List of references in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

Due to its heavy use of parodies, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! contains many references to popular culture.

Live-action segments

General

• In Mario Brothers Plumbing, several Domino's pizza boxes can be seen lying about. Domino's was also a sponsor for The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! during the show's run, featuring bumpers sponsoring the company appearing before the live-action segments of the show.
• Edison is named after the famed inventor Thomas Edison, who is best known for having invented the incandescent lamp or lightbulb. He may also be named after Con Ed, the power company for most of New York.

"Neatness Counts"

• The Brooklyn Times is a parody of the American daily newspaper The New York Times.

"Day of the Orphan"

• The title is a reference to the zombie horror film Day of the Dead.

"All Steamed Up"

• In the original version, one of the ingredients on the pizza Luigi offers to Sgt. Slaughter is Cheese Whiz.

"Marianne & Luigeena"

• In the original version, as Marianne and Luigeena begin trying to flirt with Lyle, Lyle mentions that they look like the Looney Tunes.

"Slime Busters"

• The title is a reference to the supernatural comedy film Ghostbusters, which also serves as the basis of the titular organization.
• Slime Ghosts are a parody of the character of Slimer from the Ghostbusters series.

"The Mario Monster Mash"

• The title is a reference to the song "Monster Mash", while the plot is a parody of the 19th century novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The plot is also parodied in the episode "Koopenstein", as well as its corresponding Club Mario segment.

"Bonkers From Yonkers"

• Dr. Sigmund Fruitcake's name is a parody of Dr. Sigmund Freud, a famous psychoanalyst and pioneer in the field of psychology. Another parody, Doc Freud, appears in the segment "A Basement Divided".
• The episode's Italian title "La Scimmia o la Gallina?" ("The Monkey or the Chicken?") is a reference to the chicken or the egg causality dilemma.

"Bats in the Basement"

• Count Zoltan Dracula's name is a reference to both Count Dracula and the cult film Zoltan, Hound of Dracula.
• While Mario and Luigi discuss how odd Count Zoltan Dracula is at breakfast, a box of Nintendo Cereal System can be seen on the table.
  • In the same scene in the original version, when Mario mentions how odd it is that Count Zoltan Dracula sleeps all day, Luigi counters him, saying that he does as well, unless a marathon of Inspector Gadget is on. He instead mentions The Flintstones in the Latin American Spanish dub.

"Will the Real Elvis Please Shut Up!"

• The title of the episode is a reference to "Will the real [name] please stand up?", a line that originated from the game show To Tell the Truth, while the premise of this episode is a reference to "Elvis lives", a discredited conspiracy theory that was popular at the time of the episode's airing, which claimed that Elvis Presley did not die in 1977, but only went into hiding and was still alive, based on alleged inconsistencies with Presley's official death certificate. This premise is also used in the animated episode "Elvin Lives," as well as the Club Mario segment for "The Bird! The Bird!"
• At the beginning of the episode, the first few notes of "Jailhouse Rock" can be heard. The notes are also played in the animated episode "Elvin Lives" when Mario and his friends enter Parsley Land and when Elvin Parsley performs at the Half Life Malt Shop at the end of the episode.
• While Elvis Presley's disappearance at the end of the episode may indicate that he was actually a ghost, it can also be reference to "Elvis has left the building", a phrase commonly used by public address announcers at the end of Elvis Presley concerts to disperse the crowd waiting for an encore. This is supported by an announcer saying "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the basement!", a play on the phrase. This phrase is also referenced in the Club Mario segment for "The Bird! The Bird!", where Tommy, after having told the Elvis imposter to leave, mentions that "Elvis has left the rooftop."

"Alligator Dundee"

• The title of the episode is a reference to the action-comedy film Crocodile Dundee. This also used as the basis of the episode's titular character, as well as the animated episode "Crocodile Mario". Additionally, a man in Australia bearing a great resemblance to Crocodile Dundee appears in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "7 Continents for 7 Koopas".

"Wild Thing"

• The title is a reference to The Troggs' song of the same name.
• Mario's book Attack of the Killer Plungers is a reference to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, while Luigi's book My Plumber, Myself is a reference to the book Our Bodies, Ourselves.

"E.C. The Extra Creepy"

• The title is a reference to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which also the basis of the titular character's name.

"The Marios Fight Back"

• The title is a reference to the consumer advocate show Fight Back! with David Horowitz. David Horowitz, the host of the show, also appears as a guest star in this episode.

"Do You Believe In Magic?"

• The title is a reference to The Lovin' Spoonful song of the same name.
• A Los Angeles Lakers-themed basketball can be seen beneath the tabletop stove Luigi is cooking spaghetti on.

"Mommies Curse"

• Before starting to cast her spells, Elvira spins in a circle while chanting "There's no place like home". She then claims to feel "a little bit like Dorothy". Both of these phrases are references to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The actress who portrays Elvira, Cassandra Peterson, was born in Kansas, as was the character Dorothy.
• Mario's claim that chanting "the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain" works in films may be a reference to the 1938 film version of Pygmalion, in which the character Eliza Doolittle has a speech impediment cured by continually reciting this phrase.

"Mario Hillbillies"

• The title is a reference to the American sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. In addition, Ellie Mae is based on Elly May Clampett from the same sitcom and is portrayed by the same actress, Donna Douglas.

"Fred Van Winkle"

• The title of the episode is a reference to the short story "Rip Van Winkle", which is also the basis of the episode's titular character.
• One of the inventions Luigi shows Fred Van Winkle is an NES console.

"Baby Mario Love"

• The title is a reference to The Supremes song of the same name. The song itself is also sung in the same episode.
• Susanna Ross's name is a reference to musicians Susanna Hoffs and Diana Ross.
• While fitting into the costume Susanna has given him, Luigi complains that he feels like the The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

"9001: A Mario Odyssey"

• The title is based on the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and the 1968 film of the same name.

"Time Out Luigi"

• At the beginning of the episode, Luigi plays Duck Hunt on his Nintendo Entertainment System and NES Zapper. Additionally, the sound effects heard originate from the 1981 Namco arcade game Galaga.
• Angelica's mention of a painting that ages while its owner stays young is a reference to the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, whose story revolved around such an eerie painting.

"Tutti Frutti, oh Mario"/"Tutti Frutti Mario"

• "Tutti Frutti Mario" is a reference to the 1955 song "Tutti Frutti", while "Tutti Frutti, oh Mario" refers to a lyric in its chorus, "Tutti Frutti, aw rooty". In addition, Little Robert is a reference to the song's artist, Little Richard. In the Swedish dub, he is given the same name as the artist.
• Mario mentioning how Little Robert's voice is not a bird or a plane is a reference to a similar catchphrase from the 1940s Superman animated film series. This catchphrase is also referenced in the animated episode "Koopa Klaus", as well as The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Super Koopa".

"Flower Power"

• The title is a reference to the slogan of the same name, coined by pacifists protesting the Vietnam War.
• Both Old McDonald and Young McDonald are references to the song "Old McDonald Had a Farm", which is even pointed out in the episode.

"Fortune Teller"

• When looking for a fortune teller in the yellow pages, Mario mentions Wheel of Fortune.
• Before the The Legend of Zelda preview, Madam AGoGo mentions that, if her, Mario, and Luigi's questions are not answered soon, they will have to play a quick game of Ring Around the Rosie.
  • In the Latin American Spanish dub, this is changed to Snakes and Ladders.

"The Magic Love"

• Mad Donna is a parody of the American real-life singer Madonna.

"Little Marios"

• The title is a reference to the coming-of-age novel Little Women.
• In the original, when pretending to be a door-to-salesman, Brian mentions that he has Tupperware.

"Gorilla My Dreams"

• The Ding-a-Ling Bros. Circus is a reference to the real-life Ringling Brothers Circus. The circus is later mentioned in the Donkey Kong Country television series episode "Legend of the Crystal Coconut," where Donkey Kong, in the song "Tell Me Everything", mentions that he has tickets to the Ding-a-Ling Bros. Circus.

"George Washington Slept Here"

• The title is a reference to the 1942 comedy film of the same name.
• Ralph Washington is a reference to Founding Father George Washington. George Washington himself appears as guest star in the same episode.

"Caught in a Draft"

• The title is a reference to the 1941 American comedy film Caught in the Draft.

"The Artist"

• Luigi's painting is mentioned as representing Tippi Turtle, a character by American animator Jack Zander who appeared in three animated shorts for Saturday Night Live.
• Vincent Van Gook's name and appearance are based off of the real-life artist Vincent van Gogh.

"Zenned Out Mario"

• Obi-Wan Cannoli is a parody of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a character from the Star Wars franchise. Another parody, Obi-Wan Toadi would appear the animated episode "Star Koopa". In addition, the Latin American Spanish dub title of the episode, "La fuerza estará contigo" ("The force will be with you"), is a reference to one of his famous quotes.
• In the original version, Mario says, "Obi-Wan Cannoli, you're my only hope," referencing a similar line made by Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

"Texas Tea"

• One of the items Mario and Luigi buy with their recently-acquired wealth is a Whirlpool mini-fridge.

"The Painting"

• The Second-to-Last Supper is a parody of the Leonardo da Vinci painting The Last Supper, which is also mentioned in the same segment.
• Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown is a parody of the American television series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'.
• In the original version, Howard Stevens mentions that Mario and Luigi could not trade their painting for a Pong arcade machine.
  • In the Latin American Spanish dub, Howard also mentions Mickey Mouse when he mentions that they could not trade their painting for a stamp of him.
• Roy Orbisoni Mahoney's name is a portmanteau of rock and roll musician Roy Orbison and English-American actor John Mahoney.

"Glasnuts"

• Boris's name is likely a reference to Boris Yeltsin, a Soviet and Russian politician who would become the first president of Russia.

"Game Show Host"

• This segment contains several references to American game shows:
  • Luigi asks Mario to choose between three numbered doors, a reference to the Monty Hall problem from the American game show Let's Make a Deal. A reference to the problem is also made in the animated episode "Count Koopula".
  • When describing the jackpot, Luigi mentions Whammies, coming from the American game show Press Your Luck.
  • The part about naming a tune refers to the game show Name That Tune, one of the shows Jim Lange hosted.
  • At the end of the segment, the trio uses a special way to say goodbye by blowing a kiss, a reference to The Dating Game.

"Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn"

• The title is a reference to the Neo-Western film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
• When Inspector Gadget accidentally hits Luigi with his hammer, he remarks, "Sorry about that, Luigi." This a reference to the "Sorry about that, Chief" catchphrase from the show Get Smart.

"Adee Don't"

• The title is a reference to a line from Adee Plumbing & Heating's commercials: "Adee Do!"

"A Basement Divided"

• The title and premise of the episode is based on Lincoln's House Divided Speech.

"No Way to Treat a Queenie"

• Liz's name and appearance is based on the late Queen Elizabeth II.

"Goodbye Mr. Fish"

• The title is a reference to the novella Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

"Two Bums From Brooklyn"

• The Brooklyn Dodgers is named after the MLB team of the same name. In addition, the team's coach, Tommy Lasagna is a pun on the late Tommy Lasorda, a real-life baseball manager, then with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Cyrano de Mario"

• The title is a reference to Cyrano de Bergerac, an 1897 French play which depicts a fictionalized version of the eponymous writer ghostwriting a man's poems for a woman that both of them are in love with.

"Santa Claus is Coming to Flatbush"

• The title is a reference to the Christmas song "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town". In addition, an arrangement of "Jingle Bells" can be heard at the beginning of the episode; this arrangement is also used at the beginning of the animated episode "Koopa Klaus." A different arrangement had previously been used in the Saturday Supercade episode "A Christmas Story."

"Captain Lou Is Missing"

• At the beginning of the episode, Mario and Luigi listen to the song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" on a radio. In addition, the song's artist, Cyndi Lauper, also appears in the episode.
• Throughout his appearance, Lou Albano carries a bucket of fried chicken that has a similar design to the chicken buckets from KFC, with Colonel Sander's face being replaced with his own.

"The Ghoul of my Dreams"

• The Mean Creature from the Scary Sewer is a parody of the horror film Creature from the Black Lagoon.
  • In the German dub, Elvira also references Attack of the Killer Tomatoes when giving a summary of the previous film, saying that it consisted of an elderly woman against killer tomatoes. Additionally, the film that she presents in the dub, Die zweite Rückkehr des in Sachen Killer Buckerwals ("The second Return of the Killer Humpback Whales"), references the film's sequel, Return of the Killer Tomatoes.

"Ice Cream"

The title of this section is conjectural; an official name for the section's subject has not been found, so it has been given a fitting title by the editors.
If an acceptable name is found, then the section should be changed to the new title.

• At the beginning of the segment, Mario and Luigi talk about Carl Lewis, who participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
• When attempting to get ice cream from Bangul-gongju, Luigi references Heungbu and Nolbu and The Tale of Sim Chong, two well-known Korean stories.

Animated segments

General

• The Plumber's Log is a reference to Star Trek's Captain's Log.
• King Koopa's Italian name, Re Attila ("King Attila"), is a reference to Attila the Hun. Attila's name would later be used as the basis for the name of Herman Smirch's pet hamster in the Game Boy comics.

"The Bird! The Bird!"

• The title is a reference to "De plane! De plane!", a catchphrase originating from the opening titles of the American television series Fantasy Island.
• In the original, when holding Toad while in a rocking chair, she sings a parody of "Rock-a-bye Baby." In the German dub, she instead sings "Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf."

"King Mario of Cramalot"

• The title and plot are based on the Legend of King Arthur, with Cramalot being a pun on the fictional castle Camelot. Additionally, Mervin is named after the wizard of Arthurian legend, Merlin, while Excalibur is named after the sword of the same name.
• The Brazilian Portuguese dub title of the episode, "O Cavaleiro da Távola Quadrada" ("The Knight of the Square Table"), is a reference to the legendary Knights of the Round Table.

"Butch Mario & The Luigi Kid"

• The title is a reference to the western film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In addition, King Koopa's alter egos in the episode, Kid Koopa and Koopa the Kid, are references to notorious outlaws Kid Curry and Billy the Kid, respectively.
• Mario and his friends trying to escape from the prison cell and Sheriff Mouser is a reference to Bill and Ted trying to escape the saloon with Billy the Kid from the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
• Poopa La Koopa's motto ("Cheat, beat, and be merry!") is based on King Edward VII of Great Britain's motto. ("Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!")

"Mario's Magic Carpet"

• The title and plot are based on the legend of Aladdin's magic lamp.
• The organization Pidgit Express may be a play on the defunct low-cost airline People Express.
• In the original version, when using her magic to make Mario and his friends, the genie sings "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe." In the Latin American Spanish dub, she instead sings "Tin marín de dos pingüé," a counting rhyme similar to "Eeny, meeny, miny moe." This rhyme would later appear in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Oh, Brother!"

"Rolling Down the River"

• In the original version, when Toad is thrown into Princess Toadstool's cell, he asks if she expected Pee-wee Herman, a character played by American comedian Paul Reubens.
  • In the Herbert Ritchers Brazilian Portuguese dub, the reference is replaced by Tarcísio Meira, a well-known Brazilian actor.
  • In the Latin American Spanish dub, this is replaced by Prince Charming, a fairy tale stock character. Prince Charming is later mentioned in the original version of the episode "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" when Queen Rotunda, having fallen in love with Mario, says that he will be her husband.
• The title of the episode is a reference to a line from the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Proud Mary", "Rollin' on the river".
• Mark Twang's name is a pun on the name "Mark Twain", which was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a famous American novelist and satirist. His French name, Marc-Antoine, is a pun on "Mark Twain" and "Antoine de Saint-Exupéry", a French writer and aviator best known for penning the 1943 children's novella The Little Prince.
• In the French dub, when Mario is being forced to walk the plank by Captain Koopa, he asks him for a little spaghetti, to which he responds that he is the Big Bad Wolf. A character based on the wolf later appears in the episode "Little Red Riding Princess."

"The Great Gladiator Gig"

• King Koopa's alter ego in this episode, Emperor Augustus Septemberus Octoberus Koopa, is a reference to Augustus, the founder of the Roman Empire. Tryclyde's alter ego in this episode, Tryclydius, is a reference to Roman emperor Claudius, while Brutius Maximus Grouchimus's name is a reference to Roman politician Marcus Junius Brutus.
• While hiding behind a rock, Emperor Augustus Septemberus Octoberus Koopa says, "Guess who's coming to dinner, Tryclydius?", referencing the 1967 romance comedy drama film of the same name.

"Mario and the Beanstalk"

• The episode is a parody of the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk", taking elements such as a beanstalk, a gold-laying goose, a giant, and the main character(s) trading a cow for beans from the story.

"Love 'Em and Leave 'Em"

• When punishing Mario and his friends, Queen Rotunda says, "Off with their heads!" This is a reference to the Queen of Hearts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, who would give death sentences at the slightest offenses.
• Queen Rotunda calls Mario a "Jelly Belly" when he says that he has the answer to her problem of finding the perfect dessert for Prince Pompadour, referencing the candy company of the same name.
• One of the ingredients for creating the second Passion Potion is "one Fat Boys record", which alludes to the real life singers. The Fat Boys also serves as the basis of two rappers in the episode "Bad Rap": the Flab Boys.
  • In the Latin American Spanish dub, Luigi also alludes to Mexican singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel when he suggests that the record has to be a Juanga record, with "Juanga" being a nickname for him.

"Stars in Their Eyes"

• The song hummed by the Quirks to defeat Moon Man Koopa is the theme song of the game The Legend of Zelda.
• Mario makes an allusion to The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx during his speech to the enslaved Quirks, saying "Honk-noses of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!" This quote is a re-working of the last couple sentences of The Communist Manifesto: "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!" The Quirks later re-work Mario's speech when they decide to block Koopa's magnet to allow Mario and his friends to escape, saying, "Quirks, unite! We have nothing to use but our chains!"

"Brooklyn Bound"

• Koopa Khan is a parody of Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan, while his name is a play on later emperor Kublai Khan.
• The French dub title of the episode, "Le grand boum" ("The big bang"), is a reference to French title of the 1944 comedy film The Big Noise.
• When Toad reassures Salvador Drainotto, he says, "Old plumbers never cry," referencing "Goonies never say die," a famous catchphrase from the 1985 adventure-comedy film The Goonies.

"Toad Warriors"

• The episode is based on the Australian post-apocalyptic dystopian action film Mad Max 2, released as The Road Warrior in the United States. Besides the title, the episode also shares a similar plot to the film, with King-of-the-Road Koopa stealing all of the spaghetti sauce in Car Land being analogous to the oil shortage caused by a global war in the film. Car Land itself is based on the setting of the film, the Australian Outback.
• The State Troopa that arrests Mario and his friends at the beginning of the episode uses a car designated Car 54½, a reference to the American sitcom Car 54, Where Are You?
• The Thunderbirdo's name is a pun on the car model Ford Thunderbird.

"The Fire of Hercufleas"

• Hercufleas is based on Hercules (also known as Heracles) of Greek and Roman legend.
• The Great Balls of Fire are named after the Jerry Lewis song of the same name. Another reference to this song appears in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "A Toadally Magical Adventure".
• The training montage is a parody of the iconic sequence from the film Rocky.

"Count Koopula"

• The episode is a parody of the story Dracula