15 best Super Mario Galaxy Movie hidden references you definitely missed

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is filled with hidden details and references to Mario games – from quick background moments to deeper connections for longtime fans. We’ve collected some of the most surprising Easter eggs you might have missed.

Similar to the 2023 hit, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the new sequel – released in theaters on April 1, 2026 – aims to please fans of the Mario games. Several new characters have already been announced, including the first appearances of Fox McCloud and Wart.

The movie is packed with things fans will love, like familiar characters, epic boss fights, and scenes taken directly from the games. If you recognized those references, then this movie was definitely made with you in mind!

Okay, so everyone points out the big Easter eggs in movies, right? But I wanted to find the really hidden stuff – the references you might miss on a first (or even second!) viewing. I’ve ranked my favorites from 15 to number one, starting with the fun, not-so-important ones and building up to the smartest, most clever nods the filmmakers included. Just a heads-up: I’m going to have to talk about major spoilers to explain these!

15. Bad luck Spike

Wart’s Casino is full of fun references for fans! You’ll see lots of familiar enemies like Wart, Birdo, and Mouser, and even some lesser-known characters, all designed as quirky mob bosses in a strange, floating world.

Among the many details, a subtle one often goes unnoticed. While Peach and Toad are battling enemies, you can spot a Spike losing a game of roulette in the background.

It’s a minor but smart detail. Spiked enemies have been a staple of Mario games for years, usually attacking with spiky balls. But in this case, this specific Spike is simply another person down on their luck.

14. Retro NES session

The room Mario and Luigi share is full of charming details that bring back memories, and if you look closely at the TV, you’ll notice one of Nintendo’s first popular games for the NES: Excitebike.

It’s a subtle detail, which is part of what makes it so enjoyable to find. Most people will be watching the relationship between the brothers or how the story unfolds, but this little element quietly celebrates a different side of Nintendo’s past.

Excitebike is a classic racing game released in 1984 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES. While not as famous as Mario, it played an important role in Nintendo’s early popularity.

13. Smashable Bowser

Okay, so Princess Peach is throwing a huge birthday bash, and it’s seriously packed with fun stuff! You’ve got all these bright colors, tons of characters I recognize, and a bunch of nods to older games – like fireworks that look straight out of Paper Mario and decorations all over the Mushroom Kingdom. But honestly, while I was checking everything out, I noticed something really small that most people probably wouldn’t even catch.

The piñata the Toads are hitting isn’t a typical decoration—it’s Bowser, but in a retro, 8-bit style. It looks like the blocky, original version of Bowser from the old Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games, not the more modern, detailed designs.

It’s a small but smart visual joke that shows how much the character has grown, while also fondly acknowledging where he started in the original Super Mario Bros. games.

12. Mario Kart victory

The Sand Kingdom section has a lot of exciting stunts, similar to those in Mario Kart, and you might assume that’s all the connection to the game. However, the movie includes another, more subtle reference a little later on.

While battling Bowser Jr. in his castle, take a look at the background – you’ll see a display of trophies. Upon closer inspection, you’ll realize they’re designed like the famous trophies from the Mario Kart series.

These trophies have been a consistent part of the series from the beginning, given to winners of Grand Prix events. It’s a nice treat for dedicated fans to spot them being used in new ways.

11. Dicey details

Like the other areas in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the Gateway Galaxy is full of things to catch your eye – you’ll see R.O.B. working at a desk, Pikmin landing close by, and spaceships flying in and out.

Interestingly, a small detail connects this movie to another Nintendo classic. The font used for the numbers on the central hub is the same one featured on the dice in Mario Party.

The dice have been a key part of Mario Party ever since the first game in 1998, controlling how players move around the board. In the movie, though, they appear briefly – so don’t worry if you miss them!

10. Gadd Science merch

At Bowser’s base, Kamek is busy helping Bowser Jr. fulfill his plan to rescue his father. Bowser Jr. has even created a whole planet shaped like Bowser himself, all as part of a larger scheme to conquer the universe.

The game includes lots of references to past titles, but a subtle one you might not have noticed is Kamek’s coffee mug. It features the logo for Professor E. Gadd’s company, Gadd Science Inc., which also appears on the box for F.L.U.D.D.’s Hover Nozzle from Super Mario Sunshine.

It’s an easy detail to overlook, but it actually links a lot of things together. Professor E. Gadd is a key inventor in the Mario world, creating important technology like the Poltergust (used by Luigi) and even some of Bowser Jr.’s gadgets.

The movie’s enchanted paintbrush also originated with him, which is a clever detail that adds depth to the story’s world.

9. Big band Bowser

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie includes many musical cues from past Mario games, and a standout moment happens during the Easter egg-filled scene at Wart’s Casino, when the upbeat song ‘Jump Up, Super Star!’ from Super Mario Odyssey begins to play.

Using this music is a great choice, as its lively, jazz-inspired sound really captures the energy of a casino. Like many songs in the film, you might recognize it – along with familiar tunes from Corneria and the stage completion jingles, plus a quick reference to Jack Black’s ‘Peaches’ from the original movie.

8. Old-school Overworld

Mario and Luigi use a map to defend the Mushroom Kingdom, and while it seems basic, it’s actually filled with hidden details that dedicated fans will appreciate.

The level design is inspired by the world map from Super Mario World, featuring classic enemies like Wigglers and large Goombas. Players will also see familiar moments, such as Luigi using the Frog Suit to defeat Big Bertha – all taken directly from beloved Nintendo games.

You might not have noticed, but there’s a clever detail: two Hammer Bros. positioned on stacks of bricks. This is a recreation of a challenging encounter from the classic game Super Mario Bros. 3, which originally came out in 1990 – a nice touch for longtime fans.

7. Donkey Kong chaos

Although Seth Rogen may not return to voice Donkey Kong for the Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel, Donkey Kong will still appear in the film. A brief scene shows one of Rosalina’s Lumas wearing DK’s signature tie, confirming his presence.

Plus, there’s a scene showing Yoshi wreaking havoc in New York, where you’ll spot a familiar sight: the gorilla, hanging from buildings just like in the classic Donkey Kong arcade game.

Okay, so this is really cool if you get it. It’s a throwback to the original Donkey Kong arcade game, which is awesome on its own. But it goes even deeper! It subtly reminds you that Mario wasn’t always ‘Mario’ – he started as ‘Jumpman’ battling DK on those same platforms way back when. It’s a neat little connection that I totally appreciated as a gamer!

6. Super Scope surprise

Bowser Jr. uses a lot of different items in battle, and one is surprisingly nostalgic. During the Star Fox-inspired part of the game, he fires a weapon that looks exactly like the Super Scope 6 – a light gun shaped like a bazooka that Nintendo released for the Super Nintendo in 1992.

And it doesn’t stop there! GameXplain discovered that a weapon in the movie turns Mario and Luigi into babies. This is a callback to a similar power-up from past Mario games, and also a funny reference to a strange scene from the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie.

It’s easy to overlook, with all the attention on Bowser Jr.’s magical brush, but this subtle reference to older gaming technology is actually a really clever detail in the scene.

5. Born Slippy

The movie explains how Fox McCloud ended up in the Gateway Galaxy with a flashback scene featuring Falco, Peppy, and Slippy. Hidden within this quick scene is one of the film’s most clever and memorable Easter eggs.

Man, Fox was totally laying the blame on Slippy for something going wrong, and right then, this super pixelated, low-res face of Slippy popped up on the screen – it looked like it was ripped straight out of the original Star Fox 64! It was a total throwback moment.

It’s a super quick shot, but I immediately knew what it was – that famous portrait everyone’s turned into a meme! It’s instantly recognizable, you know?

4. Built like Mario Maker

Near the end of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Bowser Jr. captures Mario and Peach, hoping to stop them from getting to Rosalina. He uses a setup that strongly resembles the level-building interface from Super Mario Maker.

Once players complete a level, a celebratory tune plays. Then, Mario faces off against Bowser in a battle reminiscent of the famous lava bridge showdown from the original games.

However, there’s a subtle detail you might not have noticed later on. As the world is recreated with retro 16-bit graphics, Rosalina shows up wearing a construction hat from Super Mario Maker – a small but clever nod to how the Mario games have changed over time.

3. You’ve got mail… from Peach

Before setting off to save Rosalina, Peach leaves Mario a letter. It’s designed to look just like the letters from games like Super Mario 64 and the Super Mario Galaxy series, featuring a picture of Peach with the message.

Upon closer inspection, the note closely resembles those found in the Super Mario games, even featuring a charming letterhead similar to Princess Peach’s. In Super Mario 64, these letters kickstart the story, with Peach inviting Mario to the castle before things take a turn for the worse.

Similar to a scene in the Super Mario movie, Super Mario Galaxy 2 begins with Princess Peach asking Mario to observe the falling Star Bits.

2. Star Fox debate is settled

Fox McCloud’s design is full of nods to the Star Fox series, but a single line of dialogue might have finally answered a question fans have debated for years. For a long time, many have theorized that the Star Fox team had their legs amputated and replaced with robotic prosthetics to better handle the intense forces experienced during flight.

The characters originally had designs, seen in the art and Star Fox 64 models, that made it look like they had metal lower legs. This detail has been discussed by fans ever since.

In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Toad notices Fox’s “cool space boots,” which suggests that Fox actually wears boots and doesn’t have robotic legs. That’s what the line appears to mean, anyway.

1. A new princess arrives

While not a secret, this discovery deserves the top spot because it’s the most unexpected and significant Easter egg in the whole film: the first appearance of Princess Daisy on the big screen.

The second scene after the credits shows her getting back items stolen by a playful Ukiki monkey, hinting at a bigger role for her in future stories. Most people will likely notice she’s there, but they might not understand how important that moment actually is.

I’ve always loved Daisy! Even though she hasn’t been a huge part of the main Mario story since she first showed up in Super Mario Land, I’m so excited they’re bringing her into the movie universe. It feels like it opens up so many possibilities for new adventures and maybe even a bigger team of heroes down the road!

2026-04-01 18:52