“SNL” HBO Mario Kart Sketch: “The Last of Us” Parody

The massive success of “The Last of Us” seems to have finally settled the debate about turning acclaimed video games into movies and TV shows. While many game adaptations have failed in the past — and there will inevitably be plenty in the future — Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann and the entire “Last of Us” creative team have proven that it’s possible to succeed in the previously cursed subgenre.

So which video game is next in the treatment of the prestigious HBO drama? If “Saturday Night Live” works, it will be “Mario Kart.” In this week’s parody sketch starring host Pedro Pascal, the sketch show imagined a post-apocalyptic take on the beloved racing game.

Pascal plays a shriveled version of the iconic Italian plumber tasked with smuggling Princess Peach (Chloe Fineman) to the Rainbow Road through the dangerous wasteland once known as the Mushroom Kingdom. “Go-karting is not a game here. If we’re going to succeed, we’re going to need all the help we can get,” Pascal says, before enlisting the help of Luigi, who warns them of the giant sentient mushrooms known as Goombas.

Once the crew is assembled, they set off on their harrowing journey, with the evil Bowser hot on their heels. The world has little to do with the colorful racetracks of Nintendo games, as the producers of “The Last of Us” have brought all of the show’s signature stylistic elements to the fictional series. “All your favorite wacky contestants are reimagined as complex, dramatic HBO characters,” the trailer’s narrator boasts, while revealing that both Yoshi and Toad are bisexual in the fictional series.

The trailer teases the many obstacles Mario and Peach will face along the way, including killer plants and turtle shells, as well as his struggles with drug abuse. But despite all the danger, the two unlikely friends have no choice but to carry on.

“What if we crash?” Peach asks Mario, who replies, “A cloud guy comes and uses a fishing pole to guide him back to the road.”

Check out the “HBO Mario Kart Trailer” sketch below.

(embed)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiIRlg4Xr5w(/embed)

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