For my generation, few things are more revered than the Nintendo Entertainment System. Launched in the states for a limited test run in late 1985, and then a full national release in 1986, it captured the imagination of children across the nation as we were introduced to video game experiences above and beyond anything we thought possible at the time. The cornerstones for this new gaming empire were two revolutionary titles: Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda. Though wildly different in execution, they had some of the same fundamental DNA: a focus on secrets and exploration, and a focus on console based experiences. While games of the past were mostly score attacks and arcade titles designed to gulp down quarters as fast as possible, Nintendo encouraged to to take it easy, and see the sights a bit, despite the time on SMB egging you along, there were still all kinds of hidden secrets waiting to be discovered in the Mushroom Kingdom, while Zelda was a purely free form adventure... go anywhere in Hyrule you want, map in hand, and see where it takes you. But this isn't about the landmark games, no, today I want to discuss the animated series based on them, both brought to you by The Super Mario Bros Super Show.
"Swing your arms from side to side, c'mon it's time to go.."
If you're reading this, you probably finished that verse in your head, or possibly out loud with "Do the Mario!", probably the most lasting impact of this series. Every episode ended with a live action Mario, played by the late Captain Loud Albano serenading you with the closing theme of the series, "Do the Mario", to the tune of the overworld theme of Super Mario Bros.
Oddly enough, despite the nostalgia for this specific tune, few things in retro gaming history are as reviled as the Super Mario Bros Super Show. As memorable as it's closing theme was, its actual intro theme song is just as forgettable. This of course was the era of the kids tv show rap theme that explained the entire plot, and Mario and Luigi sure as fuck weren't gonna miss out on THAT action.
Now, why am I defending this show? One that has retroactively been shit on by seemingly everyone? Because once upon a time, I was 9 years old, and this show was AWESOME! Were the plots janky and seemed to all be parodies of movies with Mario characters plugged in? Yup. Was the animation sub par? Yup. Were the live action segments bizarre and a bit of a time waster? Yup. Did I care? Fuck no, I was a child, and as a child, seeing Mario in a cartoon, with Mario music and powerups, with sound effects that sounded like the game was literally all I needed to get that dopamine hit my tiny little brain needed. In retrospect, most children's entertainment is garbage, that's the point... we're stupid and don't know any better, so we're easily amused. On top of that, the show was a 2 for 1... every Friday we got an episode of "The Legend of Zelda", and oh man, was THAT something:
Did the show basically miss the mark as far as characterization and tone? Yeah, pretty much, and "Excuuuuuuse me, Princess!" has lived on in infamy, surpassed only by the god awful depiction of Link on the CD-i games that are best ignored.
But you know what? It had the awesome Zelda theme song, and didn't have any rapping or a "Do the Zelda" dance, so it felt like the more comparatively epic cousin to the Mario series. It also didn't overstay its welcome. After 13 episodes, it was done. North America has never seen another adaptation of the Zelda franchise for TV ever since. The Super Mario Bros Super Show itself ran 52 episodes, from September-December of 1989, before being canceled, although reruns aired through 1991, repackaged as "Club Mario", the live action segments were replaced a a new crew, the titular club... a bunch of dorks obsessed with Mario.
Gone was the rapping into, in comes the new "rocking" theme
This format though was also short lived, with later reruns going back to the original format, in 1992.
So yes, I dumped on the show a bit, but in the end, it served its purpose. America was in the midst of Nintendo fever, and as kids, we couldn't get enough. We could eat Nintendo cereal while reading Nintendo Power, our Nintendo calendar hung on the wall, check the time on our Nintendo watch, grab a Nintendo soda, and watch Nintendo TV shows. Oh, and I guess we could play Nintendo as well. Would I sit through an episode now? Fuck no, I'm almost 40, if I liked the same shit I did when I was 9, we have a problem.. but at the time, it was fun, and that's all that mattered. Sometimes it's best to keep something as a pleasant memory of your past to remember fondly.
Until next time,
Happy gaming.
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