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Another classic non-Mario Nintendo character was confirmed to be hiding in Illumination Entertainment’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The upcoming animated sequel will once again honor all things not just Super Mario Bros but the greater Nintendo canon. In the first film, this reverence for the classic video game maker included references to beloved Nintendo creations like Wrecking Crew, the NES, and Ice Climbers.
New Super Mario Galaxy Movie merch spoiled yet another of these nostalgic Easter eggs, with the return of a long-lost Nintendo character set for the film. The new Super Mario Galaxy Gateway Galaxy Playset (as posted online by X user Juan Pablo) included an image of the classic R.O.B. (ROB) robot.
The classic NES accessory (and eventual Super Smash Bros. fighter) can be spotted seemingly manning a ticket window booth of sorts.
ROB was referenced in a logo in the first Mario Movie but never made a physical appearance.
The character debuted as a toy accessory for the NES back in 1985, serving as an interactive robo-friend that gamers could play with alongside their new home video game console. He eventually joined the Super Smash Bros. series of Nintendo platform fighting games with the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2008.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is coming to theaters on April 1. The latest film from Illumination Entertainment and Nintendo follows the iconic video game plumber as he takes to the stars after the emergence of a new threat, the scale-skinned Bowser Jr. Chris Pratt leads the new animated adventure as Mario, along with Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser (read more about the Super Mario Galaxy Movie cast here).
What Could ROB Be Doing in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?
For fans of the Mario franchise, ROB might be a bit of a surprising inclusion in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Outside of Super Smash Bros., the character has never interacted with Mario on-screen, yet here he is. Plenty of other non-Mario franchise characters have popped up in Smash, yet they aren’t a part of Illumination’s animated movie franchise.
Well, ROB does have a particularly fond spot in classic Mario fans’ hearts. The character came packed in with millions of NES consoles back in the day, and (for many people) so did Super Mario Bros. Because of this, there are droves of Nintendo gamers who closely associate their first memories of Mario with the robotic companion.
The connective tissue between the brands, simply through this association, warrants the character’s appearance in the upcoming movie, just as other classic Nintendo titles that may not have been solely focused on the Mario cast of characters still get a shout-out in the Mario movies.
The Mario film series is more than just a celebration of the mustachioed video game mascot. They honor everything that made Nintendo the titan of the gaming industry it is today. This has a heavy focus on the NES era, specifically. So, why not let ROB get in on the fun?
