When you think about Nintendo, most picture Mario and his friends real quick. The characters have helped define the company to fans worldwide, and over the years, Nintendo has done a lot to promote Super Mario. Decades ago, it even created a little-known anime set in the Mushroom Kingdom, and the classic series now has a 4K remaster for everyone to enjoy.
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The project comes courtesy thanks to Femboy Films, an independent group that gathered to remaster Super Mario Bros. – The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach. The anime, which debuted back in 1986, is one of the first to tackle the Nintendo mascot for television. So as you can imagine, fans are curious to see how its remaster came along.
According to Femboy Films, the remaster was made possible thanks to an original “16mm reduction print likely used for small, local screenings back in the day.” The group believes it is one of the few if not the only surviving print of Nintendo’s first anime.
“The VHS was originally released with 2-channel Dolby Surround, which is preserved in the audio capture here,” Femboy Films continued. “This reflects most accurately how the film would have sounded in cinemas, as it was released with 4-channel Dolby Stereo there.”
As you can imagine, this anime special is a piece of history, so Femboy Films gave it a full work-up. You can watch the 4K makeover on YouTube right now. The adventure comedy is a must-watch for Nintendo historians and Mario lovers. It follows Princess Peach as she stumbles into Mario’s world and finds herself kidnapped by Bowser who wishes to return her to the Mushroom Kingdom. In the real world, grocers Mario and Luigi are roped into saving Princess Peach within her video game realm, and things get crazy from there on out.
What do you think about this surprise makeover? Do you believe Nintendo needs to get back into the anime game? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
