The first trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie gave us our initial glimpses of Princess Rosalina and Bowser Jr., brought to life by Brie Larson and Benny Safdie. Beyond those headline reveals, attentive fans spotted a number of nods to Nintendo’s wider catalog — little visual and sonic Easter eggs that reference games beyond Super Mario Galaxy.
Below is a concise guide to some of the most intriguing callbacks tucked into the trailer — expect there to be even more to discover as the promotional cycle continues.
Bowser hums his Super Mario 64 theme
Shortly after Bowser finishes painting a Dry Bones–inspired portrait of Mario (a wink at the Skeleton Suit from Super Mario Odyssey), he climbs the stairs humming a jaunty little melody: “Sippin’ the soup, cleanin’ the paint, doo-do-lee-do…” The tune is clearly based on Bowser’s recognizable theme from Super Mario 64, albeit rendered in a far sunnier register.
Mario and Luigi ride to Tostarena (Odyssey)
The trailer includes a sequence where Mario and Luigi roar across dunes on motorcycles — a clear visual callback to the Sand Kingdom from Super Mario Odyssey. This is less of a hidden gag and more an obvious cross-title reference; rumor has even linked the Sand Kingdom’s presence in the film to earlier leaks (like Old Spice packaging), so expect Tostarenan characters to show up for story reasons.
A Casino Delfino–style locale?
Princess Peach later finds herself in a glittering, neon-heavy arena, fending off waves of Ninji in a sequence that evokes a cinematic Burly Brawl. The environment looks heavily casino-inspired — my money’s on a visual nod to Super Mario Sunshine’s Casino Delfino, with its slot-machine motifs and roulette-like floors — though echoes of Waluigi Pinball tracks and Lucky Houses from Super Mario 3D World are also visible.
Wonder Bowser Jr. makes an entrance
Bowser Jr. transforms into a more menacing “Wonder” version — a direct visual lift from Super Mario Bros. Wonder. He wields the Magic Paintbrush (a recurring tool from Sunshine and Bowser’s Fury) and uses colorful, corrosive paint to become far more dangerous — a faithful and eye-catching adaptation of the game mechanic.
That Prowler sound — coincidence or homage?
Many listeners have pointed out a brief percussive/sonic cue when Wonder Bowser Jr. appears that sounds strikingly similar to the Prowler’s musical sting from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Whether it’s an intentional shout-out from Illumination to the team at Sony Pictures Animation or a happy accident, the effect adds an extra layer of cinematic texture to the reveal.
Rosalina takes on a Megaleg
Rosalina dispatches a massive three-legged war machine that’s unmistakably the Megaleg from Super Mario Galaxy. It’s a straightforward lift from the source material, but it looks great on screen — sometimes faithful recreation is all you need to make a scene sing.
Spot anything else in the trailer that we missed?
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is scheduled to open in theaters on April 3, 2026.
Source: Polygon
