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In keeping with The Simpsons’ long history of parodying popular culture, the latest episode of the long-running cartoon sees Lisa, Milhouse, and Homer take on Mario Kart. In the episode, a dream sequence imagines Lisa as Mario, Milhouse as Yoshi, and Homer as Wario on a track resembling the iconic Rainbow Road.
The most recent episode of The Simpsons to air–and the series’ 762nd overall, Lisa Gets An F1–follows Lisa as she delves into the world of professional go-kart racing. With the storyline primed for a Mario Kart reference, it appears in the form of Homer’s anxious dream, as he stresses about Lisa’s potentially dangerous new hobby.
Lisa, of course, takes the role of Mario in the dream, giving her own version of his iconic line, while her fellow Springfield Elementary students also make cameos in the starting lineup. Homer stars in his own dream as antagonist Wario, bombing Lisa off the track before he wakes up, giving an iconic Wario “wah!” to end the reference.
Mario has made a number of cameos in The Simpsons over the years, as early as Mario and Luigi convincing Bart it’s okay to steal a video game in the 1995 episode Marge Be Not Proud. Since then, the popular game series has seen nods from opening title gags, to Halloween costumes, to Mario having his own cameo in the show. This is the first time The Simpsons has specifically referenced Mario Kart, despite the racing game’s long history.
Despite the racing game’s popularity over the years, Mario Kart hasn’t seen a new major title since Mario Kart 8 in 2014. While there have been rumors that Mario Kart 9 is in development with a new take on the game’s classic formula, Nintendo has yet to officially announce the next mainline title.
