Editing List of references and parodies

{{rewrite-expand|include references in comics; many of these references are unsourced and seem to be based on pure speculation|May 10, 2017}}
{{about|references made within the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise to outside media and real life|references to the ''Super Mario'' franchise made by external sources|[[Lists of references]]}}

The following is a list of '''references and parodies''' to works and elements of the media, other assets of popular culture, and real-life celebrities and historical persons that have appeared in the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise and its partner franchises. Note that references to other ''Super Mario'' video games are not included here, nor are references in crossover games referring to the original series' source material. Historical or geographical references are also not included.
==Arcade games==
===''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''===
*The tune that plays when [[Donkey Kong]] is climbing to the top of the construction site is a snippet of the theme song of ''{{wp|Dragnet (1951 TV series)|Dragnet}}''.
*The [[25m Theme]] is a snippet of the {{wp|bassline}} of {{wp|The Ballad of John and Yoko}}.
*The "How High Can You Get?" jingle is similar to the jingle upon completing the third level in the Nintendo arcade game ''{{wp|Sky Skipper}}''. Both games were developed and released simultaneously by [[Nintendo Research & Development 1]].

===''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]''===
*The jingle that plays when starting a new game in the arcade version of the game is a snippet of "{{wp|Toccata and Fugue}}" by {{wp|Johann Sebastian Bach}}.
*The music when [[Mario]] goes to [[Mario's Hideout|his hideout]] by using [[Mario's helicopter|his helicopter]] is "{{wp|Orpheus in the Underworld|Infernal Galop}}" by {{wp|Jacques Offenbach}}, also known as the theme commonly associated with the {{wp|can-can}}.

===''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]''===
*The [[Game Start A|music that plays]] when the player begins Phase 1 is the opening eighteen notes of Mozart's ''{{wp|Eine kleine Nachtmusik}}''.
*In the Atari commercial, the song that plays is a parody of the ''{{wp|Car 54, Where Are You?}}'' intro.
*The Japan-only re-release of this game, ''[[Kaettekita Mario Bros.]]'', features advertisements between its levels, either for other ''Super Mario'' games (such as ''Super Mario Bros. 3'') or for the re-release's sponsor, the [[Nagatanien]] food company.

==''Super Mario'' series==
===''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''===
*The [[Beanstalk]] that Mario uses to climb up to [[Coin Heaven]] is a reference to the English folktale ''{{wp|Jack and the Beanstalk}}''.
*[[Bowser]]'s initial design was based on the ox king antagonist from Toei Animation's ''{{wp|Journey to the West}}'' (renamed ''{{wp|Alakazam the Great}}'' for its English release).
*The pause sound effect is recycled from ''{{wp|Devil World}}''.

====''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]''====
[[File:ANNSMB World 2-1 Screenshot.png|thumb|165x165px|Sunplaza Nakano's likeness is used for the Goombas and the Piranha Plant.]]
An officially licensed retool of ''Super Mario Bros.'', many of the game's graphics have been altered or completely changed to feature references to ''{{wp|All Night Nippon}}'':
*The faces on the Goombas and the Piranha Plants are based on Sunplaza Nakano, one of the show's DJ's.
*[[Super Star|Starmen]] are replaced with Hiranya, a symbol popularized by the Japanese radio show ''Young Paradise''.
*The symbol that appears on the flag raised when Mario enters the end-of-level fortress and the [[axe]] at the end of each of the castle levels is replaced with the logo for {{wp|Fuji Television}}.
*The [[Toad (species)|mushroom retainer]]s saved at the end of each castle have been replaced with the show's hosts. Respectively, they are: {{wp|Miyuki Nakajima}} (World 1), {{wp|Takaaki Ishibashi}} (World 2), {{wp|Noritake Kinashi}} (World 3), {{wp|Kyōko Koizumi}} (World 4), {{wp|Takeshi Kitano}} (World 5), Daisuke Matsuno (World 6), and {{wp|Hideyuki Nakayama}} (World 7).

====''[[Super Mario Bros. Special]]''====
*The item [[Hachisuke]] is based on the bee from the [[Hudson Soft]] logo.

===''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''===
*The skidding sound (which would later be used in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'') sounds similar to the tire screeching sound from the [[Family Computer|Famicom]] game ''[[wikipedia:F1 Race|F1 Race]]''.

===''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]''===
*The sound effect of [[Birdo]] spitting an egg is taken from the sound effect that plays when a magical projectile is fired by the [[zeldawiki:Fire Rod|Magical Rod]] item or the [[zeldawiki:Wizzrobe|Wizzrobe]] enemy in ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Game)|The Legend of Zelda]]''.

===''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''===
*The "[[Recorder|Magic Whistle]]" item is the [[zeldawiki:Recorder|Recorder]] from [[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Game)|''The Legend of Zelda'']]; it summons a whirlwind to warp the player character to another location and plays the same tune when used, which has become a reoccurring melody in the [[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|original series]]. Also, the music that plays in [[Water Land]] is very similar to the [[zeldawiki:Fairy Fountain (Theme)|Fairy Fountain]] theme.
*The island on which the castle of [[Water Land]] is located is designed after Japan; the castle itself is also placed in the same location that {{wp|Kyoto}} would be, the city in which Nintendo's headquarters is located.
**''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' adds to this reference by adding {{wp|Sado, Niigata|Sado Island}}.
*In the [[Family Computer]] and [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] versions, the sound effect for the [[Raccoon Mario]] transformation (as well as the [[Tanooki Mario]] transformation) is taken directly from the sound used when certain enemies appear in ''{{wp|The Mysterious Murasame Castle}}''.
*Excluding Larry Koopa,<ref name="Dayvv Interview">{{cite|author=Klepek, Patrick|date=December 29, 2015|url=kotaku.com/how-a-mario-character-was-named-after-motorheads-lemmy-1750180427|title=How A Mario Character Was Named After Motorhead's Lemmy|publisher=Kotaku|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref> the Koopalings are named after rock-and-roll musicians or classical music composers:
**Morton Koopa Jr. is named after former country/western singer-turned talk show host Morton Downey Jr., since he "looked like a loudmouth."<ref name="Dayvv Interview"/>
**Wendy O. Koopa is named after Wendy O. Williams, lead singer of American rock band The Plasmatics.<ref name="Dayvv Interview"/>
**Iggy Koopa is named after Iggy Pop, lead singer of American rock band The Stooges.<ref name="Dayvv Interview"/>
**Roy Koopa is named after early American rock musician Roy Orbison, since they both wore glasses.<ref name="Dayvv Interview"/>
**Lemmy Koopa is named after Lemmy Klimister, late lead singer of British rock band Motorhead.<ref name="Dayvv Interview"/>
**Ludwig von Koopa is named after composer [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], due to their hairstyle.<ref name="Dayvv Interview"/>

===''[[Super Mario Land]]''===
*The theme that plays for the [[Super Star]] in this game is taken from a portion of Offenbach's "Infernal Galop".

===''[[Super Mario World]]''===
*[[Reznor]] is named after {{wp|Trent Reznor}}, the founder of industrial rock band {{wp|Nine Inch Nails}}.
*[[Rip Van Fish]] is named after {{wp|Rip van Winkle}}, the main character of the story with the same name who fell asleep for twenty years.
*The sound effect used for when a [[Yoshi's Egg|Yoshi Egg]] hatches sounds similar to when Tamagon's egg hatches in the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] game ''{{wp|Devil World}}''.

===''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins]]''===
*The [[Final Bosses: Three Mean Pigs!|fourth level]] of the [[Mario Zone]] features {{wp|LEGO}}-like surfaces. At one point in the level, it is revealed that these are [[wikia:c:nintendo:N&B Block|N&B Blocks]], a toy manufactured by Nintendo in the 1960s to compete with the popularity of LEGO.
*The [[Turtle Zone (level)|second level]] of the [[Turtle Zone]] has urchin-like enemies, [[Unibo]], that strongly resemble [[wikirby:Gordo|Gordo]]s from the ''Kirby'' series.
*The [[Masked Ghoul]] enemy in the [[Pumpkin Zone]] is a reference to {{wp|Jason Voorhees}} from the movie series ''{{wp|Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th}}''.
*The [[Three Little Pigheads]] are a reference to the fairy tale "{{wp|The Three Little Pigs}}". They also emerge from houses made of straw, sticks, and bricks, respectively, which reference the houses the Big Bad Wolf attempts to blow down.

===''[[Super Mario 64]]''===
*[[Whomp]]s are based on {{wp|Nurikabe}}, which in Japanese folklore is a living wall that gets in the way of travelers.
*[[Bowser]]'s roars and growls used in this and other games are stock sound effects that were previously used for {{wp|King Kong}} and other movie monsters throughout several decades.

===''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''===
*If the game is hacked to remove [[Il Piantissimo]]'s mask, he has the same face of the [[zeldawiki:Running Man|Running Man]] and the [[zeldawiki:Postman#Majora's Mask|postman of Termina]], from ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' and ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'', respectively, only with darker skin.
*[[Phantamanta]] is a reference to the ending of the horror novel ''{{wp|The Shining (novel)|The Shining}}'': "For a moment it assumed the shape of a huge, obscene manta, and then the wind seemed to catch it, to tear it and shred it like old dark paper. It fragmented, was caught in a whirling eddy of smoke, and a moment later it was gone as if it had never been."
*The second [[Shine Sprite]] mission of [[Ricco Harbor]], [[Blooper Surfing Safari]], is named after the {{wp|The Beach Boys}}' song, "{{wp|Surfin' Safari (song)|Surfin' Safari}}".

===''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]''===
*In the minigame [[Loves Me...?]], if the player wins three times in a row, an arrangement of the tune that plays when [[Link]] uses the [[Recorder]] in ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' can be heard.

===''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''===
[[File:SMG Buoy Base Water Sphere.png|thumb|200px|The ''gashapon'' capsule/Pokéball planet in Buoy Base Galaxy]]
*[[Rocto]]s, [[Octoguy]]s, and [[Octoomba]]s resemble and behave in a similar way to [[zeldawiki:Deku Scrub|Deku Scrub]]s and [[zeldawiki:Octorok|Octorok]]s from ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|The Legend of Zelda]]''.
*Star Bits are based upon a Japanese candy called {{wp|Konpeitō|konpeitō}}.
*In the [[Rolling Gizmo Galaxy]], a hidden bunch of [[Star Bit]]s formed in a shape similar to a [[zeldawiki:Rupee|Rupee]] from ''The Legend of Zelda'' can be seen.
*The battle against [[Megaleg]] is based upon the [[zeldawiki:Ganon|Ganon]] boss fight that was originally planned for ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]''.
*The rockets in the [[Space Junk Galaxy]] and the [[Ghostly Galaxy]] closely resemble [[Captain Olimar]]'s ship.
*The last planet visited in the [[Buoy Base Galaxy]] (when it opens up) is based on ''{{wp|gashapon}}'' capsules, which are transparent containers that contain small toys, dispensed from vending machines. As stated by the Prima Guide, it also bears a striking resemblance to the [[bulbapedia:Poké Ball|Poké Ball]] from the [[bulbapedia:Pokémon (series)|''Pokémon'' series]].
*The [[Topman|Topman Tribe]] enemies heavily resemble the ''{{wp|Beyblade}}'' toys, which are in turn based on {{wp|beigoma}}; Japanese spinning tops made to fight each other.
*The name of the [[Sea Slide Galaxy]] mission "[[Faster Than a Speeding Penguin]]" is taken from the first part of {{wp|Superman}}'s catchphrase, namely "''faster than a speeding bullet''".
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===''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''===
*The [[Gearmo (gold)|gold Gearmo]] in [[Boulder Bowl Galaxy]] will ask Mario for a [[Goomba]], and the [[Gearmo (silver)|silver Gearmo]] in [[Space Storm Galaxy]] will ask for a [[Topman]]. After being given what they ask for, they will hold it up in the air exactly like Link does when he gets an item in ''The Legend of Zelda''.

===''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''===
*[[World 5-2 (Super Mario 3D Land)|World 5-2]] is based on the dungeons in ''The Legend of Zelda'', in honor of the series' 25th anniversary. Additionally, when Mario or Luigi opens the area that contains the second [[Star Medal]], the "found a secret" theme as heard in ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' is heard.

===''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''===
*The [[Reznor]]'s roar bears a strong resemblance to Godzilla's roar.
*[[Dry Bones]]' dance during vocal riffs in the Tower theme resembles some of the choreography in {{wp|Michael Jackson}}'s {{wp|Thriller (song)|Thriller}} music video.

===''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''===
*In [[Soda Jungle]]-4, [[Painted Swampland]], the level's aesthetic appearance is an homage to {{wp|Vincent van Gogh}}'s ''{{wp|The Starry Night}}''. This also applies to [[Superstar Road]]-5, [[Spinning Platforms of Doom]], and their equivalent levels in ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'', [[Painted Pipeworks]] and [[Under Construction]], respectively.

===''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''===
*When [[Bowser]] captures the [[Sprixie Princesses|Sprixie Princess]] at the start of the game, he does so by trapping her in a bottle, which is the same way [[Link]] catches fairies in ''The Legend of Zelda''. 
*In [[Rainbow Run (level)|Rainbow Run]], a secret area similar to the one from [[Bob-ombs Below]] appears, except this time the blocks make up an 8-bit sprite of [[Link]]. After stepping on every block, the "Item Get" tune from ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' will play, followed by a remix of the series' theme.
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===''[[Super Mario Maker]]''===
[[File:SMM WiiU E32015 03.png|thumb|Mario wearing a [[Link]] costume]]
*Many of the [[Costume Mario]] costumes are based on characters from other non-''Super Mario'' franchises.
*In the ''[[Super Mario World]]''-themed underwater course, the sprite of a [[Spike Trap]] is replaced with a [[zeldawiki:Sea Urchin|Sea Urchin]] from ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]'', which in turn appears similar to the [[Gordo (Kirby)|Gordo]]s of the [[wikirby:Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]]. However, unlike the sequel, placing one still announces it as a Spike Trap instead of a Sea Urchin.
{{br}}

===''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]''===
*Many locations visited in the game are inspired by real world locations, such as [[Sand Kingdom|Tostarena]] (based on {{wp|Mexico}}), [[Metro Kingdom|New Donk City]] (based on {{wp|New York City}}, {{wp|United States|US}}), [[Snow Kingdom|Shiveria]] (based on {{wp|Siberia}}, {{wp|Russia}}), and several regions in the [[Luncheon Kingdom]] (based on {{wp|Pompeii}}, {{wp|Italy}}).
*[[Wooded Kingdom]] is very similar to the setting of the 1972 science fiction film ''{{wp|Silent Running}}'', which takes place in a giant greenhouse maintained by robots that also happen to resemble the Steam Gardeners.

===''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''===
*Takamaru and multiple ninjas from ''{{wp|The Mysterious Murasame Castle}}'' appear as part of the animation for the "Ninja Attack!" [[List of sound effects in Super Mario Maker 2|sound effect]] that plays a sped-up version of the game's main theme.
*The course creators Agent 1, Agent 2, Celebrity MC, and Celebrity DJ are respectively based on [[inkipedia:Callie|Callie]], [[inkipedia:Marie|Marie]], [[inkipedia:Pearl|Pearl]], and [[inkipedia:Marina|Marina]] from the ''[[inkipedia:Splatoon (series)|Splatoon]]'' series.
*A 16-bit arrangement of part of the music for the {{wp|Famicom Disk Writer}} plays during the balloon [[Toad House]] minigame in a Super World, which is inspired by an animation in the Disk Writer where a bald man pumps air into an inflatable replica of himself.<ref>{{cite|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKTGETfB3yA|title=Famicom Disk Writer (ディスクライター) HQ|language=ja|author=SeraphmIII|date=August 1, 2020|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
*A 16-bit arrangement of the title theme from the ''[[nwiki:Baseball (NES)|Baseball]]'' plays when starting the baseball [[Toad House]] minigame in a Super World. The minigame also uses sound effects from the game.

===''[[Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury]]''===
*In a [[Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – Get Them Goombas!|video]] posted on the [[Play Nintendo]] {{wp|YouTube}} channel which presents ways to defeat [[Goomba]]s in the game, the narrator freeze-frames the footage while a Goomba is lured into a pit and comments that "it was at this moment the Goomba knew… they messed up",<ref>{{cite|author=Play Nintendo|date=May 14, 2022|url=youtu.be/2EzBpsxVU_M?t=64|timestamp=01:04|title=Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury – GET THEM GOOMBAS! 💪🍄 {{!}} @Play Nintendo|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref> using a differently-worded version of the popular catchphrase "{{plain link|[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/it-was-at-this-moment-he-knew-he-fucked-up It was at this moment he knew… he fucked up]}}".

==''[[Mario Teaches Typing]]'' / ''[[Mario Teaches Typing 2]]''==
*The games' [[Mario in Real Time]] segments have several references in them:
**When Mario says ''"Look, I'm a video game."'', he moves his head in a similar fashion to the ball in ''{{wp|Pong}}''.
**When Mario says ''"Sorry; that's-a hard for you, but easy for me. You know why?"'', he sings part of the chorus for "{{wp|I Ain't Got Nobody}}".
**Mario, offscreen, shouts ''"{{wp|I've fallen, and I can't get up!}}"''. He then finishes by saying ''"That is my impression of American advertising!"'', referencing the fact that said line originated from LifeCall, an American company.
**When Mario says ''"Can I sing a song for you?"'', he sings the chorus of "{{wp|That's Amore}}", then sings a variation of it with an eel-related pun.

==''Mario Kart'' series==
===''[[Super Mario Kart]]''===
*The jingle used when the player comes in 5th-8th place at the end of a race samples the song "{{wp|Entrance of the Gladiators}}" composed by {{wp|Julius Fučík (composer)|Julius Fučík}}.

===''[[Mario Kart DS]]''===
*The [[Power Flower (kart)|Power Flower]] kart's Spanish name features a flower-themed pun on the Spanish name for a {{wp|Volkswagen Beetle}}.<ref>{{cite|author=DidYouKnowGaming|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArD7oyCiXYc|title=Mario Kart DS - DidYouKnowGaming Ft. Remix|language=en|date=January 23, 2021|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>{{timestamp needed}}
*The [[Zipper (kart)|Zipper]] kart's Spanish name is a portmanteau of [[Waluigi]], the character driving said kart, and motorcycle brand {{wp|Harley-Davidson}}.
*The [[Wildlife]] kart's German name references vehicle brand {{wp|Jeep}}.

===''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''===
[[File:BlueFalcon-BabyMario.png|thumb|150px|[[Baby Mario]] in the Blue Falcon]]
*The [[Blue Falcon]] kart is a reference to the vehicle of the same name in the ''F-Zero'' series, driven by [[Captain Falcon]].
{{br}}

===''[[Mario Kart 8]]''===
[[File:WiiU MarioKart8 scrn11 E3.png|thumb|A Peach statue based upon the Statue of Liberty.]]
[[File:MK8-KungFuLakitu.png|thumb|''Kung Fu Lakitu'']]
*Two crossover downloadable content packs released post-launch: [[The Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8|''The Legend of Zelda'' × ''Mario Kart 8'']] (pack one) and [[Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8|''Animal Crossing'' × ''Mario Kart 8'']] (pack two).
**[[Link]] appears as a playable character in pack one, while the [[Villager]] and [[Isabelle]] from the ''Animal Crossing'' series appear in pack two.
**[[Hyrule Circuit]] (based on ''The Legend of Zelda'' series), [[Mute City]] (from the ''F-Zero'' series) and [[Excitebike Arena]] (based on ''Excitebike'') appear in pack one, while [[Animal Crossing]] (based on the ''Animal Crossing'' series), and [[Big Blue]] (also from ''F-Zero'') appear in pack two, with each track featuring a cover theme from their respective series.
**The Blue Falcon returns as a vehicle in pack one. Also included in pack one are the [[Master Cycle]], [[Triforce Tires]], and [[Hylian Kite]], all themed after ''The Legend of Zelda''. Pack two includes the [[Streetle]], [[City Tripper]], [[Leaf Tires]], and [[Paper Glider]], all based on ''Animal Crossing''.
**On Mute City and Big Blue, the countdown and results music are those of the ''F-Zero'' series rather than those used on other courses. On Big Blue, reaching the final section of the course causes the announcer from ''[[fzerowiki:F-Zero X|F-Zero X]]'' to say, "Yeah! The final lap!" In addition, Animal Crossing uses the music played in [[nookipedia:The Roost|The Roost]] for its results theme.
*The {{wp|Mercedes-Benz}} [[GLA]], [[W 25 Silver Arrow]], and [[300 SL Roadster]] appear as downloadable vehicles, and the GLA's [[GLA Tires|tires]] also appear as a set of tires.
*In [[Toad Harbor]], a statue of [[Princess Peach]] similar in appearance to the {{wp|Statue of Liberty}} can be seen. Toad Harbor also has some similarities to the city of {{wp|San Francisco}}, California.
*As of update 3.0, by scanning a compatible [[amiibo]] into the game, the player can receive Mii costumes based upon various Nintendo characters, including Kirby, Captain Falcon, Link, and Fox.
*A spotlight in {{classic-link|3DS|Neo Bowser City}} displays the course's version of Bowser's emblem in a similar fashion to the {{wp|Bat-Signal}}.
*In {{classic-link|GBA|Ribbon Road}}, there is a poster that parodies ''{{wp|Kung Fu Panda (film)|Kung Fu Panda}}'' called "''[[List of sponsors debuting in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe#Kung Fu Lakitu|Kung Fu Lakitu]]''".

===''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]''===
*[[Urchin Underpass]] and [[Inkling]]s from ''[[inkipedia:Splatoon|Splatoon]]'' appear in the game, as a battle course and playable characters respectively.

==Role-playing games==
===''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''===
*Link can be found sleeping in the [[Rose Town]] inn after beating [[Bowyer]] in the [[Forest Maze]]. Talking to him plays the series' classic discovery jingle.
*Samus can be found sleeping in the guest bed of the Mushroom Castle after beating [[Speardovich]], and before going to Land's End. When spoken to, she says she is "resting up for [[metroidwiki:Mother Brain|Mother Brain]]", a recurring villain in the ''Metroid'' series.
*A Samus action figure and a remote-controlled car resembling the F-Type from ''{{wp|Stunt Race FX}}'' can be found in a toy box in Booster Tower, among other toys. The game's [[Nintendo Switch]] [[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|remake]] clarifies that one other toy is of the [[Family Computer Disk System]] mascot Diskun. Additionally, [[R.O.B.]], based on his Family Computer Robot design, can be seen partly obscured by the Princess Peach doll in the remake.<ref>{{cite|author=Lane, Gavin|date=June 22, 2023|url=www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/06/random-the-super-mario-rpg-switch-remake-clarifies-a-couple-of-cameos|title=Random: The Super Mario RPG Switch Remake Clarifies A Couple Of Cameos|publisher=Nintendo Life|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
*[[Cinder Toad]]'s shop in [[Barrel Volcano]] has models of [[Captain Falcon]]'s and [[fzerowiki:Samurai Goroh|Samurai Goroh]]'s F-Zero machines ([[Blue Falcon]] and Fire Stingray, respectively) from ''F-Zero'', and an Arwing from the [[lylatwiki:Star Fox (series)|''Star Fox'' series]].
*Several references to the {{wp|Final Fantasy|''Final Fantasy'' series}} are in this game, due to the game being produced by [[Square Enix|Squaresoft]].
**A model of {{fandom|finalfantasy|Magitek armor (Final Fantasy VI)|Magitek armor}} from ''{{fandom|finalfantasy|Final Fantasy VI}}'' can be seen on one of the desks on the ground floor of [[Booster Tower]]; this is made more apparent in the remake.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/FinalFantasy/comments/17xl2o1/newish_ffvi_easter_egg_in_super_mario_rpg/</ref>{{better source}}
**[[Culex]] is an optional boss designed to resemble a ''Final Fantasy'' boss. The music heard during the battle is a remix of "Battle 2", the boss battle theme in ''{{wp|Final Fantasy IV}}'', and after the battle is won, the famous Victory Fanfare theme is played. The [[Fire Crystal|Fire]], [[Water Crystal|Water]], [[Earth Crystal|Earth]], and [[Wind Crystal]]s are from the ''Final Fantasy'' series and appear in the same game. In Japanese, Culex mentions「{{ruby|次元|じげん}}のはざま」(''jigen no hazama'', dimensional rift), which is {{fandom|finalfantasy|Interdimensional Rift (Final Fantasy V)|a location}} in ''{{wp|Final Fantasy V}}''. In addition, his English name is a genus of "mosquito", referencing a villain from ''Final Fantasy IV'', Golbez, whose name is taken from a type of fly. His title of Dark Knight of Vanda in the English version may also be an allusion to {{fandom|finalfantasy|Cecil Harvey|Cecil}}, introduced as a {{fandom|final fantasy|Dark Knight (job)|Dark Knight}} of {{fandom|final fantasy|Baron (Final Fantasy IV)|Baron}}.
**In the Japanese version of the game, Culex's dialogue is based around the use of 2D sprites in the six ''Final Fantasy'' games in existence at the time, in contrast to ''Super Mario RPG''{{'}}s pre-rendered 3D graphics. In addition, the item he gives the player upon defeating him, the [[Quartz Charm]], is named "Crystal Charm", another reference to the crystals of the series.
**In the Japanese version, two of [[Dr. Topper]]'s possible answers are {{fandom|finalfantasy|Exdeath}} from ''{{wp|Final Fantasy V}}'' and {{wp|Kefka Palazzo|Kefka}} from ''{{wp|Final Fantasy VI}}'', which were respectively replaced with [[Nipper Plant|Chompweed]] and [[Goomba]] in the English version.
**The [[Czar Dragon]] shares its name with {{fandom|finalfantasy|Kaiser Dragon (Final Fantasy VI)|a boss that does not appear in but exists within the coding}} for ''Final Fantasy VI'', and its second form, [[Zombone]], is named after {{fandom|finalfantasy|Zombie Dragon (Final Fantasy VI)|the enemy from the same game}}.
**In the English version, the enemy [[Bahamutt]] is named after the powerful dragon {{fandom|finalfantasy|Bahamut}} from the ''Final Fantasy'' series, and [[Whuhoh]]'s original name Hidon is named after a boss from ''Final Fantasy VI''.
*Various [[Thought Peek|thought]]s in the Japanese release are references to Japanese pop culture:<ref>{{cite|author=Mandelin, Clyde|date=June 29, 2020|url=legendsoflocalization.com/the-pop-culture-obsessed-monsters-in-japanese-super-mario-rpg|title=The Pop Culture-Obsessed Monsters in Japanese Super Mario RPG|publisher=Legends of Localization|language=en|accessdate=July 31, 2021}}</ref>
**[[Terrapin]] says "Yo, I'm Nokohei! Are you watching, Grandpa?!" This references two of Son Goku's catchphrases in {{wp|Dragon Ball (TV series)|the 1986 anime adaptation}} of ''{{wp|Dragon Ball (manga)|Dragon Ball}}''.
**The [[Hammer Bro]] says "My hammer tonight is a little bit different, turtle-turtle." This references one of Zenigata's catchphrases in the multimedia franchise ''{{wp|Lupin the Third|Lupin III}}''.
**[[Shadow]] says "How sexy your side profile is right now..." This is a direct quote from the 1980 Akira Terao song "Shadow City".
**[[Rat Funk]], named Chūtarō in Japanese, says "Hey, know what? Chūtarō has..." This parodies a line from the theme song to the 1971 anime adaptation of ''{{wp|Obake no Q-Tarō|Shin Obake no Q-tarō}}''.
**The [[Crook]] says "Mustn't run away... Mustn't run away..." This quotes a mantra by Shinji Ikari, the main character of the 1995 anime ''{{wp|Neon Genesis Evangelion}}''.
**The [[Guerrilla]] says "This character has no relation to any persons, living or dead. Any resemblance is purely coincidental." This references {{wp|all persons fictitious disclaimer|a common disclaimer}} used in films to reduce the possibility of a libel lawsuit. This reference was restored in the translation of the remake.<ref>{{cite|author=Hagues, Alana|date=November 2, 2023|url=www.nintendolife.com/features/hands-on-super-mario-rpg-is-the-most-faithful-remake-weve-ever-played|title="Super Mario RPG Is The Most Faithful Remake We've Ever Played"|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
**The [[Jester]] says "O Lord, please forgive me, for I use neither gimmick nor trick." This quote the catchphrase of Meimi Haneoka/Saint Tail, the main character of the 1995 anime and manga ''{{wp|Saint Tail}}''.
**[[Knife Guy]] and [[Grate Guy]] respectively say "Can happiness be obtained without sacrifice?" and "Can a new era be achieved without tragedy?" These quote two haves of Dr. Kasuma's dying words in the 1995 OVA series ''{{wp|Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still}}''.
**[[Thropher]] says "Bullying? Bullying?" This references a catchphrase by Shimarisu-kun in the 1995 anime adaptation of ''{{wp|Bonobono}}''.
**[[Pulsar]] says "Hit me and you will be punished when I go up in smoke!" The wording and delivery of the line references the catchphrase of Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon in the multimedia franchise ''{{wp|Sailor Moon}}''.
**[[Crusty]] says "To~re tore pi~chi pichi." This quotes the lyrics to a famous jingle for the {{wp|Kani Dōraku}} chain of seafood restaurants.
**[[Stinger]] says "My beat keeps the rhythm!" This references a line by Jonathan Joestar in the 1987 manga ''{{wp|Phantom Blood|JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood}}''.
**[[Belome]] says "I'mmm happiest when I'm sleeping." during the first fight and "I'mmm also happy when I'm eating." during the rematch, both times parodying catchphrases by Kiyoshi Yamashita in the 1980 TV series ''Hadaka no Taishō Hōrōki''.
**[[Jinx]] says "You're ten years too early!" during the first fight against him, quoting Akira from the 1993 arcade game ''{{wp|Virtua Fighter (video game)|Virtua Fighter}}''. During the second fight, he says "Evildoers do not deserve the Buddha's mercy!" This quotes splash text from ''Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still''. During the third and final fight, he says "I've etched your hot fists into my mind! I'll now call you my rival (friend)!" This references an idiosyncratic writing choice in the 1983 manga ''{{wp|Fist of the North Star}}'', where the main character Kenshiro uses the kanji for "rival" with an alternate reading that means "friend."
**When fighting [[Culex]], the [[Wind Crystal]] says "Hyu~ruri~ Hyu~rara~." This quotes the 1983 song "Ettō Tsubame".
**[[Valentina]] says "He's just a show-off. He's a small man." This quotes a line from Ritsuko Akagi in ''Neon Genesis Evangelion''.
**[[Zombone]] says "Not yet. I'm not dead yet." This quotes a line from ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam''.
**During the second phase of the [[Axem Rangers]] fight, [[the Blade]] says "C'mon, just use me from the start..." This references an in-joke among fans of the ''{{wp|Super Sentai}}'' franchise asking why the titular heroes don't open battles with their mechas.
**The [[Star Cruster]] says "KANI KANI doko KANI." This references a line from the 1987 [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]] game ''Sanma no Meitantei'', joking about the game's use of a crab for its cursor (as "kani" can mean both "crab" and "where?").
**[[Forkie]]s say "Tsun tsuku tsuku tsuku tsu~~n." This references a skit by Japanese comedians Shirō Itō and Masao Komatsu, in which they recite the New Year's carol "Haru no Umi" with this set of nonsense syllables.
**The [[Ameboid]] says "I don't know what kind of face to make at a time like this." This references a line by Rei Ayanami in ''Neon Genesis Evangelion''.
**The [[Ninja (enemy)|Ninja]] says "Nin nin nin nin nin nintomo kantomo." This references a catchphrase by the title character of the 1964 manga ''{{wp|Ninja Hattori-kun}}''.
**The [[Hippopo]] says "I'm not piloting it by choice either..." This refences a line by Shinji Ikari in ''Neon Genesis Evangelion''.
**The [[Machine Made]] version of [[Claymorton]] says "Mario! I have returned!!" This references a line by Anavel Gato in ''{{wp|Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory}}''.
**[[Domino]] says "Blam-blam-blam-blam... WON-DER-FUL♥" This references the ending of {{wp|Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (film)|the 1981 film adaptation}} of ''{{wp|Sailor Suit and Machine Gun}}''.
**[[Poundette]] says "AI WA KATSU." This quotes the title of {{wp|Ai wa Katsu|a 1990 song}} by Japanese musician {{wp|Kan (musician)|KAN}}.
**One unused thought in the game data says "I REALLY hate males...!" This references a quote by Quess Paraya ("I hate young guys because they say things like that!") in the 1988 animated film ''{{wp|Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack}}''.
*A number of Psychopath blurbs in the English version of the SNES release also reference western popular culture:
**The [[Stinger]] says "Strike the pose!" This quotes a line from the 1990 {{wp|Madonna}} song {{wp|Vogue (Madonna song)|"Vogue"}}. This reference is absent in the English translation of the remake.
**The [[Mini Goomba|Goombette]] says "Me speak soft, BIG STICK!" This parodies a quote from 26th United States president {{wp|Theodore Roosevelt}}, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." This reference is also omitted in the remake's English translation.
**The [[Machine Made]] version of [[Claymorton|Mack]] says "Mario! I'm BAAAAAAAACK!" This parodies the tagline to the 1986 horror movie ''{{wp|Poltergeist II: The Other Side}}''. Unlike the two references above, this one is preserved in the English translation of the remake.<ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo Unity|date=November 16, 2023|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwAq8OWJvUk|title=Super Mario RPG Remake - All Enemy Thoughts|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=November 24, 2023}}</ref>
*Upon encountering Bowyer, Mario attempts to simply charge toward Bowyer, fist punching, but Mallow holds him back and exclaims, "Who do think you ''ARE''??? {{wp|Bruce Lee}}!?" This reference is removed in the English translation of the remake.
*The game's end credits sequence features a nighttime portion heavily based on the {{wp|Walt Disney Parks and Resorts|Disney theme parks}}' {{wp|Main Street Electrical Parade}}, and the music track "Happy Parade, Delightful Parade" is a soundalike of said attraction's theme tune, "{{wp|Baroque Hoedown}}."
*While translating this game, [[Ted Woolsey]] initially wanted to name [[Punchinello]] "James Bomb," a reference to {{wp|James Bond (literary character)|James Bond}}, but Square America would not allow it.<ref>{{cite|url=www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Bob_Rork_Woolsey_Interview.html|title=Bob Rork Woolsey Interview|publisher=Chrono Compendium|language=en|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref> In the final game, however, Punchinello does introduce himself with a line referencing Bond's introductory quote: "The name's Nello...PUNCHINELLO!" He also says "It's clobbering time!", the catchphrase of {{wp|Thing (comics)|The Thing}} from ''{{wp|Fantastic Four|The Fantastic Four}}'', which is also used by [[Domino]]. These references are removed in the English translation of the remake.
*A [[mole (Super Mario RPG)|mole]] girl in [[Moleville]] sings the "Mi" and "Ti" portions of the "{{wp|Do-Re-Mi}}" show tune from ''{{wp|The Sound of Music}}''.
*In the original English localization only, the password clues on the [[Sunken Ship]] are attributed to famous explorers.
*The [[Axem Rangers]] are based on the ''{{wp|Super Sentai}}'' franchise. Their English name takes after ''{{wp|Power Rangers}}'', an Americanized version of the ''Super Sentai'' series which combines redubbed footage from the Japanese shows with original material.
*In the remake, Kerokero Cola is retranslated as [[Croaka Cola]],<ref name=ItemShop>{{cite|author=Shacknews|date=November 2, 2023|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Ie6Oo9rG8|title=Super Mario RPG Remake Item Shop Gameplay|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=November 2, 2023}}</ref> referencing the American soft drink brand {{wp|Coca-Cola}}.
*In the remake, [[High Boo]]'s English thought says "*sigh* ♪Stomp, stomp, clap. Stomp, stomp, clap.♪" This references the 1977 {{wp|Queen (band)|Queen}} song "{{wp|We Will Rock You}}", which features an identical rhythm of stomps and claps for its percussion section.
<gallery>
Link SMRPG screenshot.png|Link's cameo
SamusRPG.png|Samus's cameo
SMRPG Arwing Blue Falcon Fire Stingray.png|Arwing, Blue Falcon, and Fire Stingray
</gallery>

===''Paper Mario'' series===
====''[[Paper Mario]]''====
*The [[Koopa Bros.]] are based on the {{wp|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}}.
*When tattling [[Moustafa]] after he reveals his true identity, [[Goombario]] says, "Da da da Duuum!", the theme for collecting an item in a treasure chest from ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. In addition, Moustafa's alter ego [[Sheek]] is a reference to [[Sheik]] from ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''.
*Like in ''Super Mario RPG'' before it, this game's end credits sequence references the Main Street Electrical Parade.
*During the second fight against Bowser in the hallway, he says "Now witness the power of this fully operational [[Star Rod (Paper Mario)|Star Rod]]!" parodying a line from {{wp|Palpatine|Emperor Palpatine}} in ''{{wp|Return of the Jedi}}''.

====''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''====
*In the English version of the game, a [[Toad (species)|Toad]] in [[Petalburg]] mentions that his favorite [[Game Boy Advance]] game is ''[[fireemblem:Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade|Fire Emblem]]'' when talked to. In the Japanese version, the game he mentions is ''Super Mario Bros.''
*Petalburg shares its English name with [[bulbapedia:Petalburg City|a city]] in the ''[[bulbapedia:Pokémon (series)|Pokémon]]'' series. Two of the key items the player must obtain in this chapter, the [[Sun Stone]] and [[Moon Stone]], are also two types of [[bulbapedia:Evolutionary stone|evolutionary stones]] in ''Pokémon''.
*[[TEC-XX]] is likely based on {{wp|HAL 9000}}, the artificial intelligence serving as the antagonist of ''{{wp|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey}}''. Furthering this reference, in the Japanese version, as well as the Switch remake in all regions, TEC's camera has a red lens.
*In TEC-XX's quiz, one of the choices when he asks how to defeat the demon is a "legendary sword", a reference to the [[zeldawiki:Master Sword|Master Sword]] from the ''The Legend of Zelda'' series.
*[[Peeka]] and [[Lahla]]'s outfit is based on the {{wp|Playboy Bunny}} outfit, with cuffs and a bow tie. In the Japanese version, they wear bunny ears, though this was changed to cat ears in the North American and European releases, as well as the Switch remake.
*One of Goombella's tattles on the [[moon]] mentions a Goomba was sent there in "'69", referencing the {{wp|Apollo 11}} moon landing.
*A [[Flurrie]] fan in west [[Rogueport]] mentions plays Flurrie starred in such as "A Mid-Winter Day's Nap", "Scrambled Eggs and Hamlet" and "The Cowing of King Steer", which are references to {{wp|William Shakespeare}}'s plays.

====''[[Super Paper Mario]]''====
*When [[Fracktail]] searches its internal database to search for Mario's identity, its eyes are turned into the loading icon for the [[Wii#Wii Shop Channel|Wii Shop Channel]]. In addition, after [[Dimentio]] causes Fracktail to short-circuit, Fracktail says "I AM ERROR", a reference to the line spoken by the character [[zeldawiki:Error|Error]] from ''[[zeldawiki:Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'', as well as making a number of other computer error references.
*In [[Merlee's Mansion|Chapter 2-3]], Mario must pay Mimi a debt. Rather than coins, Mimi insists that the debt be repaid in [[Rubee]]s, a reference to [[zeldawiki:Rupee|Rupees]], the currency of the ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. [[Flipside Token]]s also resemble Rupees.
*The [[Training Machine]] item resembles a [[Nintendo DS]]. When it is given to [[Merluvlee]], she claims that it is used to train one's brain, a reference to the ''{{wp|Brain Age (series)|Brain Age}}'' series. [[Dorguy the Second]]'s puzzles are also similar to those of the ''Brain Age'' series. After solving them, he states that the players' "brain ages must be very young".
*[[The Underwhere]] and many of its aspects and inhabitants refer to the {{wp|Greek underworld}} mythology (i.e. [[Underchomp]] to {{wp|Cerberus}} and [[River Twygz]] to {{wp|Styx|River Styx}}).
*The battle with the Underchomp is based on text-based, turn-based RPGs, such as ''MOTHER'' and ''Dragon Warrior''.
*The Dining Specializer in [[Sweet Smiles]] and [[Hot Fraun]] resembles a DS Lite. Additionally, the top screen reads "Intellido IS." IS is an abbreviation of Intelligent Systems.
*In the first fight with [[Dimentio]], he transports the player and himself to [[Dimension D]], a dimension that he says makes him 256 times more powerful. This is a reference to the limitation of the N64, along with various other systems of the time, of having 256 possible values in an {{wp|Octet_(computing)|octet}}.{{ref needed}}
*In Chapter 3-4, Francis' computer room contains shelves with multiple Nintendo consoles. These include a [[Nintendo 64]], a [[Nintendo GameCube]], a [[Family Computer]], a [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], a [[Virtual Boy]], and a [[Wii]]. The Wii can only be seen in 3D.

====''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]''====
*The business of [[Shady Toad]] and [[Sling-a-Thing Toad]] is implied to be illegal and secret, referencing the real-life {{wp|Black market|black markets}}.
*The [[Squirt Gun]] sticker is based on {{wp|First-person shooter|first-person shooter}} games when used in-battle.

====''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]''====
*The [[Fan]] Thing animation movie—in which a giant fan emerges from Earth's horizon in outer space—is a reference to the final scene of the film ''{{wp|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey}}'', including the music played during said scene.
*In [[Bloo Bay Beach]], the [[Five Fun Guys]] manager references the real life {{wp|Watergate scandal}}. He mentions "Shufflegate: Exposed," referencing ''Watergate Exposed'', a book on the event.
*In [[Indigo Underground]], the [[Shunned Guy]] turning backwards as horror music plays references the film ''{{wp|The Exorcist (film)|The Exorcist}}''.<ref>''Paper Mario: Color Splash internal filename (<tt>\content\script\btl\enemy\heiho\as_btl_heiho_exorcist.bin.lz</tt>)</ref>
*In [[Violet Passage]], during the Shy Guy attack on the ship, Huey evades a cannonball by tilting backwards, and the scene is played in slow motion while the camera turns around him. This references the famous bullet-dodge scene in ''{{wp|The Matrix}}''.<ref>''Paper Mario: Color Splash internal filename (<tt>\content\script\btl\enemy\heiho\as_btl_heiho_matrix.bin.lz</tt>)</ref>
*In [[Fort Cobalt]], the blue [[Rescue Squad]] [[Toad (species)|Toad]] hiding in a cardboard box at the beginning, who claims to be "practically invisible in this inconspicuous cardboard box", is a reference to [[Konami]]'s ''{{wp|Metal Gear}}'' series, whose [[Solid Snake|main protagonist]] often uses a cardboard box to hide from enemies. The Toad also mentions the discovery of a secret weapon, which is the main plot of the series.
*The [[Toadmaster General]] says, "Nothing can stop the mail! Not rain, nor sleet, nor hail, nor crooked signs, nor [[Draggadon]]... Well, maybe Draggadon. But the point is that we're back on the straight and narrow." This is a parody of the {{wp|United States Postal Service creed}}, which reads, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
*One of the quotes uttered by the [[Shield Guy]] enemies "Defense wins games!" references the {{wp|Bear Bryant}} quote "Defense wins championships."

====''[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]''====
*Olivia says "Alright! Shake it like a piece of outdated photographic paper!" before lowering the entrance to [[Overlook Tower]], a paraphrased version of the lyric "Shake it like a Polaroid picture" from the song "{{wp|Hey Ya!}}" by the hip-hop group {{wp|Outkast}}.
*[[Samus Aran|Samus]]'s helmet appears in the game as the [[Space Warrior Mask]].
*[[King Olly]]'s creation of the thousand origami cranes is a reference to the Japanese {{wp|orizuru}} legend.
*In [[Autumn Mountain]], Mario can find a Toad climbing a cliff near the Water Vellumental Shrine. This Toad says he does not have enough stamina to make it up the cliff, but says he is glad it is not raining, which is a reference to the climbing system in ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]]''.
*The entire [[The Great Sea|Great Sea]] area is based on ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]]'', and shares its name with the sea in said game. Additionally:
**The sailing mechanics play out very similarly to the ones in said game.
**Mario needs three orbs to unlock the [[Sea Tower]], like Link needs three pearls to open the [[zeldawiki:Tower of the Gods|Tower of the Gods]].
**On [[Diamond Island]], Mario completes the Trials of Courage, Wisdom, and Power, which correspond to the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce]] pieces from the ''Zelda'' series. The temples these trials are found in also match the color scheme of their respective pieces.
**The [[Sea Chart]] looks very similar to the map in ''The Wind Waker'', and is filled out in a similar way.
**The Sea Tower is visually reminiscent of the Tower of the Gods, has a similar setup in terms of progression (self-contained floors with a major puzzle spanning multiple rooms) and has similar outdoor sections where Mario needs to climb the outside of the tower to proceed up to the boss.
**Some of the rooms of the Sea Tower are based on the four Vellumental temples, similar to the four areas of [[zeldawiki:Ganon's Tower (The Wind Waker)|Ganon's Tower]] that take on the theme of the four main dungeons.
**If Mario talks to Olivia after completing the three trials, she says, "You've got power, wisdom, AND courage, Mario...but I don't think that's a secret to anybody." This references a line of dialogue from the series' first game, ''The Legend of Zelda'': "It's a secret to everybody."
*The music that plays in the ring puzzles in the [[Battle Lab]] has a sound strongly reminiscent of the {{wp|Yamaha YM2612}}, the FM sound chip used by the {{wp|Sega Genesis}}.
*On [[Spade Island]], there is a Toad stuck in a barrel at the centre of the island. The way Mario frees him (by using other Toads as keys to push him up out of the barrel) seems to be a reference to the {{wp|Pop-up Pirate}} toy.
*Mario can find a Toad near [[Shogun Studios]] shouting "Let me in — LET ME IN!", which is a reference to a skit in ''{{wp|The Eric Andre Show}}''.
*The last two acts at the [[Big Sho' Theater]] are based on ''{{wp|West Side Story}}'' and ''{{wp|Swan Lake}}'' respectively, with the latter using the same music as well as an arrangement of it.
*There is a side mission that involves going out to the Great Sea and finding a shell to cook it. Inside the shell is [[Toad's BBQ Foodeatery caretaker|a topless Toad]], and the way he poses when opening the shell is a reference to the painting ''{{wp|The Birth of Venus}}'', painted by Sandro Botticelli.<ref>''Paper Mario: The Origami King'' internal data. Entries for <tt>KNPN</tt> in <tt>data_npc_model.elf.zst</tt> name the animations for the pose <tt>ヴィーナスポーズ起きる</tt> (Venus pose getting up), <tt>ヴィーナスポーズ静止</tt> (Venus pose standing), and <tt>ヴィーナスポーズ話し</tt> (Venus pose talking).</ref>
*In Toad Town, one Toad lives in a house with a bunch of Goombas. He comments, "It's like we're total opposites! Say, this gives me a great idea for a TV show that's never been done...," referencing ''{{wp|The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple}}''.
*A Toad who is transformed into a bug in the [[Earth Vellumental Temple]] mentions that he has read a book about it before, referencing ''{{wp|The Metamorphosis}}''.
*A text box reading "Paradise Found" appears over the introduction of [[Shangri-Spa]], which is a play on the title of ''{{wp|Paradise Lost}}''.
*The game contains a running gag in which numerous characters say a variation of the phrase "I'm [verb]-ing here," a reference to the line "I'm walkin' here!" from the 1969 buddy drama film ''[[wikipedia:Midnight Cowboy|Midnight Cowboy]]''.<ref>{{cite|author=MarioBrothBlog|url=x.com/MarioBrothBlog/status/1399810082477686787|title=Paper Mario: The Origami King contains a running gag where Dustin Hoffman's line "Hey! I'm walkin' here!" from the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy (left) is referenced in various ways. Below are all instances of the reference in the game.|publisher=X|date=June 1, 2021|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
*[["Thrills at Night"]] is a soundalike of "{{wp|Thriller (song)|Thriller}}" by {{wp|Michael Jackson}}. The scene where Mario and the faceless Toads dance to the track is a reference to the {{wp|Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video)|music video}} for the song, featuring similar dance moves.<ref>''Paper Mario: The Origami King'' internal data. Entries for <tt>KNP_Dance</tt> in <tt>data_npc_model.elf.zst</tt> name the animation for the dance <tt>スリラー</tt>, translating to "Thriller".</ref>

===[[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario & Luigi'' series]]===
====''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' / ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions]]''====
{{multiple image
|align=right
|direction=horizontal
|footer=Movie posters at the [[Yoshi Theater (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga)|Yoshi Theater]].
|width=49.5
|image1=Kirby Story.png
|alt1=''Kirby Story''
|image2=Legend of Stafy poster.png
|alt2=''Legend of Stafy''
}}
*In the original game, two posters at the [[Yoshi Theater (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga)|Yoshi Theater]] advertise films centered around [[Kirby]] and [[Starfy|Stafy]].
*[[Starbeans Cafe]] is a pun on {{wp|Starbucks}}.
*Wario, [[Fox|Fox McCloud]], Captain Olimar, Samus Aran, an Excitebike Racer and [[Link]] [[List of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga pre-release and unused content|were all going to make appearances at the shop]], but they were all replaced by a single appearance from [[Professor Elvin Gadd|Professor E. Gadd]]. They were all planned to give Mario certain special items, but these are given out by E. Gadd and most were renamed in the final game. The items would have been as follows:
**Fox would have given the Gold Ring, a reference to the [[lylatwiki:Supply Ring|Supply Rings]] of the ''Star Fox'' series (renamed the [[Bonus Ring]]).
**Olimar would have given the UV Lamp, one of his ship parts in ''Pikmin'' (renamed the [[Cobalt Necktie]]).
**Samus gives an Energy Tank from the ''Metroid'' series (renamed the [[Power Grip]]).
**The Excitebike Racer gives the [[Excite Spring]]; this is the only item that was not renamed for the released game.
**Link gives Mario and Luigi the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce]] (renamed the [[Great Force]]). Coincidentally, for [[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions|the remake]], not only was the Great Force redesigned to resemble the item it replaced, but Mario and Luigi's obtaining it was also accompanied by the ''Legend of Zelda'' games' "item get" jingle.
*In [[Bink]]'s mini-game [[Barrel (minigame)|Barrel]], an 8-bit [[zeldawiki:Stalfos|Stalfos]] sprite from the original ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' will appear on the right for a few seconds once the player gets 30 points.
*The [[Secret Specs]], a version-exclusive item that replaces the Power Grip in the remake, resembles the top half of a [[Virtual Boy]].
{{br|left}}

====''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]''====
*The [[Shroob]]s' method of fueling their ships is to extract Toad [[Vim]], a reference to ''[[wikipedia:The War of the Worlds|The War of the Worlds]]'' and how the Martians use human blood to fuel their ships.
*[[Princess Shroob]]'s throne has three legs, making it resemble a Tripod from ''The War of the Worlds''.

====''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''====
*Before [[Fawful]] gives Bowser a [[Vacuum Shroom]], he says "A WINNER IS YOU", a line from the ending of ''[[nwiki:Pro Wrestling|Pro Wrestling]]''.
*In [[Toad Town]], Mario and Luigi meet a Toad who teaches them how to dig up special beans. After finishing, he states, "Find all you can. They're a secret to everybody!", in reference to how Moblins in ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' would give Link free Rupees after saying, "It's a secret to everybody."
*[[Princess Lipid]]'s way to give the bros. [[badge]]s is similar to ''{{wp|The Honest Woodcutter}}'', one of Aesop's Fables.

====''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]''====
*[[Wakeport]] is a pun on Wayport, Inc. This place also appears to be based on {{wp|Mykonos}}.

==''Mario Party'' series==
The English names of many minigames in this series are references to United States and international popular culture.

===''Mario Party 2''===
*[[Dizzy Dancing]] is a pun on ''{{wp|Dirty Dancing}}''.
*[[Day at the Races]] is derived from the 1937 film ''{{wp|A Day at the Races (film)|A Day at the Races}}''.

===''Mario Party 3''===
*[[Aces High]] is a reference to the {{wp|Iron Maiden}} {{wp|Aces High (song)|song}} of the same name.
*[[Water Whirled]] is a pun on the 1995 film ''{{wp|Waterworld}}''.
*[[Etch 'n' Catch]] is derived from the {{wp|Etch A Sketch}}.
*[[Motor Rooter]] is a pun on {{wp|Roto-Rooter}}.

===''Mario Party 4''===
*[[Hop or Pop]] is derived from the 1963 book ''{{wp|Hop on Pop}}'' by {{wp|Dr. Seuss}}.
*[[Blame It on the Crane]] is derived from "{{wp|Blame It on the Rain}}" by {{wp|Milli Vanilli}}.
*[[Mario Speedwagons]] is a pun on the rock band name {{wp|REO Speedwagon}}.
*[[Rumble Fishing (Mario Party 4)|Rumble Fishing]] is a pun on the novel ''{{wp|Rumble Fish (novel)|Rumble Fish}}'' by {{wp|S. E. Hinton}}.

===''Mario Party 5''===
*[[Mazed & Confused]] is derived from "{{wp|Dazed and Confused}}" by {{wp|Led Zeppelin}}.
*[[Night-Light Fright|Night Light Fright]] is derived from "Bright Light Fright" by {{wp|Aerosmith}}.
*[[Merry Poppings]] is a pun on {{wp|Mary Poppins (character)|Mary Poppins}}.
*[[Bound of Music]] is derived from the 1959 musical ''{{wp|The Sound of Music}}''.
*[[Coney Island (minigame)|Coney Island]] is named after {{wp|Coney Island}} in New York City.
*[[Mario Can-Can]] is derived from the {{wp|can-can}} dance.
*[[Twist 'n' Out]] is a pun on "{{wp|Twist and Shout}}" by {{wp|the Top Notes}}.

===''Mario Party 6''===
*[[Circuit Maximus]] is derived from the ancient racing arena {{wp|Circus Maximus}}.
*[[Stamp By Me]] is a pun on "{{wp|Stand by Me (song)|Stand by Me}}" by {{wp|Ben E. King}}
*[[Smashdance]] is derived from the 1983 film ''{{wp|Flashdance}}''.
*[[Mowtown]] is a pun on the record label {{wp|Motown|Motown Records}}.
*[[Tally Me Banana]] is taken from a line in "{{wp|Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)}}" popularized by {{wp|Harry Belafonte}}.
*[[Pier Factor]] is a pun on the television show ''{{wp|Fear Factor}}''.

===''Mario Party Advance''===
*[[Shroomlock]] takes his name from the first name of {{wp|Sherlock Holmes}}, and claims to be from "Toadland Yard," a reference to {{wp|Scotland Yard}}.

===''Mario Party 7''===
*[[Ghost in the Hall]] is derived from ''{{wp|Ghost in the Shell}}''.
*[[Spinner Cell]] is a pun on ''{{wp|Splinter Cell}}''.
*[[Snow Ride]] is a pun on "{{wp|Slow Ride}}" by {{wp|Foghat}}.
*[[Oil Crisis]] is a reference to the {{wp|1973 oil crisis}}.
*[[La Bomba]] is a pun on "{{wp|La Bamba (song)|La Bamba}}" popularized by {{wp|Ritchie Valens}}.
*[[Spray Anything]] is a pun on the 1989 film ''{{wp|Say Anything...}}''
*[[Wheel of Woe]] is a reference to the television show ''{{wp|Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune}}''.
*[[Sphere Factor]] is a pun on the television show ''{{wp|Fear Factor}}''.
*[[The Final Countdown]] is a reference to the {{wp|Europe (band)|Europe}} {{wp|The Final Countdown (song)|song}} of the same name.
*[[Apes of Wrath]] is a pun on the 1939 novel ''{{wp|The Grapes of Wrath}}'' by {{wp|John Steinbeck}}.
*[[A Bridge Too Short]] is a play on the 1947 book ''{{wp|A Bridge Too Far (book)|A Bridge Too Far}}'' by {{wp|Cornelius Ryan}}.
*[[Tunnel of Lava!]] is a pun on "tunnel of love", another name used for {{wp|Old Mill (ride)|Old Mill}} rides.
*[[Funderwall!]] is a pun on "{{wp|Wonderwall}}" by {{wp|Oasis (band)|Oasis}}.
*Purchasing Cruise Secrets results in the appearance of the text "Shh... It's a secret to everybody!", a quote from ''The Legend of Zelda''.

===''Mario Party 8''===
*[[Mario Matrix]] references elements from the 1999 film ''{{wp|The Matrix}}'' such as the characters entering a cybernetic world inside the computer and the green background resembling green rain of codes.
*[[Paint Misbehavin']] is a pun on "{{wp|Ain't Misbehavin' (song)|Ain't Misbehavin'}} by {{wp|Andy Razaf}}.
*[[Blazing Lassos]] is derived from the 1989 video game ''{{wp|Blazing Lazers}}'' or the 1974 film ''{{wp|Blazing Saddles}}''.
*[[Bowser]]'s line "Let's do the crime warp again!" in [[Bowser's Warped Orbit]] is a reference to a line in the ''{{wp|The Rocky Horror Show|Rocky Horror Show}}'' song "{{wp|Time Warp (song)|Time Warp}}," "Let's do the time warp again."

===''Mario Party DS''===
*[[Twist and Route]] is a pun on "{{wp|Twist and Shout}}" by {{wp|the Top Notes}}.

===''Mario Party: Island Tour''===
*[[Grid is Good]] is a pun on the quote "greed is good" from the 1987 film ''{{wp|Wall Street (1987 film)|Wall Street}}''.
*[[Xylophone Home]] is a pun on the quote "E.T. phone home" from the 1982 film ''{{wp|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial}}''.
*[[Mild Gunman]] is a pun on the 1985 video game ''{{wp|Wild Gunman}}''.
*[[Tile Savvy]] is a pun on the ''{{wp|Style Savvy}}'' video game series.
*[[Garden of Eatin']] is a pun on the {{wp|Garden of Eden}}.
*[[Great Bars of Fire]] is a pun on "{{wp|Great Balls of Fire}}" by {{wp|Jerry Lee Lewis}}.
*[[Deck Hunt]] is a pun on the 1984 video game ''{{wp|Duck Hunt}}''. Its British English name, "Skateboard Scramble", is derived from the toy {{wp|Screwball Scramble}}.
*[[Git Along, Goomba]] is derived from the American folk song "{{wp|Git Along, Little Dogies}}".
*[[Drive for Show]] is derived from the quote, "You drive for show, but putt for dough." by late golfer {{wp|Bobby Locke}}.
*[[Slip Not]] is a pun on {{wp|Slipknot (disambiguation)|slipknot}} which could refer to the band {{wp|Slipknot (band)|Slipknot}}.
*[[Mad Ladders]] is a pun on the {{wp|Hatter (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|Mad Hatter}} character from {{wp|Lewis Carroll}}'s novels ''{{wp|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland}}'' and ''{{wp|Through the Looking-Glass}}''.
*The British English name for [[Bob-omb Aplomb]], "Kick Kick Boom", is a pun on "{{wp|Tick Tick Boom (song)|Tick Tick Boom}}" by {{wp|the Hives}}.

===''Mario Party 10''===
*[[Fruit of the Doom]] is a reference to the American clothing company {{wp|Fruit of the Loom}}.
*[[Bubble Squabble]] is a pun on the 1986 video game ''{{wp|Bubble Bobble}}''.

===''Mario Party: Star Rush''===
*[[Samurai Smackdown]] may be a reference to the ''{{wp|Samurai Shodown}}'' fighting game series.
*[[Steal Diver]] is a pun on the 2011 game ''{{wp|Steel Diver}}''.
*[[House of Boos]] is directly based on the ''{{wp|Pac-Man}}'' arcade game.

===''Super Mario Party''===
*[[Don't Wake Wiggler!]] is a reference to the board game ''{{wp|Don't Wake Daddy}}''.
*[[Rumble Fishing (Super Mario Party)|Rumble Fishing]] is a pun on the novel ''{{wp|Rumble Fish (novel)|Rumble Fish}}'' by {{wp|S. E. Hinton}}.
*[[Rattle and Hmmm]] is a pun on the {{wp|U2}} album ''{{wp|Rattle and Hum}}''.
*[[Pie Hard]] is a pun on the 1988 film ''{{wp|Die Hard}}''.
*[[Maths of Glory]] is a pun on the 1957 film ''{{wp|Paths of Glory}}''.
*[[Train in Pain]] is a pun on "{{wp|Train in Vain}}" by {{wp|The Clash}}.
*[[Home on the 'Rang]] is a pun on the American folk song "{{wp|Home on the Range}}".
*[[Fiddler on the Hoof]] is a pun on the 1964 musical ''{{wp|Fiddler on the Roof}}''.

==''Mario Golf'' series==
===''[[NES Open Tournament Golf]]''===
*The English localized title for this spiritual predecessor to ''Mario Golf'' is a reference to the actual {{wp|U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open}} golfing championship.

===''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|Mario Golf]]'' (N64)===
*The names of various ''The Legend of Zelda'' and ''Star Fox'' characters appear on the scoreboard in the international version.

===''[[Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)|Mario Golf]]'' (GBC)===
*The last club is called "Links Club" and uses the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce]] as its logo.

===''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]''===
[[File:MGTT_Pikmin.jpg|thumb|Pikmin flying out from a patch of flowers.]]
*If the golf ball is hit and lands on a patch of flowers, several [[Pikmin]] will pop out from the ground.
*The Coin Attack mode can spawn coin formations in the shape of the Triforce.

===''[[Mario Golf: Advance Tour]]''===
*[[nookipedia:Mr. Resetti|Mr. Resetti]]'s name can be seen on the scorecard.

==''[[Mario is Missing!]]''==
*In the PC version, there is an unused audio file that plays dialogue from the ''{{wp|Star Trek: The Original Series}}'' episode "[http://www.en.memoryalpha.org/The%20Ultimate%20Computer The Ultimate Computer]". The file is named PAT.WAV, possibly referencing one of the game's programmers Pat McCarthy.

==''Mario's Early Years!''==
The following is a list of songs appearing in ''[[Mario's Early Years! Fun with Letters]]'', ''[[Mario's Early Years! Fun with Numbers]]'', and ''[[Mario's Early Years! Preschool Fun]]''.
*{{wp|Five Little Monkeys}}
*{{wp|Itsy Bitsy Spider}}
*{{wp|If You're Happy and You Know It}}
*{{wp|It's Raining, It's Pouring}}
*{{wp|I'm a Little Teapot}}
*{{wp|Old MacDonald Had a Farm}}
*{{wp|One, Two, Buckle My Shoe}}
*{{wp|Ten Little Indians}} (retitled as "Three Little Koopas")
*{{wp|Alphabet song#The A.B.C. (Verse 1)|The English alphabet song}}
*{{wp|The Wheels on the Bus}}
*{{wp|This Old Man}}
*{{wp|Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star}}

==''[[Kinopio Live]]''==
The game features songs by {{wp|Elton John}} and the song "{{wp|My Heart Will Go On}}" by {{wp|Celine Dion}} translated in Japanese.

==''[[Mario Ice Capades]]''==
The "Purple Plunger for Bravery" is a reference to the {{wp|Purple Heart}} military medal.
==''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]''==
Most episodes of the show are references to books, movies, and songs, usually from around the 1980s.
{|class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width: 100%"
!width="40%"|Episode
!width="60%"|Reference
|-
|[[Day of the Orphan]]
|{{wp|Day of the Dead (1985 film)|Day of the Dead}}
|-
|[[Butch Mario & The Luigi Kid]]
|{{wp|Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid}}
|-
|[[Mario's Magic Carpet]]
|{{wp|Aladdin|Aladdin's}} {{wp|Oil lamp|magic lamp}}
|-
|[[Slime Busters]]
|{{wp|Ghostbusters}}
|-
|[[Rolling Down the River]]
|"Rollin' on the river" (from {{wp|Proud Mary}})
|-
|[[The Mario Monster Mash]]
|{{wp|Monster Mash}}
|-
|[[Mario and the Beanstalk]]
|{{wp|Jack and the Beanstalk}}
|-
|[[Will the Real Elvis Please Shut Up!]]
|"Will the real [name] please stand up?" (from ''{{wp|To Tell the Truth}}'')
|-
|[[Alligator Dundee (episode)|Alligator Dundee]]
|{{wp|Crocodile Dundee|"Crocodile" Dundee}}
|-
|[[Wild Thing]]
|{{wp|Wild Thing (The Troggs song)|Wild Thing}}
|-
|[[Toad Warriors]]
|{{wp|Mad Max 2|The Road Warrior}}
|-
|[[E.C. The Extra Creepy]]
|{{wp|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial}}
|-
|[[Count Koopula]]
|{{wp|Count Dracula}}
|-
|[[Pirates of Koopa]]
|{{wp|The Pirates of Penzance}}
|-
|[[Do You Believe In Magic?]]
|{{wp|Do You Believe in Magic (song)|Do You Believe in Magic}}
|-
|[[Two Plumbers and a Baby]]
|{{wp|Three Men and a Baby}}
|-
|[[The Adventures of Sherlock Mario]]
|{{wp|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes}}
|-
|[[Mario Hillbillies]]
|{{wp|The Beverly Hillbillies}}
|-
|[[The Pied Koopa]]
|{{wp|Pied Piper of Hamelin}}
|-
|[[Koopenstein]]
|{{wp|Frankenstein}}
|-
|[[Baby Mario Love]]
|{{wp|Baby Love}}
|-
|[[On Her Majesty's Sewer Service]]
|{{wp|On Her Majesty's Secret Service (novel)|On Her Majesty's Secret Service}}
|-
|[[9001: A Mario Odyssey]]
|{{wp|2001: A Space Odyssey}}
|-
|[[Mario and Joliet]]
|{{wp|Romeo and Juliet}}
|-
|[[Tutti Frutti, oh Mario]]
|"Tutti Frutti Oh Rutti" (from {{wp|Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti}})
|-
|[[Hooded Robin and His Mario Men]]
|{{wp|Robin Hood}} and his {{wp|Merry Men}}
|-
|[[20,000 Koopas Under the Sea]]
|{{wp|Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea}}
|-
|[[Mario Meets Koop-zilla]]
|{{wp|Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla}}
|-
|[[Koopa Klaus]]
|{{wp|Santa Claus}}
|-
|[[Little Marios]]
|{{wp|Little Women}}
|-
|[[George Washington Slept Here]]
|{{wp|George Washington Slept Here}}
|-
|[[The Mark of Zero]]
|{{wp|The Curse of Capistrano|The Mark of Zorro}}
|-
|[[The Trojan Koopa]]
|{{wp|Trojan Horse}}
|-
|[[Quest for Pizza]]
|{{wp|Quest for Fire (film)|Quest for Fire}}
|-
|[[Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn]]
|{{wp|The Treasure of the Sierra Madre}}
|-
|[[Karate Koopa]]
|{{wp|The Karate Kid}}
|-
|[[Mario of the Apes]]
|{{wp|Tarzan of the Apes}}
|-
|[[Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers]]
|{{wp|Honey, I Shrunk the Kids}}
|-
|[[Little Red Riding Princess]]
|{{wp|Little Red Riding Hood}}
|-
|[[The Provolone Ranger]]
|{{wp|Lone Ranger}}
|-
|[[Goodbye Mr. Fish]]
|{{wp|Goodbye, Mr. Chips}}
|-
|[[Escape from Koopatraz]]
|{{wp|Escape from Alcatraz (film)|Escape from Alcatraz}}
|-
|[[Tutti Frutti, oh Mario|Tutti Frutti Mario]]
|{{wp|Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti}}
|-
|[[Raiders of the Lost Mushroom]]
|{{wp|Raiders of the Lost Ark}}
|-
|[[Cyrano de Mario]]
|{{wp|Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac}}
|-
|[[Crocodile Mario]]
|{{wp|Crocodile Dundee}}
|-
|[[Star Koopa]]
|{{wp|Star Wars (film)|Star Wars}}
|-
|[[Santa Claus is Coming to Flatbush]]
|{{wp|Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town}}
|-
|[[Robo Koopa (episode)|Robo Koopa]]
|{{wp|RoboCop}}
|}

The episode "Star Koopa" contains many references to the first three ''Star Wars'' movies: the [[Koop Star]] is based on the {{wp|Death Star}}, [[Stormtroopa]]s are based on {{wp|Stormtrooper (Star Wars)|Stormtroopers}}, [[Lightplunger]]s are based on {{wp|Lightsaber}}s, [[Mushroom Starfighter]]s are based on {{wp|X-wing fighter|X-wing starfighters}}, the [[Flying Pizza]] is based on the {{wp|Millenium Falcon}}, the [[Mushroom Planet]] is based on {{wp|Tatooine}}, the [[Stormtroopa Starfighter|Stormtroopa's starfighters]] are based on {{wp|TIE fighter}}s, the [[Garbage Pod]] is based on an escape pod, [[Obi-Wan Toadi]] is based on {{wp|Obi-Wan Kenobi}}, [[King Koopa's alter egos#Darth Koopa|Darth Koopa]] is based on {{wp|Darth Vader}}, [[Mouser]]'s role and costume is based on {{wp|Grand Moff Tarkin}}, the [[Intergalactic InSinkErator]] is based on Garbage Compactor 3263827, Mario Skywalker is named after {{wp|Luke Skywalker}}, and the phrase ''"May the pasta be with you."'', said by Princess Toadstool and Obi-Wan Toadi, is a reference to the phrase ''"May the force be with you."'' The Intergalactic InSinkErator is also named after the {{wp|InSinkErator}} brand of garbage disposals.

==''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]''==
The songs "[[List of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 songs#Smelly Town|Smelly Town]]" and "[[List of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 songs#My Karoobi|My Karoobi]]" are parodies of the real songs "{{wp|Surf City (song)|Surf City}}" and "{{wp|My Sharona}}" respectively.

==''[[Super Mario World (television series)|Super Mario World]]'' television series==
Several songs are parodies of real, copyrighted songs.
{|class=wikitable style="text-align: center; width: 100%"
!width="30%"|Parody Song
!width="33%"|Original Song
|-
|At the Circus
|This Is It (from ''{{wp|The Bugs Bunny Show}}'')
|-
|Wizard
|{{wp|Thriller (song)|Thriller}}
|-
|Rockin' With the Sleigh Bells
|{{wp|Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree}}
|-
|Time to Get Wild
|{{wp|Born to Be Wild}}
|-
|Listen to the Grapevine
|{{wp|I Heard It Through the Grapevine}}
|-
|Rockin' the High School
|{{wp|Rock 'n' Roll High School (song)|Rock 'n' Roll High School}}
|}
In "[[Rock TV]]", several shows, TV channels, and companies in the episode are either parodies of or are actually real life shows, channels or companies including ''{{wp|Mister Rogers' Neighborhood|Mr. Koopa's Neighborhood}}'', ''{{wp|PBS}}'', ''{{wp|Panasonic|Koopasonic}}'', and ''{{wp|WWE|World Dinosaur Wrestling Federation}}''. Mario's line "I want my Rock TV!" is a parody of {{wp|MTV|MTV's}} slogan, "I Want My MTV." The family that King Koopa spies on is watching ''{{wp|Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune}}''.

==''[[Super Mario-kun]]''==
*Kirby makes a cameo in one volume.
*Mario makes a passing reference to {{wp|Doraemon (character)|Doraemon}} in volume 3, confusing Doraemon with "Dorabon" (or "Drabon" in the French localization), the Japanese name for [[Rex]].
*In the French release of ''Super Mario-kun'' volume 3, after having trouble recalling enemies from ''[[Super Mario Land]]'', Mario finally recognizes their origin game, but Luigi asks if he meant ''Sonic the Hedgehog''.<ref>Mario (beaten up): "''Oui! Vous étiez dans le jeu ''Super Mario Land''... ("Yes! You were in the game ''Super Mario Land''...''")<br>Luigi: "''T'es sûr que ce n'était pas ''Sonic le Hérison''? (You're sure that wasn't ''Sonic the Hedgehog''?)''"<br>Sawada; translated by Florent Gorges. ''Super Mario: Manga Adventures'', volume 3, p. 153.</ref>
*In volume 4, there is a chapter based on ''The Legend of Zelda'', in which, while on the way to save Princess Peach, Mario and friends are warped to Hyrule. At the end of the chapter, several F-Zero racers make a cameo.
<gallery>
Kirby SuperMarioKun.png|[[Kirby]]
SMKun 4 chapter 4.jpg|''The Legend of Zelda'' reference
Darknut SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:Darknut|Darknut]]
FourthWall Breaking SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|A reference to the heads-up display in ''The Legend of Zelda''
Rupees Heart SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:Rupee|Rupees]] and [[zeldawiki:Recovery Heart|Hearts]], common items from the ''Legend of Zelda'' games
Octorok SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:Octorok|Octoroks]]
River Zora SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:River Zora|River Zoras]]
Fairy SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:Fairy|Fairy]]
FairyFountain SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:Fairy Fountain|Fairy Fountain]]
Bowser Fairy SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|Bowser cross-dressing as a fairy emerges from the Fairy Fountain.
Armos SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:Armos|Armos]]
Agahnim SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|[[zeldawiki:Agahnim|Agahnim]]
F-Zero Joke ending SuperMarioKun 4.jpg|F-Zero racers
</gallery>

==[[Super Mario Bros. Watch]]es==
*When starting up ''[[Mario's Egg Catch]]'', {{wp|Pop Goes the Weasel}} can be heard. During [[Game Over]], {{wp|Jarabe Tapatío}} is played.<ref>{{cite|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xP0sZ5MqDs|title=Nintendo Mario's Egg Catch Game Watch|author=Sly DC|publisher=YouTube|date=November 19, 2015|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
*When starting up ''[[Luigi's Hammer Toss]]'', {{wp|La Cucaracha}} can be heard.<ref>{{cite|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6XQByYqkws|author=Sly DC|publisher=YouTube|date=November 20, 2015|title=Nintendo Luigi's Hammer Toss Game Watch|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>

==''[[Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up]]''==
*[[Link]] makes appearances in the Chef/Waitress page, as a patron at Mario's restaurant, and on the Travel Guide page as the travel guide. A [[Zeldawiki:Bot|Bot]], [[Zeldawiki:Daira|Daira]], and [[Zeldawiki:Moblin|Moblin]], enemies from the early ''Legend of Zelda'' series, appear on other pages.

==''Wario Land'' series==
===''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]''===
*Several sound effects of this game are borrowed from ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid II: Return of Samus|Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', such as the pause sound effect and the sound that plays when [[Wario]] hits a boss. Both games were developed by the same developers, and run on the same engine.

===''[[Wario Land II]]''===
[[File:WL2 FlagmanDD.png|thumb|Flagman D-D]]
*When the player has completed the game a remake of the 1980 [[Game & Watch]] game ''[[Flagman]]'' appears, called [[Flagman D-D]].
*Some of the treasures in this game are references to other games, such as the [[Return the hen to her nest|Pegasus Boot]] and the [[Stop that train! (In Town)|Ocarina]] from ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' series, as well as a [[Don't shock the owl!|Metroid]] from the [[metroidwiki:Metroid (series)|''Metroid'']] series.
{{br}}

===''[[Wario Land 3]]''===
[[File:Gba!.PNG|thumb|left|The Pocket Pet]]
In [[The Big Bridge]], there is a collectable based on the [[bulbapedia:Pokémon Pikachu|Pokémon Pikachu]].
{{br}}

===''[[Wario Land 4]]''===
[[File:Item Shopkeeper Smile.png|thumb|The smile in the [[Item Shop (Wario Land 4)|Item Shop]] menu.]]
The [[smile]] is a reference to the Japanese {{wp|McDonald's}} menu, in which the charge of a smile is ¥0.
{{br}}

==''Donkey Kong Country'' series==
===''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''===
*In the [[Game Boy Advance]] version of ''Donkey Kong Country'', Sabrewulf from Rare's ''{{wp|Killer Instinct}}'' fighting game series is stuffed and mounted in [[Cranky's Cabin]], but it is still alive as he occasionally blinks.

===''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]''===
[[File:Crankys Video Game Heroes DKC2.png|thumb|160x160px|Cranky's Video Game Heroes]]
*[[Dixie Kong]]'s hat features a [[Rare Ltd.|Rare]] logo pin on it. This stayed with her until 2002, after the company was bought out by {{wp|Microsoft}}.
*Chief Thunder, a character from ''{{wp|Killer Instinct}}'', makes a cameo on a poster found in Cranky's [[Monkey Museum]]. Also within the museum is a ''Killer Instinct'' arcade cabinet.
*After the player has beaten the game, they can take part in [[Cranky's Video Game Heroes]] competition. The competition is simply whichever video game hero can collect the most DK Coins. When the player first sees this competition the heroes already present are [[Mario]], [[Yoshi]] and [[Link]]. A garbage can can also be seen in the bottom corner of the screen next to [[Sonic|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'s shoes and Earthworm Jim's raygun, with a sign saying "No hopers" on the can, a jab at [[Sega]]. These were removed in the Game Boy Advance version, which was released after that company's rivalry with Nintendo ended.
*The music for [[Barrel Bayou (Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest)|the]] [[Krockhead Klamber (Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest)|swamp]] [[Mudhole Marsh (Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest)|levels]] has a part that sounds similar to {{wp|Phil Collins}}'s "{{wp|In the Air Tonight}}". The composer for the game, [[David Wise]], confirmed that the similarity was intentional.<ref>{{cite|url=x.com/David_Wise/status/573863740099158016|title=@pantalytron No coincidence. I was trying to get the SNES to sound like the Roland CR78 that Phil Collins used for In the air tonight.|publisher=X|author=Wise, David|date=March 6, 2015|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>

===''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]''===
*When talking to [[Bazaar]] and asking about the [[King K. Rool#Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!|owner]] of the [[Kastle Kaos|castle]] in the [[Northern Kremisphere]], refusing his offer to tell for two coins has him say that [[Link]] also came in "just last week" and asked about the castle as well. Bazaar also mentions that when he left he was muttering about his shell being the wrong shape, a reference to the [[zeldawiki:Secret Seashell|Secret Seashell]] sidequest in ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]''. These references were removed from the [[Game Boy Advance]] port.
*In the French release, [[King K. Rool|Baron K. Roolenstein]] asks during the first fight against him if [[Dixie Kong]] and [[Kiddie Kong]] are familiar with ''KREM le Survivant'', a riff on the 1983 manga ''[[wikipedia:Fist of the North Star|Fist of the North Star]]'' (titled ''Ken le Survivant'' in the French localization of its 1984 anime adaptation).<ref>{{cite|url=x.com/SMWikiOfficial/status/1349535308514287624|title=Fun fax: The French script of Donkey Kong Country 3 has K. Rool reference Hokuto No Ken (or rather its famously deranged French gag dub Ken le Survivant... mais bon)|author=Super Mario Wiki|date=January 13, 2021|publisher=X|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
*When KAOS is destroyed in the final battle and Baron K. Roolenstein appears, one of his quotes is: "[...] and I'd have gotten away with it... ...if it wasn't for you meddling kids." This is a reference to a quote from the ''{{wp|Scooby Doo}}'' franchise, which is uttered by the criminal after they are unmasked before being taken away by the police.

===''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' / ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D]]''===
*At the start of the level [[Tippy Shippy]], fossils resembling [[metroidwiki:Parasite|Parasites]] from ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid Prime (game)|Metroid Prime]]'' appear.
*At one point in the level [[Foggy Fumes]] a [[Mr. Game & Watch]]-style figure can be seen hammering at a pipe in the background.
**Similarly, what appears to be the skull of [[metroidwiki:Crocomire|Crocomire]] from ''[[metroidwiki:Super Metroid|Super Metroid]]'' can be found.
*In [[Cranky Kong's Shop]] in the remake, if the player keeps the Portable [[DK Barrel]] selected for a while, [[Cranky Kong|Cranky]] makes a reference to ''The Legend of Zelda'', saying, "It's dangerous to go alone. Buy this!"

===''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]''===
[[File:SamusGunshipDKCTF.jpg|thumb|The Gunship in the background of Busted Bayou.]]
*In the level [[Busted Bayou]], in the area where the "K" can be found, the player can find [[Samus Aran|Samus]]' gunship sitting on some tree branches similar to the plane wreckage.
*In the level [[Amiss Abyss]], if the player passes the first signpost and giant illuminating statue, reaches the end of the trench and heads back towards the statue through the anemone (the player must have more than one hit point to do this), a [[Metroid (species)|Metroid]] can be seen floating in the background.
*When hovering over the [[Crash Guard]] in [[Funky's Fly 'n' Buy|Funky's shop]], he says, "Vehicle trouble? It's dangerous to go alone--take one of these!", a reference to ''The Legend of Zelda''.
*Donkey Kong can be seen playing a [[Nintendo 3DS]] during his idle animation; in addition to two ''Mario'' games and his own ''Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D'', one of the games he can be heard playing during this is ''[[nookipedia:Animal Crossing: New Leaf|Animal Crossing: New Leaf]]''.

==''Donkey Kong Land'' series==
===''[[Donkey Kong Land]]''===
*The name of the {{wp|nautilus}} enemy [[Nemo]] is a reference to {{wp|Captain Nemo}} from the book ''{{wp|Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea}}'', with the submarine he pilots being known as the ''{{wp|Nautilus (Verne)|Nautilus}}''.

===''[[Donkey Kong Land III]]''===
*The level [[Miller Instinct]] is a pun on the [[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]]-developed game ''[[nwiki:Killer Instinct|Killer Instinct]]''.

==''[[BS Super Mario Collection]]''==
*Music choices for the game include {{wp|The Power of Love (Huey Lewis and the News song)|"The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News}} and {{wp|The NeverEnding Story (song)|"The NeverEnding Story"}}.

==''[[Shitamachi Ninjō Gekijō]]''==
*In the {{wp|Windows 95}} episode, {{wp|Bill Gates}} is portrayed by a {{wp|Tensai Bakabon|Bakabon plush}}.

==''[[Hotel Mario]]''==
*The names of the hotels owned by the [[Koopalings]] and Bowser are puns on actual famous hotel and resort brands:
**[[Morton's Wood Door Hysteria Hotel]] - {{wp|Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts|Waldorf Astoria}}
**[[Roy's HardBrick Hotel]] - "{{wp|Heartbreak Hotel}}" (an {{wp|Elvis Presley}} song about a fictional hotel)
**[[Larry's Chillton Hotel]] - {{wp|Hilton Hotels & Resorts|Hilton}}
**[[Lemmy's High-ate Regency Hotel]] - {{wp|Hyatt|Hyatt Regency}}
**[[Ludwig's Thump Castle Hotel]] - {{wp|Trump Towers}}
**[[Wendy's Blitz Snarlton Hotel]] - {{wp|Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company|Ritz-Carlton}}
**[[Bowser's Seizures Palace Hotel]] - {{wp|Caesars Palace}}
*Some of Mario's lines reference popular culture such as "We ain't afraid of no Koopas!" (a play on the line "I ain't afraid of no ghost!" from the {{wp|Ghostbusters (song)|''Ghostbusters'' theme song}}) and "Hey, you! Get off-a my cloud!" from the {{wp|Rolling Stones}} song, "{{wp|Get Off of My Cloud}}."

==''Yoshi's Island'' series==
===''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]''===
*In the German version of the game, [[Naval Piranha]] is called "Audrey", referencing the plant from ''{{wp|The Little Shop of Horrors}}''.
*The starry background for some levels (such as [[KEEP MOVING!!!!]]) is based upon Vincent Van Gogh's ''The Starry Night''.
*The official Player's Guide description of [[World 5 (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island)|World 5]] references Edgar Allan Poe's "{{wp|The Raven}}".{{ref needed}}
*The North American commercial seemingly references Mr. Creosote's death from ''{{wp|Monty Python's The Meaning of Life}}'', especially in the original uncut version of the commercial.

===''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]''===
*When [[Kamek]] is introducing [[Hector the Reflector]] to Yoshi, he says ''"Mirror, mirror on the wall, I've got a friend who's the ghastliest of them all! Are you frightened yet, little Yoshi?"'' This references a quote from multiple incarnations of {{wp|Snow White}}, specifically the quote uttered by the {{wp|Evil Queen}} each time she addresses her sentient mirror.

==''[[Yoshi's Story]]''==
[[File:Yoshi's Story Pikachu.png|thumb|[[Pikachu]] and [[Zelda]]]]
*In [[Jelly Pipe]] and [[Torrential Maze]], the names "Zelda" and "Pikachu" appear in the newspaper in the background.

==''[[Yoshi Topsy-Turvy]]''==
*The Japanese logo of the game incorporates a downwards arrow with a falling apple, referencing {{wp|Isaac Newton's apple tree|the incident that supposedly inspired Isaac Newton's theory of gravity}}, illustrating its original title "''Yoshi's Universal Gravitation''".

==''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]''==
*The music played in [[Yoshi and Cookies]] has a few tunes from [[wikirby:Flower Fields|Flower Fields]], a level in ''[[wikirby:Kirby's Epic Yarn|Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', which was also developed by [[Good-Feel]] and composed by Tomoya Tomita.
*This game reuses sound effects from ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'', which also reused sound effects from ''[[Wario Land: Shake It!]]''
*[[Bead]]s are based on the [[wikirby:Bead|item with the same name]] in ''Kirby's Epic Yarn''.

==''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'' / ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]''==
*[[Banjo]] and [[Conker]] were included in the original playable roster as "sneak previews" for their then-upcoming games ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Twelve Tales: Conker 64'' (which would later be reworked into ''Conker's Bad Fur Day'').
*In the original ''Diddy Kong Racing'', [[Timber]]'s hat has the [[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]] logo on it. This was replaced with the [[Nintendo DS]] logo in the remake.
*In ''Diddy Kong Racing DS'', [[Dixie Kong]]'s hat shows a silver Rareware logo on it, but only when an event happens while racing that she is shown through a box.

==''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series==
[[File:SSBbeamsword.jpg|thumb|left|165px|The Beam Sword]]
*The [[Beam Sword]] bears a strong resemblance to the {{wp|lightsaber}}s of the ''{{wp|Star Wars}}'' franchise. The sword uses sound effects taken from the ''Star Wars'' films in all regional releases of all installments except ''Super Smash Bros.'' and ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', which use such sound effects in their Japanese releases only.
*[[Samus]]'s green alternate costume that appears in every game in the series is referred to by [[Masahiro Sakurai]] on the Japanese ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' website as "mass-produced Samus", a reference to the ''{{wp|Gundam}}'' franchise.
*Sakurai considers the dual blades that [[Pit (character)|Pit]] uses in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' similar to {{wp|Darth Maul}}'s double-bladed lightsaber from ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'', as well as the television series ''The Clone Wars''. He also revealed himself to be a fan of the ''Star Wars'' series in an issue of ''[[Nintendo Power]]''.
*[[Galleom]] being able to convert between vehicular and humanoid forms heavily lends itself to Asian "transforming {{wp|mecha}}" series - the most well-known example of which is the ''{{wp|Transformers}}'' franchise.
{{br}}

==''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''==
[[File:DK64 Jetpac.png|thumb|Gameplay of ''Jetpac'']]
*Two classic games, ''[[Jetpac]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', are included as bonus features in this game.
*In the final boss fight of this game, Nintendo and Rareware, the game's publisher and developer respectively, are announced as the sponsors.
*An [[List of Donkey Kong 64 pre-release and unused content|earlier version]] of the game featured a shower stall in Donkey Kong's Treehouse with [[Banjo]] and [[Kazooie]] on the side.
*The first part of the background music for [[Creepy Castle]] is an arrangement of "{{wp|Dauði Baldrs}}" by {{wp|Burzum}}.
**The background music for Creepy Castle's museum contains a sample of "{{wp|Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565|Toccata and Fugue}}" by {{wp|Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach}}.

==''Luigi's Mansion'' series==
===''[[Luigi's Mansion]]''===
*The boxart of this game resembles the cover design of the 1990 Christmas movie ''{{wp|Home Alone}}''.
*If [[Luigi]] goes to the door to King Boo's alter before capturing the required amount of [[Boo]]s, a scene will show King Boo mistaking Luigi for Mario. In the scene, King Boo states that, "I will not give up my favorite decoration, I like Mario just where he is". This is a reference to the film ''{{wp|Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi}}'', in which {{wp|Jabba the Hutt}} states, "I will not give up my favorite decoration, I like Captain [Han] Solo just where he is". {{wp|Han Solo}} hangs frozen in carbonite on a wall similar to Mario being trapped in King Boo's painting.
*The [[Game Boy Horror]] resembles a [[Game Boy Color]].
*Three of the Portrait Ghosts are named for real-life historical persons. [[Henry and Orville]] are named for {{wp|Henry Ford}} and {{wp|Wright brothers|Orville Wright}} respectively, and [[Vincent Van Gore]] is a parody of {{wp|Vincent van Gogh}}. In the Spanish translation, however, the twins are given the names of {{wp|Peter of Castile|Pedro}} and {{wp|Henry II of Castile|Enrique II of Castile}}, famous stepbrothers in the royalty of Spain; and Van Gore takes the name of another artist, {{wp|Pablo Picasso}}.

===''[[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon]]''===
*The scene where Luigi inspects his TV in the game's introduction is a reference to a scene from the movie ''{{wp|Poltergeist (1982 film)|Poltergeist}}''.
*The scene inside the [[Hollow Tree]] in [[Haunted Towers]] where Luigi looks down the staircase is a reference to both the movie ''{{wp|Vertigo (film)|Vertigo}}'' and the famous camera effect introduced in it, {{wp|Dolly zoom|dolly zoom}}.
*The scene in [[Treacherous Mansion]] where two [[Strong Greenie]]s bring a suit of armor to life is a reference to ''{{wp|Frankenstein}}''.

===''[[Luigi's Mansion 3]]''===
*In the hallway in the theater on the Paranormal Productions floor, framed posters depicting other games by [[Next Level Games]] can be seen. Among them are a poster depicting Little Mac from ''[[Punch-Out!! (Wii)|Punch-Out!!]]'' in his victory pose with Doc Louis and Mr. Sandman in the background, as well as a poster depicting the soldiers from ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid Prime: Federation Force|Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]'' facing a large alien framed in shadow. Pulling on the ''Punch-Out!!'' poster with the Suction Shot will destroy it, causing a large green boxing glove (similar to those worn by Little Mac) to fly out.
** Little Mac's gloves can also be found on the floor in the Fitness Center's gym, having been worn by a Hammer.
*The music [[Amadeus Wolfgeist]] plays on the piano before his boss battle is an arrangement of the title theme from ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid Prime: Federation Force|Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]''.
*Some of the movie sets in Paranormal Productions are references to real movies:
** The Horror Set references the 2002 movie ''{{wp|The Ring (2002 film)|The Ring}}'', featuring a long-haired puppet rising from a well in a similar manner to Samara Morgan.
** The Micro Set references the 1957 film ''{{wp|The Incredible Shrinking Man}}'', specifically the scene where the protagonist battles a spider.
** The City Set and the battle that takes place in it is a reference to ''{{wp|kaiju}}'' films such as the ''{{wp|Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla}}'' series and ''{{wp|Pacific Rim}}'', the latter of which one of the game's developers stated he was a big fan.<ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo of America|date=June 11, 2019|url=youtu.be/Q6p-3VwcD6c?t=1234|timestamp=20:34|title=Luigi's Mansion 3 Gameplay Pt. 1 - Nintendo Treehouse: Live {{!}} E3 2019|publisher=YouTube|language=en-us|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
* If the player reveals [[GumBoo]] in the [[Grand Lobby]] after failing to catch them once, they will say, "Yoo-hoo! I'm GumBoo! You're no match for me, I gua-ran-tee!". "I gua-ran-tee" was the catchphrase of famous Southern American comedian and chef {{wp|Justin Wilson (chef)|Justin Wilson}}, who specialized in {{wp|Cajuns|Cajun}}-inspired dishes including gumbo, GumBoo's namesake.
*The carpet in the Hall and the Gallery of the [[Twisted Suites]] resembles the one from the {{wp|The Shining (film)|1980 film adaptation}} of the horror novel ''{{wp|The Shining (novel)|The Shining}}'', and the flooring underneath references the floor seen in the 1990's cult-classic paranormal live-action TV series ''{{wp|Twin Peaks}}''.
*[[Johnny Deepend]]'s name is possibly a reference to actor {{wp|Johnny Depp}}.

==''WarioWare'' series==
[[File:Wario's Sheriff.png|thumb|240px|"[[Sheriff (minigame)|Sheriff]]" from ''Mega Microgame$!'' was an early Nintendo arcade game.]]
*Many names for microgames in this series are references to famous media and other popular culture.
*[[Cicada]], the second player character in ''[[Rhythm Heaven Fever|Rhythm Heaven Fever's]]'' [[rhythmheaven:Kung Fu Ball|Kung Fu Ball]] minigame, has made several appearances in supplementary material relating to [[Young Cricket]], first in his character video for ''WarioWare Gold'' and later in some of his artworks in ''Get It Together!''. She would make her first proper appearance in the series in ''Move It!'' as the true identity of the muscular penguin that challenges Young Cricket to "micro-combat".
*[[Lulu]]'s design greatly resembles that of Alice, the protagonist of ''[[niwa:Balloon Kid|Balloon Kid]]'', specifically as she appears on the cover of its [[niwa:Balloon Fight GB|Japan-only remake]]. Like Alice, she is also frequently associated with balloons, and an enemy from ''Balloon Fight'' appears in her character video for ''WarioWare Gold''.
*In all entries except ''[[Game & Wario]]'', [[9-Volt]] and [[18-Volt]]'s stages feature microgames that reference classic Nintendo hardware and software, and even games and toys that the company manufactured before going into the video game business. By ''[[WarioWare: Smooth Moves|Smooth Moves]]'', they began to cover more recent games as well as older ones. Also, when [[5-Volt]] became a major character in ''[[WarioWare Gold]]'', her game lineup would follow the same theme. The entire list of references can be found [[List of source media for Nintendo-themed microgames|here]].
*"[[The Maze That Pays]]" from ''[[WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!]]'' is a parody of ''Pac-Man''.
*In ''[[WarioWare: Twisted!]]'', "[[Open-And-Shut Case]]" makes a reference to ''{{wp|Little Red Riding Hood}}'', and "[[Slap Jack]]" is inspired by ''{{wp|Journey to the West}}'' in the original Japanese game and ''{{wp|Jack and the Beanstalk}}'' in localizations.
*In ''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]'', Wario's encounter with the [[Sewer Guru]] in the opening (in which the guru asks him whether he dropped a pair of Game Boy Advance systems or a Nintendo DS) is a reference to the Aesop's fable ''{{wp|The Honest Woodman}}''; and the website's description for [[Wario-Man]] makes the analogy that an old garlic clove is to Wario "[w]hat a radioactive spider is to Peter Parker," the alter ego of {{wp|Spider-Man}}.
*In ''Smooth Moves'', "[[Universal Marionette]]" features a background parodying {{wp|Leonardo da Vinci}}'s ''{{wp|Vitruvian Man}}'', and the White Rabbit from ''{{wp|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland}}'' is referenced in the victory animation for the first level of "[[Clock-Watcher]]."
*''[[Game & Wario]]'' features various characters from the ''[[rhythmheaven:Rhythm Heaven (series)|Rhythm Heaven]]'' games in its cinematics. The [[rhythmheaven:Chorus Kids|Chorus Kids]] appear with [[Sal Out]] in the opening cinematic; the [[rhythmheaven:Reporter & Wrestler|Reporter and Wrestler]] from ''[[Rhythm Heaven Fever]]'' appear on the sidewalk in the Pirate minigame's intro and have their own slide in the ending credits; and one of the ''Rhythm Heaven'' [[rhythmheaven:Monkey|monkeys]] is hidden in the crowd during the report of the new console. [[rhythmheaven:Harry Onion|Harry Onion]] from ''[[rhythmheaven:Rhythm Tengoku|Rhythm Tengoku]]'' appears on a pile of books in Ashley's intro cutscene. One ''Rhythm Heaven'' character, [[rhythmheaven:The Wandering Samurai|The Wandering Samurai]], even gets his own [[Samurai Slice|microgame]] in [[Gamer]]. Also in Gamer, the second level of "[[Sole Man]]" takes place in a wrecked city on fire where [[Wario-Man]] must avoid a giant dinosaur foot, in reference to ''{{wp|Godzilla}}''.
*Further allusions to the ''Rhythm Heaven'' series are made in ''[[WarioWare Gold]]'': Mona imagines a plushie modeled after [[rhythmheaven:Tibby|Tibby]], one of the primary characters of ''[[Rhythm Heaven Megamix]]'', [[Mr. Sparkles]]' rank A character card states he "goes to a gym known for its celebrities, like [[rhythmheaven:Wrestler|that wrestler who gets interviewed all the time.]]", 9-Volt's book contains pictures of the [[rhythmheaven:Huebirds of Happiness|Huebirds of Happiness]] and dialing the code "CAFE" in the telephone room will lead to a call where someone implied to be the [[rhythmheaven:Barista|Barista]] mentions that putting an Ashley doll in his café lead to an influx of new customers, referencing how an Ashley doll is seen in the [[rhythmheaven:Café|Café]]'s background in ''Rhythm Heaven Megamix''.
*In ''WarioWare: Get It Together'', level 3 of [[Pop-Up Patrol]] features a modified version of the "[https://malwiki.org/index.php?title=You_Are_An_Idiot You Are An Idiot]" {{wp|Trojan horse (computing)|Trojan horse}} as one of the pop-up windows that can appear. Plushes of [[rhythmheaven:Tibby|Tibby]] and [[rhythmheaven:Harry Onion|Harry Onion]] also appear in Mona's intro cutscene, and the [[rhythmheaven:Barista|Barista]] and [[Cicada]] can be seen in certain characters' artworks.
*In ''WarioWare: Move It!'', the [[rhythmheaven:Chorus Kids|Chorus Kids]] from  can be seen on the television during the game's introduction, and the [[rhythmheaven:Reporter & Wrestler|Reporter and Wrestler]] from ''[[Rhythm Heaven Fever]]'' can be seen in the audience during the intro for Dribble and Spitz's stage.
*One of the falling objects that appear in the staff credits for ''WarioWare: Touched!'' is the [[zeldawiki:Triforce|Triforce]] from the ''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda (Series)|Legend of Zelda]]'' series. The Triforce also appears as one of the possible drawings in "[[Chalk Full|On the Mark]]," a ''WarioWare Gold'' microgame which had previously appeared in ''Touched!'' as "Chalk Full."
*In ''[[WarioWare: Get It Together]]'', the microgame "[[Nightmare Fuel]]" is named after the trope that originated from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Science_Theater_3000 Mystery Science Theater 3000] episode "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus_(1959_film) Santa Claus]".

==''[[Wario World]]''==
[[File:WW NES.png|thumb|160px]]
*Several Nintendo consoles appear as treasures, including the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Game Boy Advance]], [[Nintendo 64]] and [[Nintendo GameCube]].

==''Donkey Konga'' series==
{{main|Donkey Konga#List of songs}}
{{main|Donkey Konga 2#List of songs}}
{{main|Donkey Konga 3 JP#List of songs}}
The ''[[Donkey Konga (series)|Donkey Konga]]'' series includes both songs from popular culture and music from other Nintendo franchises. The songs are different in each region.

==''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]''==
During the closing cinematic, which plays after completing Challenge Mode via Special Cup, Mario exits a cornfield to a baseball field in the middle of it, referencing the setting from the 1989 film ''{{wp|Field of Dreams}}''.

==''Mario + Rabbids'' series==
===''[[Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle]]''===
[[File:MRKB sd chest21.jpg|thumb|[[Mario]] and the gang find the chest concealing "A Song of Ice and Desert"]]
*The title screen theme takes a few tunes from Tribalstack Tropics in ''{{wp|Yooka-Laylee}}'', as both games were composed by [[Grant Kirkhope]].
*The soundtrack that plays during the sandy portions of [[Sherbet Desert]] is titled "A Song of Ice and Desert", in reference to {{wp|George R. R. Martin}}'s fantasy novel series, ''{{wp|A Song of Ice and Fire}}''.
*The beginning of one of the battle themes, titled "Cold Start, Hot Finish", borrows a riff from the Freezeezy Peak theme from ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie}}''. Both games' soundtracks were composed by Grant Kirkhope.
*[[Spawny]]'s visor is designed after the giant robots that inhabit the titular domain in the 1986 animated film ''{{wp|Castle in the Sky}}''.<ref name="Mask">{{cite|author=Soliani, Davide|date=August 26, 2017|url=x.com/DavideSoliani/status/901521148223029249|title=Ahahaha great. You just found 1 of the two references 😄😍|publisher=X|language=en|accessdate=May 30, 2024}}</ref>
* The [[Ziggy]] enemy is named after {{wp|Ziggy Stardust (character)|Ziggy Stardust}}, a character and stage persona created by English rock musician {{wp|David Bowie}}. The Garden Ziggy variety further references the artist and character by featuring a bright yellow mohawk and lightning bolt designs across each eye, referencing the mullet and makeup worn on the cover photo for Bowie's 1973 album ''{{wp|Aladdin Sane}}'' (his last album before retiring the Ziggy persona).
*In [[Spooky Trails]], the player can find a [[Rabbid]] sleeping on a house-like structure. When observed, [[Beep-0]] will say, "He'll catch the {{wp|Manfred von Richthofen|Red Baron}} one of these days." This references {{wp|Snoopy}} from ''{{wp|Peanuts}}'', particularly his "Flying Ace" persona.
*In Spooky Trails, [[Beep-0]] says, "Coincidence? I think not," a quote from the 2004 Pixar film ''{{wp|The Incredibles}}''.
*When examining the Disco Ball at Sherbet Dessert, Beep-0 says, "'Bwah' is the word. It's got groove, it's got meaning." This comes from the 1978 Frankie Valli song "{{wp|Grease (song)|Grease}}", the title theme to the {{wp|Grease (film)|film of the same name}} (itself adapted from {{wp|Grease (musical)|the 1971 stage musical}}).
*After the Icicle Golem's defeat, the Rabbid member of the team plays with it for a moment in a manner similar to the "Alas, poor Yorick" scene from ''{{wp|Hamlet}}'', then sets it down for Peach to kick it back into the giant refrigerator.
*When talking to [[Madame Bwahstrella (character)|Madame Bwahstrella]], Beep-0 says, "We'll let you get back to separating the slack-jawed yokels from the money they saved to buy pickled pigs' feet." "Slack-Jawed Yokel" is another name given to the character Cletus from ''{{wp|The Simpsons}}''.
*At the beginning of the battle against the [[Phantom (boss)|Phantom]], Beep-0 describes him as a "greedy songbird", a term from the film ''{{wp|Amadeus (film)|Amadeus}}''.
*A scrapped animation for [[Rabbid Peach]] is based on the transformation sequence of the title character from the manga and anime ''{{wp|Sailor Moon}}''.<ref>{{cite|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agypp8AOCI0|title=Obscure Mario Facts - Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Greg|publisher=YouTube|language=en|date=December 1, 2018|accessdate=May 30, 2024|author=DidYouKnowGaming}}</ref>
*Many of the weapons in the game feature pop-culture references in their names, designs, and descriptions:
**Hell in a Shell is named after the WWE event {{wp|Hell in a Cell}}.
**Yellow Submarine is named and modeled after {{wp|Yellow Submarine (song)|the song}} by {{wp|The Beatles}}. Its description includes a reference to the line "And our friends are all aboard".
**Sons of Bwahnarchy is named after the American TV series ''{{wp|Sons of Anarchy}}''.
**The "Wrecking Smasher" artwork resembles Miley Cyrus' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8 Wrecking Ball] music video.
**Flannel Phantom's description references a slogan used by {{wp|The Glad Products Company}}: "Don't get mad! Get Glad!"
**Rainbow Runner's description references the song "{{wp|Somewhere Over the Rainbow}}" from ''{{wp|The Wizard of Oz}}''.
**Electron, Renegade, Grid Gavel, and Master Control are all references to the film ''{{wp|Tron}}''.
**Run For the Hills' name and description reference ''{{wp|The Sound of Music}}''.
**Megalodon 2: Payback's description references the tagline for ''{{wp|Jaws 2}}'': "Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the water..."
**Surly Temple is named after the {{wp|Shirley Temple (drink)|Shirley Temple}}.
**Big Finish's description references the popular 1986 song "{{wp|The Final Countdown (song)|The Final Countdown}}" by the band Europe.
**Nasty Yella Fella's description references a famous line from the film ''{{wp|Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface}}'': "Say hello to my little friend!"
**Matrix Mashup is named and modeled after the film ''{{wp|The Matrix}}''. Its description references an iconic scene where the protagonist must choose between ingesting a red pill or a blue pill.
**Gemcutter's description references the theme song to ''{{wp|Jem and the Holograms}}''.
**Hammer Time is named after a lyric from the {{wp|M.C. Hammer}} song "{{wp|U Can't Touch This}}".
**Bat Out of Heck is named after the {{wp|Meat Loaf}} album ''{{wp|Bat Out of Hell}}'' and its titular song.
**Deadeye Dino's description references a famous line from ''{{wp|Jurassic Park}}'': "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
**Killer Extinct's design and description are a reference to the film {{wp|Jurassic Park}}, while its name is a reference to the fighting game {{wp|Killer Instinct}}.
**Fatal Frame is named after the ''{{wp|Fatal Frame}}'' series of horror video games.
**Attack From The Future II's name and description both reference ''{{wp|Back to the Future Part II}}''. The sentry's description, "It's back! It's back from the future and believe me, it looks VERY gloomy for you enemies[...]", references the events of the film, as {{wp|Marty McFly}} returns from 2015 to a dystopian alternate 1985.
**Iron Curtain's design is based on the Marvel superhero {{wp|Iron Man}}. Its description mentions a "wise-cracking computerized A.I.", likely referring to {{wp|J.A.R.V.I.S.}}.
**Louis Harmstrong is named after famous jazz musician {{wp|Louis Armstrong}}. Its description includes a reference to his song "{{wp|What a Wonderful World}}".
**The King is named and modeled after {{wp|Elvis Presley}}, whose nickname is "The King".
**Von Quackington's description parodies a famous quote from Bram Stoker's ''{{wp|Dracula}}''.
**The description for Scubam! mentions a "famous Rabbid explorer" named "Bwahcques Bwahsteau", a reference to real-life marine biologist {{wp|Jacques Cousteau}}.
**Sam Kingfisher is named after Sam Fisher, protagonist of the ''{{wp|Splinter Cell}}'' series also produced by Ubisoft.
**Disco Duck shares its name with {{wp|Disco Duck|a song}} by {{wp|Rick Dees}}, and its description references "{{wp|Stayin' Alive}}" and "{{wp|Super Freak}}" by the {{wp|Bee Gees}} and {{wp|Rick James}}, respectively.

===''[[Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope]]''===
*[[Pyrogeddon]] and its fiery cloud may possibly be a reference to Sun Wukong from ''{{wp|Journey to the West}}''.
*The mission title "Who Ya Gonna Call?" is a reference to the lyrics to the theme song of the film ''{{wp|Ghostbusters}}''.
*[[Augie]] seems to be a combination of characters from Greek mythology, like {{wp|Augeas}}, {{wp|Poseidon}}, and either {{wp|Hephaestus}} or {{wp|Iphicles}}.
*The [[Dryad]] is named after similar mythological beings known as {{wp|dryads}} who, like her, are associated with plants.
*[[Edge]] is seemingly inspired by [[Cloud|Cloud Strife]] from ''[[wikipedia:Final Fantasy VII|Final Fantasy VII]]'' and [[wikipedia:Guts (Berserk)|Guts]] from ''[[wikipedia:Berserk (manga)|Berserk]]'', with her Blade weapons being inspired by the former's Buster Sword.
*The mission title "[[Tiny Dancer]]" is named after the [[wikipedia:Elton John|Elton John]] [[wikipedia:Tiny Dancer|song of the same name]].
*The mission title "Creepy Hollow" is named after the fictional location of Sleepy Hollow, which is famous for being the home of the {{wp|Headless Horseman}}.
*The mission title "Over the Hills and Far Away" is named after a lyric from the nursery rhyme {{wp|Five Little Ducks}}.

==''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Switch / Nintendo 3DS)|Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]'' ([[Nintendo Switch]] / [[Nintendo 3DS]])==
*In a post made on their social media channels, [[Nintendo|Nintendo Australia and New Zealand]] tries to comfort a frightened [[Captain Toad]] (shown in an attached video) by telling him that there are no ''{{wp|Castlevania}}'' stages in ''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''.<ref>{{cite|author=NintendoAUNZ|language=en-au|date=August 9, 2018|url=x.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1027449398706544640|title=Don’t worry Captain Toad, there are no Castlevania stages in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker…|publisher=X|accessdate=June 15, 2023|archive=web.archive.org/web/20200518231737/https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ/status/1027449398706544640}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=NintendoAUNZ|date=August 9, 2018|url=www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ/videos/1134494033374395|title=Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Switch & Nintendo 3DS)|publisher=Facebook|accessdate=June 15, 2023}}</ref>

==[[Play Nintendo]]==
===''[[Stargazer]]''===
*The preview description "''The fault is not in our stars, but Mario is!''" references the novel ''{{wp|The Fault in Our Stars}}'' whose title, in turn, references [[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''{{wp|Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar}}''.

==''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''== 
[[File:TSMBM Illumination logo Minion.png|thumb|Stuart from the ''Despicable Me'' and ''Minions'' series on the kart in the Illumination logo for ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''.]]
*The kart used by {{wp|Minions (Despicable Me)|Stuart}} in the [[Illumination]] logo is inspired by Gru's vehicles from the ''Despicable Me'' franchise, with Gru's emblem located on the kart's side, an exhaust resembling that of Gru's airship and car, and a backrest with a skull similar to Gru's motorcycle from ''Minions: The Rise of Gru''.
*In the dinner scene with [[Mario and Luigi's family]], [[Uncle Arthur]] jokingly tells the brothers (in reference to their [[Super Mario Bros. Plumbing]] commercial), "They gave them the Oscar for worst actors?", a reference to the {{wp|Academy Awards}}.
*In the scene where Mario and the Koopa soldiers are driving on [[Rainbow Road]], the {{wp|Wilhelm scream}} can be heard.<ref>{{cite|author=@JoeMoor01284044|date=March 10, 2023|url=x.com/JoeMoor01284044/status/1634302951769669632|title=The Super Mario Bros. Movie Got A Brand New TV Spot And Had New Footage. We’re So Close To April 5th!|publisher=X|accessdate=March 10, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{Culture}} 
[[Category:Culture|references and parodies]]