HBO turns 'Mario Kart' into gritty psych drama in 'SNL' sketch

Any video game can be a prestige dystopian drama with the right script.
 By 
Chance Townsend
 on 
Pedro Pascal in a Mario costume holding a double-barrel shotgun
Watch Next

It seems the success of HBO's The Last of Us has gotten to the heads of the executives, who are now making plans to reimagine another hugely popular video game into a gritty psychological drama. And that game is...Mario Kart?

Yes, that's right, Saturday Night Live presented to us the fictional trailer for "Mario Kart," a gritty post-apocalyptic drama featuring host Pedro Pascal as the titular Mario. In a world devastated by Bowser (Kenan Thompson), Mario must escort Princess Peach (Chloe Fineman) to Rainbow Road. It will also star Luigi (Mikey Day), Yoshi (Bowen Yang), and Toad (Marcello Hernández) as potential allies who also just so happen to be bisexual.

From the high production value, intentional overacting, and attention to detail, this is quite honestly one of the best-produced sketches in recent SNL memory. It's worth a watch, even to just hear Pascal say "It's a me, Mario," in a gruff, action-protagonist voice.

Topics SNL

Headshot of a Black man
Chance Townsend
Assistant Editor, General Assignments

Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.

In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.

A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.



Is This The End of Hollywood's ‘Bad Moms’?
Recent representations of motherhood on film: (from left) Amy Adams in 'Nightbitch', Jennifer Lawrence in 'Die My Love', and Rose Byrne in 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!