History NightmareFuel / SuperMarioBros

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSN6KS-z3p8 The Game Over theme]] from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart''. So much that this troper writing this right now had nightmares of this when he was little. What's scary is that if you lose all your lives, the screen darkens, your character vanishes, then "GAME OVER" drops in ghostly-like letters, with that nightmarish music playing in the background.

* The final stage of ''[[PanelDePon Tetris Attack]]'' for the SNES, where a Godzilla-sized Bowser rises out of a chasm at the end of a mountainside cave. [[OminousPipeOrgan Cue the sinister organ music]].

* The endless staircase at the end of the game, with its [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nspVzeKWqxQ chromatic xylophone scales]] '''OF DOOM'''. Try listening to it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nhwBjRwuPo&feature=response_watch backwards]] for extra "fun".

* The final stage of ''[[PanelDePon Tetris Attack]]'' for the SNES, where a Godzilla-sized Bowser rises out of a chasm at the end of a mountainside cave. Cue the sinister organ music.

[[VideoGame/SuperMario64 http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4958290775421055_l_5242.jpg]]
[[caption-width:350: MAMA MIA!!!]]

** It's [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8lrqtuG131rw70wfo1_500.png referencing]] TheShining. A Mario game is [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids referencing]] TheShining.

* What happened when you ran into a door when you didn't have enough stars to open it. DAH DAH DAH DAAAAAAAH NAH! BWOAR WOAR! HAR! HAR! HAR! Bower cruelly laughs at your misfortune.

** Then the said [[ClownCarBase Clown-faced hovercraft]] in its ''final phase'' with its eyes being butch and angry while still [[StepfordSmiler smiling]] as small veins pop out at the side of its head, all the while trying to pound and crush you.

* Cosmic clones in ''VideoGame/{{Super Mario Galaxy 2}}''. The ones in the previous game were simple Mario and Luigi clones that served as racing opponents. In this game, ItGotWorse. They follow your every action with a delay of a second or two. If one catches up to you or you bump into one, it hurts. You can't stop for even a quick breather or you'll get hit. And they keep coming. More and more of them get spawned every few seconds, leading to a seemingly endless chain of them. Even the nearby signs are afraid of what they can do. And worst of all, their corruption extends as far as ''[[spoiler:[[ThatOneLevel Luigi's Purple Coins]]]]''...

Remember, this page is for describing general sources of NightmareFuel.

Luigi, however, hasn't, because [[LovableCoward he's too afraid.]]

* In [[VideoGame/MarioStrikers Super Mario Strikers]], we have Bowser, who is portrayed as a giant [[ImplacableMan implacable koopa]] who wreaks major havoc on the field with shells and bombs whenever the "Bowser Attack" options is on instead of comic relief. When that occurs, his entrance would be accompanied with a short, gritty rock n' roll riff or a ScareChord. Worse is that [[ParanoiaFuel you don't whether when or if he will ambush anybody in his way.]] Also, one of Peach's screams when she is eletricuted sounds like a realistic interpretation (i.e. screaming bloody murder) of feeling that type of excruciating pain in contrast to some of the other screams. Think about how she and the others feel in a more realistic way after that.

* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory''. Much of the game takes place ''inside Bowser's body''. Which is strangely maze-like and platformer-esque. You have to manipulate Bowser's organs at times to get Bowser moving or affect him. This troper finds the idea of running around inside a giant living organism creepy as is, but the idea that Bowser has these characters running around inside him ''affecting his bodily functions and messing with his insides'' is a hell of a lot worse! Plus, some of the enemies are odd, virus-like versions of regular enemies such as Goombas. Enemies that Bowser inhales can damage him internally by attacking his body! And all the Toads are infected with a disease that makes them inflate in size and roll around uncontrollably! The whole thing is totally fucked up.
** Even more fucked up: the final boss fight. [[spoiler:Fawful has transformed himself into some really freaky spider-like/bug-like thing, and is inside Bowser's body, transforming his stomach into something mutated looking. And his face...]] It's really disturbing to think about.

* The cutscene where the Dark Star chokes the Mario Bros. with its dark energy could be seen as this, but Luigi's LargeHam tendencies towards the end of the scene sort of [[NightmareRetardant make up for it.]]

* Inside the Magma Castle lurks an enemy not found anywhere else in the game--the Attacky Sack, a colorful, patchwork ball with OH MY GOD, RAZOR SHARP TEETH, IT'S FLYING RIGHT AT ME, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, MOMMY, MAKE IT STOP! [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We0pnqX4MQA# t=2m30s Watch this,]] and be enlightened.
** Oh yeah, and it's invincible.

** And then when you lose a Yoshi, these cutesy-yet-horrible flying things carrying it through the air to the dark castle as tears fall from its face, oh, God...

* How about the snakes in some of the levels. It's just that, after the snakes rise from their urns, their heads turn red, make [[HellIsThatNoise the most cacophonic hissing this troper's ever heard in a video game]] and spew fire from their mouths. Thank god it's only temporary.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', there's a room in the Sunken Ship with a Mario clone that seems pretty harmless, like any other NPC. Except that said Mario clone TURNS INTO A GREAPER out of nowhere, and you enter battle. Still scares the shit out of me just thinking about it.

* There were people who were terrified of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''. They frequently abused the pause button in the final battle with Bowser. To clarify; in the final battle, Bowser is seated in a [[ClownCarBase hovercraft]] which is [[MonsterClown painted like a clown's face]]. After Bowser is hit a number of times, he flies forward, so that the screen zooms in on the hovercraft. Push the pause button at the right time, and there is a screen full of clown face.

** The Big Boos from ''Super Mario World'' gave some fright as a kid, but the Mega Moles... '''oh GOD'''!

* Another ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' example: the [[UpdatedRerelease GBA version]] starts with a {{Nightmare Fuel}}-ish intro that ends with a LastNoteNightmare, as seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGUjSFSgv3M here]]; however, if you beat the game, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQDKJu71pMY the result]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments makes up for it]].

* Can't find a link to it, but Big Boo in Super Mario World has a placeholder sprite for use before the final sprite is loaded. If seen at all, it's likely for a split second. However, it's an empty, soulless emotionless face that for some falls right into the UncannyValley.

* Remember ''Super Mario 64''[='=]s ''piano that grows teeth and tries to eat you?'' To make it worse, it sounds like someone angrily banging their fists on the piano keys. Much of Mario-related trauma has come from that enemy alone. The Big Boo fights and the music were also something else to be scared of, not to mention the creepy calliope music from the carousel.

* Remember what happened when you ran into a door when you didn't have enough stars to open it? DAH DAH DAH DAAAAAAAH NAH! BWOAR WOAR! HAR! HAR! HAR!

* [[http://www.mariowiki.com/images/9/94/Unagi64Face.jpg THAT FREAKING GIGANTIC UNAGI.]] To those unfamiliar, it was a huge eel with a freaky face, topped with the fact that he doesn't look quite that big at first.

* Bubba Bubba, the giant fish (with [[TriangleShades Kamina shades]]!) that eats you on Tiny-Huge Island. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqUTIJxNocQ It's killable through a glitch, though.]]

* The castles in the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' game for the NES are really, really terrifying. There's just something about them; the [[NothingIsScarier lifeless]] [[DarknessEqualsDeath black background,]] the pointy-looking lava that, for some reason, doesn't move... and that music. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEVhSNy96SU THAT MUSIC.]] Not to mention the fact that some of the castle levels are [[GuideDangIt mazes]] that will repeat endlessly until [[TimedMission TIME RUNS OUT]] [[CriticalExistenceFailure AND YOU DIE.]] (or until you find the correct path)

* And then you get past the door to confront Wart - and the music changes to this creepy, disturbing horror/techno mix that just messes with your concentration while you have to catch vegetables in midair and throw them into Wart's open mouth (as opposed to the other bosses where you just had to hit them with weapons). I couldn't beat him for the first time until finally deciding to mute the sound.
** Let's not forget [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Phanto Phanto]]. Creepy pumpkin masks that move REALLY fast and chase you? * shudder*

* Remember those creepy looking Bowser statues in Bowser's Castle if you took one of the rooms, only to encounter a live jumping one?

* Mentioning the Eel without [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjL5MtmnNHk&feature=related Mario's drowning animation]] in general? Drown and ''Super Mario 64'' suddenly feels far more graphic than most {{Gorn}} games, with Mario desperately struggling and seemingly making failed attempts to gasp for air in blind panic and agony, with the game fading out as Mario's corpse is going limp. The poison gas death (the area mentioned above) is no better, with Mario grabbing for his throat, then falling on the floor with the screen fading out as he lies twitching (apparently still alive) in his final moments on the floor. The toxic area was really the worst in that, as anytime you are breathing it Mario would cough and slowly choke as if struggling for air.

* Hey, remember when you got the Power Star from atop Bowser's submarine, the sub disappeared from Dire Dire Docks for stars 2-6? And that Bowser door opened underwater....becoming a big black hole that SUCKED YOU IN if you got near it???

** Mario's next line, immediately after the whole debacle? "That'sa so nice!" What.
** Oh wait, it gets better. Later on in the game, [[spoiler: it turns out that he's ''still alive and continues to live on as a skeleton''. Which meant he actually got to ''feel'' his flesh burn off.]] Wow, Nintendo.

* Speaking of ''Galaxy'', how freaking disturbing it is to see Mario's hand rise up when he sinks in sand or toxic waste, all while hearing him drown?
** Not to mention that when Mario touches dark matter, he slowly disintegrates, and his life bar isn't empty until AFTER Mario is completely gone. [[AndIMustScream He feels the whole thing!]]

* What about those hovering, screeching Cluckbooms? There is just something vaguely disturbing about them...

* In in one of the later areas you come across [[spoiler:FIERY Dino Piranha.]] I mean, the guy was freaky enough the first time around, but, [[spoiler:ON FIRE?]]
* Anyone else think poor Luigi's deaths in ''SMG'' are a bit Nightmarish? I felt physically sick listening to poor Luigi sob hysterically as he fell to his death. But maybe it's just me...

** Not sure if this makes it better or worse, but... they don't technically hunt down the person they imitate. They mimic their movements perfectly, a few seconds after they do. You touch someone on the shoulder, they touch them seconds later. You pick something up, they mime picking it up themselves. And if you stand still, they collide with you, exploding into dark energy at point-blank range. And until you, or possibly somebody else the comet is focusing on, finishes an arbitrary task, they spawn forever. Following you everywhere. And when you think about it, aren't the other comets also FridgeHorror? Just think of what happens when, say, the Red Comet gives one arbitrary person a time limit to do one task before dying.

** There are [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAfOX4Jv9xw three different "death" tracks]] in the game's BGM. The current (at the time of this writing) comment for the linked video states "Lemme guess, the first is for getting hit by an enemy or obstacle, the second is for running out of time and the third is for falling from a really high place". Which is ''partially'' true, but there's more to it. While the first two apply for "standard" deaths (the second, if I recall correctly, is used for getting burnt by lava), the third is used for the most horrifyingly painful and gruesome (for Mario standards, that is) death animations, such as getting squished by a Thwomp, falling from a high place (with Mario falling ''on his head'' as a result) and, last but not least, getting ''electrocuted to death''. In fact, you can tell the various deaths apart by listening to the different pitches of Mario's variants of his classic "Mamma mia!". The first is "standard", the second is "exhausted", and the third is "a mixture of pain and horror".

** Another one involving, [[SarcasmMode big surprise,]] [[ButtMonkey Luigi]], Luigi delivers a trophy to Shy Guy. While walking toward Luigi, Shy Guy suddenly trips and his mask falls off. Only Luigi sees what's under his mask, and he is terrified. What ''is'' under a Shy Guy's mask!?

* In [[VideoGame/MarioStrikers Super Mario Strikers]], we have Bowser, who is protrayed as a giant [[ImplacableMan implacable koopa]] who wreaks major havoc on the field with shells and bombs whenever the "Bowser Attack" options is on instead of comic relief. When that occurs, his entrance would be accompanied with a short, gritty rock n' roll riff or a ScareChord. Worse is that [[ParanoiaFuel you don't whether when or if he will ambush anybody in his way.]] Also, one of Peach's screams when she is eletricuted sounds like a realistic interpretation (i.e. screaming bloody murder) of feeling that type of excruciating pain in contrast to some of the other screams. Think about how she and the others feel in a more realistic way after that.

* Don't forget Smithy, himself. Imagine a cyborg-bearded-giant-king-thing, with [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily More teeth than the Osmond Family]], and a couple of replacable heads, each just as creepy as the original.

* This was the first Mario game to feature apparent actual ''death'' of [=NPCs=], mainly Toads. Why?? The series is so lighthearted, why add ''death'' to it?
** Is there a video showing the toad deaths, or of other [=NPCs=]?

*** Actually, I met some kids who said they came up with the shroobs, and submitted their design. I know, it sounds sketchy, but this was before Partners In Time, so I believed them.
* The theme of Shroob Castle.... God it's horrifying...

* Oh dear god, Toadwood Forest and the Vim Factory, The Shroobs are using Toad BLOOD To power their spaceships. Also, after defeating the Swiggler you can still find Toads strapped to the trees!

* The [[spoiler:Dark Star]] in general is creepy - it is literally an embodiment of evil that can absorb other beings to use as a source of power as it does to Fawful! Not to mention he turns into an [[spoiler:evil version of Bowser sporting a mohawk]]! Oh yeah...'' '''IT SHRIEKS.''' ''

** How about [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Specter_Inspector Specter Inspector]]? Once one player successfully finds three of the five creatures, the room lights up and the winner stands with all five as they all wave happily at the player. And then the camera zooms back to show that they're all trapped inside a painting in a dark room, as ghosts leer at it. Remember, this is the ''winner''...

* And then there's Pedal Power, one of the games that used the infamous ScrappyMechanic of "spin your Control Stick around like there's no tomorrow". You have to pedal a stationary bike to light up a lamp behind you before the Boo gets you. And that minigame is ''[[ThatOneLevel so freaking hard]]'', I have '''never''' seen the CPU players pull it off in all the times I played ''[=MP1=]''. '''Never'''. With just a sliver left to light up the bulb (as if it wasn't lit enough), the Boo always catches up and drags the poor guy away. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice job breaking our sanity, Hudson.]]

* The Toads. What, you may ask, the cute little friendly guys with the mushrooms growing on their heads? Yes, them. Specifically, the fact that they've got mushrooms growing on their heads. When a mushroom is growing on another organism, that means the mushroom is ''eating'' that other organism. Anyone who's had athlete's foot can tell you that even a small parasitic fungus can be painful, so it follows that a fungus ''larger than your head'' growing ''out of'' your head would be complete ''[[AndIMustScream agony]]''. So why are the Toads always so [[StepfordSmiler cheerful]]? Because they're not in control of their own bodies, that's why. The [[PuppeteerParasite fungus]] has rooted into their spinal column and is using their bodies as [[MeatPuppet Meat Puppets]].
** So, they're basically human [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/PokemonGenerationIFamilies Parasects]]?
** According to ''TheAdventuresofSuperMarioBros3'' they're just hats the Mushroom Retainers wear. Going by this theory this is NightmareRetardant.

* ''New SuperMarioBros'' has Bowser fall into lava in the first world. Not much different from what happened at the end of ''every single castle'' in the original ''Super Mario Bros''... until the game proceeds to show him ''desperately flailing in the lava, yelling in agony, and emerging with all of his flesh melted off''. Totally unexpected and freaky as all get-out.

!! ''Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels (SMB2 Japan version)''

* [[http://www.mariowiki.com/images/9/94/Unagi64Face.jpg THAT FUCKING GIGANTIC UNAGI.]] To those unfamiliar, it was a huge eel with a freaky face, topped with the fact that he doesn't look quite that big at first.

* Mentioning the Eel without [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjL5MtmnNHk&feature=related Mario's drowning animation]] in general? Drown and ''Mario 64'' suddenly feels far more graphic than most {{Gorn}} games, with Mario desperately struggling and seemingly making failed attempts to gasp for air in blind panic and agony, with the game fading out as Mario's corpse is going limp. The poison gas death (the area mentioned above) is no better, with Mario grabbing for his throat, then falling on the floor with the screen fading out as he lies twitching (apparently still alive) in his final moments on the floor. The toxic area was really the worst in that, as anytime you are breathing it Mario would cough and slowly choke as if struggling for air.

!! ''Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels (Japanese SMB2)''