Nintendo 48-Hour Wii U Video Challenge - Writer's Room
| Nintendo 48-Hour Wii U Video Challenge - Writer's Room | |
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| Platform | YouTube |
| Upload date | January 18, 2013[1] |
"Nintendo 48-Hour Wii U Video Challenge - Writer's Room" is a promotional short film uploaded to Nintendo of America's YouTube channel in 2013. The short film was created as part of Nintendo's Wii U Video Challenge, a contest in which participants had to create a short film themed after the additional modes in New Super Mario Bros. U in 48 hours or fewer. This film serves as a skit themed after the game's Challenge Mode.
Synopsis[edit]
The video opens with a man turning around in a swivel chair in a conference room, pitching a game in which Luigi rescues Princess Peach while upset with Mario for an unspecified reason. The camera then pans out to show the rest of the group in the conference room, one of whom states that he does not think that Luigi would do this.
Another man in the room then abruptly exclaims that this "isn't working", stating that nobody is playing the Story Mode in Super Mario games anymore, and that they need to come up with a great concept for a Story Mode in six hours to avoid being fired. He states that, as this is going to be the first Super Mario game in high-definition, the story must be very good.
One of the other men in the room then mentions that one of the writers wrote the plot to Super Mario Sunshine while on an "environmental kick", which the writer confirms. Said writer then mentions that the man who expressed concern about the video's initial pitch (who he identifies as Ethan) wrote the plot to Super Mario Galaxy when he wanted to "shoot for the stars". Another writer then mentions that he wrote the plot to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a fact which silences the other writers.
One of the writers then pitches a concept for a Super Mario game to be released on the Wii U. An animation (which consists of a single, moving image) to accompany the pitch is shown. The game he pitches takes place in a post-apocalyptic Mushroom Kingdom, where an older Mario ventures through wastelands and fights the "Blood Cannons", which the writer states will use realistic human blood. One of the other writers then interrupts the pitch, stating that the pitch is too dark and that they need to obtain an all-ages rating.
Said writer then begins pitching his own game, which involves Mario and Princess Peach breaking up. Mario then notices that Luigi is still dating Daisy, which causes him to get jealous. The writer then begins ranting about this, slowly transitioning from Mario's perspective to one akin to his own. As he talks, the animation eventually disappears. After he finishes ranting, another writer asks if he is okay, to which the writer responds that he recently went through a difficult breakup.
Another writer then begins pitching a game, which involves Mecha-Bowser rampaging through Tokyo. He states that Mario, multiple Toads, and Luigi have to fight Mecha-Bowser from within a large robot shaped like Mario. He then states that a bunch of Yakuza Koopas kidnap a school bus full of schoolgirls. Following this, Ethan tells the writer that the game already exists as a Japan-exclusive release.
One of the writers then shoves a crumpled piece of paper, a notepad, and a pen off the table, stating that the writers are running out of time and asking for additional ideas. What follows is a montage of game pitches, which are as follows:
- A game that takes place within a ? Block.
- A game in which Mario and Luigi open a bus stop.
- A game in which Mario and company crash-land onto an island inhabited by a "smoke monster".
- A game in which all of the game's components are made out of light.
- A game involving a flying ship mechanics shop.
- A game involving which Yoshi attends college (to which another writer states that the pitch is too similar to a pre-existing film).
- A game in which Mario and Luigi join a fight club (which results in the same response from the other writer).
- Instead of pitching, one of the writers expresses the fact that he does not like mermaids.
- A game depicting Mario's first date.
Following this is a faster montage of various phrases involving pitches, including "time travel", "magic girl", and "Goombas". The phrase "You can't talk about the fight club" is also repeated throughout the montage, again referencing the film of the same name. One of the writers eventually comes up with an idea for a plot (which is said aloud by all of the writers at once), this being that Mario had to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. All of the writers jump up from their seats in excitement.
The video then cuts to the group watching a player play the game on a monitor, with text on the screen stating that this is the game's first playtest. As the player sits down and begins playing, the writers quiet each other as they watch in anticipation, hoping that the player will start a new file for the game's Story Mode.
Instead, the player begins playing the Challenge Mode, which concerns the writers. One of the writers tells another to talk to the player via an intercom. The writer asks if the player would prefer to play the game's Story Mode, stating that it is "really fun".
The player states that Challenge Mode is "the best", which frustrates the writers and causes all but one of them leave the room. The remaining writer picks up a chair and begins to throw it, upon which the video abruptly cuts to a credits screen while the Game Over theme from Super Mario Bros. plays.
References[edit]
- ^ January 18, 2013. Nintendo 48-Hour Wii U Video Challenge - Writer's Room. Nintendo of America. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
