List of references in Nintendo video games

The following is a list of references to the Mario franchise in video games released by Nintendo.

1080° Snowboarding (N64)

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

1080° Avalanche (GCN)

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

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 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)

 * 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 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.
 * 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 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 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 crocodile sports the big bro's shirt, and his initial catchphrase is "It's-a me." Additionally, one of the gorillas, Louie, greatly resembles Donkey Kong and wears the lil' bro's shirt.
 * If the player 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)

 * One of the items, the Arcade Machine, has a game resembling a fighting game with Mario and Luigi. The Pinball Machine also features what appears to be the artwork for the original Super Mario Bros. on the screen and artwork of Mario on the table itself. Another item is the Tabletop Game, which looks like a side scrolling shooter; however, the ground appears to be from the original Super Mario Bros. as well.
 * A Banana, Triple Shells, a Yoshi's Egg, a "bad bro mustache" (an accessory that looks like Wario's nose and mustache), a Toad hat, a Peach Parasol, a Wario hat, and a Kart (taking the appearance of Mario's Standard Kart from Mario Kart Wii) can all be purchased from the Tom Nook Point System.
 * All the Mario-related items from the original Animal Crossing appear in this game, but instead of using a code to obtain them, the player must shoot down a floating present with a slingshot and open it.
 * If 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)

 * 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 Super Mario Bros. theme plays when one of these are put on.
 * In the Dream Suite, sometimes when the player falls asleep, a soft version of the Super Mario Bros. theme will play.
 * On the official website, there are QR Codes for designs which players can scan using the sewing machine to receive special clothes in-game; two of these designs are Princess Peach and Princess Daisy's dresses.
 * There is a pinball machine that has artwork from Super Mario Bros.. It can be bought along with the arcade machine from the last game.
 * Sometimes, villagers might say they have a game about "a guy in green overalls with a vacuum cleaner", a reference to Luigi's appearance in 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 Mario series. Besides the carpet and wallpaper, all the 8-bit items from previous Animal Crossing games have changed into their modern designs, specifically those seen in Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. 22 of the lucky tickets are references to the Mario series, more specifically to either Super Mario or Mario Kart:

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)

 * Some of the Mario-related items in the previous game are reused as items for their homes in this game including the Super Star and the Super Mushroom.
 * Gulliver again makes a Mario reference in one conversation, where he mentions having been washed up on the shore of Wuhu Island, and goes on to bring up its appearance in Mario Kart 7, recalling karts nearly running him down.
 * Louie appears in this game through SpotPass, where his vision is "A 30th-anniversary party!", referencing the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (iOS/Android)

 * 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 Super Mario Bros. theme.
 * 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 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 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 Super Mario Bros. theme would play. By participating in the tourney, the player could earn several Mario-related furniture, including those that have not appeared in previous installments: an 8-bit fortress, balloons based on the four aforementioned 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.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)

 * 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, they may mention a game they have been waiting for to come out named Super Gyroid Brothers, a reference to Super Mario Bros..
 * 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:

ARMS (Switch)

 * A piece of unlockable artwork shows Ribbon Girl dressed like Princess Peach.

Art Academy (DS)

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

Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! (3DS)

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

Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (DSi)

 * Coins from Super Mario Bros. function as a currency in this game.
 * A POW Block serves as a game mechanic. Tapping the POW icon will clear three rows of pixels from the bottom of the touch screen.
 * The game features ten puzzles based on sprites from Super Mario Bros. and two based on sprites from Wrecking Crew.
 * In the final stage, the blocks spell out "THANK YOU MARIO! BUT YOUR PRINCESS IS IN ANOTHER CASTLE!". In the Dark Mode version, the blocks instead spell "THANK YOU MARIO! YOUR QUEST IS OVER. WE PRESENT YOU A NEW QUEST. PUSH BUTTON B TO SELECT A WORLD".
 * Beating a stage with a specific score will put a Super Star icon next to the score display.


 * The main antagonist of the Game & Watch version of this game is named "Oiram Repus," which is "Super Mario" spelled backwards.

Banjo-Kazooie series

 * For the Banjo-Kazooie games published by Microsoft after the company's acquisition of Rare, see List of Mario references in third-party video games § Banjo-Kazooie series.

(Nintendo 64/Xbox Live Arcade/Xbox One)

 * In the level Click Clock Wood, there is a large beaver named Gnawty who needs Banjo and Kazooie to destroy the rock blocking the entrance to his home. While resembling the Gnawties of the Donkey Kong Country series, he mostly resembles Very Gnawty in size and color.
 * In the voice questions at Grunty's Furnace Fun, Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong's names are seen as answers.
 * Another question from Grunty asks what object Conga throws. One of the answers is barrels, a reference to Donkey Kong.
 * Conga uses Donkey Kong's sound effects from Mario Kart 64.
 * Some of Chimpy's sound effects were reused in Donkey Kong 64.

(Nintendo 64/Xbox Live Arcade/Xbox One)

 * In Witchyworld, multiple carved heads appear at the top of the tower in the Inferno area, resembling the icon of Bowser's face from Super Mario 64 and subsequent titles.
 * Enemies with the same appearance as Puftups known as Swellbellies appear in underwater parts of Jolly Roger's Lagoon, and only explode if Kazooie uses Talon Torpedo or shoots explosive eggs.
 * In Grunty Industries, Banjo and Kazooie find the toilet Loggo, who says that he needs unblocking. Kazooie suggests calling a plumber, believing Mario to be available. Loggo replies that he does not think Mario does such work anymore. In the Xbox Live Arcade port, the line was altered to say "Italian plumber" instead.
 * Bottles's daughter, Goggles, can be seen holding a Donkey Kong doll. The necktie is removed from the doll in the Xbox Live Arcade port.
 * During the final battle against Hag 1, Gruntilda asks the question "Who appears on the cover art?", and one of the answers is "Banjo, Kazooie, and Donkey Kong".

Baseball (GB)

 * The North American game cover features Mario pitching.
 * 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.

Baten Kaitos Origins (GCN)

 * After Gibari throws a barrel at various guards, Guillo sarcastically asks him if he is "some monkey who's run off with a pretty wench," referencing Donkey Kong's debut role.

Big Brain Academy (DS)

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

Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Wii)

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

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 on the walking figure that appears when the player achieves the rank "Walking Speed", it whistles the first six notes of the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros.

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 touch screen-based adaptation of Dr. Mario, featuring covers of both background songs from that game, "Chill" and "Fever". 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 on the walking figure that appears when the player achieves the rank "Walking Speed", it whistles the tune that plays after Mario earns an extra life.

Brain Age Express (DSiWare)

 * If the player taps on the walking figure that appears when the player achieves the rank "Walking Speed", it whistles the tune that plays after Mario loses a life in Super Mario Bros.
 * Virus Buster returns from Brain Age 2.

Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch (Switch)

 * If the player continuously taps on the walking figure that appears when the player achieves the rank "Walking Speed", it whistles the first three lines of the chorus of "Jump Up, Super Star!" from Super Mario Odyssey.
 * Virus Buster returns from Brain Age 2.

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. This game was later released as Mario Chase, one of the twelve attractions in Nintendo Land.

Chibi-Robo! (GCN)

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

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

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

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash (3DS)

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

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (Switch)

 * Various Mario characters appear on card faces during many of the card games, such as Hanafuda, Matching, and Texas Hold'em. The Mario-themed cards are based on Club Nintendo Hanafuda, Super Mario Card Matching Game, and the NAP-02 variant of the Mario Playing Cards; the former two of were previously released as Club Nintendo rewards.

Conker's Pocket Tales (Game Boy Color)

 * If left idle for long enough, Conker will pull out a Game Boy and play it, replacing the music with a rendition of the Bonus theme from Donkey Kong Country.

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

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

Drill Dozer (GBA)

 * The player can unlock various of costumes for the playable character Jill to wear using Password codes. By using the code 5854, the player unlocks a pair of blue overalls, which is based on Mario's clothes.

Mother (Family Computer) / EarthBound Beginnings (Wii U)

 * In the original Japanese version, a child in Twinkle Elementary in Merrysville asks Ninten if he has played Dragon Quest IV, remarking that he cannot get past Dragon Quest III. In the English version of the game (released as EarthBound Beginnings on the Wii U Virtual Console), he instead says "Super Mario Bros. 7" and Super Mario Bros. 3, respectively. In the Game Boy Advance port Mother 1+2, any name-dropping was removed.

EarthBound (SNES)

 * When Ness enters the arcade in Onett, some of the games displayed on the arcade cabinet screens look similar to Donkey Kong.
 * In the Japanese version of the game, Mother 2, the sixth set of default names references the Mario series, giving Ness the name "Mario", Paula the name "Peach", Jeff "Luigi", Poo "Kinopio", and King "Yoshi". The protagonist's favorite food becomes "mushroom meal" and his favorite thing becomes "Goal". This naming set was replaced in the North American release.

Electroplankton (DS)

 * Two of the backing songs for the Beatnes are the invincibility theme from Super Mario Bros. and the 25m theme from Donkey Kong. For the former, tapping the heads of the Beatnes plankton plays sound effects from Super Mario Bros. For the latter, one of the sound effects is the enemy collision sound effect from Mario Bros.
 * The former was later incorporated into the "Electroplankton" arrangement in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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 they appear in:

F-Zero series

 * Rainbow Road, based on the Mario Kart 64 iteration of the course, appears in F-Zero X as the first course of the Joker Cup. Playing the game with the Japan-exclusive F-Zero X Expansion Kit also replaces the standard music with a rock cover version of the track's theme from Mario Kart 64.
 * Mr. EAD's head and mustache resemble those of Mario. His belt buckle is also designed after a Super Star, and his vehicle is called the Great Star and constructed by Shiggs Mapone (a parody of Shigeru Miyamoto). Additionally, when interviewing him in F-Zero GX, his answer to his favorite food is Italian, and his dream for the future is to "wear overalls every day and take it easy."
 * In the Emblem Editor of F-Zero GX, three of the sample emblems are Mushrooms.

Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen (Wii)

 * Completing the game once unlocks a Luigi costume for Misaki Asou.

(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 be viewed in Free Photography mode.

(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.

Flipnote Studio 3D (3DS eShop)

 * Coins, that look similar to Star Coins, can be collected. This currently only applies to the Japanese version of the app.

Fossil Fighters: Champions (DS)

 * A female staff leader named Stella congratulates the player for clearing round 2 of the Calisteo Cup and then states, "[...] but our dig site is on another island! Hmm... That sounds familiar somehow...", referencing the Toads' quote from Super Mario Bros.

Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! (3DS)

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

Game Builder Garage (Switch)

 * Extra Checkpoint 25 is named after the ? Block and involves making a fully functional ? Block to hit from below to make an item come out.

(N64)

 * An unlockable cheat in this Rare-developed game is "DK Mode", named after Donkey Kong. The cheat appeared again as an unlockable in the game's spiritual successor , which was also developed by Rare. In both games, the cheat will make it so that all characters will have a similar body type to Donkey Kong, with a larger head.

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.

Jump Rope Challenge (Switch)

 * A free update for the game released on July 1, 2020, added costumes based on various Nintendo characters, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, and Wario.

Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)

 * In the Japanese version of the game, Pit and Palutena start a game of Super Smash Bros. Brawl (the game that debuted Pit's design in the game), with the character selection menu appearing on screen and Pit selecting Mario. The English localization reduces this to a reference to "Super Bash Sisters", omitting the explicit Mario cameo.
 * When Palutena tells Pit about Powers, Pit says, "Looks like all that Dr. Mario is about to pay off!"
 * In chapter 19, there is a segment while climbing the Chariot Master's tower featuring barrels rolling down toward Pit which also has jump pads to leap over them. At this point, Pit mentions that "Something seems familiar about this..." with Hades saying, "I guess the Chariot Master has played Donkey Kong."
 * In Together mode, some of the randomly generated names used for CPU players are names of characters from the Mario series, including "Mario" and "Toad."

Kirby's Adventure (NES)

 * A stylized form of the Spiny known as the Togezo (the Spinies' Japanese name) appears as a regular enemy, and is the sole representative of the Needle ability. Togezos walk normally but periodically stop to curl up in a ball, resembling a Spiny Egg in the process, and roll quickly along the ground. In the Game Boy Advance remake, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, they were replaced by the original enemy Needlous.

Kirby's Dream Course (SNES)

 * Spiny reappears as an obstacle with the Needle ability.

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

 * Mario, Toad, Luigi, Birdo, Bowser, and Princess Peach are in the audience of the Megaton Punch sub-game and the King Dedede battle in Spring Breeze. Bowser and Peach are only visible in Spring Breeze, and are hidden off-screen (though Peach is still partially visible). In the remade version of Spring Breeze, Wario replaces Birdo and Bowser, Peach is moved to a more visible position in the audience, and there are additional Toads.
 * A picture of Mario appears in the credits of Milky Way Wishes and, in the remake, Revenge of the King.
 * Several of the items in The Great Cave Offensive, such as the Turtle Shell (Koopa Shell in the remake), Bucket, and Kong's Barrel (depicted as a regular barrel in the original and a DK Barrel in the remake) are from the Mario franchise. In the remake, the Zebra Mask is also referred to as the Phanto Mask.
 * When Kirby activates his Stone ability he will (very rarely) turn into a gold statue of Mario. The statue also appears in the credits for Revenge of the King in Kirby Super Star Ultra. In the DS version, the statue's raised hand is changed from a V-sign to a fist pump, keeping in-line with the prohibition of the former in official depictions of Mario at the time.
 * In the remake, Kaboola, now known as Kabula, has now a Bullet Bill-like appearance. One of Kabula's special attacks involves shooting giant Bullet Bill-like missiles at Kirby.

Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)

 * Spiny, under its Japanese name Togezo, appears as a regular enemy. Instead of performing their rolling attack from Kirby's Adventure, they withdraw and extend their spikes when the player is in proximity, similar to a Spikey from Kirby's Dream Land 2. Unlike previous appearances, they are not the only source of the Needle ability.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)

 * One of the possible forms of Stone Kirby is a Brick Block.
 * One of the moves Wheel Kirby can perform is the Rocket Start, which is a reference to the starting boost of the same name in the Mario Kart series.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)

 * Two promotional comics for this game on Play Nintendo either reference Mario or have Mario make a direct appearance.
 * In "Saved by the Rainbow", after Elline breaks Kirby's fall and the announcer rebukes her, Mario and Yoshi are seen looking down at the two with an expression of disgust.
 * In "An Evening Out", Elline sprays a trail of Italian sauce in the air. Kirby, wearing a mustache and bow tie, rolls down the trail and says "It's-a me!", to which Bandana Waddle Dee replies, "Aah!! Mario!!"

Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)

 * The Brick Block and Gold Mario statue are some of the forms that Stone Kirby and Smash Bros. Kirby can use.
 * The Wheel ability's Rocket Start move returns from Kirby: Triple Deluxe, referencing the starting boost in the Mario Kart series.

Kirby Star Allies (Switch)

 * The Brick Block form of Stone Kirby makes an appearance in this game.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)

 * The laughter used by the Surprise Alien Boards is similar to the original laughter of the Boos from earlier games such as Super Mario 64.
 * The Present Code found in Waddle Dee Cinema is "KIRBYSTORY", which refers to one of the film posters in the original version of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

The Legend of Zelda (NES)

 * According to the Japanese manual for the game, the boss Manhandla is actually a massive Piranha Plant.

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 in the Turtle Rock dungeon. In the GBA version, they also appear in Palace of the Four Sword.
 * The File Select music and the theme for the Fairy Fountain/Great Fairy Fountains is a rendition of Water Land's music from Super Mario Bros. 3, which would be used in many subsequent The Legend of Zelda games in the same situations.

===The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB) / Link's Awakening DX (GBC) / Link's Awakening (2019 remake) (Switch)===


 * Tarin resembles Mario. He even transforms into a raccoon by eating a mushroom, as Mario transforms into Raccoon Mario by using a Super Leaf. Likewise, the Cucco Keeper resembles Luigi.
 * There are many enemies from the Mario franchise, though some of them were named differently in English guides. There are Goombas, Piranha Plants, Podoboos, Spinies (called Spiked Beetles), Cheep Cheeps (called Cheep-Sheep), Bloobers, Thwomps (called Spiked Thwomps), Thwimps (called Thwomps), Pokeys, Boos, and Shy Guys (called Mask-Mimics). Also, the Bombite enemy bears a striking resemblance to Bob-omb.
 * In the Nintendo Switch remake, figures of BowWow, CiaoCiao, a Goomba, Spiny, Boo, Cheep Cheep, Blooper, Shy Guy, Piranha Plant, and Pokey can be acquired in the Trendy Game. With the exception of the Chain Chomp characters, all of the aforementioned enemies are referred to by their Mario franchise names.
 * Also in the remake, Cheep Cheeps and Bloopers can be caught in the Fishing Hole.
 * A Yoshi doll is found at the Trendy Game shop in Mabe Village. Link can win the Yoshi doll by controlling the crane and hovering over it. When the doll is received, the text box states that it has appeared in many games recently, another reference to the Mario games. In the Nintendo Switch remake of the game, the text is changed to state that the player cannot count how many games it has appeared in now.
 * BowWow, known in the Mario franchise as a Chain Chomp, is featured in the game and "befriends" Link as it actually helps him access the second dungeon. Another, smaller Chain Chomp named CiaoCiao also appears.
 * The character Wart reappears in this game under his original Japanese name Mamu and acts as an ally to Link by teaching him the Frog's Song of Soul.
 * When Mr. Write shows the player the picture sent to him by Christine, a goat living in Animal Village, the picture of "Christine" is actually one of Princess Peach. In the Nintendo Switch version, promotional artwork of Princess Peach with her parasol is shown.

Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (CD-i)

 * The beginning portion of the Shrine of Gamelon is structured similar to 25m from Donkey Kong, as flaming wheels called Phyrandaii (replacing barrels) roll down a series of slopes while Zelda uses ladders to ascend.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

 * Lon Lon Ranch worker Ingo and owner Talon both look like Luigi and Mario respectively. 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 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 artwork of Mario is from Super Mario 64, the artworks of Peach, Luigi and Bowser are from Mario Kart 64 while the image of Yoshi appears to use his sprite from Yoshi's Story.

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

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

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

 * A Mario mask is on the back on the Happy Mask Salesman's backpack, but it is not wearable.
 * Romani and Cremia, like Malon and Talon, wear Bowser necklaces, due to them reusing Malon's child and adult models.
 * When the music house in Ikana Canyon is playing music again, it resembles the music from Big Boo's Haunt from Super Mario 64.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (GBC)

 * The artwork for Talon strongly resembles Mario. His hat for this game has an "M" on it in the same style as Mario's, and like in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, he is given a necklace depicting Bowser's face.
 * Spinies (called Spiked Beetles), Thwomps (called Spiked Thwomps), Cheep Cheeps, and Pokeys appear as enemies.

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.
 * Spinies (called Spiked Beetles), Thwomps (called Spiked Thwomps), Cheep Cheeps, and Thwimps appear as enemies.

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

 * A Chain Chomp (called BowWow in the original version) appears as an item.
 * Bob-ombs appear as enemies, and if struck with the player's sword, will scurry around and then explode. A second hit will cause it to stop and then explode.
 * Spinies reappear as enemies, and have a modification to their attack pattern in that they they withdraw in their shell and perform a spin attack towards Link.

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

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

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GCN)

 * In various platforming stages, Thwomps appear.
 * Cheep Cheeps and Big Cheep Cheeps can be found in Lake Hylia where they can be seen swimming in flooded caverns.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

 * Lakitus appear as enemies who throw lightning bolts at Link, then disappear into their clouds.
 * Bob-ombs and Spinies (called Spiked Beetles) also make an appearance, behaving similarly as they did in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords.
 * When a vine is grown, the vine growing sound effect from the original Super Mario Bros. plays.

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

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

Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love (DS)

 * After Tingle gets a stomach ache from drinking expired juice in a haunted house in Page 4, he rushes out the door as the Starman theme from Super Mario Bros. begins playing.
 * A minigame in Page 6, which involves plucking vegetables and worms in a garden, features a similar character select screen to Super Mario Bros. 2.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)

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

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U/3DS/Switch)

 * A Chain Chomp appears as the Ball and Chain included with Link's level 3 Guantlets, the Power Gloves.

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

 * The Fire Gloves, introduced in this game, allow players to throw fireballs, which function similar to those from the Mario series and use the same sound effects from Super Mario Bros.
 * The Hammerwear outfit is designed after the appearance of a Hammer Bro.
 * If blue Link or red Link wear the Hammerwear, it resembles a Boomerang Bro or Fire Bro, respectively.
 * When the Hammerwear is put on in Madame Couture's, the Stylish Woman will comment, saying "Did you use a koopon to buy that? I mean, a coupon? ♥"
 * One of the obtainable materials is called the Crimson Shell. Its description reads "A mysterious shell that never misses a foe when thrown.", a reference to the Red Shell item from the Mario Kart series.

Densetsu no Stafy 3 (GBA)

 * Wario appears in this game and teaches Starfy an enhanced version of the 'Shooting Star' ability. Multiple elements from Wario Land 4 appear in this game, including the switch, a vortex, four jewels resembling the ones found in Sapphire Passage, and three transformations of Wario; Bubble Wario, Flaming Wario and Puffy Wario.

Densetsu no Stafy 4 (DS)

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

Super Metroid (SNES)

 * Tatori, Jr. closely resemble Buzzy Beetles. Additionally, jumping on one causes it to withdraw into its shell, and doing so again causes the shell to careen back and forth against the walls while spinning.

Metroid Fusion (GBA)

 * A test level in the game's files uses objects and sprites from Wario Land 4.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)

 * If the player has save data of certain Nintendo games in their Wii's internal memory, they will receive bumper stickers based on those games on Samus' gunship. The player can acquire stickers based on the following Mario games:
 * WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Wario's face)
 * Super Paper Mario (Paper Mario's head)
 * Mario Party 8 (Star Carnival emblem)
 * Super Mario Galaxy (Mario's emblem)

Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS)

 * By scanning certain Mario-related amiibo, the player can acquire different paint jobs for their Mechs based on Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Rosalina and Bowser Jr.; these are the only character-based paint jobs available aside from Metroid characters such as Samus, Zero Suit Samus and Ridley. They can also be unlocked in the Metroid Prime: Blast Ball demo.

Mickey's Speedway USA (N64)

 * Greenwood Village is hidden within the game's files, and can be raced on via a GameShark code. This is because Mickey's Speedway USA uses a similar engine to Diddy Kong Racing, which was also developed by Rare Ltd..

Miitomo (iOS/Android)

 * Miis can purchase and wear Mario's cap and clothing, among other outfits.
 * Any mention of "Nintendo" plays the Coin sound effect.
 * On July 29, 2016, Mario-themed Miitomo Drop minigames named "Mario characters T-shirt festival! [Mario and Friends]" and "Mario characters T-shirt festival! [Bowser and Friends]" were released (lasting for three weeks each), which contain clothing based on several Mario characters as prizes.
 * As part of an update released on November 10, 2016, Luigi's cap and clothing were given to players as free gifts.
 * Super Mario Bros.-themed wallpaper and flooring were also made available for the newly added room customization option, among others.
 * A Fire Mario outfit is also given to players who log in seven times during the update promotion period.
 * Before the iOS release of Super Mario Run, Miitomo Drop minigames named "Super Mario Run! Wallpaper/Flooring & Toad Style" and "Super Mario Run! Princess Peach & Bowser Style" were released on December 8, 2016 until January 12, 2017. The prizes were Super Mario Run-themed wallpaper and flooring, as well as outfits based on Princess Peach, Toad and Bowser.
 * One of the Bowser-themed outfits shares its color palette with the blue fake Bowser from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

(3DS/Switch)

 * As the Mii characters approach Greenhorne Castle, the main character wonders if there are princesses living there, and the secondary character doubts it and states that "Princesses are always in another castle".
 * By scanning certain Mario-series amiibo, players can acquire Mario character-themed outfits for their Miis. The Yoshi clothing can be changed into eight colors (green, red, yellow, light blue, blue, pink, black and purple), and the Toad clothing can be changed to five different colors (red, blue, green, yellow and purple).
 * One of the main overworld NPCs has the "Nintendo Fan" class, and is dressed like Mario-series characters (Mario in Greenhorne, Peach in Neksdor, purple Yoshi in Realm of the Fey, and Bowser in Karkaton). The player must talk to this character in order to scan amiibo.

Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (DS)

 * In the level "Do Your Best, Big Bro! No Water Leaks Allowed in Dreams!?" a pair of plumbers appear to help a boy named Takuya block off pipes in his dream. The plumbers heavily resemble Mario and Luigi, having mustaches, overalls, and shirts that are red and green, respectively.

Nintendogs (DS)

 * There is a Mario and Luigi Cap, respectively called the Red and Green Hats, 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 used, the Kart toys play music from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! The Mario Kart plays the theme from Mario Circuit, the Peach Kart plays Peach Beach, and the Bowser Kart plays Bowser's Castle.
 * When starting a Beginner or Open Class contest, the music that plays is similar to Super Mario Bros. ' s world clear theme.
 * A music box item exclusive to the Chihuahua & Friends version is the "Mario's Theme" Box, which plays the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros.

Nintendogs + Cats (3DS)

 * Players can obtain Mario and Luigi Hats, and Mario, Peach, and Yoshi Karts; as well as a Mushroom Toy, Mushroom-Table Set, and Koopa-shell Chair.
 * Players are able to choose the Mario Style interior, which shows a green Warp Pipe outside.
 * This interior can occasionally be seen in the TV in the background of the Living Room stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Nintendo Labo series
In the discovery section of the vehicle kit Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03, Lerna attempts to paint Yoshi on the Toy-Con Car.

Picross DS (DS)

 * The first eleven out of the fifteen Extra levels in Normal mode are Mario-themed. When playing any of the extra levels, the background picture on the upper screen is of an 8-bit Mario and the blocks to fill out are Brick Blocks. The Mario-themed levels include: Mario, Bowser, Piranha Plant, Super Mushroom, Lakitu, Princess Peach, Cheep Cheep, Goomba, Buzzy Beetle, Toad, and Racoon Mario.

Pikmin (GCN)

 * The red body with white spots of Red Bulborbs is reminiscent of a Piranha Plant.
 * Part of the concept of Pikmin was based on the Mario tech demo Super Mario 128.
 * Captain Olimar's original Japanese name is an anagram of Mario (オリマー Orimā and マリオ Mario, respectively).
 * Unused models show a giant form of Mario and a model entitled "Kuribo", the Japanese name for Goomba. The model is the planned Goomba design for Super Mario Sunshine suggesting an appearance was planned but later scrapped.
 * There are also unused models for a key and a door, thought to be from the Super Mario 128 stage of development.

Pikmin 2 (GCN)

 * A picture of Bowser appears on the Flame of Tomorrow (a matchbox), accompanied by caption "Bowser Breath Brand".
 * The Key resembles the secret exit key found in Super Mario World.
 * Pokos resemble coins from the Mario series.
 * One of the game's treasures, the Decorative Goo, is a used tube of blue paint with the brand name "Mario Paints", a reference to Mario Paint, and another treasure, the Master's Instrument, is a stick of peach pink pastel of the same brand.
 * The Unspeakable Wonder resembles Peach's Crown.
 * The name of the character Louie uses the first two syllables of Luigi's name, just as Olimar's name was derived from Mario's name.

Pikmin 3 (Wii U)/ Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch)

 * In the opening cutscene, when the S.S. Drake departs from Koppai, Mario's walking sound effect from Mario Bros. can be heard.
 * In the Twilight River area, a giant Warp Pipe can be entered via a lily pad that enters into a different section of the map.

Pikmin Short Movies (Wii U / 3DS)

 * In the movie "Occupational Hazards", in the scene where the Pikmin are seen inside some tubes, among them is a green tube resembling a Warp Pipe spitting out coins, complete with sound effects from Super Mario Bros. A red Pikmin is then seen poking out from inside the tube, with dust formed on its face resembling Mario's hat and moustache. When the Pikmin jumps out, the first seven notes of the Super Mario Bros. theme can be heard.
 * In "Occupational Hazards", when a blue Pikmin collides into a red Pikmin after parachuting down onto the defeated Bulborb, the sound effect for kicking a shell in Super Mario Bros. can be heard.
 * The coin sound effect from Super Mario Bros. can also be heard in the title screen music.

Hey! Pikmin (3DS)

 * Some of the treasures that Captain Olimar finds are cartridges of early Nintendo games with descriptions based on their artwork, three of which are Mario-related:
 * Super Mario Bros., labeled "Inevitable Tragedy".
 * Donkey Kong Land, labeled "Enduring Partnership".
 * Super Mario Land, labeled "Tempting Vision".
 * By scanning certain Mario series amiibo, one can acquire a treasure based on that amiibo, which are found in Secret Spots.
 * Mario amiibo, labeled "Colossus in Suspenders" (American English)/"Dungareed Colossus" (British English)
 * Gold Mario amiibo, labeled "Priceless Artifact" (spelled "Artefact" in British English)
 * Silver Mario amiibo, labeled "Great Man"
 * Luigi amiibo, labeled "Unsung Hero"
 * Princess Peach amiibo, labeled "Memento of Love"
 * Yoshi amiibo, labeled "Incomprehensible Life-Form" (formatted without the hyphen in British English)
 * Rosalina amiibo, labeled "Fashion Mystery"
 * Bowser amiibo, labeled "Fearsome Boss"
 * Wario amiibo, labeled "Gaudy Goon"
 * Donkey Kong amiibo, labeled "Powerful Pencil-Pusher"
 * Diddy Kong amiibo, labeled "Barrel of Laughs"
 * Toad amiibo, labeled "Anatomical Enigma"
 * Princess Daisy amiibo, "labeled My Princess"
 * Waluigi amiibo, labeled "Insensitive Lout"
 * Boo amiibo, labeled "Fanged Marshmallow"

Pikmin Bloom (iOS/Android)

 * By linking the app to the Nintendo Account, the player can obtain a special Huge Seedling which grows to a Pikmin wearing Mario's hat.

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 in the place of George Washington. If the player shoots Mario's face by any means (including shooting themselves into it in the Cannonball mode), it changes into Wario's face.

Pilotwings Resort (3DS)

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

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, also developed by Game Freak, where Mario gets a bucket dropped on his head by Wario.
 * This reference also appears in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, but is absent in the Yellow remakes.

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 Shindō Pak Taiō Version for the Nintendo 64.

Pokémon Sun and Moon / Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (3DS)

 * Mario's overalls can be seen on the right side of Konikoni City's boutique. The shirt accompanying the overalls appears to be short-sleeved. However, they are only part of the background and cannot be obtained.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Switch)

 * Nacli strongly resembles either a Super Mushroom or a Rock Mushroom.

Punch-Out!! (Arcade)

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

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

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

Super Punch-Out!! (SNES)

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

Punch-Out!! (Wii)

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

Pushmo (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

 * Pushmo includes several Mario-themed puzzles in the “Murals” sections.
 * Challenge No. 43 - Mario (1) (Mario's head from Donkey Kong)
 * Challenge No. 145 - Goomba (An 8-bit Goomba from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 146 - Spiny (An 8-bit Spiny from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 147 - Lakitu (An 8-bit Lakitu from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 148 - Donkey Kong Jr. (A sprite of Donkey Kong Jr. from his titular game
 * Challenge No. 149 - Koopa Troopa (An 8-bit Green Koopa Troopa from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 151 - Cheep Cheep (An 8-bit Cheep Cheep from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 152 - Bullet Bill (An 8-bit Bullet Bill from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 155 - Buzzy Beetle (An 8-bit Buzzy Beetle from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 157 - Mario (2) ((Super Mario's Jumping sprite from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 158 - Piranha Plant (An 8-bit Piranha Plant from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 162 - Mario (3) (Small Mario's standing sprite from Super Mario Bros. with a purple background)
 * Challenge No. 200 - Princess Peach (Princess Peach's sprite from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 201 - Koopa Paratroopa (An 8-bit Green Koopa Paratroopa from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 208 - Blooper (An 8-bit Blooper from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 209 - Luigi (Small Luigi's Jumping sprite from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 210 - Raccoon Mario (Raccoon Mario’s flying sprite from Super Mario Bros. 3)
 * Challenge No. 211 - Boo (An 8-bit Goomba from Super Mario Bros. 3)
 * Challenge No. 213 - Bowser (Bowser's standing sprite from Super Mario Bros.)
 * Challenge No. 214 - Hammer Bro. (An 8-bit Hammer Bro. from Super Mario Bros. about to throw a hammer)
 * Challenge No. 215 - Thwomp (An 8-bit Goomba from Super Mario Bros. 3)

Crashmo (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

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

Stretchmo (Nintendo 3DS eShop)

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

Qix (GB)

 * A thematic scene featuring Mario will appear after completing the Game Boy version of  (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.
 * In Super Mario Odyssey, Mario's sombrero and poncho from Crazy Cap directly reference this game. When both pieces are worn, Mario can complete the mission "Dancing with New Friends" in the Sand Kingdom by playing a guitar and dancing.

Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo Switch)

 * Jump Up, Super Star! and the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros. (as performed by the New Donk City band) are two of the songs featured in the game's Rhythm Mode that was added in a post-launch update.

SimCity (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.
 * Replacing the generic Godzilla-like monster in this version is Bowser, who 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.

Splatoon (Wii U)

 * In Urchin Underpass, on the left side, a picture of an 8-bit Blooper can be seen on one of the walls.
 * A similar Blooper can be seen in Piranha Pit.
 * A T-shirt called the Black Pipe Tee features 8-bit Mario heads and pipes from Mario Bros.
 * In Flounder Heights, near the team's spawn point, a picture of an 8-bit Gunion from Super Mario Land and an 8-bit Blooper from Super Mario Bros. 3 can be seen on one of the walls.
 * The "boxart" for Squid Jump is a parody of the Famicom boxart for Super Mario Bros.
 * Coincidentally, the red fish power-ups look like Cheep Cheeps.
 * Super Sea Snails somewhat resemble Super Mushrooms in shape.
 * The amiibo box in Inkopolis Plaza is modeled after a real-life amiibo box, and as such features an image of a Super Mario series Mario amiibo on the back. However, the back of the box can only be seen via glitches.

Splatoon 2 (Switch)

 * A Gunion sprite appears near the subway entrance in Inkopolis Square.
 * Multiple Gunion sprites appear in Ancho-V Games.
 * Four Spiny sprites appear in Starfish Mainstage.
 * In Ancho-V Games, a poster parodying the cover of Donkey Kong Country Returns can be seen in one of the inaccessible rooms.
 * During the Hare vs. Tortoise Splatfest, graffiti depicting a Yoshi Egg could be seen in various stages.
 * As in the first game, the amiibo box in Inkopolis Square is modeled after a real-life amiibo box and features an image of a Mario amiibo on the back. Unlike the first game, it can be seen without glitches.
 * As part of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., a Super Mario-themed Splatfest was held in January 2021. The theme was "Which power-up would you prefer?", with the two sides being Super Mushroom (super size) and Super Star (invincibility).

Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion

 * A Cheep Cheep sprite appears on a wall in the Abandoned Station, edited to resemble an angler fish.
 * Footloose Station takes place on a map shaped like a Blooper sprite from Super Mario Bros.
 * In the same station, a cartridge resembling the Famicom version of Super Mario Bros. can be seen in the background.
 * Ink & Watch Station contains floating devices in the background that resemble the Game & Watch version of Donkey Kong Jr.
 * The two horns heard after the 25-second mark in the song "#14 crush" are sampled from Chain Chomp Wheel's music in Mario Kart Wii. Both "#14 crush" and part of Mario Kart Wii's soundtrack were composed by Ryo Nagamatsu.

Splatoon 3 (Switch)

 * The boss fight with Big Man is a homage to the boss fight with Phantamanta from Super Mario Sunshine. His boss title, "The Hype Manta Storm", also references The Manta Storm, the name of the mission in which Phantamanta is fought, and the ink color Big Man uses is identical to the goop used by Phantamanta.

Star Fox Adventures (GameCube)

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

Star Fox Guard (Wii U)

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

Stunt Race FX (SNES)

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

(3DS)

 * The player can scan certain compatible Mario-series amiibo to acquire exclusive items: Mario for his hat, Peach for her her crown, Yoshi for a Yoshi-themed hoodie, Rosalina for the "Starry Dress" (Western version only), and Luigi, Bowser or Toad for a Super Star broach.
 * Yukatas based on Peach and Rosalina's dresses were also released as free downloadable content. The obi of Rosalina's yukata in particular features a Luma design.

Style Savvy: Styling Star (3DS)
Similar to the game's predecessor, the player can scan the Mario and Peach amiibo to unlock accessories based on those characters.

Super Scope 6 (SNES)

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

Swapdoodle (3DS)

 * In the Lesson Shop, players can purchase Mario-themed stationery, as well as drawing lessons for various Mario characters and objects.
 * "Super Mario Basic Lessons" has drawing lessons for a Super Star, ? Block, Fire Flower, Brick Block, Yoshi, a Yoshi Egg, a Luma, a Boo, a Blooper, a Cheep Cheep, a Buzzy Beetle, a Spiny, a Shy Guy, a Bob-omb, and a Chain Chomp.
 * "Super Mario Standard Lessons" has drawing lessons for Mario (3/4 portrait), a Coin, Luigi, a Goomba, a Koopa Troopa, a Hammer Bro, a Green Shell, a Piranha Plant, Bowser Jr., and Bowser. Two stationeries featuring Mario
 * "Super Mario Princesses and Pals" has drawing lessons for Peach, Toad, Rosalina, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Kamek, and Birdo.
 * "Mario Kart 8" has drawing lessons for Mario in a Standard Kart, Toad in a mechanic suit, Peach in a Standard Bike, Yoshi in a Standard Bike, Isabelle in a Standard Kart, an Item Box, a Spiny Shell, a Golden Mushroom, a Lakitu, a Boomerang Flower, a Banana Peel, a Bullet Bill, a Lightning Bolt, and a tire.
 * One of the drawing lessons in the "Starter Pack" is a Super Mushroom.
 * One of the drawing lessons in the "Nintendo Premium Pack" is Mario.

(NES/Game Boy)
Mario appears as the referee during the game. In addition, the Western cover for the Game Boy port of the game features Mario, once again refereeing.

Tetris (NES)

 * Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach are seen dancing and applauding, respectively when the player completes Stage 9 Level 5 or Stage 19 Level 5 in Type B mode before portions of the St. Petersburg Cathedral's tops launch into space like rockets. Samus Aran, Pit, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and Link can also be seen playing various instruments (a cello, a harp, a marching bass drum, an accordion, and a flute) in the ending, each one appearing after clearing a specific level in stage 9 or 19.

Tetris (Game Boy)

 * Mario and Luigi appear in the 2-Player Mode for Player 1 and Player 2, respectively.

Tetris DS (DS)

 * The game is themed around various NES games, including Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3.

Tetris 99 (Switch)

 * Level themes based on Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros. were added in a September 2019 update, and each can be exchanged with 15 in-game tickets earned from completing daily missions.
 * Seven Maximus Cups are themed after Mario games, with an in-game special theme based on the respective game available to players who achieve at least 100 event points.
 * The eighth Maximus Cup which ran from October 25, 2019 to October 28, 2019 was themed after Luigi's Mansion 3. The theme returned in round three of the sixteenth Maximus Cup which ran from August 17, 2020 to August 19, 2020. This theme went available for purchase as of the April 2021 update, costing 30 in-game tickets.
 * The fifteenth Maximus Cup which ran from July 31, 2020 to August 3, 2020 was themed after Paper Mario: The Origami King. This theme went available for purchase as of the April 2021 update, costing 30 in-game tickets.
 * The eighteenth Maximus Cup which ran from December 3, 2020 to December 7, 2020 was themed after Super Mario All-Stars, in celebration of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. This theme went available for purchase as of the April 2021 update, costing 30 in-game tickets.
 * The twentieth Maximus Cup which ran from March 4, 2021 to March 8, 2021 was themed after Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. This theme went available for purchase as of the April 2021 update, costing 30 in-game tickets.
 * The twenty-second Maximus Cup which ran from July 9, 2021 to July 12, 2021 is themed after Mario Golf: Super Rush.
 * The twenty-fourth Maximus Cup which ran from September 17, 2021 to September 20, 2021 is themed after WarioWare: Get It Together!
 * The twenty-seventh Maximus Cup which ran from December 10, 2021 to December 13, 2021 is themed after ''Mario Party Superstars.

Tomodachi Life (3DS)

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

Uniracers (SNES)

 * One of the tracks is named "Wario Paint", a portmanteau of "Wario" and "Mario Paint".
 * Mario, Donkey Kong, Wario and Yoshi among other Nintendo characters cameo in pre-release footage from Nintendo Power Previews #9.

Wii Fit / Wii Fit Plus (Wii)

 * In the running events, 8-Bit sprites of Mario and Luigi can be spotted. On a few occasions, a Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Mushroom, or Super Star sprite may also appear along the side of the trail. In Wii Fit Plus, these sprites have a purpose: at the end of "Jogging Plus", one of the many questions asked can be which sprite the player spotted.

Wii Fit U (Wii U)

 * Just like Wii Fit, 8-bit sprites of Mario, a Goomba, and a Mushroom can be spotted along the Free Run island.
 * Additionally, in the Hosedown minigame on advanced difficulty, a Warp Pipe can be seen in the background.

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. If the player reaches the final five stages, the object they are given to find is 8-bit Mario from Super Mario Bros.. They must find the required number of 8-bit Marios that are standing still, all of which are hidden amongst multiple 8-Bit Marios in a jumping position.

Wii Party U (Wii U)

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

Wii Sports Resort (Wii)

 * The countdown timer used at the start of the racing events sounds similar to the one used in the Mario Kart series. In particular, the Cycling event's timer sounds almost identical to the one used in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.
 * In the Island Flyover event, the Super Mario Bros. overworld theme, "Lose a Life", and "Game Over" tunes can be heard by flying near the Hillside Cabins area. The area's nighttime description reads: "Sounds like someone's playing NES, but they need a few pointers..."
 * The name of the ship "The Queen Peach" may be a reference to Princess Peach.
 * When playing Island Flyover at night, the description of the Mysterious Ancient Ruins in the PAL version states that skeletons were found in a pit along with shells, possibly referencing Dry Bones.

Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (NES)

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