10 Times Mario Invaded Other Games
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VOICE OVER: Riccardo Tucci
WRITTEN BY: Garrett Alden
Nintendo's mustachioed plummer has appeared in some very unexpected games! For this list, we'll be detailing occasions where Mario cameoed in video games other than his own. Our countdown includes NBA Street V3, Kirby Super Star Ultra, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Animal Crossing, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes and more!
Script written by Garrett Alden
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’ll be going over 10 times Mario invaded other games.
For this list, we’ll be detailing occasions where Mario cameoed in video games other than his own.
If there’s a surprise Mario appearance you’re surprised wasn’t on our list, please let us know in the comments!
Mario and Pac-Man are two of gaming’s most storied icons, and when they’re not beating each other up in “Smash Bros.,” the duo have also worked together. “Pac-Man Vs.” is a game originally for the GameCube in which 4 players battle, with one player controlling Pac-Man using a link cable to a Game Boy Advance and the others playing as the ghosts. Although Mario isn’t a playable character, he does act as the color commentator for the matches, yelling out when players accomplish something, such as getting a power pellet. Mario’s cameo here is likely due to his creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, designing the game himself.
Mario has been in a lot of racing games – he practically invented the kart racer, after all. But one of his oddest appearances in a racer is in the snowboarding game “SSX On Tour.” Released across multiple platforms, “SSX On Tour” is a primarily realistic snowboard title. However, the Gamecube version allowed players to play as Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. As fun as it is to do some awesome midair tricks with the famous plumber, it’s still a strange experience to see him alongside people with more natural proportions.
Similar to our last entry, “NBA Street V3” is another cross-platform release from the same developer. The Gamecube version of the game features the same trio of Mario characters, in this case taking on the all-stars of the NBA. Mario has excelled at practically every sport there is, given his many spin-off sports games. Still, seeing him dunk on real world basketball players is especially appropriate – the guy is world famous for his jumping ability, after all.
Mario and Kirby have met face to face in some games, but in “Kirby Super Star,” and its remake, the Nintendo mascot has a smaller role to play. In several of the games within the game, Mario, as well as other characters like Luigi and Birdo, appears in the audience of matches Kirby takes part in. These include the fight against King Dedede, as well as the Megaton Punch minigame. Some other aspects of the “Mario” franchise are referenced in the games as well, with some of the items in the Great Cave offensive section being Mario items, such as a turtle shell, and Mario himself even makes a brief appearance in the games credits.
It should come as no surprise that “Monster Hunter” has crossed over with Mario. After all – “Monster Hunter” has crossed over with everything! In the “Monster Hunter” franchise, you get cat-like companion characters called Palicoes. You can dress them up using a variety of costumes and armor sets. In “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate,” one of these includes the option to dress your Palico like Mario or Luigi and also wield a hammer, as the duo does in several games. If you’re going to fight giant reptiles, the Mario brothers, or cats dressed like them, certainly can’t hurt; given their experience with Koopas.
The “Animal Crossing” series has a lot of fun little Easter Eggs, and that began with its first installment. In the game, you can acquire pieces of furniture and other items themed after the “Mario” franchise, including wallpaper and question mark blocks. Gold and silver statues of Mario and Luigi could also be purchased. Additionally, complete versions of both “Mario Bros.” and “Super Mario Bros.” could be unlocked and played on an NES within the game. However, sadly most of these could only be obtained through special promotional events or codes. While some were unlocked through passwords that can be found online, some are lost forever.
For as much as it’s a nominally serious action franchise, “Metal Gear'' does have a lot of silly things in it – hidden and not so hidden. In “Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes,” a Gamecube remake of “Metal Gear Solid,” you can find dolls of Mario and Yoshi in Dr. Emmerich’s lab. If you shoot the Yoshi, it will make Yoshi say his name, while shooting the Mario doll causes a 1-up sound effect to play and will restore some of your health. Also, while it’s not a direct appearance by Mario, if you have save data from “Super Mario Sunshine” on your memory card, Psycho Mantis will mention the game when you fight him.
Although “Minecraft'' allows for the creation of pretty much anything, the Wii U Edition of the game included some pre-made extras, provided you bought the physical version or downloaded it for free on the digital version. Whichever way you chose to acquire it, players received Mario character skins and item textures, as well as music tracks. Along with these features, the Pack included a premade world made in the image of the “Mario” games. Basically, for “Mario” fans, this Pack makes it that much easier to recreate your favorite levels and worlds from the games.
“Zelda” and “Mario” are two of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, and the two of them have paid tribute to each other many times over the years. One of the “Zelda” series’ most celebrated entries features several cameos from Mario and other characters from his games. Perhaps most famously, if you look in one of the alcoves in Princess Zelda’s courtyard, you can see portraits of Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, and Bowser. But other cameos are more subtle. The characters Talon and Ingo at Lon Lon Ranch both resemble Mario and Luigi, respectively. Also, Talon and his daughter Malon wear brooches in the shape of Bowser’s face.
Mario is no stranger to fisticuffs, and while he’s participated in plenty of pugilism, he’s also been on the sidelines. In the original arcade game of “Punch-Out!!,” Mario, Luigi, as well as Donkey Kong and D.K. Jr. can be seen in the audience. Meanwhile, once the game made the jump to home console on the NES, Mario steps into the ring, though this time to act as the game’s referee. Still, judging by how cheap some of the fighters are in that game, we don’t know how well he’s doing. An interesting fact about Mario’s presence in the latter, designer Makoto Wada apparently didn’t ask permission to use Mario in the game, which is probably why his color scheme and model look different.
10 Times Mario Invaded Other Games
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’ll be going over 10 times Mario invaded other games.
For this list, we’ll be detailing occasions where Mario cameoed in video games other than his own.
If there’s a surprise Mario appearance you’re surprised wasn’t on our list, please let us know in the comments!
Commentator
“Pac-Man Vs.” (2003)
Mario and Pac-Man are two of gaming’s most storied icons, and when they’re not beating each other up in “Smash Bros.,” the duo have also worked together. “Pac-Man Vs.” is a game originally for the GameCube in which 4 players battle, with one player controlling Pac-Man using a link cable to a Game Boy Advance and the others playing as the ghosts. Although Mario isn’t a playable character, he does act as the color commentator for the matches, yelling out when players accomplish something, such as getting a power pellet. Mario’s cameo here is likely due to his creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, designing the game himself.
Snowboarder
“SSX on Tour” (2005)
Mario has been in a lot of racing games – he practically invented the kart racer, after all. But one of his oddest appearances in a racer is in the snowboarding game “SSX On Tour.” Released across multiple platforms, “SSX On Tour” is a primarily realistic snowboard title. However, the Gamecube version allowed players to play as Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. As fun as it is to do some awesome midair tricks with the famous plumber, it’s still a strange experience to see him alongside people with more natural proportions.
Basketball Player
“NBA Street V3” (2005)
Similar to our last entry, “NBA Street V3” is another cross-platform release from the same developer. The Gamecube version of the game features the same trio of Mario characters, in this case taking on the all-stars of the NBA. Mario has excelled at practically every sport there is, given his many spin-off sports games. Still, seeing him dunk on real world basketball players is especially appropriate – the guy is world famous for his jumping ability, after all.
Audience Member
“Kirby Super Star” (1996) & “Kirby Super Star Ultra” (2008)
Mario and Kirby have met face to face in some games, but in “Kirby Super Star,” and its remake, the Nintendo mascot has a smaller role to play. In several of the games within the game, Mario, as well as other characters like Luigi and Birdo, appears in the audience of matches Kirby takes part in. These include the fight against King Dedede, as well as the Megaton Punch minigame. Some other aspects of the “Mario” franchise are referenced in the games as well, with some of the items in the Great Cave offensive section being Mario items, such as a turtle shell, and Mario himself even makes a brief appearance in the games credits.
Palico Outfits
“Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate” (2015)
It should come as no surprise that “Monster Hunter” has crossed over with Mario. After all – “Monster Hunter” has crossed over with everything! In the “Monster Hunter” franchise, you get cat-like companion characters called Palicoes. You can dress them up using a variety of costumes and armor sets. In “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate,” one of these includes the option to dress your Palico like Mario or Luigi and also wield a hammer, as the duo does in several games. If you’re going to fight giant reptiles, the Mario brothers, or cats dressed like them, certainly can’t hurt; given their experience with Koopas.
Games, Statues, & Furniture
“Animal Crossing” (2001)
The “Animal Crossing” series has a lot of fun little Easter Eggs, and that began with its first installment. In the game, you can acquire pieces of furniture and other items themed after the “Mario” franchise, including wallpaper and question mark blocks. Gold and silver statues of Mario and Luigi could also be purchased. Additionally, complete versions of both “Mario Bros.” and “Super Mario Bros.” could be unlocked and played on an NES within the game. However, sadly most of these could only be obtained through special promotional events or codes. While some were unlocked through passwords that can be found online, some are lost forever.
Dolls & Psychic Readings
“Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes” (2004)
For as much as it’s a nominally serious action franchise, “Metal Gear'' does have a lot of silly things in it – hidden and not so hidden. In “Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes,” a Gamecube remake of “Metal Gear Solid,” you can find dolls of Mario and Yoshi in Dr. Emmerich’s lab. If you shoot the Yoshi, it will make Yoshi say his name, while shooting the Mario doll causes a 1-up sound effect to play and will restore some of your health. Also, while it’s not a direct appearance by Mario, if you have save data from “Super Mario Sunshine” on your memory card, Psycho Mantis will mention the game when you fight him.
Super Mario Mash-Up Pack
“Minecraft: Wii U Edition” (2015)
Although “Minecraft'' allows for the creation of pretty much anything, the Wii U Edition of the game included some pre-made extras, provided you bought the physical version or downloaded it for free on the digital version. Whichever way you chose to acquire it, players received Mario character skins and item textures, as well as music tracks. Along with these features, the Pack included a premade world made in the image of the “Mario” games. Basically, for “Mario” fans, this Pack makes it that much easier to recreate your favorite levels and worlds from the games.
Men, Models, & Murals
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)
“Zelda” and “Mario” are two of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, and the two of them have paid tribute to each other many times over the years. One of the “Zelda” series’ most celebrated entries features several cameos from Mario and other characters from his games. Perhaps most famously, if you look in one of the alcoves in Princess Zelda’s courtyard, you can see portraits of Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, and Bowser. But other cameos are more subtle. The characters Talon and Ingo at Lon Lon Ranch both resemble Mario and Luigi, respectively. Also, Talon and his daughter Malon wear brooches in the shape of Bowser’s face.
Ref & Spectator
"Punch-Out!!” franchise (1983-2009)
Mario is no stranger to fisticuffs, and while he’s participated in plenty of pugilism, he’s also been on the sidelines. In the original arcade game of “Punch-Out!!,” Mario, Luigi, as well as Donkey Kong and D.K. Jr. can be seen in the audience. Meanwhile, once the game made the jump to home console on the NES, Mario steps into the ring, though this time to act as the game’s referee. Still, judging by how cheap some of the fighters are in that game, we don’t know how well he’s doing. An interesting fact about Mario’s presence in the latter, designer Makoto Wada apparently didn’t ask permission to use Mario in the game, which is probably why his color scheme and model look different.
