Mario’s alternate costume in Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and 3DS is about as American as apple pie and freedom fries. Just gaze in glory at this picture posted on Director Masahiro Sakurai’s Miiverse account as he dawns the stars and stripes, proudly showing off his country of origin…
Wait a minute? When was it ever established that Mario is an American? The cartoon, film, and comics all suggest as such, but Nintendo never adopted that into the canon. He’s always been just a dude hanging out in the Mushroom Kingdom, and actual canon games like Yoshi’s Island and Partners in Time suggest he was born there. What gives, Nintendo?
Actually, Mario has worn this outfit once before in his early golf game NES Open Tournament Golf, but he was a hundred times more adorable wearing it back in the 80s.
Man, Mario was so cute back then. What happened to you, man? Today’s computerized character art just doesn’t match up. Super Mario 3D Land and World both employ the retro art from the 80s, and it’s one of the many reasons those two games are so awesome.
Sakurai also took the time to make a Star Wars joke in revealing Samus’ new costume, which comes from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
The character farther in the back isn’t from the Imperial forces, and the character in the front is not the infamous drum-playing puppet in Osaka. No, Mario is actually wearing an outfit from Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course! NES Open Tournament Golf might be a more familiar title.
Mario is an American, and Samus is a Storm Trooper. Any other mind blowing reveals for us, Nintendo?
Super Smash Brothers – Nintendo 3DS
Super Smash Brothers – Wii U
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Add magic to your living space with these string lights
String lights add personality and soft light to your living space. Here are some of the best.

Disguise your little one with the help of a themed costume
From roaring lions to hoppy bunnies, costumes speak to every child's unique spirit. And we've collected our favorite options.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!

Keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold
Nobody wants lukewarm coffee, or any other beverage for that matter (but especially coffee.) A well-designed insulated thermos will keep your beverage at the desired temperature for hours. Here are some of the best thermoses you can buy.