6 Great Mario Games That Deserve Credit For The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

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Looking at how The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was made, six Super Mario games clearly had a big impact on the story. Though the film takes its name and general idea from one game in particular, it actually draws inspiration from many different classics, similar to what the makers of The Super Mario Bros. Movie did before.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is packed with Easter eggs for Nintendo fans! The film includes characters from various Nintendo games and nods to classics like Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and Super Mario Odyssey, among others.

Throughout the game, we saw familiar transformations return – Luigi turned back into a frog like in Super Mario Bros. 3, the heroes fought the T-Rex and dragon from Super Mario Odyssey, and Bowser Jr. gained new abilities by using power-ups, similar to what we’ve seen in Super Mario World 3D + Bowser’s Fury and Super Mario Wonder.

The movie included many nods to classic games, but some had a bigger impact on the plot than others. Several beloved Super Mario games weren’t just referenced – they really shaped The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and made it stand out.

Super Mario Galaxy

The biggest influence on the movie is clearly Super Mario Galaxy, which took the Mario universe into outer space. The game changed things up by replacing traditional levels with entire “galaxies” for Mario to discover. The movie uses a similar idea, featuring worlds inspired directly by the game, like the Gateway Galaxy, Spacejunk Galaxy, and Honeyhive Galaxy.

The game Super Mario Galaxy starts with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach by lifting her castle into space with a UFO. The movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, uses a similar beginning, but instead of Peach being present, Bowser Jr. is the one who moves the castle.

One of the most significant things about Super Mario Galaxy was the introduction of Princess Rosalina, the star-like Lumas, and their home, the Comet Observatory. Thankfully, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie highlights Rosalina’s important role as the guardian of the Observatory and the mother figure to the Lumas, making it a central part of the film’s story.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

As you might expect, The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes a lot of ideas from Super Mario Galaxy 2. For example, the movie includes the Boomsday Weapon, which is inspired by the Boomsday Machine Bowser Jr. uses to battle Mario in the game.

While Yoshi didn’t appear at all in Super Mario Galaxy, he plays a big part in Super Mario Galaxy 2, helping Mario throughout the game. The new Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows this same pattern, featuring Yoshi as one of the main characters.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Yoshi can use special power-ups like Dash Yoshi, Bulb Yoshi, and Blimp Yoshi. Blimp Yoshi actually shows up during the exciting final scene in the movie.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie includes a memorable scene recreating a classic moment with Yoshi. Bowser Jr. uses a special device to turn Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad into babies. This leads to a funny sequence where Baby Mario and Baby Luigi accidentally wake up the giant dinosaur from Super Mario Odyssey.

This leads to a thrilling chase! Yoshi steps up as the hero, desperately running and jumping with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi on his back to escape a pursuing T-Rex. It’s a series of near misses as they fight to survive.

Yoshi gets a chance to shine in this story, and it’s largely a celebration of the game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. That game centered around Yoshi’s quest to keep Baby Mario safe while battling Baby Bowser and Kamek.

New Super Mario Bros.

The new Super Mario Bros. movie includes a neat nod to the game series. When Bowser Jr. sends Koopas into lava on his roller coaster, they transform into Dry Bones. This moment subtly hinted at what would happen to Bowser himself – he later falls into lava and comes back as Dry Bowser, the undead version of the Koopa King.

A surprising plot point in The Super Mario Bros. Movie – and one that wasn’t resolved by the ending – actually comes from the 2006 Nintendo DS game, New Super Mario Bros. In that game, Mario initially defeats Bowser by pushing him into lava. However, Bowser returns as Dry Bowser, implying the lava stripped his flesh away, turning him into an undead version of himself.

Because Bowser Jr. wasn’t returned to his original state at the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, he could play a similar role in a potential sequel. In the game New Super Mario Bros., Bowser Jr. uses a special purple potion to revive Bowser, so it’s likely he’ll help his father recover again if another movie is made.

Super Mario Sunshine

As a huge Mario fan, I loved that the new Super Mario Galaxy Movie paid tribute to the game where we first met Bowser Jr.! It all comes full circle because Mario actually first encounters Bowser Jr. way back in Super Mario Sunshine. That’s where we find out Bowser’s son is a bit of a troublemaker, using this crazy Magic Paintbrush to cover a beautiful tropical island in… well, let’s just call it ‘goop,’ and then tries to make it look like Mario was the one who did it!

In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Bowser Jr. has a new strategy and objective, but still relies on the same type of weapon to fight Mario. The Magic Paintbrush is central to his attacks, allowing him to build things out of a special goo to use in battle.

With the Magic Paintbrush, he can unlock special abilities, like his Fury and Wonder forms. While these forms aren’t directly featured in the games with the paintbrush, the idea of gaining new forms comes from Super Mario Sunshine. In that game, Bowser Jr. transforming into Shadow Mario is a key part of the story.

Super Mario Bros. 2

In a sequence inspired by Super Mario Bros. 2, Princess Peach and Toad go to a casino to find Ukiki. The game itself follows Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach as they journey through the dream world of Subcon, trying to stop Wart – a frog-like villain – from taking over with his Dream Machine.

Wart, a villain who hasn’t appeared directly against the main heroes since a previous game, is surprisingly revealed to be the owner of the casino. The casino is filled with his familiar henchmen from past games, including the common Sniffits and Ninjis, as well as three mini-bosses: Clawgrip, Mouser, and Birdo.

A large battle erupts, and Princess Peach must overcome challenges from Clawgrip, Mouser, and Birdo before facing Wart in a final duel. This sequence, where a hero defeats three mini-bosses from Super Mario Bros. 2 and then the main boss, is a fitting tribute to the 1988 game in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

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2026-04-09 04:50