The Super Mario Bros. Moviehas finally hit cinemas and many of you will have likely already seen it, maybe even twice. Clearly a hit with fans asits audience score currently sits at 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the things the film is being celebrated for most is its easter eggs, one of which includes a tribute to the late formerNintendopresident, Satoru Iwata.
There are a couple of reasons to stick around for the credits, although doing so with little kids in tow might be problematic (have they never seen aMarvelmovie before?). One, because as Chris Pratt revealed prior to the movie’s release,there’s a post-credits scene. However, as revealed byAndre Segerson Twitter, another reason to sit tight as the Mario movie’s credits roll is to see the tribute to Iwata.
RELATED:The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review - Take A Bowser
A Starman appears at the top of the screen with the current Nintendo president’s name Shunturo Furukawa below. Below that is the tribute to the man who held that position before him, Iwata. Iwata was Nintendo president from 2002 until he passed away in 2015, meaning he oversaw and played a key role in the creation and launch of games likeSuper Mario SunshineandSuper Mario Galaxy.
Despite launching well after he passed away, Iwata also had a role to play inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the biggest and possibly final installment in the long-running series. Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai revealed in 2019 thatUltimate was the last mission the former Nintendo president gave him. Almost makes it seem fitting that Ultimate might really be the last Smash game ever. Almost.
If you don’t know much about Iwata and what he contributed to the Nintendo products you love,a book called Ask Iwata was translated into English and released in 2021. A collection of the late president’s writing that gives as good an insight as you’re ever going to get into the mind of someone who worked on some of the most successful games, consoles, and characters in Nintendo history.
While Iwata’s inclusion in them is a reason to celebrate the Mario movie’s credits, they have also managed to stir up a little controversy. There was a lot of buzz about the DK rap being included in the movie asSeth Rogen playfully labeled it the worst rap of all time. However,Grant Kirkhope, the DK Rap’s composer, hasn’t been credited. The song’s credit simply reads “From Donkey Kong 64”, a detail Kirkhope has admitted was disappointing to discover.
