Super Mario Adventures

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Super Mario Adventures is a serialized comic which ran in Nintendo Power magazine from January to December of 1992. The story (written by Kentaro Takekuma) features most of the enemies and characters of Super Mario World, but quickly spirals into an original, quite whimsical storyline. The comic itself was illustrated by Charlie Nozawa. Despite the involvement of Japanese talent, it was produced for a North American audience, and is not considered to be a Manga.

It is widely considered the best Super Mario Bros. comic or manga ever created, and unlike in the Nintendo Comics System or The Super Mario Bros Super Show, the art is mostly On Model. It is also notable for debuting plot elements that would later arise in future Mario games; for instance, traits such as Luigi's cowardliness and fear of ghosts, Bowser's amorous feelings towards Peach, and Peach's role reversal with Mario (in which she storms Wendy O. Koopa's castle to rescue him).

When the comic originally ran, it ran alongside another Manga-esque serial based on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Both serials were later reprinted in Graphic Novel format to celebrate the magazine's fiftieth issue. The Super Mario Adventures trade paperback was also bundled with the first Mario Vs Wario comic that Nintendo Power had published back in '93.

It can be read online here.

Tropes used in Super Mario Adventures include:
  • Action Girl: Peach, surprisingly, Took a Level in Badass for the first half of this comic.
  • Alliteration: Holy rigatoni, does the comic go hog wild with this trope.
    • "Let the pros at the palace pipes."
    • "I have a persnickety, party-planning Princess expecting plumbing -- by tonight!"
    • "Without pipes, the Princess will be in a pickle!"
    • "Pipe down pipsqueak! It's the Princess' play time!"
    • "Totally Tubular, man. Popping pillars of pipe? Preposterous!"
    • "They've even uprooted the palace petunias!"
    • "Stand your ground, you shrinking shrooms!"
    • "Whoa! Get a load of that Koopa 'Copter!"
    • "Oh no! A Princess pancake!"
    • "I don't want everyone to catch the koopa croup.""
    • "Come back here, you shrimpy shroom!"
    • "That dippy dinosaur!"
    • "Your princess pedestal will be Koopa kindling!"
    • "It'll be a small price to pay to kick your Koopa keisters!"
    • "That creepy Koopa!"
    • "Mama mia, what a peculiar pad!'
    • "Now that I've muffled those meddlesome Marios..."
    • "Bum-biting Boo Buddies!"
    • "We'll be an apparition appetizer!"
    • "Go have some fun with the bungling brothers!"
  • All Your Base Are Belong to Us: The Koopas descend on Mushroom Kingdom while the heroes are away.
  • And Now You Must Marry Me: Bowser asks Peach to marry him, and threatens to turn her subjects into stone if she doesn't.
  • Animesque: Well, the illustrator is Japanese.
  • Anything But That: Peach threatening to rip up Wendy's favorite sweater. This actually keeps Wendy at bay.
  • Art Shift: For one panel in the first chapter, Mario's face goes realistic.
  • Badass Arm-Fold: Wendy surprising the escaped Princess with her personal army.
  • Badass Boast: Even chains can't hold the mighty Mario!
  • Badass Damsel: Peach, boy howdy. Just watch her go all Allah Ackbar on the Koopalings!
  • Badass in Distress: Poor Mario keeps alternating with the Princess as a hostage.
    • Lampshaded with the good guys rejoicing in Wendy's castle blowing up ("WE DID IT!"). On a sour note, Mario grumbles, "I can't believe they pulled it off without my direction."
  • Badass Mustache: Toadster.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: In the desert, the Toad leader tries to tell the princess that this search is ridiculous, that they're out of water, and that there's not a cloud in the sky -- prompting a cloud to miraculously appear. The Toads rejoice by performing a Rain Dance, but the clouds are soon revealed to be Lakitus.

"We must have done the wrong dance!"

  • Berserk Button: The Koopa kids try to console Bowser over losing his bride. "She would've been a lousy mom anyway, pop." Whoops. "SILENCE!!!" roars Bowser, blowing his top. His anger is so great, it creates fissures throughout the room.
  • Big No: Mario's butt accidentally squashing Luigi's lunchbox. You'd think Luigi had just lost his first born child.

"I've been having dreams about that cannelloni!"

    • The Princess losing her balance and plummeting off Wendy's windowsill.
    • Bowser screams this when his clown car propeller gets snagged, sending him crashing into his own wedding cake.
  • Big Red Button: Release the cheese!
  • Big "What?": Bowser learning that his kids let his fiancée fall out a window.
  • Blow Gun: Luigi kicks a goomba into a piece of green pipe Mario's holding, and Mario blows through the other end to fire the goomba as a projectile into a crowd of enemies, KO-ing at least ten of them at once.
  • Boastful Rap: Bowser's "K-Man Koopa" rap.
  • Bond One-Liner: "Now that's what I call spit-fire!"
    • After Bowser is crushed beneath his wedding cake: "He got his just desserts!"
  • Bratty Teenage Daughter: Wendy O. Koopa, of course.
  • Bridal Carry: Seeing that Peach is hypnotized by Bowser ("HAHAHAHA! You see -- she has grown to love me!"), Mario scoops her up and starts hopping his way over the cake.
  • Bound and Gagged: Mario, and later a cross-dressing Luigi.
  • Bow Ties Are Cool: Bowser wears a comically-oversized polka dot bowtie for his wedding. The Princess' courtiers also wear these.
  • Buffy-Speak: The Bros. running away from Yoshi in terror. "It's a Something Asaurus!"
  • Bullfight Boss: Roy Koopa's baseline strategy, always ending with him careening into a wall. Peach lampshades this by grabbing a yellow cape and impersonating a matador.
    • It Runs in The Family: Bowser charges at Mario in a blind rage, but misses and goes KER-SPLT into cake icing.
  • Burning with Anger: The Princess, after Bowser petrifies Mario.
  • Canon Foreigner: Friendly Floyd the Salesman.
  • Cartoon Bomb: Ironically, Floyd's bombs are more similar to the ones from Zelda than the previous comic's.
  • The Cavalry: The Yoshis.
  • Cavalry Betrayal: Shortly after Toad flies back up the sky pipe, a rope ladder falls from on high, and Toads paratroop down! (Hmmm.. They seem to have bushy eyebrows and pointed beaks... What could that mean?)
  • Ceiling Cling: Lemmy proclaiming that Peach is "safely behind bars" -- Or is she? When Lemmy peeps in, she's gone. They all pile in, wondering how she could possibly pulled it off. Meanwhile, dangling overhead...
  • Celebrity Paradox: Peach is first seen in the first chapter playing Super Mario Bros ("You're a real power player, Princess!")
    • Likewise, the Koopalings first appear in Chapter 4 playing a parody of the game with Bowser as the hero and Mario as the goombas.
  • Chekhov's Boomerang: The Princess' cape. Toad uses it to mount a solo mission back to the Mushroom Kingdom, promising he'll send back a rescue party.
  • Chekhov's Gun: The cake.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome / What Happened to the Mouse?: After the Koopas kidnap him during Chapter 8, Toad is suddenly forgotten about.
  • Clothing Switch: Luigi switches clothes with Peach (while she is unconscious!) and poses as Peach to rescue Mario from the Koopalings. Luigi in Peach's outfit wears a gag to mask his mustache, while Peach in Luigi's outfit is...just plain hilarious.
  • Cool Shades: This version of Toad wears army fatigues and aviator sunglasses.
  • Crossing the Desert: In the Koopahari Desert, Toadstool and Co. are hotfooting it to Bowser's Castle. Unfortunately, their supply of water is gone.
  • Death by Irony: Bowser continually ordering bigger and bigger cakes for his wedding.
  • Delicious Distraction: When Wendy catches Luigi (as Peach) snooping around the jail, Luigi quickly changes the subject, suggesting ordering pizza! The Koopa kids are very enthusiastic about this (they even begin calling him "Mom").
    • Luigi's weakness for provolone.
  • Delivery Guy Infiltration: Toad and Yoshi delivering pizza.
  • Department of Redundancy Department: During the wedding ceremony, the Minister Koopa recites, "Do you take this Princess to be your Queen, for richer or... well, richer..?? Well, DO you?"
  • Dick and Jane: After selling the boys his Acme Yoshi Learner, Floyd beats a hasty retreat. Mario and Luigi open the book to find it illustrated in the style of this trope... Except that every word translates to "Yoshi".
  • Disguised in Drag: Luigi.
  • Disney Villain Death: Bowser falls off of his wedding cake when it collapses.
  • Do You Want to Haggle?: Floyd Floyd hastily marks down his Acme Yoshi Translator from 3000 coins ("3000!!") to 10, since they're friends of Yoshi.
  • Don't Look Down: Mario realizing he's actually standing on a Blargg.
  • Dynamic Entry: "SPECIAL DELIVERY!"
    • Mario dropping from above to bust up Bowser's wedding.
  • Easing Into the Adventure: Mario and Luigi are summoned to Peach's castle to fix the basement pipes, which are a jumbled mess.
  • Evil Overlooker: Bowser and the Koopalings watch Mario and Luigi entering Big Boo's Haunt on their TV. ("GONNGGGG!")
  • Evil Tower of Ominousness: Wendy's castle. The steeple sports a big pink ribbon.
  • Eureka Moment: Just as the Mechakoopas deliver their ultimatum, who should burst on the scene but Friendly Floyd, advertising his new makeup line. Luigi snaps, "DO I LOOK LIKE I NEED A MAKEOVER?!" Moments later, Luigi wanders out in drag.
  • Explosive Stupidity: A stray fireball from the castle guardians lights the bomb Peach is carrying. Possibly an in-joke at Mario using a Plunger Detonator on each of Koopa's castles in the video game.
  • Facial Profiling: The "Master of Massage", a Fu Manchu-looking toad.
  • Family Values Villain: Part of Bowser's motive for marrying the Princess is his concern over his kids lacking a mother figure.
  • Faux Horrific: Not knowing who Yoshi is, Princess Toadstool runs for her life, only to crash headlong into Friendly Floyd. She gets one look at his face and runs away again, screaming.

Floyd: WAIT! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN MY NEW LINE OF MAKEUP!

  • Fed to the Beast: Wendy gloating over her plans to feed Mario to the piranhas.
    • She later drops the heroes into a Reznor pit via a Trap Door.
  • Forced to Watch: Peach's wedding. Bowser taunts a captured and tied-to-a-pillar Mario, saying that he may stay to "witness this blessed event."
  • Forgot Flanders Could Do That: The comic depicts a rare instance of the Mario bros. doing actual plumbing work.
  • Forgot I Couldn't Swim: Luigi.
  • Freudian Excuse: As the Big Boo lies down on the couch, "Doctor" Mario counsels the ghost, asking to be told about its childhood. Smash Cut to the Boo crying his eyes out about bullies stealing his lunch and stuffing him into lockers.

Luigi: The same thing happened to ME! It was awful! Let me tell you MY story!
Mario: Counseling YOU won't get us out of this mess!

Luigi I do think it flatters my complexion.

"Every pipe has its fitting!"

    • In true Super Mario World style, when Yoshi gobbles a blue shell, he sprouts wings. The Bros. hop aboard, but in the fray, they lose track of Bowser's rocket. Mario and Luigi start arguing, and Mario asks Yoshi for his opinion. Bad idea.
  • The Guards Must Be Crazy: The Koopalings getting locked in their own prison.
  • Hand in the Hole: While inspecting the first of the green pipes, Mario sticks his big schnoz into it -- only for a piranha plant to jump up and bite it.
  • Harmless Lady Disguise: Luigi.
  • He Also Did: Leslie Swan was a senior editor for Nintendo Power and did a great deal of the writing for this comic. Aside from her current career in Nintendo game localization, she went on to voice Peach herself in Super Mario 64.
  • Heel Face Turn: "Doctor" Mario treating the social anxiety of a Big Boo.
  • Honest John's Dealership: Friendly Floyd. In addition, the Yoshi translation book he sells to the Mario Bros. (which proves to be useless) is an Acme Products.
  • Hypnotize the Princess: Bowser has a Magikoopa do this.
  • "I Am" Song: The Mario Bros. sing one at the very start. Also, Bowser's Villain Song has a bit of this.
  • I Have Your Wife: While Luigi, Toad and Yoshi try to revive the Princess, two Mechakoopas sidle up in a canoe. They announce that Mario is being held a prisoner, and that if they fail to put the Princess into their boat, Luigi's brother will pay. The Mechakoopas give them all a demonstration by symbolically burning a Mario effigy with the flamethrowers in their mouths.
  • I Know Karate: The Minister of Massage learned his art at "the ancient Mount Fuji Karate School."
    • The Princess belts out a "HIEEE-YAAAAH!", performing a surprise spin kick on the awestruck Koopa Kids.
  • Improvised Weapon: Peach pelting the Koopas with cosmetics.
  • Inferred Holocaust: Try not to think about the implications of dozens of Boos, complete with a Big Boo, who can't be stopped by staring at them, and have no problem leaving their abode even in broad daylight. And they're still on good terms with Bowser. Hopefully they won't take advantage of this.
  • Implausible Deniability: Bowser notices that the "Princess's" voice sounds funny, and wonders why she's wearing a surgical mask. Luigi claims to have a cold., but this just makes Bowser want to give "kiss [her] better."
  • It Has Been an Honor: Luigi opines, "You've been a good brother, Mario," after the pair are concerned by Yoshi and a Wiggler.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Once the Yoshis are de-hypnotized, Bowser flees inside his wedding cake. As if on cue, the Yoshis start eating the cake until it topples.
  • Least-Common Pizza Topping: The Koopalings' competing requests for pizzas toppings.
  • Leeroy Jenkins: Mario, you have your moments; particularly when it comes to saving the Princess.
  • Lie to the Beholder: The "Toad" who kicks Mario squarely in the nose is actually Bowser.
  • The Load: The trouble starts when Luigi's lunch gets obliterated in Chapter 1 (he's willing to forfeit his life to save it, but Mario drags him off). From that point on, Luigi never stops complaining about his hunger.
  • MacGuffin Melee: Yoshi and Luigi leading the Koopalings on a merry chase for the jail cell keys.
  • Medium Awareness: When Bowser zaps the Toads, their Speech Bubbles gets turned to stone, too; The letters "WAAA!" lie scattered on the lawn.
    • As the Princess tumbles from the tower, Mario and Luigi peek out from beneath the "Tune in next month" bubble to comment that she's stealing the spotlight.
  • Merchandise-Driven: The comic closely depicts a variety of gameplay mechanics from then-recent Killer App Super Mario World. The comic is still done well, but still made people also want to play the game. Not that anyone minded.
  • Missed Him by That Much: On his bullet ride to Wendy's castle, Mario passes the Princess shooting toward the ground with the cape. D'oh.
  • Missing Episode: The bonus chapter adapting Super Mario Land 2 was included in the graphic novel version, but not the one concerning Peach's birthday, as that one was published after the graphic novel.
  • Mythology Gag: A shout-out to Dr. Mario.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: The fire-spitting Reznors accidentally ignite the Princess' bomb.
  • Nightmare Sequence: Peach dreams that the Koopas crash her and Mario's wedding at the beginning of Chapter 6.
  • Nerd Glasses: One of the toad courtiers has spiral glasses, as does Bowser's head Magikoopa.
  • No Indoor Voice: Toadster.
  • No One Could Have Survived That: Spoiler alert - the Koopas survive the tower blast.
  • Obligatory Joke: "See you next fall!"
    • "That's the story in a nutshell--or should I say, eggshell."
    • "Hasta la vista, babies!"
    • "Break a leg, Princess!"
    • Charge! Let's CRASH this wedding!"
    • Schiff One-Liner: "Piece o' cake."
  • Off-Model: Mostly averted! Perhaps the most glaring exception are Bowser's eyes being blue instead of red, but this was entirely forgivable at the time -- Bowser's eyes were blue in official artwork up to Super Mario Bros 3, but had only changed to become red since Super Mario World. Bowser in this comic used a slightly outdated blue-eyed model. The change to red eyes was still a new one, and Nintendo itself didn't seem absolutely certain about sticking with it for the next few years -- for example, later games like Yoshis Safari still had him with blue eyes. Red eyes didn't become his decided iconic look until Super Mario 64.
  • Oh Crap: "The fuse!"
    • The heroes realizing they're stuck in the Koopa Kingdom.
    • Bowser's reaction when his Magikoopa is flattened by the Yoshi slaves.
  • Oh My Gods: Hole-y Rigatoni!
  • Panty Shot: Of Luigi.
  • Patrick Stewart Speech: Mario proceeds to comfort the Big Boo, telling him that his frustrations are nothing in the vast universe. Mario then requests that the Big Boo tell them how to reach Bowser's Castle, claiming "I want to tell the Koopa King about the wonderful universe too."

Luigi: (He's taking this psychology stuff a little too far...)

  • Pokémon-Speak: All the yoshies, which makes it hard to communicate with them. Friendly Floyd sells a book, Yoshi Language Series, Level One, to Mario and Luigi for 10 coins (marked down from 3000). While purporting to be something of a Fictionary to help them understand the Yoshi language, it becomes clear that the translation of every phrase is "Yoshi," leading Mario and Luigi to realize they've been swindled.
  • Prisoner Exchange: An accidental one.
  • Prisoner of Zenda Exit: When the Koopalings have her cornered, the Princess uses a cape Super Mario World style and soars harmlessly across the moat.
  • Reaching Between the Lines: At Bowser HQ,, the Koopalings are watching Ludwig play what appears to be "Super Bowser Bros." The TV screen bleeps out and static-filled image Bowser appears, yelling at them to keep the video line open. After conferring with his chef, Boswer turns back to the Koopalings and realizes that they're playing the game again. "DO YOU HEAR ME?!!?" he roars, somehow sticking his head, in classic cartoon form, through the monitor.
  • Reality Bleed: Princess Toadstool's nightmare ends with her turns around to find Bowser leaning toward her, lips puckered. She awakens with a fright to find herself staring at Yoshi's snout.
  • Riding the Bomb: An exhausted Luigi sits down on what he thinks is a log, but is really a Bill Blaster. Mario shoves him away, but too late! The cannon shoots a Bullet Bill toward the castle, with Mario holding onto it.
  • Right Behind Me: In the bridal chamber, Peach keeps fending off the Koopas attending to her, insisting that she will not "a maniacal fiend" like Bowser. The Koopa King is standing the doorway, looking genuinely pained at the accusation.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Rather than sit idly by and wait for Mario to recover, the Princess does a high dive out her window and chases Bowser back into his own pipe!
  • Running Gag: Bowser roaring so loudly he inadvertently topples the wedding cake. Once when he finds out Peach is gone, and again when he believed she's back under the Koopalings' captivity. The third time, Bowser happens to be standing on top of it. Whoops.
  • Save the Princess
  • Schmuck Bait: Luigi deludes himself into thinking the Ghost House is somebody's vacation retreat.
  • Shark Pool: Toad says he saw the Princess being carried into Wendy's tower, but they need to raft across the moat. Mario says to hell with a boat and tries swimming, but soon finds -- much to his discomfort -- the water is filed with Fishbones, Porcu-Puffers, and Urchins.

Mario: [soaking wet] On to Plan B....

Luigi: Code Name: Survival.

"Come on, sweetcakes, we'll make a great pair! I can do the ruling while you style your hair!" ♪

"Your symptoms indicate that you're suffering from anthrophobia! Your fear of humans must stem from some bad childhood experience."

Bowser: Mark my words! They're tired, hungry, and best of all, lost! This cozy little bungalow is just too tempting for a snoopy pair like the Mario Bros. And it's unlocked, which makes it irresistible!

Mario: Wait, Luigi. We may be tired, lost, and worst of all, hungry, but we must keep our wits about us. There's something strange about this place... My Gut Feeling is that it's a trap!

  • Verb This: "Eat cake, shell scum!
  • Villain Ball
  • Villain Exit Stage Left: Bowser attempts to escape in the Clown Car, but Mario snags the propeller blades with the rope, causing it to crash into the cake.
  • Villain Song: Bowser, after sound-testing the mic in his hand (and getting a gong bang from his kids), begins freestyle rapping.
  • Wizard Beard: The head Magikoopa has long mustaches.
  • A Worldwide Punomenon: "Cut the rap, you Koopa creep!"
    • The Minster of Massage, apropos a petrified Mario: "This stiff is seriously stiff!"
    • Luigi greedily cooking an egg, only for Yoshi to pop out. "This is not what I eggspected!"
  • Wedding Smashers: Mario, and then Luigi and the Yoshis, do this to Bowser at the end. This also applies to Peach's nightmare.
  • Wholesome Crossdresser: Bowser's holding Mario hostage and demanding Peach in exchange, but she's out cold. So Luigi swipes her dress and poses as her, and she wakes up to find herself wearing his green shirt and overalls.
    • And Toadstool actually manages to look very good in Luigi's outfit. Also, when she plays Big Damn Heroes to save Mario Action Girl style, everything she does reeks of Crazy Awesome. Wendy Koopa even lampshades it.
    • Also Luigi mentions after it's all over he was starting to like wearing Toadstool's dress. He also ends up in a nurse outfit later.
  • Wig, Dress, Accent: Toad's afro.
  • Xenafication: Peach
  • You!: Bowser shaking his head loose from the cake, only to be greeted by Mario standing over him. "What?! YOU again!"
  • You Have to Believe Me: The Toad courtiers are dubious about Toadster's claims of pipes surrounding the castle, but he shrieks that it's worse than they think -- the pipes have even ruined the flower garden.
  • Your Princess Is in Another Castle: After the Koopalings' tower is (accidentally) blown up, the heroes celebrate their victory and they head off into the sunset... and it's only two pages into Chapter 8 of 12. Suddenly, the credits freeze (they are fake), the sunset clears, and everyone realizes that they're still stuck in the Koopa Kingdom. As Mario soon points out, the return trip won't be simple.
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