List of references in video games

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

1080° Avalanche (GCN)

 * On the bottom of Ricky Winterborn's "8-Bit Soul" snowboard, an All-Stars sprite of Mario can be seen (or Luigi on the alternate color of that board).
 * In Ricky's biography, it is mentioned 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 Super Mario Bros. Bullet Bill sound when landing.
 * At the end of the stage Midnight City is an ice sculpture of Mario in a victory pose.

The Adventures of Willy Beamish (Multiplatform)

 * The main protagonist, Willy, playing a "Nintari" game entitled "Monster Squad", appears to be a spoof of Super Mario Bros..

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (Sega Master System)

 * During its development, the first boss of this game was "Mari-Oh", who bore a striking resemblance to Mario. (This was likely a way to mock Nintendo, as the Alex Kidd games were all made by Sega, Nintendo's brutal business rival.) By the final game, however, Mari-Oh was replaced with the unrelated "Kabuto" boss.

Angry Birds Space (iOS, Android, PC, Mac)
The second Eggsteroid is a homage to Level 1-1 of Super Mario Bros., with rocks acting as Question Blocks and wood acting as Brick Blocks. The upper "Question Block" contains a pig which moves in a similar manner to the Super Mushrooms. Unlike the original game, the birds can break the ground.

Animal Crossing (GCN))

 * When Rover would call Tom Nook, Rover says "It's-a me! Good impression, huh?"
 * There are many rare NES that the player can find and play once they are in their house. Among them are several Mario games, including Donkey Kong and Wario's Woods. Super Mario Bros. can be found in the game's coding, though there is no known way to get it legitimately.
 * Two items in the game are the rare Mario and Luigi statues.
 * 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 also a series of Mario-themed furniture that could be unlocked with special cheat codes from Nintendo Power if the player told them to Tom Nook. They include: Warp Pipe, Starman, Fire Flower, Mushroom, Flagpole, Koopa Shell, Cannon (or rather a Bullet Bill Blaster), ? Block, Brick Block, and a Coin; also, there was a wallpaper called "Mushroom Mural" which was an exact replica of the backdrop of the first level in Super Mario Bros., and a carpet called "Block Flooring" which was identical to the brown brick ground Mario walked on.
 * 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.
 * There is a crocodile named Alfonso, who sports the red M shirt, and whose initial catchphrase is "It's-a me". One of the gorillas, Louie, greatly resembles Donkey Kong (who, ironically, wears the lil' bro's shirt). Lastly, 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; this is a reference to Super Mario Sunshine.

Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)

 * One of the items the Arcade Machine, has a game resembling a fighting game with Mario and Luigi.
 * Banana, Triple Shells, Yoshi's Egg, bad bro mustaches (an accessory that looks like Wario's nose and mustache), Toad's hat, Peach Parasol, Wario's hat, and a Mario Kart can all be purchased from the Nook Point Tracking 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 will have to shoot down a floating present with a slingshot and open it.
 * If the player finds bags of money from a rock using a shovel, the "Extra Life" tune from Super Mario Bros. will play for every bag found.

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 by Wi-Fi letters.
 * Occasionally when players open up villagers' bureaus, dressers, etc., the message that pops up reads "What are Luigi's clothes doing in here?!" Their hats and mustaches are also in the game.
 * The four shirts from the original return.
 * An item called Super Mario Bros. 3 Paper is in this game.

Ant Smasher (iOS)

 * In the game, players can collect extra lives upon tapping green mushrooms labelled "1UP" that randomly appear on-screen, which are a reference to 1-Up Mushrooms.

Art Academy (DS)

 * A pencil-drawn picture of a Yoshi plush toy can be seen on the game's cover. Similarly, on the cover of the Nintendo 3DS sequel New Art Academy, a pencil-drawn Goomba picture can be seen.

Assassin's Creed II (Multiplatform)
In Mario Auditore's debut cutscene, he introduces himself with "Don't you recognize me? It's-a me, Mario!", referencing Super Mario 64.

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..

Astal (Sega Saturn)

 * A sprite of Mario is present in the game's code.

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

 * One of the most common enemies is a Roman dressed in Mario's 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 statues on the side of the Arc de Triomphe.
 * 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. Even the music sounds like Mario.
 * 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 Stars on the ground nearby.

Back to the Future: The Game (PC/Mac/PS3/Wii/iOS)

 * 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 Mario Brothers," and Edna goes on to comment that "the Italians do so many good works".

Banjo-Kazooie (N64/Xbox Live Arcade)

 * 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. However, he is different in appearance from the Gnawties of Donkey Kong Country and is a reference to them obviously. He mainly resembles Very Gnawty, due to 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-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Xbox 360)

 * To show the power of the vehicle editor in the game, a 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.
 * 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 LOG 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 cubes 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. This is a quite obvious reference to the "? Blocks" of Super Mario fame.
 * 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 LOG 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, another clear reference to Rare's Donkey Kong series even though they shouldn't be able to.

Banjo-Tooie (N64/Xbox Live Arcade)

 * In Grunty Industries, Banjo and Kazooie find Loggo, a toilet 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 for legal reasons; Mario's name is replaced with "Italian plumber" instead.
 * Bottles' daughter, Goggles, plays 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 picture of a face at the top of the large slide here which many believe looks exactly like Bowser's head.

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.

Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator (PC)

 * 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 a good deal like one of the Mario Bros..

Big Brain Academy (DS)

 * In "The Missing Link", 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.

The Binding of Isaac (Steam)

 * 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.

Braid (Xbox Live Arcade/PSN/Steam)

 * There is a level named "Jumpman" (referencing Mario's original name) which resembles 25m from the original Donkey Kong arcade game.
 * 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: 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)

 * 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 (DSi Ware)

 * 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.

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)

 * 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 fictional video game console called a Gamestation can be found in a house. One of the fictional video games lying around it is named "Italian Plumber Princess Rescue".

Chase Mii (Wii U Tech Demo)

 * The Chase Mii Tech Demo takes place in a Mushroom Kingdom-like area. The Miis are dressed up as Toads and Mario.

Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64)

 * Characters resembling Thwomps appear in various places in the chapter Barn Boys.
 * The way Heinrich is defeated is a parody of how Bowser is defeated in Super Mario 64.

Chibi-Robo! (GCN)

 * A character named Kid Eggplant looks just like the Eggplant Man enemy from Wrecking Crew.

Crash Bandicoot (PS1)

 * 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)

 * In some ruin levels, there is a barrel-throwing gorilla enemy who 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 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.

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)

 * In the level "High Seas Hi-Jinks", a large rhinoceros throws barrels at the player, just like Donkey Kong.

Crashmo (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

 * Two stages are based on a Buzzy Beetle and a Piranha Plant from Super Mario Bros.

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (Multiplatform)

 * 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.

Dangan Ronpa (Multiplatform)

 * In Chapter Five of the game, one of the characters says, "Death by being eaten. And it's nothing like those plants that come out of pipes!" This is a reference to Piranha Plants and their typical behavior.

Densetsu no Stafy 3 (GBA)

 * Wario appears many times to help out Stafy and, additionally, get his mitts on some treasure. Stafy controls many versions of Wario, including Flaming Wario and Puffy Wario. Wario gives him various treasures of his, such as a Game Boy Advance with a copy of WarioWare, Inc..

Densetsu no Stafy 4 (DS)

 * One of the collectable costumes for Starfy and Starly is based on Princess Peach. Starly is also holding Perry, the parasol from Super Princess Peach.

EarthBound (SNES)

 * When Ness enters the arcade in Onett, some of the arcade games look similar to Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros..
 * In the Japanese version of the game, Mother 2, a set of default names references the Mario series, giving Ness the name "Mario", Paula the name "Peach", Jeff the name "Luigi", Poo the name "Kinopio", King the name "Yoshi"; the protagonist's favorite food becomes "mushrooms" and his favorite thing becomes "Goal". However, this naming set was replaced in the North American release.

Earthworm Jim Special Edition (Sega CD)

 * 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. Nintendo would later return the spiting favor with Cranky's Video Game Heroes in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (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:
 * Toad - Course 2
 * Luigi - Course 3
 * Princess Toadstool - Course 4
 * Mario - Course 6
 * Donkey Kong - Course 9
 * Bowser - Ending sequence.

F-Zero X (N64)

 * The Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 64 appears in this game, complete with a rock remix of the track's theme.

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 refrence 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.

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.

HarmoKnight (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

 * One of the enemies shares the same name and looks similar to Poink from Super Mario Sunshine.

Icon Pop Quiz (iOS)

 * In the credits, the lead designer Erna Chai's name has an emblem of a Mushroom above it.

The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions (PC)

 * In the "Easy" contraption lineup, there is a puzzle named "Super Mel Brothers".

Jet Force Gemini (N64)

 * 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. Unfortunately for Jill, because of her incredible unpopularity she was retired after only three games.

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

 * Mario appears as on track called "Just Mario" with the artist credited as "Ubisoft meets Nintendo".

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 with barrels and jump pads which resembles 75m. Hades even says, "Looks like the Chariot Master has played Donkey Kong."

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

 * Mario, Toad, Luigi, and Birdo, as well as Princess Peach and 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.
 * A picture of Mario appears in the credits of "Milky Way Wishes".
 * 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.
 * 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's Return to Dreamland (Wii)

 * During the first fight against Magolor, the main antagonist of the game, Magolor's Ship, the Lor Starcutter, appears with a picture of the Dark Star on its flag.

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

 * Some of the houses in the Light World village have paintings of Mario in them. If Link pulls on the painting, rupees will come out.
 * Chain Chomps appear as enemies.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GameCube)

 * In various platforming stages, creatures resembling Thwomps appear. Also, in the DSiware version, one of the items is a Chomp.

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

 * Tarin resembles Mario. He even transforms into a raccoon by eating a mushroom, but Mario transforms into Raccoon Mario by using a Super Leaf.
 * Goombas and Piranha Plants appear in secret platforming stages within the game
 * Other enemies resemble such Mario enemies as Bob-ombs.
 * 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 will state 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 the goat in Animal Village. The picture of Christine the goat is actually of Princess Peach.
 * Li'l Bow-Wow, known in the Mario series as a Chain Chomp is featured in the game and 'befriends' Link as 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: Majora's Mask (N64)

 * 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.
 * 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: Ocarina of Time (N64)

 * The Lon Lon Ranch owners, Ingo and Talon, both look like the Mario Bros. Ingo, Talon, and Malon all wear necklaces with Bowser's head on it. Talon's sleeping pose is also very similar to Mario's from Super Mario 64.
 * In the area where Zelda usually stands in the Hyrule Castle courtyard there is a window on the right. If viewed at a different angles, pictures of Yoshi, Princess Peach, Mario, Bowser, and Luigi can be seen.

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

 * In the 3DS remake, the pictures of the Mario characters seen in one of the windows of Hyrule Castle courtyard, was changed and shows the background of World 1 from New Super Mario Bros..

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

 * Lakitus appear as enemies who throw lightning bolts at Link, then disappears back into their clouds.
 * Bob-omb is also found in this game, and if struck with the player's sword, will scurry around then then explode. A second hit will cause it to stop and then explode.

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.

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.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)

 * An enemy, called Armos Knight has a nose and mustache resembling Wario's.

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

 * Fyer who operates the cannon down by Lake Hylia has a Bullet Bill on his sleeve.

LEGO City: Undercover (3DS/Wii U)

 * 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.
 * 5 ? 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 Starman. These can also be built around the city, and when all five are built, the Pop Star 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 build-able 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 smelly overalls 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 allows 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!".

Lep's World (iOS)

 * Originally known as Super Jump World, this game is strongly based on the side-scrolling Mario games with several differences, including bugs in place of Goombas, snails in place of Koopa Troopas, etc.
 * Additionally, the sound effect that plays when Mario stomps on an enemy in Super Mario Bros. is heard if the player collects 100 coins in this game.

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.

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 Man Battle Network 3 (GBA)

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

Mega Man ZX (DS)

 * There are two brothers who resemble Mario and Luigi.

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

 * 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. The game takes place in the 1960s, long before the Mario series even existed.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GCN)

 * Mario and Yoshi dolls can be found in Otacon's Lab. Additionally, there is also a Nintendo GameCube that can be found in the same place.
 * Psycho Mantis may mention Super Mario Sunshine and Super Smash Bros. Melee if the player have a save file for those games on their memory card.

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

 * Mario acts as the in-ring referee during the gameplay of the game.

Minecraft (PC)

 * One of the 4x3 paintings that the player may get is 100m from the Donkey Kong arcade game. The picture the painting is based off is Kong by Kristoffer Zetterstrand.

Mirror's Edge (PS3/Xbox 360)

 * 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.

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.

Mother (Famicom)

 * 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 NES prototype (Earth Bound, AKA EarthBound Zero), he instead says "Super Mario Bros. 7" and Super Mario Bros. 3, respectively. In Mother 1+2 on GBA, there is no longer any name-dropping.

Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen (Super Famicom)

 * The Viruses make a cameo in this obscure cooking game.

MySims Agents (Wii)

 * 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.

Nintendogs (DS)

 * 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.

N+ (Xbox Live Arcade, PSP, DS)

 * Two of the selectable player skins strongly resemble Mario and Luigi, named "Player 1" and "Player 2" respectively.

Petit Computer (DSiWare)

 * If the pre-made games, Dot-Racer and Simple STG are played and lost, 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 is the fireball sound effect Super Mario Bros..

Pikmin 2 (GCN)
Pet Salon (iOS) In Pet Salon, a Mario suit can be worn by your pet.
 * A picture of Bowser appears on the Flame Of Tomorrow.
 * The game's protagonists, Captain Olimar and Louie, resemble Mario and Luigi respectively. Their original Japanese names are also anagrams or shortenings of Mario and Luigi's names. (Orima = Mario, Rui/Lui = Luigi)
 * Also, one of the treasures is a used tube of Mario Paint, and another is a stick of Peach Pink Mario Paint.
 * The Unspeakable Wonder resembles Princess Peach's Crown.

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)

 * During the "Three-Minute Glide" Mission, if the player flies through a small village, the Super Mario Bros. theme can be heard from one of the houses.

Pinball (NES)

 * 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.

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

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

Pocket Planes (iOS)

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

Pokémon Stadium 2 (N64)

 * A few of the accessories that can be received from the Mystery Gift feature in Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal versions include an NES, SNES, Virtual Boy and Nintendo 64. When using the Transfer Pak to see them in Pokémon Stadium 2, a limited number of video games appear randomly on the screen depending on which console is set up. These games includes Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros. for the NES, Super Mario World for the SNES and Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64.

Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow (GB)

 * 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.

Poker Night at the Inventory (PC)

 * Tycho remarks that he enjoys playing Tetris Attack and asks the Heavy if he has played it.

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 for obvious reasons.

Project Zero 2: Wii Edition (Wii)

 * 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.

Punch-Out!! (NES)

 * In the audience, the player can see Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr.

Punch-Out!! (Wii)

 * 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.

Qix (GB)

 * 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)

 * 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 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.

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

 * In the fifth episode, Sam ends up saying "Look, Max! It'sa me, Sam!" and then jumps like Mario to grab three gold coins.

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.
 * When Stills finishes a level, he jump into a Warp Pipe.

Scribblenauts (DS)

 * If the player typed "Weegee", a plumber will appear. This isn't a direct mention to Luigi, though. It comes from the internet meme, which was spawned from the missaying of Luigi's name in the PC version of Mario is Missing!.
 * If a player earns a merit, the heading says "Merit Get!", a reference to "Shine Get!" after the player gets a Shine Sprite in Super Mario Sunshine (In Super Scribblenauts in stage 4-1, the hint says "Starite Get!", another reference to this).
 * 3-1 or 4-1 is a complete pun. There are parodies of Piranha Plants, Koopa Troopas, Super Mushroom, the flagpole, and the Fire Flower.

Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U, 3DS, Steam)

 * The Wii U version of this game has Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Bowser, Goombas, Koopa Troopas, 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, 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.

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.

Sim City DS (DS)

 * Bowser's Castle makes a cameo as a unlockable landmark for the player's city.

The Simpsons Game (Multiplatform)

 * Mario can be seen working in the video game factory (although, with a few changes to avoid copyrights)
 * 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 Mario's catchphrase. Luigi Risotto says the phrase himself after the quest is completed.

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (3DS)

 * 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 view in Free Photography mode.

Spongebob SquigglePants (Wii/3DS)

 * Super Mario Bros. and many other NES games are spoofed in an individual "nanogame".
 * This game borrows the gameplay concept from the WarioWare games.

Spore (Multiplatform)

 * In the Creature Creator chapter of the Prima Games guide, one of the demolings is called "Sloshi", a reference to Yoshi. Its description also references Mario, Princess Peach and Bowser.

Spyro: A Hero's Tail (Multiplatform)

 * 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 obviously a parody of Mario.
 * There is an enemy that looks like a Piranha Plant. Some of these enemies also spit fireballs much like a Venus Fire Trap.
 * 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.

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 an obvious 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.

Super Meat Boy (Xbox 360/PC)

 * The game's title has the same initals as Super Mario Bros..
 * Warp Zones, a secret portal to a 8-bit world appears four times in every world, two of them in Light World and two of them in Dark World. When Meat Boy touch in a Warp Zone, a black hole appears and suck him. Some Warp Zones have a art style very similar to Game Boy games.
 * 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." appears.
 * After defeating a boss, a flag and fireworks appears. A possible reference to Super Mario Bros..
 * The way Dr. Fetus is defeated is a obvious reference of how Mario defeat Bowser in Super Mario Bros..
 * The Glitch World of The End is a obvious reference to Airship levels in Mario games.

Super Play Action Football (SNES)

 * 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 Punch-Out!! (SNES)

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

Super Scope 6 (SNES)

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

Stunt Race FX (SNES)

 * Mario and Luigi appear on some of the billboards all around some of the courses.

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 (Wii)

 * Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad appear on the New Super Mario Bros. Wii medley track as well as several enemies and the Koopalings.

Tales of the Abyss (PS2)

 * When Mieu finds a mushroom, he asks Luke if eating it would make him bigger, referencing Mario's ability to power-up upon eating a Super Mushroom.

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

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

Tennis (NES)

 * Mario appears as the referee during the game.

Tetris (NES)

 * Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach are seen dancing when the player completes Stage 9 Level 5 in Type B mode. Samus Aran, Pit, Donkey Kong and Link can also be seen dancing after the rocket ship takes off.

Tiny Tower (iOS)

 * 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.
 * 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.

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.

Wii Fit (Wii)

 * Along the Free Run island, 8-Bit sprites of Mario and Luigi can be spotted. On a few occasions, a Goomba, Mushroom, or Star sprite may also appear along the side of the trail.

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)

 * 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.. This is extremely difficult, as 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 Sports Resort (Wii)

 * The countdown timer used at the start of the racing events sounds pretty much like the timer from 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're losing...") by flying near the Hillside Cabins area.
 * The name of the ship "The Queen Peach" is based on Princess Peach.

World Gone Sour (XBLA, PSN, PC)

 * Upon encountering the gum enemies in the first level, the narrator says "You can jump on them? So they're like mushrooms." No doubt referencing Goombas

World of Warcraft (PC)

 * 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 an obvious reference and looks like a mushroom. It bears resemblance to the mushrooms that appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen (Wii)

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

Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (NES)

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