Luigi is not very amused at Mario laughing about Yoshi calling him his "mama".
Original airdate: December 7, 1991
After he puts him in bed for the night, Luigi tells Yoshi the story of how they met each other, and how Yoshi helped the Mario brothers defeat King Koopa.
"Mama Luigi" contains the following tropes:
- Ascended Meme: The official YouTube upload of this episode uses a frame of the "That's Mama Luigi to you, Mario!" scene
◊ as its thumbnail. - Balloon Belly: Yoshi gains one after eating the contents of King Koopa's throne room.
- Big Eater: Even as a baby, Yoshi had an appetite that could give Mario a run for his money, something that Luigi was quick to point out.
- By the Lights of Their Eyes: When Mario is eaten by Yoshi, there is a shot of him in his stomach, where only his eyes are visible in the otherwise dark interior.
- Circling Birdies: Luigi momentarily has stars circling around his head after he hits the light block in King Koopa's castle.
- Continuity Nod: This is the only episode of the series that the Mushroom Kingdom, the main setting of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and in some of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, was mentioned.
- Getting Eaten Is Harmless: Mario is eaten by Yoshi, but the most that happens to him is that he's thrown up and covered with Yoshi spit. Also a case of Plot Armor, since the Wigglers were instantly digested.
- Go-to-Sleep Ending: The episode ends with Yoshi wishing Luigi a good night before finally going to sleep.
- Grand Finale: This serves as a pretty fitting finale for DiC's Super Mario cartoons as a whole, given its Whole Episode Flashback nature.
- I Fell for Hours: Named the trope. This line is said verbatim by Luigi after describing his encounter with a Fire Sumo, which creates a big crack in the ground that he falls through.
- Imprinting: The newly hatched Yoshi imprints on Luigi and calls him "Mama Luigi" throughout the flashback.
- Jaw Drop: King Koopa's jaw drops when he realizes Yoshi has eaten his throne.
- Mixed Metaphor: "Early to bed, early to catch the worm! Or, is it the bagel?"
- Saved by the Platform Below: Luigi was attacked by a Sumo Bro ripping open the ground where Luigi "fell for hours" until he finally landed on a skull raft floating down a lava river below him. But, he goes over a lava fall and jumps off the raft where he falls and gets saved again by landing on a ledge with blocks.
- Shout-Out: In the French dub of the episode, King Koopa briefly alludes to Pac-Man after witnessing Yoshi eat his Mechakoopas.
- Skyward Scream: "Mario, wherever you are, HEEEEEEEEEELLLP!!!"
- Spit Take: After Mario is Swallowed Whole by Yoshi, Yoshi spits him back out after hearing Mario say he now knows how a meatball feels.Yoshi: Yoshi don't like meatballs!
- Squashed Flat: Luigi is squashed flat by a Skewer as he and Mario chase after Yoshi in King Koopa's castle. Mario rolls him up and carries him like a piece of paper for several seconds before he regains his shape.
- They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: "That's Mama Luigi to you, Mario!"
- The Voiceless: Princess Toadstool has no lines of dialogue (not counting her gasp when she's taken by the Koopa Football Playersnote ).
- Title Drop;Mario: You didn't tell me you were bringing a secret weapon, Luigi.
Luigi: That's Mama Luigi to you, Mario! (wheeze) - Whole Episode Flashback: The episode is about Luigi recollecting how he met Yoshi, with most of the episode centered on how the event played out.
