5 games that fill in what the movie doesn't explain
If you're watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie this weekend, you're going to miss a lot if you don't know the games it's pulling from.
This list is here to fix that. Whether you're stepping into these games for the first time or revisiting them for the nostalgia, these are the titles that will help you fully understand the world behind the movie — the characters, the references, and the deeper cuts that longtime Nintendo fans immediately recognize.
I got my first Nintendo in 1988 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and from that moment on, I was all in. I've owned nearly every Nintendo system since. That context matters, especially with a movie like this — it's pulling threads from across decades of Nintendo history, and if you don't recognize those threads, you're only getting part of the experience.
If you watched the movie and found yourself thinking, "Wait… who is Rosalina and why does she feel so important?" — yeah, this is where you go. Super Mario Galaxy isn't just another Mario game, it's the one that gave the series an emotional backbone.
At its core, the game follows Mario as he travels across galaxies collecting Power Stars to stop Bowser. But unlike previous entries, it introduces a sense of scale and wonder that feels almost cosmic — and more importantly, it introduces Rosalina, who quietly carries one of the most emotional storylines Nintendo has ever told.
I stood in line for the Wii for over 18 hours the night it launched, and while Twilight Princess was awesome, it took almost a full year to get a new 3D Mario. And honestly, it had been nearly 10 years since Mario 64. There were games in between, but Galaxy felt like the first true next-gen Mario game.
I remember jumping onto these tiny planets and realizing you could run all the way around them. The physics, the scale, the music — it just felt different. It wasn't just fun, it was fascinating, and it completely changed how I looked at what a Mario game could be.
Released in 2007 on the Wii, Galaxy was built around spherical level design where players run across small planets with their own gravity. This wasn't just visually impressive — it completely changed how movement and platforming worked. The development team leaned into creativity over raw power, and it became the clearest example of that philosophy.
What truly set Galaxy apart was its tone. Rosalina's optional storybook sequences added emotional depth that was almost unheard of in the series. It was subtle, but it marked a shift in how Nintendo approached storytelling — and it's the foundation the movie builds on.
Star Fox 64 might feel like a game that doesn't belong here… unless you somehow missed all the marketing and didn't catch that — spoiler — Fox McCloud actually plays a pretty big role in the movie.
Star Fox 64 tells the story of Fox leading a team of mercenaries through a war against Andross, blending fast-paced action with strong character dynamics that defined the franchise. It was one of Nintendo's first games to feature full voice acting — which helped bring real personality and urgency to every mission.
This is a game I've played over and over again since 1997. I had it on my N64 and just ran it into the ground — trying to medal every level, find all the hidden paths, and chase the perfect run. It was one of those games you could beat in an hour and immediately want to play again.
And honestly, after watching the movie, this was the first game I went back to. I've beaten it twice in the last 24 hours. It's just easy, fun, and super replayable — and the characters never get old.
Released in 1997, the game introduced branching paths that let players take different routes depending on performance — giving it a replayability rare for the time. It also shipped with the Rumble Pak, introducing vibration feedback to console gaming, something now standard across every platform.
Fox McCloud's appearance in the movie isn't just fan service — it's a reference to a broader Nintendo universe that existed long before this film. Star Fox 64 is the clearest window into that world.
My guess is every kid under 10 is going to walk out of this movie thinking Yoshi is the best character — and honestly, that might be true. His role feels a lot like Groot. He only speaks in "Yoshi," but somehow still steals every scene he's in. And if you want to go back and actually understand where Yoshi comes from — not Super Mario World where he's just a side character, but the sequel where he's the main event — this is the game you need to play.
Released in 1995, it pushed the SNES hardware in ways few games did. Using advanced graphical techniques, it created a signature hand-drawn look that still stands out today. But more than visuals, it introduced entirely new mechanics — movement, precision, and the constant tension of protecting Baby Mario.
No joke, I've argued with people about this game. Yoshi's Island is easily one of the best platformers ever made, and it doesn't get nearly the love it deserves. As a kid, it just felt different — the mechanics, the art style, everything about it pushed what a Mario game could be.
It's actually my favorite Mario game, and it still holds up today. I recently started playing it again, and if I had to recommend one Mario game for a kid, this would be it. It's old school, but it aged like a fine wine.
Instead of relying on traditional power-ups, the game built its challenge around strategy and spatial awareness. Baby Mario's crying countdown when knocked off Yoshi added real urgency — something that felt genuinely new for a Mario title.
It also marked a moment where Nintendo showed it wasn't afraid to experiment with one of its biggest franchises — something that would become a recurring theme across the series.
If parts of the movie had you thinking, "Wait… when did Mario have all these weird characters?" — yeah, this is where that comes from. Super Mario Bros. 2 is easily the strangest game in the series, and somehow, it ended up shaping a huge part of the Mario universe anyway.
The reason for its uniqueness is simple: it wasn't originally a Mario game. In Japan, the real Super Mario Bros. 2 was considered too difficult for Western audiences, so Nintendo took a separate title — Doki Doki Panic — and reworked it using Mario characters. What could have been a throwaway decision ended up reshaping the franchise.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is the reason I fell in love with Mario. I played a ton of the original, but I couldn't beat it — no guides, no internet, just trial and error. Then I got Mario 2, and it was the first one I could actually finish as a kid.
I didn't care that it wasn't originally a Mario game. I just knew it was fun and approachable. I loved picking different characters — usually Luigi or Peach — and it's one of those games that stuck with me ever since.
It introduced characters like Shy Guys and Birdo, and it was the first time players could choose different characters with unique abilities — Peach was playable for the first time here. These additions became staples in future games, and many of those characters have never left.
When those characters appear in the movie, they aren't random additions — they're callbacks to one of the most defining detours in Mario's history.
Super Mario Wonder feels like it could exist right alongside the movie — same creativity, same chaos, same sense that anything could happen at any moment.
Released in 2023, Wonder marked the first brand-new 2D Mario game in over a decade. Nintendo used that time to rethink what the formula could be, introducing the Wonder Flower mechanic — which transforms levels in real time, changing physics, environments, and familiar elements in ways you can't predict.
It's hard to call something nostalgic when it just came out 2 years ago, but Super Mario Wonder felt like a breath of fresh air. We hadn't gotten a true new 2D Mario in years, and this one brought it back in the best way. It looks incredible and honestly feels like it could exist right alongside the movie.
I beat it in about a week when it came out, which says a lot because I don't get a ton of time to play anymore. And I've played it with my kids too — if you're watching the movie with your family and want something to play after, this is the one.
It was a deliberate shift away from formula and toward creativity, bringing back the sense of surprise that defined earlier titles. The game also expanded its playable roster and leaned into multiplayer accessibility, making it one of the most inclusive Mario games to date.
Bright, imaginative, and full of character — Wonder feels less like a throwback and more like a continuation. The kind of game that fits naturally alongside what you just watched.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — official trailer. In theaters now.
If you don't know these games, you're going to miss a lot of what The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is pulling from.
And yeah, there's been a lot of discourse around the movie, with critics saying the plot is thin and the characters don't feel fully developed. But here's the thing — this isn't supposed to be a three-hour character study. This is a universe built over 40+ years of games. The movie isn't trying to explain everything; it's referencing it.
If you grew up with Nintendo, you probably caught a lot of those moments, but if you didn't, it can feel like everything is just flying by. That's where the games come in. Because this isn't just one story — it's decades of stories, characters, and ideas that the movie is pulling from, and this list is here to help bridge that gap.