Cartoons based on video games are a mixed bag at best, but The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 has always stood out as one of the more enjoyable adaptations. The previous version, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, was a wonderfully enjoyable but odd mix of the first two games in the series, which also had live-action segments. The SMB3 run seemed more focused and stuck quite close to its source material, even with a few glaring differences. It only ran for 13 episodes, totaling 26 segments, but the memories of this set of adventures have always lived rent-free in my mind, constantly begging to be revisited, and I think it’s finally time to admit that the show’s success is thanks to those darn Koopalings.
I’m not what anyone would call a fan of kids – not sure exactly how they work – but the offspring of a villainous menace such as King Koopa, now those seem like they’d be some true holy terrors. They’re also damn hilarious. The previous cartoon, Super Show, had just gone through 65 episodes of Bowser being the big bad (with a handful of random SMB2 minions), so it was nice to get some new blood to help out, inject a little youthful exuberance into the Koopa Clan’s dastardly deeds.
“It is a legend no one will forget. Everyone thought King Koopa had left the Mushroom Kingdom, and then his Doomship attacked. King Koopa was back, with the greatest danger ever known: his Koopa Kids!”
Adventures of SMB3 has a standard cartoon setup, where the bad guys concoct a scheme that threatens either the Mushroom Kingdom or The Real World, requiring Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool to use their super power-ups to save the day. What more could we ask for? The plots had a light continuity, hitting up different kingdoms and real cities that made it feel expansive while helping the game world feel alive and closer to what the players knew. To keep the plots a bit more fresh the writers not only kept changing what Bowser and crew were after – even if it was always some form of money, power, or taking over the Mushroom Kingdom – but who was involved. Old King Dad was tagging along on most of these outings, but sometimes the Koopalings would act on their own or in small groups, making seeing the whole family fight together feel like a big event. This helped to keep a rotating set of baddies and made a few of the capers come across as more personal.
So, who are these kids? Well, this can get somewhat complicated. The story goes that Nintendo had not officially named the children by the time the SMB3 cartoon was well into production, and it ended up being the NOA (Nintendo of America) team that would eventually give them their in-game aliases, with most being based on musicians. For the cartoon, however, this meant they’d have to come up with their own set of names, and I think I like these better. There’s also been some contention over time about the true origin of some of these monikers, the characters’ ages, and the order of youngest to oldest. Also, eventually, Bowser Jr. became a thing and the Koopalings seemed to suddenly not be the king’s biological offspring anymore, just adopted minions. Nintendo has admitted that’s just kind of how they see it now and they aren’t out here offering much more in the way of details, so there are unanswered questions (like where are their mothers!?). Thankfully, most of that is game stuff and I’m focusing on the cartoon.
Bully Koopa (Roy Koopa) lives up to his name perfectly, and it’s apparent that he learned this behavior through the nurturing of his dear old dad, who bullies him. He is the cool kid who listens to greaser music, sports the cool shades and is always up for stealing someone’s lunch money. Bully considers himself the leader of a gang, if that’s a group of one, as his personality quickly drives others off. (Voiced by Dan Hennessey)
Bigmouth Koopa Jr. (Morton Koopa Jr.) isn’t sure how to shut up, interjects himself in every conversation he can, and is overly talkative to the point he should have been named Motor Mouth Koopa. This kid thinks he knows almost everything about anything and doesn’t like to be told he’s wrong. He’s grouchy, is always ready with an insult, and tries to put others down as a defense mechanism, one he enjoys. (Voiced by Gordon Masten)
Kooky Von Koopa (Ludwig von Koopa) is the brains of the operation, with a degree from Frankenstein University. And like many young geniuses who are just a bit off, he survives on little sleep, junk food, and never bathing. He’s often called the cruelest of the Koopalings, the one who invents all of their fiendish toys, and it’s easy to see why Bowser depends on this little chaotic scientist and his mad machinations. (Voiced by Michael Stark)
Cheatsy Koopa (Larry Koopa) is one the Mario Bros. (and his own siblings) have to watch out for because that name is earned. He’s wildly cunning and devious, always looking for a way to take the upper hand, preferring to set traps or turn people against each other instead of any sort of direct confrontation. This is a child whose hobby is counterfeiting gold coins, and yet Bowser still puts him in charge of the castle treasury. (Voiced by James Rankin)
Kootie Pie Koopa (Wendy O. Koopa) is Bowser’s spoiled little princess, a teen girl who has so much, and yet she wants it all. She’s a mean brat, demanding to a fault, but knows when to put on the charm if needed, especially with dear old dad. She excels at throwing rage-filled tantrums when someone stands in her way, and Kootie Pie’s determination to get whatever her heart desires may be her greatest strength. There are hints of her being a tomboy as well, and in one episode, she demonstrates welding skills, which is neat. (Voiced by Tabitha St. Germain)
Hip & Hop (Lemmy Koopa & Iggy Koopa) are the younger twins, rarely leaving each other’s side and always creating mischief with their powerful magic. They often wander away from their older siblings, possibly so they aren’t bullied by them or their father. This duo isn’t the brightest, being notoriously bad at school, but they have something to prove and are out there doing it with youthful enthusiasm. (Voiced by Stuart Stone and Tara Strong, respectively)
These Koopalings just love being mean, and honestly, it seems like a poor family environment, but it makes for good television. Bowser often puts them down, being somewhat abusive, blaming the kids for his failures, or taking their credit. In several instances, he leaves them out to try, escaping without concern for their well-being, even falling asleep once when they were beginning for backup. These Koopas are constantly competing with each other, trying to take over for themselves or just fighting for a little appreciation. I’d say it is bad parenting, but I honestly think it’s kind of what he wants, training them up to take over for him one day, maybe he’d be proud to see them succeed where he couldn’t—okay, probably not.
“Congratulations, my dastardly descendants.”
Many of the schemes start as the kids trying to strike out on their own, do something to help out King Koopa, or impress him. The majority of Kootie Pie’s crimes are her wanting something and Bowser not being able to say no (she is the only girl), even if it means moving heaven and Earth, like when he used a mechanical sea creature to terrorize Venice in an attempt to acquire it as her own personal water park for Dark Land, or when Bowser stole the White House and gave her America for her sweet sixteen, “It’s time for a meaner, crueler America.” Most of Kooky’s involve a new invention to help his dad, like when he made a robot version of the Princess or causally invented time travel to help stop the Mario Bros. from ever coming to the Mushroom Kingdom. Bully steals a magic music box that makes everyone dance uncontrollably, Bigmouth almost takes over Hollywood with a knockoff Godzilla, Hip & Hop kidnaps a mummy, and there was that time Cheatsy painted half the Mushroom people blue and the other half red, almost destroying them through the power of racism. These Koopalings are truly devastating when they team up, though, and sometimes they just have fun, like when they emotionally trick and abuse a kid from The Real World so he’ll lead Mario and Luigi into a trap. It does seem like Bowser has his favorite children, definitely, those he relies on more, but in truth, I think he values all of his little demon spawns when they show they can be cunning and despicable.
The Koopalings are pretty effective against our heroes, with most of them being physical brutes and showing they know how to use those tails in a couple of scenes. Like in the game, they each have a magic wand, supposedly stolen from someone else, and all of them seem capable of using these for communication and magic, but a couple of the Koopalings are certainly more adept than others when casting spells. These guys aren’t just villains, though; they’re a colorful bunch with unique personalities that the cartoon legitimately helped flesh out, and they’re quite funny. One of my favorite bits is when Bowser cannot figure out how to get Milli Vanilli’s name right (a wonderful episode), leading to Kootie Pie and Cheatsy both yelling it directly in his face at the same time.
I wonder if Milli Vanilli is still Peach’s favorite band all these years later.
The Adventures of SMB3 is an excellent cartoon that feels unfortunately incomplete through its Shout Factory DVD release due to the transfers not being great (there is a rumor that the master tapes were lost), and several licensed and parody songs had to be replaced by music from other DIC cartoons, like Captain N. I also learned that the Korean version of the series featured live-action portions, and I’m incredibly curious about those now. However it is viewed, there are multiple reasons to see this show.
“I loooooooove being a Koopa!”
Watching it back, the Koopalings were still the best part of the program and helped make this new set of tales in the Mushroom Kingdom stand out. The cartoon did more for the Koopalings than the games did, at least personality-wise. For me, their animated counterparts are the main reason I still love these characters. They would go on to be in many more games (even if they disappeared for a little while after Bowser Jr. came on the scene), comic books, and even other cartoons, so it’s hard to say they didn’t leave an impression. Kid characters can be hard to do, they easily become annoying, but maybe the key is to make them all evil.
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