# Level UP Level UP is a YouTube animation channel run by an animator known as Nelly that launched in late 2015, producing 8-bit skits that toss Nintendo characters into absurd crossovers and physics-bent scenarios. Its Super Mario racing short and later Baldi's Basics mashups pulled tens of millions of views apiece, turning the channel into a go-to source for gaming parody animation. ## Origin The channel was created by an animator identified as Nelly and went live on November 15th, 2015[3]. Nothing was uploaded for over two months. The first video finally landed on January 28th, 2016, introducing an original character rather than the Nintendo cast the channel later became known for[1]. The breakthrough came about five weeks later. On March 6th, 2016, Nelly posted a skit of Nintendo characters racing through a Super Mario level, which pulled in more than 15 million views and set the template for everything the channel made afterward[2]. - **Platform:** YouTube - **Creator:** Nelly - **Date:** 2015 ## Overview Level UP builds short 8-bit animated skits that drop familiar gaming characters, mostly Nintendo mascots like Mario, Luigi and Donkey Kong, into weird crossover setups or apply real-world logic to genre conventions[1]. A typical short runs a couple of minutes, pushes pixel-style sprites through gags that a normal Mario level would never allow, then cuts before the joke overstays its welcome[2]. The channel's identity leans on recognizable IP mashups: a Baldi's Basics and Sonic the Hedgehog crossover became one of its biggest hits, and a Mario and Donkey Kong role-swap short racked up huge numbers on its own[3]. The tone is playful rather than edgy, which is why parents let the videos autoplay for kids and why the animation style spawned a wider ecosystem of copycat channels chasing the same 8-bit crossover format[1]. ## How It Spread After the March 2016 racing short broke past 15 million views, Level UP kept iterating on the same crossover formula and stacked up a catalog of high-performing gaming parodies[2]. The Baldi's Basics x Sonic the Hedgehog mashup climbed to roughly 22 million views, and a short flipping Mario and Donkey Kong's roles reached about 21 million, making both bigger than the video that first put the channel on the map[3]. By January 23rd, 2019, Level UP had passed 900,000 YouTube subscribers[3]. Nelly also launched a sister channel, Team Level UP, as a showcase for other animators working in the same 8-bit style, and it had built up over 123,000 subscribers of its own by that point[4]. The affiliate setup let the brand extend beyond a single creator without diluting the main feed's output pace. The channel's reach also seeped into general internet slang around gaming, where 'level up' was already used as shorthand for gaining experience or hitting a personal milestone[5]. Level UP's videos slotted neatly into that vocabulary, which helped the shorts get shared in gaming communities well outside YouTube's recommendation feed. ## How to Use Level UP itself is a channel, not a template anyone can 'use', but its format is easy to spot: take two unrelated game franchises, animate a short skit in 8-bit or 16-bit pixel style, and let the joke come from the collision. Fan channels often copy the convention of pairing a wholesome Nintendo lead like Mario with a chaotic guest like Sonic or a horror-game antagonist, then resolving the gag in under three minutes. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Level UP? Level UP is a YouTube channel that makes short 8-bit animated skits parodying video games, mostly built around Nintendo characters in absurd crossover situations[1]. ### Where did Level UP come from? The channel was created by an animator known as Nelly and launched on November 15th, 2015, with its first video posted on January 28th, 2016[3]. ### What does Level UP mean? Outside the channel, 'level up' is gamer slang for earning enough experience points to gain a new skill level, and it's also used casually for hitting any personal milestone[5]. ### How do you use Level UP? You watch the videos on YouTube. The format itself, an 8-bit gaming crossover skit, has been copied widely by other animators working in Team Level UP and rival channels[4]. ### Is Level UP still popular? Level UP was already past 900,000 subscribers by January 2019 with individual videos in the 20 million-plus view range, cementing it as a classic gaming animation channel[3]. ## References 1. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQl5RkkbMgM]() 2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxHciXRmS5Y]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/level-up]() 4. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxPssr9PcoA]() 5. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Level%20Up]() 6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCAtGTHmdnQ]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/level-up Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library