[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cibh1zpxaaaqdpk.jpg]]

''Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom'' is a four part flash movie series featuring the characters and settings from ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''. It was created by the late Randy Solem for his website, Video Game Director's Cuts and has also been featured on Website/{{Newgrounds}}.

After Mario is killed by a squadron of Bullet Bills, Luigi leads the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom on a quest for vengeance against Bowser. As the battle goes on, however, things turn out to be not exactly as they seem...

Inspired by Alexander Leon's equally excellent series ''WebAnimation/MarioBrothers'', this series is equally epic in scale, but much lighter in tone, with a good deal of ToiletHumor and BlackComedy in the last episode. It can be seen [[http://www.videogamedc.com/Pixeled_Parodies/Rise_Of_The_Mushroom_Kingdom/rise_of_the_mushroom_kingdom.html here]] on [=VGDC=], [[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/610276 here]] on Website/{{Newgrounds}}, or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_N5UWZUWiI here]], on Website/YouTube.

About six years ago, a [=YouTuber=] named [[https://www.youtube.com/c/AsylusGoji91Studios/featured Asylus]] created a remastered version of Solem's original movie. The plot is exactly the same, but the following changes were made:
** A completely different score (still Nintendo-oriented with a few exceptions).
** Revamped sound effects.
** A postlude (credits and an ending theme) is added after the final scene.

Depending on the version and editing, the movie runs just under or just over half an hour.
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!!Tropes included in this Video Series:
* AllLovingHero: The very beginning shows Mario as this to the Mushroom Kingdom, stopping to do something as simple as helping a little Toad kid who fell off a latter and calling in help for him. This simple compassion alone speaks about just how much the people of the kingdom adored and loved Mario, not just from his countless quests to rescue the princess and save the kingdom, and all the more reason why that they are devastated by his brutal murder and are out for bloody vengeance against the Koopa Kingdom ([[spoiler:even though they were innocent]]).
* AlmostDeadGuy: [[spoiler:Luigi [[TakingTheBullet takes the bullet]] for Mario in Part 3 and lives just long enough to tell him about Wart's plans.]]
* ArtifactTitle: The title of the series refers to the normal citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom mobilizing into a fighting force, with the goal of avenging Mario's murder. [[spoiler:After two parts depicting this, the third reveals it was AllJustADream, and the remaining two parts focus on Mario, Luigi and Peach. The Mushroom Kingdom does no "rising" until the very end, where a force arrives to clean up Wart's minions and fortress after the villain has already been defeated.]]
* BigBad: Bowser kicks off the plot by managing to actually kill Mario with Bullet Bills, and Luigi and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom are out to avenge him. [[spoiler:Except that Wart is the true killer who framed Bowser to get the two kingdoms to destroy each other.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:[[CameBackStrong A revived Luigi]]]] reveals himself by saving [[spoiler:Mario]] at the last minute in Part 4.
* BittersweetEnding: Part 2 ends with the Mushroom Kingdom prevailing against the Koopa Kingdom, but of course [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty it doesn't change the fact that Mario is still dead]]. Were it not for the [[spoiler:WhamShot we're given at the end of the second installment, and the inclusion of two more chapters,]] this is likely how the series would have ended. [[spoiler:Part 4]] in contrast is a much more happy ending, since [[spoiler:both Mario AND Luigi are still alive at the end.]]
* BringMyBrownPants: Bowser wets himself in terror [[spoiler:just before he is EatenAlive by the baby Yoshis.]]
* CameraAbuse: Larry gets blasted into the screen during Part 2.
* CliffHanger: The end of [[spoiler:Part 2]] and beginning [[spoiler:of Part 3.]]
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler: Mario, Luigi, and Bowser's deaths. Mario, one man, is bombarded by Bullet Bills (fired by Wart) [[NoKillLikeOverkill before being explosively finished off by a Banzai Bill]]. After Luigi wakes up to find out it's all about to happen for real, he takes the entire onslaught, and the resulting explosion gruesomely blows him in half. And Bowser is [[EatenAlive mauled to pieces]] by a bunch of newly-hatched baby Yoshis. Though like Mario's case, it's doesn't actually happen.]]
** And in Part 4 [[spoiler:Wart is blown to pieces when a Fire Flower is used to light his flatuence.]]
** In the same part, [[spoiler:Clawgrip gets boiled alive in a deep vat of water.]]
* DeadHatShot: Mario's death in Part 1 is symbolized by a slow-motion shot of his falling hat.
* DueToTheDead:
** Mario's funeral is attended by many Toads and Yoshis, as well as Luigi and the Princess.
** During the battle against Bowser's kingdom, many dead fighters from the Mushroom Kingdom can be seen being carried away by their comrades.
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: [[spoiler:The beginning of Part 3 reveals Parts 1 and 2 were [[AllJustADream Luigi dreaming]] prophetically.]]
* EasterEgg: Specifically if you watched the flash version or not, you could zoom in and read hidden messages left by VGDC, and in the very final part of the very final episode, having your mouse hover over one of the windows would reveal [[spoiler: [[BlackComedyRape an older toad raping a very young toad]], while clicking on it would give you a squishy sound]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: At the beginning of Part 2, Bowser [[spoiler:reacts with confusion when he's informed of the incoming attack, hinting that [[NotMeThisTime he is not the one who killed Mario]]]].
* FreezeFrameBonus: Tons. There is a guide to them on ''VGDC''.
* {{Gasshole}}: [[spoiler:Wart. WordOfGod implied this is why he hates vegetables so much.]]
* GoryDiscretionShot: In Part 2, [[spoiler:the scene shifts so that we don't see the worst of Bowser being torn apart by baby Yoshis. We still see bloody body parts, though.]]
* GraveMarkingScene: At the end of Part 2, Luigi visits Mario's grave and places [[FatalFamilyPhoto a photo of the two brothers on it]].
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Poor Luigi]] gets split in two a Bullet Bill in Part 3, [[spoiler:living through it just long enough to tell Mario that Wart was the one who launched the attack]].
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Bowser is implied to have done one prior to the beginning of the series as he had not attacked the Mushroom Kingdom for quite some time, though he chooses not to take prisoners when the Mushroom Kingdom attacks his castle unprovoked (from his perspective).]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Luigi]] at the beginning of Part 3. As he's dying, he warns [[spoiler:Mario]] that [[spoiler:Wart]] is trying to assassinate him, so [[spoiler:Mario]] decides not to let him do so without a fight.
* NeckSnap: The move Luigi uses against a Boom Boom, as he tries to enter the castle's nightclub.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: The movie uses sprites from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAllStars'' version of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', and ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'', all of which have slightly different art styles.
* PsychoStrings:
** These play in Part 2 when [[spoiler:the baby Yoshis begin to rip Bowser to shreds.]]
** They play again in Part 3 when [[spoiler:the Phantos kill Mouser.]]
* PublicDomainSoundtrack: Subverted. Although most of the background score is identifiable as Nintendo (with a few exceptions), almost none of the music is in the public domain.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: As indicated by the title, the entire series is one of these, with the Mushroom Kingdom battling against Bowser [[spoiler:and Wart]].
* ShaggyDogStory: The end of [[spoiler:Part 2, when it turns out that Wart killed Mario and [[NotMeThisTime Bowser was completely innocent]]]].
* ShoutOut:
** Luigi gets to Bowser using the "World -1" trick from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' and finishes him off by swinging him into the distance, ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''-style.
** [[spoiler:Mario]] uses the super jump from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' in [[spoiler:Wart's]] castle.
** [[spoiler:Mario keeps losing his cap during Part 4, much like in ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''.]]
** [[spoiler:Mario's battle against Clawgrip is styled in the same way as ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong''.]]
** ''MC Koopa'' and [[spoiler:Mario's distracting dance]] are references to Randy Solem's ''Mack Daddy Mario'' videos from ''Video Game Director's Cuts''
** Bowser [[BringMyBrownPants wetting himself out of fear]] is another reference to another of Solem's videos.
* SpiritualSuccessor: This was directly inspired by ''WebAnimation/MarioBrothers'', and indeed, the first two parts are basically [[ThePowerOfLove a story]] about Luigi avenging [[SacrificialLamb Mario]] instead of the other way around. However, because of the long gaps between updates, it also became a SpiritualAntithesis, as [[spoiler:''Mario Brothers'' is completely hopeless and has an EverybodyDiesEnding, whereas this series [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism is more idealistic]], ending with all the good guys alive, even those who [[BackFromTheDead originally died]].]]
* TimeStandsStill: In Part 3, Luigi uses a Stopwatch to [[spoiler:freeze time and throw Mario out of the path of the Banzai Bill. Unfortunately, the effect wears off before Luigi himself can get out of the way, resulting in his own death.]]
* ToiletHumor:
** Rampant in Part 4, especially when [[spoiler:Mario finishes off Wart [[CruelAndUnusualDeath by lighting his flatulence]].]] This ''[[SignatureStyle was]]'' Randy Solem, after all.
** In Part 1, a Yoshi craps out a Lakitu skull, [[BreakingTheFourthWall and gives a sheepish smile to the camera]].
* WalkingSpoiler: It's essentially impossible to mention [[spoiler:Wart]] without giving away the twist ending to Part 2.
* WhamShot: At the end of the second installment, [[spoiler:Luigi visits Mario's grave, when another Bullet Bill is fired at him. The shooter is then revealed to be Wart, indicating him as the true culprit behind the death of Mario and not Bowser]].
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