Mario Ice Capades

Mario Ice Capades is a show on ice, loosely based off Super Mario Bros. It was seen on television on Thursday, December 7, 1989 on ABC. The show begins with people playing Super Mario Bros., while Jason Bateman tells the plot of the game to Alyssa Milano, who has never played a video game before. Suddenly, the television screen starts to glitch, and Bowser (as King Koopa, his American cartoon counterpart, played by Christopher Hewett) appears on the screen. The rest of the show then takes place inside the game (where the background of the stage has props with pixelated clouds, coins, and castles).

Bowser, while riding a moving fort, explains that his plan is to use the NES to infect computers with viruses. He proceeds to call out his minions consisting of two green Koopas, two Goombas, one Hammer Bro, one red Paratroopa, and a Spiny. He then raps about his diabolical nature, riding his moving fort while the Koopa Troop dances around him. Princess Toadstool calls Mario and Luigi, who descend out of the sky, so they can aid her. The princess helps the brothers by sneaking kids from the audience on carts while carrying plumber tools. One of the kids assists Luigi by giving him a flamethrower-like device. Bowser sends out all of his troops, only to be defeated by the weapon. Bowser then goes to fight the brothers and the children while riding on his fort; however, the children surround the Koopa King and attack him with the plumber tools. Bowser is then defeated, and the children are returned to the audience. Princess Toadstool then congratulates the brothers and gives them the "Purple Plunger for Bravery". The show returns to the Earth, where Alyssa says that she has beaten the game.

Trivia

 * Bowser is only referred to as Bowser in the beginning of the show but is called King Koopa from then on.
 * The "Purple Plunger" is a reference to a Purple Heart military medal.