The Super Mario Galaxy Movie may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but I’ll give it one thing: It will leave you hungry to play some video games. Illumination’s animated sequel is less a coherent film and more a colorful museum cataloging Nintendo history. Whether you’re an adult who has been playing the series for decades or a kid learning about the series’ origins through the silver screen, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is best approached as a gateway to Nintendo’s games.
If you’ve just watched the movie and are eager to trace its references back to their source, these five classics are your best starting point. Each one contains all the visual splendor of the movie, but in delightful digital playgrounds. It’s safer (and less annoying) to run around there instead of in your local movie theater.
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Super Mario Galaxy
OK, you probably didn’t need me to tell you this. Naturally, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie pulls a lot of inspiration from Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. If you just enjoyed seeing Mario and the gang on an interstellar adventure, the Nintendo Wii game and its excellent sequel capture that same spirit. The references go far beyond that central motif, though. (Galaxy wasn’t even the first game to take Mario to outer space!) Galaxy was the game that introduced Rosalina, who is voiced by Brie Larson in the film, to the Mario universe. Rosalina has since become a mainstay character in the series, so the Galaxy games are a great way to learn more about the princess. Plenty of other movie Easter eggs will make a lot more sense once you play the games, so make sure to dig into their Nintendo Switch rereleases, which were released as a two-pack remaster back in October.
