Sightings
Movies

(500) Days of Summer

Date: 2009-08-07   
Donkey Kong music and sound effects are heard when Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) plays an arcade game that is positioned off-screen.

3 Ninjas

Date: 1992-08-07   
Tum Tum (Chad Power) is shown playing Super Mario Bros. 3.

3 Ninjas Kick Back

Date: 1994-05-06   
Upon the 3 Ninjas' arrival in Japan, a montage is shown of various attractions, including what looks like a gigantic Mario balloon.

Beethoven

Date: 1992-04-03   
Ryce (Nicholle Tom) and Ted (Christopher Castile) play Super Mario Bros. 3. Though the scene makes it look like they are playing simultaneously, the game footage clearly shows just one player. Also, Donkey Kong Classics is one of several NES game boxes sitting next to the TV.

Billy Madison

Date: 1995-02-10   

When Billy (Adam Sandler) and other students sit down to eat in the cafeteria, the following conversation takes place:

Kid: Mortal Kombat on Sega Genesis is the best videogame ever.
Billy: I disagree. It's a very good game, but I think Donkey Kong is the best game ever.
Kid: Donkey Kong sucks!
Billy: You know something? You suck!

Click

Date: 2006-06-22   
In the scene where Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) goes back to his first kiss, a Donkey Kong arcade machine is visible in the background.
Thanks: Deven711

Dr. Giggles

Date: 1992-10-23   
A boy is shown playing Dr. Mario, first at around 32 minutes in, and then a few times after in the following minutes.

Images

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd

Date: 2003-06-13   
Lloyd (Eric Christian Olsen) says, "And now, it's on like Donkey Kong" after a convenience store clerk ends the game of tag being played in the store.

Ernest Scared Stupid

Date: 1991-10-11   
Old Lady Hackmore (Eartha Kitt) tells Ernest (Jim Varney) that he must stop a dangerous troll because Ernest is the direct descendant of Reverend Phineas Worrell. Ernest replies, "Yeah, but, I'm me, and he's he, and we're talkin' real danger here. Stand and deliver, firing line, moment of truth, end of the line, eighth-level Mario Brothers!"
Thanks: Glitchguy

Firehouse Dog

Shane has a Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga poster in his room.
Thanks: Adam D., James S.

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

Date: 1991-09-13   

Some parts of the scene where Spencer battles 16-bit likenesses of his dad and Freddy while dreaming about being in a video game are inspired by the Super Mario series. First, Spencer drops down a red pipe to avoid giant rats. A bit later, he eats an apple, which turns him into "Super Spencer." Instead of doubling in size like Mario would after eating a mushroom, Super Spencer has a red glow and the ability to throw fireballs.

Bonus Nintendo slogan reference: In the same scene, Freddy says, "Now I'm playing with power!" while controlling Spencer's dad.

Futurama: Bender's Game

Opening creditsDate: 2008-11-04   
Title shows Bender making Donkey Kong-like motions.

Ghostbusters II

Date: 1989-06-16   
In a scene with Janine (Annie Potts), Louis (Rick Moranis) asks her, "So, you wanna play Boggle, or Super Mario Bros.?"

Grandma's Boy

Date: 2006-01-06   

Alex (Allen Covert) wears a shirt with Mario and Luigi on it for a few scenes.

Later in the movie, Samantha (Linda Cardellini) says, "You know, while other girls growing up were playing with Barbies, I was beating my brothers at Super Mario." Alex replies, "Ooh, Super Mario, nice name drop."

Gremlins

Date: 1984-06-08   
One of the Mogwai plays a Coleco Donkey Kong tabletop game in a short scene inside Billy's house. The game's screen flashes red and blue instead of displaying actual gameplay. It's hard to see in our screenshots, but a DK Jr. sticker was added to the back of the game (thanks: Handheld Games Museum).
Thanks: Dan C.

Grown Ups 2

Date: 2013-07-12   
A man dressed as Mario and another as Luigi attend the '80s-themed party at Lenny's house.

Horrible Bosses

Date: 2011-07-08   

Hot Tub Time Machine

Megamind

Date: 2010-11-05   
This movie sneaks in a reference to the Donkey Kong arcade game during the montage in which Megamind trains Tighten. In one part, Tighten jumps over rolling barrels while he ascends a set of slanted red girders. At the end of the scene, we see Minion throwing down another flaming barrel from the top of the building.
Thanks: Steve D., Tommy

Paul

Date: 2011-03-18   
A Super Mario World cartridge is seen inside a Retro Duo game system owned by the two main characters.
Thanks: Cary F.

Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation

Date: 1992-02-18   

Ride Along

Date: 2014-01-17   
When Ben (Kevin Hart) gets a call from his gamer buddy, his ringtone is the Super Mario Bros. theme.

Rock of Ages

Date: 2012-06-15   
About 19 minutes into the movie, Lonny (Russell Brand) plays the Donkey Kong arcade machine in Dennis Dupree's office while sound effects from the game are heard in the background. When Lonny loses, he says, "No! Nobody puts Donkey in a corner! That game's too bloody surreal anyway." The DK machine appears in only one other scene later in the movie.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

The second trailer released for the movie announces, "This summer it's on like Donkey Kong," in writing, split up into three parts.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) plays bass guitar in a band called "Sex Bob-omb," named after the Bob-omb enemies Mario first met in Super Mario Bros. 2.

Son of the Mask

Date: 2005-02-18   
Near the beginning of the movie, Tim (Jamie Kennedy) plays Mario Kart: Super Circuit for a short time while riding in a car. Only a few seconds of gameplay is shown, and the film uses generic-sounding video game noises instead of the actual sounds from the game.
Thanks: Pedro H.

Super Hornio Brothers

Date: 1993   
Pornographic parody of Super Mario Bros.

Super Hornio Brothers 2

Date: 1993   
Second part of pornographic parody film.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Date: 2006-06-16   

Sean (Lucas Black) mentions Donkey Kong while talking to Twinkie (Bow Wow) before a race.

Sean: Can he drive?
Twinkie: Can he drive? You know what "DK" stands for?
Sean: Donkey Kong?
Twinkie: Drift King.

Thanks: Ryan S.

The Hottie & the Nottie

Date: 2008-02-08   
A person is shown playing Super Paper Mario with music and/or sound effects from Super Mario Bros.

The Wizard

Date: 1989-12-15   
Near the end of the movie, three kids are playing in a video game tournament. The game they have to play in the finals is none other than Super Mario Bros. 3! Please see The Wizard info page for more details.

Tron: Legacy

Date: 2010-12-17   
The games in Flynn's arcade are covered with plastic sheets, but look closely and you can see two Mario Bros. arcade machines in the scene. Donkey Kong sound effects are heard in the same scene, starting when Sam (Garrett Hedlund) walks up to the Tron game.

WarGames

Date: 1983-06-03   
The arcade where we first see David (Matthew Broderick) has a Donkey Kong machine. It can be seen on the right side of the screen as the camera pans away from the food counter.

Wreck-It Ralph

Date: 2012-11-02   

The "Fix-It Felix Jr." arcade machine design is based on Donkey Kong, and like Donkey Kong Jr., the "Fix-It Felix Jr." title screen shows a copyright date of 1982.

Bowser is the only character from the Mario franchise that appears in Wreck-It Ralph. He is part of a "Bad-Anon" meeting near the beginning of the movie.

Though Mario doesn't make an appearance, he is mentioned by name. When the doorbell rings during Felix's party, Felix says, "I'll bet that's Mario. Fashionably late, per the norm."

While looking for a medal in the lost and found in Tapper's bar, Ralph finds a Super Mushroom. He holds it up briefly, then puts it back and continues his search. (Note: The sound effect that plays when Ralph holds up the mushroom is not from a Mario game.)