Side-by-side comparison of video game Mario's large butt and movie Mario's flat butt.

Mario's Flat Butt

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Published October 20, 2026

Mario's Flat Butt refers to the viral debate that broke out on October 4th, 2022, after Nintendo of America tweeted the first teaser poster for the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie, which showed the plumber from behind with a noticeably smaller backside than fans knew from Super Mario Odyssey. Within two minutes, concept artist RJ Palmer kicked off edits and side-by-side comparisons on Twitter that gaming press labeled 'buttgate.' By that same evening, @SimplyFir's Odyssey-vs-movie comparison had collected 472,000 likes in a single day.

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Overview

Mario's Flat Butt centers on Mario's unusually small backside in the Illumination and Nintendo film poster compared to how 3D Mario games, especially Super Mario Odyssey, had drawn him. Posts typically fall into two formats: side-by-side comparison images of movie Mario next to Odyssey Mario5, and 'fixed' edits that paste a larger, rounder butt onto the poster7. Running jokes about Mario's rear were already common among Odyssey players, so the flattened proportions in the film design read as a deliberate choice worth roasting1.

Beyond the direct butt edits, variations added other characters to the poster, such as a Luigi insert that gave the taller brother an enormous backside6. Tone across posts stayed playful and leaned into horny-posting rather than genuine complaint about the movie's art direction, keeping the discourse closer to a fandom in-joke than real backlash4.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Creator
Unknown
Date
2022

Nintendo of America tweeted the first teaser poster for the untitled Super Mario Bros. film on October 4th, 2022, at 10 a.m. EST, showing Mario from behind standing in front of an open pipe2. The poster collected over 108,600 likes within 24 hours, but within two minutes of posting, concept artist RJ Palmer (@arvalis) replied with a quote-tweet pointing out that Mario's buttocks looked much smaller than in Super Mario Odyssey3. GamesRadar covered the fallout the same day, calling the discourse the Mario movie's own 'buttgate'1.

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How It Spread

Palmer followed his first critique with a 'fixed' version of the poster that gave Mario a rounder shape, picking up over 2,100 retweets and 13,100 likes on October 4th7. Side-by-side comparisons became the dominant post format within hours, with Twitter user @SimplyFir sharing an Odyssey-vs-movie image that collected over 40,600 retweets and 472,000 likes in one day5. Later that evening, @MegaChanRevival edited Luigi into the poster with a comically oversized backside, which gained 2,800 retweets and 47,000 likes6.

Gaming press covered the discourse the same day, with GamesRadar calling it the next 'buttgate' moment for Nintendo1. Attention stayed concentrated on Twitter but reached Reddit and TikTok through screenshot reposts in the days before the film's first trailer release later that month4.

Timeline

2022-10-04

Nintendo of America tweets the first teaser poster for the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie at 10 a.m. EST, showing Mario from behind.

2022-10-04

Artist RJ Palmer (@arvalis) replies within two minutes with the first viral tweet noting Mario's smaller buttocks.

2022-10-04

Palmer posts a 'fixed' edit of the poster with a larger backside, collecting over 2,100 retweets.

2022-10-04

@SimplyFir posts an Odyssey-vs-movie side-by-side comparison that hits 472,000 likes in a day.

2022-10-04

@MegaChanRevival shares a Luigi edit of the poster, gaining 47,000 likes.

2022-10-04

GamesRadar publishes an article calling the discourse the Mario movie's 'buttgate'.

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How to Use This Meme

Posts typically start from the Nintendo poster itself and either place it beside Odyssey-era Mario art for a visual gag, or edit a larger backside directly onto the movie Mario5. Captions often read as mock outrage over the design change rather than a serious complaint, and newer riffs insert other characters like Luigi into the same comparison setup6.

Frequently Asked Questions