Two months have passed since the premiere of Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and fans are still combing through every frame. The latest discovery occurs in the post-credits scene, where the prison holding Bowser and Bowser Jr. is shown. Upon enlarging the image, it is revealed that the building is constructed from stacked NES cartridges, a direct homage to the saga's origins that had gone unnoticed.
The 3D modeling of the cartridges as an architectural structure 🎮
Illumination's technical artists modeled each cartridge with the classic NES design, including the gray texture and worn labels. The arrangement follows a masonry pattern, with cartridges placed horizontally and vertically to form solid walls. The developers applied a toon shading that respects the scene's lighting, and the cartridge edges feature a slight bevel that prevents them from looking like generic blocks. This level of detail suggests the team wanted the homage to be visible only to those who look closely.
Bowser serving time in a pirate video game tower 🏰
It turns out the Koopa king is imprisoned in what looks like the cartridge collection of an uncle who never returned borrowed games. If Bowser manages to escape, it won't be due to the facility's security, but because one of those cartridges will have the classic read error and generate a glitch in the wall. Meanwhile, fans are already speculating: if they put a Virtual Boy cartridge in the sequel, the prison will collapse on its own.