A throwaway line in The Super Mario Bros. Movie confirms that Nintendo has finally given up on a battle that it’s been fighting with fans for 28 years. Based on the wildly popular video game franchise of the same name, The Super Mario Bros. Movie follows the titular Italian-American plumbers on an exciting adventure into an alternate world, where they help to protect the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser’s forces. It emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of 2023 with well over $1 billion in box office returns.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is jam-packed with Easter eggs for long-time fans of the games to pick up on, which is part of what made it so successful. One of the most memorable sequences in the movie adapts the hazardous racecourses from the beloved Mario Kart games for a thrilling chase scene. A key line from this set-piece shows that Nintendo has finally admitted defeat in its battle with fans over the canonical name of an in-universe object.
7 Game Power-Ups Used In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Ranked
The Super Mario Bros. Movie uses seven power-ups from the iconic Nintendo game franchise, which can be ranked based on their power in the movie.
The Super Mario Bros Movie Rejects Nintendo’s Official “Spiny Shell” Name From Mario Kart
There’s a power-up item in the Mario Kart games that looks like a blue-colored shell covered in spikes. When a player uses this item, it aims straight for the racer in first place, knocks into them, and stops them in their place. It first appeared in Mario Kart 64 way back in 1996 and it’s been featured in every mainline installment in the series since then. Nintendo has always called this item the “Spiny Shell,” but fans have rejected that name and colloquially refer to it as the “blue shell.”
For 28 years, Nintendo has insisted that this item is called the “Spiny Shell,” not the “blue shell.” “Spiny Shell” is the name that appears on all the branding and merchandise related to Mario Kart. But The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s Mario Kart sequence proves they’ve finally admitted defeat in this battle. In the movie, the Koopa General yells, “Blue Shell,” when it’s sent towards the racer in first place, officially confirming a canonical change.
The Blue Shell Label Highlights The Super Mario Bros Movie’s Dedication To Pleasing Fans
The fact that The Super Mario Bros. Movie officially renames the “Spiny Shell” to “Blue Shell” highlights the movie’s dedication to pleasing the fan base. This is a movie made for fans of the games, so of course they were going to use the names for the items that fans will be quicker to recognize. Much like The Last of Us and Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Super Mario Bros. Movie goes to show what unsuccessful video game adaptations were missing: a commitment to fans.
