Alongside Disney, Nintendo is THE definitive nostalgic brand. As gamers, it is impossible to not be in awe of the Japanese publisher's contributions to the industry. Ever since the early '80s, when Donkey Kong landed on the NES, Nintendo has continuously entertained children from around the world. Due to the company's vast array of beloved franchises and games, including The Legend of Zelda and Super Metroid, Nintendo's infinite imagination inspired many creators to try their own hand at game development!
If designing your own version of Super Mario Galaxy seems a tad challenging, there are other ways to tribute the work of Shigeru Miyamoto and friends. Determined to expand beyond the medium, Nintendo struck a deal with Valiant Comics to publish a series of graphic novels featuring the likes of Link and Mario. The Nintendo Comics System lasted for only a year, but its cancellation hardly marked Zelda or Samus' retirement from comics. Over the years, Nintendo's iconic characters have gone on multiple head-scratching adventures beyond the reach of Miyamoto!
Whether humorous or terrifying, these comics prove there are some quirky themes bubbling beneath Nintendo's family-friendly image. Here are 25 hilarious Nintendo comics that change the way we see the games!
25 Future Plans
If you are a Nintendo fan, Brawl In The Family is well worth a gander. Publishing tons of comics featuring appearances from Waluigi, Yoshi, and many other beloved gaming characters, this site is an ideal haven for Nintendo's faithful. Serving as nothing more than a sample of the brand's style of humor, this entry is just a snippet of what is to come.
Yoshi deserves better than Mario. Despite being Nintendo's mascot, the mustached hero exhibits precious little regard for animals or plant life. At the very least, Mario has a valid reason to attack Goombas, as they are his enemies. Whether they deserve to be squished into oblivion is another matter, but they are an obstacle standing in his way from saving Princess Peach. The Mushroom Kingdom might not care too much about its fungi, but Goombas are destined to fall.
The same cannot be said about the adorable anthropomorphic dinosaur. Yoshi is Mario's friend and willingly helps the dude in his quest to storm Bowser's castles. How does Mario repay Yoshi's loyalty? He uses the dinosaur as a LITERAL stepping stone! Time and time again, Yoshi is treated no better than a typical platform.
24 Wa-hoo!
Life of Ry is a series of stories created by Ry-Spirit for Tapas.io, a site boasting an array of delightful comics and novels from a plethora of individuals. Offering something for everyone, we recommend skimming through their catalog to see if anything tickles your fancy!
Entitled "Hatless," Ry-Spirit's non-canon comic sees the author's protagonist capturing the attention of Nintendo's favorite former plumber. With Cappy nestled on Mario's head, it is safe to assume this takes place after Super Mario Odyssey. If there is a character trait Nintendo's franchise has repeatedly stressed, it would be Mario's unhinged fixation with accessories. Super Mario Odyssey offers a wide range of wardrobe changes for the iconic Goomba stomper, and Ry's hat would slip right in.
Frankly, we feel sorry for Cappy. Originating from the Cap Kingdom, the Bonneter is an anthropomorphic hat and grants Mario the ability to possess his enemies. Even though Cappy is such an integral part of the team and Mario's main partner in the series' recent entry, the former plumber cannot help but eye a potential replacement. At the very least, try to show some tact! There is a time and a place for everything but this moment satisfies neither of those standards!
23 A Pun Worth Mario's Weight In Gold
Yes, there is a site called NoPUNintendo. People, the internet has truly peaked! From this point forward, everything is just downhill. Developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64, GoldenEye 007 revolutionized the first-person-shooter genre. Featuring a fantastic single-player campaign that sticks close to its cinematic counterpart, Rare's beloved FPS proved these type of games could work on a console. Including the likes of Jaws and Boris Grishenko, the multiplayer mode allowed players to step into the shoes of some of James Bond's famous villains.
Nowadays, GoldenEye 007 cannot help but show its age, but that hardly tarnishes the game's legacy. Perfect Dark and many other shooters owe a great deal to Rare's 1997 release. Okay, that brings an end to our history lesson, time to focus on the pun!
Well, Bond should probably prepare for the worst, as Dr. Mario is far from the best health practitioner in the world. Pushing past the pun, which is not the easiest feat to accomplish, the panel's funniest part has to be 007's demeanor; the agent seems absolutely embarrassed by his predicament. The Secret Service's super spy defeated by a brick!
22 Certain Mysteries Are Better Left Unanswered
Over the last two decades, Nintendo published four main entries in the Animal Crossing franchise. The premise is relatively straightforward; players take charge of a human villager who moves to a new town inhabited by a slew of anthropomorphic animals. Classified as a social simulator, Animal Crossing's asks the gamer to explore the area and carry out various activities to help the town prosper.
As the latest release in the series, Animal Crossing: New Leaf shook things up with a couple of small changes. Players have to work their way up from the bottom; at the very start, the human character only has a tent to their name. After proving their worth, the gamer is granted a house that can be upgraded and enhanced. Customization was always a huge part of the Animal Crossing experience, so this was a welcome addition to proceedings.
Eddie Betancourt added a bit of internet humor to the otherwise sweet and innocent franchise. While toilets are probably a thing in the Animal Crossing universe, this type of misunderstanding does make a bit of sense. Humans and animals hardly function in the exact same way, so certain things might be lost in communication.
21 Nerd Speak
AxelMedellin's comic is likely to be the closest fans get to seeing Super Metroid's Samus Aran and Iron Man's Tony Stark interacting. While we would love to see Nintendo and Marvel collaborating to create a massive crossover, both companies seem to currently have their hands full. Well, if Disney and Final Fantasy can co-exist, the Hulk should be able to work alongside Mario.
We hate to nitpick, but this gorgeous panel might have a couple of nicks on its armor. Metroid: Zero Mission established that Samus received her power suit from the Chozo who raised her, so she might not be privy to its manufacturing details. As a bounty hunter, Samus is dedicated to destroying Space Pirates, which hardly allows enough free-time to pick up an in-depth understanding of engineering. Still, Tony is smart enough to learn a thing or two about the power suit by examining it.
Hopefully, it does not lead to another The Avengers: Age of Ultron situation. On second thought, Samus should keep her power suit as far away as possible from Iron Man. Tony just cannot be trusted with alien technology.
20 Someone Should Really Check The Validity Of Mario's Ph.D.
Mario quit the plumbing business a long time ago, so Nintendo's mascot tried his hand at a couple of other professions. Dr. Mario was a Tetris style puzzle game released on the NES. As implied by the name, Mario trades his plumbing tools for a lab coat. The game avoids explaining how the protagonist found himself in this position, although Nintendo eventually expanded further in a comic entitled The Doctor Is In... Over His Head released as part of the Nintendo Comics System.
Mario is NOT a real doctor.
Notified of a plumbing incident at the local hospital, Mario rushes over but realizes the issue has nothing to do with the pipes. Tasked with acting as a research assistant, Peach starts to insist that people address the plumber as Dr. Mario. After defeating a couple of viruses and the hospital's actual doctor is sent away by Princess Toadstool, Peach declares Mario as the Mushroom Kingdom's doctor.
In other words, Mario is a hack and Princess Peach is a terrible ruler who should be impeached for recklessly endangering the lives of her citizens just because she has a thing for the local plumber. Gtsilver's comic is not meant to be funny; no, it is actually a public service announcement!
19 Peach & Rosalina's Grave Mistake
Anger Princess Daisy at your own peril! In 1989, Nintendo published Super Mario Land on the Game Boy. Even though the platformer largely stuck to the series' tried and true formula of Mario needing to save a princess from a strange monster, Super Mario Land shook things up by substituting some of the traditional players. Bowser gave way to a quirky alien creature and his robot, while Peach's duties were handed over to Sarasaland's Princess Daisy.
Once in a while, even Bowser deserves a break.
Personality wise, Daisy shares quite a few similarities with the Mushroom Kingdom's blonde ruler, although she possesses a couple of tomboyish traits. Sarasaland's princess would have to wait until 2000's Mario Tennis to become a playable character and has yet to feature on any of Super Smash Bros.' main rosters. Fans of the character have waited far too long with little to show for their loyalty and Rosalina's addition merely spread salt on their wounds. Niban-Destikim's hilarious comic shows that Super Mario Land has yet to be forgotten and Nintendo should know better than to mess with THE Daisy.
18 Samus Underestimates The Player
Putting aside the likes of Link and Mario, Nintendo hardly lacks for smaller first-party franchises. Super Metroid and Star Fox might have fallen somewhat by the wayside, but Fire Emblem and Yoshi games continue to be released at a consistent pace. Even if the Wii U struggled to build a respectable back-catalog, the main issue was third-party titles rather than Nintendo games. On the other hand, the console could have benefited from its own Zelda title, rather than sharing Breath of the Wild with the Nintendo Switch.
Originally released in 2001, Animal Crossing drops players into a village with no discernable endgame. As the only human character in the area, gamers are tasked with carrying out chores to help develop their town. Unlike something like The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing includes no combat and provides a high level of customization. Considering the franchise's gameplay, Nintendo's decision to include the villager as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 was rather peculiar. The dude was not even granted his own name! He was just listed as "the villager." Thegreyzen tried to picture Samus and Inkling's initial reaction to the nameless combatant, an experience defined by a terrifying plot twist that froze Super Metroid's iconic protagonist down to her core!
17 Cranky Kong And Scrooge McDuck
Technically, Cranky Kong's first appearance took place in Donkey Kong Country, although his cameo suggests otherwise. If Cranky is genuinely the original Donkey Kong, then the dude has a ton of wisdom to share with the rest of the cast. Admittedly, Mario regularly had his number, but nobody knows how to throws barrels like Cranky Kong!
Pauline remembers...
Focusing exclusively on his later appearances, Cranky is largely confined to a wheelchair. In his old age, Donkey Kong's grandfather tends to ramble about nothing and annoy the rest of his family. When he feels up to the challenge, the legendary ape can still provide a reasonable contribution. In Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong 64, Cranky runs a shop and a lab respectively. He might not be able to swing like the good old days, but Cranky should not be dismissed. If Scrooge McDuck can handle multiple swashbuckling adventures with his nephews, Cranky Kong should be more than fine. For those who appreciated this mishmash of mediums and iconic characters, we recommend checking out ReadySoup for similar works of art. Their comics are a joy to behold!
16 Prior To Kratos, There Was Icarus
Published at the tail end of 1986, Kid Icarus is an action platformer based on Greek mythology. Set in the land of Angels, Icarus is tasked with rescuing the Goddess of Light from the clutches of Medusa. In order to accurately present both sides of the conflict, Medusa turned on Paluntena due to the latter transforming her into a monster and banishing the Goddess of Darkness to the Underworld. While she did have it coming, we totally understand why Medusa was slightly peeved.
A young angel named Pit, or popularly known as Kid Icarus, receives a bow from Paluntena and sets out to save the Goddess by securing three treasures located in the Underworld, Overworld, and Skyworld. While a pretty great game in its own right, Kid Icarus failed to garner a substantial following and Pit has only received two further adventures. Moving past the main series, Kid Icarus joined the active roster of Super Smash Bros. in 2008's Wii entry, which prompted a new sequel to be released in 2012. BettyKwong's comic juxtapositions Pit's earlier design with Kid Icarus: Uprising's more realistic appearance. As Nintendo's beloved heroes prepare to open their presents for the Holidays, they are greeted with a little surprise!
15 Mario Saves Peach, Luigi Conquers The Elite Four
Pokémon Go is one of a kind. Has there ever existed another release that literally changed the world? Even though the effects were only temporary, Niantic's free-to-play augmented reality mobile game pushed players to leave their houses and explore. Admittedly, a few mistakes were made along the way, including a less than stellar festival dedicated to Niantic's mobile game, but Pokémon Go's cultural significance cannot be denied. For a short period, simply referencing the title was enough to spark a heated debate. Pokémon Go turned the planet into a haven for gamers!
It was GLORIOUS!
DaevlionBelmont's comic blends two of Nintendo's best selling franchises to create something truly special. Right out of the gate, Luigi rarely gets the respect he deserves. Introduced as Mario's side-kick and the definitive "player two," Luigi's entire life has been overshadowed by Nintendo's beloved mascot. With the exception of a handful of stand-alone titles like Luigi's Mansion, Mario's brother tends to serve as comedic relief. The author's comic suggests that the winds of change are in effect, with Luigi eclipsing Mario in the world of Pokémon Go. In the grand scheme of things, such a small victory might not amount to much, but Luigi earned his day in the sun!
14 Zelda's Got Link On A Short Leash
The Legend of Zelda established a large chunk of the tropes associated with adventure and RPG games. Published in 1986 for the NES, The Legend of Zelda popularized the iconic characters of Link and Zelda. Even if the latter has her name on the tin, the former serves as the protagonist and, generally, is the character most heavily associated with Nintendo's franchise. Equipped with a string of awesome weapons and masks, Link has been tasked with saving Hyrule on more than a dozen occasions.
Despite being the title character, Zelda struggles to keep herself out of trouble. Putting aside the earlier entries which largely presented the princess as a MacGuffin, Nintendo cannot seem to write a game without Link needing to save Zelda. Breath of the Wild is probably the closest they have gotten to moving away from this cliché, but that hardly marks a changing of the season. In Link's case, the protagonist is a bit of a doormat. Okay, that is not really fair, as the dude can hold his own in a confrontation; yet, Link barely has a personality of his own and exists to clean up everyone else's messes. CollegeHumor's joke is funny because it is true. In real life, Link would be the assistant manager to Zelda's incompetent reign.
13 The Line Between Love & Hate
Super Mario Odyssey took a page from Kirby's Adventure's playbook by granting the titular plumber a special hat that temporarily grants control over an enemy. To be fair, Super Mario Odyssey avoids completely copying Kirby's special ability, as the pink pimple inhales monsters to learn their attacks while Mario takes over their brain and bodies.
Honestly, not quite sure which is worse...
Thanks to his trusty Cappy, Mario literally gains the form of his enemy; depending on the level, the Mushroom Kingdom's number one hero can turn into a T-Rex or a Boo. In the comic, SuperLakitu decides to take a more philosophical approach to proceedings. Mario definitely feels love and respect for other people; so, who is to say that Boos are not the same way? Is Mario taking over a creature with a family and children? It is easy to dismiss Goombas and Kleptos as brainless minions who exists merely to be squashed underneath Mario's boot, but that might not be the case. Even if they tend to be rather one-note and predictable, these entities exhibit personalities and a mutual goal to ruin Mario's day. Who is to say they cannot feel love? Mario should pick his targets carefully!
12 A Heated Rivalry (With A Clear Winner)
Created as a tribute to Link's 30 year anniversary and the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, SaccharoKirby tried and failed to maintain a civil conversation between these two heroes. The Legend of Zelda and Kid Icarus were both inaugurated in the same year, but only one of them ranks among the greatest franchises of all time. As Link's first adventure launched at the beginning of 1986, The Legend of Zelda beat Pit to the punch. Afterall, nobody really remembers who finished second.
It hardly helped matters that Kid Icarus' storyline felt eerily similar to Link's quest, as both heroes were tasked with saving their ruler from the clutches of an evil monster. In terms of gameplay, The Legend of Zelda incorporated RPG elements and established tropes that continue to be used today. As an action platformer, Kid Icarus remains one of the best of its era, but Nintendo's game lacked the mainstream appeal of its contemporary. A year later, The Legend of Zelda received a sequel and A Link to the Past quickly followed. By the time Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters finally hit the scene, Link had already gone on three adventures.
11 Donkey Kong's Innovative Creation (Was Stolen)
Donkey Kong's timeline can be rather convoluted. Cranky Kong is largely considered to be the original gorilla and the antagonist of the arcade Donkey Kong game. Coconutstevio92's comic seems to be referring to Cranky's successor; who, once the series made the jump to the NES, took over as the protagonist. Going by that logic, Donkey Kong's debut took place in 1982's Donkey Kong Jr. In the sequel to the popular arcade game, Donkey Kong's son tries to rescue his father from Mario.
Diddy Kong is Donkey's best friend and nephew. A small monkey who worships his uncle, the overeager side-kick made his debut in Donkey Kong Country. Proving quite popular with consumers, Nintendo handed the leading role to Diddy for the sequel. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest sees the secondary character venture forth into Crocodile Isle to rescue Donkey Kong from the Kremling Krew. Due to his smaller frame, Diddy emphasis speed and intelligence rather than strength. Donkey Kong largely depends on the latter, which does not always prove to be a wise move. Yeah, we totally believe that Diddy Kong and not Donkey Kong conjured up the banana hotdog.
10 Slippy Toad Has A Point...
Oh, really? Is Star Fox Guard really worth boasting about, Slippy? Wii U's tower defense title was largely ignored in favor of Star Fox Zero. Admittedly, that was probably not Nintendo's smartest move, but Star Fox Guard barely holds any similarities to the main series. Bundled with first print editions of its bigger brother, this spin-off is only available as a digital download.
Putting aside its lack of hype, Star Fox Guard is a solid enough game. Stepping into the shoes of Slippy Toad, the player's goal is to monitor and protect multiple bases from a potential attack. Spread over a dozen cameras, the Wii U's GamePad overs an overhead view of the current base while the remaining areas can be monitored on the TV screen. It could easily be argued that Star Fox Guard's control scheme suits its gameplay a lot better than Star Fox Zero's mishmash of ideas.
Rvy.F might be one of the only people to actually play Star Fox Guard, but Slippy Toad earned his 15 minutes of fame. Considering who tends to take center stage in the main series, Fox McCloud seems oddly annoyed by Slippy's declaration.
9 Nintendo's Forgotten Princess
Princess Peach is hardly the only royal ruler hailing from the Mushroom Kingdom. If pushed to pick the second most popular princess in the series, Rosalina would earn our vote. Debuting in Super Mario Galaxy, Rosalina left Mario's planet after meeting a young Luma in a spaceship. She spent multiple years scouring space to try and find the Luma's mother, while Rosalina completely neglected her own parent; in due time, the princess helped create the Comet Observatory and accepted a new role as the protector of the cosmos. Unlike Princess Peach, Rosalina is powerful and quite a majestic person. Her mere presence is enough to render people speechless.
Gabasonian wonders whether there was any need to add a new princess to Super Mario Bros's lore. Unlike Peach or Rosalina, who were inaugurated in one of the franchise's mainline entries, Princess Daisy debuted in the Game Boy's Super Mario Land. Just to be clear, this is not mean to be a knock on the game or the handheld console, as they were both worthwhile releases. Sadly, Super Mario Land is nowhere near as fondly remembered as Super Mario Galaxy. Fittingly, the largely forgotten princess found solace in the empathic arms of Luigi.
8 Link And Zelda (Almost) Share A Moment
Released in 2009, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks marked Link's second adventure on the Nintendo DS. Harboring back to the classic isometric entries, Spirit Tracks opted for a more cartoonish aesthetic, especially compared to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Despite the art style, this entry accurately adapted a Zelda experience for a handheld audience.
Due to a Demon Train messing with the natural order of things, the plot follows Zelda and Link as they journey towards the Tower of Spirits to investigate further. As this is a Zelda game, Link is tasked with finding a slew of glyph pieces to unlock the final boss fight.
Also, did we mention that Zelda is a ghost?
That is right, Zelda has left the mortal plane! That twist is rather important to understand the context behind Aquanut's comic. Nintendo deserves props for showing enough restraint to avoid using this particular joke. While Link had enough common sense to not high-five a ghost, it is still pretty funny to imagine! To give them the benefit of the doubt, Toon Link and Spirit Zelda were probably just caught in the heat of the moment.
7 Fear The Kirby
A quick shout out to the hilarious peeps who created What's Your Tag, a gaming-centric blog filled with irreverent comics that mostly stopped producing content back in 2015. Even if the site is mostly a relic of the recent past, their publications remain available for the internet to enjoy.
Developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo, Kirby’s Adventure arrived on the scene in the early '90s and spawned a fantastic platforming series. As every product needs a selling point, Kirby's main gimmick is the title hero's ability to copy an enemy's attacks. So, how does this work? Well, Kirby opens wide and swallows the creature before learning a skill. With the exception of a few spin-offs like Kirby Mass Attack, this ability is a staple of Nintendo's franchise.
Admittedly, it kind of makes us wonder whether Kirby is the most overpowered protagonist in gaming history. With a bit of luck and patience, is there any villain or hero who would not succumb to Kirby's talent? In order to maintain some degree of challenge, Nintendo purposefully lowered Kirby's ceiling by not allowing a boss to be inhaled until they are defeated.
6 Lost In Translation
Super Smash Bros. is practically official fanfiction published by Nintendo. Despite hailing from completely different universes governed by their own rules, the studio threw a bunch of their beloved characters into a tournament and told them to cut loose. While Sony tried something similar with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Nintendo's extensive roster of colorful characters allows a ton of variety and new additions to be made with each installation in the franchise.
Nowadays, Sony might fare better with this type of game.
Even if history will not remember the Wii U fondly, the console marked the launch of a brand-new IP for the Japanese company. Splatoon took the popular team-based multiplayer shooter and sprinkled a touch of Nintendo over the genre's standard formula. Rather than aiming for the opponent, Inklings focused on covering the ground with paint. A simplistic concept but the execution was perfect. Splatoon and Splatoon 2 sold a truckload of copies, prompting Nintendo to announce the inclusion of Inklings in 2018's upcoming Super Smash Bros. Fans are rightfully excited, but Thegreyzen's comic brings up a good point; how will the inklings hold their ground against the likes of Mario and Samus?