Bad Mario References

TheUnGhost

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So for those who use the Super Mario Wiki, we have sections dedicated to references within and outside the series. However, likely due to eager fans, we have gotten some pretty laughable connections over the years. For a good example, look at these former edits on the List of Mario references in animated television for some massive reaches.

Suppose you couldn't read the whole thing because of cringe. In that case, most of the superlatives that are apparently "references" are facial features, the name Mario, apes and gorillas, green dinosaurs, throwing stuff out of cars, and having blonde hair and a pink dress.

But that's not the only case of reaching; here's this classic of a gem for New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Trivia
  • This game is a reference to the book "Super Mario Bros. 3: Happy Birthday, Princess Toadstool!".

And here's another for Super Mario Galaxy.

  • Super Mario Bros. 3- [...] Mario having three vitality points in the game may be a reference in which it would take three hits for Mario to lose a life if he has a power-up such as the Raccoon Leaf or the Fire Flower in SMB3.

This is why I made this thread: to try and develop all the flimsiest connections to the Mario franchise. As you can see, those "connections" are relatively weak but laughable. And for some reason, I just find these to be the funniest examples.

Let's get started! Keep in mind that this is for unintentional references. If something seems to actually references the franchise, it doesn't count here.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Mario World cartoon: The game's plot is similar to the episode "Mama Luigi". Ironically, Yoshi is the one who is babysitting Mario and Luigi, rather than Luigi babysitting a Baby Yoshi.
 
Tom & Jerry
In several episodes of the series, the titular characters are seen slamming each other over the head with hammers, causing their bodies to become funny shapes. This may be a nod to the Mario & Luigi series, where the brothers do the same thing to solve puzzles.
•Incidentally, the two series also share a similar naming structure, most notably with '&' separating the names of the two lead characters.
 
Sonic The Hedgehog.
Sonic is blue and fast. This is a reference to Super Mario Bros 2(USA), where Toad was fast and blue.
In a similar reference Amy Rose's Piko Piko Hammer is a reference to Mario's weapon in the Mario & Luigi/Paper Mario series. They eventually switched her outfit so she would be wearing red to make the reference more obvious.
Tails' flight is a nod to the cape from World. Tails can fly and is yellow. The cape can help you fly and is yellow.
 
Luigi's Mansion 2's scarescraper mode is a reference to Left 4 Dead since it is a coop mode involving up to four players, deals with creepy things, and trapped Luigis need to revive other trapped Luigis just like how survivors need to unpin their friends.
 
Off topic, but on topic at the same time: We really need to define what makes a Mario reference is and also rewrite the hell out of it.
 
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong
: Donkey Kong appears in this game.
Mario Bros.: The game has two characters, Donkey and Diddy Kong, similar to Mario and Luigi.
Super Mario Bros.: How enemies are defeated is identical to how Mario stomps on enemies. Kritters being defeated by stomping on them is similar to how Mario defeats Little Goombas by doing the same thing.
Super Mario Bros. 2: Neckies are similar to Albatosses. The TNT Barrels also act similarly to Bob-Ombs.
Super Mario World: The Animal Friends act similar to Yoshi and his species.
 
In New Super Mario Bros Wii, Princess Peach got kidnapped by getting a huge cake dropped on her. This could possibly be a reference to Mario is Missing (NES) since Mario got kidnapped in a similar way by getting a huge bag dropped on him.
 
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