Mario

Mario is a multi-media series created by the Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and primarly produced by the Japanese video game company Nintendo. It was originally and still is primarily a video game franchise, however also covers other forms of media including movies, television shows, physical games and comic books. As of 2022 the Mario video games are the best-selling video game series, with 771 million sales. There are many spin-offs of the Mario series such as the Wario series, the Yoshi series, the Luigi series, the Donkey Kong series and the Super Princess Peach and Captain Toad games and there are many sub-series of the Mario series including Mario Party, Mario Golf, Mario Kart, Dr Mario and Paper Mario however for simplicity they will all be considered as part of the same universe. This article will detail the connections between the series within the Mario Universe and other series.

You can find more information about the Mario series on the Super Mario Wiki.

## Media Included in the Mario series

### Video Games

* Mario's Cement Factory (April 28, 1983)
* Donkey Kong Jr. Math (December 12, 1983)
* Donkey Kong Circus (September 6, 1984)
* Donkey Kong Hockey (November 13, 1984)
* Super Mario Bros. (September 13, 1985)
* Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (June 3, 1986)
* I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater (August 27, 1986)
* All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. (December 20, 1986)
* Super Mario Bros. 2 (October 9, 1988)
* Super Mario Bros. 3 (October 23, 1988)
* Super Mario Land (April 21, 1989)
* Dr. Mario (July 27, 1990)
* Super Mario World (November 21, 1990)
* Mario the Juggler (October 14, 1991)
* Yoshi (December 14, 1991)
* Mario Is Missing! (June 1, 1992)
* Super Mario Kart (August 27, 1992)
* Mario Paint (July 14, 1992)
* Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (October 21, 1992)
* Yoshi's Cookie (November 21, 1992)
* Yoshi's Safari (July 14, 1993)
* Super Mario All-Stars (July 14, 1993)
* Mario & Wario (August 27, 1993)
* Mario's Time Machine (December 1993)
* Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (January 22, 1994)
* Wario's Woods (February 19, 1994)
* Hotel Mario (April 5, 1994)
* Mario's Early Years! Fun with Numbers (September 1994)
* Mario's Early Years! Fun with Letters (October 1994)
* Mario's Early Years! Preschool Fun (November 1994)
* Donkey Kong Country (November 18, 1994)
* Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (December 1994)
* Mario's Game Gallery (February 23, 1995)
* Mario's Picross (March 14, 1995)
* Donkey Kong Land (June 26, 1995)
* Mario's Tennis (July 21, 1995)
* Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (August 5, 1995)
* Mario's Super Picross (September 14, 1995)
* Mario Clash (September 28, 1995)
* Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (November 21, 1995)
* Virtual Boy Wario Land (November 27, 1995)
* Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (March 9, 1996)
* Super Mario 64 (June 23, 1996)
* Donkey Kong Land 2 (September 23, 1996)
* Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (November 18, 1996)
* Mario Kart 64 (December 14, 1996)
* Donkey Kong Land III (October 27, 1997)
* Diddy Kong Racing (November 21, 1997)
* Yoshi's Story (December 21, 1997)
* Wario Land II (March 9, 1998)
* Mario no Photopi (December 2, 1998)
* Mario Golf (June 11, 1999)
* Donkey Kong 64 (November 22, 1999)
* Mario Artist: Paint Studio (December 11, 1999)
* Mario Artist: Talent Studio (February 23, 2000)
* Wario Land 3 (March 21, 2000)
* Mario Tennis (July 21, 2000)
* Dr. Mario 64 (April 8, 2001)
* Mario Artist: Communication Kit (June 29, 2000)
* Mario Kart: Super Circuit (July 21, 2001)
* Paper Mario (August 11, 2000)
* Mario Artist: Polygon Studio (August 29, 2000)
* Super Mario Advance (March 21, 2001)
* Wario Land 4 (August 21, 2001)
* Mario Family (August 27, 2001)
* Luigi's Mansion (September 14, 2001)
* Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (December 14, 2001)
* Super Mario Sunshine (July 19, 2002)
* Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (September 20, 2002)
* Mario Party 4 (October 21, 2002)
* WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (March 21, 2003)
* Wario World (June 20, 2003)
* Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (July 11, 2003)
* Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (July 28, 2003)
* Mario Kart: Double Dash (November 7, 2003)
* Mario Party 5 (November 10, 2003)
* Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (November 17, 2003)
* Donkey Konga (December 12, 2003)
* Mario Golf: Advance Tour (April 22, 2004)
* Mario vs. Donkey Kong (May 24, 2004)
* Donkey Konga 2 (July 1, 2004)
* Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (July 22, 2004)
* Mario Pinball Land (August 26, 2004)
* WarioWare: Twisted! (October 14, 2004)
* Mario Power Tennis (October 28, 2004)
* WarioWare: Touched! (December 2, 2004)
* Yoshi Topsy-Turvy (December 9, 2004)
* Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (December 16, 2004)
* Yoshi Touch & Go (January 27, 2005)
* Donkey Konga 3: Tabe-houdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku (March 17, 2005)
* Mario Superstar Baseball (July 21, 2005)
* Mario Tennis: Power Tour (September 13, 2005)
* Super Princess Peach (October 20, 2005)
* Mario Party 7 (November 7, 2005)
* Mario Kart DS (November 14, 2005)
* Super Mario Strikers (November 18, 2005)
* Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (November 28, 2005)
* New Super Mario Bros. (May 15, 2006)
* Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (July 27, 2006)
* Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (September 25, 2006)
* Yoshi's Island DS (November 13, 2006)
* WarioWare: Smooth Moves (December 2, 2006)
* Wario: Master of Disguise (January 18, 2007)
* Diddy Kong Racing DS (February 5, 2007)
* Super Paper Mario (April 9, 2007)
* Mario Strikers Charged (May 25, 2007)
* Mario Party 8 (May 29, 2007)
* Donkey Kong Barrel Blast (June 28, 2007)
* DK Jungle Climber (August 9, 2007)
* Super Mario Galaxy (November 1, 2007)
* Mario Party DS (November 8, 2007)
* Dr. Mario Online Rx (March 25, 2008)
* Mario Kart Wii (April 10, 2008)
* Mario Super Sluggers (June 19, 2008)
* Wario Land: Shake It! (July 24, 2008)
* WarioWare: Snapped! (December 24, 2008)
* Dr. Mario Express (December 24, 2008)
* Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (February 11, 2009)
* WarioWare D.I.Y. (April 29, 2009)
* Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (June 8, 2009)
* New Super Mario Bros. Wii (November 12, 2009)
* Super Mario Galaxy 2 (May 23, 2010)
* Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! (November 14, 2010)
* Donkey Kong Country Returns (November 21, 2010)
* Mario Sports Mix (November 25, 2010)
* Super Mario 3D Land (November 3, 2011)
* Mario Kart 7 (December 1, 2011)
* Mario Party 9 (March 2, 2012)
* Mario Tennis Open (May 20, 2012)
* New Super Mario Bros. 2 (July 28, 2012)
* Paper Mario: Sticker Star (November 11, 2012)
* Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (March 20, 2013)
* Game & Wario (March 28, 2013)
* Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (May 9, 2013)
* Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (May 24, 2013)
* New Super Luigi U (June 19, 2013)
* Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (July 12, 2013)
* Super Mario 3D World (November 21, 2013)
* Dr. Luigi (December 31, 2013)
* Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (February 14, 2014)
* Yoshi's New Island (March 14, 2014)
* Mario Golf: World Tour (May 1, 2014)
* Mario Kart 8 (May 29, 2014)
* Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (November 13, 2014)
* Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (March 5, 2015)
* Mario Party 10 (March 12, 2015)
* Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure (May 31, 2015)
* Yoshi's Woolly World (June 25, 2015)
* Super Mario Maker (September 10, 2015)
* Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (November 20, 2015)
* Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (December 3, 2015)
* Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge (January 28, 2016)
* Paper Mario: Color Splash (October 7, 2016)
* Mario Party: Star Rush (October 7, 2016)
* Super Mario Run (December 15, 2016)
* Mario Sports Superstars (March 10, 2017)
* Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (April 28, 2017 )
* Super Mario Odyssey (October 27, 2017)
* Mario Party: The Top 100 (November 10, 2017)
* Mario Tennis Aces (June 22, 2018)
* WarioWare Gold (July 27, 2018)
* Super Mario Party (October 5, 2018)
* New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (January 11, 2019)
* Yoshi's Crafted World (March 29, 2019)
* Super Mario Maker 2 (June 28, 2019)
* Dr. Mario World (July 10, 2019)
* Mario Kart Tour (September 25, 2019)
* Luigi's Mansion 3 (October 31, 2019)
* Paper Mario: The Origami King (July 17, 2020)
* Super Mario 3D All-Stars (September 18, 2020)
* Super Mario Bros. 35 (October 1, 2020)
* Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (October 16, 2020)
* Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (February 12, 2021)
* Mario Golf: Super Rush (June 25, 2021)
* WarioWare: Get It Together! (September 10, 2021)
* Mario Party Superstars (October 29, 2021)
* Mario Strikers: Battle League (June 10, 2022)

### Arcade Machines

* Donkey Kong (July 9, 1981)
* Donkey Kong Jr. (June 30, 1982)
* Mario Bros. (June 21, 1983)
* Donkey Kong 3 (September 28, 1983)
* Mario Roulette (December 13, 1991)
* Būbū Mario (1993)
* Mario Undōkai (1993)
* Super Mario Fushigi no Janjan Land (2003)
* Super Mario Fushigi no Korokoro Party (September 2004)
* Donkey Kong: Jungle Fever (2005)
* Super Mario Fushigi no Korokoro Party 2 (October 2005)
* Mario Kart Arcade GP (October 10, 2005)
* Donkey Kong: Banana Kingdom (November 16, 2006)
* Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (March 14, 2007)
* Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (July 25, 2013)
* Luigi's Mansion Arcade (June 18, 2015)
* Mario Party Challenge World (2016)
* Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Arcade Edition (February 2016)
* Mario Kart Arcade GP VR (July 14, 2017)
* Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Arcade Edition (January 23, 2020)

### Crossover Video Games

* Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman! (August 10, 1994)
* Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (July 14, 2005)
* Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (November 6, 2007)
* Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (October 13, 2009)
* Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (November 15, 2011)
* Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (November 8, 2013)
* Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (February 18, 2016)
* Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (August 29, 2017)
* Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (October 20, 2022)

### Cancelled Video Games and Tech Demos

* Donkey Kong no Ongaku Asobi
* Mario Takes America
* Super Mario's Wacky Worlds
* VB Mario Land
* Super Mario 64 2
* Mario Artist: Game Maker
* Mario Artist: Graphical Message Maker
* Mario Artist: Sound Maker
* Mario Artist: Video Jockey Maker
* Super Mario 128
* Peach's Castle
* Diddy Kong Pilot
* Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers
* Mario Kart XXL
* Donkey Kong Racing
* Mario's Face
* Super Mario Spikers
* New Super Mario Bros. Mii.

### Films

* Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! (July 20, 1986)
* Super Mario Bros. (May 28, 1993)
* Mario Kirby Meisaku Video (1995)
* The Super Mario Bros. Movie (March 22, 2023)

### Television Series

* The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (September 4, 1989-December 1, 1989)
* King Koopa's Kool Kartoons (September 11, 1989–November 20, 1989)
* The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 (September 8, 1990-December 1, 1990)
* Super Mario World (September 14, 1991-December 7, 1991)
* Donkey Kong Country (September 4, 1996-January 21, 2000)

### Comics and Manga

* Super Mario Bros. (February 1986)
* Super Mario Bros. 2 (December 30, 1986-June 20, 1988)
* Super Mario Bros. 3 (December 1988-January 1989)
* Super Mario-kun (July 27, 1991-Present)
* Super Mario Adventures (January 1992-December 1992)
* Mario vs. Wario (January 1993)
* Mario vs. Wario: The Birthday Bash (January 1994)
* Donkey Kong in When the Banana Splits (2000)
* Peach no Daibōken!? (February 2006-April 2007)

### Physical Games

* Donkey Kong Jenga (2008)
* Super Mario Chess (September 2009)
* Super Mario Yahtzee (May 4, 2010)
* Super Mario Checkers & Tic Tac Toe (2011)
* UNO Super Mario (2016)
* Super Mario Level Up! (2017)
* The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition (2021)

## 1080°

### Level 2

* An ice sculpture of Mario from the Mario series appears at the end of Midnight City in 1080° Avalanche
* A sprite of Mario from the Mario series appears on the bottom of the 8-Bit Soul board in 1080° Avalanche and a sprite of Luigi appears on the alternate colour scheme

### Level 4

* The NES controller board produces sound effects from Super Mario Bros.

## Alleyway

### Level 1

* Mario from the Mario series appears as the pilot of the spaceship in Alleyway

## Alvin and the Chipmunks

### Level 3

* In Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Alvin says to Ian "It is on like Donkey Kong!", referencing Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series

## American Wedding

### Level 3

* At one point in American Wedding, Stifler says "It's on like Donkey Kong" referencing Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series

## Animal Crossing

### Level 1

* Villager and Isabelle from the Animal Crossing series appears as playable characters and Animal Crossing which is based on and features items and characters from the Animal Crossing series appears as a playable course in Mario Kart 8
* In WarioWare: Get It Together! Wario characters play in a number of microgames one of which is based on Animal Crossing: New Leaf, featuring a location and characters from the game

### Level 2

* Costumes of characters from the Animal Crossing series including Villager, Tom Nook, Mr. Resetti, Kapp'n and Cyrus appear in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* Microgames based on Animal Crossing: Wild World appears in WarioWare: Smooth Moves and WarioWare Gold

### Level 4

* Donkey Kong can be seen playing a 3DS in his idle animation in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Occasionally you can hear sound effects from Animal Crossing: New Leaf during the idle animation

## Art Academy

### Level 2

* A drawing of a Yoshi doll from the Yoshi series appears on the cover of Art Academy
* A drawing of a Goomba from the Mario series appears on the cover of the PAL version of Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!

## Balloon Fight

### Level 2

* A costume of Ballon Fighter from the Ballon Fight series appears in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* A microgame based on Balloon Fight appears throughout the WarioWare series

### Level 4

* The main villain of the Game and Watch version of Balloon Fight is Oiram Repus which is Super Mario spelt backwards

## Banjo

### Level 1

* Banjo and Tiptup from the Banjo series made their first appearance as playable characters in Diddy Kong Racing
* Gnawty from the Banjo series appears in Click Clock Wood in Banjo-Kazooie
* Expresso from the Donkey Kong series appears in Banjo-Pilot

### Level 2

* Instruments from the Banjo-Kazooie intro appears in Candy's Music Store in Donkey Kong 64
* Artwork from Banjo-Kazooie can be used in Mario Artist: Paint Studio
* Goggles can be seen holding a Donkey Kong doll from the Donkey Kong series in Banjo-Tooie. There is also a question in Tower of Tragedy on the appearance of the doll with the correct answer being Donkey Kong. In the Xbox Live Aracade re-release the appearance of the doll was altered to bear less resemblance to Donkey Kong with the correct answer to the Tower of Tragedy question being changed to an adorable gorilla
* A fridge with a Donkey Kong logo appears in Grunty Industries in Banjo-Tooie, however the logo was removed from the Xbox Live Arcade re-release
* Kazooie mentions Mario from the Mario series as someone who could unblock Loggo in Banjo-Tooie. This was changed to "That well-known Italian gentleman" in the Xbox Live Arcade re-release

### Level 3

* One of the questions in the Lord of Games Quiz in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is "Which game featured a Banjo appearance but wasn't a Banjo title" to which the correct answer is Diddy Kong Racing

### Level 4

* The book enemies in Creepy Castle in Donkey Kong 64 bears a resemblance to Cheato from the Banjo series
* In the intro of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Kazooie says that they've been in many games, to which LOG replies "But not nearly as many as that Italian gentleman" referencing Mario from the Mario series
* In Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Banjo mentions that he was once in a race "with a genie and a giant pig", referencing his appearance in Diddy Kong Racing
* Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong from the Donkey Kong series are possible answers in the Grunty's Furnace Fun Quiz in Banjo-Kazooie
* During the HAG 1 final battle in Banjo-Tooie, Gruntilda can ask "Who appears on the cover art?" with one of the possible answers being Banjo, Kazooie, and Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series
* Conga from Banjo-Kazooie reuses Donkey Kong's sound effects from Mario Kart 64
* Donkey Kong 64 reuses some of Chimpy's sound effects from Banjo-Kazooie

### Cancelled

* A portrait of Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series appears in early screenshots of Banjo-Kazooie, however this was replaced with a portrait of Tooty in the final version of the game
* According to software engineer and producer at Rare Paul Machacek, Donkey Kong 64 was one of the 6 games that was planned to be compatible with the Stop'n'Swop mechanic from the Banjo series. There is considerable evidence supporting this, with early screenshots of Donkey Kong 64 showing an unused fridge with Banjo and Kazooie's face on it from the Banjo series in Donkey Kong's Treehouse, and an unused cutscene pans towards where the fridge would've been and teleports you to a normally inacessible area of Crystals Caves. In addition there an unused counter for the Ice Key on the totals screen

## Baseball

### Level 1

* Mario from the Mario series appears on the cover of Baseball

## Bayonetta

### Level 1

* A Chain Chomp from the Mario series appears as a weapon in Bayonetta 2

### Level 2

* Costumes based on Princess Daisy and Princess Peach from the Mario series appear in the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch version of Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2

## Big Brain Academy

### Level 1

* In WarioWare: Get It Together! Wario characters play in a number of microgames one of which is based on Big Brain Academy, featuring Wario characters interacting with a puzzle from the game

### Level 2

* A costume of Dr. Lobe from the Big Brain Academy series appears in Super Mario Maker
* A picture of Raccoon Mario from the Mario series appears in Speed Sorting in Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree

### Level 4

* One of the pictures in Get In Shape in Big Brain Academy bears a resemblance to a Piranha Plant from the Mario series coming out of a pipe
* One of the objects in Point of View in Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree bears a resemblance to a pair of Warp Pipes from the Mario series

## Billy Madison

### Level 3

* In Billy Madison, Billy gets into a debate with one of his peers over whether Donkey Kong or Mortal Kombat is the best video game ever

## Borderlands

### Level 4

* An enemy from Borderlands 2 is called Donkey Mong which wears a red tie and throws barrels, a reference to Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series

## Brain Age

### Level 2

* A costume of Dr. Kawashima from the Brain Age series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Captain Rainbow

### Level 1

* Birdo and a Piranha Plant from the Mario series appears in Captain Rainbow

## Chibi-Robo!

### Level 2

* A costume of Chibi-Robo from the Chibi-Robo! series appears in Super Mario Maker series

## Clu Clu Land

### Level 2

* A costume of Bubbles from the Clu Clu Land series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Conker

### Level 1

* Conker from the Conker series made his first appearance as a playable character in Diddy Kong Racing

### Level 4

* Conker can be seen playing a Gameboy in his idle animation in Conker's Pocket Tales, with music from the Donkey Kong Country series playing

## Croc

### Level 4

* A poster advertising Croc: Legend of the Gobbos features a hat bearing a resemblance to Marios hat but with an N on it instead of an M

## Daigasso!

### Level 2

* Costumes of Yu Ayasaki and Barbara the Bat from the Daigasso! series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Despicable Me

### Level 3

* During one scene in Despicable Me 3, Brett says to Gru "It's on like Donkey Kong!" a reference to Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series

## Devil World

### Level 1

* In WarioWare: Get It Together! Wario characters play in a number of microgames one of which is based on Devil World, featuring a location from the game

## Diary of a Wimpy Kid

### Level 3

* In a Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodney James can be seen playing Mario Kart DS on his Nintendo DS

## Doki Doki Panic

### Level 1

* As Super Mario Bros. 2 is a reskin of Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, it features items, levels and enemies from the game

## Dolphin Tale

### Level 3

* In Dolphin Tale, Sawyer Nelson can be seen playing Mario Kart DS on a Nintendo DSi

## Dragnet

### Level 4

* The tune that plays when Donkey Kong climbs to the top of the construction site is a snippet from the Dragnet theme song

## Dragon Quest

### Level 1

* Slime from the Dragon Quest series appears as a playable character in Mario Sports Mix

## Duck Hunt

### Level 2

* A costume of Duck Hunt from the Duck Hunt series appears in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* A microgame based on Duck Hunt appears in WarioWare: Touched!

## Earthbound

### Level 2

* Costumes of Ness, Lucas, Mr. Saturn and Master Belch from the Earthbound series appear in Super Mario Maker

## Earthworm Jim

### Level 2

* Earthworm Jim's gun appears next to a trash can in the Cranky's Video Game Heroes screen in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest

## F-1 Race

### Level 1

* Characters from the Mario series including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser can greet the player before a race in F-1 Race

## F-Zero

### Level 1

* Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 64 appears as a playable course in F-Zero X

### Level 2

* A costume of Captain Falcon from the F-Zero series appears in Super Mario Maker
* A costume based on Captain Falcon from the F-Zero series appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
* Models of Captain Falcon's and Samurai Goroh's F-Zero machines appear in Barrel Volcano in Super Mario RPG

### Level 3

* A microgame based on F-Zero appears in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!

## Fire Emblem

### Level 2

* Costumes of Ike, Marth, Lucina and Robin from the Fire Emblem series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Free Guy

### Level 4

* A poster for Free Guy is a parody of the cover of Super Mario 64

## Game & Watch

### Level 1

* Mr. Game & Watch appears in the background of Foggy Fumes in Donkey Kong Country Returns

## Ghostbusters

### Level 4

* In Hotel Mario, Mario says "We ain't afraid of no Koopas!" a reference to the iconic line from the Ghostbusters theme "I ain't afraid of no ghost!"

## Golf

### Level 1

* Mario from the Mario series is the player throughout the Golf series

### Level 3

* A microgame based on Golf appears in WarioWare: Twisted!

## Grown Ups

### Level 3

* Two characters can be seen dressed as Mario and Luigi from the Mario series in Grown Ups 2

## Hello Kitty

### Level 2

* Costumes of Melody and Hello Kitty from the Hello Kitty series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Hitman

### Level 4

* A red plumber and a green plumber called Mario Saltatore and Luigi Saltatore can be found working in Sapienza in Hitman, which is a reference to Mario and Luigi from the Mario series

## Home Alone

### Level 4

* The box art of Luigi's Mansion is a parody of the cover of Home Alone

## Ice Climber

### Level 1

* In WarioWare: Get It Together! Wario characters play in a number of microgames one of which is based on Ice Climbers, featuring a location and characters from the game

### Level 2

* A costume of Popo and Nana from the Ice Climber series appears in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* Microgames based on Ice Climbers also appear in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, WarioWare: Twisted!, WarioWare: Touched!, WarioWare: D.I.Y. and WarioWare Gold

## Inspector Gadget

### Level 1

* Inspector Gadget from the Inspector Gadget series appears in the episode Defective Gadgetry of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

## Jet Force Gemini

### Level 1

* Greenwood Village from Diddy Kong Racing appears as an unlockable track in the multiplayer mode of Jet Force Gemini

## Jetpac

### Level 3

* Jetpac appears as a playable game in Donkey Kong 64

## Jump Rope Challenge

### Level 2

* Costumes based on characters from the Mario series including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser and Toad appear in Jump Rope Challenge

## Just Dance

### Level 1

* Mario appears in the track Just Mario which features in the games Just Dance Wii, Just Dance 3 and Just Dance 2018

## Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru

### Level 1

* Dr. Arewo Stein from Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru appears in Wario Land 4

## Kid Icarus

### Level 2

* Costumes of Pit, Dark Pit and Palutena from the Kid Icarus series appears in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* Microgames based on Kid Icarus appears in WarioWare: Twisted! and WarioWare: Smooth Moves

## Killer Instinct

### Level 2

* A poster of Chief Thunder from the Killer Instinct series appears in Cranky's Monkey Museum in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

### Level 3

* A Killer Instinct arcade cabinet appears in Cranky's Monkey Museum in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

## Kirby

### Level 1

* Kirby from the Kirby series appear in Super Mario-kun
* Characters from the Mario series including Mario, Luigi, Toad, Bowser and Princess Peach appear in the audience of the Megaton minigame and the King Dedede battle in Spring Breeze in Kirby Super Star

### Level 2

* Costumes of King Dedede, Meta Knight and Kirby from the Kirby series appears in Super Mario Maker
* Kirby from the Kirby series appears on a poster in Yoshi Theatre in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
* A costume based on Kirby from the Kirby series appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
* Patterns based on Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede and Waddle Dee from the Kirby series appears in Yoshi's Woolly World

### Level 4

* Togezos from the Kirby series share the Japanese names for Spinies from the Mario series and also bear a resemblance to them
* Unibos in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins bears a resemblance to Gordos from the Kirby series

## Kung Fu Panda

### Level 4

* A poster that parodies Kung Fu Panda called Kung Fu Lakitu appears in Ribbon Road in Mario Kart 8

## LEGO

### Level 2

* Multiple items and enemies from the Mario series including Wigglers, Bob-Ombs, Dry Bones, Cheep Cheeps and a Goal Pole appears in the Wii U and Switch versions of LEGO City Undercover

## Mask

### Level 3

* Tim Avery can be seen playing Mario Kart: Super Circuit in Son of the Mask

## Marvel

### Level 3

* In Spider-Man: No Way Home Happy asks Peter and May if they like *Donkey Kong Jr.*

## Mega Man

### Level 2

* A costume of Mega Man from the Mega Man series appears in Super Mario Maker
* A costume based on Mega Man from the Mega Man series appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

## Metal Gear

### Level 2

* Mario and Yoshi dolls from the Mario series can be seen in Otacon's Lab in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
* Yoshi dolls from the Yoshi series appear as collectibles in Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D replacing the Kerotan dolls in the original games

### Level 3

* If you have save data of Super Mario Sunshine on your GameCube, Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes will say "You've been playing Super Mario Sunshine, haven't you?"

## Metroid

### Level 1

* Samus from the Metroid series appears sleeping in Toadstool's Castle in Super Mario RPG
* Samus' gunship from the Metroid series appears in the background of Busted Bayou in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
* A Metroid from the Metroid series appears in the background of Amiss Abyss in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
* In WarioWare: Get It Together! Wario characters play in a number of microgames one of which is based on Super Metroid, featuring a location and characters from the game

### Level 2

* Costumes of Samus and Zero Suit Samus from the Metroid series appears in Super Mario Maker
* An action figure of Samus from the Metroid series appears in Booster Tower in Super Mario RPG
* If you have save data of certain Mario games on your Wii then you can used bumper stickers based on those games in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
* In Mario VS Wario: The Birthday Bash, Mario and Wario are fighting over a doll of Samus from the Metroid series, which they want to give to Peach fro her birthday.

### Level 4

* Fossils that resemble Parasites from the Metroid series appears at the start of the level Tippy Shippy in Donkey Kong Country Returns

## Minecraft

### Level 2

* One of the 4 by 3 paintings you can generate in Minecraft is of the 100m level from Donkey Kong

## Monster Hunter

### Level 2

* A costume of Felyne from the Monster Hunter series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Nazo no Murasame Jo

### Level 1

* Takamaru and multiple ninjas from Nazo no Murasame Jo appear as part of the Ninja Attack sound effect in Super Mario Maker 2

## Need for Speed

### Level 2

* A Mario action figure from the Mario series can be seen in Need for Speed

## Nintendogs

### Level 2

* Accessories based on the Mario series appear in Nintendogs including Mario and Luigi caps and toys of Mario, Princess Peach and Bowser from Mario Kart

## Nisekoi

### Level 2

* A costume of Chitoge Kirisaki from the Nisekoi series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Pac-Man

### Level 2

* A costume of Pac-Man from the Pac-Man series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Paul

### Level 4

* A SNES with a Super Mario World cartridge inside appears in Paul

## Pikmin

### Level 1

* Pikmin from the Pikmin series appears in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
* In WarioWare: Get It Together! Wario characters play in a number of microgames one of which is based on Pikmin 2, featuring a location, characters and items from the game

### Level 2

* Costumes of Pikmin and Captain Olimar from the Pikmin series appears in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* Microgames based on the Pikmin series also appears in WarioWare: Smooth Moves, WarioWare: D.I.Y. and WarioWare Gold

## Pilotwings

### Level 2

* Artwork from Pilotwings 64 can be used Mario Artist: Paint Studio
* Mario's face from the Mario series appears on Mount Rusmore in Pilotwings 64, which changes to Wario's face from the Wario series when shot

### Level 4

* As Pilotwings Resort takes place in Wuhu Island from Wii Sports Resort sound effects from Super Mario Bros. can be heard when flying by the Hillside Cabin similar to in Island Flyover in Wii Sports Resort (see Wii Sports)

## Pokémon

### Level 2

* Pickachu's name from the Pokémon series appears on newspaper clippings in the background of the levels Jelly Pipe and Torrential Maze in Yoshi's Story
* Costumes of characters from the Pokémon series including Mewtwo, Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle and Bulbasaur appears in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World and Super Mario 64 can appear on a television screen in Pokémon Stadium 2

### Level 4

* The last planet visited in the Buoy Base Galaxy (when it opens up) bears a resemblance to the Poké Ball from the Pokémon series.

## Poltergeist

### Level 4

* The scene where Luigi inspects his TV in the introduction of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is a reference to a scene from Poltergeist

## Punch-Out!!

### Level 1

* Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. from the Mario series appears in the audience in the Arcade version of Punch-Out!!
* Mario from the Mario series appears as the referee in the NES version of Punch-Out!!
* Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series appears as a boss in the Wii version of Punch-Out!!

### Level 2

* A costume of Little Mac from the Punch-Out!! series appears in Super Mario Maker

### Level 3

* Microgames based on the NES version of Punch-Out!! appear in WarioWare: Smooth Moves and WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase

## Pushmo

### Level 2

* A costume of Mallo from the Pushmo series appears in Super Mario Maker
* Puzzles of characters and enemies from the Mario series including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Goombas, Thwomps and Bullet Bills appears in Pushmo

## Qix

### Level 1

* When beating the Gameboy version of Qix, Mario from the Mario series will appear if you finish the game with a score of 50,000 to 500,000 and Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toads from the Mario series will appear if you finish the game with a score of 500,000 or more

## Rayman

### Level 1

* Mario crosses over with the Rabbids from the Rabbids series, which is a spin-off of the Rayman series, in Mario + Rabbids series

## Ring Fit Adventure

### Level 4

* Jump Up, Super Star! from Super Mario Odyssey and the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros. are featured in Rhythm Mode in Ring Fit Adventure

## Scribblenauts

### Level 1

* Characters, enemies and items from the Mario series including Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, Toad, Boos, Goombas and Koopa Troopas are spawnable in the Wii U version of Scribblenauts Unlimited

## Shaun the Sheep

### Level 2

* A costume of Shaun the Sheep from the Shaun the Sheep series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Shin Onigashima

### Level 2

* Costumes of Donbe and Ikki from Shin Onigashima appears in Super Mario Maker

## Sim

### Level 1

* Bowser from the Mario series appears as a monster in SimCity
* Bowser's Castle from the Mario series appears in SimCity DS

### Level 2

* If your city has a population of 500,000 or more in SimCity you will earn a statue of Mario from the Mario series
* A statue of Mario from the Mario series is unlockable in SimCity 64

## Skylanders

* Bowser from the Mario series and Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series appears as playable characters in Skylanders: SuperChargers. The backstory for their appearance in Skylanders: SuperChargers is given in the Skylanders comic book Unexpected Allies

## Sonic

### Level 1

* Mario crosses over with Sonic in the Mario and Sonic series

### Level 2

* A costume of Sonic from the Sonic series appears in Super Mario Maker
* A costume based on Sonic from the Sonic series appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
* Sonic's shoes appeara next to a trash can in the Cranky's Video Game Heroes screen in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest

## Splatoon

### Level 2

* Costumes of Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, Callie, Marie and Inkling Squid from the Splatoon series appears in Super Mario Maker

## SSX

### Level 1

* Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach from the Mario series appears as playable characters in the GameCube version of SSX on Tour

## Star Fox

### Level 2

* Costumes of Falco Lombardi, Fox McCloud, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare and the Arwing from the Star Fox series appears in Super Mario Maker
* A costume based on Fox McCloud from the Star Fox series appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
* Artwork from Star Fox 64 can be used Mario Artist: Paint Studio
* A model of an Arwing from the Star Fox series appears in Barrel Volcano in Super Mario RPG

## Star Wars

### Level 4

* In Luigi's Mansion King Boo says "I will not give up my favorite decoration, I like Mario just where he is" a reference to Jabba the Hutts line from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi "I will not give up my favorite decoration, I like Captain Solo just where he is

## Starfy

### Level 1

* Wario from the Wario series appears in Densetsu no Starfy 3

### Level 2

* A costume of Starfy from the Starfy series appears in Super Mario Maker
* Starfy from the Starfy series appears on a poster in Yoshi Theatre in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

## Stunt Race FX

### Level 2

* Mario and Luigi from the Mario series appears on billboards in Stunt Race FX

## Super Scope 6

### Level 1

* Mario and Lemmy Koopa from the Mario series appear in Super Scope 6

## Super Smash Bros.

### Level 1

* Mario characters including Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Bowser Jr. and Princess Peach appear as playable character throughout the Super Smash Bros. series
* Characters and enemies from the Mario series including Waluigi, Bullet Bills, Chain Chomps and Hammer Bros. appear as Assist Trophies throughout the Super Smash Bros. series
* Stages based on the Mario series including Luigi's Mansion, Peach's Castle, Mario Circuit and Mushroom Kingdom appear throughout the Mario series
* Items from the Mario series including Super Stars, Fire Flowers, Super Mushrooms, Poison Mushrooms and Spiny Shells appear throughout the Mario series

## Tamagotchi

### Level 1

* Mametchi from the Tamagotchi series appears as a playable character in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2

## Tekken

### Level 1

* Super Mushrooms, Mega Mushrooms, Poison Mushrooms and Super Star from the Mario series appears as useable items in the Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2

### Level 2

* Costumes based on Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Princess Peach and Toad appears in the Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2

## Tennis

### Level 1

* Mario from the Mario series is the referee during Tennis

### Level 3

* A microgame based on Tennis appears in WarioWare: Twisted!

## The Circle

### Level 3

* In an interview in The Circle the interviewer asks Mae Holland "Mario or Sonic?" a reference to Mario from the Mario series

## The Fault in Our Stars

### Level 3

* Patrick can be seen playing Super Mario Kart on the Wii in The Fault in Our Stars

## The Shining

### Level 4

* Phantamanta in Super Mario Sunshine is based on the ending of 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 Legend of Zelda

### Level 1

* The Magic Whistle from The Legend of Zelda series appears in Super Mario Bros. 3
* Link from The Legend of Zelda series appears in the Cranky's Video Game Heroes screen in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest
* Link from The Legend of Zelda seires appears as a playable character and Hyrule Circuit which is based on and features items and characters from The Legend of Zelda series appears as a playable course in Mario Kart 8
* Link from The Legend of Zelda series appears in the Rose Town inn in Super Mario RPG
* Bloopers, Thwomps, Boos, Pokeys and Shy Guys from the Mario series appear in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and much more clearly appearing in the Nintendo Switch remake
* Lakitus, Bob-Ombs and Spinies from the Mario series appears in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
* A Chain Chomp from the Mario series appears as a weapon in Hyrule Warrior
* Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda series appears in Super Mario-kun
* In WarioWare: Get It Together! Wario characters play in a number of microgames one of which is based on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, featuring a location, Link from The Legend of Zelda series and items from the game

### Level 2

* Zelda's name from The Legend of Zelda series on newspaper clippings in the background of the levels Jelly Pipe and Torrential Maze in Yoshi's Story
* Costumes of characters from The Legend of Zelda series, including Tingle, Sheik, Tetra, Link and Ganondorf appears in Super Mario Maker
* A costume based on Link from The Legend of Zelda series appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
* Artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time can be used in Mario Artist: Paint Studio
* A Yoshi doll from the Yoshi series appears in Mabe Village in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
* Pictures of Mario characters including Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Bowser in Hyrule Castle Courtyard in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This was changed to a recreation of Level 1 from New Super Mario Bros. in the 3DS remake
* Ingo, Talon and Malon from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time all wear necklaces with Bowser's head from the Mario series
* Romani and Cromani from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask wear necklaces with Bowsers head from the Mario series on it as they use the same model as Malon from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
* A mask of Mario from the Mario series appears on the back of the Happy Mask Salesman in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
* A Bullet Bill from the Mario series appear on the sleeve of Fyer from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

### Level 3

* The names of characters from The Legend of Zelda series including Link, Malon, Impa, Sheik, Saria and Navi can appear on the scoreboard in Mario Golf

### Level 4

* In the minigame Loves Me...? in Super Mario 64 DS, if you win three times in a row, an arrangement of the tune that plays when Link uses the Recorder in The Legend of Zelda plays
* Il Piantissimo's face from Super Mario Sunshine can't be seen in normal gameplay, however with hacks it can be seen that he has the same face as the Running Man from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the Postman from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
* You can find a hidden bunch of Star Bits shaped like a rupee from The Legend of Zelda in Rolling Gizmo Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy
* Coins can spawn in the formation of the Triforce from The Legend of Zelda series in the Coin Attack Mode in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
* World 5-2 from Super Mario 3D Land is based on the Dungeons from The Legend of Zelda
* In Cranky's Shop shop in Donkey Country Returns 3D, Cranky Kong can say, "It's dangerous to go alone. Buy this!", a reference to the iconic line "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!" from the Legend of Zelda series
* In Funky's shop in Donkey Country: Tropical Freeze, Funky Kong can say, "Vehicle trouble? It's dangerous to go alone--take one of these!", a reference to the iconic line "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!" from the Legend of Zelda series
* Ingo and Talon from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are based on Luigi and Mario respectively. Talon's sleeping position is also based on Mario's sleeping position from Super Mario 64
* The texture for the sign on the statue in Princess Peach's Castle's courtyard in Super Mario 64 is also used in Dodongo's Cavern in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
* The Legend of Zelda theme is a playable song in Donkey Konga
* Link from the Legend of Zelda series was meant to appear in Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga where he would give Mario and Luigi the Triforce also from the series, however Link would be removed from the final version of the game and the Triforce would be redesigned and renamed to The Great Force, however it still bears resemblance to the Triforce. In the Nintendo 3DS remake Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, The Great Force would be redesigned to look almost identical to the Triforce and when obtaining the items the same sound effect that plays when you obtain an item from a big Treasure Chest in the The Legend of Zelda series plays

### Cancelled

* Data for a costume based on Link from The Legend of Zelda series was found in Super Mario Odyssey, however it would not appear in the final version of the game

## Wave Race

### Level 2

* Artwork from Wave Race 64 can be used Mario Artist: Paint Studio

## Wii Fit

### Level 2

* A costume based of the Wii Fit Trainer and the Wii Fit Balance Board from the Wii Fit series appears in Super Mario Maker
* 8-bit sprites of Mario characters including Mario, Luigi, Goombas and Koopa Troopas appear in running events in Wii Fit
* 8-bit sprites of Mario characters also appear in the Jogging Plus event in Wii Fit Plus, with one of the questions at the end of the event being on which of the Mario sprites you saw

### Level 4

* A pipe resembling a Warp Pipe from the Mario series appears in the Hosedown minigame in Wii Fit U

## Wii Music

### Level 4

* The Super Mario Bros. theme is playable in Wii Music

## Wii Sports

### Level 1

* Two tracks and one battle stage in Mario Kart 7 is set in Wuhu Island from Wii Sports Resort

### Level 4

* In the Island Flyover event in Wii Sport Resort sound effects from Super Mario Bros. can be heard when flying by the Hillside Cabins

## Wild Child

### Level 3

* In Wild Child Poppy says "This is on like Donkey Kong." a reference to Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series

## Xenoblade

### Level 2

* A costume of Shulk from the Xenoblade series appears in Super Mario Maker

## Yakuman

### Level 1

* Characters and enemies from the Mario series including Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi and Bowser appears as playable characters and opponents in Yakuman DS

### Level 2

* A costume of the Mahjong Tile from Yakuman appears in Super Mario Maker

## Yooka-Laylee

### Level 4

* In the level Boom-Bloom Blast - Breakthrough in Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, there is a section resembling Bramble Blast from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest