The Super Mario Bros. Anime That’s Been Lost For Generations Needs Saving
Both video game adaptations and anime are more popular (and profitable) than they have ever been, which means now is the perfect time to make a Super Mario anime. Way back in 1986, we actually got this in the form of the film Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!, which came out just one year after Super Mario Bros. This historic project deserves to be brought back in some capacity, perhaps as a reboot or a new anime altogether.
The First Mario Adaptation
Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! was actually the OG video game adaptation, as it was one of the first two films, along with Running Boy: Star Soldier’s Secret, to be based on a video game. The two films happened to be released on the same day, which is why they share this historic achievement. It also has the notable achievement of being the first isekai anime to have a video game as the world the protagonist gets sucked into, which has become a well-worn trope in the genre since.
Business As Usual: Save Princess peach
Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! was directed by Masami Hata and produced by Masakatsu Suzuki and Tsunemasa Hatano with a script by Hideo Takayashiki. The anime film starts with Mario playing his Famicom, only to be approached by Princess Peach from his TV, asking him to help her escape from King Koopa. King Koopa jumps out of the TV and kidnaps her, and Mario and his brother Luigi later get sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom where they go on a quest to save the princess.
The Neglected Film Has Been Restored
Super Mario Bros: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! was restored by fan restoration group Kineko Video in 2022, but it’s one of the most underseen Mario-related projects. For a film that literally began the video game adaptation and video game isekai genre, you would think it would be more well-known. The anime film is a bit strange, but it’s a fun film that Mario fans would enjoy.
The Super Mario Bros Movie Connection
Funnily enough, 2023’s massively successful The Super Mario Bros Movie followed in the footsteps of the film, at least for one plot point. Like the anime film, The Super Mario Bros Movie is technically an isekai, since Mario and Luigi are plumbers that work in New York City and are accidentally sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom. The exceedingly strange 90s’ live-action movie sort of does this, too, when the brothers hop to the “Dinohattan” dimension.
In other words, it seems like Mario and isekai are a recipe that weirdly works together. This is why it’s a shame that Mario anime hasn’t been made since then. Perhaps the billion-dollar success of The Super Mario Bros Movie will encourage Nintendo to green-light more Mario projects, like another anime film or even a series.
Watch The Super Mario Bros. Anime Right Now
Even if we don’t get another Super Mario Bros anime project, we at least know that Hollywood will be making more Mario movies as long as they pump out money. The sequel to The Super Mario Bros movie has already been greenlit, so we won’t have to wait long to see Mario on the big screen again. In the meantime, there are dozens of video game adaptations planned for the near future, and we’ll keep you updated on all of them.
Until then, you can watch the entire Super Mario Bros. anime from 1986 on YouTube.
