List of references in Nintendo video games

A proposal has decided that this article is to be split into List of references in Nintendo video games, Crossovers with Animal Crossing. (discuss)

The following is a list of references to the Super Mario franchise in video games released by Nintendo. For a list of references to the Super Mario franchise in video games not made by Nintendo, see List of references in third-party video games.

1080° series

1080° Snowboarding (N64)

• Two members of the animated crowd textures are dressed like Mario and Luigi.

1080° Avalanche (GCN)

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.
• A Nintendo Entertainment System 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.

Animal Crossing series

• In all games in the series, if the player finds Bells from a rock using a shovel, the 1-Up tune from Super Mario Bros. will play for every bag found.

Doubutsu no Mori (N64)

• The player can obtain seven rare NES games, which can be placed in their house as furniture items and played via emulation by interacting with them. Among them are Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr.
• There are four Super 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 top", on which a pattern resembling vegetables appears, and the "toad print", which is a red shirt with Toad spots. These items would reappear in both Animal Crossing and Doubutsu no Mori e+.

Doubutsu no Mori+ / Animal Crossing (GCN)

The Mario and Luigi statues.

• When Rover calls Tom Nook when the second, third, or fourth player first starts a save, he says "It's-a me! Good impression, huh?", referring to Mario's famous catchphrase.
• As with Doubutsu no Mori, there are many rare NES games that the player can find and play once they are in their house. Among them are several Super Mario games (including the two featured in Doubutsu no Mori), the methods of obtaining which differ between Doubutsu no Mori+ and Animal Crossing.
  • In Doubutsu no Mori+, the games can be obtained as follows:
    • Donkey Kong can be mailed to the player as a birthday present, and can alternatively be obtained by burying a furniture item on Animal Island, then having the Islander dig it up and bury another item as replacement. The same method can be used to obtain Donkey Kong Jr. and Wario's Woods. Doubutsu no Mori+ also fixes a mistake from the N64 version where the Donkey Kong Jr. cartridge was blue, changing it to the proper white color; the original model is instead used by Donkey Kong Jr. Math, which actually did have a blue cartridge.
    • Donkey Kong Jr. Math can be purchased from Crazy Redd's.
    • Donkey Kong 3 can be won as a prize from Tom Nook's lottery.
    • Mario Bros. can be obtained by mailing villagers letters consisting solely of the codes written on the backs of their e-Reader cards. The same method can also be used to obtain Super Mario Bros., itself also given away to players as part of a Famitsu sweepstakes.
  • In Animal Crossing, the methods of obtaining most of these games are radically altered:
    • Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. Math are obtainable from Tom Nook's lottery, Crazy Redd's, or by digging it up after a villager buries it.
    • Wario's Woods is obtained through the exact same method as in Doubutsu no Mori+, the only obtainable Super Mario game to hold this distinction.
    • Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong 3 are obtainable through codes provided for the player's specific name and town as prizes from Nintendo giveaways on the game's official site. Because the website is no longer online, these items are now only available through universal item codes or by using cheating devices.
    • Mario Bros. can be obtained by scanning an e-Reader card for the game.
    • Super Mario Bros. is hidden in the game's code and can only be obtained through cheating devices.
• Two items in the game are the Mario trophy and Luigi trophy, which are gold and silver respectively.
• While rowing to Animal Island, Kapp'n sings one of a few random songs, and one of the lyrics to one of them says 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 Super 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.
• Alfonso the alligator 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 mails 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.

Doubutsu no Mori e+ (GCN)

• The egg Town Decoration resembles a Yoshi Egg.
• If the player catches a Squid, text will appear, roughly translating to "I caught a squid! It's a Blooper!"

Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

• 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 "SMB3 paper" appears 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 and Brick Block patterns.

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 Super 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 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 Gulliver 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!". 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 "Ground Theme" from Super Mario Bros. plays when one of these are put on.
• In the Dream Suite, sometimes when the player falls asleep, a soft version of the "Ground Theme" from Super Mario Bros. 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 the Luigi's Mansion series.
• 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 Super Mario franchise. 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 Super Mario franchise, more specifically to either Super Mario or Mario Kart:

Each of the Super Mario-franchise items available in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

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.	Goal Pole
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.	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 mustache
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 Super 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 Super 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.
• Louie appears in this game through SpotPass, where his vision is "A 30th-anniversary party!", referencing the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.
• The Wii U game shelf item first made an appearance in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. The item features cameos of several Wii U titles, all using their Japanese box art. Among the titles included are Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, Mario Party 10, and Mario Kart 8. The item would later return in Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (iOS/Android)

Promotional image of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp featuring Super Mario items in celebration of Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary.

• The big bro's tee can be obtained from Alfonso when reaching friendship to level 7 with him.
• As part of Super Mario Run's first year anniversary, the big bro's hat was added to this game. Putting it on, instead of making the regular jingle, it plays the first few notes of the "Ground Theme" from Super Mario Bros..
• A Super Mario crossover event was held on March 10, 2018, which features collectable Super Mushrooms that can be obtained from the Shovelstrike Quarry as well as Event Challenges and used to craft Super Mario-themed items found in previous installments. A second round began on March 21, 2018, where players can obtain 1-Up Mushrooms instead of Super Mushrooms, as well as a third round on March 31, where Mega Mushrooms are introduced.
• As part of the one-year anniversary of Super Mario Odyssey's release, a Cappy hat was made available as an accessory on October 27, 2018.
• To celebrate Mario Day 2019, Mario's hat was made available as a free gift to all players, with the accompanying Mario outfit gifted four days later on March 14. New, limited-time Super Mario-themed wallpaper and flooring could also be crafted for a limited time: the Mario wallpaper, based on New Super Mario Bros. 2; the Mario-ground wallpaper and Mario block floor, based on Super Mario Bros.'s above-ground levels; and the Mario-water wallpaper and Mario-water flooring, based on Super Mario Bros.'s underwater levels. For Fishing Tourney #12, which began on March 14, Cheep Cheeps, Bloopers, Eep Cheeps, and Cheep Chomps could be caught. Upon catching any of them, the first six notes of the "Ground Theme" from Super Mario Bros. would play. By participating in the tourney, the player could earn several Super Mario-related furniture, including those that have not appeared in previous installments: an 8-bit fortress, balloons based on the four aforementioned Super Mario enemies attached to Brick Blocks (Cheep Chomp balloon, Blooper balloon, Cheep Cheep balloon, and Eep Cheep balloon), and a Red Shell.
• Three T-shirts based on the viruses – the blue virus tee, yellow virus tee, and red virus tee – were given out to players for free on July 19, 2019 to celebrate the release of Dr. Mario World.

• 

  Cheep Cheep
• 

  Cheep Chomp
• 

  Blooper
• 

  Eep Cheep

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)

Gullivarrr mentions Captain Syrup.

• If the player refuses to help look for Gulliver's communicator parts, he says, "Oof. I haven't received a cold shoulder this icy since my brush with the Snomad fleet...", a reference to the Snowmads from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, albeit with "Snowmad" misspelled.
• In the English version, when the player catches a squid, a message that reads, "I caught a squid! Do they... not actually "bloop"?" may appear at random, which references Bloopers.
• The three possible colorings for the doll inside the Tulip Surprise Box are based on Princess Peach, Princess Daisy and Rosalina.
• Gullivarrr's dialogue mentions Captain Syrup and Cortez, as well as Crocodile Isle and Keelhaul Key.
• When the player talks to a peppy villager, she may mention a game she has been waiting for to come out named Super Gyroid Brothers, a reference to Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario-themed items featured in New Horizons.

• As part of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 1.8.0 update was released on February 25, 2021 and features Super Mario-themed furniture. These items are available from Nook Shopping starting March 1, 2021:

Item	Type	Buy price	Sell price
1-Up Mushroom	Furniture	2,000 Bells	500 Bells
Block	Furniture	1,000 Bells	250 Bells
Coin	Furniture	350 Bells	87 Bells
Fire Flower	Furniture	1,500 Bells	375 Bells
Floating block	Furniture	1,000 Bells	250 Bells
Goal Pole	Furniture	3,500 Bells	875 Bells
Large Mushroom Platform	Furniture	3,000 Bells	750 Bells
Pipe	Furniture	5,000 Bells	1,250 Bels
Shell	Furniture	700 Bells	175 Bells
Small Mushroom Platform	Furniture	1,000 Bells	250 Bells
Super Mushroom	Furniture	1,350 Bells	337 Bells
Super Star	Furniture	2,000 Bells	500 Bells
Thwomp	Furniture	3,000 Bells	750 Bells
? Block	Furniture	1,350 Bells	337 Bells
Luigi hat	Clothing (Headwear)	1,500 Bells	375 Bells
Mario hat	Clothing (Headwear)	1,500 Bells	375 Bells
Princess Peach crown	Clothing (Headwear)	12,000 Bells	3,000 Bells
Wario hat	Clothing (Headwear)	1,500 Bells	375 Bells
Luigi 'stache	Clothing (Accessories)	1,200 Bells	300 Bells
Mario 'stache	Clothing (Accessories)	1,200 Bells	300 Bells
Wario 'stache	Clothing (Accessories)	1,200 Bells	300 Bells
Luigi outfit	Clothing (Dress-Up)	2,400 Bells	600 Bells
Mario outfit	Clothing (Dress-Up)	2,400 Bells	600 Bells
Princess Peach dress	Clothing (Dress-Up)	6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells
Wario outfit	Clothing (Dress-Up)	2,400 Bells	600 Bells
Luigi shoes	Clothing (Shoes)	1,400 Bells	350 Bells
Mario shoes	Clothing (Shoes)	1,400 Bells	350 Bells
Princess Peach shoes	Clothing (Shoes)	2,400 Bells	600 Bells
Wario shoes	Clothing (Shoes)	1,400 Bells	350 Bells
Mushroom mural	Wallpaper	3,000 Bells	750 Bells
Block flooring	Flooring	3,000 Bells	750 Bells
Lakitu's Cloud rug	Rug	1,500 Bells	375 Bells
Yoshi's Egg rug	Rug	1,500 Bells	375 Bells

• The Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 update, released on January 15, 2026, introduced several rare items based on classic Nintendo consoles, each of which features a different game that can be played if the player has an active subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. One of these consoles is a Game Boy that allows the player to play Dr. Mario.

ARMS (Switch)

• The final piece of unlockable Gallery artwork, which becomes purchasable after buying every other purchasable artwork and clearing the ARMS Grand Prix on Level 4 or higher with every character from Version 5.0 onwards, shows all characters in fancy outfits at a social gathering, with Ribbon Girl in particular wearing a pink dress similar to that of Princess Peach. The artwork was initially shown on the Japanese ARMS X account to commemorate the game's first anniversary.

Art Academy series

Art Academy (DS)

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.