The following page charts the various references, homages and parallels to the games which inspired the film. Some of these are very explicit and obvious while many others aren't so clear. This list aims to help people understand that while the film is not an exact translation of the games it still heavily features characters, places and other elements iconic to the series.
Remember, the writers sought to craft a world that functioned as the "true events" that inspired the games in much the same way that the Land of Oz alluded to the people and issues that Dorothy was experiencing in her life. Approach it with that in mind and you should have no problem enjoying it for what it is.
MARIO | MARIO | |
![]() | One of the more direct translations, Mario eventually builds his reputation to that of the game character wearing a similar style of outfit. Dungarees were dropped but the co-ordination of colours matched his early game artwork. | |
LUIGI | LUIGI | |
![]() | Same style of outfit as Mario, except with a cap worn backwards. However in the games he started off with a green t-shirt and white/blue dungarees, which makes his movie outfit a little less accurate than Mario's. In the movie he is also missing his trademark moustache. | |
BOWSER | KOOPA | |
![]() | The blonde cornrows and spiked leathers were similar to his original Super Mario Bros artwork. He also introduced himself to the brothers as Larry Lazard, which is a reference to another Koopaling. | |
PRINCESS DAISY/TOADSTOOL | DAISY | |
![]() | A composite of Daisy and Princess Toadstool, taking elements from both. In the original game it was foretold that only the Toadstool would be able to undo Koopa's spell, just as Daisy is the only one able to merge the dimensions. Likewise, the parallel world being largely desert is a reference to Daisy's home of Sarasaland. | |
TOAD | TOAD | |
![]() | Toad is named after the game character, complete with sleeveless jacket. His name and involvement in the script changed constantly, which meant the number of references he incorporates is more than many other characters. His hairstyle appears to be based on Lakitu's shell. | |
PAULINE | DANIELLA | |
![]() | According to background materials, Daniella's full name is Daniella Pauline Verducci, which makes her a translation of Mario's in-game first girlfriend 'Pauline'. Indeed, the two share a similar fashion taste and facial structure. No doubt when Daniella was made up for the restaurant scene, the look was based on Pauline. | |
IGGY | IGGY | |
![]() | Aids his father's plot to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. It's worth noting that in Super Mario Bros 3, Iggy turned the king of Giant Land into a dinosaur (Like Koopa), which remakes turned into a Donkey Kong Jr remake (Like Scapelli). | |
FOREMAN SPIKE | SCAPELLI | |
![]() | Anthony Scapelli is a composite of at least two characters. Foreman Spike in Wrecking Crew (1985) hindered the Mario Bros to rake in money for himself from their jobs, using unethical standards of business as Scapelli does. His devolution also resembled Donkey Kong (See Donkey Kong in this section). | |
DONKEY KONG | SCAPELLI (De-Evolved) | |
![]() | Anthony Scapelli's transformation to a monkey refers to Donkey Kong, especially in earlier scripts where he has a close connection to Daniella (The film's interpretation of (Pauline). Notice he's also at a construction site, where the Donkey Kong arcade game was set. | |
MUSHROOM KING | KING BOWSER | |
![]() | Despite the movie scripts calling him King Bowser, the Mushroom King is a real character from the Super Mario Bros instruction manual. Not seen until the comics, his return to human form is a reference to the World Kings returning to normal after saving them in Super Mario Bros 3. | |
SPIKE | SPIKE | |
![]() | Named after an enemy which debuted in Super Mario Bros 3, Spike's hairstyle in the film is close to the one worn by Spike in the game. | |
YOSHI | YOSHI | |
![]() | A miniature dinosaur with a prehensile tongue, just like his videogame counterpart. Yoshi is also held captive by Koopa, much like in his Super Mario World debut. |
BOWLING KOOPAS | GOOMBA PUNCH | |
![]() | Near the end of the movie, Toad makes the Goombas start dancing to stop them attacking Mario. Koopa turns around, punches one and they all fall over in a domino effect. This is something Mario can do in Super Mario World with a red Koopa shell. | ![]() |
BRIDGE BATTLE | BRIDGE STAND-OFF | |
![]() | Mario and Koopa's stand-off on the bridge is an homage to the original Super Mario Bros, where you face off Bowser on a bridge at the end of each level. | ![]() |
BRICK BLOCKS | "HIT THE BRICKS" | |
![]() | In the movie, when stealing the Police Car, Mario shouts "Let's hit the bricks!", which is a nod to his game-ability to punch through brick blocks. | ![]() |
CASTLE FINISH | KOOPA TOWER | |
![]() | The Mario Bros would always need to grab the Princess from the end of a castle in the video games, and likewise Mario has to save Daisy and the Brooklyn girls from Koopa's Tower near the end of the movie. | |
CLOWN CAR | KOOPA PLATFORM | |
![]() | The round 'pot' shaped metal platform Koopa falls into at the end of the movie resembles the shape and movement of Bowser's Clown Car in Super Mario World. | ![]() |
LIZARD BREATH | LIZARD BREATH | |
![]() | Mario calls Koopa "Lizard Breath" in an attempt to distract Koopa. This insult originated from the animated TV shows. | |
MARIO DUCKING | MARIO DUCKING | |
![]() | Mario replicates the ducking animation when he's sitting on the mattress just after the frozen pipe-chase. | |
MUSHROOM HOUSES | TOAD | |
![]() | Toad hands Luigi and Daisy two devo guns near the end of the movie, likely a nod to Super Mario Bros 3 where Toad hands out items in the Mushroom Houses throughout the game. | |
MUSHROOM POWER-UP | MERGING EFFECT | |
![]() | Mario can briefly be seen growing larger as the two worlds once again split following his use of a mushroom as a shield against Koopa's de-evolution ray. | |
MUSHROOM SOUND Effect | "GLUG GLUG GLUG" | |
![]() | The Mario Bros' movie quote when things are going well (Clasping hands and shouting "Glug Glug Glug!") is remarkably similar in sound to the Mushroom Power Up sound effects. | |
PEACE SIGN | PEACE SIGN | |
![]() | After Koopa is defeated, Luigi holds up the peace sign. This sign is used by the Mario Bros in many games, most notably in Super Mario World after completing a level. | |
QUESTION MARK BLOCK | ? MESSAGE SCREEN | |
![]() | In the Police Car, as Luigi boots up the computer, the monitor flashes a small Question Mark square in the middle of the screen, a knowing reference to the Question Mark blocks in the games. | |
STARMAN | MARIO FALLING | |
![]() | As Mario falls into the other dimension, he is clearly cycling through colours, much like he does in the game when he recieves a Starman power up. | |
TITLE CARD | OUR MYSTERIOUS WORLD | |
![]() | The title of Our Miraculous World, the TV show Luigi watches at the start of the movie, resembles the title card for the original Super Mario Bros game, even down to the pan-off to the right like the game's demo sequence. | |
TRANSFORMED KING | KING "BOWSER" | |
![]() | King Bowser's transformation back into human form is a reference to Super Mario Bros 3, where defeating a Koopaling would return the land's King to their original form. | WARP PIPE | PIPE CHASE |
![]() | The frozen pipe chase sequence, when Mario rescues the Brooklyn girls, seems like a reference to the Warp Pipes seen in almost every game of the Super Mario Bros series. |