When I was about six years old, my parents bought me a Nintendo Entertainment System, and from that moment on, many of my childhood hours were spent sitting criss-cross applesauce in front of my television playing and replaying my favorite NES carts. New games were few and far between, usually arriving on Christmas Day or my birthday, so my favorite games got put through the paces. Copies of Mega Man 2 and DuckTales were in frequent rotations but no games got more playtime than those in the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda series.
As often as possible, I’d sit down and play the original Legend of Zelda from start to finish over the course of a few hours. I played it so many times that even small details — like which identical bushes to burn and which rocks to bomb — became burned indelibly into my mind. During all those childhood runs through the first quest, the dungeon I feared the most wasn’t Death Mountain, with its maze-like connecting stairs and heart-quickening theme. It was Level 6 because that’s where you first meet the dreaded Wizzrobes.
Sure, Darknuts can only be attacked from behind, and that’s a little annoying, but they’re nowhere near as bad as the Blue Wizzrobes, who pepper you with constant magical blasts, knocking Link all over the room. Just when you think you’re within striking distance, they warp to a different part of the room. When I think of Level 6 today, I “affectionately” call it Wizzrobe Hell.
Despite their best attempt to brand my mind with the sound of their blasted magic attacks, I was today-years-old (that’s forty for those keeping track at home) when I realized that the Wizzrobe’s sound effect was identical to a sound effect from another game I loved during my childhood: Super Mario Bros. 2.
Leading up to Mario’s 35th anniversary and the incoming launch of Super Mario All-Stars to Nintendo Switch Online, I’ve been replaying my old favorites featuring the mustachioed marvel. This week, I started playing Super Mario Bros. 2. Upon booting it up, I immediately selected Peach (because that girl gets too little playtime) and raced through the old, familiar levels. I reached the end of the first stage and faced the visage of my old, acquaintance Birdo. While making short work of this early boss, a familiar sound effect caused my heart to quicken. Was that a Wizzrobe?
As Birdo sent more and more eggs flying towards my princess protagonist, I confirmed it: The sound effect of Birdo firing her eggs is the same as that of those dreaded spells of the Wizzrobes and of Link’s Magic Wand from that first Zelda. I’d never heard it before, but now during all the many, many Birdo fights (seriously, I know Mario 2 has other bosses, but you’d be hard-pressed to remember that during the first few levels), all I heard were Wizzrobes.
As I continued my modern journey through Mario 2’s Subcon, I noticed other similarities to Zelda that I hadn’t before. Familiar Zelda items, like keys and bombs that were absent from the first Super Mario Bros., show up in the second game, forcing you to use them to unlock doors and bomb rock walls to access new areas. There’s also a bigger focus on puzzles than the original’s simple, left-to-right cross-country Mushroom Kingdom race. Even small details like the dreaded visage of Majora brings to mind the sinister Phanto, who relentlessly pursues you once you’ve stolen his precious key.
All of these similarities only serve to remind me that Mario and Link’s journeys are irreversibly intertwined. Ideas and sound effects from one series will bleed over into the other, and as I enjoy replaying the plumber’s greatest hits during his 35th anniversary, I hope I will also be able to participate in a similar, familiar journey through Hyrule next year.
Be sure to check out the rest of our articles from Super Mario Week, our weeklong celebration of Super Mario Bros.’ 35th anniversary!
