Nintendo Isn't Responsible For All The References In The Mario Galaxy Movie

5 days ago 8

Published Apr 22, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT

Scott Baird is a contributor with over a decade's experience writing about video games, along with board games and tabletop RPGs. Scott has previously worked for Dexerto, Cracked, Dorkly, and Gamepur.

Shigeru Miyamoto discussed The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in an interview and confirmed that the numerous references to classic Nintendo games weren't made by Nintendo.

The original Super Mario Bros. Movie was absolutely teeming with Nintendo references, mostly from the 8-bit era, with titles like Duck Hunt, Punch-Out, and Star Fox receiving countless little nods in the background, to say nothing of the many nods to Mario's history. The same was true for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, possibly to an even greater degree, with countless references that ultimately diminished the story.

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In an interview with Famitsu, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto discussed the creation of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Miyamoto revealed a surprising detail about the movie that may help explain certain elements of its story.

Illumination Is Responsible For The Nintendo References In The Mario Galaxy Movie

According to Miyamoto, the Nintendo references in both The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie were due to Illumination. It was due to the Illumination staff that the films had so many nods, with Miyamoto confirming that they remembered more than Nintendo did.

It makes sense that fans of the Mario franchise would be the ones pushing for the nods to older games. They're the ones who grew up alongside the classic Nintendo titles and witnessed the meme and fan culture that grew around them.

It was due to the Illumination staff that the films had so many nods, with Miyamoto confirming that they remembered more than Nintendo did.

Nintendo, meanwhile, is the company that made the games, so they're the ones who saw it from the inside and will have a different perspective on their creation and impact.

Thankfully, Illumination included those background references, as they're among the best aspects of the films, especially for longtime fans of the first-party franchises. Though future Mario movies might want to rein them in a little, as they took a bit too much of the focus in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.