What If The Super Mario Bros. Movie Was A Video Game?

Ahead of the theatrical opening of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, many were predicting that a Mario game would release to go along with the movie; some even thinking the potential game would be based on the movie. However, no Mario game was released along with the movie. But, what if there was a movie based on the movie? Well, the movie was only 90 minutes, however the exploration parts were condensed into short sequences to make the movie shorter. What if you could explore these worlds to finish the same mission Mario from the movie is? Even though it may not seem like it at first, there were a lot of details to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. So, how could the movie’s plot work as a video game? Well, here’s my take.

Spoiler warning if you have not seen The Super Mario Bros. Movie as plot points and scenes will be mentioned.

If The Super Mario Bros. Movie ever became a video game, it would have certainly been unique compared to the other Mario titles. Not only would it possibly share 2D and 3D gameplay sections, but it would also include elements from many other Mario spin-offs, especially Mario Kart. It would also be the first Mario game to include details about Mario and Luigi as New York plumbers. However, how could it work as a traditional Mario title? Well, there are many modifications to the movie that would need to be made. For example, you would explore the areas that Mario, Peach, and Toad have to journey through to reach the Kongs. This includes the Bo-Bomb Battlefield-inspired area, the Tostarena-inspired area, and the water area where we see the threesome walk along a bridge over water with jumping cheep cheeps.

Explorable Areas

What would be most difficult about exploring these areas is that two of them are similar to areas we’ve explored in past games. This doesn’t mean the lands would have to be exactly the same as their counterparts from Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey, but they would be pretty familiar to explore. Plus, these lands would seemingly be the only explorable areas in the game as there are only a maximum of 3 islands in this world you would explore, since you wouldn’t explore the Penguin and Bowser lands.

The Mushroom Kingdom

Then there’s the Mushroom Kingdom, which would work as two helpful parts of this video game. One: a large area pretty close to all 3 explorable islands; and two: lots of places to get items and assist features. The Mushroom Kingdom could work very well as a hub world, connecting all of the islands together. I also think that if The Mushroom Kingdom did act as a hub area, the story would be changed slightly. For example, you need to collect a power start in each of the three lands to reach the Kongs, instead of just trekking through.

Mario Kart

The biggest question about how this video game would work is with Mario Kart, and you would definitely be able to control your car while racing. How would this work, and could it be cleverly implemented? It would have been the first Mario Kart appearance in a traditional Mario platformer. But how could it work? Well, I see it as two ways Nintendo can implement it into the game. They could make it feel like normal Mario Kart or make it still seem part of the game’s general controls. An example of the second option would be like the RC Car challenge from Super Mario Odyssey. An example of the first option would be like the Bound Bowl races from Super Mario Odyssey. I think it would be the first option since The Super Mario Bros. Movie is supposed to be a celebration of all things Mario, as would the game. Plus, Mario Kart in the movie is not supposed to be a reference, but instead more of a Mario game acting as a plot point in the film.

Once the Kongs take you to their garage, you would select your kart and then race. Racing would be unique since Mario doesn’t just throw shells at players. He also jumps out of cars into other ones to stomp on those koopas. Maybe that could work here. For example, your car would collect damage after being hit multiple times. Once it collects too much damage, it would explode forcing you to jump out. You could control your dismount as you try to get in another car. I also think that once you get to the end of the track, a cutscene would play showing Mario and Donkey Kong getting hit with the blue shell from the movie.

New York

The movie’s introduction in Brooklyn would definitely be unique in a video game to say the least. It would be the first time to fully show Mario and Luigi as plumbers in a main Mario title. However, how could it work in the game? I think it would be very simple and limited in gameplay. You would have limited time for movement and probably only the plumbing fixing parts to interact. It might be fun to control Mario and Luigi avoiding the dog, but otherwise this section would be very difficult to create.

The Brothers

The Mario Movie does not focus on just one brother. It focuses on both Mario and Luigi. I think that Luigi scenes (which would come up in the game the same time they come up in the movie) would let you control Luigi for the most part. Most parts would be cutscenes, like Bowser’s painful interrogation to Luigi’s mustache. However, parts like Luigi running away from the Dry Bones would definitely allow you to have full control of the green bro.

In conclusion, I believe that The Super Mario Bros. Movie could have worked as a video game, but it would not have been easy. It would mix many Mario concepts into one game, along with lots of work needed to connect the game’s structure. But what do you think? Let me know in the comments your ideas about a Mario Movie video game and how it could have worked.