At least six classic game levels will be incorporated into The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Details regarding Illumination’s animated movie indicate that it won’t just be bringing the characters from the Mario universe to life; it’ll also find room to work in the gameplay itself. It seems it’ll go about that by adapting some of the levels, even those that were originally rendered in 2D.
Just how much the movie is pulling from the games is evidenced by the trailers, which are chock-full of references to Nintendo classics like Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, and more. The various Mario monsters he encounters in his video game adventures, such as the Goombas and the Spinies, will be on hand as well. Plus, the film also looks to add some of the levels themselves into the story. Some could only be landscapes, while others can serve as obstacles in Mario’s journey as he works to rescue Luigi from Bowser’s clutches. Here are six levels from Mario’s games confirmed to make appearances in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
7 Rainbow Road
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has made no secret of Mario Kart’s importance to the story. Seen in nearly every trailer and TV spot, Rainbow Road is clearly a major part of the movie’s climax. Introduced in Super Mario Kart, Rainbow Road has a well-earned reputation as one of the most difficult courses in the franchise, given how easy it is to fall off the edge. For that reason, it’s traditionally the final race in Mario Kart installments. It would seem, based on the trailers, that Mario, Princess Peach, Toad, Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, and possibly others will use Rainbow Road to enter the final battle with Bowser at the end of the movie.
6 Rock Candy Mines
In some TV spots, Mario, Toad, and Princess Peach can be glimpsed atop giant, pillar-like structures so high that they tower above the clouds themselves. This location can be identified as Rock Candy Mines from 2012’s New Super Mario Bros. U. Like most Mario games levels, Rock Candy Mines has its fair share of hazards for Mario and Luigi to overcome. As for the movie version, though, none may be worse than the threat of falling.
5 Tostarena Town
In addition to exploring some of the more iconic Mario installments, the film is confirmed to feature a nod to one of his more recent games as well. A shot in one of the TV spots reveals the inclusion of Tostarena Town. Tosterena Town is one of the worlds Mario visits in 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey. In Super Mario Odyssey, Tostarena Town was a desert world with floating pyramids in the sky. This distinguishing feature in the shot is what proves the Super Mario Odyssey level will have some part to play in the adventure undertaken by Mario, Peach, and Toad. It’s likely that Tostarena Town will be one of the locations in the Desert Kingdom, which was teased by the map in the second Super Mario Bros. trailer.
4 Bob-omb Battlefield
Another landscape in the promos matches a level from Super Mario 64. Remembered as the first level in the 1996 game, Bob-omb Battlefield is a grassy location centered around a mountain. In this area, Mario has to contend with Chain Chomps, Goombas, Koopas, and as the name implies, plenty of exploding Bob-ombs. Bob-ombs weren’t shown in the Bob-omb Battelfield shot, but these monsters have been spotted elsewhere in the marketing, making it all the more likely Mario will have to get past them to make it out of there.
Another aspect of this level known to be in the movie is the giant cannon. In Super Mario 64, shooting himself out of the cannon allowed him to essentially fly around parts of the map, collecting coins. Considering that the cannon is in the footage, there’s a good chance a similar moment will happen in the movie.
3 Donkey Kong Level 1
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is sneakily integrating at least one level from Mario’s first-ever video game into his clash with Donkey Kong. The trailers show Mario and Donkey Kong coming to blows while standing on a red girder, with more below. This sets up a big-screen reinterpretation of the first level from Donkey Kong, the classic 1981 arcade game that introduced both characters. In the game, Mario had to climb a series of red girders as Donkey Kong, from the top of the level, hurled barrels down on him. Depending on how the fight plays out, the barrels dropped by Donkey Kong could wind up and other elements of the game may wind up being worked into their fight.
2 Bowser’s Castle
Featured heavily in the trailers for the movie is Bowser’s Castle, one of the most important locations in Mario’s games. In the games, Bowser’s Castle is traditionally the final area Mario has to clear. Once finishing the level, Mario finally gets his opportunity to defeat Bowser in one last showdown and save Princess Peach once and for all.
So far, most of what’s been seen of Bowser’s Castle has been from the outside. Exactly what the main characters will see once they get inside is left open to speculation, that it’ll be abundant with monsters and obstacles. That’s to be expected, especially when taking into consideration how it’s usually designed to be the games’ most difficult level to beat. If past games are any indication, getting through Bowser’s Castle should be Mario’s last challenge before the final fight.
1 Super Mario Bros. World 2
The scene of a Cheep Cheep hitting Mario in the face in The Super Mario Bros. Movie references World 2 in the 1985 Nintendo classic, Super Mario Bros. In two of the levels in World 2, Mario has to cross a bridge that looks quite similar to the one shown in the trailers. While on the bridge, Mario has to avoid the Cheep Cheeps that jump out of the water and over the bridge to the other side.