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An '''Easter egg''' is a minor secret in a game that is hidden by the developers and is usually not associated with the gameplay.

==Easter eggs in ''Super Mario'' games==
===[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|''Donkey Kong'' franchise]]===
====''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''====
*In the Atari 800 version, losing Mario's last life because of a fall, while in a point range of 33,000-33,900 (thus ensuring a new high score), and highlighting a Fireball in the difficulty selection will cause the initials of the port's developer, Landon Dyer, to appear in the title screen while the player waits for the attract mode to start up again.

====''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' ([[Game Boy Color]])====
[[File:DKC GBC Cow.png|thumb]]
*The "[[Rareware]] Cow" can be found in the level [[Slipslide Ride]].
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====''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]''====
*In [[Button Bash]], there are references to Billy Mitchell (a statue with his tie) and to the Three Wise Monkeys.
*In [[Foggy Fumes]], the level [[25m]] from the original ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' arcade game, [[Mr. Game & Watch]], and a crane resembling [[metroidwiki:Crocomire|Crocomire]]'s skull from ''[[metroidwiki:Super Metroid|Super Metroid]]'' can be seen in the background.
*In the options screen, a coral reef is shaped like the [[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]] symbol.
*In [[Wonky Waterway]], the last part shows an 8-bit [[Donkey Kong]] statue holding a [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]].
*During Donkey Kong's idle animation, he pulls out a [[Nintendo DS]] and can be heard playing ''Donkey Kong''.
<gallery>
DKCR Foggy Fumes Mr G&W.png|Mr. Game & Watch in Foggy Fumes
DK Statue with Wii Remote.png|The 8-bit Donkey Kong statue holding a Wii Remote
Donkey Kong jugando con un DSLite.PNG|Donkey Kong playing with a Nintendo DS
</gallery>

====''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]''====
*As [[Retro Studios]] had previously developed the [[metroidwiki:Metroid Prime (series)|''Metroid Prime'' series]], two ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid (series)|Metroid]]'' Easter eggs can be found in the game:
**[[Samus Aran|Samus]]' [[Gunship]] can be found in the background in [[Busted Bayou]].
**A [[Metroid (species)|Metroid]] can be found in the background in [[Amiss Abyss]], if the player passes the first signpost and giant illuminating statue, reaches the end of the trench and heads back towards the statue through the anemone. (The player must have more than one hit point to do this.)
*During Donkey Kong's idle animations he pulls out a [[Nintendo 3DS]] and can be heard playing one of several games, including ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D]]'', ''[[nookipedia:Animal Crossing: New Leaf|Animal Crossing: New Leaf]]'', and ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''.
**In the [[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)|Nintendo Switch port]], Donkey Kong's idle animations have him pull out a [[Nintendo Switch]] in Handheld Mode, playing the Switch port itself.

===''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''===
[[File:SMRPG 8bitMario.png|thumb]]
*In ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'', there is a room in [[Booster Tower]] which features two curtains and a pillar, which will transform Mario into his ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' appearance. Mario will revert back to normal after leaving the room or after a few minutes pass. This can only be done once per game.
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===[[Paper Mario (series)|''Paper Mario'' series]]===
====''[[Paper Mario]]''====
*There is a room inside [[Boo's Mansion]] containing a vase that will transform Mario when jumps inside into 8-bit Mario and Mario's theme will play. Mario will revert to back to his standard form if he leaves the room or jumps back into the vase. Unlike ''Super Mario RPG'' in which the 8-bit trick can only be performed once, in ''Paper Mario'' it can be performed repeatedly.
**Similarly, Mario's theme can be heard if the player waits on the chapter screen long enough.

====''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''====
*During Princess Peach's Interlude after Chapter 5, TEC-XX asks Peach to drink an invisibility potion in order to secretly enter Sir Grodus' room and upload important data on a disk into the room's computer. When this happens, the computer screen shows the [[Family Computer|Famicom Disk System]] boot-up sequence which is then shortly followed up by an animation and some music from an unknown game.
*Similar to the first ''Paper Mario'', in the [[X-Naut Fortress]] there is a room that, when entered from above into a changing room, makes both Mario and his partner an 8-bit sprite. This wears off after leaving the room or after a period of time. This can be done repeatedly.

====''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]''====
*When using the [[Battle Card (Paper Mario: Color Splash)#Things#Megaphone|Megaphone]] Card, if the player shouts into the microphone on the Wii U GamePad to increase the Thing’s power, it would be heard in the game.

===[[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario & Luigi'' series]]===
====''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''====
*If the game is played on a [[Game Boy Player]] and a second controller is plugged into the [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]], it functions similarly to a makeshift co-op mode.<ref>DidYouKnowGaming? (October 14, 2017). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk3h7DSu90w Mario & Luigi Games - Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Chris Niosi]. YouTube. Retrieved September 6th, 2022.</ref>

===[[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' series]]===
====''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''====
*[[Luigi's NEW Mansion]] (specifically the Rank A mansion) from the ending of ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' can be seen in the background of [[Luigi Circuit (GCN)|Luigi Circuit]].
*Several courses can be seen in the background of other courses.
**The top of [[DK Mountain]] can be seen from both [[GCN Baby Park|Baby Park]] and [[GCN Dino Dino Jungle|Dino Dino Jungle]].
**[[GCN Daisy Cruiser|Daisy Cruiser]] can be seen out in the water from both [[GCN Peach Beach|Peach Beach]] and [[GCN Yoshi Circuit|Yoshi Circuit]].
**Both [[Mushroom City]] and [[GCN Mario Circuit|Mario Circuit]] can be seen from [[GCN Mushroom Bridge|Mushroom Bridge]]. In addition, Mushroom Bridge can be seen from Mushroom City.
**Mushroom City can be seen from [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)|Rainbow Road]].

===[[Super Mario (series)|''Super Mario'' series]]===
====''[[Super Mario 64]]''====
[[File:Sm64easteregg.png|thumb]]
*When jumping in shallow water, a fish will rarely jump out alongside Mario.
*At the end of [[Bowser in the Sky]], images of 8-bit [[Bowser]] and [[Mario]] from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' can be seen on the pillars.
*If Mario performs a dive while next to the [[Tuxie|Baby Penguin]], the penguin will also perform its own dive.
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====''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''====
[[File:Over Delfino.png|thumb|Isle Delfino]]
*In [[Noki Bay]]'s third mission, [[Red Coins in a Bottle]], the building at the very bottom houses a book behind an unmovable door.
*The island of [[Isle Delfino]] itself is shaped like a dolphin, an allusion to the code name of the GameCube while it was in development.
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====''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''====
[[File:SMG Toy Time Train.png|thumb|200px|The hidden train.]]
*In the [[Rolling Gizmo Galaxy]], if Mario or Luigi skips the [[Star Ball]] and jumps up the blocks and raised bridge that the player would normally smash with the ball, a [[zeldawiki:Rupee|Rupee]] from ''The Legend of Zelda'' series made out of blue [[Star Bit]]s can be seen if the player looks down.
*In the [[Toy Time Galaxy]], on the planet with the first [[Spring Mushroom]], if the player goes on the edge of the block below the warp pipe, they will notice that there is an opening. If they then go to first person view mode once in there, they will see a toy train.

====''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''====
*Three alien-like figures appear in the background of [[Shiverburn Galaxy]] watching [[Mario]]/[[Luigi]] (they also appear in the [[Pull Star]] planet of [[Grandmaster Galaxy]]).
*In the [[Flash Black Galaxy]], the silhouette of a windmill can be seen at the very back of the Maze Planet.
*On the Starting Planet of [[Sky Station Galaxy]], the sign in front of the door is usually signed "[[Yoshi]]". However, during the [[Prankster Comet]] mission, it is signed "Yoshi the space dragon".
*During the fight with [[King Lakitu]], running out of the arena and back to the checkpoint will make him fall asleep.
*If the player loses a life during the [[Whomp King]] battle, on the next attempt, the Whomp King will cut his speech short and say, "Arrrgh! I'm tired of this speech!"
<gallery>
Shiverburn Galaxy Figures Close-Up.png|The alien-like figures
SMG2 Flash Black Building.png|The silhouette of a windmill
</gallery>

====''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''====
*Using the [[binoculars]] in certain levels will allow the player to spot a passing [[Wikipedia:unidentified flying object|UFO]] in the sky. 
*In [[World 4-4 (Super Mario 3D Land)|World 4-4]], when the player reaches the end of the level and stands at the gates to the right for a number of seconds, a ghostly figure will appear slowly out of the background. Once enough time passes, it will open its mouth wide and flash, while fading out at the same time. The figure can also be found at the beginning of [[World 8-4 (Super Mario 3D Land)|World 8-4]] and [[Special 6-5]] if the player stands by the window long enough.

<gallery>
SM3DL UFO.png|The UFO in World 1-3
SM3DL EasterEgg Ghost.png|The ghostly figure in World 4-4
SM3DL EasterEgg Ghost 2.png|The ghostly figure in World 8-4
</gallery>

====''[[New Super Luigi U]]''====
[[File:NSLU Spinning Sandstones Luigi Sighting.jpg|thumb|The hidden Luigi sighting in [[Spinning Sandstones]].]]
*In every level in the game, there is a [[List of Luigi sightings in New Super Luigi U|hidden sighting of Luigi]]. Every level has one hidden Luigi except for [[Flying Squirrel Ovation]], which has two.

====''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''====
*Most of the levels and some of the maps feature an [[List of Luigi sightings in Super Mario 3D World|8-bit Luigi]], similar to ''New Super Luigi U'', though they use the original ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' sprite instead of the modernized sprite.
*In [[The Great Tower of Bowser Land]], when interacting with the smoldering remains of [[Bowser's Muscle Car]], sound effects from ''[[Super Mario World]]'' will play on occasion.
*In the credit sequence when it fades out to the sky, the [[Comet Observatory]] is visible.

====''[[Super Mario Maker]]''====
*If the player places a pair of door objects and taps on one, knocking can be heard on the other side of the door. If the player taps enough times, [[Weird Mario]] will appear out of the door in a random powered-up state depending on the game style (for example, he can be [[Raccoon Mario]], [[Tanooki Mario]], [[Statue Mario]], [[Frog Mario]], or [[Hammer Mario]] when this is done in the ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' style).<ref>GameXplain (November 4, 2015). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWSc9w8iIoo Skinny Mario Door-Knocking SECRET in Super Mario Maker Update (Tanooki, Frog, & Skinny Yoshi!)]. YouTube. Retrieved December 29, 2015.</ref>
*In the ''Super Mario Bros.'' style, if the [[fortress]] behind the [[Goal Pole]] has a locked door on its entrance and the player has at least one key, when they touch the flagpole and enter the fortress, the door will open as if the player unlocked it in-game.
**Similarly, the same thing happens with a normal [[Warp Door]] or an active [[P Warp Door]] if it is placed in front of the entrance.
*If the player shakes a [[Spike Trap]] in the ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' ground theme, a train whistle can be heard.
*Holding {{button|wiiu|Paddown}}, {{button|wiiu|A}}, and {{button|wiiu|B}} while a course loads will activate a CRT screen filter, similarly to the Big Mushroom; unlike the Big Mushroom, this is functional in all four game styles.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_cV6J5pw44</ref>

====''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]''====
*If there are no controller inputs for a long time, a [[little bird]] will sleep on Mario's nose. The type of bird changes depending on what kingdom Mario is in.
**Similarly, if Mario sleeps in a place where the [[Nintendog]] appears, it will sleep next to him.
*Bowser's reaction quote to Mario changes according to the costume Mario wears. As of the version 1.2.0 update, [[Luigi]] also gives a reaction quote.
*Like ''Super Mario 3D World'', 8-bit character sprites can be found in several levels.
*In [[Metro Kingdom]] has many [[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong game]] advertisements, many [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong franchise]] (especially the [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|Donkey Kong Country series]]) road signs (such as: [[Cranky Kong|CRANKY]], [[Rambi|RAMBI]], [[King K. Rool|KROOL]], etc...) and there is a shop that has has the word "Dixie" in its name, which refers to [[Dixie Kong]], and all the taxis have 1981 in their license plates, [[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]] was made in 1981 too.
**Donkey Kong is one of the bosses in Metro Kingdom, and his barrel throwing and appearance (without the tie) are reminiscent of the first [[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]] game.

===''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''===
*In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', a picture of a cat appears in a cabin in [[Pokémon Stadium 2]] when the stage is Ice-themed.
**This cameo returns in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'', but with a different cat picture.

===''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]''===
*Like ''Super Mario 3D World'', 8-bit sprites of that game's playable characters can be found in several levels.
*In several ghost-themed levels, there are events that happen if the player waits for a while in the level.
**In [[Bizarre Doors of Boo Mansion]], ghostly handprints appear on the back wall of the mansion.
**In [[Sinister Street Signs]], a small thin ghost will fly out of a grate in the bottom of one of the towers.
**In [[Fright Train Flight]], a laughing ghost will appear under the train tracks in front of the train.
**In [[Ghost Gallery Gambit]], if the player does not walk towards the star to start the poison rising, several spooky sounds will join the ambient music after a while.

===[[Wario (franchise)|''Wario'' franchise]]===
====''[[Wario World]]''====
*If the player remains on the pause screen for 50 minutes, Wario apologizes for his taunting and stops; this applies every time the player pauses.

====''[[WarioWare: D.I.Y.]]''====
*If a record, comic, or microgame is named "Mario Paint," a remix of the "Creative Exercise" song from ''[[Mario Paint]]'' plays while it is created.
**Similarly, when stamps are selected, a remix of the "Monkeys" song from the same game plays.
**This also applies to stamp editing, where a remix of the "Mysterious" song also plays.

==References==
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