Nintendo has brought us many joys with all of the games it has produced. And with it fans have created their own content to showcase and celebrate their love of Nintendo and all of the great characters it’s created. This can include fan art, fan fiction, cosplay, and even more. Fans of Nintendo have found their own way to show their love of the company in their own ways.
But one big aspect of fan culture is comics, and Nintendo fans have created a lot of comics starring their favorite characters and often poking fun at various aspects of Nintendo. Because let’s face it: Nintendo’s not perfect and its games often have some funny elements that fans love to poke fun at. Whether it’s a weird quirk of one character, or a rather annoying gameplay element, fans have often turned to comics to address the more entertaining (and sometimes frustrating) aspects of Nintendo.
But a lot of these comics wouldn’t really make sense to anyone who hasn’t played Nintendo games. At the very least, you’d have to be somewhat familiar with Nintendo to find these punchlines remotely funny. And that’s the interesting part. These jokes and comics appeal to a certain crowd, and only that crowd. It’s like you’re a part of one giant inside joke that millions of people are in on, but have millions of others are standing around, looking confused. That’s probably some of the appeal to it. These comics have a tendency to bring fans together.
So, we’re going to take a look at 20 pretty hilarious comics that will likely only make sense to Nintendo fans. Think I missed some? Be sure to let us know!
20 A New Meaning To Fighting Yourself
If you think about it, finding a baby version of yourself would be a pretty surreal experience. Regardless of all the timeline issues, Mario and Luigi’s reaction in this comic is pretty awesome, albeit a little strange. I mean who finds an infant version of themselves and decides immediately that they want to race them?
Seriously, this is a hilarious idea since the only time we really see Baby Mario and Baby Luigi is in the later versions of Mario Kart. (Granted, Baby Mario was in Yoshi’s Island, but that’s pretty much it.) I just love the concept of the two Mario brothers finding their younger selves and deciding that they want to compete in a race. And how did the two infants even learn how to drive?
19 She Has Some Dubious Origins
Awkward Zombie has created many funny comics surrounding various Nintendo characters. One of the popular story arcs that she’s done is having the characters from Super Smash Bros. all living together under one roof. The idea of these characters interacting with each other in a non-combat situation is pretty amazing. And with that would definitely cause some… issues.
The concept of just Falco squawking in the early mornings is pretty hilarious, but adding Samus in there is even more fantastic, since she was raised by a race of bird-like people. It’s a great comic that pokes fun at a couple of character’s origins and characteristics. Also, grumpy, bedhead Marth is pretty entertaining as well. It’s a funny way to show how these characters would likely interact.
18 It’s A Trial By Fire, I Guess
We know that out of all the Koopalings, Bowser Jr. is the only actual offspring of Bowser. It’s also implied that he’s the youngest out of the troop, so it would make sense that he’s likely the most inexperienced. There’s also the fact that whenever Mario fought the Koopalings he usually ended up throwing them into lava. Most of Bowser Jr.’s battles did not end that way.
What’s rather funny about this comic is the almost domestic feel to it. The idea that Bowser decides his son needs to be put into a lava pit for the experience is almost like a father teaching his son how to swim. This is a bit more sinister since we don’t know for sure if the lava pits will actually hurt Bowser Jr. or not, but Bowser doesn’t seem to be all that concerned…
17 Go After The Source
The release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl brought many new characters to the fighting roster. One of them was simply a character called Pokémon Trainer. This character is rather interesting because you end up controlling the Pokémon he calls forth. But this brings up a pretty crucial question: why couldn’t the other fighters just take out Pokémon Trainer himself? Why is he invincible, and why do his Pokémon have to do the dirty work? It seems a little unfair.
Well this comic addresses that little issue where Donkey Kong decides to go after the trainer instead of the Pokémon. It’s a great way to address a little issue many fans found with this particular fighter. Plus Seeing Donkey Kong pat Squirtle on the head is just too adorable!
16 A Major Identity Crisis
Splatoon, Nintendo’s first-person shooting ink game, got quite popular, but many people had questions about the characters you could play. The biggest question was, well, what are they? The kids you play look human for the most part, but there’s something a little strange about them. Turns out they’re actually part squid. The craziest part is that they can go full squid when they swim in these ink puddles, which is a pretty cool game mechanic.
But this is probably confusing for these characters and it wouldn’t be that surprising if one of them did have an identity crisis. And that’s exactly what happens in this comic. It takes the interesting nature of these kids in Splatoon and pokes fun at the fact that they’re kind a mixture between a human and a squid. It makes for a funny joke and shows the creativity of Nintendo.
15 Cause We Got The Fire, Fire, Fire
It’s no secret that in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there are many ways to handle a battle. When it comes to tackling an enemy camp, you have quite a few options. You could sneak in and take the guards out one by one, you could snipe all of the lookouts, you could just go in and take them on at once, and so on. But one popular method is blowing them up and setting everything on fire.
This comic handles the last option, where Link can go in, blow up most of the enemy and then take out the lookouts. What’s funny about this comic is it tackles a rather funny game mechanic, where you can set pretty much anything on fire, if you’re determined enough. It’s turned Link into quite the pyromaniac. It’s funny, a little dark, and it shows some of the fun you can have with this game.
14 I’ve Got A Sinking Feeling
When it comes to Pokémon battles, the laws of physics often tend to get ignored. Granted, the world of Pokémon involves a lot of mythical creatures that can control different elements, dimensions, and even time itself, so I don’t think things like gravity or density would really matter.
But this comic tackles this issue of mechanics, particularly when it comes to the location of your battles. This is the case where being aware of your surroundings may be beneficial. Choosing a rock Pokémon to go up against a water Pokémon may not be the best idea if you’re in the middle of a giant body of water. Plus, the idea of a giant Graveler just sinking in the water and the trainers looking awkwardly at each other is pretty hilarious.
13 So That’s How They’re Made
We all know the amazing power that Kirby has to eat his enemies with his powerful sucking breath. We also know that when he does it in Super Smash Bros., he can take on the appearance and some ability of that person. But what happens when two Kirbys try to eat the other? They both have incredible suction powers, so what happens if they turn on each other? Well according to this comic, it’s how black holes are made.
This is a funny idea since it plays around with the physics behind Kirby’s abilities, and shows that more than one person has thought about this concept. Though if this did create a black hole, we would likely be dead by now. Who would’ve thought Kirby’s powers could be so sinister?
12 Link, Your Wolf Is Showing
The release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess brought us Wolf Link, and many, many jokes associated with it. Fans loved the idea that Link could turn into a type of canine, and others have also speculated that Link retained a few wolf qualities and tendencies while still in his human form.
This comic takes that concept and runs with it, having Link freak out over a dog whistle. What’s also funny is that Roy and Kirby assumed it would affect Fox McCloud, which it doesn’t, so Link’s misfortune wasn’t even intentional. This comic also has fun with the different characters from Super Smash Bros., putting these characters in a more domestic situation and playing around with their personalities. It’s pretty fun to see the interactions.
11 Mario, M.D.
This comic actually does a great job of answering the question of what happened to Dr. Mario in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, since he’s no longer on the fighting roster. Personally, I felt it was a good idea to take the doctor out of the fight since he was pretty much exactly the same as Mario. But according to Awkward Zombie, he’s still around the Smash Bros. team, but just acting as their medic.
The concept of Dr. Mario having to treat all these characters for the ridiculous wounds they would get from fighting each other is pretty hilarious. Considering some of the characters we have in these games and their crazy powers, it’s a wonder no one’s dead, which may be due to Dr. Mario’s impressive skills.
10 Link’s Had Enough
Anyone who’s played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time knows the curse of Navi. While she is somewhat helpful as a targeting system, she’s incredibly annoying. She’s constantly trying to get link’s attention by yelling “Hey! Listen!” and then giving relatively useless information. It became a rather iconic joke in the Zelda fanbase, and this comic decides to put a twist on it.
The idea that Link would mistake Zelda calling out to him as Navi and mistakenly yelling at her to shut up is hilarious and adorably sad. By the end, both are freaking out and Navi is still there in the background, yelling, “Hey!” It’s a great set up with funny imagery, and these two adorable little Hylians just bawling and freaking out is both cute and sad.
9 He Has A Name, You Know
Poor Luigi just can never seem to catch a break. It’s become a common joke that Luigi is often the forgettable clone of Mario (even though he’s quite a bit taller than Mario). It gets to the point where no one even remembers his name. This comic also addresses the issue that Mario and Luigi are often referred to as the Mario Bros. Why not the Luigi Bros.? Why is Mario such an attention hog?
The idea that Mario and Luigi’s own mother can’t remember Luigi’s name and calls him “Green Mario” is both absolutely hilarious and pretty sad. You can’t help but feel a little bad for Luigi. He does just as much as Mario, but hardly ever gets the credit. You go Luigi! We believe in you!
8 Don’t. Move. A Muscle.
This comic tackles a rather obscure joke that you wouldn’t have known unless you played EarthBound specifically. But that’s what makes it pretty funny. At one point in the game, to keep going forward in the story you have to give a password in order to be let in the secret area through a waterfall. How the game worked though was that you had to talk to a specific person who tells you what to do.
Here’s the trick, they never actually say the password. When you go back to give the password, you don’t actually type it in. The game instead has that you can’t move your character for 3 minutes. If you do move them, the password is incorrect. It’s a really strange way to do a password, but it’s kind of funny too. EarthBound was just full of interesting game elements.
7 Those Are Some Suspicious Mushrooms
A lot of people like to put a realistic spin on the adventures of Mario, and one popular theory is that the Mushroom Kingdom doesn’t actually exist. Everything that happens is a product of Mario’s deranged mind that’s high on some hallucinogenic mushrooms. That might explain a few things.
This comic plays off that theory and treats the whole situation like a type of criminal investigation. The officers talk about how Mario was going on about saving the princess and being chased by turtles, things that probably wouldn’t make much sense in today’s world. It’s a funny, but rather dark comic that shows what it would be like for Mario in the real world. Whether his adventures are real or not, people in real life would likely have a very hard time believing him.
6 Hanging Out With The Rejects
Awkward Zombie strikes again! This comic explores some of the rejects of Super Smash Bros., and a bit of what became of Roy. We know that in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Roy got replaced with Ike, so what happened to him? Well, now he’s hanging out with some other fighters that didn’t quite make the cut. And he’s not happy about it.
Another hilarious aspect of this comic is Roy interacting with Gray Fox from Metal Gear. The two characters comment on how the other should be dead, which pokes fun at both of their dubious deaths in their own series. It’s hilarious, especially for those who have played these games and know what the characters are talking about. Plus, Roy staring down Roy Koopa is just fantastic.
5 Avoiding The Blue Shell
This comic showcases Mario’s meaner streak, and we know he has one. It’s canon that Mario can sometimes be a bit of a jerk to Luigi. And this comic is the epitome of that where he lets Luigi go ahead only so he will be hit by a blue shell. Poor Luigi just can’t catch a break, can he?
It also shows a popular strategy for Mario Kart gamers. If you were in first place but could see a blue shell coming, you could pull back and let someone else go ahead. They would then get hit by the shell, and you could zoom past them while they’re still floundering. It’s a good way to avoid that attack, so the fact that Mario would do it in this comic isn’t that surprising.
4 Say, “I Do”
One of the most iconic elements in the Zelda games is the fact that Link hardly ever says a word throughout all of the games. The only time we hear him speak is when he shouts “Come on!” in Wind Waker. Many fans have speculated about his lack of dialogue, and have made jokes about it. This comic is no exception.
Besides the fact that the comic pretty much supports everyone’s favorite couple, it also makes fun of some of the game mechanics. In order to marry Zelda, Link has to say that he takes her to be his wife. But the problem is that he can’t actually say it, which annoys Zelda. It’s a great lead-up to one of the most popular jokes in this series. Hey, maybe Link is just a man of few words.
3 Criminal Mario Has A Trick Up His Sleeve
Admittedly, this comic is a little dark. I mean, it’s Mario about to be executed for some crime he committed (probably all the Koopas and Goombas he’s killed) and he’s requesting his last meal. Even the art style of the comic is grittier and more depressing. So why is it funny? Well Mario’s last meal request is the entire punch line.
It’s just like Mario to request a 1up Mushroom, essentially guaranteeing that when he’s executed, he’ll be back since he now has another life. It’s a clever joke wrapped up in a rather dark setting for the Mario Bros. series. And that’s why it’s pretty hilarious. It’s also great since it pits video game logic against real-world logic, which is always pretty fun to explore.
2 These Powers Are Getting Ridiculous
If you’ve played any version of Super Smash Bros., you’ll notice that there are quite a few characters with some crazy superpowers. You’ve got Zelda performing her various types of magic, Captain Falcon fighting with his flaming fists, and Ness blowing everyone away with his crazy psychic powers. And then you’ve got characters like Link that don’t have any powers and have pretty mild fighting styles.
This comic plays up that, showing how flashy some of the fighters are in the games and how others really aren’t. It’s a funny juxtaposition and pokes fun at these characters that don’t have any crazy powers. But don’t be fooled, these guys can pack just as much of a punch. They just may not look quite as impressive…
1 Sorry, Toad
Anyone who’s played Super Mario Bros. likely knows and hates the phrase, “Sorry Mario, but your princess is in another castle!” Toad’s first introduction to the series was as the person who had to tell Mario that Peach was actually in a different castle. It got old pretty fast, but also became a popular joke. So, this comic decided to switch things around a bit.
The comic imagines Toad going on some sort of treasure hunt and he finally comes to the castle where the treasure is supposed to be. Except it isn’t. Mario got there first and moved it, telling Toad that it’s “In another castle!!” He then tells Toad that this is what it feels like. Something tells me Mario finally snapped in this comic. Poor Toad, he’s just doing his best. It’s still pretty funny, though.
