Saturday Morning Fever

Hey, Paisanos! Most of us reading this have very fond memories of Saturday mornings. Sure, you got to sleep in, but why would you want to? If you did happen to sleep in, then you would miss the best programming that syndicated television could offer, and you would have to wait a VERY long time for reruns! I’m talking about Saturday morning cartoons on the big three stations you could get without cable! It was a reason for waking up early, and then playing video games (specifically Mario Bros. games) afterward was a reason for staying out of bed. 

At some point, television programmers met with video game developers to come up with an incredible plan: create cartoons based on the most beloved video game franchises. During the early to mid-80s there were only a handful of iconic video game mascots. Pac-Man fever was in full swing and new characters were hitting the mainstream every month thanks to the booming arcade scene. Soon one character toting a mustache and a mean jump would rise above the rest, and his name would forever be known as Jumpman! Just kidding, it was Mario, inspired and named after a Seattle-based real estate tycoon, Mario Segale, who rented out a series of warehouses to Nintendo in the ’80s and ’90s. 

Mario and his palette-swapped brother, Luigi, would soon become the faces of the video game industry. It was only natural that such a popular franchise would receive a cartoon adaptation, but no one was prepared for some of the creations that were penciled to life as a result of these games. This Saturday morning (or whenever you are reading this) we look at some of the most wonderful, and weird, cartoon adaptations of the Super Mario Bros. franchise. 

Saturday Supercade – 1983-1984

It surprises many people to find out that the Super Show was not the first Mario Bros. program on syndicated television. The honor of that title goes to a rather obscure, yet surprisingly well-made television show called Saturday Supercade. This series was unique in that it was one hour long, and divided into four separate cartoon stories. The individual stories would feature arcade icons like Q-Bert, Space Ace, and Frogger. The big feature everyone looked forward to, however, was Donkey Kong and his misadventures with Mario and Pauline. 

I was an infant when this show came out, but I do remember reruns of it in the late ’80s. It was a fun cartoon where Donkey Kong played the role of a trickster more than a villain. Mario and Pauline would always be trying to catch the crafty ape, and of course, Donkey Kong would throw things at Mario to stop him. Mario’s design in the show is unlike anything that would come after it because it appeared more sinister than heroic. He had a long black mustache and sharp features that were commonly seen in villain designs of the day. That sort of style was a hallmark of the creators, Ruby-Spears Productions, and it would not stick when the character switched hands about five years later to a more notable company. 

It’s All About DiC

Before I get into the Mario cartoons that we are more familiar with, I feel that it is important to discuss the animation company that made all of it possible. After the Great Video Game Crash of the early eighties, many companies were pushing to reface the medium. With the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America, the video game business had what is tantamount to a physical resurrection. Game stocks rose, retailers began raising demand, and kids absolutely loved their shiny new home consoles. As bright and whimsical as video games were, one company couldn’t help but take on the task of translating them into cartoons. This was a France-based animation company called Diffusion, Information, and Commercial, or DiC, for short. 

If you grew up in the ’80s and the ’90s then you have heard of this company. At the end of all their shows, a graphic would flash across the screen, a shiny little ball would appear over the “I” of DiC, and you would hear a child say “deek.” Then you would chuckle because you were immature. That’s the company that made not only all the western Mario Bros cartoons, (save for Supercade) but also created and licensed legendary shows like Inspector Gadget, M.A.S.K, Heathcliff, The Real Ghostbusters, and yes, Sailor Moon. They would also go on to create three Sonic the Hedgehog shows, which is another amazing story altogether. 

DiC went after the rights to make Mario cartoons after the release of Mario Bros. 2 in North America. Nintendo was hesitant to give them permission, but surprisingly, they did so without much of a fight. What’s even more surprising is that Nintendo was very “hands-off” with the creation of the cartoon. They allowed DiC to use incredible artistic license to make the show, and that’s exactly what they did. 

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show – 1989

“Hey Paisanos, it’s the Super Mario Bros. Super Show!” I could not wait to hear those words when I came home from school on the weekdays. Though the show originally aired on Saturday mornings, reruns could be watched after school, and they were always awesome, no matter how many times I saw them. 

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show was truly a unique addition to children’s programming. It featured both live-action and animated sequences, both of which were entertaining in their own right. For the live-action sequences, Mario was played by WWF Hall of Fame wrestler and manager, “The Captian” Lou Albano. Luigi was played by the equally talented Danny Wells, and the pair would always have a colorful and special guest. After all, as plumbers, the brothers had to have customers. 

The live-action sketches were very sitcom-like, with over-the-top acting and laugh tracks. Mario was always coming up with funny schemes and Luigi was cautious and fearful that the worst would happen. It’s been suggested that the modern-day personalities of Mario and Luigi were established by this show, especially in the case of Luigi being a “scaredy-cat,” though that’s not been confirmed. The personalities of the characters in the live-action segments continued into the animated portions. 

Starting off with the “Mario Bros. Rap,” which no one can ever forget, the animated shorts featured disconnected adventures the brother had in the Mushroom Kingdom. The show featured characters from both the first and second Mario Bros. video game titles, including Toad and Princess Toadstool. There were other characters added to the action that never appeared in any video game, but they helped keep the episodes interesting. 

On occasion, the live-action Mario would announce an episode of The Legend of Zelda, which was always a treat. The Super Show only lasted for one season, but that was intentional as new shows were on the horizon. 

King Koopa’s Kool Kartoons – 1989-1990

This may be the strangest turn Mario cartoons have ever taken, but since it happened, I have to mention it. As a result of the success of the Super Show, the producers thought it would be a good idea to borrow an idea from another popular show and create a new Mario Bros. program implementing it. That show just happened to be Bozo the Clown and the big idea for the show was to have a full, live-action children’s show with King Koopa as the host. 

I personally remember this show, and I also personally remember hating it. The live-action Koopa hung out with a studio full of kids for 30 minutes, and it was absolute cringe, even for the late ’80s. There was only one Bozo and one Barney, and King Koopa wasn’t either! 

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 – 1990

Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the most influential and important video games to ever be created. It pushed the hardware of the NES to its limits and expressed excellence in game design. A designated cartoon based on the video game would have to be on the same level, and DiC certainly gave it its best try with The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. 

The show itself departed from the formula of the Super Show a year prior. This episodic cartoon ran alongside Captain N: The Game Master (which never featured Mario or any of the franchise characters) on Saturday mornings on NBC. It was a direct continuation of the Super Show, bringing new and old cast members. You could basically say that it was a second season without the live-action sequences. Most of the original voice actors were not a part of the show either. The show would have a 26-episode run and would slide into the final installment of what is commonly known as the Mario Bros. Cartoon Trilogy. 

Having watched this show as a kid, I can honestly say that its animation was a step above that of the Super Show. Unfortunately, it lacked the charm of the original, and many of the characters just came off flat without Capt. Lou and Danny Well’s voice acting. It was good, but something was missing from it. 

Super Mario World – 1991

This show was the last of the Mario Bros. Cartoon Trilogy, and it could not have come at a worse time. Where the former shows were written with levity and fun in mind, this show became a product of its time. The Children’s Television Act of 1990 changed everything in children’s programming during that time in an attempt to educate and train children on social issues. It didn’t work as well as planned. 

Super Mario World featured both classic characters from the game and original ones made for the series. Mario and the gang were going toe to toe with King Koopa on Dinosaur Island, but something felt off about it. This show attempted to integrate social issues into its content in order to follow the guidelines of the CTA. For example, in the episode “Born to Ride,” the danger of joining street gangs is explored. In another episode, the subject of addiction takes center stage. The cartoon featured themes of obesity and capitalism, of all things! Even Princess Toadstool took on a more motherly role to the rest of the cast. This show only received 13 episodes.

Having watched this as a kid, I felt as if it was less like the carefree Mario I came to know and love, and more like an “edutainment” program I had to watch at school.

So What’s Next?

As you can see, Mario has had quite a journey in television, and most of it happened over the course of three years! There were more adaptations that would pop up around the world over the years, many of them being in Japan. Mario’s stint in anime started as early as 1986, and footage of other shows and productions has popped up over the years thanks to the miracle of the internet. There was the Super Mario Bros. Challenge, which was a game show in the UK that featured a guy dressed up as Mario and kids competing against each other in the first three games on NES. There was also the Super Mario Icecapdes, which we will never speak of again. 

Mario was a novelty in the late ’80s and early ’90s. His stint in television died out quickly, but the character did not. Nintendo learned from its mistake in letting private animation companies have the keys to their most influential characters, and as a result, placed tight legal reins on the usage of their IPs. In other words, Nintendo locked up their characters and threw away the key. This ensured that they would only become what Nintendo wanted them to be. 

Years would go by without a hint of more Mario cartoons until  2021. It was then that Shigeru Miyamoto, Daddy Nintendo himself, announced that there would be a Super Mario Bros. Movie and that he would play an integral role in creating it. The movie sees a North American release on April 5th, 2023, and fans are beginning to see why Mario stayed locked up for so long. After all, we already got a Mario movie from another company, which proved to be highly controversial among fans.

What do you think about the Mario cartoons? Do you have fond memories of watching them on Saturday mornings or weekday afternoons? Would you like to see another Mario TV show, maybe on Netflix or Hulu?

Let us know, we would love to hear what you think.   

J.R. Sommerfeldt is a family man, licensed counselor, farmer, fiber artist, and indie game enthusiast living in the heartland of America. He has found solace living the simple life, and his preference for games centering around narratives, crafting, and exploration is a testament to this.