THE SUPER MARIO BROS. SUPER SHOW!
Today, let's begin our TV series runs with the most famous among them, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (or the first season of said show, the other two seasons have different names and we'll be covering them later). This show, much like the films covered so far, likewise tends to be completely batshit insane, but in a fun way. The series follows Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad as they travel from location to location, constantly stumbling across some harebrained scheme of King Koopa, mostly in some form of parody of some movie or story. Each episode is also accompanied by a live action segment starring Lou Albano and Danny Wells (the voice actors of Mario and Luigi) set in Brooklyn either before or after their lives in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Our main protagonists are Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad. Mario and Luigi, much like their film counterparts, have a much greater focus on their occupation as plumbers, but also have a greater focus on their love of pasta. Throughout the series, we see them use plungers, wrenches, plumber's snakes, climb with plungers, and use pizza cutters and throw pizzas and spaghetti at their opponents. We also have their fire flowers, which this time grant every power up ability from fireballs to growing giant to invincibility, depending on the episode. Across the various episodes, they do other things here and there, typically related to the theme of the episode, but those I'd rather be covered by other characters from said episodes. Across various episodes, Princess Toadstool and Toad will also use the flowers and do random things, not quite as much as in the later seasons, but still some. Toad's head is apparently a hat that can become a parachute for instance. He also becomes a lone rider at one point.
As for our main villains, King Koopa is the central figure and he has a number of moves, typically based around the villainous role he's playing episode by episode. He rides a snowmobile, traps the heroes in a cage, fires a Piranha Plant gun, throws a potion to make a door, flies a magic carpet, uses a net, becomes vampiric at one point, uses a magical float, turned people to stone, flies a plane, freezes people, has a hat shield, uses a catapult, and sprays pesticide. A notable alternate form is his Robo Koopa mech that fires bullet bills, shoots bombs from the toe, creates a laser cage, stomps, fires a fist from the chest, and has a rocket pack.
This first series is almost entirely based around Super Mario Bros. 2, and as such, a lot of Super Mario Bros. 2 enemies that have fallen by the wayside in the games have gotten a lot more focus here. First off, we have a trio of recurring villains: Mouser, Tryclyde, and a random Koopa who hangs with them for some reason. Mouser is already on our roster, but we do see him use bombs, use Cobrats like guns, ride a BMX bike, swing a mace, throw a spinning hat, and turn into a dinosaur. Tryclyde on the other hand spits fireballs and poison, throws a net, uses a trident and a sword, and rides a BMX bike as well. We also do see Fry Guy and Clawgrip as well, but they're significantly less prominent.
As for our enemies, we see: Birdo, who can fly with draconic wings apparently (never knew that one), Flurries, who can ski and ice skate, carve up blocks of ice and launch them at the heroes, and use ice wands to freeze things; Albatosses and Bob-Ombs; Pokeys; Ostros; Snifits; Beezos, who can fly around, wield spears, lances, and swords, and throw rope and nets; Trouters; Pidgits; Hoopsters; Shy Guys; Tweeters; Cobrats; Bloopers; Sparks; Lakitus and Spinies; Hammer Bros; Ninjis; and Phantos. Most without things listed above mostly do as you expect them to.
And now, we have the one-off characters. As stated previously, each episode generally takes place in a completely new location, with a completely new situation generally based on some form of parody. Many of these episodes will have a character or two, ally or enemy, who will generally represent that episode. Now, my rules with this is, everyone gets a fair chance, as long as they play a significant enough role within the plot of the episode and do enough within that episode to make a case for themselves.
Let's go through them! We have: Mervin the Magician, a wise wizard in a King Arthur parody, who uses magic to teleport, vanish, and see the future, and guides the Mario brothers to a golden plunger and plumber's snake. Sultan Pashbah from an Aladdin parody, who uses a trampoline, and the Genie from the same episode, who uses a stink spell, a flying spell, disappears into her lamp, and uses magic carpets. Mark Twang and the Mouth of the River from a Mark Twain parody who steer a steamboat and fire rope and a cannon from it. Brutius Maximus Grouchimus from a Gladiator parody who throws shells and uses lions. Queen Rotunda and her servant Hildy who concoct a love potion to give to her crush Prince Pompadour. Captain Clump, a pirate hopping around on a peg leg, who uses his own leg, a parrot, a barrel, and a club, and uses rigging to launch people. Bunsen, a robot who hacks into computers and drills, and supplies Mario with the Plumbinator, a giant mech that uses a plunger sword, a flyswatter, and shoots eggs. Sheldon the Witch Doctor, who brews a potion. King Neptune and his daughter Mermushroom, mermaids who summon a whale at one point. Hercufleas, a Hercules parody who's let himself go, who controls a great fireball and can use it to launch fire at his enemies, who can also race really fast and swing a pillar around. Romano and Joliet, a Romeo and Juliet parody. Salvado Drainaro, Mario and Luigi's idol and the greatest plumber around (possibly someone who could be a plumbing focused character). Herlock Solmes, a Sherlock Holmes parody. Hooded Robin, a Robin Hood parody who flies and shoots plunger arrows. King James and the Flab Boys from a rap parody, the Flab Boys specifically throwing discs, zapping people, boosting people, bouncing on their large bellies, using an exploding disc launcher, and rolling around. James Blonde, who uses items like a wrench phone, explosive drain cleaner, an atomic screwdriver, a laser drill, plumber missiles, a pummel gun, and a hose nozzle with a mini plunger. Vampa White, a vampiric Vanna White parody who throws fireballs (also could take everything from the Count Koopula episode). Zero, a Zorro parody who can use a whip and rapier, fly with her cape, and use cacti and turnips to her advantage. Captain Abidab from a Moby Dick parody who uses a harpoon, plunger shooter, rope, bucket, and catapult, and can dive using a divers' suit. George Washingtoad, from a Revolutionary War parody. Mugga the Medicine Woman and her caveman helper, who uses a bone and torch, brews potions, swings on vines, and dropes bones from above. Misaki, a martial arts master who uses punches, kicks, jumping kicks, throws, chops, staffs, and trains the Mario brothers to use a plunger staff and nunchaku. Elvin Parsley, an Elvis parody. Literal Santa Claus. The Three Mushrooms, who are Stooges parodies. Pronto, a Tonto parody, who uses a plumber gun, a lasso, and rides an Ostro. June and Ward, a pair of monkeys who adopt an amnesiac Mario. Sergeant Kooperman, Mario and Luigi's teacher at Plumbers' Academy and another option for a plumbing centered moveset. Waldo the Wizard, another wise wizard who developed a shrinking potion, a growing potion, floats, disappears, uses magic, and enchants a flying boot. Indiana Joe, an Indiana Jones parody. Obi-Wan Toadie, a Star Wars parody. Peach's Grandmother and an Old Gray Wolf from a Little Red Riding Hood parody. And the Quirks, an alien race who use their horns to blast strong sounds, fly spaceships, shoot lasers, and use magnets.
In the live action segments, there are also guest stars, but they have significantly less to work with, as they typically often just came in, mugged for the camera for five minutes, and left. Of note, we do have Edison, an electrician who pops up out of the brothers' manhole from time to time, and Ratigator, the brothers' pet. Neither really do much, but would be great for a theoretical stage based on these segments. The guest stars include Nicole Eggert, Sergeant Slaughter, Danica McKellar as a girl named Patty, Lyle Alzado, Mario and Luigi's cousins Marianne and Luigeena, Dr. Frank N. Stein and his monster, Dr. Sigmund Fruitcake, Zoltan Dracula (a vampire with two whole appearances apparently), Elvis Presley, Mario and Luigi's mother, Pam Matteson, Alligator Dundee (a Crocodile Dundee parody), Magic Johnson, Cyndi Lauper, Captain Lou Albano, Shabba Doo, Tommy Lasagna, David Horowitz, a Clog Monster, a fortune teller Madame AGoGo, an actress playing Cher, the Imperial Poobah of Plumbers, Young McDonald (as opposed to Old McDonald), a Plant Monster played by Patrick Dempsey of all people, Albert Einstein, a HAL-9000 parody, Rob Stone, Inspector Clean, another Obi-Wan parody Obi-Wan Cannoli, Susanna Ross, Howard Stevens, Ted Bull, Tawny Tyler, Wacky Willy White, Brian Bonsall, a Vincent Van Gogh parody Vincent Van Gook, Jim Lange, and actor playing Mikhail Gorbachev, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Santa Claus again, and an actress playing Queen Elizabeth II.
As for stages, we have Mario and Luigi's plumbing company/apartment back in Brooklyn set during the live action segments, as well as several distinct locations for each episode, most of which generally don't recur (with a few exceptions). These include: Snow Land, Wild West, Cramalot (Camelot parody), the Forest of Perpetual Night and Terrible Dangers, the Sultan's Palace, the River World, the Sinister Star spaceship, the Linguini Empire, a Beanstalk, Rotundaland ruled by Queen Rotunda, the Kingdom of Youth, the Planet Quirk, Captain Clump's pirate ship, Roboland, Turtlevania and Chateau Koopula, the Jungle, Aqualand, Mythus, Sayonara, the Land of Romance, Lava Land, Snow World, Victoria, Sherwood Forest, Carland, Pasta Land (a fan favorite), Rap Land, Spyland, Fort Hardknox, the Tunnel of Doom, Cloudland, the Shamrock Kingdom, Toadstool Castle, El Desert Land, Ocean World and Captain Abidab's ship Mighty Peapod, the Koopalus, the Delawide River, the Swiss Cheese Alps, Caveman Land, Crime Land, Sockhop Land, Parsley Land, the North Pole, Pyramid Land, the Red Sauce Sea, the Wild Western Frontier and Double Cross Ranch, the Plumbers Academy, Down Under Land, King Koopa's Summer Castle, Brooklyn transformed into Kooplyn, the Temple of Koopa, Koopatraz, and Far Off Woods.
Jeeezuss! That was a lot, wasn't it? Now, let's go through and see what we've got so far:
Characters:
TV Mario: plungers, wrenches, plumber's snakes, climb with plungers, pizza cutters, pizzas, spaghetti, fire flowers, fireballs, growing giant, invincibility
TV Luigi: plungers, wrenches, plumber's snakes, climb with plungers, pizza cutters, pizzas, spaghetti, fire flowers, fireballs, growing giant, invincibility
Princess Toadstool: flowers, sled, vegetables, float
TV Toad: flowers, snowboard, biker, hat parachute, vegetables
King Koopa: snowmobile, cage, Piranha Plant gun, door potion, magic carpet, net, vampire, turn people to stone, flies a plane, freezes people, hat shield, catapult, pesticide
Robo Koopa: bullet bills, bombs from the toe, laser cage, stomp, fist from the chest, rocket pack
Mouser: bombs, Cobrats, BMX bike, mace, spinning hat, dinosaur
Tryclyde: spits fireballs, poison, net, trident, sword, BMX bike
Koopa: spin in shell, BMX bike, Werekoopa
Birdo: wings
Flurries: ski, ice skate, carve up blocks of ice, ice wands
Beezos: fly, spears, lances, swords, rope, nets
Mervin the Magician: teleport, vanish, see the future, golden plunger, plumber's snake
Genie: trampoline, stink spell, flying spell, lamp, magic carpet
Mark Twang: steamboat, rope, cannon
Brutius Maximus Grouchimus: throws shells, lions
Queen Rotunda: strength, love potion
Captain Clump: peg leg, parrot, barrel, club, rigging launch
Bunsen: hacks into computers, drills, Plumbinator, plunger sword, flyswatter, shoots eggs
Sheldon the Witch Doctor: brews potion
Mermushroom: swim, whale
Hercufleas: great fireball, launch fire, race really fast, swing a pillar
Salvado Drainaro: plumbing focus
Hooded Robin: flies, shoots plunger arrows
Flab Boys: throwing discs, zapping, boosting, bouncing on their large bellies, exploding disc launcher, rolling around
James Blonde: wrench phone, explosive drain cleaner, atomic screwdriver, laser drill, plumber missiles, pummel gun, hose nozzle with a mini plunger
Vampa White, fireballs, fangs, turn into bat, werekoopa
Zero: whip, rapier, fly with cape, cacti, turnips
Captain Abidab: harpoon, plunger shooter, rope, bucket, catapult, divers' suit
Mugga the Medicine Woman: bone, torch, brews potions, swings on vines, dropes bones
Misaki: punches, kicks, jumping kicks, throws, chops, staffs, plunger staff, nunchaku
The Three Mushrooms: pie catapult
Pronto: plumber gun, lasso, Ostro
Sergeant Kooperman: also plumbing focus
Waldo the Wizard: shrinking potion, growing potion, floats, disappears, uses magic, enchants a flying boot
Old Gray Wolf
Quirks: horns, strong sounds, fly spaceships, shoot lasers, use magnets
Stages:
Snow Land
Wild West
Cramalot
Forest of Perpetual Night and Terrible Dangers
Sultan's Palace
River World
Sinister Star
Linguini Empire
Beanstalk
Rotundaland
Kingdom of Youth
Planet Quirk
Pirate Ship
Roboland
Chateau Koopula
Jungle Land
Aqualand
Mythus
Sayonara
Land of Romance
Lava Land
Snow World
Victoria
Sherwood Forest
Carland
Pasta Land
Rap Land
Spyland
Fort Hardknox
Tunnel of Doom
Cloudland
Shamrock Kingdom
Toadstool Castle
El Desert Land
Ocean World
Mighty Peapod
Koopalus
Delawide River
Swiss Cheese Alps
Caveman Land
Crime Land
Sockhop Land
Parsley Land
North Pole
Pyramid Land
Red Sauce Sea
Double Cross Ranch
Plumbers Academy
Down Under Land
King Koopa's Summer Castle
Kooplyn
Temple of Koopa
Koopatraz
Far Off Woods
Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll cover the second season, Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3!
