A place for those who "Trust the Fungus"

As you know, 1993 was the year of the video game adaptation: The kids who grew up with the NES and Sega Genesis were treated to two definitive adaptations on the big and small screens: Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM).

It's interesting to note just how much the two properties share. I don't suggest plagiarism for one minute, but the parallels are THERE.

In SMB, Princess Daisy enlists the help of Mario and his apprentice, Luigi, because the world of Dinohattan has effectively gone to hell in a handcart under the reign of King Koopa. This big-league villain controls all of the city, as well as the Devo Chamber, a machine which can de-evolve dissenters into Goomba thugs (operated by Simon, called Bloober) and has already turned the former King into a big bogey that hangs from the ceiling. Along the way, they meet a resistance fighter named Toad who is de-evolved into a Goomba.

In SatAM, Princess Sally enlists the help of a resistance movement, headed by Sonic and his apprentice, Tails, because half of Mobius has effectively gone to hell in a handcart under the reign of Dr. Robotnik. This big-league villain controls Robotropolis, as well as the Roboticizer, a machine which can turn dissenters into obedient robots (operated by Snively); the madman has also put the former King into a wasteland dimension called The Void. Along the way, they discover Sonic's uncle Chuck, who was turned into a robot many years ago.

See what I did there? Now, each story has a few unique wrinkles. SMB's uniqueness lies in its capitalism-gone-wrong premises (Scapelli, the nightmare of Dinohattan, Thwomp Stompers = Air Jordans, etc.) and the ever-present fungus (the King wreaking havoc on the city as a way of getting revenge and pointing out that something is indeed wrong in the state of Dinohattan). However, capitalism isn't all bad: without it, we wouldn't have heroes like the Super Mario Brothers. It is only when it's turned into a grotesque, snakeskinned parody that it becomes a bad thing.

SatAM's uniqueness comes from the fact that Robotnik didn't invent the Roboticizer: Uncle Chuck did, and with a completely noble intention--it was meant to help terminally-ill people until a cure could be found. There is no such noble purpose to be found with the Devo Chamber. Also, SatAM points out that technology itself isn't bad--it is only when tossers like Robotnik pervert it for their own gain.

Parallels are certainly there, yes, but for the most part they're largely shallow similarities that can be traced to simple archetypes found within this particular genre.

Redstar wrote:Parallels are certainly there, yes, but for the most part they're largely shallow similarities that can be traced to simple archetypes found within this particular genre.

Troo dat, but it's eerie to think about two works that came out at around the same time, in close proximity to each other.

I've long considered SMB The Movie to be the Sonic SatAM of Super Mario Bros., and I know I'm not the only one. In fact, it's that thinking which has helped me to enjoy the film even more over the years.

As for comparisons between shows, why was the SMB: Movie and SatAM picked to compare? The mild cyberpunk feel and scientifically focussed enemies are similar, but so was Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The closer series are The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Sonic AoStH - not least that they were by the same company and occupied a similar episodic comedy writing style.

Fans of Sonic have been called for a Sonic SatAM movie for years, if only because the series was never finished (Series 3 was cancelled in favour of more Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), but to be honest it would be a bad movie. As would any sequel to the SMB: Movie. As a writer I would struggle to concieve of an idea that would match and appease the fans. But maybe that's because I've not really focussed on it much, been busy writing other scripts.

Roareye wrote:As for comparisons between shows, why was the SMB: Movie and SatAM picked to compare? The mild cyberpunk feel and scientifically focussed enemies are similar, but so was Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Well, it just came to me one day, like a flash that singed my eyebrows. I thought it was kind of funny that the top two video-game franchises should take such similar approaches in telling a version of their stories, and in such close proximity to each other. I'm a sucker for that kind of symmetry, I admit it freely.

If we're going to bring movie villains into it, then SatAM Robotnik is Baron Vladimir Harkonnen to King Koopa's Frank Booth...both of which were (if I'm not sorely mistaken) in films directed by David Lynch.

(Side note: There's a part of me that would really love to see Robotnik and King Koopa act more like Harkonnen and Frank Booth. Sweet dreams, kiddos.)