmless."

One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X (3DS)

The game is compatible with certain amiibo. If the player scans a compatible amiibo, they unlock a costume of that character for one of the Straw Hat Pirates. The compatible Mario-related amiibos are Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong and Yoshi, which unlock their costumes for Luffy, Franky, and Usopp respectively.

Petit Computer (DSiWare)

  • If the pre-made games, Dot-Racer or Simple STG are played and lost, a song similar to the Super Mario Bros. Game Over theme plays.

Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension (Wii, PS3)

  • Some of the weapons can be modified with Sound Chips. One of them plays the fireball sound effect from Super Mario Bros..

Pikmin series

Pikmin (GCN)

Unused Mario model for Pikmin
Unused Mario model for Pikmin.
  • Part of the concept of Pikmin was based on the Mario tech demo Super Mario 128.
  • Captain Olimar's original Japanese name is an anagram of Mario. (Orima = Mario)
  • Unused models show a giant from of Mario and a model entitled "Kuribo", the Japanese name for Goomba. The model is the planned Goomba design for Super Mario Sunshine suggesting an appearance was planned but later scrapped.
  • There are also unused models for a key and a door, thought to be from the Super Mario 128 stage of development.

Pikmin 2 (GCN)

Bowser's picture in Pikmin 2.

Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

Pikmin Short Movies (Wii U,3DS)

  • In the movie "Occupational Hazards", in the scene where the Pikmin are seen inside some tubes, among them is a green tube resembling a Warp Pipe spitting out coins, complete with sound effects from Super Mario Bros.. A red Pikmin is then seen poking out from inside the tube, with dust formed on its face resembling Mario's hat and moustache. When the Pikmin jumps out, the first seven notes of the Super Mario Bros. theme can be heard.

Pilotwings series

PilotWings 64 (N64)

  • In the Mount Rushmore part of the Little States stage, the player can see along the mountain and has Mario's face on it. If the player shoots Mario's face, it changes into Wario's face.

Pilotwings Resort (3DS)

  • A house in the village portion of the island will have different music from Super Mario Bros. playing depending on the mission.

Pinball (NES)

GSightings Pinball(NES) 1.png
  • During gameplay, when the player enters the bonus stage; the player will see Mario and Pauline in that stage. Mario is holding some kind of grid bridge, as the player can control him with that item.
  • Mario also appears on the cover of the game. This is one of the first games to feature Mario as a cameo.

Pixel People (iOS)

  • The quote for Peter Piper or Mary Piper (Plumber Gene) says: "My princess is on another planet," which is a pun on Toad's line in Super Mario Bros., "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!".

Plants vs. Zombies series

Plants vs. Zombies (Multiplatform)

An icon from Plants vs Zombies
A Chomper.

Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time (iOS/Android)

  • In the Chinese version, the Coconut Cannon when it is costumed and used Plant Food on it, it shoots a bullet that looks very similar to the Banzai Bill.
  • The Melon-pult has a costume that resembles Mario's cap albeit without the 'M' emblem, it was used in the Chinese version, but it was found in the files of the international version albeit without the Plant Food upgrade.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (Multiplatform)

Platform Panic (Browser/iOS/Android)

  • The title of the game also references the pack of the same name in New Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • ! Blocks, neon-models of Super Stars, and in-background panels featuring hills with eyes can be seen in most backgrounds.
  • As of Update 2, Piranha Plants also appear in backgrounds exclusive to the new level layouts.
  • Warp Pipes appear as gimmicks in the game, as of Update 2. They can be entered instantly, however giant spiked balls can also go through them.
  • An unlockable character, Plumber, is based around Mario.
  • Certain robot-like enemies that bounce play a sound that strongly resembles the one when Mario kicks a Shell.
  • Collecting a Coin makes a sound similar to the one heard in Super Mario Bros. but higher in pitch.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3/PS Vita)

  • One of Fat Princess's alternate costumes resembles Daisy's color scheme.

Pocket Card Jockey (3DS)

Pocket Planes (iOS/Android)

  • Being a NimbleBit game, the Plumber A (Mario) and Plumber B (Luigi) costumes from Tiny Tower reappear in this game.

Pocket Trains (iOS/Android)

  • The Pipes cargo strongly resembles green Warp Pipes.
  • While costumes from previous NimbleBit games don't appear in this game, passengers wearing the Plumber A and B costumes can be seen.

Pokémon series

Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow (GB)

MarioNWarioPKMN.png
  • On the TV in the copycat's room, the player can see Mario with a bucket on his head. This is a reference to the game Mario & Wario, where Mario gets a bucket dropped on his head by Wario.

Pokémon Stadium 2 (N64)

Room

Poker Night at the Inventory (PC)

  • Tycho remarks that he enjoys playing Tetris Attack and asks the Heavy if he has played it. He also tries to get the Heavy interested by making it seem more dangerous than it really is.[24]
  • Tycho also references the phrase "on like Donkey Kong" and the fact that it has been copyrighted by Nintendo.

Pop'n Music 14 FEVER (Arcade)

  • One of the playable songs is a Super Mario Bros. medley. The song is not included in the PS2 home port.

Project Spark (Xbox One/PC)

In the quest that comes with the Conker's Big Reunion DLC pack, while running through the Tediz brewery, Conker must take a series of slopes with giant barrels rolling down to reach the second floor. The similarity to the Donkey Kong setting is commented on by Conker: "What's going on? [The barrels] never stop coming. Is there some big ape throwing all these barrels down or what?" He will later chime in, "Can someone call a plumber?", in reference to Mario.

Project X Zone 2 (3DS)

  • At some parts, Xiaomu mentions Italian plumber. She also mentions Triple Red Shells at one point. Also, one character states "But our prin-I mean your key is within another goblin", referencing Toad's "But our princess is in another castle!" from Super Mario Bros.

Project Zero 2: Wii Edition (Wii)

MarioLuigiProjectzero2.png
  • The main characters Mayu and Mio Amakura can obtain one of the costumes that resembles to the outfits of Mario and Luigi. They are unlocked when completing the Normal Difficulty and receive the "Promise" ending, then purchase for 15000 Spirit Points.

Pushmo (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

A Pushmo course with an 8-bit Mario
  • Pushmo includes several Mario-themed puzzles.

Punch-Out!! series

Punch-Out!! (Arcade)

MarioPunchOut.png
  • In the audience, the player can see Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. This is one of the first games to feature Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. as cameos.

Punch-Out!!/Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES)

Screenshot of Mario from Mike Tyson's Punch Out!
  • Mario acts as the in-ring referee during the gameplay of the game.

Super Punch-Out!! (SNES)

  • Names such as Mario, Luigi, Wario and Peach are present in the scoreboards.

Punch-Out!! (Wii)

Donkey Kong as he appears in the Wii version of Punch-Out!!
  • Donkey Kong appears in the game's Last Stand mode. He can then be fought anytime in the Exhibition mode.
    • Donkey Kong can also be seen in the audience sometimes when fighting anyone other than him.
  • Princess Peach was planned to appear in this game but the idea was scrapped due to concerns about violence towards women. Mario was also going to reprise his role as referee, but the developers didn't think he would fit well with the game's art style.
  • King Hippo's underwear has Super Stars on it.

Qix (GB)

Mario cameo on Game Boy's game Qix
Mario's cameo on Game Boy's Qix, featuring Africa as a theme.
  • A thematic scene of Mario will appear after completing the Game Boy version of Qix (which was developed by Nintendo). Depending on the score obtained by the player, Mario takes on the role of a stereotypical character from Real World regions, such as Mexico and Africa. When obtained, the higher score shows Mario alongside Luigi, Princess Peach and several Toads cheerfully waving at the player (similar to the ending of the Game Boy version of Tetris).

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)

Clank pipe.png
  • During the Plumber's sole appearance in Clank's subconscious, he is seen searching through a Warp Pipe, which he later drops Clank into to awaken him from his mind trip; he refuses to go in because, in his words, "plumbers don't go diving down strange pipes all willy nilly. That'd be ridiculous!" (While not completely related to Mario, also noteworthy is that Charles Martinet has a major voice role as Orvus, Clank's father.)

Rayman Legends (Wii U)

Rayman in Mario's costume and Globox in Luigi's costume in Rayman Legends
Ray Plumber and Glob Plumber in Rayman Legends.
  • In the original Wii U version, Rayman can wear a Mario costume and Globox can wear a Luigi costume.[25] The Mario costume is called "Ray Plumber" and the Luigi costume is called "Glob Plumber". When Rayman glides with the costume, wings appear, making him look like Wing Mario.

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Wii & DS)

  • In a Nintendo Power preview of this game, there is art of a rabbid decked out in Mario's clothes holding a Nintendo Power that has had its name changed to "Nintendo Plunger". This costume does not appear in the final game, however.
  • In the DS version, the player has to avoid Warp Pipes in the mini-game Lunch Time.

Runbow (Wii U)

  • One of the victory lines that can randomly appear after a player wins a match is, "Your +1 is in another castle."

Sam & Max Save the World (Wii, Xbox 360, PC)

  • During the fifth episode: Reality 2.0, Sam & Max need to collect 5 gold coins (which looks identical to Mario's coins) in order to buy a Wooden Sword from Bosco's. After enabled low gravity, if the player clicks on the coins outside, Sam will say "Look, Max! It'sa me, Sam!" and then jumps like Mario to grab the three gold coins.

The Sandbox (iOS/Android/Steam)

  • After completing Day 9: Breaking Bad in "SandMix Vol.2", the completion message warns the player that if he crawls into a pipe, he could "end up in the lair of a big green turtle", which refers to Bowser.

Scooby-Doo! First Frights

During the funhouse area of Episode 2, Level 2, there are several drawings of Chain Chomp-like monsters on the walls.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (PSN & XBLA)

  • The "Subspace Highway" bonus areas are a reference to Rainbow Road, and the blocks in the areas are based on the Mario blocks.[26]
  • When Stephen Stills finishes a level, he jumps into a Warp Pipe.

Scribblenauts series

Scribblenauts (DS)

Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U/3DS/Steam)

Maxwell with Mario and Zelda characters in Scribblenauts Unlimited
From left to right: Yoshi, Peach, Luigi, Mario, Maxwell, Link, Epona, Princess Zelda, and a Goron.
  • The Wii U version of this game has Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi (in several colors), Toad, Bowser, Tanooki Suit (called Tanuki Suit), Frog Suit, Goombas, Koopa Troopas (in red and green), Bob-ombs, Boos, Shy Guys, Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Coins, and Stars spawnable. The characters can interact with these items, as most characters will become invincible when they touch a Star, coins can be collected (but for no real reward), Peach runs away from Bowser, Goombas can be stomped, Mario fights with Bowser and his minions, Toad attacks Shy Guys, Bob-ombs explode, Boos near the player when they look away from them, Mario and friends ride Yoshis and Karts,etc.
  • The Exclamation Point stage's Starite mission has hikers trying to reach the peak of a mountain. This maintain has its paths slanted and short vertical paths that function identical to ladders in the game, much like 25m from Donkey Kong. Additionally, there is a yeti on the peak of the mountain throwing barrels stopping anyone from continuing, identical to what Donkey Kong does in the aforementioned game. Maxwell must find a way to calm the yeti down without killing it.

Scribblenauts Remix (iOS/Android)

  • 8-9 is similar to 4-1 in the first Scribblenauts game, meaning once again it is a parody of a typical Mario level.

Shantae: Risky's Revenge (DSiWare)

  • One of the residents of Scuttle Town says "When I moved to this town, I owned a monkey, but a couple weeks after arriving, he was gone. I wonder what ever happened to little Chewbonky Kong?"

Shovel Knight (Multiplatform)

Simple DS Series Vol. 44: The Gal Mahjong (DS)

The Simpsons

The Simpsons Game (Multiplatform)

  • Mario can be seen working in the video game factory (although, with a few changes to avoid copyright issues).
  • Players can use Warp Pipes to travel around, complete with a similar sounding sound.
  • An ape uses barrels to attack, similar to Donkey Kong.
  • A cut-scene shows Professor Frink marrying a female Koopa.
  • Before the last part of the thirteenth level (Big Super Happy Fun Fun Game), Homer and Lisa can be seen running towards a flying boat, which loosely resembles the flying ship from Super Mario 64. Addionally, if the player opens the to-do list, it will say the flying boat is an airship.
  • In the cutscene before Episode 16, all the video game characters return to the Simpson's house. Homer asks what's for dinner, and the Mario like character says "I hope it's-a spaghetti! Here we go!"

The Simpsons: Tapped Out (iOS, Android)

  • The quest for building Luigi's is called "It's A-Me, Luigi!", a reference to Luigi's catchphrase. Luigi Risotto says the phrase himself after the quest is completed.
  • During the Halloween 2013 update, Homer has a new option, "Deal with Ghosts". Homer will eat a Donut, Grow, and eat the ghost. He will then run around with his arms back like Mario and Luigi, eating donuts that are appearing like the way Mario and Luigi collect coins.

The Sims series

MySims Agents (Wii)

MySimsAgentsPipe.jpg
  • When investigating the sewers in the Industrial District, if the player examines a pipe, he will hope that nothing will come out of it and that no turtles live in it.

Sim City (SNES)

  • If the player's city has a population of 500,000 residents, the player will earn a Mario statue.
  • The bonus scenario Freeland has its trees shaped like Mario's head.
  • Bowser can appear and destroy the player's city by selecting him on the disasters menu. The Tokyo scenario has Bowser walking through the city, in a similar approach to Godzilla.
Bowser
Bowser sprite.

Sim City DS (DS)

Skylanders series

Skylanders: Giants (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS)

  • One of the Cutthroats in Cutthroat Carnival is named "Bowsers", a reference to Bowser.

Skylanders: SuperChargers (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS)

  • Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser figures can be used in the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game. They drive Barrel Blaster and Clown Cruiser vehicles, respectively. Donkey Kong drives the Barrel Blaster with Diddy Kong, while Bowser's Clown Cruiser resembles the Hurricane from Mario Kart DS. This is a result of a collaboration between Activision and Nintendo.

Smule Magic Piano (iOS)

The following Mario-related songs are playable:

  • Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros.
  • Underwater Theme from Super Mario Bros.
  • Chill from Dr. Mario
  • Jungle Theme from Donkey Kong Country
  • King K. Rool's Theme from Donkey Kong Country
  • Main Theme from Super Mario Bros. 2

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)

  • In the level Marble Zone, the statues on the temple's roof in the background resemble Mario.

Sonic Lost World (Wii U)

  • Yoshi's Island Zone is a DLC level which features Sonic in a Yoshi's Story themed level. This DLC level was part of Sonic Lost World because of Sega's collaboration with Nintendo.

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (3DS)

PeachcostumeSpiritCamera.jpg
  • The Princess Peach costume for Maya (one of the main characters), is available after clearing all Battle Mode missions on Nightmare Mode. It can only be viewed in Free Photography mode.

Spelunky

  • One of the items is a yellow cape resembling the Cape power-up from Super Mario World. It allows Spelunkers to descend slowly, similar to the power-up. Additionally, one random name a Shopkeeper can have is "Yoshi".

Splashy Fish (iOS, Android)

  • The player controls a fish resembling a Cheep Cheep through pillars.
  • The Arcade Elements in the Splashy Fish store add Warp Pipes to the game.
  • If the player taps the screen three times quickly, the jump sound will change to the 8-bit sound from Super Mario Bros..

Splatoon (Wii U)

  • In Urchin Underpass on the left side, a picture of an 8-bit Blooper can be seen on one of the walls.
  • A T-shirt called Black Pipe Tee features 8-bit Mario heads and pipes from Mario Bros.. [29]
  • In Flounder Heights near the team's spawn point, a picture of an 8-bit Gunion from Super Mario Land can be seen in one of the walls. [30]
  • The Inkbrush and Octorush are used in the same manner as Magic Paintbrush.

SpongeBob SquigglePants (Wii/3DS)

Spore (Multiplatform)

Sporeyoshiref.png
Donkey Kong and Tron reference in Spore. Mario the Wildfire is accepting a request from the Baby Luigi empire to exterminate the Luigi empire. Despite this, Spore is a game where one creates things; the actual reference is in the quotes, not the creations.
"It's on like Tronkey-Kong!"
  • In the Creature Creator chapter of the Prima Games guide, one of the creatures is called "Sloshi", a reference to Yoshi. Its description also references Mario (as Miguel, a Spanish carpenter), Princess Peach (as Princess Apple), and Bowser (as Growser, a terrapin). The Mushroom Kingdom is also spoofed as the "Ivy Kingdom".
  • In the Space Stage, creatures from other empires or the player's empire can offer a mission to destroy one colony of an opponent empire. If the player accepts the request, the creature says, "Ho, yeah, buddy! It's on! It's on like Tronkey-Kong!"

Spyro the Dragon series

Spyro: A Hero's Tail (Multiplatform)

SpyroPrianhaPlant.JPG
A yeti that throws barrels like Donkey Kong.
  • There is a robot character named Mergatroid with a red shirt, blue overalls and a red cap with the letter 'M' on it who is a parody of Mario.
  • There is an enemy that looks like a Piranha Plant. Some of these enemies also spit fireballs much like a Fire Piranha Plant.
  • There is a Yeti enemy in the cave levels who throws barrels, similar to Donkey Kong.
  • While trying to recall the name of the collectible items of the game, Light Gems, the Professor mentions Power Stars and Red Coins.

Spyro: Year of The Dragon (PS1)

  • The Rhynocs in Seashell Shore throw barrels at Spyro, similar to Donkey Kong.
  • The slides in the Crystal Island and Haunted Tomb levels in Midnight Mountain are strikingly reminiscent to the slides in Cool Cool Mountain and The Princess's Secret Slide from Super Mario 64 and were most likely inspired by them.

Star Fox series

Star Fox Adventures (GameCube)

  • The Farewell, Beloved Falco manga, which was distributed on the official Japanese site and served as an interquel between Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Adventures, contained a gang known as the Hot Rodders. Two of the members had names on the back of their jackets that were derived from Mario characters: the rat-like member had "Mouser" and the crocodile-like member had "Bowsor".

Star Fox Guard (Wii U)

  • Two enemies in the game, B.O.O. Unit and Nabbot, are robotic versions of Boo and Nabbit, respectively. B.O.O. Units have the ability to teleport and disable cameras, while Nabbots steal any fallen metals they find and run away with them.[31]

SteamWorld series

SteamWorld Dig (Wii U)

  • A hidden area leads to Mario's castle. Inside the castle, there is an area that contains coins and blocks from the Super Mario series.

SteamWorld Heist (Nintendo 3DS)

Red Cap from SteamWorld Heist.
  • One of the hats in the game is a Red Cap, which resembles Mario's Cap with a letter "L" instead of the letter "M". The description reads, "When hanging out with mushrooms and reptiles, you oughta show who's king of the piping. A real go for the big bro."

Stretchmo (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

  • As this game is in the Pushmo series, it also contains puzzles featuring 8bit sprites of Mario and friends - which are in the attraction "Papa Blox's NES Expo."

Gallery

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Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (PC/WiiWare)

  • In Episode 5, the real world is merged with the video game world, and many of the people of Free Country, USA think that they are video game characters. Marzipan, who was previously helping Bubs fix his Concession Stand, thinks she is "Lady Crate Ape". She kidnaps Bubs and goes to the top of the stand. She then jumps and causes the scaffolding around the stand to collapse and begins throwing crates around. This is a spoof of Donkey Kong. The box art for Lady Crate Ape also appears in the game, depicting a female ape that bears a strong resemblance to Donkey Kong.

Stunt Race FX (SNES)

Mario on a billboard.
  • Mario and Luigi appear on some of the billboards all around some of the courses.

Super Meat Boy (Xbox 360/PC/Wii U)

  • The game's title has the same initals as Super Mario Bros..
  • Warp Zones, secret portals to an 8-bit world, appear four times in every world: Two of them in the Light World and two of them in the Dark World.
  • When entering a Warp Zone or a Glitch World level, the screen is a parody of when entering in a level in Super Mario Bros..
  • The names of the Glitch Worlds are references to the Minus World glitch in Super Mario Bros..
  • The character selection screen is very similar to the Super Mario Bros. 2 character selection screen.
  • When Meat Boy finishes a Warp Zone or a Glitch World, a character says "Sorry Meat Boy, but Bandage Girl is in another Warp Zone," a reference to the Mushroom Retainer's line from Super Mario Bros. Similarly, the endings of the Game Boy-like Warp Zones are a reference to the fake Daisy from Super Mario Land.
  • After defeating a boss, a flag and fireworks appear, which are a reference to clearing a stage Super Mario Bros..
  • The way Dr. Fetus is defeated is a reference to how Mario defeats Bowser in Super Mario Bros..
  • The Glitch World of The End is a reference to the Airship levels in Mario games.
  • One of the Game Boy-themed Warp Zones is titled Sky Pup, a possible reference to the Sky Pop from Super Mario Land.
  • In Cotton Alley there's a level called "Bullet Bob". This is probably a reference to Bullet Bill, because this level is focused on bullets.
  • In this game there's an enemy called Oob, which name is reversed Boo and they act similarly to them.

Super Play Action Football (SNES)

Mario's cameo in Super Play Action Football
  • On the coin that is tossed before the game, Mario's head is the Head side and Raccoon Mario's tail is the Tail side.

Super Scope 6 (SNES)

  • In LaserBlazer, Type B: Engage, Mario appears to be plioting a plane; being chased by Iggy Koopa riding on a rocket.

Super Stickman Golf 3 (iOS/Android)

Red-plumber-ssg3.png
Green-plumber-ssg3.png
  • There are four hats titled Red Plumber, Green Plumber, Red Mushroom and Green Mushroom that greatly resembles Mario Bros. (lacking the M and L letters) and the Toad species. Red Plumber and Green Plumber also appear as golfer outfits, which captioned as the pun of the two famous quotes "It's-a me, Mario!" and "Lets-a go!"

Taiko no Tatsujin series

Taiko no Tatsujin 8 (DS)

  • The Super Mario Bros. theme is one of the available songs that the player can interact with playing the correct rhythm.

Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Kettei-Ban/Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Chogouka-Ban (Wii)

MarioTaiko.png

Tales of (series)

Tales of Mario.PNG

Tales of the Abyss (PS2/3DS)

  • When Mieu finds a mushroom in the Mushroom Road (Malkuth Empire's north, near of Grand Chokmah), he asks Luke if eating it would make him bigger, referencing Mario's ability to power-up upon eating a Super Mushroom.

T-Blocks Puzzle New Generation Jigsaw Puzzle (iOS)

The icon for T-Blocks Puzzle featuring Princess Peach's artwork for Mario Superstar Baseball.
  • A picture of Princess Peach was one of the levels. A broken-up picture of Princess Peach was the app's icon.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition (Wii U)

Mega Mushrooms in Tekken Tag Tournament 2
  • Among the several Nintendo-related elements, characters in battle can collect Super Mushrooms and Mega Mushrooms to grow bigger, Poison Mushrooms to shrink, and Super Stars. The power up/down sound effects from Super Mario Bros. can also be heard. Characters can also wear Mario, Luigi and Bowser costumes.[32] Later on, additions of Toad and Peach costumes were also revealed for the characters.

Tennis (NES)

GSightings Tennis(NES) 1.png
  • Mario appears as the referee during the game. This game is one of the first games featuring Mario as a cameo.

Terraria (Multiplatform)

  • A weapon known as a "Flower of Fire" appears in the game, which is a reference to the Fire Flower. Similarly, there is also a weapon known as a "Flower of Frost", which is most likely a reference to the Ice Flower.
  • The "Plumber's Clothes" look like Mario's Outfit, though blue in the console and mobile versions.

Tetris (NES)

TetrisEnding.png

Thomas Was Alone (Steam)

  • When the player jumps a total of 2400 times in the game, an achievement called "Mario" is unlocked, most likely referencing Mario since he is often associated with jumping.

Tiny Tower series

Tiny Tower (iOS/Android)

Plumber A and B costumes from Tiny Tower based on Mario brothers.
  • On Bitbook, a spoof of Facebook, one of the many Bitizens' posts says that he or she needs a plumber to unclog his or her sink and save a princess. Another post says, "With our new roommate <Bitizen name>, we can finally play Mario Party."
  • There are Plumber A and Plumber B costumes, which are based on Mario and Luigi, respectively.
  • In the plumber commercial floor, a seemingly wilted Piranha Plant in a Warp Pipe and Mario's Cap and overalls hung on a coat hanger stand can be seen in the background.
  • The costume shop commercial floor has Luigi's Cap as the symbol for the custom hat item. Also, Luigi's cap as well as his overalls can be seen in the shop's background.

Tiny Tower Vegas (iOS/Android)

  • One of the many Bitbook posts that may appear says, "Sometimes life sends you a blue shell."

Tomodachi Life (3DS)

  • The NES console treasure's description in the European version reads, "The old school classic game console. Mario eat your heart out. Not literally!" In the American version, it reads, "The video game console that got the world gaming. Pick it up and play some Mario."
  • A Donkey Kong Game & Watch can also be obtained as treasures.
  • Miis who own a Wii U are often heard playing games such as Game & Wario and Nintendo Land.
  • Mushroom descriptions state that eating them could make the consumer bigger, a reference to Super Mushrooms.
  • The description for the banana peel reads; "Good for comedy routines and making karts peel out." This statement is a reference to the Mario Kart series.
  • During "pity parties" at the cafe, Miis may sometimes state that Luigi is taller than Mario because "his legs are longer."
  • The description for the peach states that it is "fit for a princess."

Toontown Online (PC/Mac)

  • At Goofy Speedway, there is a Mario Kart-esque racing game complete with items, item boxes and bananas used as obstacles.

Uniracers (SNES)

  • One of the tracks is named "Wario Paint", a portmanteau of "Wario" and "Mario Paint".

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (PC)

  • When the player passes by the arcade at the Santa Monica pier, sound clips from Donkey Kong can be heard.

Viewtiful Joe (GCN/PS2)

  • If the player hold down the X button, Joe will throw up a bomb, jiggle it on his knee, and whistle the first 6 notes of the Super Mario Bros. theme. If player do it in mid-air, he'll whistle another part. If the player does it in Slow Motion, he'll whistle another part. This has been removed from the later PS2 release.

Where's My Water?

  • The Lost Levels (a collection of event-based levels from Where's My Water? Free plus previous Levels of the Week) references the title of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. (SMB2 in Japan)

Wii series

Wii Fit (Wii)

  • Along the Free Run island, 8-Bit sprites of Mario and Luigi can be spotted. On a few occasions, a Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Mushroom, or Super Star sprite may also appear along the side of the trail. These sprites have a purpose, because at the end, one of the many questions asked can be which sprite the player spotted.[33]

Wii Fit U (Wii U)

Wii Music (Wii)

  • The Super Mario Bros. theme is unlocked after one has cleared the first four levels of Pitch Perfect, simply called Super Mario Bros..

Wii Party (Wii)

Wii Party 8-Bit Mario Reference.png
  • In the minigames section accessed from the main menu, one of the minigames under the Challenge subsection is called "Clover Hunt." This is a minigame in which players must locate a certain number of objects that are slightly different from the rest shown on the screen. The directions for the game state that "If you reach the last set, you might see a familiar face!" If the player reaches Stage 26 through Stage 30 (there are only 30 Stages in all and there are six different sets of objects that comprise five stages each, so this is the last set), the object they are given to find is 8-Bit Mario from Super Mario Bros.. They must find the required number of 8-Bit Mario's that are standing still, all of which are hidden amongst multiple 8-Bit Mario's in a jumping position.
  • The mall seen in "Shifty Gifts" resembles Peach's castle.

Wii Party U (Wii U)

  • In the Mii Fashion Plaza TV Party, Miis can dress up like Mario (Male) or Princess Peach (Female).
  • In the Mii Fashion Plaza TV Party, there are a few stores that are Mario-themed.
  • In Mad Hatters, players can choose to wear Mario's Cap, giving two points if no one else is wearing it.
  • In "Dance with Mii", the player can dance to the Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme.

Wii Sports Resort (Wii)

  • The countdown timer used at the start of the racing events sounds pretty much like the one used during the Mario Kart series. In particular, the Cycling event's timer sounds is almost identical to the one used in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
  • In the Island Flyover event, one can hear the Super Mario Bros. overworld theme, the "Lose a Life" and the "Game Over" tunes (also as reference to the place's nighttime description: "Sounds like someone's playing NES, but they need a few pointers...") by flying near the Hillside Cabins area.
  • The name of the ship "The Queen Peach" is based on Princess Peach.
  • The track Wuhu Loop from Mario Kart 7 imitates the first track, Wuhu Island Loop. Maka Wuhu and Wuhu Town also are on Wuhu Island.

World Gone Sour (XBLA, PSN, PC)

  • Upon encountering the gum enemies in the first level, the narrator says "You can jump on these to kill 'em? What? Like mushrooms!" No doubt referencing Goombas.

World of Warcraft (PC)

Larion and Muigin, appearances of the bros. in World of Warcraft.
  • Mario and Luigi appear and both carry giant hammers, however they have the names Larion and Muigin, if the "n" is removed from the end and swap round the L and M it will say Mario and Luigi.
  • An item known as "red white-spotted mushroom" can be obtained, which is a reference and resembles a mushroom. It bears resemblance to the mushrooms that appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen (Wii)

LuigiFatalframe.png
  • The Luigi costume for Misaki Asou (one of the main characters), is available after completing the game.

Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (NES)

A Koopa Troopa
  • The guy holding the pizza which the player must deliver to Cleopatra rides a Koopa Troopa.

Miscellaneous Apps

Lep's World, a game based on the 2D Mario games
Lep's World is a typical app retool of classic Mario platformers, maintaining the same basic gameplay, but with new graphics and a different backstory.

Numerous unauthorized apps based on the Mario series have appeared; many are subsequently removed because of copyright issues, although others have retooled the basic Super Mario platformer premise (i.e. new graphics, power-ups and backstories, etc.) enough to remain active. These sorts of games include 3D Cartoon Land Safari (a slightly altered version of Super Mario 3D Land), Barrels! (similar to Donkey Kong), Cloud Run (starring a stick figure wearing Mario's hat, among other parallels), A Kaizo World (featuring Mario-styled levels), Lep's World (a Super Mario Bros.-like platformer), Mario Parody (just as the title suggests), MineKart 64 (a supposed combination of Minecraft and Mario Kart 64), Mobile Andrio (based on Super Mario World), Mobile Jario (based on Super Mario Bros.), Rufio Adventures (another Super Mario-esque platformer), Stardash (a sped-up version of Super Mario Land), Super Androix (based on Super Mario Bros. 3), Super Monster Bros. (based off Super Mario Bros. with Pokémon as the playable characters and sounds copied from Super Mario World), Secret Maryo Chronicles (a game inspired by Super Mario World), and Super Tux (a game inspired by Super Mario Bros). The Android game Era's Adventure used a Yoshi as the titular character, causing controversy among many Mario fans and Nintendo contacting the developer, causing him to change the character model to resemble a Yoshi less. The developer did not actually intend to copy Yoshi, for he was not familiar with the Mario series and just got the model off a stock site.

As well as platformer games, other types of apps also arise, such as Mokus Line up, a match-3 game using Mario series Mushrooms as the icons. Another example is iRwego, which used the iPhone's accelerometer to detect a person's movements and play the appropriate Mario sound effect, such as the Mario jump sound for jumping, the Warp Pipe sound for crouching, as well as hitting brick blocks, and stomping Goombas, among other noises, tunes and a few choice Mario catchphrases (such as "Here we go!", which is the inspiration behind the app's title). However, due to iRwego's unexpected popularity, its creator decided to remove the app to avoid any copyright conflicts with Nintendo[35].

References

  1. ^ As noted in previews in S - The Sega Magazine Issue 4.
  2. ^ http://www.angrybirdsnest.com/angry-birds-friends-2015-tournament-level-2-week-146-walkthrough/
  3. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCjT7G7Y618
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ Hardcore Gaming 101: Astal.
  6. ^ http://gamevideos.com/video/id/18831
  7. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oQREiY7JD4
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq3Z7MoMSs4#t=1660
  10. ^ Chain Chomp's page on the Bayonetta Wiki.
  11. ^ http://www.nindb.net/game/big-brain-academy-wii.html
  12. ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/02/weirdness_theres_an_awesome_super_mario_bros_world_1-1_easter_egg_in_dying_light
  13. ^ EarthBound on The Mushroom Kingdom. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  14. ^ The Great Giana Sisters at Giant Bomb
  15. ^ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonaskaerlev/a-hat-in-time-3d-collect-a-thon-platformer/posts/517905
  16. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_DZtTR3zu0
  17. ^ Metal Gear Solid 3D - First Yoshi Para-Medic Call
  18. ^ [3]
  19. ^ [4]
  20. ^ McMinn, Kevin (May 9, 2016). Super Mario Mash-Up Pack Hits Minecraft Wii U on May 17. Nintendo News. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  21. ^ Encyclopedia Obscura: Sponsored Sprites
  22. ^ YouTube - The Easter Egg Hunter: Need For Speed Most Wanted U (Wii U)
  23. ^ GameXplain. (May 6, 2016). Small Pokémon & Obama References in Pocket Card Jockey (and more!). YouTube. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  24. ^ Poker Night at the Inventory: Tycho and Heavy "Tetris"
  25. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZnfZkjSs44
  26. ^ http://www.aimlesspodcasts.com/2010/08/24/review-scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-the-game/
  27. ^ http://www.spriters-resource.com/download/55458/
  28. ^ Wikipedia- Sim City DS- Landmarks
  29. ^ Black Pipe Tee in japanese on-line store; https://editmode.jp/shop/html/en/products/detail.php?product_id=23
  30. ^ 8-bit Gunion in Flounder Heights - Splatoon
  31. ^ GameXplain. (April 21, 2016). Nabbit & Boo in Star Fox Guard. YouTube. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  32. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlaHVYMJ2R0
  33. ^ http://www.balanceboardblog.com/2008/05/8-bit-mario-found-hiding-in-wii-fit.html
  34. ^ https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAAYUKlAKLAbog
  35. ^ "Game Over for iRwego Mario app" Geek.com (Retrieved June 13, 2013)

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