Cult PC gaming icon ‘Super Mario’ resurrects his ’80s rap classic in nostalgic Super Bowl ad
Mario Mario, star of hit PC titles like Electric Crayon 3.1: Super Mario Bros & Friends – When I Grow Up (opens in new tab), Mario Is Missing, and Mario’s Early Years: Pre-School Fun (opens in new tab), put in a surprise appearance during yesterday’s onslaught of Super Bowl commercials. Starring alongside Luigi Mario, his brother, the beloved icon resurrected the classic Mario rap, extolling the pair’s drain-fixing abilities in a 30-second paean to plumbing.
If you were born on this side of the 21st century, the phrase ‘Mario rap’ might not mean much to you. A celebrated masterpiece, the song originally served as the theme to 1989’s Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (opens in new tab) That programme only lasted a few years, but it was just long enough to root itself inextricably in the minds of a certain generation of gamers who were doubtlessly obsessed with the character’s biggest hits, like Mario Teaches Typing and Mario’s Game Gallery (opens in new tab).
It’s honestly a pretty cool callback, and I say this as someone whose first exposure to the Mario rap happened in the last 48 hours. The tinny audio and off-kilter colouring makes the entire thing feel like it was recorded onto a VHS tape 30 years ago, and it’s fun to see a wry celebration of Mario’s incredibly awkward first forays into non-videogame media in advance of this April’s Mario Movie (opens in new tab), which looks set to be very competent indeed.
The ad ends with a screen imploring viewers to hire the Mario bros’ plumbing services at their website: SMBPlumbing (opens in new tab). That’s a fully-functioning webpage replete with About Us, Testimonial, and Careers sections (though the latter is a work in progress). If you’re not convinced by this ‘internet’ fad, you can also call them directly at 929-55-MARIO. Of course, someone’s done that already (opens in new tab) (via Kotaku (opens in new tab)), and of course, Charlie Day’s Luigi is right there to give you the hard sell on Super Mario Bros. Plumbing.
The Super Mario Bros (opens in new tab) movie comes out on April 7. Here’s hoping he makes another PC appearance soon after. These kids today need somebody to teach them typing.
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