Super Mario Bros. Z (Reboot)

[Shulk 8,623]

Super Mario Bros. Z is a fan-made animation series by Mark Haynes (Otherwise known as Alvin Earthworm), following Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Sonic, and Shadow from the Mario and Sonic series in an adventure heavily inspired by Dragon Ball Z. I was personally a huge fan of it in its initial run, and it was my favorite web animation back in middle school. Of course, with the recent reboot that just received its first episode this week, a lot of old fans have been coming back to the series, and I know a lot of new people are being brought into it now as well. Because of this, I thought it would be fun to make a discussion thread. Episodes likely won't update too frequently (Episode 1 took a few months to produce, since making an animation with pixel art takes a lot of time), but regardless, we can use this thread to discuss the reboot series and talk about new episodes once they come out. I'll go ahead and include a link to the intro animation to give people an idea of what it's like, and the first episode for anyone who'd like to see it (It's half an hour long, and the rest will likely be similar lengths as it goes for a TV show style, so keep that in mind).

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2016 by Shulk

[Firaga 5,947]

I, for one, was never much of a SMBZ fan, but the first episode of this new series sure as Hell made me one.

 

To start off: the DragonBall nods are insanely on point. Not only are the fight sequences highly stylized in the same fashion, but there's a lot of audio and visual cues taken from the Z anime as well, and it's just wonderful to see it all come together in such a fun, flashy, and entertaining way.

 

I can't really say much about the story so far other than I do like Mario and Sonic and since the story is also heavily inspired by DragonBall, it should be a lot of fun. Also, other than the DragonBall nods, all the other audio easter eggs were pretty well handled too. The one complaint I do have is that seeing the pixel art clash with using renders from games like Paper Mario. The aesthetics just look better when everything is consistent. I do however like the sequences that future completely hand drawn animation because of how dynamic they appear. Still, less of the former and more of the latter overall would be appreciated.

 

Also, did anybody else notice the banana from the Peanut Butter Jelly Time video? lol

[Shulk 8,623]

I, for one, was never much of a SMBZ fan, but the first episode of this new series sure as Hell made me one.

 

To start off: the DragonBall nods are insanely on point. Not only are the fight sequences highly stylized in the same fashion, but there's a lot of audio and visual cues taken from the Z anime as well, and it's just wonderful to see it all come together in such a fun, flashy, and entertaining way.

 

I can't really say much about the story so far other than I do like Mario and Sonic and since the story is also heavily inspired by DragonBall, it should be a lot of fun. Also, other than the DragonBall nods, all the other audio easter eggs were pretty well handled too. The one complaint I do have is that seeing the pixel art clash with using renders from games like Paper Mario. The aesthetics just look better when everything is consistent. I do however like the sequences that future completely hand drawn animation because of how dynamic they appear. Still, less of the former and more of the latter overall would be appreciated.

 

Also, did anybody else notice the banana from the Peanut Butter Jelly Time video? lol

I wasn't a Dragon Ball fan back during the original series, but now that I am, I'm noticing just how heavily inspired the series really is by DB. It's given me a completely new perspective on the series, and I love it. As for the story, I do think that it's going to follow the original up to the point where it left of and continue from there, so from what I remember, we're definitely going to get a great adventure here. I won't spoil anything since you're not too familiar with it yet, but a lot of crazy stuff happens.

 

That was a joke from the original series, so I guess he had to go and reference it somehow. I noticed it, too.

[PillowHead 569]

Woah I forgot all about this.  Man time flies.  Thanks for sharing.

[Shulk 8,623]

Woah I forgot all about this.  Man time flies.  Thanks for sharing.

No problem! I actually forgot about it until last year, then the reboot announcement came up. I've been waiting since then, and it was worth the wait!

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

Okay that was pretty badass. I'm totally gonna watch this now.

My favorite parts are where Shadow gets rocked by Metal Sonic in the beginning and when Sonic rocks Magikoopa at the end.

LOL I love how it takes them forever to get out of the robotisizer thing. I can imagine just Sonic on the inside running around, figuring out where the open button is while Shadow just stands there all annoyed. I wish Silver was in it since he's my favorite hedgehog but oh well it's great either way!

 

Where can I watch the original?

Edited January 10, 2016 by Aqua7KH

[Shulk 8,623]

Okay that was pretty badass. I'm totally gonna watch this now.My favorite parts are where Shadow gets rocked by Metal Sonic in the beginning and when Sonic rocks Magikoopa at the end.LOL I love how it takes them forever to get out of the robotisizer thing. I can imagine just Sonic on the inside running around, figuring out where the open button is while Shadow just stands there all annoyed. I wish Silver was in it since he's my favorite hedgehog but oh well it's great either way!Where can I watch the original?

The original's also on Youtube. Episode 1's right here. Do keep in mind that the original's turning 10 years old in a couple months, so it's probably not up to modern animation standards. Still a good watch, though, and it should give you an idea of where the reboot's going to go. The reboot is following the original's story so far, although there have also been a couple changes here as well.

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

The original's also on Youtube. Episode 1's right

. Do keep in mind that the original's turning 10 years old in a couple months, so it's probably not up to modern animation standards. Still a good watch, though, and it should give you an idea of where the reboot's going to go. The reboot is following the original's story so far, although there have also been a couple changes here as well.

Sounds great! Does this mean he may include more recent characters in this reboot since the original is so old? (Say, Rosalina or Silver since they didn't exist at the time)

[Shulk 8,623]

Sounds great! Does this mean he may include more recent characters in this reboot since the original is so old? (Say, Rosalina or Silver since they didn't exist at the time)

It's possible that he could, although they might not come in until after he catches up to where the original left off. I think it would be cool to see some more recent characters, but he seems to be going off of the original's storyline again, so I don't know if he has space to include them until later on. Of course, episode 1 of the reboot covered the first two episodes of the original series (original had 8 in total, and he's said he'll definitely be cutting episode 7 out as that one's generally considered to just be a filler episode that dragged on too long), so we should get to that point soon! He ended off on a really big cliffhanger in the original series, so I'm really excited to see what happens next. A lot of the old fans have been waiting 6 years to find that out, so we're all really happy that it's being continued.

 

I also don't think Rawk Hawk was in the original series (It's been years so my memory might be off), so he could find smaller cameo appearances for other characters as well.

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

It's possible that he could, although they might not come in until after he catches up to where the original left off. I think it would be cool to see some more recent characters, but he seems to be going off of the original's storyline again, so I don't know if he has space to include them until later on. Of course, episode 1 of the reboot covered the first two episodes of the original series (original had 8 in total, and he's said he'll definitely be cutting episode 7 out as that one's generally considered to just be a filler episode that dragged on too long), so we should get to that point soon! He ended off on a really big cliffhanger in the original series, so I'm really excited to see what happens next. A lot of the old fans have been waiting 6 years to find that out, so we're all really happy that it's being continued. xDI also don't think Rawk Hawk was in the original series (It's been years so my memory might be off), so he could find smaller cameo appearances for other characters as well.

Awesome! I can't wait. I hope those two make it in since they're my favorites. (Silver being my favorite Sonic character and Rosalina being my favorite Mario character)How often do you think he'll upload new episodes?

[Shulk 8,623]

Awesome! I can't wait. I hope those two make it in since they're my favorites. (Silver being my favorite Sonic character and Rosalina being my favorite Mario character)How often do you think he'll upload new episodes?

I'd assume once every couple months. He announced this back in September or November I think, so it'll be a bit of a long wait, but it takes a lot of work to make these episodes. He's being paid for these through Patreon though, so he probably won't quit without an announcement again.

[Justin3613 36]

Yes, I know!!! I used to watch this series as a kid!!! I was so excited when it finally returned, and it's even better than ever!!!! I remember having to wait months and months for each episode to release, but it was always worth it! I'M SO EXCITED!!!

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

I'd assume once every couple months. He announced this back in September or November I think, so it'll be a bit of a long wait, but it takes a lot of work to make these episodes. He's being paid for these through Patreon though, so he probably won't quit without an announcement again.

Ahh I see. That's good though he's getting paid for busting his ass so hard making these videos.

[Soul_Seeker 753]

TERIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

(For those of you who don't get it, that was Sonic's battle cry. )

[kingdomhearts45 469]

It's back....

 

Thank you Shulk!!!

[Aqua7KH 5,395]

I got a quick question, when did the original episodes first air? (Since the original videos themselves aren't on YouTube and was reuploaded)

I just wanted to see which characters existed at the time and I want to get a feel to exactly how old the series are since as you said is gonna turn 10 years old in a few months

[Shulk 8,623]

I got a quick question, when did the original episodes first air? (Since the original videos themselves aren't on YouTube and was reuploaded)I just wanted to see which characters existed at the time and I want to get a feel to exactly how old the series are since as you said is gonna turn 10 years old in a few months

I remember seeing that the first episode came out in April 2006, but I'm not sure about the rest. I want to say it ended in 2010, but I'm not 100% positive.

[Firaga 5,947]

I'd just like to clarify something about the first episode:

 

Right here, most people think that this punching sequence is lifted from either "One Piece", ala Monkey D. Luffy's "Gum Gum Gatling" or "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", ala Jotaro Kujo's Stand, Star Platinum, shouting "ORAORAORAORAORA" whenever it does a fast barrage of punches.

 

However, if you listen to Mario while he's punching, you'll hear him cry "ATATATATATATATA". Therein lies the real reference: the Hokuto Hyakuretsu-ken, another fast barrage of strikes from a much earlier series called "Hokuto no Ken" i.e. "Fist of the North Star", in which main character and user Kenshiro always shouts in the same manner when he uses the attack. This technique can easily be taken as inspiration for the aforementioned attacks due to FotNS's legacy and influence.

 

Just figured I'd clear that up due to not many getting the reference and for the simple fact that picking out all the visual/audio references in the first episode alone is so much fun due to how many of them they are and how masterfully they're all executed. lol

Edited January 13, 2016 by Firaga Sensei

[Shulk 8,623]

I'd just like to clarify something about the first episode:

 

Right here, most people think that this punching sequence is lifted from either "One Piece", ala Monkey D. Luffy's "Gum Gum Gatling" or "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", ala Jotaro Kujo's Stand, Star Platinum, shouting "ORAORAORAORAORA" whenever it does a fast barrage of punches.

 

However, if you listen to Mario while he's punching, you'll hear him cry "ATATATATATATATA". Therein lies the real reference: the Hokuto Hyakuretsu-ken, another fast barrage of strikes from a much earlier series called "Hokuto no Ken" i.e. "Fist of the North Star", in which main character and user Kenshiro always shouts in the same manner when he uses the attack. This technique can easily be taken as inspiration for the aforementioned attacks due to FotNS's legacy and influence.

 

Just figured I'd clear that up due to not many getting the reference and for the simple fact that picking out all the visual/audio references in the first episode alone is so much fun due to how many of them they are and how masterfully they're all executed. lol

I get all of the DBZ audio/visual references now that I've gotten into that series, but now that you brought this up, I'm wondering how many other references I'm missing... Dang.

[kingdomhearts45 469]

I'd just like to clarify something about the first episode: Right

, most people think that this punching sequence is lifted from either "One Piece", ala Monkey D. Luffy's "Gum Gum Gatling" or "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", ala Jotaro Kujo's Stand, Star Platinum, shouting "ORAORAORAORAORA" whenever it does a fast barrage of punches. However, if you listen to Mario while he's punching, you'll hear him cry "ATATATATATATATA". Therein lies the real reference: the Hokuto Hyakuretsu-ken, another fast barrage of strikes from a much earlier series called "Hokuto no Ken" i.e. "Fist of the North Star", in which main character and user Kenshiro always shouts in the same manner when he uses the attack. This technique can easily be taken as inspiration for the aforementioned attacks due to FotNS's legacy and influence. Just figured I'd clear that up due to not many getting the reference and for the simple fact that picking out all the visual/audio references in the first episode alone is so much fun due to how many of them they are and how masterfully they're all executed. lol

Woah....I did not know that.Well, here comes another anime on the list to watch.

[Firaga 5,947]

I get all of the DBZ audio/visual references now that I've gotten into that series, but now that you brought this up, I'm wondering how many other references I'm missing... Dang.

 

There's tons.

• The opening theme has a "Do The Mario!" lyric, ala the Super Mario Bros. Show.
• The "BOO, YOU STINK" audio clip is from Spongebob.
• Kamek says "A La Peanut Butter Sandwiches", a saying from The Amazing Mumford from Sesame Street.
• His yell when he gets hit by Sonic is also the classic Goofy Scream.
• Various sound effects from Tom & Jerry, including the "Tom Scream", used by Bowser, before hitting his face on the camera, which of course is a Screen KO from Smash.
• The "Luigi feeding Mario a 1-UP" bit is apparently lifted from the M&L RPGs.
• The Metal Gear "!" sign/sound used twice.

And we already covered the banana from PBJ Time. Overall, if every episode is going to be this packed with references, counting them all together, depending on how many episodes there will be, is going to be a chore... and I'm okay with that.

[Shulk 8,623]

There's tons.

• The opening theme has a "Do The Mario!" lyric, ala the Super Mario Bros. Show.
• The "BOO, YOU STINK" audio clip is from Spongebob.
• Kamek says "A La Peanut Butter Sandwiches", a saying from The Amazing Mumford from Sesame Street.
• His yell when he gets hit by Sonic is also the classic Goofy Scream.
• Various sound effects from Tom & Jerry, including the "Tom Scream", used by Bowser, before hitting his face on the camera, which of course is a Screen KO from Smash.
• The "Luigi feeding Mario a 1-UP" bit is apparently lifted from the M&L RPGs.
• The Metal Gear "!" sign/sound used twice.

And we already covered the banana from PBJ Time. Overall, if every episode is going to be this packed with references, counting them all together, depending on how many episodes there will be, is going to be a chore... and I'm okay with that.

I caught those ones, missed the rest though.

 

Glad to know you like it so much, since I'm the one that told you that you should watch it when you did.

[Firaga 5,947]

Glad to know you like it so much, since I'm the one that told you that you should watch it when you did.

 

Oh, yes indeed. I haven't been this excited about a web series since Spider introduced me to Smash King.

Edited January 13, 2016 by Firaga Sensei

[Firaga 5,947]

Poking around YouTube, I found this neat little fandub for the first episode.