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Super Mario Adventures
The first 12 comic episodes presented in this book originally ran as a series in Nintendo Power magazine, beginning in January, 1992, (Volume 32) and running through December, 1992. The final episode, which was printed in the first issue of 1993, introduced Mario's alter ego and tormented childhood playmate, Wario. The comics don't follow the story line of any particular game; however, they do incorporate many characters from the games and even introduce some new ones.
Charlie Nozawa, the artist who created the comics, is known in Japan by the pen name Tamakichi Sakura. His most notable works include "Shiawase No Katachi" (Shapes of Happiness) and "Oyaji No Wakusei" (Dad's Planet). Kentaro Takekuma dreamed up the scenario. He is known in Japan for co-authoring "Comic Lesson: Even an Ape Can Draw a Comic."
Charlie Nozawa, the artist who created the comics, is known in Japan by the pen name Tamakichi Sakura. His most notable works include "Shiawase No Katachi" (Shapes of Happiness) and "Oyaji No Wakusei" (Dad's Planet). Kentaro Takekuma dreamed up the scenario. He is known in Japan for co-authoring "Comic Lesson: Even an Ape Can Draw a Comic."
107 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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807 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
April 24, 2023
Si, Bowser canta anche qui.
August 27, 2015
Super Mario Adventures is out of print, so good luck finding a copy that's not $200. I originally ordered this book in the early 90s from a Nintendo Power order book form. Back before the days of the Internet, you ordered things from a catalog, and shipping took 3-4 weeks. I guess you can count me lucky for snagging a copy, which is now a collectible.
Keeping that in mind, personally, I don't think this book is worth $200. It may be worth $20 tops, but it's unfortunate that it's out of print. It's really a good book, especially for kids, but also for fans of the Mario series. The book includes characters from Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and even Super Mario Land 2. Personally, I love this book because I watched the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as a kid, so I can hear all the characters' voices in my head. What's great about the Mario series is that the characters are so well animated, with wonderful personalities, that you can't help but be drawn in as a kid (and stayed drawn in as an adult if you haven't lost your childish awe).
I'm sure most people know, but Mario and Luigi are the protagonists. They are two plumbers from Brooklyn, who somehow managed to follow the wrong pipe to a strange land called the Mushroom Kingdom. The Mushroom Kingdom is ruled by a young princess named Princess Toadstool, who has loyal royal subjects that look like walking, talking mushrooms. Perhaps her most loyal subject and friend is Toad, who is very brave despite his small stature. Princess Toadstool is also very brash and strong. She is willing to fight and pummel enemies as much if not more as the rest of the gang. I suppose she makes a good role model for young girls, by showing that princesses don't have to be quiet and subservient. Princess Toadstool shows us that princesses can be strong, they can take command, and they can protect themselves and their friends when trouble comes.
The enemy of the Mario stories is the evil King Koopa, also known as Bowser. His main prerogative is to kidnap Princess Toadstool, rule the Mushroom Kingdom, and destroy Mario. I suppose some may find the Mario storyline slightly chauvinistic, with each story seeming to focus on the princess being kidnapped, and Mario having to rescue her; however, this book turns that idea on its head by the fact that the Princess actually escapes her cell without anyone's help. Mario actually ends up being caught, so the Princess risks her life to rescue him! She even dons male clothing at one point of the comic and comes with armloads of bombs to save Mario.
What else is interesting is that the comic often displays Luigi in drag as a disguise to trick his enemies. At one point, he dresses up as Princess Toadstool, complete with dress and wig, while overly acting shy and demure to pretend to be her. What's strange is Princess Toadstool is hardly shy and demure, but Luigi tries to hide his masculine appearance by pretending to be as feminine-like as he can. It's really strange and interesting, and the trope continues when Luigi dresses as a female nurse in order to trick the boos. Boos are evil ghosts that are highly anthrophobic. In other words, they fear people, so whenever you look at them, they become shy and hide their faces; however, when you look away, they come floating towards you with sharp teeth. When you really look at it, the enemies themselves are incredibly creative, which is just one of the many things that is so great about the Mario story.
All in all, I strongly recommend this comic if you're a fan of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show and/or the Super Mario Bros. video games. I do warn you that this book is really geared towards children, and consists of very simple language and simple sentences. That's why this book is great for kids. When I was a child, I devoured this book, and I would often read it over and over. Although I wonder if kids these days have any idea who the Mario characters are. Regardless, this is probably a great introduction if you want your kids to be as big of Mario fans as you are, although the $200 out-of-print cost slightly puts a damper on that idea. The high cost of this collectible is really a shame. It's a good book, but not worth that high of a price.
Keeping that in mind, personally, I don't think this book is worth $200. It may be worth $20 tops, but it's unfortunate that it's out of print. It's really a good book, especially for kids, but also for fans of the Mario series. The book includes characters from Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and even Super Mario Land 2. Personally, I love this book because I watched the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as a kid, so I can hear all the characters' voices in my head. What's great about the Mario series is that the characters are so well animated, with wonderful personalities, that you can't help but be drawn in as a kid (and stayed drawn in as an adult if you haven't lost your childish awe).
I'm sure most people know, but Mario and Luigi are the protagonists. They are two plumbers from Brooklyn, who somehow managed to follow the wrong pipe to a strange land called the Mushroom Kingdom. The Mushroom Kingdom is ruled by a young princess named Princess Toadstool, who has loyal royal subjects that look like walking, talking mushrooms. Perhaps her most loyal subject and friend is Toad, who is very brave despite his small stature. Princess Toadstool is also very brash and strong. She is willing to fight and pummel enemies as much if not more as the rest of the gang. I suppose she makes a good role model for young girls, by showing that princesses don't have to be quiet and subservient. Princess Toadstool shows us that princesses can be strong, they can take command, and they can protect themselves and their friends when trouble comes.
The enemy of the Mario stories is the evil King Koopa, also known as Bowser. His main prerogative is to kidnap Princess Toadstool, rule the Mushroom Kingdom, and destroy Mario. I suppose some may find the Mario storyline slightly chauvinistic, with each story seeming to focus on the princess being kidnapped, and Mario having to rescue her; however, this book turns that idea on its head by the fact that the Princess actually escapes her cell without anyone's help. Mario actually ends up being caught, so the Princess risks her life to rescue him! She even dons male clothing at one point of the comic and comes with armloads of bombs to save Mario.
What else is interesting is that the comic often displays Luigi in drag as a disguise to trick his enemies. At one point, he dresses up as Princess Toadstool, complete with dress and wig, while overly acting shy and demure to pretend to be her. What's strange is Princess Toadstool is hardly shy and demure, but Luigi tries to hide his masculine appearance by pretending to be as feminine-like as he can. It's really strange and interesting, and the trope continues when Luigi dresses as a female nurse in order to trick the boos. Boos are evil ghosts that are highly anthrophobic. In other words, they fear people, so whenever you look at them, they become shy and hide their faces; however, when you look away, they come floating towards you with sharp teeth. When you really look at it, the enemies themselves are incredibly creative, which is just one of the many things that is so great about the Mario story.
All in all, I strongly recommend this comic if you're a fan of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show and/or the Super Mario Bros. video games. I do warn you that this book is really geared towards children, and consists of very simple language and simple sentences. That's why this book is great for kids. When I was a child, I devoured this book, and I would often read it over and over. Although I wonder if kids these days have any idea who the Mario characters are. Regardless, this is probably a great introduction if you want your kids to be as big of Mario fans as you are, although the $200 out-of-print cost slightly puts a damper on that idea. The high cost of this collectible is really a shame. It's a good book, but not worth that high of a price.
May 14, 2017
I wish there were more Nintendo comics like this.
Originally a collection of chapters that debuted in Nintendo Power, this is a compilation of the Super Mario World manga. I loved reading these chapters as a kid because it helped to give real character to the Mario brothers, which you simply do not get in the video games. The panel with Yoshi coming out of the egg is burnt into my memory forever.
As far as the story goes, I think it is one of the finest Mario stories yet. The Mario brothers did not hog the spotlight, the Princess was a real force to be reckoned with, and Bowser and the Koopa kids were hilarious as villains.
I would highly recommend this manga to anybody who enjoys Mario. I've noticed that they have started marketing it at school book fairs. I can't think of a better way to introduce these famous Nintendo characters to kids today outside of the video games.
Originally a collection of chapters that debuted in Nintendo Power, this is a compilation of the Super Mario World manga. I loved reading these chapters as a kid because it helped to give real character to the Mario brothers, which you simply do not get in the video games. The panel with Yoshi coming out of the egg is burnt into my memory forever.
As far as the story goes, I think it is one of the finest Mario stories yet. The Mario brothers did not hog the spotlight, the Princess was a real force to be reckoned with, and Bowser and the Koopa kids were hilarious as villains.
I would highly recommend this manga to anybody who enjoys Mario. I've noticed that they have started marketing it at school book fairs. I can't think of a better way to introduce these famous Nintendo characters to kids today outside of the video games.
December 18, 2019
This was wonderful! I am deeply impressed!
This graphic novel in 12 installments offered a charming look at Mario, Luigi, and the Princess. Yoshi, Toad, and Bowser all put in appearances as well. In some respects, it has the feel of one of the video games, but at the same time, it has quite a different vibe. There is quite a bit of humor, some zany action, and some good, old-fashioned fun. I also like that Princess Toadstool is a woman of action here. She makes decisions, she refuses to be pushed around, she leads troops against Bowser, and she is far more than just a person in need of rescuing. She has a backbone in some of the video games, but not many, so this was wonderful to see. There are plot twists along the way. Luigi takes center stage at one point, and his character has a few surprises up his sleeve (so to speak). And of course, Mario has his moments to shine. I also enjoyed the fast pace; a great deal of action was packed into just a few pages, and most installments ended on a cliffhanger. Best of all, everything builds to a satisfying conclusion. Bravo!
This graphic novel in 12 installments offered a charming look at Mario, Luigi, and the Princess. Yoshi, Toad, and Bowser all put in appearances as well. In some respects, it has the feel of one of the video games, but at the same time, it has quite a different vibe. There is quite a bit of humor, some zany action, and some good, old-fashioned fun. I also like that Princess Toadstool is a woman of action here. She makes decisions, she refuses to be pushed around, she leads troops against Bowser, and she is far more than just a person in need of rescuing. She has a backbone in some of the video games, but not many, so this was wonderful to see. There are plot twists along the way. Luigi takes center stage at one point, and his character has a few surprises up his sleeve (so to speak). And of course, Mario has his moments to shine. I also enjoyed the fast pace; a great deal of action was packed into just a few pages, and most installments ended on a cliffhanger. Best of all, everything builds to a satisfying conclusion. Bravo!
September 19, 2024
I read this to my son after picking it up at his school book fair. Originally serialized in Nintendo Power, this story features a number of characters from the SNES Super Mario World (my personal favorite Mario video game), and it captures the bright, fun tone of that game. The zany plot involves Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach so he can marry her; I wonder if these stories influenced the Mario movie that came out a year or two ago, which had a similar plot. There are no hidden depths to this story, but its slapstick elements certainly appealed to my son, and I enjoyed the frantic, kinetic quality of the art.
November 5, 2017
Bloody good fun from start to finish. Takes the beloved Nintendo characters and develops them more than I've ever seen in the games. peach is badass, Bowser and Luigi are hilarious and everyone else is fun too. If you like Mario then you'll love this book.
May 22, 2017
34th book read in 2017.
Number 534 out of 599 on my all time book list.
Number 534 out of 599 on my all time book list.
February 13, 2018
The things and drawings in this book are AMAZING! I really wish they made more. Thank you Nintendo!!!!
December 8, 2018
I bought this book for my daughter who loves Mario, but as soon as I started reading it, I recognized some of the panels and thought, "I remember this! It was in Nintendo Power." Indeed, this is really just the comics they used to have month to month. There's a lot of action going on, and my daughter enjoyed it, but I kind of cringed at it today. Not so much because of the quality of the artwork, which still holds up today, but because of the message of two characters fighting over a woman. I do like that Princess Toadstool has spunk and character, but not the fact that she is treated more as an object toward the end of the tale. A different time...
June 19, 2017
Pretty silly, but that is expected. It's a big heaping helping of nostalgia with some of the absolute funniest cartoon reaction facial expressions I've ever seen. I only wish they had mad more strips back in the day. The second arc involving Wario ends before it begins really.
January 1, 2019
Now you are playing with Power!
Originally running in Nintendo Power Magazine as a monthly comic I was happy to see it reprinted by Viz Media. In this collected edition we don't have to worry about finding the comic in each classic magazine (which also had the legend of Zelda comics) and reading them in order thanks to this all in one collection. ;)
One thing I liked about this story is Princess Toadstool which was originally the princess of the games before she was turned to Peach later on. Princess Toadstool is having a party and asked the marvelous plumbing duo of Mario and Luigi to fix the pipes before the big event. Little does anyone know that new mysterious pipes pop out of the ground bringing a mischievous King Koopa and his forces to crash the party wit ha proposition for Princess Toadstool to marry him or she will be welcomed to rule a kingdom of statues. Her response was fantastic. ;)
With new and old characters we get some laughs and action as Koopa does whatever he can to get what he wants and out heroes are just as eager to stop his dastardly womanizing plans. We also get an extra comic showing how Wario had to deal with Mario when he was younger making him the villain he is today.
My personally fave part of the book would have to be seeing the Koopa Kids playing a Super Mario type game with a Koopa stomping on Marios instead of the original Super Mario Bros game which Princess Toadstool was playing earlier. ;)
Originally running in Nintendo Power Magazine as a monthly comic I was happy to see it reprinted by Viz Media. In this collected edition we don't have to worry about finding the comic in each classic magazine (which also had the legend of Zelda comics) and reading them in order thanks to this all in one collection. ;)
One thing I liked about this story is Princess Toadstool which was originally the princess of the games before she was turned to Peach later on. Princess Toadstool is having a party and asked the marvelous plumbing duo of Mario and Luigi to fix the pipes before the big event. Little does anyone know that new mysterious pipes pop out of the ground bringing a mischievous King Koopa and his forces to crash the party wit ha proposition for Princess Toadstool to marry him or she will be welcomed to rule a kingdom of statues. Her response was fantastic. ;)
With new and old characters we get some laughs and action as Koopa does whatever he can to get what he wants and out heroes are just as eager to stop his dastardly womanizing plans. We also get an extra comic showing how Wario had to deal with Mario when he was younger making him the villain he is today.
My personally fave part of the book would have to be seeing the Koopa Kids playing a Super Mario type game with a Koopa stomping on Marios instead of the original Super Mario Bros game which Princess Toadstool was playing earlier. ;)
September 2, 2017
This is without a doubt one of the most bizarre things I have ever read. Bowser kidnaps Princess Toadstool (fairly normal), Mario and Luigi intend to rescue her (again, fairly normal) but along the way are some of the craziest plot twists I have ever read, including Mario becoming therapist to a shy Boo, Luigi and the Princess in a role (and dress) swap, and at the end Wario's introduction to Mario canon.
That's not to say it isn't great though, it's wonderfully charming and colourful, and as I'm a massive Super Mario fan I freaked a little every time you saw a Wiggler, or Kamek, or Lakitu. It's all over the place, but also buckets of fun. Well worth a read if you have ever enjoyed a Mario game.
That's not to say it isn't great though, it's wonderfully charming and colourful, and as I'm a massive Super Mario fan I freaked a little every time you saw a Wiggler, or Kamek, or Lakitu. It's all over the place, but also buckets of fun. Well worth a read if you have ever enjoyed a Mario game.
October 23, 2016
If you're a fan of Mario on any level then this will be a quick fun jaunt. It loosely follows Super Mario World. There are a ton of jokes that still hold up. Great artwork that's just fun. At one point Mario and Weege (it's in the book which makes it canon!) try to get away from some Boos. They dress up like psychiatrists and work through why the boos are so angry. They were just bullied. Tons of funny little adventures like this.
This is just a fun book with some very funny art.
This is just a fun book with some very funny art.
November 15, 2023
This childhood favorite of mine still holds up well. The art is vibrant and expressive, it's full of quirky alliterative dialogue not typical of a translated work, and Nozawa's drawings and densely packed visual gags add a zany personality to characters we've become accustomed to only seeing as pixelated sprites or stiff 3D models.
While watching the recent Super Mario movie with my kids, I kept thinking about this comic. Bowser is depicted as a tyrannical Groomzilla, Mario and Luigi serve as great comedic foils to one another, and the Princess is seen here as a self relient hero rather than a damsel in distress, which is what the old video games generally relegated her to.
The story wraps up a bit more quickly than I remembered, though, and could've really used an epilogue chapter. Instead, we get a fun side-story debuting Wario, Mario's.. Cousin? Childhood friend with a coincidentally similar name? I've never been clear on that.
It's a shame this creative team weren't commissioned to write more of these. In comparison, just 3 years later, it's hard to look at 1996's Super Mario 64 as anything but a wholesale dumbing-down of the franchise in terms of story and characterization.
I'd say this has aged really well and would absolutely still resonate with a young Mario fan, especially if they liked the movie.
While watching the recent Super Mario movie with my kids, I kept thinking about this comic. Bowser is depicted as a tyrannical Groomzilla, Mario and Luigi serve as great comedic foils to one another, and the Princess is seen here as a self relient hero rather than a damsel in distress, which is what the old video games generally relegated her to.
The story wraps up a bit more quickly than I remembered, though, and could've really used an epilogue chapter. Instead, we get a fun side-story debuting Wario, Mario's.. Cousin? Childhood friend with a coincidentally similar name? I've never been clear on that.
It's a shame this creative team weren't commissioned to write more of these. In comparison, just 3 years later, it's hard to look at 1996's Super Mario 64 as anything but a wholesale dumbing-down of the franchise in terms of story and characterization.
I'd say this has aged really well and would absolutely still resonate with a young Mario fan, especially if they liked the movie.
September 18, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't nearly as dumb as the Nintendo Power Zelda comic collection I read last year. It's actually clever, very colorful, and an all around good time.
For the first half of the book, Princess Toadstool is the secret hero. She reminded me of Xena: strong, independent, sardonic, and needing of no man. Mario and Luigi remain steadfastly goofy and inept throughout, and Luigi cross dresses twice, doing mustache drag 20 years before it was cool.
Bowser's ultimate plot is as rapey as ever, and he even kinda mystically roofies the Princess, so... trigger warning, I guess.
For the first half of the book, Princess Toadstool is the secret hero. She reminded me of Xena: strong, independent, sardonic, and needing of no man. Mario and Luigi remain steadfastly goofy and inept throughout, and Luigi cross dresses twice, doing mustache drag 20 years before it was cool.
Bowser's ultimate plot is as rapey as ever, and he even kinda mystically roofies the Princess, so... trigger warning, I guess.
January 2, 2020
Adventurous, funny, and really, really good!
September 19, 2021
Wonderful book to read to kids!
Plenty of funny moments
and It's what you would expect from a Mario book
Plenty of funny moments
and It's what you would expect from a Mario book
November 9, 2021
It’s a fun little comic series that was in Nintendo Power in the 90’s. Not as good as My Hero Academia or JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
July 12, 2024
very silly, and a quick read!
August 20, 2025
SO cute! These comics were originally published in Nintendo Power in the early 90's. super fun and silly.
January 5, 2024
Amazing! This book didn't follow one single game... instead, it had elements from lots of Mario games! For any Mario fans out there, this is the book for you! Wario's back story at the end was also very interesting.
March 5, 2017
This did not finish in the end. The last comic did not end.
May 4, 2017
Christopher picked this book out at the book fair at school. We gave him $20 and let him buy whatever books he wanted. He chose this and a Zelda book, which Jim's been reading to him. These comics is pretty insane. They're actually related to plumbing, which is funny. We haven't read much of this book, but so far it's not fantastic. He and Jim should really read this book together because I'm sure it'll have nice nostalgia for Jim.
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/05/juv...
http://www.momsradius.com/2017/05/juv...
August 22, 2017
Originally published in Nintendo Power in the 1990s, this comic (very loosely based on Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2) is just plain fun. Maybe it's just nostalgia talking, or maybe I just needed a dose of silliness, but I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it to Mario fans. (A-)
December 21, 2016
A quick read that is recommended for any Mario fan. Really vibrant and colourful and a fun and silly story. Luckily back in print so you don't have to pay the exorbitant prices that this collection once demanded in the secondary market.
January 9, 2018
I Enjoyed This Book. It Had A Lot Of Funny And Interesting Stories In Graphic Novel Form Like Characters Switching Outfits And There Was A Wedding Bowser Made. If You Really Like Super Mario Bros Or Any Kind Of Video Game And You Like Graphic Novels You Would Like This Book. Amazing Stories!
Want to read
June 1, 2013its cool and funny
May 13, 2017
I've always enjoyed playing Super Mario Brothers. This was a fun, silly read to do with my six year old. He has has a good time just trading it himself too. Win!
November 28, 2017
A cute fun collection of Mario comics from the early 90's Nintendo Powers. It's not deep, it's not long, but that's fine. It's a silly Mario adventure.
January 18, 2024
I wouldn’t think that the overly popular comic strips of the ‘Super Mario Adventures’ on the ‘Nintendo Power’ magazine will eventually be compiled on a single edition, but thankfully, Viz Media has delivered a TPB edition of those very same strips, and suffice to say, this is the best opportunity for any collector, or fan of the character out there, to check on these stories.
Written by Kentaro Takekuma, and illustrated by the artist Charlie Nozawa, ‘Super Mario Adventures’ is exactly what the title suggests; a take on the classic Nintendo franchise adapted for the format, presenting the adventures of the ‘Super Mario Brothers’ on the quest of saving ‘Princess Peach’ from the claws of the evil ‘King Koopa’, the dreadful ‘Bowser’, in the very first attempt at giving a story to the videogame characters, with dialogues, interactions, and great cartoon-moments and references any gamer fan would recognize and enjoy.
The book maintains the classic coloring and format, which is appreciated, since it preserves the vintage feel of the strips in the magazine and given how difficult it is nowadays to acquire it, the detail given by Viz Media was a nice touch for any nostalgic reader eager to give it a shot at this.
If we’re really in need for a criticism of the story, it would be easy for anyone to trash this, so I’ll say the best way to read these strips is to have in mind the type of content, and the place this was published initially, back in the 90s. Mario and Luigi are the most popular plumbers in ‘Mushroom Kingdom’, but one day, while fixing a huge pipe problem, ‘Bowser’ suddenly comes threatening to kidnap ‘Princess Peach’, but in reality, this is his plot to getting to marry her, so his offspring might have a mother to raise them. So now, the ‘Mario Brothers’ will try their best to go to the rescue of the Princess… or it’ll be the other way around? I was surprised for once to see ‘Peach’ as a kick-ass character, instead of a typical damsel in distress. She gets to steal the show in a couple of moments, which wouldn’t be that hard, considering how much of a goof ‘Bowser’ is in this depiction of the villain. Tons of gags, action, cameos, and appearances of fan-favorites such as Yoshi, Toad, and many others within each page, will turn on the biggest adventure for these videogame characters to date.
Perhaps the best element would be Nozawa’s art; it is simple, it keeps on the expected quality out of a strip, but the way he draws action, motion, and expressions is what stands out in each page, and given how much of a personality that gives to each character, it really enhances the fun and engagement in this title. This isn’t a story meant to be taken seriously, so having that in mind, it’s really a quick and truly catchy read. Also, I got to give it to Takekuma, but to attempt at coming up with a plot for this videogame wouldn’t seem easy, perhaps not as much as other titles in ‘Nintendo Power’, like ‘Star Fox’, ‘Metroid’, or ‘The Legend of Zelda’, but crafting an actual story about ‘Mario Bros’? That must have been tough. So, I can’t really be that picky with the quality of the plot in each chapter. Points extra for including the issue against ‘Wario’.
In general, this is more of a collector’s item, and a great nostalgic trip for any fan of ‘Nintendo’, ‘Mario’, or even a former arduous ‘Nintendo Power’ reader, but all in all this is a product meant for anyone who knows about this property, and the sort of quality expected out of it. Personally, I love comic strips, and if they’re either clever or funny, I’m able to enjoy them both ways. Hopefully, Viz might release similar editions to the rest of the ‘Nintendo Power’ collection of titles, but as for what this is, it’s a great start.
Written by Kentaro Takekuma, and illustrated by the artist Charlie Nozawa, ‘Super Mario Adventures’ is exactly what the title suggests; a take on the classic Nintendo franchise adapted for the format, presenting the adventures of the ‘Super Mario Brothers’ on the quest of saving ‘Princess Peach’ from the claws of the evil ‘King Koopa’, the dreadful ‘Bowser’, in the very first attempt at giving a story to the videogame characters, with dialogues, interactions, and great cartoon-moments and references any gamer fan would recognize and enjoy.
The book maintains the classic coloring and format, which is appreciated, since it preserves the vintage feel of the strips in the magazine and given how difficult it is nowadays to acquire it, the detail given by Viz Media was a nice touch for any nostalgic reader eager to give it a shot at this.
If we’re really in need for a criticism of the story, it would be easy for anyone to trash this, so I’ll say the best way to read these strips is to have in mind the type of content, and the place this was published initially, back in the 90s. Mario and Luigi are the most popular plumbers in ‘Mushroom Kingdom’, but one day, while fixing a huge pipe problem, ‘Bowser’ suddenly comes threatening to kidnap ‘Princess Peach’, but in reality, this is his plot to getting to marry her, so his offspring might have a mother to raise them. So now, the ‘Mario Brothers’ will try their best to go to the rescue of the Princess… or it’ll be the other way around? I was surprised for once to see ‘Peach’ as a kick-ass character, instead of a typical damsel in distress. She gets to steal the show in a couple of moments, which wouldn’t be that hard, considering how much of a goof ‘Bowser’ is in this depiction of the villain. Tons of gags, action, cameos, and appearances of fan-favorites such as Yoshi, Toad, and many others within each page, will turn on the biggest adventure for these videogame characters to date.
Perhaps the best element would be Nozawa’s art; it is simple, it keeps on the expected quality out of a strip, but the way he draws action, motion, and expressions is what stands out in each page, and given how much of a personality that gives to each character, it really enhances the fun and engagement in this title. This isn’t a story meant to be taken seriously, so having that in mind, it’s really a quick and truly catchy read. Also, I got to give it to Takekuma, but to attempt at coming up with a plot for this videogame wouldn’t seem easy, perhaps not as much as other titles in ‘Nintendo Power’, like ‘Star Fox’, ‘Metroid’, or ‘The Legend of Zelda’, but crafting an actual story about ‘Mario Bros’? That must have been tough. So, I can’t really be that picky with the quality of the plot in each chapter. Points extra for including the issue against ‘Wario’.
In general, this is more of a collector’s item, and a great nostalgic trip for any fan of ‘Nintendo’, ‘Mario’, or even a former arduous ‘Nintendo Power’ reader, but all in all this is a product meant for anyone who knows about this property, and the sort of quality expected out of it. Personally, I love comic strips, and if they’re either clever or funny, I’m able to enjoy them both ways. Hopefully, Viz might release similar editions to the rest of the ‘Nintendo Power’ collection of titles, but as for what this is, it’s a great start.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews