Here’s a list of the 10 most perfectly cromulent Nintendo references in The Simpsons. We hope it embiggens your spirit in these dark times.
Although Nintendo has been around since the time of your great grandparents, it was the late ’80s when the company as we know it today really took off. Less of the Hanafuda cards, taxi rides and love hotels (no, really) of the past, and more of the Italian plumbers, tunic-wearing heroes and intergalactic bounty hunters that defined them.
It was during the golden age of NES, SNES and N64 that a certain four-fingered family with what seemed like a severe case of jaundice took over the world. The Simpsons and Nintendo; a match made in ’90s kids heaven.
So join us as we head to the planet Nintendu 64 – sorry, wrong Matt Groening franchise – and delve in the best Nintendo references in The Simpsons. To preface, I must apologise to golden era Simpsons fans for including a few picks from the series’ less-than-stellar later seasons. But rest assured, the business end of the list features some classic Simpsons episodes.
10. Mario vs Homer (Kong)
The writers of season 16’s Homer and Ned’s Hail Mary Pass sadly didn’t do their homework as Mario is seen arriving on a bus for ‘Italians Touring America’. Mario is Italian American, not Italian Italian. Or is he from The Mushroom Kingdom? It’s unclear. At least the parody of the arcade Donkey Kong scene where Homer throws garbage cans at Mario is funny.
9. Gameboy Advance cameo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbcm_4_1tyM
The Gameboy Advance made its first and only appearance in the season 20 episode, Dangerous Curves, which happened to be seven years after the handheld released. Talk about late. But the best part was the game Bart happened to be playing: the can-someone-please-make-this FPS, Cereal Killer, where you take down a bunch of bright-eyed breakfast cereal mascots. A game that would most certainly be loved by kids (and probably not approved by their parents).
8. Human Super Mario Bros.
A quick blink and you’ll miss it in the season 23 episode A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again reveals a fun cruise activity titled ‘Human Super Mario Bros’. Now working out what this activity entails is certainly a conundrum. Is this a game of Super Mario Bros. where real people act out your inputs as you press a button? Or is this some kind demented stomping ground free-for-all where you crush your enemies (literally) by jumping on them?
We’ll never know for sure. The itinerary also includes ‘Xbox with PS3 controllers’, which makes more sense, and ‘Real-life Tetris’, which is just as confusing as ‘Human Super Mario Bros.’ to be honest. Maybe even more so.
7. Bart watching Digibots
As Bart attempts to do some homework in season 21’s Postcards from the Wedge, distraction kicks in and he watches an episode of Digibots, a show that sounds like Digimon but looks suspiciously like Pokémon. In the episode, we see both Ash Ketchum and Pikachu on-screen, while Bart ponders to himself, “Wow, how does this show stay so fresh?”
6. Funtendo Zii Zu
The Wii was a phenomenon. We were bound to see parodies of it. But The Simpsons deserves credit for following up its Wii parody with the Funtendo Zii Zu. To see the severely underrated Wii U recognised by something so mainstream is nothing short of a miracle. Sadly we only saw a quick glimpse of it being unveiled at the E4 expo in season 23’s The Food Wife, meaning we didn’t get to look at the Zii Zu’s launch titles, Funtendo Land and ZombiZu.
5. Milhouse will kick your butt… at Nintendo
In the downright radical Lemon of Troy, Milhouse threatens his Shelbyville doppelgänger to “Step over this line and say that! I’ll kick your butt! …at Nintendo.”
Although hilarious – and a great influence on how I conduct my threats – it made me think of Patrick H Willem’s great analysis video, where he discusses how this episode is basically about masculine insecurity. Funny and thematically appropriate? This episode was well ahead of its time.
4. Coconut Nintendo System
“Martin, draw up plans for a coconut radio and, if possible, a coconut Nintendo system.”
You can’t deny Bart’s leadership prowess with his main priority a radio for help escaping a deserted island, and only then, a coconut Nintendo system for their entertainment while being stranded on said island. Das Bus, The Simpson’s take on Lord of the Flies, originally aired in 1998. The question is: which Nintendo system is Bart talking about? As the N64 released in 1996, it’s likely that’s the console Bart is referring to, but for some reason (Mandela effect?) I’ve always had the image of a coconut SNES in my head.
Quite frankly, I’m shocked and appalled there isn’t even as little as an image of this alluring Coconut Nintendo System on the internet. For shame internet. For shame. [Maybe with some Donkey Konga bongos? – Ed.]
3. Donkey Kong’s still got it
He’s the leader of the bunch, you know him well and he’s finally back to kick some tail in season 8’s X-Files mashup, The Springfield Files. You’d think an opportunity to meet Donkey Kong in person would be a fascinating prospect, but no one turned up to the Noiseland Arcade to meet him.
The sarcastic clerk bemoans the fact that the cranky looking DK has lost his draw only for DK to throw a barrel at him arcade style. It just goes to show that no matter what, DK is always a barrel of laughs.
2. Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Lee Carvallo and Sonic
Four of gaming’s most legendary icons (and Sonic) join forces to influence a ten-year-old to steal the thrill(house)ing videogame Bonestorm in season 8’s Marge Be Not Proud. Try and save yourself from not laughing at the gloriously dopey Yogi Bear-like Donkey Kong voice and what seems like a hyper-caffeinated Sonic.
Fun Fact: the hilariously off-putting Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge is based on an actual NES/arcade game called Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf.
1. Super Nintendo Chalmers
“Hi, Lisa. Hi, Super Nintendo Chalmers.”
Season 10’s Lisa Gets an A gave us one of the best and most memorable jokes in the history of The Simpsons – Ralph Wiggum mistakenly calling Superintendent Chalmers “Super Nintendo Chalmers”. But it doesn’t stop there – it also gave us another cheeky video game reference in Dash Dingo, a blatant nod to Crash Bandicoot, and Homer’s pet lobster, Pinchy.
There’s really no explaining why Super Nintendo Chalmers is quite so funny, but it makes me chuckle every time I hear it.
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