Still here? Excellent! So, in no particular order, here are our picks for the best nods and winks in the Mario Galaxy Movie…

#1 DK returns!

We’d gone into the sequel pretty much at ease with the fact that Donkey Kong wasn’t going to show up in any meaningful way (not least because of rumours he might be getting his own movie). So that makes it all the more surprising to see him during Yoshi’s brief backstory sequence.

As Yoshi causes havoc in Brooklyn, we can see DK in the background thumping his chest. It’s over in literally a second or two, but it’s good to see the ape back in business.

#2 Bowser gets whacked

As Mario makes his way through Princess Peach’s birthday party in the Mushroom Kingdom, we can see a bunch of Toads whacking a piñata in the background.

It’s not just any piñata, however. This one happens to be modelled off the pixel art sprite of Bowser from the original Super Mario Bros., except here it’s all 3D, kinda like the 30th anniversary Mario amiibo. Very cool.

#3 Giant Goombas

For a movie named after Super Mario Galaxy, there are surprisingly few references to the iconic Wii title, with Illumination instead paying more attention to 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey.

One neat little callback, however, is when Mario and Luigi take on a bunch of tasks in the Mushroom Kingdom. They wind up encountering some gigantic Goombas; a clear reference to the Supermassive Galaxy in Galaxy 2.

#4 A familiar letter

When Peach and Toad jet off to find Rosalina, she leaves behind a letter for Mario. When reading through it, we see the letter itself on the left of the screen while an image of Peach can be seen on the right.

It’s a blatant homage to the letter that kicks off Super Mario 64, and we won’t lie, it made us grin from ear to ear.

#5 Jump Up, Superstar!

At the Gateway Galaxy, Peach and Toad find their way into Wart’s casino by glitching through a wall (which itself is a nice nod to the NES Mario games). Inside, an orchestral theme can be heard that you might recognise.

Yes, in another nod to Odyssey, this is a rendition of the ‘Jump Up, Superstar!’ theme sung by Pauline. It doesn’t last long before the movie throws you into the next set piece, but it’s nice.

#6 PIKMIN!

We knew about this ahead of time, but it still doesn’t make the moment any less impactful. At the Gateway Galaxy, a ship that looks awfully like Olimar’s lands in the docking bay.

Turns out that it is Olimar’s ship, and so a bunch of Pikmin stream out to explore the Gateway Galaxy. How lovely.

#7 Real-time Mario Maker

Toward the climax of the movie, Mario and Peach find themselves trapped by Bowser Jr. To make matters worse, the villain is able to create obstacles for our heroes in real time, utilising visuals inspired by Super Mario Maker to do so.

It’s quite a clever way to integrate the game into the movie, and when Mario and Peach inevitably succeed in escaping, the sequence ends with a classic Mario jingle.

#8 The OG fight

Mario eventually finds himself face-to-face with Bowser on a rickety bridge, with Bowser wielding a pair of huge battle axes. If you’ve played the original Super Mario Bros. [Surely a prerequisite for all Nintendo Life readers, no? – Ed.], then you’ll know what happens here…

Yes, Mario is able to disarm Bowser, leap over to the other side of the bridge, and use the axe to sever the chains holding the bridge aloft, causing Bowser to fall into the lava below. Much like the OG fight from the NES game!

#9 Mr. Game & Watch enters the fray

Eventually, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi fight Dry Bowser and Bowser Jr. The latter drops his brush, which is then quickly scooped up by Luigi.

Since Luigi can’t paint very well, however, the best he can come up with is a crude humanoid figure. Never fear though, because it’s Mr. Game & Watch!

He sticks around for about 10 seconds or so, which is about as much screentime as we expected Fox McCloud to enjoy prior to release, but it’s just enough time to see him break out some iconic attacks from Super Smash Bros.

#10 Mario takes flight

The final battle finishes with a wonderful nod to Super Mario Galaxy in which Mario grabs a Red Star and takes flight to save the day…but that’s not what we’re referencing here.

As the movie concludes, Mario and co. are busy rebuilding Peach’s castle, and it’s Mario’s job to plant the flag at the top. To do so, he grabs a Cape Feather and dons the classic yellow cape from Super Mario World, zooming up to the top of the castle to plant the flag and end the movie. (Or does it?)

And that’s yer lot! There are plenty more easter eggs in the Mario Galaxy Movie, but those are just a handful of our favourites. Be sure to let us know in the comments which one you were particularly fond of.