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Nintendo High is an animated web series created by YouTuber Foozle, based on the many franchises created by Nintendo, but primarily on Super Mario Bros. The first episode premiered on May 7th, 2021.
The series follows a teenage Mario and Luigi as they attend the prestigious Nintendo High School, where they find themselves wrapped in various scenarios, such as Mario's developing crush on Peach, or the bros contending with bullies like Wario and Waluigi.
The series is currently ongoing, with the second season still in production.
This web series contains examples of the following:
- Adaptational Heroism:
- Played with in K. Rool's case. While he still joins the villains in the Season 1 finale, after Donkey Kong punches him in the eye, he claims to believe it was all a big theater exercise and tells everyone to stop.
- Adaptational Jerkass:
- Downplayed with Mario. While he's still as selfless and courageous as his canon self, he's also more cynical and sarcastic. And even as the series goes on, he gets better.
- Considering his cocky, abrasive nature in his own games, Falco being a bully isn’t too far-fetched. What’s shocking however is the nice but incompetent Slippy being his toady.
- Adaptational Species Change: In "Partners," Mario and Luigi are assigned to take care of a Pokemon egg. When the egg finally hatches, it's revealed to be none other than Yoshi.
- Adaptational Villainy:
- Pauline and Candy Kong are the Mean Girls along with actual villain Syrup. During the Season 1 Finale, they hold Link captive and coerce Mario for kisses to release him, and don't get punished for it. Pauline later goes out of her way to ruin Mario's date with Peach. She finally gets her comeuppance when she eats a slice of Elephant Fruit pie and unwillingly transforms into Elephant Pauline front of everyone.
- Age Lift: Fitting for a High School AU series, most of if not all of the characters are de-aged into teens, and those whom are already kids become babies, such as Ness and Lucas. The Koopalings and The Broodals are turned into toddlers, and Madame Broode is younger. The only character who isn't notably changed is Sonic, who is already canonically a teenager.
- Babysitter's Nightmare: Even the strength of four girls wasn't enough to handle Ness and Lucas. And when the Koopalings and the Broodals show up...
- Babysitting Episode: Peach stars in one for the fourth episode of season 2, taking care of baby Ness and Lucas.
- Bait-and-Switch: In "The Date," Goron is on a date with "Thwompina". At the end of the episode, "Thwompina" is revealed to be a transformed Kirby, who inhales all of their food.
- Big Bad: Bowser, naturally, for the first season.
- Big Damn Heroes: Downplayed in the Season 1 Finale. Samus is grabbed by Ridley and Captain Falcon lunges, charging up a Falcon Punch to rescue her. He ineffectually punches Ridley's toes and gets flicked away. Samus proceeds to save herself.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Luigi gets changed into Mr. L by Nastasia in episode 4. He breaks free of the enchantment next episode.
- Brutal Honesty: In contrast to the mild-mannered and soft-spoken Peach, Daisy has a brash and outspoken personality. She always speaks her mind, never minces her words and is never afraid to put bullies (like Bowser or Pauline and her Girl Posse) in their place.
- Butt-Monkey: Toad, who gets/is injured on every appearance. It's implied that the heroes forget to rescue him in the Season 1 Finale, as the Toad in that episode has blue dots.
- Captain Falcon is often this. He gets brutally rejected by Daisy, his Falcon Punch isn't nearly as powerful as in Smash, and Samus nearly tramples him with a Tauros.
- Cannot Talk to Women: Francis, to the point where he has to consult a book to talk to Pauline. He's even dating a Sandbag in the same episode.
- Character Catchphrase: "Mama Mia" and "Let's-A-Go" for Mario, of course.
- Class Princess: Pun aside, Princess Peach is a beautiful and fashionable popular girl who, in spite of her high status, is sweet, kind, humble and caring.
- Crossover: Fitting for the show's title, along with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. This series could be best described as Super Smash Bros. in a High School AU. The logo itself resembles the Smash Logo, but with a star.
- Some non-Nintendo characters make cameos as well. In Episode 4, Nintendo High goes up against Capcom characters in a football game. Blanka, E. Honda, Viewtiful Joe, Arthur, Servbot, and Amingo appear here.
- In the season 2 premiere, Blinky and Inky are working out in the gym where Mario and Sonic hold their weightlifting competition.
- In the same episode, Cooking Mama oversees Mario and Sonic's cooking match.
- The Dog Bites Back: In Episode 5, being turned into Mr. L causes Luigi to become a bully himself, though it’s not like Wario, Waluigi, Falco, and Slippy didn’t deserve what was coming to them.
- Drama Queen: K. Rool is one, being a theater kid. Nearly every scene is him acting as dramatic as possible.
- Embarrassing First Name: Captain Falcon isn't a fan of being called "Douglas."
- Even the Guys Want Him: Male Byleth is shown blushing towards Link.
- Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: Princess Peach is polite, kind and patient towards everyone, even Bowser, but tends to become more snippy and impatient whenever her rival, Pauline, is around and makes fun of her.
- Fighting from the Inside: Luigi does this to break free from Mr. L's influence to save Mario in episode 5.
- Goo-Goo-Godlike: Ness and Lucas are just toddlers in this series, but still possess their dangerous psychic powers, which create an absolute mess for Peach when she babysits them.
- High School AU: Of the Nintendo franchises, leaning on a bit of Super Smash Bros since Sonic's arrival.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Master Hand seems to think that Wario and Waluigi are victims of Mario and Luigi's bullying, instead of the other way around.
- Karma Houdini: As far as we know, Nastasia hasn't received any karma for brainwashing Luigi.
- Light Feminine Dark Feminine: Princess Peach and Pauline. Peach is sweet, kind and innocent, while Pauline is vain, haughty and manipulative.
- Lovable Jock: Donkey Kong is into sports and is a friendly and fun-loving Gentle Gorilla.
- Mad Scientist: E. Gadd, naturally. He was a former professor at Nintendo High but was demoted to a janitor after one of his inventions went wrong.
- Meme Acknowledgement: Quite a few of these.
- During Mario and Sonic's art competition, what does Sonic paint? Sanic.
- In Royal Pain, after beating Mario in a video game, Sonic breaks into a victory dance. The dance he does is the same one from the "Sonic Dance
meme. - In The Date, while going out with Claude, Byleth complains that he "couldn't get in because there were too many swordsmen." This is a reference to the complaints about Super Smash Bros. having too many swordsmen (and Fire Emblem characters) on their roster.
- Mood-Swinger: In Episode 7 of season 2, Mario's date with Peach nearly ends in disaster because of the Vibe Amulet, which causes Peach's emotion to suddenly change and makes her unstable until Mario is able to take it off of her.
- Mood Whiplash: Invoked in "The Date," when Pauline gives Peach the Vibe Amulet, causing uncontrollable emotions that change randomly. It gets even worse when the stone cracks.
- Mythology Gag: Despite the Age Lift and high school setting, there are still references to the characters' canon selves.
- Mario talks like an American high-school student in this series, but when Doopliss pretends to be Mario in the Season 1 finale, he uses the usual "It's-a-me" accent.
- Characters often complain about the history of Hyrule being complicated, thanks to its multiple timelines.
- In Episode 2, when Mario insists to K. Rool that Donkey Kong isn't a brute, K. Rool sarcastically retorts that he's a swashbuckling pirate.
- In Episode 3, when E. Gadd first appears, he makes the usual gibberish sounds as heard in Luigi's Mansion.
- When DK is held in a cage in the Season 1 finale, he makes the same pose as his sprite in the original arcade game.
- In the Season 2 premiere, Sonic draws on Mario's face to taunt him, giving him his iconic mustache.
- In "The Mansion," Luigi's adult self is seen in Madame Clairvoya's crystal ball.
- In "Rescue Mission," during a basketball game with Mario and Sonic, they recreate the same poses from the 3DS boxart of Mario and Sonic Rio 2016.
- In the same episode, Mario says "They don't call me Jumpman for nothin'!" Jumpman, of course, was Mario's original name.
- In "The Comeback," when attacking Knuckles, Mario recreates the pose he makes on the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate boxart.
- In "The Date," a blue-shelled Koopa mentions getting a job at a race track.
- Ocular Gushers: Peach gains these while under the "gloom" effects of the Vibe Amulet. They're enough to flood the entire restaurant.
- Official Couple: After the first season's finale, Mario and Peach, and Luigi and Daisy.
- The One Guy: Claude is the only male member of Nintendo High's cheerleading squad.
- Playing with Fire: Mario slowly develops these abilities over the series.
- Pubescent Braces: Some characters, such as Marx, have these. It is a high school, after all.
- Sequel Hook:
- Season 1 Finale: A defeated Bowser is found by Popple, implying the former lost his memory. And a certain blue hedgehog is newly enrolled in the school.
- Season 2, Episode 6: While Sonic, Tails and Knuckles return to SEGA High, the screen pans out to reveal Metal Sonic staring at them. He then turns to the viewers, and the screen goes black before revealing the message: "Sonic Will Return".
- Ship Tease: Waluigi and Rosalina, and Link and Zelda.
- Shout-Out: Aside from the obvious Nintendo references, there are a couple shout-outs to other media.
- Goron is often seen wearing My Little Epona shirts.
- In Mario and Luigi's bedroom, there's a poster the movie Cheep.
- The Mansion, being a Halloween episode, there are several references to horror franchises.
- When the Portrait Ghosts appear during the musical number, they recreate the opening to The Addams Family.
- While Link and Zelda explore the mansion, a portrait of Chauncy can be found on the wall. The portrait changes when lightning strikes, similar to The Haunted Mansion.
- King Boo himself is an Expy of Oogie Boogie.
- In Royal Pain, Daisy's room has posters of bands such as Fall Out Squid, and Green Shell.
- Those Two Guys: Wario and Waluigi, much like their canon (adult) selves, are two jerks who have nothing better to do but antagonize Mario and Luigi.
- Some other pairs include Claude and Byleth, Captain Falcon and Samus, Pit and Dark Pit, and Falco and Slippy.
- Uncertain Doom: Downplayed as no one is supposed to die, but the end of Season 1 implies that every villain (except for the Mean Girls) was defeated and kicked out of the dance hall, even if the video didn't show it.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: It's revealed the actual reason Sonic transferred from SEGA High was because he didn’t see himself as a hero, despite the fact every good person at SEGA High did. Mario gives him a pep-talk, telling him he has what it takes to be a hero, which convinces Sonic to return to his old school.
