Tag Team Trouble

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode
"Tag Team Trouble"
Production number	114
Airdate	October 6, 1990 (English) October 18, 1991 (French)
Writer(s)	Martha Moran
Opening curtain	Grass Land
Featured song	"Burn Baby Burn"
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"Tag Team Trouble" is the tenth episode of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. It aired alongside another episode entitled "Dadzilla."

Plot synopsis[edit]

Toad is carrying a large sack with several dollar signs on it through the Mushroom Kingdom, when he places it down to catch his breath. Toad comments to himself that the next time Princess Toadstool needs someone to deliver one-million Gold Coins to the Mushroom Orphange, he will be on vacation.

Nearby, King Koopa and Cheatsy Koopa are walking through the Mushroom Kingdom, holding a flyer. Koopa tells Cheatsy to follow his plan so that they will be rolling in easy money. Toad overhears this, and assuming that the Koopas are after his money, he picks up the sack and flees.

Cheatsy notices Toad and tries to tell his father, but Koopa tells him to shut up and pay attention. As Toad dodges some fireballs from a Venus Fire Trap, Cheatsy tries to get his attention again, but Koopa throws the flier down, yells at him, and drags his son away.

Toad soon arrives at the orphanage and rings the doorbell. Exhausted from carrying the sack, Toad falls asleep right before a Mushroom Nanny and two Mushroom kids answer the door. The kids laugh at Toad sleeping, but the nanny tells them not to laugh, and that the orphanage needs the money to stay open. Without waking Toad, the nanny and the kids bring the money inside, and the nanny thanks him.

Toad, realizing the sack is gone.

Right after Toad wakes up, he realizes that the sack is gone, and concludes that Koopa had stolen it while he napped. Toad figures that he will have to make up for the lost money someway and walks home. Along the way, he picks up the flyer that Koopa dropped, and sees that it is promoting the Mushroom Wrestling Federation's Tag Team Wrestling Tournament. Uninterested, Toad throws the flyer into a garbage can, just as something on the flyer catches his attention: first prize is one million gold coins.

Needing a wrestling team to enter the tournament for him, Toad presents the flyer to his cousins, the Mushroom Marauder and Jake the Crusher Fungus. The cousins agree and head to the arena with Toad to sign up for the tournament. However, they are knocked off their feet by two Sledge Brothers. Cheatsy walks up to the front of the line and enters the Sledge Bros. in the tournament. Wanting revenge on the Sledge Brothers, the Mushroom Marauder and Jake roll into the Sledge Brothers, knocking them into Koopa and Cheatsy. Toad tells his cousins to save their strength for the match, explaining that they need to win.

Koopa pushes the Sledge Brothers off of himself and Cheatsy, and Cheatsy laughs, figuring that his father's plan to have the Sledge Brothers win the tournament is foolish. Koopa then yells at Cheatsy, telling him to make his plan work.

Cheatsy hypnotizing Toad's cousins.

The next morning, Cheatsy sneaks into the Mushroom Castle and enters a room where the Mushroom Marauder and Jake are sleeping. Cheatsy holds the two wrestlers' eyes open with tape, and uses a pocket watch to hypnotize them. Under hypnosis, Cheatsy gets the wrestlers to remain asleep for an additional two days. Cheatsy then removes the tape and leaves just as Toad enters the room carrying breakfast for his cousins.

Toad tries to wake his cousins, first with yelling, and then by yelling through a megaphone, but to no avail. Toad continues to shout, and shakes his cousins, but is unable to wake them up. Princess Toadstool enters the room with Mario and Luigi, and she tells Toad not to worry about the match, and that there are more important things like the welfare of the Mushroom orphans. When Toad starts crying, Mario agrees to talk to him, and Princess Toadstool leaves the room shortly after Toad bawls to the bed where Jake is sleeping.

Toad, after taking off his hat, telling Mario about his predicament.

As Mario walks up to him, he asks Toad what was the matter. Toad takes off his cap and confesses to Mario that he needs to make up for the money that he supposedly lost to Koopa when he fell asleep in front of the orphanage. Mario wants to tell Princess Toadstool, but Toad tells him not to because he does not want to lose her trust. Not knowing what to do now that his cousins will not be able to win the prize money, Toad fears that the orphans will go hungry.

As all hope was seemingly lost, Mario tells Toad that he and Luigi used to wrestle back when they lived in Brooklyn and that they can win the prize money for him. Luigi comments that he is not one to volunteer to wrestle the Sledge Brothers, but Mario says that he will volunteer for him and that their team name will be the "Masked Mashers of Mayhem".

Mario and Luigi work out before the tournament. First, they do some stretches at a gym, where Mario also lifts a barbell consisting of two ? Blocks. Luigi then jumps rope up a series of Jump Blocks, while Mario follows behind, kicking them aside. Luigi then runs after Mario through an underground Warp Pipe, which takes them to Desert Land. Mario runs to the top of a pyramid before Luigi and starts running down, but Luigi gets down faster thanks to a Rail Lift. Back at the gym, Mario finishes the workout by smashing through two formations of blocks.

Luigi, shortly after the workout, asking if the Sledge Brothers will ever know about their strength.

Toad feels that Mario and Luigi may have overtrained during their workout, but Mario tells him not to worry and that they will win the money that the orphans need. Luigi points out that the Sledge Brothers are not aware of their plan (i.e.; they will be beaten).

At the arena, the match is about to start, and the Sledge Brothers leap into the ring, knocking aside the Mushroom Referee, as he announces the two competing teams. King Koopa wonders who the Masked Mashers of Mayhem are, but Cheatsy soon notices that they are Mario and Luigi but in spandex. Koopa feels confident that the Sledge Brothers can beat them, and tells Cheatsy to cheat. Cheatsy explains that he has already set booby traps all over the ring, but Koopa tells him to cheat some more, so Cheatsy starts the match prematurely by ringing the bell.

With the fight now underway, one of the Sledge Brothers punches Mario into the cables at the side of the ring, but Mario bounces back and kicks him in the face. Mario jumps onto the cables, but Cheatsy, hiding out under the ring, tugs on the cables, and sends Mario flying into Koopa's lap. Mario tags Luigi, but before Luigi can enter the ring, Cheatsy causes him to get caught in the cables before being flung into the ring.

Luigi tries to fight the Sledge Brother, but the Sledge Brother triggers one of Cheatsy's traps; a hole in the ring, for Luigi to fall into. Toad fears that Mario and Luigi will never win at this rate, so Princess Toadstool decides to get some help, and leaves. With Mario back in the ring, the Sledge Brother squirts him with some goop from a trap inside one of the sidebars, which hits Luigi as well.

Princess Toadstool about to throw the Starmen to Mario and Luigi.

As Toad begs for Mario and Luigi to get up, the Sledge Brothers each pick up a Mario brother, and toss them into some blocks outside the ring. At that moment, Princess Toadstool returns with two Starmen, and throws them at Mario and Luigi, rendering them invincible. Right before the referee can proclaim the Sledge Brothers the winners, Mario and Luigi jump into the ring and toss them around. The Sledge Brothers jump out of the ring, tag Koopa and Cheatsy, and flee. Mario and Luigi fling them around the ring via the cables until they hit each other and fall down. The referee then proclaims Mario and Luigi the winners, and just before he can award Mario and Luigi with the prize money, Toad takes it and gives them his thanks.

Toad returns to the orphanage with the prize money and makes sure to stay awake when the nanny answers the door. Upon receiving the money, the nanny tells Toad to give Princess Toadstool "double thanks" for her "double generosity", and closes the door on him. Toad then concludes that the money was never stolen in the first place, and faints when he realizes that he went through all that trouble for nothing.

Quotes[edit]

• "The next time the Princess needs someone to deliver a million gold coins to the Mushroom Orphanage...{*pants*) I'm on vacation!" - Toad
• "If ya ever wanna be as crummy and lowdown a villain as me, you gotta shut up and pay attention!" - Bowser
• "Uh, sorry King Dad, but we all can't be as smart as you are." - Cheatsy Koopa
• "Shh shh. You mustn't laugh at Toad. Without this money, we'd have to close the orphanage. You wouldn't have a home." - Mushroom Nanny
• "Doesn't that Koopa creep know about trash cans?" - Toad
• "Anything for our favorite half-pint cousin. Huh? Where'd the little squirt go?" - Jake the Crusher Fungus
• "Soon to be the Marshmallow Marauder and Jake the Crushed Fungus!" - Sledge Brother
• "Hey, save it for the match! That's when we need to beat these guys!" - Toad
• "Hehehehehe! Too bad, King Dad! Looks like the scheme to win the prize money won't work as easy as you thought!" - Cheatsy Koopa
• "You are getting very sleepy! You are completely...(yawns)...under my power! (snorts) You will do exactly what I say! You cannot wake up for two whole days! Understand?" - Cheatsy Koopa
• "Wake up, guys! If we don't win this match, those orphans will be out on the street!" - Toad
• "Toad, lighten up! It's just a silly old wrestling match! What's that compared to the really important things like...like feeding those poor Mushroom orphans?" - Princess Toadstool
• "Toad, I know this means a lot to you, but why the waterworks?" - Mario
• "We can fix that! Right, big little brother? We used to wrestle back in Brooklyn!" - Mario
• "I dunno, guys. Maybe you...overtrained just a little?" - Toad
• "This is perfect! The Sledge Brothers will make 'em The Squashed Bros., and those million gold coins will be mine!" - Bowser
• "Outta my lap, plumber! Or I'll charge ya rent!" - Bowser
• "This match is dirtier than Koopa Kastle! We're never gonna win!" - Toad
• "Quittin' time?" - Cheatsy Koopa
• "A long way from it!" - Luigi
• "Invincible Stars! Invincible timing, Princess!" - Mario
• "Another bag of gold? How wonderful! Please, give the Princess double thanks for her double generosity." - Mushroom Nanny

Gallery[edit]

• 

  A Venus Fire Trap shooting fireballs at Toad

• 

  Mario and Luigi are declared the winners.

Cast[edit]

• Walker Boone — Mario
• Tony Rosato — Luigi, crowd member #1
• Tracey Moore — Princess Toadstool
• John Stocker — Toad, Jake, Sledge Brother #2, crowd member #2, crowd member #4
• Harvey Atkin — King Bowser Koopa, Mushroom mungler, ref, Sledge Brother #1, crowd member #3
• James Rankin — Cheatsy Koopa
• Dan Hennessey — singer #2
• Gordon Masten — singer #1
• Paulina Gillis — female singer
• Bonnie Brooks — Mushroom Nanny
• Stuart Stone — twin #1, twin #2

Animation and continuity errors[edit]

• In its initial appearance, the flyer King Koopa holds is white, but in the next shot, it turns purple.
• When King Koopa tells Cheatsy to follow his plan, his head glitches for a frame.
• When Toad flees with the sack in the background, his shoes are blue instead of purple.
• When Toad asks how he can face the orphans, the door to the orphanage is misplaced.
• When Toad throws away the flyer, he smiles.
• In one scene when Toad tries to wake up his cousins, he has four spots on his cap instead of three.
• As Toad begins to cry, his mouth shifts downward for a frame.
• After Toad mentions the money he was supposed to deliver, Mario speaks, but his mouth does not move.
  • In the same scene, Toad's vest is missing, while his left arm detaches from his body several times.
• When Mario says, "Oh no!", his teeth are the same color as his skin.
• When Mario approaches Luigi to tell him that they can get Toad's money, the spots on Toad's cap are colored gray instead of red.
• When the Sledge Brothers say, "Tag, you're it!", their mouths do not move.
• Before Invincible Mario and Luigi attack the Sledge Brothers, they stop flashing, but remain invincible.
• As Cheatsy hypnotizes Toad's cousins, the rim of his shell is the same color as his skin, and is connected to it.
• When Toad says that he cannot tell the Princess, the flyer misspells Gold Coins as "Aid Coin°".
• When The Mushroom Marauder says that Toad wants to win, the spots on Toad's cap are colored yellow instead of red.
• When Mario breaks the second formation of Jump Blocks, the Jump Blocks are brown instead of white.
• When Toad signs his cousins up for the Tag Team Wrestling Tournament, the former appears out of thin air.
• When Cheatsy signs the Sledge Brothers up for the wrestling tournament, the spots on the referee's cap are colored red instead of blue.
• When King Koopa tells the Sledge Bros. to get off him, one of the spikes on his shackles flashes.
• In a couple of scenes, the Sledge Bros' helmets turn completely white.
• In several scenes during the match, the wrestlers are outside and inside the ring.
• When the referee asks who rang the bell, Mario's mask is missing. This also happens when he is pushed into a corner by some liquid.
• In several scenes, Mario's wrestling outfit covers his legs.
• When Cheatsy is under the ring, his right cheek is colored green like his head instead of cream.
• When Mario falls onto King Koopa, the string attached to the booby trap disappears.
• When King Koopa is knocked over, Cheatsy is sitting next him despite being under the arena.
• When King Koopa tells Mario to get off him, Mario's left leg disappears briefly.
• When King Koopa says that the prize will be his if the Sledge Brothers defeat the Mario Brothers, his arms and a part of his shell disappear a few times.
• When Luigi is about to fall into the pit, his mask is the same color as his skin. This also happens when he and Mario are at the corner of the ring as the Sledge Brothers approach them.
• When Luigi falls in the first booby trap, Mario has his normal outfit.
• When Princess Toadstool says that she will get some help, Toad is sitting by her, but in the next shot, he is replaced by someone else.
• When a Sledge Bro. squirt some liquid at Luigi, Luigi appears to be outside of the ring instead of inside it.
• When the Sledge Bros. approach Mario and Luigi when they are at the corner of the ring, Mario is to the right of Luigi, but in the next shot, he is to the left of him.
• In several scenes, Mario's hair is black instead of brown.
• When Mario grabs and Invincibility Star, his mustache flashes brown, but when he compliments Princess Toadstool on her timing, it is not.
• When the Mario Bros. make their comeback, the referee's mouth moves, but no sound can be heard.
  • In the same scene, the Sledge Bros' faces are colored white instead of green.
• When the Mario Bros. start flipping towards the Sledge Bros, the pitfall trap is on their side, but in the next shot, it is on the Sledge Bros'.
• Before the referee announces Mario and Luigi as winners, his head glitches for a frame.
• When Mario and Luigi grab Cheatsy and King Koopa, Cheatsy's eyes are light-blue for a frame, while Luigi's cap is blue instead of green.
• When Princess Toadstool tells Toad not to worry about the match, her nose is missing.
• When Cheatsy takes the tape off the wrestlers' eyes, his hands are similar to King Koopa's.
  • In the same scene, the cousins are drawn with sclerae while the Mushroom Marauder's eyelids are white instead of yellow.
• When Toad takes the bag from the Mushroom referee, the bag is green instead of brown. This also happens when he rings the bell outside of the orphanage for a second time.

• 

  The misplaced door

• 

  Cheatsy's miscolored hands

• 

  Luigi's miscolored mask

Names in other languages[edit]

Trivia[edit]

• At the beginning of the match, the "Hurry Up" jingle from when time is running out in Super Mario Bros. 3 is played.
• When Luigi is caught in the cables during his match against the Sledge Brothers, an audio clip of Danny Wells yelling "Yipes!" from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Butch Mario & The Luigi Kid" is used. It was previously used in the episode "Dadzilla".
• This episode marks the only time in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 where Toad can be seen without his cap, where he takes it off when sobbing about his donation problem.
• Another episode from the Super Mario cartoon trilogy that involves a wrestling match is "Rock TV" from Super Mario World, where the only exception is that Mario and Luigi are forced into the match instead of volunteering for it.
• In the original NBC airing, Toad narrates the teaser trailer promo for this episode by saying, "I lost a million gold coins meant for the Mushroom Kingdom orphans. Now the Mario Bros. have to wrestle the money back from the Koopas. Have we ever got tag team trouble?"^[13]

References[edit]